{"id":16555,"date":"2018-11-12T20:15:59","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T01:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sportswtbu.com\/?p=16555"},"modified":"2020-01-09T17:32:32","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T22:32:32","slug":"golonka-10-things-i-love-and-hate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2018\/11\/12\/golonka-10-things-i-love-and-hate\/","title":{"rendered":"Golonka: 10 things I love and hate"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Sean Golonka<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you jump all over me for copying Zach Lowe, I\u2019d just like to say that I give full credit to Lowe for the inspiration for this. His weekly \u201c10 things I like and don\u2019t like\u201d column is one of my favorite reads, and Lowe is without a doubt one of the best sports writers out there.<\/span><\/p>\n

With that being said, this piece is distinctly different from anything that Lowe has ever written under the guise of that column.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lowe, in his column, writes about NBA things that he likes and does not like. I, however, am full of passion. And so, this is going to be a piece about NBA things that I love and hate, rather than like and not like.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, there are a couple of explanations for why my column will differ in such a way from Lowe\u2019s. Perhaps my emotions about the NBA run deeper than Lowe\u2019s, which is why I love and hate certain NBA things, while Lowe simply likes and does not like them. Or perhaps the 41-year-old Lowe has been worn down by the many hardships of life, leading to him being somewhat dispassionate compared to my youthful and spry self.<\/span><\/p>\n

Either way, it\u2019s 10 things time:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Jimmy<\/strong> Butler, the teammate<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    On September 19th, weeks before the NBA season even began, Jimmy Butler requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before he was finally traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on November 12th, almost two months after his initial request, his relationship devolved into absolute madness.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard or read about most of what happened, but without diving too far into Butler\u2019s defiance of Glen Taylor and Tom Thibodeau or his demasculinization of Karl-Anthony Towns, just know that Butler has been a truly horrible teammate.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sure, the drama and humor provided by the Butler situation is appreciated by all NBA fans, including myself, but if this guy really cares about winning and nothing else, he sure doesn\u2019t show it.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Butler has sat out of games randomly this season for reasons as absurd as \u201cgeneral soreness,\u201d and with Butler seemingly more concerned with screwing the T-Wolves over than actually helping them win games, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see the fiasco continue in Philly.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Sixers are already dealing with two stars whose styles of play don\u2019t entirely coexist and getting rid of two generally good glue guys for a vicious star, who could add fire to the already flammable situation, might backfire badly for a team looking to contend in the East.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Still though, I do look forward to the inevitable story about Jimmy Butler bullying Markelle Fultz off the team, after the former number one pick misses five straight free throws in practice.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Carmelo Anthony, the teammate<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      People really, really love to hate on Carmelo Anthony. I mean they hate him so much that they don\u2019t even think he should be in the NBA. And with the Melo-era coming to a close in Houston, it is easy to see why.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The former college national champion has never won anything significant in the NBA. He played subpar basketball in his last year in New York, in his one year in OKC, and in his ten games with Houston this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

      This year though, Anthony is putting up 13.4 and 5.4 on 51.3% true shooting, while Gordon Hayward is averaging 9.9 and 5.5 with 49.5% true shooting. So maybe this isn\u2019t the best comparison because Hayward is deserving of a lot of criticism right now.<\/span><\/p>\n

      But Carmelo Anthony certainly doesn\u2019t deserve to be the scapegoat for the Rockets\u2019 problems, when Harden, Paul, Capela, and everyone else is struggling mightily, especially on the defensive side of the ball.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. The greatest system player ever<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Move over Tom Brady, the real greatest system player in professional sports is a man named Stephen Curry. <\/span><\/p>\n

        Through 12 games, Curry was averaging a league-high 29.5 points a game to go along with six dimes and 52\/49\/92 shooting splits. But after going down with a left adductor strain, Quinn Cook got the start on Sunday night against the Nets.<\/span><\/p>\n

        And Cook responded to the opportunity with pure ferocity, putting up 27 points and 5 assists on 69\/60\/100 shooting, to go along with a +\/- of +16. Honestly, Cook looked as good Curry does on an average night.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Beyond Cook playing like the Chef, we\u2019ve seen Curry\u2019s team win championships in three out of the last four years, despite Curry not winning a single Finals MVP in any of those chips. Looking at all the evidence, I couldn\u2019t help but ask: is Steph Curry simply the greatest system player ever?<\/span><\/p>\n

        He obviously has a great system that is suited to use someone with his strengths well. He\u2019s got a great coach. He\u2019s surrounded by elite shooters. He\u2019s playing alongside an arguably better player in Kevin Durant. So, where would Steph Curry be without the Warriors\u2019 system?<\/span><\/p>\n

        (Please, don\u2019t freak out. Obviously Quinn Cook could never take over a game like Steph and drop over 50 in three quarters. But, it is still clear that Steph is not the best Curry brother, as Seth actually leads the NBA with a spectacular net rating of 18.5)<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Myles Turner is slowing down the Pacers<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Right now, the Pacers are playing tremendous basketball. Victor Oladipo looks like he might be the best guard in the East. The team is 8-6 and playing elite defense.<\/span><\/p>\n

          And yet, they are faced with a conundrum, Sabonis or Turner? Fortunately, the answer is quite clear, even if they are reluctant to realize it because of the $80 million they just handed Myles Turner.<\/span><\/p>\n

          This year, Turner is averaging 10.9 points (the lowest since his rookie year) and 4.8 boards (the lowest of his career), as well as 48.4% shooting (the second lowest of his career). Turner is also slowing the offense even more than usual with his pace rating coming in at 424th of all 433 NBA players to have at least stepped on the court this season. <\/span><\/p>\n

          Meanwhile, Sabonis looks fantastic. Sure, his defense might not be quite as good, but Sabonis is averaging 14 and 9, as well as a couple of assists, with elite 68% shooting from the floor. And Sabonis is cooking defenders in the post with beautiful footwork and up-and-unders.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The Pacers simply can\u2019t justify playing these two bigs at the same time for lengthy stretches, and that means Sabonis should definitely be getting more minutes than Turner, instead of Turner playing about three more minutes a game.<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Sharpshooting Brook Lopez<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Brook Lopez isn\u2019t exactly a notorious three point shooter. He made three 3’s through the first eight seasons of his career. And the last two seasons, as he\u2019s picked up shooting from beyond the arc, he still shot under 35 percent from deep.<\/span><\/p>\n

            This year, Lopez has looked Lillard-esque at times. Sure, he isn\u2019t consistently scoring at a high level. But, he has had some spectacular performances this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

            He shot 5-11 from three in a game against the Sixers, 6-10 from three against the Blazers, 6-12 from three against the Clippers, and, most recently, 8-13 from deep against the Nuggets. And in that Nuggets game, Lopez was making some truly absurd threes, including a couple that came a couple steps past the logo.<\/span><\/p>\n

            With all those performances together, Lopez is now shooting 41 percent from three-point land on the season, which makes the Giannis-led Bucks an even more dangerous threat out East.<\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. John Wall, a fake hustler<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              This is one of the most frustrating things in all of professional basketball. <\/span><\/p>\n

              John Wall is a speed demon. He\u2019s the prince to LeBron\u2019s king in terms of chase down blocks. He\u2019s an unstoppable force of nature on the break. He could literally run right through you, if he wanted. No one can match him in both speed and ferocity, though Russell Westbrook comes close. Wall is capable of literally becoming lightning.<\/span><\/p>\n

              And yet, he ranks third to last in the league in average speed on the court, right next to the lumbering Marc Gasol and stagnant Timberwolf Jeff Teague. This isn\u2019t a new trend, as he ranked bottom six in the same stat last year. But, it\u2019s something that needs to stop.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Wall\u2019s lack of movement is not an insignificant part of the Wizards\u2019 problems. And even though he ranks near the top in defelections, that is really only because he sits in passing lanes barely moving.<\/span><\/p>\n

              His laziness is even more apparent when compared to his less athletic teammate Bradley Beal. Beal is top 10 in charges drawn, while Wall rarely moves in the way of defenders. Beal is almost a whole contest ahead of Wall in contested shots a game. Even when it comes to box outs a game, Beal has six times as many as Wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Wall has the speed to be a far more active defender, but Scott Brooks, or perhaps a new coach, needs to light a fire under Wall to become that player.<\/span><\/p>\n

                \n
              1. Dwyane Wade with the clamps (holding players to 2.2\/7.4 29.9%)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Dwyane Wade made three different All-Defensive Second Teams between 2005 and 2010. In recent years though, the future Hall-of-Fame shooting guard has seen a decline in his defense, as his effort and legs have waned.<\/span><\/p>\n

                This year though, Wade has one of the most surprising stats of the season. As the primary defender, Wade is holding opposing shooters to an insane 2.2 makes on 7.4 shots per game, which equated to a 29.9% shooting percentage.<\/span><\/p>\n

                Some of that is no doubtedly luck, but the 36-year-old is doing a nice job of pressuring shooters and forcing not-so-clean shots. And no matter how it\u2019s getting done, the stat is just very shocking alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

                Another theory, Wade\u2019s opponents simply don\u2019t want to embarrass the legendary guard by making it rain on him in his final season in the league.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Pascal Siakam deserves your attention<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Even if you\u2019re casual fan, I\u2019m sure Pascal Siakam is beginning to enter your radar in some sort of way. And even if you don\u2019t know who Siakam is, you\u2019ll know who he is now because he needs to get some attention in this column.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  The 6-9, 24-year-old Raptors big, who before the season was rightfully getting some Draymond Green comparisons, is currently putting up 13 and 7 on 63% shooting, and he\u2019s top five in the league with an average +\/- of over 10. <\/span><\/p>\n

                  But Siakam provides so much more outside the box score. He\u2019s an efficient passer. He\u2019s a prolific defender, who can occasionally wreak some havoc in the passing lanes. And he\u2019s even good for an open three about every other game. <\/span><\/p>\n

                  The budding star just won Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 20 points on 72% shooting and helping the Raptors stay atop the East with a 12-1 record. So look out NBA fans because Pascal Siakam is going to keep making headlines all year long,<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. The Dallas-Dennis love affair<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    Luka Doncic is very unsurprisingly quite amazing. The former Euroleague MVP is averaging 20.3-6.5-4.5 with 49\/40\/76 splits. He is playing tremendous basketball for a rookie.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    But unfortunately someone is spoiling it for him, at least to a certain degree. Dennis Smith Jr., the Mavs number nine pick in 2017, is unsurprisingly getting a great deal of minutes because the team isn\u2019t exactly overflowing with talent. But Smith is putting up deceptive numbers, while playing bad team basketball.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    Yeah, 15-3-4 with above 41% shooting from deep is impressive, if you\u2019re merely watching box scores. But, the Mavs are getting outscored by about five points-per-game with DSJ on the floor, which is worse than every Mavs player besides the injured Harrison Barnes. <\/span><\/p>\n

                    Smith plays hero ball that is detrimental to Doncic\u2019s and the Mavs\u2019 progress as a team. And he is very reckless, with an assist to turnover ratio barely above one.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    All this means that something needs to change. And while the second year player is still obviously very talented, some more lineups with Doncic and without Smith need to be run out by this Mavs team. <\/span><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. City appreciation<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      Bold take (?), the NBA City Edition jerseys are the best set of alternate uniforms the league has ever introduced.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      There are of course a couple duds in the bunch, like the Sixers and Knicks\u2019 ugly ones. But, this is a smash hit. Paying homage to the cities in which the teams are based is a wonderful idea that was executed beautifully with the Nets\u2019 homage to Biggie and the Bulls\u2019 inclusion of the Chicago stars.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      And most importantly, a lot of the jerseys are just pure fire. The Wolves\u2019 city jerseys are sexy and flashy. The Nuggets are clean and are begging to be bought (by me). And the Heat\u2019s Miami Vice jerseys and court are one of the greatest things to happen in NBA history. The hot pink, cyan, and black just blend together so magnificently.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      By: Sean Golonka Before you jump all over me for copying Zach Lowe, I\u2019d just like to say that I give full credit to Lowe for the inspiration for this. His weekly \u201c10 things I like and don\u2019t like\u201d column is one of my favorite reads, and Lowe is without a doubt one of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17192,"featured_media":15331,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1024],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16555"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17192"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16555"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21411,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16555\/revisions\/21411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}