As far as effort goes, which guys on :our: team do you NEVER question?

Multiple votes are allowed.

Afflalo, Bynum, Dice, and Walter.

I voted none of them and will explain why:

None of our guys put in 100% in practice and in games.

None of them are focused on the game 100% when they are in time outs or sitting on the bench.

Is it really too much to ask of them to focus for 2 hours on game nights?

And do practices last 2 hours during the season? How long is the game day shootaround?

We're not asking these guys to focus for 8 or 9 hours a day. Sure there is travel involved and it's rough living out of a suitcase and hotels but get real - they don't have it that hard.

That's taking it to quite an extreme. I guess I'm not having any luck with these polls today.


When the whistle blows at gametime, who gives 100%, all the time?

Maybe I should have added this doesn't include practice, when they are farting and picking their noses on the bench, walking from the lockerroom to the bench, pregame introductions, 20 second timeouts, during the first of two free throws, when greeting the other team before tip-off, when tweeting at the half...

Bynum, Max, AA and Dice give the best effort of the group. I can't say Valter because he usually doesn't take the ball to the hoop, which clearly he can do. He settles for shots and settling is a lack of effort.

It was my impression that Afflalo was first-in last-out when it comes to practice. Of course, as a once-great player once said "we're talking about practice, not the game". I wonder what happened to him...

Bynum, Max, AA and Dice give the best effort of the group. I can't say Valter because he usually doesn't take the ball to the hoop, which clearly he can do. He settles for shots and settling is a lack of effort.

Probably because he gets called for an offensive foul every time he tries.

I love watching Valter on D. The guy isn't anything special, but the effort is really impressive.

Bynum, Max, AA and Dice give the best effort of the group.

You snubbed him.

If you don't like the answer you shouldn't have asked the question.

Every single player could do more to improve their own game or to give the team a little bit more effort.

If you break it down to each possession there is no fucking way any member of this team, coaches included who can honestly say they have given 100% at any time all fucking season.

It's just impossible - AA could practice for an extra 2 hours every single fucking day but if he doesn't try to bring a team mate with him then he could have done more.

How many of the 5 on court are giving it 100% every single play?

How many players on the bench are actually really watching the game, seeing who's hot, who's not, which defender is gambling a little bit more than usual tonight, which scrub is playing better than usual tonight etc?

I don't expect them to play a perfect game, but if you don't give 100% effort in practice and in games then you have no one but yourself to blame when you lose.

If you wanna win at any sport then give it everything you have. If you honestly give it 100% and you lose then so be it - God fucked you.

If you give 95% effort then your dumbass needs to look itself in the mirror and say "self, we fucked up. Next time I'm not fucking around - 100% effort. If we lose then I can blame God."

The team this year seems to be like the kid who failed his high school tests - dude didn't study but he's doing all he can.

Get fucked with that shit.

And GD, this makes me sick:


"Maybe I should have added this doesn't include practice, when they are farting and picking their noses on the bench, walking from the lockerroom to the bench, pregame introductions, 20 second timeouts, during the first of two free throws, when greeting the other team before tip-off, when tweeting at the half...

So, while the players are walking out from the locker room to start the warm up for the game they are allowed to half ass it? Don't focus on what you are about to do - you don't have to - it's all so fucking easy.

During pre-game intros it's cool with you if they start eating the fucking candy, CANDY courtside? Ever heard of focusing on the task at hand?

The task at hand from the minute these cunts get to the arena until the time they get on the bus to go to the hotel/airport is simple:

Beat the fucking living daylights out of the opponent. If they are fucking around in warm ups, practice, 20 second time outs, pre game intros etc it's no wonder why we are in danger of missing the fucking playoffs with our roster.

Yeah, I'm an asshole - if I was Coach it wouldn't be fun.

You want fun? Go see a movie, go paint your face and wear large ass shoes you fucking clown. The NBA is about winning - it used to be.

Knowing what 100% realistically translates to is important. If 100% effort = pissing off your teammates without leading to productive action, 6 early fouls, turnovers, or being tired come 4th quarter or OT, maybe you have to balance your efforts, or focus where you'll be productive. I'm not going to fault the Pistons for effort because they're not coaches who directly motivate others. I don't necessarily have 100% confidence if, left to their own devices, they would focus on winning things. Does focusing on executing Binary Man's offensive schemes constitute a good use of effort?

How do you see Michael Curry's motivational strategy as being different than yours, Pharaoh?

Does Curry attempt to motivate them? I see no signs of this.

If they're tired in the 4th quarter they have not done all they could to prepare.

And IF Curry was doing all he clould for this team our players wouldn't be tired because he'd use time outs better, play certain people more/less minutes and so on and so on.

While it is true that these don't absolutely need to focus 100% of the time (warm ups and pre-game intros etc) come game time I have no faith in their ability to get the job done because I think we have half-assed this season since November.

Now we are in a dog fight for the #7 seed and it's been so long since we've actually focused on winning I'm wondering if the boys remember how.

Cause you know Michael Curry has forgotten, otherwise he'd be leaning heavily on his assistants every single game

I'd expect you to go into the locker room, armed with a gun and "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger...". Nothing fancy, just a good ol' fashioned buttkicking of the highest order. Kwame Brown would go emo on you and you'd have to shoot him as an example, and then the kids would behave.

While it is true that these don't absolutely need to focus 100% of the time (warm ups and pre-game intros etc) come game time I have no faith in their ability to get the job done because I think we have half-assed this season since November.


A lot of them gave up on the season the moment Joe traded Chauncey, IMO.

Before the season, Curry said that he would'nt tolerate not playing hard, and that he'd use playing time to convey that message.

Has he?

You have no idea the chaos and mayhem I would cause.

Tayshaun Prince would either become a man or he'd fucking fall apart. With that frame, with that game I can't believe he's such a fucking pussy. It's been years already - fucking man up and become a leader

And GD - has Curry done anything of value this season?

We all need to face it - he was hired for the initial stages of the rebuild. As the team begins to ascend again he'll be dumped for a real Coach.

Super Mxy mentioned Riley and Phil Jackson as rookie Coaches that did well - I can't believe he mentioned them in a Curry discussion. There is no comparison.

It's like comparing a hot chick to the ugliest bitch in town. Both are female, but they have nothing, nothing else in common.

And no I'm not saying Phil Jax or Riles are remotely hot in any way, shape or form.

I know someone out there was thinking some freaky shit

I'm not in the mood to think about freaky shit today, so it wasn't me.

That did actually make me chuckle.

I didn't lol, but you got more than a smirk.

He's a funny guy.

You two are conspiring to destroy my alias by building my self-esteem.

Anyway, bye.

In more ways than one

pretty easy to hustle when you only play 20 minutes

I honestly think that for the most part Rip, Prince, Iverson, Dice and Sheed don't have the desire to win big anymore, which in fairness is kind of understandable.

They've been to the top of the mountain (NBA Finals) and have seen the view. Some even got a ring for their troubles. Now they aren't motivated enough to make the climb again cause they've already been there and seen it.

After Chauncey got traded I think they really did try to keep going but Iverson is a different kind of guy (off the floor) than Chauncey and without Mr Big Shot the trip wasn't just feeling different, it was feeling weird.

As the problems came and went (and then came again) the boys soon realised that the trip they were on was not much fun and that it wasn't gonna change anytime soon.

They were struggling to fit Iverson into their 5 piece band, struggling to deal with a new Coach and struggling to adjust to a new PG.

So they mentally raised the white flag.

Curry was too fucking useless to notice or see any sign of it coming.

Joe likely saw it coming and was hoping to pull off a "saviour" deal at the deadline (Amare?). When Joe didn't get what he considered fair value he refused to do the deal.

The boys at some point must have looked at the standings and realised they were in danger of missing the playoffs so they started to make an effort, but it had been so long since they tried AI, Sheed and Rip all suffered injuries.

How often over the last 6 years have we lost guys for any significant periods of time? Not often - but this season it all came crashing down. Now here we are, bringing back the walking wounded, trying to move up to the 7th, the 7th seed! Who woulda thunk it?

There's nothing really wrong with where we are (some teams would love to be in our position). It's just that the last 6 years have been so oustanding that we as fans are beyond disappointed.

I don't think we're unhappy that our run came to an end - we all knew at some point it had to. I think we're disappointed in the way the run has ended.

With a whimper.

On the brightside this could be a one season thing - Joe is holding most of the cards this off-season.

Interesting, but I disagree about Dice and AI not wanting it, especially Dice, he's always devastated when we get eliminated. AI loves to play the game, the game, the game he dies for.

Maybe Tay is still hungry, it's just not in his character to show it.

Yeah, Dice still hasn't climbed the mountain.

Maybe an early playoff loss wakes them up for next year, who knows.

No reason to be tired with a pretty deep bench (even with the injuries there are enough guys playing well enough to be used).

I didn't mean to imply that they all have lost that drive completely.

I mean that for this 1 season it all just got to be too much.

IMO, they needed someone to get them back on the right track and things would have been completely different (Top 4 finish?) but Curry was fucking useless.

Joe likely didn't see the extent of the drama until December or early January, which is when he would have started making calls.

Just because players disappear for stretches, doesn't mean they're not giving it 100%...

Only 3 votes for Stuckey?
4 votes for Maxiell?


C'mon guys...

Disappearing for stretches does not mean they aren't trying?

If they disappear on defense it means get off the fucking floor.

Stuckey seems to get intimidated at times. I don't know if he's going 100% or not, but when you compare it to AA or Bynum, then no he doesn't go balls out all the time.

Max is an energy player. When he's not playing with his energy, you can tell. So no, Max doesn't go 100% all the time.

Stuckey seems to get intimidated at times. I don't know if he's going 100% or not, but when you compare it to AA or Bynum, then no he doesn't go balls out all the time.

Max is an energy player. When he's not playing with his energy, you can tell. So no, Max doesn't go 100% all the time.

With Stuckey I see it as "The Weight of the World on his Shoulders". Too much too soon for the guy and he's trying to hold it all together. Another year coming off the bench might have been better for him.

With Max it's disappointing, especially after last season when I thought he turned a corner in his development. Now? Dude is fucking useless if he's not out there playing with passion and fire and kicking heads.

He'd be a prime candidate for me to dangle in a sign and/or trade this off-season.

Damn. I forgot Dyess.