Tag: Bill Simmons

NBA releases top 15 head coaches in league history with several Boston Celtics alumni, omissions

These are the Celtics alumni named to the list – along with several noteworthy admissions.

WIth this being the season that the NBA celebrates its 75th anniversary, the league has been putting out a number of commemorative all-time lists from players to coaches, with the latter having been released by the Association this past Tuesday.

The NBA released its list of the 15 greatest head coaches in the league’s three-quarters century mark, and given the integral role and high level of play of the Boston Celtics, there are a number of alumni from the storied franchise’s coaching ranks represented. As with any such list, there are also a few notable omissions worthy of our consideration as well.

Let’s take a look at the former Boston head coaches, players who became head coaches, or player-coaches who made the cut — or didn’t.

WATCH: Looking back at Tommy Heinsohn’s historic 1957 NBA Finals performance with the Celtics

Tommy Heinsohn was so much more than just a Celtics broadcasting icon.

While the bulk of contemporary fans of the Boston Celtics are very familiar with franchise icon Tommy Heinsohn, for most of them he is a broadcasting legend, his time as a player exiting in some remote corner of awareness for many, if at all.

But Heinsohn was a force of nature in his playing days, among the league’s best forwards and something of a template for future frontcourt players to model their game after. He also was a critical part in winning eight NBA titles for the Celtics, and in no small way crucial to securing the first of Boston’s league-tying 17 banners as a rookie, no less.

And to discuss exactly that on a video clip taken from his eponymous podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons discusses Heinsohn’s legendary 1957 Finals Game 7 performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIFmICe8fqg

Check it out for yourself to learn more about how the originator of the Tommy Point helped get the Celtics on the board as a champion franchise with his contribution of a double-overtime win over the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Jamal Adams says he would ‘run through a brick wall’ for Pete Carroll

Seattle Seahawks veteran safety Jamal Adams stated that he would “run through a brick wall” out of devotion for head coach Pete Carroll.

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams joined the Bill Simmons podcast and discussed his first year in the Emerald City after being traded by the New York Jets, as well as his upcoming Madden Pro Bowl tournament.

Adams detailed what coach Pete Carroll told him when they first talked after the two teams came to an agreement on a trade.

“‘I want you to come here and be Jamal Adams. Be the best version of Jamal Adams,’” he said. “That took a burden off my back because I always put it on my shoulders. I knew that it was going to be special. And to this day, that’s my guy, man, I’d run through a brick wall for him.”

Adams expressed hope of staying in Seattle for the long-term future, as he loves playing in the blue and green.

“Hopefully this (is) being my future,’’ Adams said. “Because I love it here.”

The veteran safety also promised that 2021 will be a career year after injuries hampered his performance in the Seahawks’ wild-card loss to the  Rams.

Adams is focused on it being his best season yet.

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Marcus Smart to Dubs for the 2020 No. 2 pick is likely a bad deal for all

Should the Boston Celtics entertain dealing Marcus Smart to the Warriors in exchange for the No. 2 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft? At least one prominent basketball voice might.

For some reason, The Ringer’s head honcho Bill Simmons really wants to trade a player he ostensibly loves.

In this most recent iteration of “never-trade-Marcus-Smart-except-maybe-for-this,” the Ringer chief waffled again, seriously considering moving the Flower Mound native and the Boston Celtics’ No. 14 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft for the Golden State Warriors’ No. 2 pick in a conversation with former employee and ESPN analyst Zach Lowe on the “Lowe Post” podcast.

“So Golden State calls Boston, and they really want Marcus Smart. And … can fit him in [their] trade exception,” began Simmons.

Taking on the role of an imaginary Warriors front office member, he continued.

“‘We’ll offer [pick] No. 2 for Marcus and the [14th pick];’ what does Boston do? I’m on the record saying they can never trade Marcus Smart, I love Marcus Smart. But, if you’re the Celtics, this is a chance to get a potential multi-time All-Star player on a team with Jaylen [Brown] and [Jayson] Tatum.”

Lowe paused, and replied with heresy for the ears of most Celtics fans.

“I think Boston should probably do that. My guess is that Golden State would probably view that as selling low on No. 2.”

The most glaring problem with this plan is that it removes one of the team’s few seasoned veterans just at the moment the Celtics hope to contend.

That it does it for a player who would likely at best be able to provide backup minutes off of the bench and probably none of the defense that helped place the Celtics in the league’s top five last season makes it even more

“[I]f you’re Golden State, you could argue that’s where you find the Bam Adebayo; that’s where you find the Tyler Herro. That’s where you find the Donovan Mitchell; now we’re in range with the 14th pick.” countered Simmons, and he might be right — eventually.

Inn one of the weakest drafts in years in terms of star power, that’s not a small risk to take, particularly given the known quantity we have in Smart.

Would it make sense for the Celtics to swap out the pick for the smaller cap hit? Smart is currently slated to earn a hair under $13 million next season, and the No. 2 pick will make in the neighborhood of $7.6 million according to Real GM.

While the $5.4 million savings next season won’t get you much now, the long-term savings on Boston’s tax bill might appeal to the team’s ownership group.

On the cusp of paying Jaylen Brown his first big paycheck while cutting a blank check for Jayson Tatum the season after, by the time the league’s repeater tax rolls around, it could be something they seriously consider.

Another good question raised in part by Lowe is whether the Dubs would even be interested-

“‘We’ve been studying this draft for six months'” said Simmons, again putting on the Warriors’ front office mantle. “We have Marcus, now we have a crunch-time guy; we can go to crunch time with Draymond [Green], Marcus, [Steph] Curry, [Klay] Thompson and [Andrew] Wiggins. Defensively, I can switch on everything.”

However, defense isn’t everything in this game, as Lowe pointed out.

“You do have to be a little careful about if you’re keeping Wiggins and you have Draymond Green,” he observed, “the other guys have to be able to shoot.”

“Marcus Smart can now shoot, but can he shoot-shoot? With a capitol “S” shoot? He can’t, in terms of like is he scaring people when he shoots 3s. Sometimes, he’s scaring the Celtics when he shoots 3s, some of the 3s he takes.”

Heat-check Marcus is indeed a polarizing force, even among his most ardent supporters.

But, it’s worth pointing out that that side of the Texan guard only seemed to show up when nothing else was working – with enough exceptions that we’re still talking about them.

There are merits to the idea of dealing away Smart, but perhaps the biggest against such a plan is that you’d be ripping out the heart and soul of the team as currently constructed.

And for a team that relied as heavily on playing together as Boston did this season, that could be a mistake it could take some time to fix.

We’ll pass on the proposal, but it’s one that might re-emerge in the next season as those fiscal costs mount; should the Oklahoma State product not improve his shot selection (and heat checks) in critical stretches

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Russell Wilson said he understood Mike Zimmer’s decision to go for it

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson appeared on Bill Simmons’ podcast to discuss Mike Zimmer’s decision to go for it in Week 5.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson appeared on Bill Simmons’ podcast and talked about the team’s Week 5 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Specifically, he delved into Minnesota’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-inches in the red zone that ultimately got Seattle the ball back.

Wilson said he understood coach Mike Zimmer’s decision because of the position the Vikings were in at the time.

“It’s raining, and if they miss (the field goal), they’re in trouble,” Wilson said. “But also, if they get it there, they obviously get the first (down). I think the move by the coaches is honestly a sign of respect, them just saying, ‘Hey, listen, we got to end this game.’”

Fortunately for Seattle, Minnesota’s gamble did not pay off and the Seahawks were able to capitalize with one of the most memorable game-winning drives in recent history to move to 5-0. They are now on their well-deserved bye week and will play the Cardinals in Week 7 barring any postponements.

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Bill Simmons draws criticism for Harden-Doncic passing comparison

It didn’t go over well on NBA Twitter when The Ringer’s CEO tried to argue that Luka Doncic was a superior passer to James Harden.

Veteran NBA writer and podcaster Bill Simmons drew criticism Monday after an odd comparison involving the passing abilities of Houston Rockets star James Harden and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

Doncic had 36 points, 19 assists, and 14 rebounds in his team’s overtime victory over Milwaukee on Saturday night, and his late pass to Maxi Kleber for the pivotal dunk has understandably drawn attention.

For Rockets fans, the play probably looked familiar. After all, there’s a reason the 21-year-old Doncic has regularly drawn comparisons over his first two NBA seasons (in a positive way) to the 30-year-old Harden.

Both guards are in the NBA’s Top 10 in assists per game this season, with Doncic at 8.9 and Harden at 7.5. Harden is the better scorer, at 34.3 points per game as compared to 29.1 this season for Doncic.

Overall, the two All-Stars appear to have somewhat similar playing styles and abilities. On paper, that should be quite a compliment to the second-year Doncic, considering that Harden has been an MVP finalist for four consecutive years — including his victory in 2018.

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Simmons, however, felt the need to go a step further. During a new podcast with Ryen Russillo, The Ringer‘s CEO said this as part of a discussion comparing Doncic to Hall of Famer Larry Bird:

The thing with Luka is the assists aren’t, like, cheap assists. He has the typical James Harden type of assist, where he brings the second guy over and hits the guy in the corner, the cross-court, all the stuff he’s doing to get guys open threes. But he’s also creating these cutter passes.

Guys learn how to play with him and they’re more active, more engaged.

That opinion was widely condemned on social media, including by numerous fans with no connection to Harden or the Rockets.

As shown in the video compilation, Harden actually had a pass similar to the Doncic highlight barely over a week earlier — in an epic comeback by the Rockets against (of all teams) Doncic and the Mavs!

Harden finished with 49 points and eight assists in their head-to-head battle, while Doncic had 28 points and 10 dimes. Most notably, Harden dominated the “clutch” minutes when the game was in the balance.

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Over the final five minutes of regulation and overtime, Harden had 13 points (75% FG), seven rebounds, and just one turnover. Meanwhile, Doncic scored 2 points on 1-of-7 shooting (14.3%), and he had just one rebound and three turnovers. The Rockets outscored Dallas over those 10 game minutes by a 30-18 margin, which turned an eight-point Houston deficit into a stunning 153-149 victory (box score).

Harden even took on the extra responsibility of guarding Doncic on several of the most impactful defensive possessions.

That July 31 win led to Houston clinching the Southwest Division title shortly thereafter. The second-place finish for Dallas largely resulted from a pair of head-to-head losses to Harden’s Rockets in their final two regular-season meetings of the 2019-20 season.

None of that is meant to slight Doncic, of course. The fact that the conversation is even being had, when Doncic is just 21 years old and still improving in only his second NBA season, is a testament to his remarkable ability and potential. Harden is already a Hall of Fame lock, and Doncic drawing that type of analogy should be looked at favorably.

Somehow, though, Simmons seemed to argue that Doncic has already surpassed Harden — at least from a passing standpoint.

It should be noted that Simmons’ view isn’t necessarily a mainstream belief. For example, Harden topped Doncic on Saturday as the NBA’s third MVP finalist (as determined by national media voters), joining Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James of the Lakers.

Harden led the NBA in assists per game in the 2016-17 season, which Doncic has yet to do, and he’s also directed his Rockets to the playoffs in all eight of his seasons as the primary ball-handler in Houston. By contrast, this year is the first playoff appearance for the Mavs since 2016.

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Even though his unique playing style is at times controversial, Harden has clearly earned respect from NBA media and his own rivals over the years. That’s what made the latest take from Simmons so perplexing, and it understandably prompted significant pushback on social media.

Simmons can certainly have his personal preferences, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the data or results to back up that value judgment.

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Kevin Durant and his manager Rich …

Kevin Durant and his manager Rich Kleiman have produced some interesting content through their company Thirty Five Ventures, from ESPN+ show The Boardroom to documentaries like Basketball County and Q Ball. And Durant has been a frequent guest on other podcasts, from The Bill Simmons Podcast to Pull Up With CJ McCollum to Knuckleheads (with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles) to Play For Keeps. Now, Durant and Kleiman are starting their own podcast network, and they’re teaming up with established podcasting company Cadence13 (now owned by radio conglomerate Entercom) for that. Here’s more from a Cadence13 release:

Enes Kanter has high praise for Jayson Tatum on Bill Simmons’ podcast

Appearing on a recent episode of the Bill Simmons podcast, Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter had the highest of praise for teammate Jayson Tatum.

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter praised his third-year teammate Jayson Tatum effusively on a recent appearance on the Bill Simmons podcast, showering the Duke product with praise for his offensive eruption this past February.

Tatum, who averaged just under 30 points per game in that month after being named to the first All-Star game of his career, catapulted himself into the top-20 player conversation with his transformation into a superstar this season, and the outspoken Turkish big man made it clear he was among the believers in the St. Louis native’s megastar potential.

“I’ve never seen any player get so much better doing that in like four or five month period, you know?” offered Kanter. “So like when he started the season, I mean, he was good obviously. He was still like one of the best players out there but before the pandemic, this dude averaged almost like 30 points [per game], and there was no way [to stop] him!”

Tatum’s ability to his from almost anywhere on the court has made him nearly unstoppable.

The addition of his off-the-dribble 3-pointers have made him, as LeBron James put it, “an absolute problem,” and Kanter concurs.

“Some of the shots he made, we turn around to each other on the bench like ‘Did he literally do that?’ But he’s getting better, man. He’s learning — this dude is still like 21, 22 [years old]; 21 I think. In a few years, he’s definitely going to be [among the] top-five, top-six players in the league.”

The former Blue Devil has truly come into his game in his third season in the league, and is poised to pick back up where he left off with the resumed season seeing its first inter-team scrimmages starting this Friday.

Averaging 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game with the Celtics this season, it’s starting to look like Boston has a real chance at a title in the Disney-hosted restart due in no small part to Tatum’s leap as a player.

We’ll soon find out just how tight he’s kept his game in the COVID-19 hiatus, with games that count starting at the end of July.

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The idea for ESPN’s The Decision show …

The idea for ESPN’s The Decision show 10 years ago, in which LeBron James declared he’d take his “talents to South Beach” wasn’t LeBron’s idea or his agent’s or his inner circle’s or anyone at ESPN’s. It turns out the show’s idea came from a 38-year-old Detroit Pistons fan from Columbus, Ohio, identified only as “Drew” in a Bill Simmons mailbag column published by ESPN on Nov. 26, 2009, seven months before the broadcast. “What if LeBron announces he will pick his 2010-11 team live on ABC on a certain date for a show called ‘LeBron’s Choice?’” wrote Drew, with no last name published. “What type of crazy ratings would that get?”

Until Friday night, the identity of …

Until Friday night, the identity of 38-year-old Drew Wagner as the person who first pitched the idea wasn’t known to anyone but his wife, Jennifer, and his circle of friends. But as they listened to multiple national radio shows Friday previewing a new Backstory episode on The Decision, which debuts Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, they learned that Simmons pitched the “Drew from Columbus, Ohio” mailbag column idea directly to James’ inner circle and ESPN executives in February 2010.