W.I.N.N.E.R.S.
And some kind words for that delightful Larry Brown
Last night I saw the news that Larry Brown has been allowed to interview for the Memphis job. I’m not got going to lie, I felt like breaking stuff and throwing things. If there is anyone out there that still believes Larry is a miracle worker that wins every place he goes, and always leaves it better off when he bails out, I’d love to hear your defense of the man. That is, if you still exist. I promise to maintain composure. Larry picks his spots. When you always take over the worst situations, there is only one way for it to go, and that is up. The exception being his last job of course, but we don’t need to rehash those happy days.
Memphis had the worst record in the league. The franchise has never won a playoff game. Expectations do not exist. Hubie is gone. The Czar is gone. Jerry West is on his way out.
The Grizzlies just so happen to be sitting in prime position to snatch up Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Pairing a talent like that with their young athletic team, with a healthy Pau Gasol, and the Grizz should win 20-25 more games just by showing up, no matter who the coach is. Possibly more.
Deep breath. Larry, such a hustler. Just like Brian Williams.
Onto the W.I.N.N.E.R.S.
CLEVELAND: Drew Gooden for making it rain on these hoops. Hoops!
SAN ANTONIO: Tim Duncan. Things got a little tight there at the end, but the Spurs were not going down 2-0 heading to Denver.
DALLAS: Josh Howard. Jason Terry was the Maverick who really embraced the heightened emotion of the technicals, but Josh was the player most directly responsible for the win. Not counting Baron Davis and his pushing of the post-Crawford envelope.
Three must-win games tonight, and at least one of those teams has to lose. Meaning tomorrow it will be pre-emptive eulogy Friday.
25 Responses to “W.I.N.N.E.R.S.”
Apr.26 at 3:57 pm
Ryan Jones says:
F.L.B.
Apr.26 at 4:00 pm
Kadavour says:
lol@ pre-emptive eulogy
Apr.26 at 4:06 pm
Dennard C says:
why won’t “He who shall not be named” go the f*ck away. If Memphis hires him all it will lead to is some unnecessary drama for all parties involved.
Apr.26 at 4:07 pm
jbn74sb says:
F-ck Leandro Barbosa?
Apr.26 at 4:53 pm
DubsGonDoIt says:
You know I was after last year that there was no way LBs last stop as “franchise savior” **cough** would be the “magic” **cough** he worked in NYK, so I really do see Memphis being a good posibility. LOL Then when he arrives and they draft Oden or Durant he will refuse to start them or maybe he will play them, but then he will try and trade the other young talent .. I dunno I just see bad things happening. He better not ruin Oden or Durant’s carrer if he goes to Memphis!
Apr.26 at 4:56 pm
Blue says:
If “He who shall not be named” gets the job before the end of June, Jerry West should make his last move as GM be the draft day trade of the first pick and Pau in a deal that lands the Grizz Stephon “Cheap Suits” Marbury and Steve “God my knee hurts! I can’t stand the pain!! I’m gonna retire…oh…Crawford’s out for the season? Put me in, Coach!!” Francis.
Apr.26 at 5:01 pm
Reggie Evans says:
You’re killing me, Larry!
Apr.26 at 5:02 pm
Reggie Evans says:
I think that the way to pronounce W.I.N.N.E.R.S. should be “WEE-NERS”
Apr.26 at 5:04 pm
Dylan Rice-Leary says:
He would have gotten the same Knicks team to the playoffs in the weak-East this season. Larry’s system takes time. His numbers speak in his favor. To say that he ruined the Knicks, is like saying a drunken best-man ruined a rained out wedding. Or something.
Apr.26 at 5:11 pm
allenp says:
Dylan is smoking that crack. Larry Brown killed the Knicks by badmouthing players in the papers and refusing to play his best players minutes. He never played David Lee. He pushed for Steve Francis. Larry Brown killed the Knicks.
Apr.26 at 5:18 pm
Bigi says:
Frustration!
Apr.26 at 5:34 pm
Dennard C says:
Really it ain’t about Larry ruining the Knicks(which he did), it’s about the deceit, the manipulation, and drama he brings. For all his talk about playing the game the right way and being unselfish, he does the exact opposite. Larry is all about Larry and he has proven that at every stop he has gone to, and he is getting older and crankier, so why would anybody want someone like that? As far as his system is concerned, his system was a piece of shit during the 2004 Olympics, that team was flawed, but Larry made shit worse by not playing the most talented players and not playing to that teams’ strengths.
Apr.26 at 5:35 pm
Dennard C says:
For the record, I share Ryan’s sentiments - F.L.B.
Apr.26 at 5:37 pm
Dylan Rice-Leary says:
C’mon, David Lee has been underplayed all year. and Starbury has gotten tons of mitutes and scored .1 more than with LB. The young guys were bound to get better. I like what Isiah has done to motivate this team (for the most part, the getting-offended-by-other-teams-blowing-the-Knicks-out-of-the-water incidents were weak tho), but it is too easy and scapegoatish put all the blame on Brown. LB has never been a one-year-plan kind of coach, and if you think that he can’t improve Memphis or Charlotte, then yr just bitter.
Apr.26 at 5:49 pm
Dennard C says:
Man please…. Larry Brown may improve them, I’ll give you that, but as Sam stated, Memphis is going to improve anyway based on being healthier or having Oden or Durant(or some lottery pick). Eventually it won’t even be about the coaching, Larry will just be what he is… an a**hole.
Apr.26 at 6:13 pm
Tom says:
Man if LB goes to memphis, I feel sorry for their fans, cause this year, once they got TOny Barrone in there they were playing the uptempo ball that suits the players they have, they weren’t winning but at least it was fun to watch. If LB comes in and implements his “right-way” offense, they’re gonna lose more than they win and it’s gonna be boring as hell, and thats no fun
Apr.26 at 6:22 pm
Nathalie says:
hum….i could have sworn larry brown went and killed himself….
Apr.26 at 6:47 pm
jay n says:
The main problem is we won’t be able to read or hear anything other than Larry Brown no matter what he does.”Tonight on sportscenter…..Larry Brown scratched his arse”.Woohoo.Bring on the excitement.
Apr.26 at 6:49 pm
Dylan Rice-Leary says:
no, he just peed himself. I can totally agree that LB is a self-centered drama queen. I wasn’t trying to lionize the man, but he has made crappy teams good ones again and again and again. His record speaks for itself. As for exciting vs boring basketball, well, that is just about bball philospophy and aesthetics. I would rather bet on the boring win squad (see 2004 Det Pistons, or any Spurs title in the last decade) over most run-and-guns any day, but that’s just me. But as for killing the Knicks? I’ll just say I think Tyrus Thomas would’ve looked way better in a Knicks jersey than Ed Zepplin.
Apr.26 at 10:52 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Whenever I see the name “Brian Williams” I think “Bison Dele.” RIP.
Apr.27 at 2:44 am
AJ says:
Yeah Russ same to me. What actually happend to the former NBA Champ?
Apr.27 at 4:47 am
Danny W UK says:
I’d rather have Larry Brown coaching my team than Isiah any day of the week.
Apr.27 at 5:00 am
Gagge says:
Larry Brown has always made weak teams better when he arrived, his NYK job aside. However, he seems to get more high maintenance for every year, so that might be a problem. Not to mention his aversion to young and inexperienced players. He should be more suited for a veteran team with play off experience like the Pacers.
Apr.27 at 10:53 am
Ben Couch says:
I used to defend the cat because I went to UNC, but got damn was last season drama-filled. He’s just not the right coach for a young team. Not at all. Memphis will regret this real fast if they follow through.
Apr.27 at 12:29 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
My favorite Brian Williams (the one in the link) factoid is that he was a White House intern. He says he’ll do anything for work, if you catch my drift.