Oh No, new crap Simmons article...

[MyInsatiableOne]

-= original quote snipped =-


Why are you so butthurt about SG? I mean he's an opinion journalist, sometimes he's right on the money, sometimes he misses badly, that's just his game.

Hmmm... this is his second straight very bad ESPN Mag article, his "mailbag" being the first. He need to stop concentrating on Celts and write something about other teams too.

It has nothing to do with being hurt, it's that this guy purports to speak for the Boston fans and is consistently wrong or just flat out **** annoying in all of his articles. I've been enjoying his **** less and less over the last year but it's reached total crap status...to the point where if I read it and enjoy it, it's a bonus since I don't expect much anymore.

[GuyClinch]

Put simply, Garnett shrinks from pressure more times than he comes through. The NBA is a simple league to figure out: In a playoff series, the best player prevails unless his supporting cast is significantly inferior to the other team's. So when Boston's best player can't dominate close games against a quality opponent

[Egregious Blunder]

Who cares. Bill Simmons is a moron.

+1

[Gant]

I think Simmons is a terrific writer, but he doesn't seem to have control of some unresolved childhood conflicts or something (like everybody else I guess).

[MyInsatiableOne]

Put simply, Garnett shrinks from pressure more times than he comes through. The NBA is a simple league to figure out: In a playoff series, the best player prevails unless his supporting cast is significantly inferior to the other team's. So when Boston's best player can't dominate close games against a quality opponent

[DJToLarry]

Since when does being a fan, not allow you to criticize your team??? Just because Simmons has a larger audience he should go by different rules??

My take:

Garnett is not the type a player that can carry a team offensively in the fourth quarter. He doesn't have a great low post game like Duncan, and is not a great one-on-one drive to the basket type player either. That leaves him with fall aways and jump shots. But in tight games when your team needs a bucket its better to go to the hole and score or draw a foul. Those guys by default will be more successful fourth quarter guys. So I don't think its a matter pressure getting to KG, but its just not one of his strengths. That doesn't mean he not an effective crunch time player though. Defense, rebounding, passing and even scoring (just not as the main option).

[ermocrate]

Since when does being a fan, not allow you to criticize your team??? Just because Simmons has a larger audience he should go by different rules??

My take:

Garnett is not the type a player that can carry a team offensively in the fourth quarter. He doesn't have a great low post game like Duncan, and is not a great one-on-one drive to the basket type player either. That leaves him with fall aways and jump shots. But in tight games when your team needs a bucket its better to go to the hole and score or draw a foul. Those guys by default will be more successful fourth quarter guys. So I don't think its a matter pressure getting to KG, but its just not one of his strengths. That doesn't mean he not an effective crunch time player though. Defense, rebounding, passing and even scoring (just not as the main option).

Ok, and this is a good topic to make an article about?

[MyInsatiableOne]

Since when does being a fan, not allow you to criticize your team??? Just because Simmons has a larger audience he should go by different rules??

My take:

Garnett is not the type a player that can carry a team offensively in the fourth quarter. He doesn't have a great low post game like Duncan, and is not a great one-on-one drive to the basket type player either. That leaves him with fall aways and jump shots. But in tight games when your team needs a bucket its better to go to the hole and score or draw a foul. Those guys by default will be more successful fourth quarter guys. So I don't think its a matter pressure getting to KG, but its just not one of his strengths. That doesn't mean he not an effective crunch time player though. Defense, rebounding, passing and even scoring (just not as the main option).

It has nothing to do with being critical of your team...we're all critical on this board from time to time.

It has to do with the fact that Simmons rode KG's jock ALL SEASON and then when push came to shove in the playoffs, he slagged him off not once but TWICE (see his last article, from last week). He reversed his Doc hatred in the regular season and then went back to it when times got tough last week. And he picked/rooted for the Lakers to win it all. I'm waiting for his article to excoriate Ray Allen next week.

What kind of "fan" is that?

[Cyclical]

Man, you guys are awfully sensitive. Simmons said what we've known all along - that KG isn't going to have the ball in crunch time. Who cares. Pierce has shown he can carry the torch.

My question is, if Simmons isn't a real Celtics fan because he isn't sure KG is clutch, where do we draw the line?

+1

C'mon guys, of course Simmons is a fan. He's been a Celtics fan since childhood and still is one. Is he the "we can take on anyone" type fan? No, but still he's a fan. Simmons is an editorial writer, not a beat writer. He gets paid to have opinions. Opinions that get him more readers the more overstated they are.

Yes, he was a bit unfair in this one and overstated his case but c'mon, his premise is based in truth and evidence of a 13 year career. KG is not a take-over-the-last-two-minutes-of-the-game type player. He's not known as a "clutch" guy. He said he's a warrior, a HOFamer, compared well with some legends of the game, etc. - just not clutch. A fair premise IMO. I kinda feel the same, though not in ABSOLUTE terms as Simmons does and yet that doesn't change the fact that I'll take him over any other big man in the league (it's a toss-up with TD I guess.) It's just one small aspect of his game. Who cares? I don't. Another Simmons article, that's all. There have been plenty of other writers to scream about.

[wigglestrue]

I agree, Simmons is ABSOLUTELY a Celtics fan, a diehard fan at that. If there is ever a Hall of Fame for Celtics fans, he'd probably be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. But this article's premise is total bull****. Where is his evidence? A couple of context-less anecdotes from this season? Literally, a couple -- not three: Two. Balking at a jumpshot in Game 6 vs. Cleveland. Okay, and? Um, a misguided intentional foul or two! And um...the occasional travel! Seriously, his logic was emptier than empty, it was a black hole of non-logic. (Hell, maybe he's reverse-jinxing KG -- but while that kind of superstition is fine for a team prediction, it doesn't really fly for an article like this.)

[AmazingJason]

Take anything that Simmons writes with a grain of salt. Simmons is not a sportswriter; he is more of a comedian who happens to be a huge Boston sports fan. His primary goal is to entertain and attract an audience, which he has clearly achieved in riling up Celtics fans.

[RoyHobbs]

It's completely disingenuous of Simmons to write that article, without mentioning KG's performance in Game 1 against the Cavs. Even if you ignore all of KG's other brilliant playoff performances, both here and in Minnesota, his performance in Game 1 alone should at least raise a question as to whether the "shrinks under pressure" label is accurate.

[MyInsatiableOne]

I agree, Simmons is ABSOLUTELY a Celtics fan, a diehard fan at that. If there is ever a Hall of Fame for Celtics fans, he'd probably be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. But this article's premise is total bull****. Where is his evidence? A couple of context-less anecdotes from this season? Literally, a couple -- not three: Two. Balking at a jumpshot in Game 6 vs. Cleveland. Okay, and? Um, a misguided intentional foul or two! And um...the occasional travel! Seriously, his logic was emptier than empty, it was a black hole of non-logic. (Hell, maybe he's reverse-jinxing KG -- but while that kind of superstition is fine for a team prediction, it doesn't really fly for an article like this.)

I agree with except that I don't think he's a "1st Ballot Celtics Fan HOFer"...not anymore.

[eitanr]

He is 100% a Celtics fans. You can have doubts and concerns about your team. Most realistic fans do. Just because he's not being a homer in this particular case does not mean he is not a fan. If I were a writer I'd be bashing Ray Allen like I have all season long. I always doubted him and never once felt reassured about his play.

[hickfromfrenchlick]

The 14 people who have voted "no" are being ridiculous.

Yeah, right, Simmons isn't a Celtics fan. Also, the earth is flat and dinosaurs never existed.

Personally, I thought the article was absolute CRAP. Possibly the worst thiing he's ever written. Yes, KG isn't a guy like Shaq or Duncan that you can just feed the ball to over and over. He's more of a shooter. Yes, we know. That doesn't mean he's not clutch. Simmons provides awful anecdotal evidence in support of his "theory."

I thought his "Doc pep talk" article was hysterical and spot on. I do think he understands basketball really well for a non-coach/player. But these reverse-psychology articles (first predicting a Lakers championship and now this) are just stupid and transparent.

I love that KG shoved it in his face last night.

[MyInsatiableOne]

The thing is if we win it all, he'll be the first one to write an "I knew it all along" article.

He's full of crap is what he is!

[Prophet_C]

Who cares.

[GuyClinch]

Actually when we win - he is going to have to give all the credit to Rondo as he his kinda stuck with his stupid bashing articles. I don't think he has bashed Rondo yet.

First he picks the Lakers to win - then he bashes KG. I don't know what else he can do lose his fanhood at this point. As I said before its okay to have doubts but you should at least be ROOTING for your team and have some belief in them.

I am sorry but that KG article doesn't give me the feeling he is doing either.

Pete

[SeizeCoup]

Simmons is your typical fickle Boston sports fan.


In regards to this specific article, I think BSG is completely wrong though. Garnett IS clutch. He hits big shots. Because of the range on his J, it's nearly impossible to guard him one-on-one. People hate on the fall-away, but fail to mention that that shot is nearly impossible to defend.

Sure, he's not a scorer like Pierce, and he's not BigAl in the post, but he's shown an ability nonetheless to either drain open shots or drive strong to the hole. He's not going to score volume baskets, but at the end of games I definitely want the ball in his hands. The two-man game with he and Pierce is hella incredible especially in regards to potential, dudes are only going to get better at playing together.

[MyInsatiableOne]

Actually when we win - he is going to have to give all the credit to Rondo as he his kinda stuck with his stupid bashing articles. I don't think he has bashed Rondo yet.

First he picks the Lakers to win - then he bashes KG. I don't know what else he can do lose his fanhood at this point. As I said before its okay to have doubts but you should at least be ROOTING for your team and have some belief in them.

I am sorry but that KG article doesn't give me the feeling he is doing either.

Pete

I agree Pete. **** Simmons and his "fanhood" for the C's.