I agree. It's time to get mean. JVG was talking during the broadcast about how absurd it was that the two teams were laughing and buddying it up during a timeout. If everyone on the team had PBev's fire we'd be a contender (with a healthy Dwight).
Thank you for this, OP. Seriously, I'm beyond tired of players fraternizing before and after games. JVG even made a point of calling out ALL 10 PLAYERS (five players, mostly vets, in the game for each team) huddled amongst themselves, giggling and carrying on at half court like AAU prep stars. It was disgusting. As a lifelong fan myself, it infuriates me to no end (probably because I care to damn much). Today's athletes are different because today's game is different. As fans, we really only care about the game on the court; whereas players and owners want to win both on and off the court. For players winning also this means building their brands, collecting product endorsements, and living the VIP lifestyle within a very exclusive fraternity. Of course, this is nothing new. It's been this way for decades. The issue now is that it's flaunted in our faces. No longer must players routinely meet in the Finals to be labeled SUPER stars. No longer must players hang championship banners to be considered legendary. More and more, I find myself not really believing -- not like I did when I rooted for Moses, Dr. J, Kareem, Bird, Magic, Isiah, MJ, and Dream. Winning was everything for them. I could never imagine Mad Max laughing it up with Jordan ON THE COURT after a tough loss. Either you have that competitive FIRE, that insatiable burning will to destroy your opponent, or you're mentally SOFT like Dwight Howard. JVG is right. Players like him care too damn much about being liked. And they're soft because winning matters to them primarily in that it makes them likable again. For them, it's really about that Q-rating. There, I said it.
I remember reports coming out after the Heat lost to the Spurs in game 5, that the Heat locker room looked calm and everyone were discussing vacation plans and stuff. That would be the 2-time defending champion Heat doing that. I don’t think that culture you’re speaking of still exist. And you don’t really need that edge to win either.
Harden is the leader of this team. You definitely can have two leaders but at the end of the day it's Harden's team. I never understood why fans are annoyed when Dwight smiles on the bench until this game. One of the few reasons why I give Patrick a pass when he's playing poorly is his attitude. Opponents know to be on their toes around him - not that his dirty of course but his you know... Patrick Beverly haha I definitely don't think his soft just because his smiles a lot and is friendly with other players.
It's the game right before all-star break. We just won a thriller the night before in Houston. Flew to LA and lost a game in the 4th quarter to a team we're still seeded higher to. I was highly upset after the lost, but after I saw Dwight smiling and talking to Jordan I felt happy again. It's just a game before the all-star game. Dwight took the playoff lost very personal last season.. it sucks that he's been hurt but that is not his fault. This sudden heel turn on Dwight on clutchfans is awful. He has embraced Houston. He is the SUPERSTAR that CHOSE to COME to Houston! Not Chris Bosh. Not Carmelo Anthony. Not Chris Paul. Not Deron, not Lowry, not who ever the hell you wanted. He chose to come HERE instead of staying in LA or going to DALLAS or even OAKLAND. Dwight chose US. Dwight BELIEVED in US. and we should be UPSET with him because he's having a friendly conversation with what seems like the ONLY team that doesn't hate us? A lot of Clutchfans users hate the Clippers. They hate Chris Paul. They hate Griffin. It's dumb. Griffin and Paul have NEEEEVVVEEEERRRR done anything to use other than beat us these past 2/3 seasons. BUT our players have NEVER gotten in any huge altercation with that team. Not like with the Blazers, Mavs, Warriors, Suns, Lakers, ect ect. So why do we hate the Clippers? In my opinion it should be a relief we DON'T have a rivalry against the Clippers. But that's whatevs. I'm fed up with clutchfans trying to make Dwight the scapegoat for all our problems. How dare you, Dwight! How dare you talk to Jordan after the game for about 30 seconds! How dare you make friends in a league filled with superstars and players who hate you! How dare you, Dwight! Trying to make light out of game 51(?) when we lost! Clutchfans has the worst kneejerks sometimes. This team is doing everything they can possibly do. They're busting their asses on that court. It may not be pretty but theyre trying out there. Of course we need help, but the current squad is all we have.
Why does everyone here idolize douchebags? The people on the court that act like KG are the ones in pick up games that I try to make sure I hammer on a fast break and pretend it was just an accident. There is no need for psychos in the NBA.
Oh no!! Some old fart is calling you out Dwight!! After watching us Jack up over 40 three's, THIS is what you took from the game!? Get over yourself old man! It's a different time, a different game...
OP calls out Dwight Howard. Yet the hatred can be spit at 80% of the players in the League. Everyone in the league are friends now. The league has outlawed passion and hatred which fueled great rivalries. Dwight smiles. Get over it. So do the majority of the league. EVERYONE was aware of this when we got him.
The fire which brought about Bledsoe's attention last night? Beverley is moving from being passionate to being an absolute idiot. I was a huge defender of him last season but the things he does now is just stupid. Trying to 'get in the head' of the better players in the league doesn't work. It just causes them to light you up. Granted... He gets lit up when he doesn't p*ss people off.. So who knows. But Bev's fire of yesteryear is not what he's playing with this season.
Funny enough man, if they had just taken 2s instead of jacking up 3s they would have got back in it. He was really bad at the line there gave us about what...3 free possessions? Down around 10 could have got back within 5 or so with 2 mins left. smh indeed.
Who gives a damn whether he smiles or not after a loss as long as he comes back healthy and plays like he did in the playoffs last year.
players nowadays don't care, they are PAID. back in the days they barely made anything, so they had to play for the love of the game.
That is when you people put too much hope on 1 or 2 players. Except for Hakeem (later years also) this has not worked out so well. Cleveland model proves the 3 star system isn't fire or water proof either. Heat only worked temporarily because they were in the East, had arguably the best 3 players at their position (Bosh and Wade probably only Top 3 which is good enough by that time) They put ok role players next to them. Still were struggling against Spurs and teams with exceptional team concept.
Spacing, ball movement, Team defense and Shooting are the future.... GSW, Atlanta, SA are showing it. Memphis can hang in there but they don't make the 3rd round much. Only if Team Defense fails, you get a defensive Center like Howard. Howard, post plays are things of the past or they are a rarity..... We had rarities like Howard and 7'6 Yao and still could not get it done, play the "could have, would have" game every time. Forget the Center tradition for now and join future's game (Speed, Shooting, Movement, Team ball)
There is a reason this supposed "Superman" became a mental midget at the thought of staying in LA. Kobe calls him soft... Durant calls him a p***y. I'm beginning to doubt his mentality.
They also showed all the players happy and conversing work each other. Players want to be liked by their peers now a days and I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm sure Dwight doesn't like to lose. Getting angry and putting yourself in a bad mood doesn't change the outcome of the game when the buzzer already sounds
