Woj Bomb: Kemba, 1st Rounder, & '25 2nd Rounder to OKC for Horford, Brown, 2nd

[tonydelk]

   I couldn't imagine Stevens trying to coach the Nets stars with their difficult personalities.

I can’t imagine any coach actually coaching them.  Stars do whatever they want.  The NBA is essentially billion dollar pickup games at this point.

Good for Stevens for trying to instruct his players to play the right way.

All this makes you wonder if real coaches like Atkins and Rick Carlisle will ever get another head coach job.    Also makes me wonder if Stevens saw the writing on the wall for traditional type coaching going by the wayside and thought time to get out .  I think even in college , this new way of not coaching will trickle down at the Dukes and Kentucky’s.

Agree here.  The old school coaches will not have success with this generation.  the days of the tough love are over.  This generation has a whole different mindset and you need people who can relate to these kids.  The team took on Brads demeanor.  No fire.  Not fight.  Not that Brad doesn't care but he's from an end of a generation who has a lot of that type of demeanor in them.  These kids today are willing to fight and speak up. 

[tazzmaniac]

   I couldn't imagine Stevens trying to coach the Nets stars with their difficult personalities.

I can’t imagine any coach actually coaching them.  Stars do whatever they want.  The NBA is essentially billion dollar pickup games at this point.

Good for Stevens for trying to instruct his players to play the right way.

Stevens' way may be the right way for mid-major college players.  I question whether its the right way for NBA players especially in this modern era.  NBA coaching is not about instructing players to play the right way.  Its about collaborating with star players to build a championship team.   

[tazzmaniac]

   I couldn't imagine Stevens trying to coach the Nets stars with their difficult personalities.

I can’t imagine any coach actually coaching them.  Stars do whatever they want.  The NBA is essentially billion dollar pickup games at this point.

Good for Stevens for trying to instruct his players to play the right way.

All this makes you wonder if real coaches like Atkins and Rick Carlisle will ever get another head coach job.    Also makes me wonder if Stevens saw the writing on the wall for traditional type coaching going by the wayside and thought time to get out .  I think even in college , this new way of not coaching will trickle down at the Dukes and Kentucky’s.

Agree here.  The old school coaches will not have success with this generation.  the days of the tough love are over.  This generation has a whole different mindset and you need people who can relate to these kids.  The team took on Brads demeanor.  No fire.  Not fight.  Not that Brad doesn't care but he's from an end of a generation who has a lot of that type of demeanor in them.  These kids today are willing to fight and speak up.

They're not kids.  Even the young guys, want to be treated like men. 

Agree on Stevens.  That out of bounds play where KD shoved his forearm in Tatum's chest/throat and didn't get called for anything.  Even a calm coach like Stevens should have gone ballistic on that play.  Get a T.   Get thrown out if you have to.  You have to have your star's back on a play like that.   

[liam]

   I couldn't imagine Stevens trying to coach the Nets stars with their difficult personalities.

I can’t imagine any coach actually coaching them.  Stars do whatever they want.  The NBA is essentially billion dollar pickup games at this point.

Good for Stevens for trying to instruct his players to play the right way.

All this makes you wonder if real coaches like Atkins and Rick Carlisle will ever get another head coach job.    Also makes me wonder if Stevens saw the writing on the wall for traditional type coaching going by the wayside and thought time to get out .  I think even in college , this new way of not coaching will trickle down at the Dukes and Kentucky’s.

Agree here.  The old school coaches will not have success with this generation.  the days of the tough love are over.  This generation has a whole different mindset and you need people who can relate to these kids.  The team took on Brads demeanor.  No fire.  Not fight.  Not that Brad doesn't care but he's from an end of a generation who has a lot of that type of demeanor in them.  These kids today are willing to fight and speak up.

They're not kids.  Even the young guys, want to be treated like men. 

Agree on Stevens.  That out of bounds play where KD shoved his forearm in Tatum's chest/throat and didn't get called for anything.  Even a calm coach like Stevens should have gone ballistic on that play.  Get a T.   Get thrown out if you have to.  You have to have your star's back on a play like that.

TP

[Rondo9]

   I couldn't imagine Stevens trying to coach the Nets stars with their difficult personalities.

I can’t imagine any coach actually coaching them.  Stars do whatever they want.  The NBA is essentially billion dollar pickup games at this point.

Good for Stevens for trying to instruct his players to play the right way.

All this makes you wonder if real coaches like Atkins and Rick Carlisle will ever get another head coach job.    Also makes me wonder if Stevens saw the writing on the wall for traditional type coaching going by the wayside and thought time to get out .  I think even in college , this new way of not coaching will trickle down at the Dukes and Kentucky’s.

Agree here.  The old school coaches will not have success with this generation.  the days of the tough love are over.  This generation has a whole different mindset and you need people who can relate to these kids.  The team took on Brads demeanor.  No fire.  Not fight.  Not that Brad doesn't care but he's from an end of a generation who has a lot of that type of demeanor in them.  These kids today are willing to fight and speak up.

They're not kids.  Even the young guys, want to be treated like men. 

Agree on Stevens.  That out of bounds play where KD shoved his forearm in Tatum's chest/throat and didn't get called for anything.  Even a calm coach like Stevens should have gone ballistic on that play.  Get a T.   Get thrown out if you have to.  You have to have your star's back on a play like that.

TP

Eh it's just theatrics and really doesn't do anything.

[tazzmaniac]

   I couldn't imagine Stevens trying to coach the Nets stars with their difficult personalities.

I can’t imagine any coach actually coaching them.  Stars do whatever they want.  The NBA is essentially billion dollar pickup games at this point.

Good for Stevens for trying to instruct his players to play the right way.

All this makes you wonder if real coaches like Atkins and Rick Carlisle will ever get another head coach job.    Also makes me wonder if Stevens saw the writing on the wall for traditional type coaching going by the wayside and thought time to get out .  I think even in college , this new way of not coaching will trickle down at the Dukes and Kentucky’s.

Being set in your ways and dictatorial isn't real coaching.  Great coaches have to adjust.  Just came across this great story on Red and Russell's 1st start. 

"Before the game, Red asked (Bob) Cousy, our captain then, 'What do you think, Cooz?' Cousy said, 'I got Slater Martin guarding me. I can take him down in the blocks and I'll either get him in foul trouble or get a lot of easy shots.' I was just a rookie, but I didn't think much of this idea. If you put your point guard down in the blocks where the center normally plays, everybody else is standing around out of position — that's really bad basketball. But Cousy went down in the blocks, and then I was out of position standing around while Slater Martin beat him up. We were getting the crap kicked out of us. Next huddle, Bill Sharman wanted to go down in the blocks with his man. I was out of position again, standing around, really getting p---ed because Sharman got the same results."

"By the second quarter, the Celtics were about 18 points down, so Red called another time-out ... We always stood together in our huddle. But I walked over to the bench and sat down. Everybody looked over at me until Red said, 'Russell! Why aren't you in the huddle?'"

"I play center" said Russell. "Everybody else is playing center tonight. I don't need to be in the huddle to know how to get out of their way."

"Red thought about it a few seconds and said, 'Okay, nobody plays center but Russell.' Just like that."

"It caught me completely by surprise" writes Russell, "There wasn't another coach in the league who would have taken that tack. Any other coach would have said, 'Get your ass off the bench and get back to the locker room and get dressed! I'm the coach of this team!'"

The "very tough position" Russell put Red in, was not lost on Bill.

"He had nine other players standing there, listening to this exchange," writes Russell. "How would they respond to his acquiescing like that? Would it undermine his authority with the team? He had to take all that into consideration, right on the spot. His response told me that Red had decided, 'Russell is the horse I'm riding. It was a critical moment for me — it started building our relationship.'"

Imagine if Red had responded differently.  I'm sure the fans of the day would have been all for Red disciplining this brash young rookie.  Instead he established one of the great coach/player relationships which led to a lot of banners in the rafters. 

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/phil-learned-bill-russell-red-auerbach-article-1.3291156

[Neurotic Guy]

   I couldn't imagine Stevens trying to coach the Nets stars with their difficult personalities.

I can’t imagine any coach actually coaching them.  Stars do whatever they want.  The NBA is essentially billion dollar pickup games at this point.

Good for Stevens for trying to instruct his players to play the right way.

All this makes you wonder if real coaches like Atkins and Rick Carlisle will ever get another head coach job.    Also makes me wonder if Stevens saw the writing on the wall for traditional type coaching going by the wayside and thought time to get out .  I think even in college , this new way of not coaching will trickle down at the Dukes and Kentucky’s.

Being set in your ways and dictatorial isn't real coaching.  Great coaches have to adjust.  Just came across this great story on Red and Russell's 1st start. 

"Before the game, Red asked (Bob) Cousy, our captain then, 'What do you think, Cooz?' Cousy said, 'I got Slater Martin guarding me. I can take him down in the blocks and I'll either get him in foul trouble or get a lot of easy shots.' I was just a rookie, but I didn't think much of this idea. If you put your point guard down in the blocks where the center normally plays, everybody else is standing around out of position — that's really bad basketball. But Cousy went down in the blocks, and then I was out of position standing around while Slater Martin beat him up. We were getting the crap kicked out of us. Next huddle, Bill Sharman wanted to go down in the blocks with his man. I was out of position again, standing around, really getting p---ed because Sharman got the same results."

"By the second quarter, the Celtics were about 18 points down, so Red called another time-out ... We always stood together in our huddle. But I walked over to the bench and sat down. Everybody looked over at me until Red said, 'Russell! Why aren't you in the huddle?'"

"I play center" said Russell. "Everybody else is playing center tonight. I don't need to be in the huddle to know how to get out of their way."

"Red thought about it a few seconds and said, 'Okay, nobody plays center but Russell.' Just like that."

"It caught me completely by surprise" writes Russell, "There wasn't another coach in the league who would have taken that tack. Any other coach would have said, 'Get your ass off the bench and get back to the locker room and get dressed! I'm the coach of this team!'"

The "very tough position" Russell put Red in, was not lost on Bill.

"He had nine other players standing there, listening to this exchange," writes Russell. "How would they respond to his acquiescing like that? Would it undermine his authority with the team? He had to take all that into consideration, right on the spot. His response told me that Red had decided, 'Russell is the horse I'm riding. It was a critical moment for me — it started building our relationship.'"

Imagine if Red had responded differently.  I'm sure the fans of the day would have been all for Red disciplining this brash young rookie.  Instead he established one of the great coach/player relationships which led to a lot of banners in the rafters. 

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/phil-learned-bill-russell-red-auerbach-article-1.3291156

Love this. And not surprising.  Great coaches/leaders have the ability to know when and how to respond to who based on personalities and circumstances.  They maintain level head and are able to consider their options in the heat of the moment.  Red definitely treated his players differently based on team needs and his understanding of what motivated them.  There is also something to be said for hearing/respecting players’ voice.  If done well  players see that as a sign of strength rather than weakness.

[Tr1boy]

Anna Horford Reacts to Al's Return to Celtics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7UxThkiuKQ&t=22s

It will be cool to see his dad Tito in the stands again also 

[BudweiserCeltic]

Marc D'Amico @Marc_DAmico
This Al Horford guy who has no clue what it’s like to play for the Celtics will be introduced by the team tomorrow morning as it’s newest acquisition.
6:14 PM · Jun 23, 2021
https://twitter.com/Marc_DAmico/status/1407824528898670596

[Big333223]

So many rumors and so much gossip. I don't care. Brad didn't have a strong enough voice in the locker room but also Kemba didn't like him because Brad was too hard on him? So Kemba and Brad had a bad relationship but also Kemba was "heartbroken" about the trade? Tristan Thompson is hated in the locker room and doesn't like Boston but busted his butt in the playoffs even when it was a lost cause?

I just don't believe any of this crap.

As for the trade: I think the state of Kemba's knees is going to weigh heavy on how this all shakes out. If he plays 150 games the next two seasons and averages 20-4-4, it's not going to look good. If he misses huge amounts of time and becomes unplayable on defense because his knee keeps getting worse, then it'll all make sense.

Then again, if Moses Brown/Robert Williams become a dominant center core for the Celtics, that'll be good too.

Does anyone else think Moses kind of looks like a giant 12 year old? Maybe it's just the shorts but he looks like he's in the middle of a growth spurt. Skinny, long, and not quite sure what to do with all his limbs. He's only 21. He might not be done filling out. A year from now he might be more coordinated, more used to the NBA speed and a real asset. Or maybe he won't last in the league because he never picks up the finer points but I'm always more optimistic this time of year.