Good. It will just make it that just sweeter when TJ's defense shuts his ego and ass down when we meet them in the Final Four/National Championship Game.
Dan Hurley turns down the Lakers
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Good. It will just make it that just sweeter when TJ's defense shuts his ego and ass down when we meet them in the Final Four/National Championship Game.
Kansas has 5 national titles, and two of those were in the 1920's. UCONN has how many this century?
Kansas basketball is the equivalent of Texas football.
Supposedly the greatest school ever, but really hasn't won sh*t when you think about it.
That is easily the pedigree of a blue blood program. I wonder what makes it where the general consensus doesn't view them in that light. Could it be WHEN they won the titles versus how many? Blue blood to me is a good old boys club of teams that were elite when the boomers were growing up and told their kids about while their kids were growing up. UCONN has also changed conferences a number of times, which may do a bit to hurt their brand on a national perception level. If it wasn't for having a historically dog sh*t football program they would probably have been able to better survive the downfall of the old Big East and latched on to the ACC or something.
I wouldn't go that far. They won a championship very recently.
Goes back long before boomers. Texas a & m thinks they are a blue blood for something they did in the 1930s.
Six Final Fours this century with two titles and two runner up finishes. Close to 20 conference titles in the 2000s. How are they like Texas?
In my lifetime Kansas has been pretty damn good.
I think a Texas football to basketball comparison could be Indiana.
A Darrell Royal/Bob Knight comparison is probably pretty fair. After both there's been decent seasons but nothing like those heights with those 2.
Moreso that how many titles, the way a blue blood should be defined is if the program is largely recession-proof. It isn't one of those deals where a legendary coach has a great run and they take a step back when other coaches are there.
Considering three different coaches have won titles at UConn in a short period of time, combined with the historical success and current dominance, they are a blue blood. They are the best program over the current quarter of a century. That's a blue blood.
I think part of it is what happens in between those titles. I almost think of the blue bloods as teams that are racking up final four appearances and in turn are always in spot light. UCONN has 6 titles from 7 final fours. 3rd most titles all time, but "only" 10th most Final Fours.
Crazy thing, 6 titles in the last 26 seasons. In the other 20 seasons, they only made the tournament 11 times. Last 14 seasons they have won 4 titles, but have only won ONE tournament game in the other 10 seasons combined.
So their historical performance is quite a bizarre profile. Basically no postseason success pre-1990's and Jim Calhoun. Several great title teams since then, but very little comparative success inbetween those teams.
That is so strange, very all or nothing. They certainly have a clutch identity within the program, regardless of the coach.
Man can we be strange then? Would love one title let alone six in 25 years.
The Lakers are a complete mess right now. Had this been three or four years ago, I think Hurley makes the move. But LeBron isnt prime LeBron anymore even though he’s still making prime money, and AD and a bunch of role players isnt gonna be a good situation a year or two from now.
Remarkably, this really isn't accurate. LeBron was 6th in PER, 17th in win-shares, 6th in box plus/minus, 7th in value over replacement player. By advanced metrics, he was without a doubt a top-10 player in the league and played more games than he had in years. Same goes for AD.
So how do you have two top-10 players and struggle so much? For one, coaching. Darvin Ham was not good. But more importantly, and common with LeBron teams, a flawed supporting cast. But I can definitely see a coach looking at that and saying, you know what, we probably can't fix that roster in a year and a year from now LeBron is probably retired or may finally be dropping off.
Honestly, if they dont mortgage the future this offseason, the job is likely significantly more attractive in a year or two with no LeBron. AD as your foundation, shed some of the other role player contracts on the books, draft capital and cash to attract a 2nd star and rebuild your way.
LeBron is still pretty good. But the albatross on the neck of the lakers is not his age, but his $51 million per year salary.
The first mention of Blue Bloods pertaining to basketball was in 1927 and for college basketball, 1946. Western Kentucky was considered a “blue blood” as late as 1951.
Agree to disagree. He's a top-10 player in the NBA still and is paid as such. The top-10 cap hits for 2024-25 range from Curry at $55.7 mil to a four-way tie (Booker, Brown, Towns, Leonard) at $49.3mil. All those other dudes also have multiple years left with cap hits that'll rise into the upper 50s or low 60s by the end of their deals. LeBron has one year left (assuming he opts in) at his $51 mil. The contract is just not the issue.
It's the roster and they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either have to make major short term moves to compete in this last year or two of LeBron (and mortgage your future), or save your assests for the post LeBron rebuild but be stuck in no-man's land for at least one more season.
I think people are actually underestimating how weird the Bronny situation could get.
ISU has several players with more NBA potential who will not be drafted. Marcus Jordan was an objectively better player as a freshman and there was never any thought of him going to the NBA.
Even a second round pick can change the world of basketball these days (Jokic was mid 2nd round) but even if they don't draft him...imagine you're a second round pick trying to make the team vs LeBron's undrafted son. It's going to be potentially toxic because the kid just doesn't look the part. It's wildly different than Ken Griffey Jr and Sr playing together.
This is all ignoring the health issues which make it even stranger.
ISU has several players with more NBA potential who will not be drafted. Marcus Jordan was an objectively better player as a freshman and there was never any thought of him going to the NBA.
Even a second round pick can change the world of basketball these days (Jokic was mid 2nd round) but even if they don't draft him...imagine you're a second round pick trying to make the team vs LeBron's undrafted son. It's going to be potentially toxic because the kid just doesn't look the part. It's wildly different than Ken Griffey Jr and Sr playing together.
This is all ignoring the health issues which make it even stranger.
