NBA Playoffs 2021

[ozgod]

Now the love-fest between opponents.

I suspect it's called sportsmanship 

There's too much hate in the world as it is to hate people over a sports game. Be as competitive as you like between the lines but at the end of the game you should be able to shake your opponent's hand and say "well played".

No, not indulging in the love fest is called being a competitor.
Stomping your foot on your opponent's center court mascot is bad sportsmanship - big difference.
Connecting being a tough competitor to social issues is a bit ludicrous, no ?

btw, do you just keep an eye out for my posts just to criticize ?

Not particularly. It just felt worthy of being responded to at the time. I don't really keep track of the posts I respond to. Shaking hands with an opponent after you've competed with him on the court or field, regardless of what happened on the court or field, is something I was taught at school. Other people may view that as indulging in a lovefest and don't want to shake hands but I think it's being a good sport and being a good winner or a good loser. You have a different opinion and that's fine.

[Moranis]

The Gobert blaming on TV, radio and podcasts is BS. You can’t blame him if Bogdanovic, Conley and Mitchell could not keep their matchups from driving EASILY to the basket. 🤷‍♂️

But that happened in the regular season also.  Gobert has been as ineffective as Simmons in the playoffs the last 4 seasons.

If the Jazz wing players could defend, it wouldn’t be much of a problem.

They don't defend in the regular season though.  That is why Gobert is rightfully getting killed.  He has come up very small basically every post season he has played.  He can totally be taken out defensively and that is what he is.  He has very little value if he can't defend and he hasn't been able to defend.

[gouki88]

Ben Simmons missed more free throws in this postseason (2 series) than Steve Nash did in his playoff career (23 series). Amazing

[Somebody]

The Gobert blaming on TV, radio and podcasts is BS. You can’t blame him if Bogdanovic, Conley and Mitchell could not keep their matchups from driving EASILY to the basket. 🤷‍♂️

But that happened in the regular season also.  Gobert has been as ineffective as Simmons in the playoffs the last 4 seasons.

If the Jazz wing players could defend, it wouldn’t be much of a problem.

I mean besides the second half of game 6 where Gobert played through injuries (ankle and hip iirc), he was huge for the Jazz. People remember Mann dunking on him and Jackson making a few layups over him in games 1-5, but conveniently forget how Gobert altered forays into the paint (not just shots, defenders circle back out to the perimeter if they don't have a great angle to attack the rim when Gobert is in the paint) over and over, made key defensive stands when Clipper players actually tried to challenge him in the paint, etc.

[mr. dee]

I was right on not putting money on the Jazz. Gobert can't do anything outside the paint. He's quite a limited offensive player too.

[Donoghus]

Its from SAS so take with a grain of salt but I wouldn't be shocked here.

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1407379365126623242?s=20

[nickagneta]

So many want to add a top center to the Celtics, but it seems every year that the best centers in the game have trouble making the Conference Finals, nevermind the Finals.

Perhaps dominating centers are passe. No longer needed in the game for a team to win it all.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Its from SAS so take with a grain of salt but I wouldn't be shocked here.

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1407379365126623242?s=20

What does this say?

[Rondo9]

So many want to add a top center to the Celtics, but it seems every year that the best centers in the game have trouble making the Conference Finals, nevermind the Finals.

Perhaps dominating centers are passe. No longer needed in the game for a team to win it all.

Have we forgotten Deandre Ayton?

[Celtics2021]

Its from SAS so take with a grain of salt but I wouldn't be shocked here.

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1407379365126623242?s=20

What does this say?

Anonymous source says Ben Simmons has no work ethic.  Also, the anonymous source was my eyeballs.

[johnnygreen]

Its from SAS so take with a grain of salt but I wouldn't be shocked here.

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1407379365126623242?s=20

What does this say?

It’s a video of Stephen A. Smith reading a text from someone within the Philly organization on Ben Simmons. According to the text, Ben Simmons doesn’t work, he doesn’t listen, and everyone around him is family, and he’s constantly babied.

[johnnygreen]

It sounds like, Ben Simmons' family is using him as their meal ticket, and taking advantage of him. If his family truly cared about him, they would let professional trainers help take him to the next level, especially when it comes to shooting.

[Donoghus]

Its from SAS so take with a grain of salt but I wouldn't be shocked here.

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1407379365126623242?s=20

What does this say?

It’s a video of Stephen A. Smith reading a text from someone within the Philly organization on Ben Simmons. According to the text, Ben Simmons doesn’t work, he doesn’t listen, and everyone around him is family, and he’s constantly babied.

Well, he said "very, very close to the situation in Philadelphia" but we don't know if that person is in the organization or not. 

From a trade value standpoint, I'm not sure leaking that a guy doesn't work, doesn't listen, etc.. is a smart organizational leak.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Its from SAS so take with a grain of salt but I wouldn't be shocked here.

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1407379365126623242?s=20

What does this say?

It’s a video of Stephen A. Smith reading a text from someone within the Philly organization on Ben Simmons. According to the text, Ben Simmons doesn’t work, he doesn’t listen, and everyone around him is family, and he’s constantly babied.

Can't comment on that, but I can say that dude plays really hard on the court. He players as hard on defense as anyone in the playoffs. It's hard for a 6'10'' guy to get around screens and chase shooters around the court, but he does it with the best of them. His work ethic on the court is special.

You can take that information two ways. It can obviously be an indictment against him, but what if his family has surrounded him and walled him in because of the negativity in Philly? Honestly, that would be a good thing, because it would show he has a good support structure around him.

[Celtics2021]

Its from SAS so take with a grain of salt but I wouldn't be shocked here.

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1407379365126623242?s=20

What does this say?

It’s a video of Stephen A. Smith reading a text from someone within the Philly organization on Ben Simmons. According to the text, Ben Simmons doesn’t work, he doesn’t listen, and everyone around him is family, and he’s constantly babied.

Can't comment on that, but I can say that dude plays really hard on the court. He players as hard on defense as anyone in the playoffs. It's hard for a 6'10'' guy to get around screens and chase shooters around the court, but he does it with the best of them. His work ethic on the court is special.

You can take that information two ways. It can obviously be an indictment against him, but what if his family has surrounded him and walled him in because of the negativity in Philly? Honestly, that would be a good thing, because it would show he has a good support structure around him.

I think you're being way too generous to Simmons.  Here is a draft report from 2016 on him.  Reading it, he sounds like almost the exact same player and person today, 5 years later.

http://www.draftexpress.com/amp/article/Why-Ben-Simmons-Is-Not-The-Top-Prospect-in-the-2016-NBA-Draft-5390/