I just need to rant about a thing. I was talking to a friend last night. He's a Sixers fan because we just live in that area. While I root for the Lakers, I'm fine with any team winning the championship except the Celtics (for obvious reasons) and the Clippers. I don't buy into the whole LA rivalry because it really isn't one right now. The Lakers and Clippers play in the same city, and that's only because Donald Sterling moved the team from San Diego after promising he wouldn't. That's it which, to me, is silliness. There's nothing else making this a rivalry. This isn't like Knicks and Heat in the 90s. Or Warriors and Cavs last decade (saying "last decade" still sounds weird). This is "you guys are... like, in the same general vicinity."
I never really had a problem with the Clippers until semi-recently (besides, you know, Sterling's blatant racism). First, I thoroughly dislike Patrick Beverley regardless of what team he plays on. There are just certain players who bother me (Jamal Murray is another one). I don't like his game; I don't like his attitude. I'd say I just don't like those kinds of players except I enjoyed Matt Barnes' game. I suppose the difference is Barnes never intentionally tried to injure anyone or at least irresponsibly put someone in a position to get injured like Beverley has (e.g. Russell Westbrook). Also, Barnes was part of the Warriors "We Believe" team, and his basketball analysis is on point. In any case, F Patrick Beverley.
More importantly, I just thoroughly hate this team's attitude.
1. The Clippers have continued to position themselves as an underdog. Y'ALL HAVE KAWHI LEONARD. What are you talking about? You can't have probably the best player in the world with Kevin Durant injured (Giannis Antetokounmpo is directly after those two in my estimation) AND Paul George then act like you're this scrappy squad no one expects to make any noise. Get the **** out of here with being the underdog. This isn't last season. I guess do whatever you need to do to stay motivated. This specific motivator just doesn't make sense.
2. I wish Doc Rivers would just shut up forever. I didn't really have an issue with him until after the 2010 Finals when he said the Celtics would have won if Kendrick Perkins played. Well, he didn't, and y'all were up by 11 points midway through the third quarter. The Lakers didn't have Andrew Bynum in the 2008 Finals, and I don't remember anyone saying "If we had Bynum, we'd have won." No, the Lakers lost because they weren't good enough to win. Full stop. They took the loss then won the next two titles (then were **** for nearly a decade). I really, really hate the if-X-we-would-have-won mindset. Shut your mouth and find a way to win.
More recently, Rivers said something that really rubbed me the wrong way. He said the Lakers' philosophy is "whatever LeBron says." My annoyance here isn't about the Lakers or LeBron James. The Clippers let Kawhi Leonard sit out of back-to-back games and whenever he feels like. So get that hypocritical bullshit right the **** out of here, you daft asshole. The Raptors didn't say that **** last year because they knew exactly what they were doing (they're also one of the classier teams in the league). I don't even oppose load management. I'd like to see players play, but until load management doesn't work, I just shrug my shoulders. But don't come after others when you're doing the same thing. *exasperated sigh*
Almost any other year, I wouldn't really care if the Clippers won the title. I just can't with this team this year in particular.
/rant
Topic: NBA Thread: Brought To You By The Tampa Bay Raptors Of Toronto (Read 679255 times)
