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ruby-whistler · 3 years

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The "redemption questionnaire" - the survey results.

Hello! Welcome back to the results of this survey, which is now closed - I really didn’t expect this amount of interest and am thankful for the ability to collect this much data on the subject.

Now, the reason I made this survey in the first place was this post crossing my dash. It talks about people wanting to see characters or people who they dislike suffer, even if healing is completely possible or even the better option - it’s about people denying that there is such a thing as bad people “deserving” things that we humans need to function, such as being loved.

This post talks about fictional characters, but despite that fact, it made me lose my faith in humanity just a bit. I am a pretty cynical person, but I also consider myself quite empathetic to existing and fictional people alike.

So, I got curious, and wondered - in the Dream SMP fandom specifically, is there a way to get input as to what people actually think about the issue of redemption?

[ tw for brief mentions of torture and abuse ]

So, the goal of the survey was get information to answer certain questions;

Do people think that some characters shouldn’t be redeemed or are irredeemable because of their actions, however don’t hold this true for others?

Are there people, who despite disliking certain characters, still believe that they deserve healing?

Would people want characters to suffer or even die for their actions rather than heal and be happy?

Do people think certain characters in the story don’t deserve to be happy?

Now, I did get some responses that were asking to include or exclude certain characters from the main three (Quackity, Dream and Wilbur - all names are talking about the characters only), however there was a very specific reason I chose these people.

Quackity and Dream have both done actions that have similar weight, while Wilbur serves as an outlier; someone who hurt people in more indirect, but still impactful ways. All three of them have been hurt - Wilbur mostly by Eret’s betrayal, Quackity by Schlatt and others, and Dream by Sam and Quackity. All three have contributed to a toxic and harmful environment, which in turn hurt them back even more and drove them deeper into becoming destructive.

Such a comparison between them would test the fandom’s ability to separate their feelings from in-story morality, as well as bring double standards to light.

Let’s see the demographic part of the survey first, as to see what we are working with;

Of the 390 people partaking in the survey, 44.9% like the direction the Dream SMP plot is heading at the moment, 3% do not and 52.1% are not sure.

Of the characters whose redemption arcs are most anticipated, 71% of participants are expecting a BadBoyHalo or Eggpire redemption arc, Niki/Jack and Wilbur coming close in second and third with 59.2% and 51.8% respectively. As for the main trio of this survey, Quackity lands with 28.2%, Dream with 43.3% and Wilbur with 51.8% of participants thinking a redemption arc for them is likely in the near future.

I would like to express right now that the characters included in the “possible redemption” section do not in any way, shape or form reflect on what I personally think about the characters. I don’t think certain characters need a redemption arc, however I left in the option in order to let people pick it if they wish to do so.

As for the healing arc question, quite understandably, Tommy and Tubbo are the characters most expected to get a healing arc in the upcoming storylines, sitting at 76.2% of participants. Niki and/or Jack come in second with 62.1%, and Quackity, Wilbur and Dream land at 25.4%, 45.9% and 42.8% respectively.

For the aforementioned questions, 3.6% or participants thought none of the Dream SMP characters would get a redemption arc, and 5.4% thought none of them would heal - and with the track record the story has so far, I honestly cannot blame them.

Now we move more towards the main trio;

48.7% of participants have positive feelings towards Quackity’s character, and 23.1% have negative ones. The majority of the participants (66.2%) think that his actions are intentional and hurtful, but interestingly enough, only 25.4% say they find them inexcusable and awful.

For c!Dream, 51.5% feel positively towards him and 35.7% do negatively. Luckily, 53.8% find his actions inexcusable and awful, while 40.3% find them intentional and hurtful.

c!Wilbur breaks the trend with 58.7% of people feeling positively towards the character and only 17.2% feeling negatively, however such a discrepancy can be expected when we compare his actions (found 65.1% of the time to be intentional and hurtful).

I want to preface this next section by saying that I have nothing against people who find redemption arcs unappealing, or wouldn’t find them narratively appealing in the specific story. These answers will be counted as merely neutral ground in the upcoming questions; you are completely valid if you think certain character arcs would not fit the themes or style of storytelling, or if you want bad people to stay bad for the sake of conflict.

However, 79.5% of people find well-done redemption and healing very appealing within the story, and 19% like it for certain stories and characters, so this shouldn’t impact the results on a large scale.

1. Do people think that some characters shouldn’t be redeemed or are irredeemable because of their actions, however don’t hold this true for others?

People’s reasoning for not wanting characters to heal varies, however the contrast between c!Quackity and c!Dream in this scenario is very intriguing.

Despite the two having done comparably disgusting things, one with more and one with less selfish reasons but neither excusable, both classifying under abuse, the people who think c!Dream shouldn’t get a redemption arc (9.7%) because of his actions greatly overshadow the people who think c!Quackity doesn’t deserve a redemption arc (1%) because of his actions. Hell, even c!Wilbur’s percentage is higher, sitting at 2.1%.

This is extremely surprising considering the demographic - and seems to hint at the fact that people who think positively of c!Dream are far more likely to think that c!Q and c!Wil deserve redemption and healing (despite the common argument that both have hurt him greatly) than it is the other way around.

Even sending a bad message is a lot higher with c!Dream (30.5%), despite the fact that c!Quackity’s actions and him as a character could be similarly triggering, and he himself sits at 2.6% of participants. Of course, this question could be partially taken as what he went through in prison making him better, which would definitely be a bad message to send, but considering the percentage (42.1%) of people who don’t want Dream to be redeemed, that’s still insanely high.

Overall, people from a very balanced demographic of people who are positive and negative towards the three characters, only 52.6% want Dream redeemed as opposed to the 83.8% with Quackity and 86.7% with Wilbur - and the reasons given seem to be largely based on bias and double standard, or even hypocritical in context.

For the fandom, this question’s answer seems to be yes, although from the people who are c!Dream positive, this sort of thinking seems to be of a much lesser extent and amount towards characters they dislike.

2. Are there people, who despite disliking certain characters, still believe that they deserve healing?

Let’s look at some of the comments given to this answer;

“On the one hand I do want Dream to recognize that his actions have hurt people, but I really don’t want torture to have ‘made him better’ or for the people he hurt to have to forgive him.”

“as much as I hate c!quackity and dislike c!wilbur, I believe that evil is not something you are, its what you do and as such I think every person deserves to heal and grow.”

“Quackity is the closest - he's spiraled far, but we got to see some of what he could be as a more moral man. Dream's arc would be....incredibly difficult to pull off, and while everyone deserves a chance to change, not everyone who does is ever owed forgiveness. And Wilbur....I dont know what would make him want to get better, but I want him to.”

“I wouldn’t like some of these characters to get redeemed(c!Quackity), but I know everyone deserves a chance at redemption because no one is mentally stable and not traumatized.”

“bastard men. on a serious note ive noticed a lot of evil in dsmp come from the perpetuation of the cycle of revenge and punitive punishment and i think excluding someone from them would. just not be a good message. and yeah c!dreams motives and methods being seen in separate characters is just proof of this - nothing that made any of these men villains are unique to them, and they are all shit-infested holes other characters can fall in.”

“i think every character on the smp has done horrible things and is morally grey, but i think everyone deserves the chance and the ability to heal and try to be better.”

“listen, i love big q, and i know he doesn't mean it, Wilbur also deserves better (far from tommy tho, they're not good for each other rn) and dream can go f**k himself, the only "healing " Arc that would ever make sense is if he escapes the prison and f**ks off to the middle of nowhere (wich is unlikely)”

“Even if I don't like some of the characters they deserve a chance at healing and moving on”

“Controversial opinion but Wilbur has been pretty shady from the start, so a redemption/healing arc just wouldn't make sense to me. He antagonized Dream to sell drugs.”

“i would like to qualify all my answers towards redemption as that they are /all/ allowed to get better, just not necessarily near those they've hurt. those they've hurt are under no obligation to forgive them or be involved in that.”

“REDEMPTION IS POG F**K IT EVERYONE GETS REDEEMED THE ONLY BIG BAD THAT EXISTS IS SYSTEMIC”

“Clarifying about my wilbur answers. A character can only get a redemption if he wants to change. Wilbur doesn’t want to change. I still think he deserves to heal but not to be redeemed. Those are two very seperate things”

“PLEASE JUST LET THEM GET HELP. ALL OF THEM.”

“i'm at sort of an impasse with c!quackity & c!wilbur. i don't like c!quackity in the slightest. i think he has great potential for a redemption arc, but i probably wouldn't be interested in watching it. on the other hand, with c!wilbur, i actually would watch his redemption arc, but i don't see it happening any time soon.”

“I answered " he deserves to heal and get better despite the actions he's commited; everyone deserves to heal and get better " for c!Wilbur but I partially Disagree with the "Everyone deserves to heal and get better" part. simply because some characters are irredeamable eg : c!dream”

“If c!Wilbur gets a redemption arc (I hope he does) I really hope it comes with learning that ethnostates and nationalism are not poggers. I'd be worried about the message it would send if he didn't learn that & it only focused on interpersonal stuff instead.”

“maybe a bit weird that i want c!dream to have a redemption arc but not c!q or c!wilbur, but hear me out. c!dream is being tortured in pandoras vault and we all know (no matter what the c!dream antis say) no one deserves torture. we have something to sympathize with with c!dream. with c!q and c!wilbur, i cant think of anything to sympathize with …. im not trying to say that c!dream is better than them, or that he didnt do bad things, but i sympathize with him much more than i do with c!q and c!wilbur because q and wilbur caused their own problems while a lot of dreams problems come from other people”

“We have both seen Wilbur and Quackity be relatively good people, or at the very least morally Gray people who had genuine love and care to those close to them. While with Dream we have never seen that, as he has always been focused on chaos, fun, and power.”

“I just want everyone to be happy and get along. C!Wilbur to get his problems fixed. C!Quackity to be happy and not have to worry about being the next c!Schlatt. C!Dream to finally tell us his side of the story and potentially join the syndicate?”

“Redemption isnt something any one can say is deserved or not”

“For me the main difference is thay wilbur and quackity (although having done bad things) did them out of grief or bc they felt like it was the only thing they could do for a sense of security (both after they lost something important to them). Dream on the other hand went out of his way and hurt others maliciously when he DIDNT have to or there were other less horrible/long-lasting actions he could done”

“The message that some people dont deserve to learn and grow from their past mistakes is harmful”

“listen.. i really hate c!quackity and c!wilbur right now so.. erm..in emotionally, i don't want them to have redemption arc because i hate them..BUT by using my brain i know that is a stupid excuse, everyone deserve redemption so..yeah sorry if it confusing you but honestly..the reason i hate them so much is probably because of the arc they on so..give them time and i think i will say i welcome their redemption arc with an open arm”

“i answered twice for dream because i have mixed feelings, while i think he is an atrocious person, i believe personally that forgoing forgiveness from others, he deserves to be happy and healthy and heal. hes clearly got issues of his own, and while it doesnt excuse his actions he also deserves the basic right to heal”

“I personally regard redemption as the act of simply becoming a better person, seperate from whether or not they are accepted or forgiven by their victims. With that definition, I think there is no being "deserving" of a redemption arc, it's something that everyone is entitled to if they chose to. Therefore, everyone, and I mean everyone, in as something as morally gray as the Dream SMP is capable of becoming a better person. It doesn't mean they get rewarded or forgiven for it, it just means they are capable of change and are able to fulfil character potential beyond being a villain.”

It seems to me like there definitely are a lot of people in each side of the spectrum, so this test seems to have come back positive; however, there are more questions that we have yet to answer.

3. Would people want characters to suffer or even die for their actions rather than heal and be happy?

Here is probably a good place to mention this questionnaire was more of a psychological experiment than a survey. Most of the answers were specifically designed and in such an order that would get your mind thinking about certain things before shoving your psyche into a difficult question.

Well, here comes the moment of truth; what sort of redemption arc do people prefer? Would they rather the character get better and reap the “rewards” (which are actually simply things every human being needs and deserves; love and happiness), atone for their actions but not get to be happy, or would they like them to suffer or be punished instead? Do people really treat basic human needs as “rewards” for being a good person; or are they only reserved for characters that were never bad people in the first place? Remember; all of these characters have inarguably gone through pain during their life. Just how much do people enjoy punitive justice, and should I literally just stick to my corner of the fandom for my own good?

The answer probably won’t surprise you!

Starting off, 82.8% want a happy or neutral ending for Quackity, 59.4% of which think he should experience good things in the end. 54.4% of participants want a happy or neutral ending for Dream, 62.7% of which think it should lead to him being happy and loved. 89.2% of people want a happy or neutral ending for Wilbur, 49.4% of which lean towards happiness over closure.

17.2% of participants would prefer Quackity to experience pain as part of his redemption arc. 8.5% want him to be mentally tormented by the weight of his own actions, and 5.6% think he should be punished before being allowed to get better.

For Dream, these percentages are way higher- and here is the funny thing, I thought that pretty much no one would say he should suffer before healing, because he’s already suffering for his actions indirectly by being abused by people who hate him for them. However, 7.2% of people think he has yet to be punished enough for his crimes in order to deserve being redeemed. 21.5% want him to suffer under the weight of his own actions, and 6.9% would want him to die instead of getting a happy ending. Overall, 45.6% would prefer a redemption arc for Dream in which he is subjected to pain or punishment.

10.8% of participants would want Wilbur to have a more difficult character arc, with the percentages pretty evenly divided between the options.

4. Do people think certain characters in the story don’t deserve to be happy?

“Deserving” basic human needs, or not deserving them for being bad people/being bad people in the past, is something I don’t personally agree with, however this is tumblr, not thought police, so let’s just look at the survey results.

While 68.5% of participants believe all of the characters in the story deserve to be loved and happy, only 66.2% think Wilbur does, 61.5% think Quackity does, and 38.5% think Dream does.

Let’s look at some closing thoughts on the subject as a closing note;

“I want everyone to have a sort of personal redemption. Where they realize they have hurt people. But I think it’s difficult. I mean Dream abused a child. Quackity tortured Dream relentlessly. I think the redemption arc that is the easiest is one for Wilbur because of cc!wilburs acting and emphasis on his characters mental health. But I think Wilburs also done so much f**ked up shit too. I think it’s difficult. I just think the redemption arcs are really really difficult.”

“i genuinely can't help myself, i want everyone to have the chance to be better.”

“i think that wilbur, quackity and sam should be redeemed because we as an audience know that they all believe they're doing the right thing and regret/didn't enjoy hurting people with their actions. but with c!dream, there's a lot more evidence that he knew what he was doing wrong and actively enjoyed doing it.”

“everybody deserves to heal. if someone wants to be better and strives to be better, who is anyone to deprive them of that?”

“I don’t like some of these characters and their actions, but everyone deserves a chance to heal. To work through their trauma.”

“dream doesn’t deserve shit, quackitys probably gonna keep riding the las nevadas train until it crashes and burns and wilbur should move on from being “the villain” and stop seeing everything as black and white”

“No one is beyond deserving help. That's not how the world works and that's not what the story should show in my opinion.”

“narratively, i want redemption and happy endings for all characters but morally, i really despise some of them and i'm also really conflicted about some of them as well”

“I want my faves to be better and I think it's the best possible option for everyone involved, even the characters they've hurt.”

“c!wilbur and c!quackity go to therapy. c!dream get hit by another train /hj”

“Hurt people hurt people. If given a chance to distance yourself from your victims and abusers, if given a safe environment with a support network of people you haven't formerly harmed, you can then heal and let the others heal. Live and let live, but living is harder for everyone when we don't give others the chances they need to grow and change themselves.”

“all of them deserve to find growth and happiness but under no circumstances are those who have been hurt by them obligated to be involved in any aspect of that arc. most obvious example- c!dream is allowed to grow and realize that what he's done is awful, but c!tommy is not obligated to forgive him or even be near him.”

“They can all improve and get better and be better people …. They all deserve a chance to be better and be happy. However. Wilbur and dream should get their "redemption" arcs away from esp. Tommy and all the other people they hurt. Big Q. should get his redemption arc away from Dream and stuff. If the prison was less focused on detainment and more focused on rehabilitation and then Dream had no contact with Tommy for example that's a scenario that I'd like.”

“is quackity actually considered a villain in this story? What has he done wrong lol Create a casino? be emotionally manipulated? have rejection sensitive dysphoria? I don't think he's a good person based on his current actions but i don't think hes a villain. I think he's trying hard to become something hes not. … I hate c!dream and I don't think he can ever get better. hes a manipulator gaslight gatekeep girlboss and i think he deserves to stay in prison and rot. watching the tommy exile arc would make me so angry that i had to stop watching.”

“i'm so CONFLICTED about this! i want the angst, but god the angst has been going on for a LONG time. honestly, i think the conclusion i would be happiest with would be for c!dream, c!quackity, c!sam, c!tommy, and c!wilbur to calm down, get some therapy, and stay VERY FAR AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. god damn, it's like they WANT to get more traumatized,,”

“the loathing i feel directed at c!dream specifically is so goddamn strong. my god i hate that guy. uhhh regarding quackity no i dont feel like he shouldnt feel ANY pain or anything hes done some f**ked up stuff but i mean..? with the exception of the torture hes the most redeemable guy up there for me which is probably because we have seen his entire downward spiral.”

“I have to admit that although I strongly believe no one on the Dream SMP deserves to be tormented and deprived of their healing and happiness, I feel really icky about c!Quackity. I really hope that the ccs find a way to make his redemption logical and satisfying to watch. If that is not the case, I will still welcome it with open arms, but secretly I will be a little bit salty about it.”

“For the last question bit there i wanted to check more then once because i want them all to feel guilty and tormented for what they have done.”

“Yknow.... basic human rights... to be happy and loved isn't something that should be deserved it should be something that everyone is allowed to obtain for themselves and it shouldn't be allowed it should just be…”

“While i think that all of the characters should the chance to get redemption and healing, I’d probably be less likely to watch redemption arcs from c!Quackity and c!Wilbur than c!Dream, just because I dislike them. Not to say that they shouldn’t get them, because I hope they do, I’m just more like to be going “Good for them” in the distance.”

“I JUST WANT THEM ALL TO BE HAPPY PLEASEEEEEEEE -dr3”

“for the final question it doesnt provide a none of the above option or a some of the characters but not all option. since I dont think c!Dream deserves to be happy and loved but I do the other two (to some degree) but answering "all of the characters .. " I feel Includes c!dream who I ultimately just really hate and want to have nothing but a fictional death!”

“therapy. therapy for everyone.”

“f**k c!dream <3 i honestly don’t think people who abuse kids (or anyone) for fun should ever be redeemed i think they should just rot in a hole somewhere”

“It would be hypocritical to say that one character deserves redemption more than another, especially considering they've all done (almost equally) horrible things. Either everyone deserves redemption, or no one does.”

Conclusion: in the end, this is all the ways in which we like to enjoy fiction. However, for some completely unrelated reason, I am now about 45.6% less likely to attempt to interact with anyone outside my immediate group of friends in the fandom.

Thank you for reading!

#dream smp #dsmp fandom critical #tw abuse ment #tw torture ment

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spicynbachili · 5 years

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De’Aaron Fox Is Quietly Catching Up To Draft Class Rivals Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell

Successful basketball has been a international idea in Sacramento for even longer than you would possibly assume.

Not solely have the Sacramento Kings missed the playoffs for the previous 12 seasons, they haven’t even cracked .500 in that point.

They’ve been “rebuilding” that total time, with their makes an attempt to take action resembling a three-year-old youngster repeatedly selecting via the rubble of a fallen Jenga tower, not often placing greater than a handful of items again in place earlier than the entire thing comes tumbling down once more.

And but regardless of going round in circles like a one-armed rower for greater than a decade, Sacramento’s nice despair might lastly be coming to an finish with the crew leaping out to a promising 6-Four begin this season (don’t snicker).

The largest motive behind this mini-turnaround is sophomore sensation De’Aaron Fox.

Fox has made a surprising leap after a rookie season which was stable, however hardly elicited the identical hysteria because the profitable debut campaigns submitted by draft class rivals Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell.

The previous Kentucky standout is the driving power behind the Kings turbo-charged offence, which ranks second within the league in tempo.

Surrounded by elite shooters (Buddy Hield and Nemanja Bjelica) and a flexible centre (Willie Cauley-Stein), Fox has excelled at hitting the appropriate guys within the rights spots after spending his rookie apprenticeship studying his teammate’s tendencies.

Oh, and he’s a lot better at getting his personal too.

Take a look at these per 36 numbers:

De’Aaron Fox – 21 factors, eight.6 assists, 5.three rebounds, 49.6 FG%, 35.7 3P%

Donovan Mitchell – 23.2 factors, Four.three assists, 2.eight rebounds, 42.9 FG%, 31.6 3P%

Jayson Tatum – 17.2 factors, 7.eight rebounds, three assists, 40.6 FG%, 34.9 3P%

Few would take Fox over Tatum long-term, however proper now he’s outperforming the younger Celtic.

After being chosen with the fifth decide in final 12 months’s draft, Fox is already higher than Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and Josh Jackson – all of whom had been chosen forward of him.

Particular person comparisons apart, what actually issues right here is the impact he’s having on the Kings.

Sacramento is placing up 113.three factors per 100 possessions with Fox on the ground and 97.three when he sits.

That’s the distinction between being the fifth-best offence within the league and the worst by a great distance.

The numbers additionally favour Fox on the defensive finish, with the Kings’ opponents scoring 104.5 factors per 100 possessions when he’s on the ground and 116 when he isn’t.

As stable as Sacramento has been, there’s a robust probability this younger crew comes again to earth somewhat bit.

There’s no method they’re making the playoffs this season, however what’s extra essential right here is that for the primary time in a very long time, there’s a discernible path to the postseason for them to observe.

And as soon as they lastly get there, they’ll go so far as Fox takes them.

For extra Basketball Endlessly content material, observe @bballforeverfb and @nickjungfer.

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from SpicyNBAChili.com http://spicymlbchili.spicynbachili.com/deaaron-fox-is-quietly-catching-up-to-draft-class-rivals-jayson-tatum-and-donovan-mitchell/

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Blown Leads, Bad Calls, and Great Defense: Ten Takeaways from the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend

Wild card weekend was.. decent, I guess? The games were entertaining, but the quality of play (and officiating) left something to be desired.

It began with a Saturday evening comeback that could instead be viewed as a horrendously blown lead. Atlanta got the road upset, the Saints hung on, and the Jags and Bills played one of the worst playoff games in recent memory, unless you really, really appreciate defense.

The Eagles get the Falcons this weekend, which I think most people agreed was the best possible matchup for Nick Foles and company. We’ll break that down in a separate post.

But if we’re looking for one overarching theme, I’d say that the Birds should feel good about their playoff chances, since I wasn’t overly impressed by what either NFC winner did this week.

Were you?

1) Situational football

The difference in the Atlanta/LA matchup was the Falcons’ smart game management and mix of plays. They controlled the ball for 37:35 while the NFL’s best offense only had it for 22:25.

The Falcons used 33 called running plays and 36 passing plays, three of which became sacks and three that turned into scrambles. When they did toss it, they kept it short, throwing for about four air yards per pass. It was a balanced output that took advantage of two Los Angeles special teams turnovers, allowing the Falcons to jump out to a 13-0 lead.

That was experience on display, with a #6 seed going on the road but showing the same smarts and savvy that took them to last year’s Super Bowl.

2) Dirty bird defense

Todd Gurley finished with 14 carries for 101 yards. Robert Woods had 9 receptions for 142 yards. Cooper Kupp grabbed 8 for 69 and a score. LA finished with 40 more yards than Atlanta.

But the Falcons won in other areas, limiting Gurley to four catches for just 10 yards, which was his third-lowest total on the season. Sammy Watkins had one snag for 28 yards. Combined, the pair mustered only 38 receiving yards on 14 total targets. That’s inefficiency right there, with just 14.6% Jared Goff’s yardage coming on 31% of his attempts.

The Rams went 5-14 on third down for a 35.7% success rate, well below the 41.1 number that placed them top-10 in the regular season. And they were just 1-3 on 4th down.

The Falcons have a smaller and faster defense that moves well in space and makes big plays. Defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel was a journeyman safety who played eight NFL seasons and worked as a Seattle assistant during the Legion of Boom era. He should start getting some national recognition for the job he’s doing in Atlanta.

3) Jared Goff

He’s a player. He’ll be around for a long time, leading a young team with a young coach that has talent on both sides of the ball. I think the turnovers put the Rams behind the eight ball, a squad with zero playoff experience, let alone playing from behind.

But even during the comeback attempt, he was throwing into some tight areas that would make Hall of Famers blush.

This was one of the best passes of the entire NFL weekend, with Goff stepping through the pocket on a third and 10 in his own territory:

DIME.

WOW, @JaredGoff16. #ATLvsLAR #LARams http://pic.twitter.com/vOXr6WKzdk

— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2018

And a freeze frame, just for good measure:

Jared Goff fit this into the smallest possible window http://pic.twitter.com/wOz7xI9BC5

— SB Nation NFL (@SBNationNFL) January 7, 2018

Nick Foles would run backwards and sideways there and probably take a sack or throw it out of bounds.

4) Who dat?

Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram contributed 68 scrimmage yards and the Saints still won.

There was a first half surge where I thought New Orleans might blow Carolina out of the water, but that wasn’t the case at all. This game was closer than predicted.

Drew Brees picked up the slack through the air, going for 376 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception on a highly questionable 4th and 2 call at the end of the game. That was Sean Payton trying to ice it with about two minutes left, which almost backfired badly.

But the Saints’ defense forced an intentional grounding and finished with a sack on the Panthers’ final drive, doing enough to get the job done against a Carolina team that came in with a good game plan.

More than anything, I wasn’t floored by the New Orleans performance. I still think they’re a difficult matchup for the Eagles, but here’s a team that lost five games in 2017 and didn’t appear to be the well-oiled machine we’re used to seeing out there. Their trip to Minnesota is probably the best matchup of the divisional round.

5) Panthers and protocol

They started strong, then dropped a touchdown, missed a field goal, and quickly found themselves down 14-3.

Credit to Carolina though, I thought they might get clobbered, but they fought back to within a score and had a chance to win it at the end.

I think the division rival narrative was a little underplayed here. Sure, the Saints beat the Panthers twice in the regular season, but three wins against a team you see more frequently than others is somewhat difficult to pull off.

Cam Newton finished 24-40 for 349 yards and two touchdowns. There was an outcry from Twitter doctors after he appeared to play through a fourth-quarter concussion, but Newton said that wasn’t the case after this play:

Cam Newton just hit a brick wall. http://pic.twitter.com/wHc3VicfhF

— 360°FantasyFootball (@360FFB) January 8, 2018

Newton explained that he was poked in the eye, as the contact made his helmet come down over his forehead, and disputed the idea that he was concussed.

That seems to be contradicted by this video:

This "Cam Newton's visor poked him in the eye" is the greatest storyline in the history of sports. And I'm saying that as a former WWE wrestler. Watch the video, you don't collapse after that him because you need ice on your face. It's a #concussion. http://pic.twitter.com/fgsMiai3et

— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) January 8, 2018

But that could also be embellishment to buy time for the backup quarterback to warm up on the sidelines, right?

I don’t know. I really don’t know. Newton looked pretty good on the field after that, and I’m just a guy sitting at home, watching on TV, so that’s how qualified I am to pass judgment here.

6) Terrible quarterback play

Buffalo vs. Jacksonville had the feeling of a 1 p.m. Week 3 game, with two of the NFL’s worst signal callers squaring off.

Tyrod Taylor finished 17-37 for 134 yards and an interception.

Blake Bortles was 12-23 for 87 yards and a touchdown.

Both were starting their first playoff game and both were pretty pitiful, but Bortles did some improvisational damage with 88 rushing yards on 10 attempts. That was probably the difference, as Jacksonville eventually found the red zone and scored on a one-yard, play action pass.

You could hear Tony Romo going through various stages of anguish having to call this game. Romo, who played in just six playoff games during his career, was assigned a Taylor/Bortles game in his first color commentary postseason gig.

Talk about rough:

7) Jacksonville Jag-wires

Of the remaining teams, they most resemble the Eagles, a squad with an excellent defense and suspect QB play.

They beat the Steelers 30-9 back in Week 5 on the strength of five interceptions. Jacksonville’s defense has held opponents to 10 or fewer points nine times this season. They are legit in every way.

Here’s a stat worth mentioning, courtesy of ESPN:

“Since drafting Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, the Steelers have a losing home record against two teams (including playoffs). Those teams are the Patriots (2-5)…..and the Jaguars (1-4).”

And those are the two squads the Steelers have to go through to get to the Super Bowl. Both won at Heinz Field this season.

I’d be stunned if Jacksonville does it again this weekend, but the box score and theme from that game wasn’t entirely dissimilar from what happened yesterday. Bortles was 8-14 for 95 yards and an interception. But the Jags’ ground game was working, and Leonard Fournette ripped off 181 yards and 2 touchdowns on 28 carries back in Week 5, while Pittsburgh did this:

Jax has proven they can win while Bortles plays like shit, so we’ll see if their defense can get it done for a second time this season in Pittsburgh.

8) The Bills Mafia

I respect the enthusiasm of a fan base that hadn’t been to the playoffs in forever.

And when you jump through flaming tables in the parking lot, that’s wild, too.

But when Bill Cowher does it during the pregame show, it’s probably dead:

Bill Cowher just joined #BillsMafia! http://pic.twitter.com/HHlAHKUML2

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 7, 2018

Buffalo needs a franchise quarterback. I’m not sure who it is.

9) Marcus Mariota

Speaking of franchise quarterbacks, does that label apply to Marcus Mariota? He went 7-7 on third down in the second half against Kansas City, shaking off a poor first half and completing a 19-0 run to steal a win on the road.

Mariota’s first career playoff touchdown pass was thrown to himself:

Marcus Mariota just caught his own pass for a @Titans TD!!

Not a typo.#TitanUp #NFLPlayoffs http://pic.twitter.com/bDBVukfZuY

— NFL (@NFL) January 6, 2018

Gisele Bundchen once said, “My husband cannot fucking throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time,” which no longer holds true, apparently.

But in all seriousness, Mariota was impressive in the second half. He made some plays, Derrick Henry ran the ball like a beast, and the QB actually threw a great block on the clock-killing final drive:

10) Gotta do a better job

Andy Reid has now lost 13 playoff games.

He’s 1-7 in his last eight postseason games.

Saturday, his team blew an 18-point first half lead.

I’m not a guy who cheers against Andy. I appreciate what he did in Philadelphia, even if he never won the Super Bowl.

Yeah, Alex Smith could have made a few second half plays. Yeah, the drops hurt the offense. Yeah, Travis Kelce was sorely missed. And the defense was not the same in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

But when you’re winning by multiple scores and Kareem Hunt finishes with 11 carries, it’s indefensible.

Feel bad for Andy Reid. I mean, it's hard to get the ball to your running back when you're only leading by two scores for most of the game http://pic.twitter.com/QLnByqiydS

— Ryan McCrystal (@Ryan_McCrystal) January 7, 2018

Also, the worst call of the weekend (and there were many) took place during this game, when a Mariota fumble was somehow overturned because his “forward progress” was stopped during a sack.

If this isn’t a fumble, then 50% of NFL turnovers have been incorrectly ruled over the past 35 years:

Derrick Johnson crunches Mariota. Drive ends in a Tennessee field goal after a shoulda been fumble recovery by KC. http://pic.twitter.com/IRVAXar7sW

— Chiefs Kingdom (@__chiefskingdom) January 6, 2018

I don’t know how NFL officiating becomes progressively worse, year after year.

Blown Leads, Bad Calls, and Great Defense: Ten Takeaways from the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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robertkstone · 7 years

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2017 Mini Countryman Full Line First Test

Philosophical discussions about whether the Mini Countryman is really a Mini will go on indefinitely, but for practical purposes, it’s a distinction without a difference. It’s here, it’s made by Mini, and—as the brand’s best-selling model by a slim margin—it’s not going anywhere. Instead, we must concern ourselves with whether it’s any good.

This second-generation Countryman uses the same formula as the original with a host of upgrades. New sheetmetal is a given, but the most substantial changes occur under the stubby hood. The base engine is now a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, and it makes 134 hp and 162 lb-ft—that’s torquier than the old four-cylinder despite losing a piston. S models now get a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with 189 hp and 207 lb-ft, a slight improvement all around. The biggest change, though, is a new plug-in hybrid S E model with a net output of 221 hp and 284 lb-ft, thanks to an electric motor driving the rear wheels while the turbo-three drives the fronts. The plug-in hybrid gets a six-speed auto, and the other models get a new eight-speed auto.

We haven’t been fans of Mini’s three-cylinder engine in other products, and we’re not fans of it in the bigger, heavier Countryman, either. Needing 9.3 seconds to hit 60 mph from a stop and 5.5 seconds to accelerate from 45 to 55 mph, it’s drearily slow. An aggressive first gear makes it pop off the line, but once popped, it’s a long, boring climb up to speed. The new transmission works quickly and smoothly with what it has, but it isn’t a lot. A weight of 3,546 pounds and 134 hp just don’t mix well. It’s no good when you’re not moving, either—the engine is coarse and unrefined at idle and only marginally better under load.

On the upshot, it does get better fuel economy on the highway than the plug-in hybrid for some reason. In fact, it gets 30 mpg, which is about the same as the old base model. City mpg for the three-cylinder is actually worse than the old S model at 22 mpg, a disappointing result.

Back to the hybrid, it’s a bit of an odd duck. It only has 12 miles of all-electric range, little enough to be inconsequential. Highway fuel economy is also unimpressive as noted, sitting at 27 mpg. You’ll want to keep it in the city, where it gets 28 mpg, an impressive number. Unfortunately, if you never leave the city, you won’t get much of an opportunity to sample its other standout feature: the performance. Hitting 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, it’s the quickest Countryman you can buy despite also being the heaviest at 3,881 pounds. The low center of gravity also helps it outperform the base car on our figure-eight test, where it’s nearly as quick as the S model. The rest of the time, though, you’re still stuck with the coarseness of that I-3.

The S really is just right in every regard. At 7.4 seconds to 60 mph, it’s quick enough for a small SUV, and its power-to-weight ratio is close enough to the plug-in hybrid’s to make it feel quicker than it is behind the wheel. It is unquestionably the best-handling of the three, and the most Mini-like in that regard. Returning 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, it’s a reasonable compromise between the other two for anyone who doesn’t live and work downtown. For $3,000 more than the base model and nearly $6,000 less than the plug-in hybrid, you get the car that drives most like a Mini, gets comparable city fuel economy, and has the best highway fuel economy.

A special note on braking performance for all three models: Testing took place on an unusually hot day, and as such, braking distances were uncharacteristically long. Per the data recorder, the base stopped in 138 feet, the S in 129 feet, and the plug-in hybrid in 150 feet. Correcting for temperature, we estimate the normal stopping distance from 60 mph would be more like 108 feet of the base, 107 feet for the S, and 120 feet for the plug-in hybrid.

Aside from limit performance, the three Countrymen are fairly similar in demeanor. Ride quality has improved across the board from the last generation without losing that Mini playfulness. The S, as you’d expect, is the most fun to drive quickly, though the plug-in hybrid handles its weight surprisingly well. With their sporty suspensions, though, each hobbled over rough pavement worse than we’d expect for a semipremium crossover. and it produced some uncharacteristic rattles.

Being the crossover of Minis and each equipped with all-wheel drive, we took them for a bit of off-roading, as well. We’d hoped some of Mini’s rally program would’ve rubbed off on the production cars, but that’s not really the case. None has a dedicated off-road mode, and the computer’s only solution to loose surfaces is to cut power drastically. In sand, which we used to also approximate mud and snow, the computer brought the car nearly to a halt before allowing us to creep through, nails chewed to nubs. On hard-packed dirt, the cars were far more playful, though easy to bottom out. It’s clearly a foul weather all-wheel-drive system, not an off-roading one.

There were highs and lows to be found inside the car, as well. We love the enormous rear seats, especially because the cargo space is bigger, too. The funky Mini style remains, but the controls are a bit more logical now. The head-up displays on the S and plug-in hybrid are a nice idea, but they are mounted extremely low on the dash and creaky when they deploy and stow. The mesh sunroof cover barely functions as such. The fact you still don’t get power seats even on the nearly $40,000 plug-in hybrid is baffling.

Anyone in the market for the Mini Countryman isn’t just looking for a small crossover. They’re looking for the Mini of small crossovers, and the model that best fits that description is the Countryman in Cooper S trim. The price premium over the base model is marginal, and it buys you a lot more performance for the same fuel economy while saving you thousands over the plug-in hybrid at the cost some city fuel economy. Normally, we tell you to get the sportiest model because we’re enthusiasts, but this time, you can drive comfortably knowing it’s also the best Countryman.

Because the test surface we used for this review is a mere month old (and still curing), our braking and handling results show longer stopping distances and less grip than we typically record and report. With that in mind, this vehicle’s numbers are not necessarily comparable with previous or future test results.

2017 Mini Countryman ALL4 (Cooper) 2017 Mini Countryman ALL4 (Cooper S) 2018 Mini E Countryman ALL 4 (Cooper S plug-in hybrid) BASE PRICE $28,950 $31,950 $37,650 PRICE AS TESTED $36,750 $38,500 $39,700 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE 1.5L/134-hp/162-lb-ft turbo DOHC 12-valve I-3 2.0L/189-hp/207-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 1.5L/134-hp/162-lb-ft turbo DOHC 12-valve I-3 plus 87-hp/122-lb-ft electric motor; 221-hp comb TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic 8-speed automatic 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,546 lb (57/43%) 3,633 lb (58/42%) 3,881 lb (53/47%) WHEELBASE 105.1 in 105.1 in 105.1 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 169.8 x 71.7 x 61.3 in 169.8 x 71.7 x 61.3 in 169.8 x 71.7 x 61.3 in 0-60 MPH 9.3 sec 7.4 sec 5.9 sec QUARTER MILE 17.0 sec @ 79.6 mph 15.7 sec @ 86.7 mph 14.6 sec @ 88.3 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 138 ft 129 ft 150 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.79 g (avg) 0.83 g (avg) 0.79 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 28.3 sec @ 0.58 g (avg) 27.2 sec @ 0.63 g (avg) 27.5 sec @ 0.63 g (avg) REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB Not tested 18.9/35.7/24.0 mpg Not tested EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 23/30/25 mpg 22/31/26 mpg 28/27/27 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 147/112 kW-hrs/100 miles 153/109 kW-hrs/100 miles 120/125 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.75 lb/mile 0.77 lb/mile 0.70 lb/mile

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Keeping the Horse in Front of the Cart: Realistic Expectations for the 2017 Sixers

I’m gonna go way out on a limb and predict that one of the four teams that played last night will win the NBA championship.

Alright!

Now that we’ve got that squared away, let’s talk about your team, your town, your playoff-bound Philadelphia 76ers. I went on the record Wednesday with this prediction:

41-41, 8th seed in the Eastern Conference

That’s assuming Joel Embiid can play somewhere between 50 and 60 games and isn’t hampered by his “fucking bullshit” minutes restriction.

Whether you agreed with The Process or not, I think everyone understands that this team still has a long way to go. Ben Simmons is a rookie. Markelle Fultz is a rookie. Embiid might as well be a rookie. But one facet of The Process that falls by the wayside is the idea that your core talent is being brought along at the same time. Sam Hinkie was patient enough to move on from guys like Michael Carter-Williams because he thought he could do better. He thought he could assemble a trio that would contend for a title and not just get the team into the postseason.

In that regard, The Process is over. Any half-hearted extension of the concept cheapens the philosophy and makes people forget why it was even executed in the first place. It’s like a band that releases a bunch of great albums then drops a disc like “St. Anger.”

This year, returning to the playoffs would be a big success for a team that has won 19, 18, 10, and 28 games in the last four years. Even cresting 30 wins is a step forward. You’ve been loyal enough to sit through four years of tanking, so suddenly putting the cart before the horse seems hypocritical for a fan base that has tolerated (and even invited) a half-decade of abeyance.

Here’s how I have it going down in the Eastern Conference:

Cleveland

Boston

Washington

Toronto

Milwaukee

Miami

Charlotte

Philadelphia

Detroit

Orlando

Indiana

Atlanta

New York

Brooklyn

Chicago

Playoffs: Cavaliers 4, Sixers 1

Hell of an opportunity to taste the postseason and steal a home win against the Cavs. 2018 expectations become sky high as the Eagles come off an NFC title game loss and the young Sixers sniff meaningful basketball for the first time in the post-Process era. The Flyers are skating like the ’85 Oilers and Mike Trout is finalizing details on his first Phillies contract.

There are a lot of good things to look forward to in Philly sports, so let’s temper immediate expectations and just enjoy the ride.

Embiid should refuse to abide by the minutes restriction, and just stay on the court when Brown tries to take him out.

— FakeWIPCaller (@FakeWIPCaller) October 17, 2017

What do we need to see from each player?

For me, team success is 35+ wins and/or a playoff berth.

Individually, here’s what I got:

Markelle Fultz – learn to play with Ben Simmons, let the shoulder heal, leave the shot alone

I think it’s key that Ben Simmons is going to be a spotlighted Rookie of the Year candidate. This is underrated, because it takes pressure off of Markelle Fultz to perform right off the bat and allows him to sort of fly under the radar as he gets back to fitness and form.

When’s the last time a number-one overall pick had this luxury? The fact that you have two first-overall picks debuting at the same time is incredibly unique and will be a boon for Fultz’s development. He shot the ball well enough in college that he didn’t require any mechanical tweaks, so I think this is just a case of fixing something that wasn’t broken.

Ben Simmons – learn to play with Markelle Fultz, build on ability to move without the ball, stay mentally focused on defense, finish at the rim

I think the thing with Fultz and Simmons right now is that there’s a bit of overlap, not necessarily in their skill sets, but in their strengths. Both look better with the ball in their hands. Both excel at driving to the rim and kicking it out to open shooters.

Neither looks entirely comfortable off the ball, nor are they knock-down shooters right now. That’ll improve with time. Even with Fultz beginning the season with the second unit, there will still be times where they share the court and become more comfortable with each other.

For Simmons, I think his finishing at the rim is going to be a “big fucking deal,” as Joe Biden once said. He can easily get there, and he’s going to draw fouls, but the and-1 potential, considering his size and skill, is going to astronomical this year.

Joel Embiid – stay healthy, stay focused, keep forcing the refs’ whistles, improve on defensive rebounding

There’s not much to say beyond the obvious. One thing I don’t think we talk enough about is the fact that Joel’s small sample size of games means that opposing teams haven’t seen much of him at all. We can say that he’s “unguardable,” but teams will learn how to play against him with more reps and more film. Part of the reason he hit the ground running last year is because opponents had no idea what to expect.

Defensively, he does so many things well, but obviously can’t slide to keep up with smaller guards. You saw D’Angelo Russell hit that floater over him in the preseason game. He can probably be a bit better in defensive rebounding, but sometimes shot blockers aren’t in the best position to grab boards, so that’s natural.

Another storyline is how he’s officiated and whether or not he can continue to get the calls we saw in the Miami game.

Robert Covington – more consistency as a shooter

RoCo is going to get open looks this season because of the gravity drawn by Simmons and Fultz as they attack the rim.

He shot 33% from three-point range last season, which was below the league average of 35.7%, but he improved to 36.5% when the calendar flipped to 2017 after pushing through a rough start. His shots aren’t going to be as contested this year and there’s no reason why he can’t reach 37 or 38% from deep, which would put him right at the edge of the NBA’s top 50. He’s not going to be sharing the court with non-shooters like Sergio Rodriguez this year.

Covington’s perimeter defense is going to be crucial in matchups against the likes of Washington, Boston, and Toronto.

When a ball-handler gets by Robert Covington but Joel Embiid is waiting there http://pic.twitter.com/TpTolg3r3i

— shamus (@shamus_clancy) October 18, 2017

JJ Redick – keep hitting from three, provide early body of work with next year in mind

It’s mostly just determining whether he’s a fit here and worthy of a long-term contract. He also has to think about whether he wants to stick around. I think if you weather the early storm, make it through the rough opening schedule, then pull it back to .500, that assuages any concerns he might have about Philly not being in his future.

Dario Saric – settle into a role?, move without the ball

First off the bench this season.

I’m interested to see how he does in year number two with a better understanding of the American game.

His utility is useful, but I don’t want that to come at the expense of finding his best role on the floor. Using him as a stretch-five, for example, is intriguing, but does that maximize his potential?

We’ll see what happens.

Jerryd Bayless – be the veteran

Talk, point, set assignments. Help these young guys figure it out and lead by example. They’re gonna need it.

Jahlil Okafor – ???

I think his fourth-year rookie option gets declined. With Amir Johnson working with the second team and Richaun Holmes coming back from injury, I just don’t see a role for Okafor, especially because he looks the same defensively as he did last year. The awareness and urgency just never seems to be there.

I love Jah’s offensive skill-set, but he’s operating in a different epoch than the rest of the NBA.

Justin Anderson, Nik Stauskas, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot – show us something

I think you just want one of these guys to step up and claim a second unit role. For me, TLC has the most upside.

T.J. McConnell – keep bringing the intensity, stay under control

Nice to see someone play with heart and hustle in 2017, he just has to keep himself grounded while doing it.

Amir Johnson, Richaun Holmes – hold down the fort

There’s a drop-off when Embiid leaves the court, obviously.

With Joel on a minutes restriction, Johnson is going have a big role in the early part of the schedule, and I wonder if Brett Brown goes to Saric at the five before bringing in Okafor. The Holmes injury had more of a domino effect than I originally thought.

Brett Brown: become a 4th quarter coach, find roles for interchangeable parts

One of the issues with the past four years is that Brown wasn’t in a lot of situations where his team was in close, 4th quarter games. What kind of plays can he draw up? Who takes the last shot? These are still relatively new concepts.

I don’t put too much stock into the “Bryan Colangelo didn’t hire Brett Brown” narrative (when considering his job security), but it’s obvious that the evolution of the coaching staff needs to be somewhat congruous with player development.

Another thing is that the unique skill-sets of guys like Simmons and Embiid mean that they can be utilized in a variety of ways. Remember that preseason play where Embiid fed Simmons down low for a dunk? That’s a 7’2″ center dishing it to a 6’11” “point guard” in the low post. That’s fun to watch, but it’s not conventional, and Brown is going to have figure out if we’re doing this with some sort of traditional structure or allowing these intriguing athletes to develop their own new-age and exclusive style.

Strengths – passing, defense, transition offense

With Ben Simmons slinging it all over the place and creating gravity that would make Isaac Newton blush, the Sixers are going to be nasty when playing with pace. They’ll move the ball and space the court much, much better in 2017.

Defensively, Covington, Bayless, and Redick will allow Simmons and Fultz to not have to deal with All-Star Eastern Conference point guards on a nightly basis. If Embiid stays healthy, you’ve probably got the league’s best rim protector, or one of them.

Weaknesses – turnovers, inexperience, finishing around the rim, free-throws?

Adventurous transition offense also opens the door to wayward passes and turnovers. You’re gonna see some balls fly into the stands.

And if Simmons and Fultz decide to take it to the rim themselves, can they finish there? If they get to the line, are they hitting their foul shots? I don’t know.

The inexperience is what it is. You get John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and Kyle Lowry in your first three NBA games.

Welcome!

John Wall Slam Dunk!! #NBAPreSeason #Wizards #NBA http://pic.twitter.com/NFXjb2KKbO

— All Sport News (@All_SportNews) October 7, 2017

Staff picks:

Write these down, then come back and rip us on Twitter in a few months:

Kyle Scott: The Sixers have the potential to be GOOD when Embiid is healthy and if Fultz is a solid contributor. But there are also a lot of new faces, some with no NBA experience, and there are going to be some rough spots. Overall, figuring a mostly healthy Embiid and Fultz not needing surgery on his shoulder, the Sixers are pretty good and get into the playoffs with 42 wins.

Phil Keidel: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. 40-42.

Russell Joy: At the end of the season, with the Sixers 5th in the East at 46-36, Joel stands over the broken bodies of those who stood in his way. He pours out two Shirley Temples, smashes them together, throws them back and states to the masses, “Embiid 3:16 says I just whooped your ass.” Or should that be Process 3:16… Or Hinkie 3:16?

Coggin: What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.” 76ers 42-40.

Bob Wankel: So what if Markelle Fultz looks broken? Embiid stays relatively healthy, Simmons is ROY, and the Sixers go 43-39. They get the 7th seed and then they get wiped away by the Celtics in the first round. Basketball in Philly is back, BABY!

Chris Jastrzembski: Joel’s minutes go up and he stays healthy. Markelle’s shot is still meh, but Ben wins Rookie of the Year. Sixers go 42-40 and get the 7th seed.

Tyler Trumbauer: Embiid is limited all year, no back-to-backs, but team has enough talent to make the playoffs. I say 7th seed, 44-38.

Investor Mike: Reverse psychology absolutely in play here, but the Sixers miss the 8th seed by way of a heartbreaking home loss to the Bucks on fan appreciation night. 40-42

Investor Jeff: Embiid plays 61 games, Sixers 36-25 when he plays. 7-14 when he sits. 43 wins, good for the 6th seed where they give Washington all they can handle in the first round before losing in 7.

That’s about it. Whatever happens this season, it won’t be boring. Let’s roll the damn ball out.

Take it away Lars Ulrich:

Keeping the Horse in Front of the Cart: Realistic Expectations for the 2017 Sixers published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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flauntpage · 7 years

Text

Keeping the Horse in Front of the Cart: Realistic Expectations for the 2017 Sixers

I’m gonna go way out on a limb and predict that one of the four teams that played last night will win the NBA championship.

Alright!

Now that we’ve got that squared away, let’s talk about your team, your town, your playoff-bound Philadelphia 76ers. I went on the record Wednesday with this prediction:

41-41, 8th seed in the Eastern Conference

That’s assuming Joel Embiid can play somewhere between 50 and 60 games and isn’t hampered by his “fucking bullshit” minutes restriction.

Here’s how I have it going down in the Eastern Conference:

Cleveland

Boston

Washington

Toronto

Milwaukee

Miami

Charlotte

Philadelphia

Detroit

Orlando

Indiana

Atlanta

New York

Brooklyn

Chicago

Playoffs: Cavaliers 4, Sixers 1

There are a lot of good things to look forward to in Philly sports, so let’s temper immediate expectations and just enjoy the ride.

Embiid should refuse to abide by the minutes restriction, and just stay on the court when Brown tries to take him out.

— FakeWIPCaller (@FakeWIPCaller) October 17, 2017

What do we need to see from each player?

For me, team success is 35+ wins and/or a playoff berth.

Individually, here’s what I got:

Markelle Fultz – learn to play with Ben Simmons, let the shoulder heal, leave the shot alone

Ben Simmons – learn to play with Markelle Fultz, build on ability to move without the ball, stay mentally focused on defense, finish at the rim

Joel Embiid – stay healthy, stay focused, keep forcing the refs’ whistles, improve on defensive rebounding

Another storyline is how he’s officiated and whether or not he can continue to get the calls we saw in the Miami game.

Robert Covington – more consistency as a shooter

RoCo is going to get open looks this season because of the gravity drawn by Simmons and Fultz as they attack the rim.

Covington’s perimeter defense is going to be crucial in matchups against the likes of Washington, Boston, and Toronto.

When a ball-handler gets by Robert Covington but Joel Embiid is waiting there http://pic.twitter.com/TpTolg3r3i

— shamus (@shamus_clancy) October 18, 2017

JJ Redick – keep hitting from three, provide early body of work with next year in mind

Dario Saric – settle into a role?, move without the ball

First off the bench this season.

I’m interested to see how he does in year number two with a better understanding of the American game.

We’ll see what happens.

Jerryd Bayless – be the veteran

Talk, point, set assignments. Help these young guys figure it out and lead by example. They’re gonna need it.

Jahlil Okafor – ???

I love Jah’s offensive skill-set, but he’s operating in a different epoch than the rest of the NBA.

Justin Anderson, Nik Stauskas, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot – show us something

I think you just want one of these guys to step up and claim a second unit role. For me, TLC has the most upside.

T.J. McConnell – keep bringing the intensity, stay under control

Nice to see someone play with heart and hustle in 2017, he just has to keep himself grounded while doing it.

Amir Johnson, Richaun Holmes – hold down the fort

There’s a drop-off when Embiid leaves the court, obviously.

Brett Brown: become a 4th quarter coach, find roles for interchangeable parts

Strengths – passing, defense, transition offense

Weaknesses – turnovers, inexperience, finishing around the rim, free-throws?

Adventurous transition offense also opens the door to wayward passes and turnovers. You’re gonna see some balls fly into the stands.

And if Simmons and Fultz decide to take it to the rim themselves, can they finish there? If they get to the line, are they hitting their foul shots? I don’t know.

The inexperience is what it is. You get John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and Kyle Lowry in your first three NBA games.

Welcome!

John Wall Slam Dunk!! #NBAPreSeason #Wizards #NBA http://pic.twitter.com/NFXjb2KKbO

— All Sport News (@All_SportNews) October 7, 2017

Staff picks:

Write these down, then come back and rip us on Twitter in a few months:

Phil Keidel: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. 40-42.

Coggin: What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.” 76ers 42-40.

Chris Jastrzembski: Joel’s minutes go up and he stays healthy. Markelle’s shot is still meh, but Ben wins Rookie of the Year. Sixers go 42-40 and get the 7th seed.

Tyler Trumbauer: Embiid is limited all year, no back-to-backs, but team has enough talent to make the playoffs. I say 7th seed, 44-38.

Investor Mike: Reverse psychology absolutely in play here, but the Sixers miss the 8th seed by way of a heartbreaking home loss to the Bucks on fan appreciation night. 40-42

That’s about it. Whatever happens this season, it won’t be boring. Let’s roll the damn ball out.

Take it away Lars Ulrich:

Keeping the Horse in Front of the Cart: Realistic Expectations for the 2017 Sixers published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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