#so if tyler suddenly loses that before the deadline… | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

boinurmom13 · 1 year

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bo. bo. bo. listen. in your mind's eye. imagine some magical artifact suddenly makes hestia and tyler swap powers for one (1) season. imagine the absolute chaos that (could) WOULD unfold. imagine like. tyler wakes up and OH FUCK OH SHIT OH TITBALLS he's a dragon and he can straight up SMELL???? camilla's magic????? rip lance, accidentally gets some eldritch shit happening to him as hestia is freaking out. anyway. yeah. imagine. c h a o s :3

hed tell everyone their magic smells like tortellini with really wide eyes (even if it isnt true)

but like

telepathically

cuz i assume hed get that too

like this exactly like this

and itd go like this

Tyler: you smell like tortellini

Camilla: well, what kind? beef, parmesan and mozzarella, shrimp? it depends on wheth-

Camilla: did you just fucking speak.

hestia would be able to tell where magic is concentrated/where a magic person is within a half mile radius (it makes hide and seek with colleagues really boring)

shed also be able to directly suck someones energy source dry. like, until they pass out or die dry. idk if she had that before but awesome sauce

better hope tylers open to teaching hestia how to control and manipulate vampiric magic within a week otherwise he will get rly sick rly fast. thats an angst idea right there. tyler WOULD freak out and try to reverse the effects bcz without his vampiric magic hed die by the seasons end.

thats a rly long and complicated process and also half the reason he disappears every two or smth weeks for abt half the day.

but, cool idea! love it! i think itd be funny to see how they adapt to each other’s abilities, as vampiric magic is prone to instability. not sure abt all that dragonic shit but YER

#when i say instability i mean its far and few vampiric witches #especially older ones who made deals with reapers to get said powers #are prone to literally fucking DYING when the ‘magic awakening’ happens #the awakening being when a witch/wizard/wtv figures out they have these powers #BUT vampiric witches by BIRTH are less likely to have loose control/die when their magic awakening comes forth #its a hard magic ability to control #as its a bodies natural instinct to save itself when in times of need #so if your body says its low on energy then you best believe youre suckin it out of plants and life #its also a hell of a lot harder to master #as plants are easier to take energy from than animals #and animals are easier than humans/intelligent beings #monsters are a spectrum #slimes are easier than golems #yadda yadda #woo lore i love it #and also #tyler and his ex work together to keep each other alive via the use of their magic #so if tyler suddenly loses that before the deadline…#then his body will catch up with its age and hell get sick really quick #but #its okay!#theres gotta be smth to reverse the relics effects right?#or at least another vampiric/healing witch to help him out right #maybe one in the family #whos super anxious and scared and shy #(cough) ophelia (cough)#hes got backup plans.#LOVE THE IDEA GOAT #SUPER AWESOME #aand sorry for rambling in tags i love my ocs and all the lote that comes with them

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iloveyoupittsburghpirates-blog · 6 years

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You Broke Me, Pittsburgh Pirates

My Dearest Pittsburgh Pirates,

Well, that will do it. Might as well circle March 28, 2019 on the calendar because that’s the next time you will play a meaningful game. You had a chance this week to get back into the race and you threw it away. You played two playoff contenders who were ahead of you in the race and you do the same this week. This was your opportunity to gain ground. Instead, you scored two runs in three game against Atlanta leading to a sweep at home. The offense finally found a little life after completely embarrassing itself for seven games in which you scored only seven runs. That was rather difficult to watch. When the offense finally did show up in Milwaukee against the Brewers, their offense showed up as well. Friday night was basically rock bottom for this season but more on that nightmare in a bit. When it was all said and done, done being the key word, you had lost two out of three against the Brewers. That makes for a 1-5 week when you needed it to be at least 5-1. Not exactly stepping up to the plate (pun intended) when the season was on the line. You are now 64-67, you are 13 games back in the division, and you are 8 ½ games back in the Wildcard with seven teams in front of you for the two spots. The season is over. Start looking at how to improve for next year because this one is done.

Friday night’s game broke me. It shouldn’t have been so devastating because it was already nearly impossible for you to make the playoffs after being swept by the Braves. I shouldn’t have been so emotionally invested but I sat through over 5 ½ hours and 15 innings of that game to watch you finally take a two run lead in the top of the 15th after you had tied it in the 9th to send it to extra innings. That’s when Hurdle’s decision to pull Musgrove after four innings so Josh Bell could pinch hit and strike out with the bases loaded really burned you. Every reliver had pitched except Kyle Crick who apparently wasn’t available because of back pain. Brault had thrown four scoreless innings and had batted in the top of the 15th so I assumed he could come back out even after throwing 58 pitches. Apparently, he couldn’t. This is going to be known as the “Clay Holmes season” now. Things have gone downhill since you gave him that spot start in San Francisco (It’s a coincidence because the offense imploded. Pitching him really had very little to do with your collapse.) Now he will be remembered for the half inning that put the nail in the coffin for 2018. Holmes got the first out but looked a little wild doing so. He proceeded to walk the next guy, then throw a wild pitch, and then another walk. He struck out Ryan Braun so now it was still 6-4, men on first and second, two outs, and pitcher Jordan Lyles coming up. The Brewers were out of position players, so they had to let him bat. Holmes walked him on five pitches. It was ridiculously embarrassing. It got to the point that catcher Elias Diaz wasn’t even giving him signs. He was motioning/begging him to throw it right down the middle and he couldn’t. That loaded the bases. A single by Erik Kratz scored two to tie the game and then another single by Orlando Arcia (and a terrible throw home by Polanco) scored the winning run. That was it. The game, the season, the hope. All gone. I sat in silence for about an hour after it was over. It broke me. The game was actually the perfect microcosm for the whole year. Not very optimistic, then suddenly you seem like you’re destined for great things, but you immediately plunge back to earth. It was quite a ride.

Cue the panic. I’m just going to say it now to get it out of the way. Chris Archer has been undeniably bad since coming over in the deadline deal. He said it himself. He got lit up yesterday for six earned runs in four innings pitched. Since coming over, he’s got a 6.45 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, and hitters are batting .313 against him. That’s worse than bad. His BABIP against is a whopping .377 so there’s reason to believe that will improve. The Pirates are tinkering with the pitches he throws and how he throws them so there were going to be some growing pains. Starting pitching is extremely hard to acquire and to get someone like Archer for this year plus three more isn’t easy to do. This is a guy I’m still very excited about. Yes, Shane Baz was a first-round pick and that’s a big piece to give up. Yes, Austin Meadows has been crushing the ball (7 HRs, 1.002 OPS) in Triple-A since being traded and your offense has struggled terribly on top of it. Yes, Tyler Glasnow looked good in his first couple starts, though he’s leveled out and shown the same tendencies of high pitch counts, too many walks, and the inability to control the running game. Either way, this trade doesn’t look good right now. This season doesn’t matter anyway. Archer can take the rest of this season to iron out the kinks and come back next year ready to be a top of the rotation starter with Jameson Taillon. The risk is still very much worth it because if he gets back to the pitcher he’s been his whole career, which is reasonable to believe, then you have one of the top 20 pitchers in all of baseball. Just try not to panic after five starts because I’m sure a lot of the fan base will.

When looking at the team going into next year, there will obviously be changes that need to be made but maybe players aren’t the only thing that should be considered. The coaching staff has performed questionably at times this season and before you go into this three-year window of potentially being competitive, you might want to consider making changes. I only watch so many other baseball games in a season but whether it’s Rick Scofield or now Joey Cora, you seem to have the worst third base coach in baseball year in and year out. They make mistakes constantly. I can think of three boneheaded mistakes Cora has made in the last month. That’s too many. Jeff Branson, your hitting coach, looked very bad this week with the offense performing beyond inept. They rank 17th in baseball in OPS which isn’t terrible but not exactly something to write home about. When they grind out at bats, they can be a formidable offense. They just don’t seem to do that often enough. Even Ray Searage, who I do want to keep, isn’t void of criticism. Your pitching staff has the most errors and wild pitches in all of baseball. That doesn’t fall squarely on him but that’s got to be something that’s remedied. And then we get to the top with Clint Hurdle. I’ve had issues with him all year and it feels like I have weekly complaints. My one for this week goes back to Friday night’s game when he pinch hit for Musgrove in the 5th inning with the bases loaded. You haven’t been scoring runs and he was desperate for some. Fine. He showed a sense of urgency. Where was that urgency a month ago when you were still in the hunt and he let Alex McRae pitch in a tie game against the Cardinals for three-plus innings? That didn’t even piss me off as much at the time as it does now. He finally starts coaching with desperation after you are basically eliminated from the race? Good timing, Clint. My guess is this entire coaching staff will be back next year, but I’d be down for firing Branson, Cora, and Hurdle. They have just proved to be amateurs on way too many occasions.

This is where I usually say what’s on the docket for this week and what you need to do in order to get back in this race. Well, that’s all pretty pointless now. You can’t lose today, which is nice, but that’s only because you don’t play. The road trip continues with three games in St. Louis against the red-hot Cardinals starting tomorrow followed by three games in Atlanta against the Braves, you know the team that swept you this week and held you to two runs in three games. If you wanted to even consider the thought of getting back into this thing, you have to win all six games. That would only be enough to ger started. The likelihood of you winning all six games is so miniscule that’s it’s not even worth talking about. Now is the time that you should start auditioning people for next season. Keep playing Adam Frazier at second to see what he’s got. Play Kevin Newman more to see if he’s got any hope of starting. Bring up Kevin Kramer and work him in more. Now’s the time to figure out what you have up the middle next year. Hell, try Kramer third if you want to get bold. I don’t care. With this pitching staff and bullpen, you can compete now. The window is open and the National League doesn’t have a team so dominant that you couldn’t sneak into the running. Start figuring all this out now so we don’t have to you don’t waste a year of this window trying things out. You showed some potential this season. We will chalk it up to that. Now figure out how that potential comes to fruition in 2019. Good luck, as always. Talk to you next week!

Shattered Into A Million Pieces,

Brad

P.S. stands for Pretty Simple. The question is what’s wrong with your offense and what happened during that epic losing streak? The answer remains the same: home runs. Or the lack there of. You rank 24th out of 30 teams in homers and in the NL you rank 12th out of 15. That won’t cut it in a home run driven league. During the seven runs in seven game stretch, you hit two homers total. The walkoff by Frazier against Chicago was one and the other was the meaningless solo shot in the 9th inning of the 6-1 loss to the Braves by Polanco. Clutch hitting comes and goes throughout a season. Home runs are the way to get sure runs and your team doesn’t hit enough. That’s also something you need to address this offseason…

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your-dietician · 3 years

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MLB Trade Rumors and News: Cub throw no-hitter, Josh Bell to undergo MRI

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/mlb/mlb-trade-rumors-and-news-cub-throw-no-hitter-josh-bell-to-undergo-mri/

MLB Trade Rumors and News: Cub throw no-hitter, Josh Bell to undergo MRI

The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we’re running here at MLBDD that rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us up at @mlbdailydish on Twitter or @MLBDailyDish on Instagram.

It is always nice to start the day with some good news and Cubs fans woke up to fuzzy feelings all around as Chicago used four pitchers including starter Zach Davies and closer Craig Kimbrel to no-hit the Dodgers. Kimbrel looked like the Kimbrel of old and lets not understate how difficult it is to shut down that Dodgers offense. Really impressive.

The Nationals suddenly find themselves surging in the NL East and right in the thick of the race for first place. Unfortunately, Josh Bell, whose hot hitting had helped propel Washington up the standings, is headed for an MRI on his right side which is never great news.

There was a bit of news coming out of the NL East last night on the eve of the series finale between the Braves and Mets. For the Mets, it was good news as Michael Conforto was activated from the injured list after dealing with a hamstring injury for a month or so. The news was less good for the Braves as MVP candidate Ronald Acuna Jr. ended up being a late scratch from the game due to tightness in his lower back.

MLB’s routine foreign substance checks for pitchers, which began on Monday, got a little weird on Tuesday night. Nationals ace Max Scherzer lived up to his “Mad Max” nickname, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands in the air during an early routine check. Then when Phillies manager Joe Girardi requested that he be checked for a third time during the middle of an inning, Scherzer threw down his hat, unbuckled his belt, and looked like he was about to take off his pants before being discouraged from doing so. As it turned out, Scherzer walked so Sergio Romo could run, as the veteran A’s reliever threw down his hat, glove, and belt before dropping his pants during a foreign substance check.

The Rays promoted top prospect Wander Franco, and he immediately made his presence known on Tuesday night, hitting a game-tying homer for his first major league hit while also collecting a double and a walk. At Triple-A Durham, the 20-year-old was slashing .323/.376/.601 with seven home runs in 173 plate appearances.

The Mets’ rotation sustained a pair of blows on Tuesday, as the team announced that lefty Joey Lucchesi will undergo Tommy John surgery, then right-hander Marcus Stroman exited his start early with left hip soreness. While they have a comfortable lead in the NL East, the Mets continue to be dealt an incredible amount of adversity, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can stay afloat.

The Blue Jays have signed veteran reliever John Axford, reports Jamie Campbell of Sportsnet. The 38-year-old hasn’t seen a major league mound since 2018 and had been working as an analyst on the Jays’ pre and postgame shows before being asked to pitch for them again. The bulk of his career came with the Brewers, as he played in Milwaukee from 2009-13, but now the Ontario native will embark on his third stint with Toronto.

The Tigers have released Wilson Ramos, per a club announcement. The 33-year old signed a $2M deal with Detroit at the beginning of this year, and he looked like he was really giving the Tigers the most value for their buck after going yard six times in his first nine games. Unfortunately that took a turn in early May, when a back injury completely derailed the 12-year major league veteran. Should he be able to heal quickly enough for a late season renaissance, he could make a great extra backstop for a team in contention. Posting a 105 wRC+ for the Mets in 2019, he’s still got some gas left in the tank for whatever team is willing to take the risk.

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is going to be out for an extended period after suffering a quad injury trying to beat out a double play last week.

Rays ace Tyler Glasnow’s season is in jeopardy after he suffered a partially torn UCL and flexor strain in his right arm. He’ll initially try to rehab the injuries rather than immediately opting for Tommy John surgery. In an interesting crossover with the biggest story being discussed around baseball right now, Glasnow said MLB’s crackdown on foreign substances contributed to his injury, as he stopped using a mixture of sunscreen and rosin, and as a result he began gripping the baseball so hard that he injured his elbow.

A lot has been made in recent weeks about the proliferation of foreign substances used primarily (but certainly not exclusively) by pitchers to get better grip on balls to have better command as well as to generate greater spin. It has been clear that MLB was going to crack down on the practice and now it looks like it has landed on its chosen punishment, as it was announced that players found to be using such substances will receive a 10 game paid suspension.

The Cleveland Indians received some pretty rough news about the reigning 2020 CY Young Award winner as Shane Bieber landed on the IL with a strained shoulder. Cleveland’s pitching staff has struggled to stay healthy and/or effective for most of the season and with the loss of their best pitcher in Bieber for a few weeks at least, their quest to try and run down the division-leading White Sox just got that much harder.

It is fair to say that the 2021 season has been a particularly weird one. Teams that we all thought would be good haven’t been and teams that were thought to be afterthoughts have been anything but. Our own Andersen Pickard broke down the five most surprising teams from the 2021 season so far.

It’s the most glorious time of the year: here’s your 2021 MLB Draft primer for notable players, draft order, and more.

The Twins are dragging their feet for extension talks with Jose Berrios, SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson reports. Berrios has one last year of arbitration eligibility before he’s free to sow his wild oats and hit the market in the 2022-23 offseason. And as of now, the Twins have done little to nothing to stop him. Could that be because the NL Central 4th place team is looking to use him as a lucrative trade chip come this year’s deadline? The 27-year old could bring a significant return for Minnesota, but is it enough to risk for them losing him? He’s having another strong season this year, with a 3.49 ERA and a 26% strikeout rate. Either way, as the trade deadline gets closer, we’ll see what moves the Twins are thinking of making.

After going 5-24 in the month of May, the Arizona Diamondbacks are reeling and are already buried in an NL West where even a good season would not guarantee a playoff berth. In order to try to stop the bleeding and try to get back to some level of decency, Arizona fired hitting coaches Eric Hinske and Darnell Coles. Sadly, given the breadth of that roster’s issues, it seems like that they will still end up as one of the league’s worst teams.

Baseball’s draft is slowly transitioning more and more to how drafts are run in other sports which is definitely a good thing. While the MLB draft has certainly been covered as an event, there were not a lot of players present during the draft festivities because of the conflict with the college season and the pre-draft workouts were largely private and lesser in number, again, because of conflicts with games being played. The league appears to be trying to change that as they announced a draft combine with over 100 players scheduled to attend towards the end of June.

Designated hitter Khris Davis, the 2018 major league home run and an imposing slugger for the last half decade, has been designated for assignment by the Rangers after slashing .157/.262/.333 in 22 games with Texas. Davis, who was acquired from Oakland for Elvis Andrus in February, will now look to latch on with another club, though he may have trouble finding another opportunity considering that he’s no longer a viable option in the outfield.

Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, long suspected to be one of baseball’s most prominent sticky substance users, delivered an extremely uncomfortable minute-long answer when asked by the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff whether he’s ever used Spider Tack while pitching. Cole did not provide an explicit yes or no, saying “I don’t know quite how to answer that, to be quite honest” and suggesting the shady practice was the fault of veterans who had passed it down to younger pitchers.

Outfielder Jarred Kelenic, widely regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects and the potential savior of the Mariners organization, was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma after getting into an 0-for-39 slump. Kelenic, who played just 28 games in the upper minors (21 at Double-A in 2019 and seven at Triple-A this year) before reaching the majors, has an .096 batting average and .378 OPS in 23 major league games.

The Orioles have placed John Means on the injured list for a strain in his throwing shoulder, which yes, is totally a bummer from any standpoint. While an MRI revealed no structural damage, reports Roch Kubatko of MASN, Baltimore isn’t taking any chances exacerbating his shoulder. He’ll be reevaluated after seven to ten days and the team will have a clear decision on what to do from there. In the meantime, Zac Lowther has been recalled from Tripe-A Norfolk to take his place.

The Nationals really needed Stephen Strasburg to look like the Stephen Strasburg from their World Series run in order to be consistently competitive during the 2021 season. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been what we have seen from Strasburg as he has lost some velocity and his stuff is not as crisp. Now, the Nats got even worse news after Strasburg was forced to leave his start against the Braves early as he was placed on the 10 day injured list with a neck strain that is causing nerve irritation.

The Mets had been hopeful to get Noah Syndergaard back in their rotation soonish to try and hold off their division rivals in what has been a surprisingly bad National League East. Unfortunately, they will have to wait a good bit longer, as Syndergaard’s rehab hit a setback, and elbow inflammation will keep him out until at least August.

Mickey Callaway has been awaiting his official fate from the league in the wake of some some serious and troubling allegations regarding his treatment of female members of the media. Well, MLB announced the results of their investigations where they found that Callaway had engaged in lewd and inappropriate conduct regarding his sexual advances towards journalists. He is now suspended through at least the 2022 season, and the Angels immediately fired him upon the decision being made.

The Rays have traded Willy Adames to the Brewers in a four-player deal. Trevor Richards was also dealt to Milwaukee in exchange for relievers Drew Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen. The 25-year old Adames was arguably the core of the Rays’ young lineup last season, though he had struggled this season before being dealt. He will be taking over as the shortstop for that Brewers, who have been starved for consistency at the position and in desperate need of an offensive boost.

Perennial MVP candidate Mike Trout probably won’t win the AL MVP Award in 2021, as he’s going to spend the next 6-8 weeks on the shelf recovering from a calf strain. Even though Trout had slumped in May, he still led the majors with a .466 OBP and 1.090 OPS due to the ridiculous .425/.523/.781 slash line he posted in April, and his loss is as massive as can be for an Angels team that was already struggling to stay above water in the AL West.

The Dodgers signed veteran slugger Albert Pujols to a major league deal, less than a month after he was designated for assignment and released by the Angels. For a moment there was a rumor floating around that the 41-year-old might sign with the Cardinals so he could play out his career with the team he made his name with. But clearly the Dodgers believe he has some fuel left in the tank, despite the .198/.250/.372 slash line he posted with the Angels this season.

Remember when the league and MLBPA got in a very public back and forth that resulted in MLBPA essentially calling the league’s bluff and calling for a shortened slate of games with the idea that the players were going to file a grievance? Do you remember that Manfred tried to one-up that by saying no season was going to happen at all unless the players waived the right to file a grievance? That was fun…and that grievance has arrived as MLBPA formally accused the league of negotiating in bad faith on the terms of the 2020 season.

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junker-town · 4 years

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The Heat needed more than Andre Iguodala

What will Andre Iguodala bring to the Heat?

No one wants to see the Heat in the playoffs, but Miami could have used one more player for their postseason push.

The Miami Heat are not favored to win the NBA title, the East, or even make the conference finals. But that didn’t stop them from using the trade deadline to raise their ceiling and solidify themselves as the team nobody really wants to face.

Wrangling Danilo Gallinari away from the Oklahoma City Thunder, as had been rumored, would have elevated them to an even higher level, but what they ended up with — swapping Justise Winslow, James Johnson, and Dion Waiters for Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill — can still make the Heat more formidable than they’ve been since LeBron James left.

Even though they currently rank 10th in net rating, there are reasons to be bullish about what the Heat can now accomplish. Miami has been excellent in several areas, with two all-stars that don’t step on each other’s toes, supplemented by perhaps the NBA’s most dangerous collection of outside shooters. They’re sixth in RPI (a quantification that ranks every team based on their own record and the record of everyone they’ve played), and only 2.5 games behind the second-place Toronto Raptors.

Before the trade, it was easy to look at this roster’s statistical resume and have two contradictory beliefs: 1) that the Heat could make a legitimate playoff run, and 2) that several of their biggest nightly advantages would be schemed away in a seven-game series. Adding Iguodala doesn’t change either statement, but it does make them a more threatening two-way force, one that will be an even more troubling headache for the rest of the East come spring.

The Heat live in the half-court, don’t rely on fastbreak points as a spark, and take more time getting off their shot than any other team. A generous 63.6 percent of their baskets are assisted, which is sixth-highest in the NBA. Every player understands their role on the court. They move in symphony, with a head coach who preaches the timely adage that good offense is spacing and spacing is good offense. They’re the NBA’s second-most accurate three-point shooting team off the catch, a rain storm that squeezes all it can from the likes of Duncan Robinson, Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, and Kendrick Nunn. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler directly benefit as foul magnets that prop up Miami’s offense at the free-throw line (the Heat lead the league in free throw rate).

The Heat are also third in points scored off a screen assist, and only five percent of their possessions end with an isolation. They barely throw the ball into the post, either. Instead, no team uses the dizzying effects of dribble handoffs better, ranking first in volume and efficiency on these plays. Their bigs work at the elbows, then wait for shooters to either loop up from the corner or cut backdoor, depending on how the defense is positioned. It’s a cascading rhythm that makes guarding them for 48 minutes feel like an ultra marathon with no route or finish line.

The Heat run more miles when they possess the ball than every other team except the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans. And, as unsurprising as it is appropriate, Miami leads the league in play types that are categorized as “miscellaneous”. Their implacable motion is why they succeed.

The offense works wonderfully in the regular season, against teams that could be flying into South Beach on the second night of a back-to-back after playing an opponent with more traditional sensibilities. The Heat’s quirkiness is an inherent advantage in these games. The question is, how will they adapt to tighter whistles and tapered passing lanes in a playoff series?

Many of the easy buckets that materialize from an opponent’s physical and mental fatigue disappear in the postseason. (This stat isn’t a be-all, end-all conclusion, but during the 2018-19 regular season, teams averaged 10.25 points per 100 possessions on assisted baskets at the rim. In the playoffs, that number dropped to 9.01.)

Iguodala and Crowder won’t expand Miami’s offense or create by themselves like Gallinari could, but they’ll allow the Heat to experiment with smaller lineups that slide Adebayo to the five, where he and Miami are at their deadliest. And the Heat will enjoy Iguodala’s passing and unlock his resourceful skillset in too many ways to count; he’ll be a convenient addition to their whirring offensive system.

On the other side of the ball, where Miami has fallen to league average, they can be a lifeline. Iguodala is not the athlete he used to be, but he remains one of the more intuitive and intelligent defenders in the league. If he’s able to make life difficult for the Pascal Siakams, Jaylen Browns, Jayson Tatums, Ben Simmonses, and Tobias Harrises of the world without assistance, suddenly Butler will have more opportunities to take in-game rest, allowing him to channel more of his energy on the other end of the court.

There’s no guarantee the player Iguodala used to be still exists, however. And on the offensive end, Iguodala’s below average three-point shooting means playing him heavy minutes next to Butler (currently at 25.5 percent behind the arc) and Adebayo could muck up an offense that has grown comfortable in space. Defenses will happily leave Iguodala alone on the perimeter, which may be an even more glaring problem than it was when he was surrounded by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant. (Iguodala went 44-for-98 on wide-open threes three years ago; Miami is obviously hoping that accuracy returns.)

On the whole, the Heat are greater than the sum of their individual parts, which is the goal for every basketball team that has ever wanted to win. But in the playoffs individual moments still matter, those momentous stretches when a player breaks off and conquers on their own. It’s here why Miami could come to regret not acquiring Gallinari.

As currently constructed, the Heat only have one player who can consistently create good looks for himself in crunch time of a tight playoff game: Butler. (Adebayo is wonderful in so many ways, but he’s not there quite yet.) Competing for a championship without any alternative isn’t an option, and Gallinari would have been an ideal solution. Not only would he have spaced the floor with more gravity and a quicker release than Kelly Olynyk or Meyers Leonard, but he can also duck inside to punish smaller defenders on the block.

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He’s a nightmare mismatch, particularly on a team that has embraced positionless basketball to an extent that few others have. Watching him develop a two-man game with Dragic against opposing bench units would have been extremely fun. (In low doses, he��s been a pick-and-pop menace this year.) When the two feet that’s afforded during the regular season shrinks to two inches in the playoffs, Robinson, Herro, Nunn, and Iguodala will have problems getting decent looks at the basket. That would not have been an issue for Gallo.

But back to the Heat’s reality: I won’t label this deal, or most others, with phrases like “win now” or “all in” because nearly every NBA roster is more like a sandcastle than a cement structure. Even though the Heat acquired a 36-year-old who hasn’t stepped on an NBA court in eight months for a 23-year-old with obvious upside (who has only played 352 minutes this season), they will also be a destination every max-level free agent considers in 2021. If they lose in the first round and then sign Giannis Antetokounmpo next summer, nobody will remember how this trade potentially hurt them in the postseason.

In the meantime, Pat Riley upgraded Miami’s defense in an effort to take down Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks, along with the Raptors, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Indiana Pacers. Four of those teams did not make a single move yesterday, which could be to Miami’s advantage.

But even without knowing every detail of their trade negotiation, it’s still frustrating to think about what might have been had the Heat pushed in even more chips for Gallinari. Frankly, knowing they were close lessens the excitement around adding Iguodala, which sort of came out of nowhere and is a beneficial thing.

Gallo could have been the missing piece, someone who does exactly what these Heat will need in ways that Iguodala currently can’t. That doesn’t mean they would make the NBA Finals, but Gallinari would diversify an offense that may look rigid against playoff teams that have time to take away what they had so much success doing throughout the regular season.

If this sounds harsh, it doesn’t mean to be. The Heat are a delightful overachiever and their willingness to add a proven winner should be commended — that two-year, $30 million extension notwithstanding. There’s no way to quantify the value of championship experience, or what Iguodala will offer a focused locker room that can appreciate his expertise. This trade probably won’t catapult Miami to the top of the conference, but it does nudge them closer.

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thrashermaxey · 6 years

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Ramblings: “Slide” candidates down to two, Yanni’s out of his Gourde, and why is Skjei producing now? (Nov 05)

***

I remember when Barry Trotz coached the Predators. Year after year the prognosticators, myself included, would put the Preds near the bottom of a playoff spot, or just missing. Nashville always had a solid enough team, but not enough in the way of eye-popping stars that dazzled on paper. And yet almost every year they made the playoffs, often easily (they just didn’t go very deep, but that’s a different conversation). Is anyone truly surprised that the Isles are doing what they’re doing? Truly? I see lots of discussion on here about the tough schedule, and the PDO (luck) numbers so I don’t want to beat a dead horse. But I think it’s wrong to count out a Barry Trotz-coached team.

We’re down to Robert Thomas and Brady Tkachuk when it comes to “slide” candidates who can be sent down before they play their 10th game thereby delaying when the entry-level deal kicks in. We all know Tkachuk is safe (he’s back soon). I mean…six points in four games? So that leaves Thomas, who I had in the Guide as playing nine games (initially) and later adjusted to 39 games (the second contract-related deadline) as he had a strong preseason. In the last week or so we’ve seen Alex Formenton, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Evan Bouchard and Kristian Vesalainen get sent down before their 10-game cutoff. Jordan Kyrou was also sent down at the nine-game mark, but he wasn’t a slide candidate and the decision was unrelated to that.

I would have said that Thomas was for sure getting sent down, but two games ago when he played with Robby Fabbri the Blues had a bonus scoring threat they could throw out there and it really worked. But then Saturday Fabbri bounced around on the scoring lines and Thomas was left as a spare part. Thomas has nothing left to learn at the OHL level, but I’m 50-50 on what happens to him.

Qualified prospects who got through that barrier? Max Comtois, Kailer Yamamoto, Henri Jokiharju, Juuso Valimaki, Dillon Dube, Andrei Svechnikov, Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt.

One of my bigger disappointments so far this year has been Ryan Donato, who I had pegged for 46 points in the Fantasy Guide as a third-liner, but first unit PP guy. I was right on the second two things – he was indeed a third liner and the guy saw 2:30 per game on the PP. But man, the guy was snakebitten. Six goals scored on the power play while he was on the ice – mostly with Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak – and he got points on one of them (for an IPP of 16.7%). In two games with Providence, Donato has one assist so far.

While I was looking at Providence, I noticed Jan Kovar has five points in five games. Very interesting, and kudos to him for signing an AHL tryout agreement and betting on himself. I’d love to see him earn his way back to the NHL.

If you want a good Willie Desjardins/LA Kings take from a fantasy standpoint you probably won’t do better than Ian Gooding’s (here). Gooding had front row seats to Desjardins and his style in Vancouver, so he had a good feel for what he brings.

Hoping to get the Top 300 Keeper League Players list up by Wednesday. I have been feeling under the weather lately, so that’s really the only excuse I have on that front. But I know my readers understand, you guys have been very supportive.

Fresh off his big signed contract extension, Yanni Gourde scored in OT Sunday and now has 51 points in his last 55 games. His ice time is eking up accordingly, and now that he’s being paid like a true scoring star, the trend will only continue. I feel like a picked this diamond in the rough five years ago (Prospects Report), soured on him eighteen months ago, got back on board midseason last year…but still dialed back expectations for 2018-19 having felt he overreached. Overall it feels like a failure, but at the same time a nice call, depending on how far back you go with my writing. But I don’t like wavering back and forth on a guy, I like to evaluate long term and stick with that long-term vision, never to be shaken by some short-term events. With Gourde, I just didn’t think he could do what Jonathan Marchessault does. I’m sold now, and that juicy contract seals it. His upside is just as high.

Tampa Bay signing smaller, undrafted players: Marchessault, Gourde and Tyler Johnson. Not too shabby.

So who is next on the list? Perhaps Alex Barre-Boulet, signed earlier this year. Undrafted with 116 points as an overager in the QMJHL last year already has six points in nine games with Syracuse, and he’s 5-9. We’ll find out in 2022 I guess.

Ryan McDonagh owners are seriously cashing in on the Victor Hedman injury. In five games McDonagh has six points, thanks to his second three-point game in that span Sunday. He also has 20 shots on goal in those five games when he had all of 18 shots in the nine games prior.

Also benefiting, but only in terms of ES points – Anton Stralman who has four points in his last two games.

Thomas Chabot now has points in 12 of the 14 games this year. Erik who?

Craig Anderson faced 45 shots Sunday, and it was the third time in five appearances that he faced at least that many.

With two goals Sunday, Jimmy Vesey is up to five on the season. His ice time has been steady around 16 minutes, despite the third-line linemates (Brett Howden, Jesper Fast), and he’s seen good PP time though he’s been unproductive there. He has just one assist and that’s been the way of things for him – he has 38 goals in his career and 23 assists. In Harvard it was the same kind of Cy Young deal with the stats, too. Still only in his third year, I could see him becoming a 30-goal, 50-point player in his fourth or fifth campaigns. Right now his ice time is as high as it’s ever been.

Brady Skjei has four points in his last six games, three in his last four. I suspect this is related to his being paired with Tony DeAngelo for the last four games. Something to keep an eye on, as Skjei may pick it up offensively with this new dynamic. This could also keep DeAngelo in the lineup.

The Ducks were without Ryan Getzlaf Sunday, he is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. That pretty much takes Pontus Aberg back off your radar for points in the short term. Aberg had been doing well with back-to-back two-point games followed by a game in which he saw 19 minutes. Adam Henrique is a poor replacement, when it comes to players who can help Aberg become fantasy relevant. Here were Anaheim’s line combos Sunday:

29.4%

COGLIANO,ANDREW – KESLER,RYAN – SILFVERBERG,JAKOB

26.9%

ABERG,PONTUS – HENRIQUE,ADAM – RAKELL,RICKARD

14.3%

EAVES,PATRICK – LUNDESTROM,ISAC – SHERWOOD,KIEFER

10.1%

CARRICK,SAM – GIBBONS,BRIAN – STREET,BEN

Cam Fowler scored his first three goals of the season Sunday. He points in each of his last three. More promising is that he has eight consecutive games with at least two shots on goal.

Hey, did the Ducks actually outshoot a team? I think they did!

Ty Rattie was activated off injured reserve Saturday but was made a healthy scratch. Curious to see if that was just to give him two extra days of recovery, and how long they plan to do that. Drake Caggiula has suddenly seen success on the McDavid line, but I still think it’s Rattie’s to lose. The Oilers play Monday night against Washington.

See you next Monday.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-slide-candidates-down-to-two-yannis-out-of-his-gourde-and-why-is-skjei-producing-now-nov-05/

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thrashermaxey · 6 years

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Ramblings: Players on the Block, thoughts on Gourde, Eller and lots more … (Feb 14)

Monday, Tom Collins nailed a pretty solid Top 10 list that covered the 10 hottest names on the block leading up to the NHL’s Trade Deadline on February 26. So I won’t get into those players, but I’ll add a few of my own to that list, in no particular order. Some names I’ve mentioned before…

Jordan Schmaltz – He still hasn’t played since an injury in early January, but he’s a restricted free agent this summer and he’s also no longer exempt from waivers in the fall. The Blues are deep on defense so he is definitely a chip they can play to land a winger. If he goes to a rebuilding team, and of course if he returns to full health soon, then he could contribute to a fantasy squad right away.

J-G Pageau – I think Pageau will go. I also, as I mentioned before, think he’s a fit for the Penguins and is totally GM Jim Rutherford’s M.O. If they acquire him, he’ll be the third-line center which is a huge upgrade in terms of fit and an upgrade to last year’s Nick Bonino. It would also allow Jake Guentzel to go back to the wing in the top six, providing his owners with solid end-of-season production.

Mats Zuccarello – I kind of like the St. Louis Blues for this, or perhaps the Sharks or Stars. Dark Horse team would be the Flames. But I think Zuke goes to a Western team if he gets moved.

Michael Grabner – The Blues are another fit in terms of Grabner’s speed, but also the Flames. However, wherever he goes I believe his production will drop off a cliff. I think the Rangers were the best fit for him in terms of putting points on the board. But in my opinion he’s as good as gone.

Ryan McDonagh – McDonagh is probably the most expensive trade chip in the league and frankly I don’t think the Rangers should trade him. Hell, trade Kevin Shattenkirk before McDonagh! But much like Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson, McDonagh is a free agent after 2018-19 so his name has been mentioned in hockey trade circles.

Tomas Plekanec – There are no shortage of teams in need of Plekanec’s experience, and most NHL GM’s tend to place a lot of value in reputation and historical skill sets. So they’ll overrate the defensive and offensive aspect that he brings to the table based on the Plekanec of two years ago, and as such will overpay.

Josh Leivo – I don’t think the Leafs will trade James van Riemsdyk nor Tyler Bozak, because those two essentially become Toronto’s “rentals”. However, non-roster regulars like Leivo could certainly go. And Leivo has actually asked for a trade. The return would be a low draft pick or the famous “future considerations”. But the Leafs may be hesitant because this could blow up in their faces.

Kasperi Kapanen – I like Toronto’s team as is, though they could use some help and experience on the blue line. If they do nothing (as I would do – because Deadline prices are a rip-off), then that’s great. But if they do add a defenseman, Kapanen and Soshnikov (see below) are the players who could go.

Nikita Soshnikov – Toronto doesn’t want to lose this asset to the KHL, but they also don’t have room for him. His name has been swirling in trade rumors for weeks. On a new team he could be a 40-point guy who piles up the hits.

Kevin Bieksa – Anaheim will probably keep fighting to get into the playoffs, but two weeks is a lot of hockey. If they start to slide in the standings they may look at trading this 36-year-old veteran with an expiring contract for something like a second- or third-round draft pick plus a middling prospect.

Petr Mrazek – Detroit will have to either qualify him at over $4.5 million (uh, no), or let him become unrestricted. Neither is probably acceptable, so perhaps he gets moved at the deadline to a team who wants a backup in need of a fresh start. If Detroit does this, then they may have their eye on signing a pending UFA such as Aaron Dell, Jonathan Bernier or Carter Hutton to co-start with Jimmy Howard next year.

Radim Vrbata – A pending UFA could be had on the cheap, with teams in need of veteran wingers who could score as interested parties. Pittsburgh, for one.

Patrick Maroon – A UFA this summer, Maroon is a big body with decent hands coveted by many teams looking to go deep in the postseason. Perhaps the Oilers could use him to land a couple of promising defense prospects?

Gustav Nyquist – Nyquist, like many Red Wings, was (stupidly) given a no-trade clause. The Wings have to get out of some of these, so why not ask him to waive it? He is signed through 2018-19 and then becomes unrestricted. The Wings could really re-stock the shelves with a couple of picks and/or prospects that they would get in return. He hasn’t turned out to be the star they’d hoped he would become by now.

As usual, as I have since 2006, I’ll be breaking down the trades from a fantasy standpoint as they happen. Talk about putting my constitution and recovery to the test…it will be a big day! It all goes down two Mondays from now – be here!

There was all this talk over the weekend about Soshnikov and how the Leafs ‘had’ to make a move before his AHL conditioning stint was up. But then Monday arrived and nothing happened because…he was put back on IR.

Oh.

Why didn’t I, or anyone else in the media universe, think of that?

If we knew that a player could just be put back on IR again, then there wouldn’t have been any talk of a pending trade. None at all. Because we all know that Loophole Lou Lamoriello would just do that. As Elliotte Friedman said yesterday in his 31 Thoughts: “Soshnikov was running over people in the AHL yesterday”. So Soshnikov is fine, he’s just on the IR now because Loophole Lou is a weasel. Kovalchuk, Mogilny (plus a few that I remember happening in New Jersey but for the life of me can’t remember the player names)…we see Loophole get out of unbreakable predicaments time and time again. He won’t be forced to trade, he won’t be forced over the cap and he won’t be forced to…well, pretty much anything. The Leafs are one team right now that you can never say “The Leafs have to…” because no, they don’t have to. Loophole Lou is on the scene!

David Pastrnak has been demoted. Talk about being a hardass, Bruce Cassidy is really pushing this guy by giving him absolutely no leash and holding him accountable for any miscues. Pastrnak had points in 14 of 16 games. Then he goes pointless and a minus-2 on Saturday against Buffalo and since then he’s played 25:44 total in two games. A Top 30 scorer getting bumped to the checking line to me is ludicrous, but it’s happened a couple of times this season.

David Backes was moved up to the big line and put up two assists. He has five points in his last four games.

With a goal last night, Yanni Gourde now has a seven-game points streak. And points in 10 of his last 11. I was asked on Twitter the other day what his upside was and to be honest, it’s ever-changing in my mind. I was high on him as a prospect, loved the way he worked his way up from being undrafted. Then last year I saw him in a couple of AHL games when they were in town to play the Marlies and I watched specifically him and came away unimpressed. I guess that’s why I’m not a pro scout (nor is anyone who says to me “have you even seen the game?” sorry had to get that dig in there!). So when he started the season, I had his upside at 70 points. But he’s on pace for 62 as a rookie. Does that mean 80 is feasible in several years? I’d often maintained that Gourde was similar to Marchessault in terms of “against all odds” and “just needs a chance”. But while Marchessault never got a chance with Tampa, other than a brief 10-game stint when Tyler Johnson was hurt…Gourde is getting that chance. So the Lightning get to enjoy Gourde’s breakout after missing out on Marchessault’s.

Steven Stamkos had 34 points in 19 games to start the season, which means 30 points in 38 games since.

Since January 6, Andrei Vasilevskiy is 7-6-0, 3.42 GAA and 0.901 SV%. Tampa Bay is the team to beat, in my opinion, but right now they are relying on their depth a lot more while the stars go through a rough patch.

Evander Kane has four points in his last 20 games. So, uh…there goes that career season. That big contract year. With Jack Eichel out, and Eichel has been the primary linemate for nearly all of Kane’s points this year, Kane owners are in trouble.

The Caps blew a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 in OT. I caught the end of this game (I mostly watched the Penguins last night) and it was just so obvious how much of a game-breaker Mark Scheifele is. The tying goal and a beauty setup for the winner. Plus the opening goal. Plus he set up another beauty in overtime that was missed.

With an assist last night, Lars Eller has 14 points in his last 18 games. He has 29 points on the season and his career high is 30. Four of those 14 points are via the power play. He’s seeing secondary PP time this year after not seeing much at all in three prior campaigns. At 28 years old he could be finally showing a bit of the potential that we thought he had when he was 20. Not that he’s going to Bailey or Marchand his way to stardom suddenly in his late 20’s, but on a team in need of depth scoring such as Washington I can see him surprising next year with 50 points. Man, that seems bold just re-reading it. But I’m just not used to seeing a solid 18-game run from him like this.

I mentioned the last time I wrote the Ramblings two weeks ago that Columbus “may” have finally solved their power-play woes. Well they picked up two more PP goals last night, with Zach Werenski assisting on both of them. I can’t stress enough how important the power play is to owners of key Columbus players.

Boone Jenner had an assist, three SOG, six hits and two BLKS last night. In the last six games he has four points, 16 SOG and 20 hits.

Cam Atkinson has six points in eight games since his return from injury. Only one came on the PP though, so again – if the power play really is turning around for this team he is the No.1 beneficiary.

Mat Barzal didn’t get five points last night. I think it might be easier if we just report when he doesn’t do that as opposed to when he does.

In the last 21 games, Travis Konecny has 20 points. He’s playing with Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier and the results have been so successful that Jakub Voracek can remain on the second line and get Wayne Simmonds and Nolan Patrick going. That being said, while Voracek continues his hot play (12 points in 10 games) it hasn’t caught on with Patrick, who is pointless in four. Simmonds has seen an improvement though. A closer look reveals that Voracek had seven of those 12 points via the power play. So his spot on the second line at even strength has weakened his production a little.

Jesper Bratt had one point in 10 games before picking up a pair of assists last night.

And now to the game I actually watched. Zach Aston-Reese was moved up to the Sidney Crosby line (Conor Sheary on the other side) and scored his first two NHL goals. I drafted him in one of my keepers last summer and was disappointed in his AHL start. In fact, I was starting to think that I would have to drop him in September. But he’s really come along for Wilkes-Barre with 15 points in 14 games (after starting with 14 in 27). He’s a gritty player who was a little over-zealous early in his pro career with the dumb penalties. Looks like he’s got it figured out, and once again the Penguins may have found yet another rookie to end the season on Crosby’s line!

Speaking of rookies on the Crosby line, last year’s entrant – Jake Guentzel – also scored two. He played with Phil Kessel and Riley Sheahan. What all this means is that Evgeni Malkin is stuck with Bryan Rust and Carl Hagelin…and Dominik Simon is on the fourth line or possibly press box going forward. Though frankly I’d sit Hagelin and play Simon on that line.

I’m going to dig into the Dion Phaneuf – Marian Gaborik trade in the morning with a breakdown. It was a cash deal, strictly about money for Ottawa. But it does have some interesting fantasy implications, particularly for the Senators…

Justin Faulk went into yesterday’s game with four goals on the season and came out of it with seven. It really doesn’t take long for a player to get his overall numbers on track. Faulk will need a couple more games like that, but that’s all it would take to get him back to a 40-point pace.

Jonathan Quick got the hook last night (four goals on 20 shots). Mike Condon got the hook last night (four goals on nine shots). Scott Wedgewood got the hook last night (concussion protocol).

Chicago shut down Jonathan Marchessault but they still couldn’t stop Vegas nor a Vegas comeback. David Perron’s two points gives him 51 in just 50 games. I traded him for two crummy draft picks last summer, believing that even on Vegas his 50-point days were done. Apparently not. The trade may have cost me the win. I made a ton of dumb mistakes last September and I’m starting to believe that I should have been banned from drafting or making moves for at least 60 days after getting discharged from the hospital. I can’t think of a single good thing I did in that time, hockey-wise.

The Blackhawks thought they had something in Jordan Oesterle. Frankly, I did too. He had seven points in six games back in early January and proceeded to get about 23 minutes per game for the next 13 games. But he was pointless despite all the power-play time. And he was minus-9 over the last five games. So that led to his being a healthy scratch last night. These are the windows that bubble players like Oesterle cannot let close.

Tomas Hertl was injured last night and so the Sharks bumped Brent Burns up to play the wing. That’s an interesting turn of events, and worth keeping an eye on.

The Canucks recalled late-bloomer Philip Holm from Utica. The 26-year-old rearguard could have an early Tim Heed-like impact on the score sheet and is one to watch early on. That being said, I don’t think he has any long-term potential though. Only the short-term adrenalin-induced production…

The Habs signed goaltender Charlie Lindgren to a three-year one-way deal. So there’s their backup goalie for the near future and a solid Carey Price fill-in if Price has another injury-filled season.

Everything is still going well for me health-wise, so in March I’ll be stepping things up and appearing here every Monday. Ideally things will remain on track and I can take things even further in April. Until then, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks – to cover Trade Deadline Day!

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/hockey-rankings/ramblings-players-on-the-block-thoughts-on-gourde-eller-and-lots-more-feb-14/

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