Jabari Parker: Weight Watchers, and Other Stuff

[emunney]

This really shatters my image of Ruben Patterson.

[drew881]

A few people on here knew about the Rueben story, and alluded to knowing it, but would never reveal it. The bag night part is pretty funny.

[bigkurty]

I never knew the Ruben story but that would make sense. That night was crazy on so many levels.

[trwi7]

He'd grab and shake his ass and say "you know you like it".

[theFireBlanket]

Jabari definitely dropped some weight. That's a great sign about his commitment to achieving the best results.

Although I wonder how much his highschool injury played into going a bit lax on conditioning, knowing he'd get trim when it was totally behind him.

[LUKE23]

Assuming the young guys get big minutes, I'm damn excited for this season.

[HKPackFan]

These stories remind me the moment I stopped being a diehard bucks fan.


I used to live in South Florida, so would go to One away game in Miami every year. I lived in Florida from 2000 to 2009 and for the first 7 years went the Bucks played in Miami, I was there religiously. The sad thing is, every game I attended the Bucks always lost on the last play. Like 4 or 5 years in a row. I never saw them win in Miami, and was really anxious to finally see them win in Miami.

In 2007/2008 season the Heat were an awful 15 win team. They had a D league team, most of the players didn't belong on an NBA roster. It was the end of the season, March or April, Both the Bucks and Heat were bad teams.

I figured it would be a great opportunity to see the Bucks UP CLOSE and PERSONAL, like front row behind the Bucks bench, without it costing a fortune like high hundreds. So I think I still paid like $150 or $200 for a pair of tickets to be in the first row behind the bench. I can't remember but it wasn't cheap. Just me and my son. I thought it would be really cool to cheer on the bucks, while in their corner! Any other season might be too expensive, so this could be once in a long time or lifetime opportunity to sit front row. (When the heat are good, those tickets go for thousands). Finally it would be a chance after 4 or 5 years of watching them lose in person, I would have a chance to cheer them on, and actually WIN! There's no way they could lose to this awful heat squad.


The problem was....I didn't have an opportunity to cheer on the team, because there was nothing to cheer. They were struggling against a **** worthless non-NBA caliber team. And worst off...You could tell on the court they were just going through the motions.

My son knows I'm a vocal fan, I like to cheer on my team, and he asked me 2-3 times why I wasn't cheering, even after a score. He was confused. It was because the team was playing so damn half-assed I could barely watch.

Finally with a minute left in the game, the score is very close. Coach calls a T.O. and he's drawing up a play. The team is huddled up...HALF the team is looking at the coach drawing up the play..the rest...AT least 3 of them, BOGUT and I can't recall the others...WERE STARING AT THE HEAT DANCERS!

Are you f'ng kidding me!?! It's the end of the game, a team if it has ANY SELF RESPECT would NOT want to lose to this GARBAGE team!! And Yet our star of the franchise is completely IGNORING the coach and watch the F'ing HEAT DANCERS!?!?


Then I realized, why do I give a **** about this team when the team doesn't even give a ****!?! I paid huge money $$$$ to be up close and personal to see my team that I've been rooting for since I was a kid, and this is what I see!?!

F@#K This!

Of course the Bucks lose to this awful Heat team that probably had only 12 or so wins prior to that game. Of course at the last second the D squad pulls it off, and the bucks walk off the court with zero self respect.

I was just pissed to see half the team in the huddle tune out the coach and watch the heat dancers in a close 1 point game with only a minute left on the clock. The team didn't give a ****. They didn't give a **** about the end of the game, about losing to a garbage team, or about the play that was being drawn up. They didn't care about anything. It was professional sports at its worse. Players who don't care or even bother to try. It was awful.

I never went to another Heat/Bucks game after that. And for years I just tuned them out.


I'm finally starting to get interested in them again. I'm excited about Jabari and Giannis and Kidd, the new owners, and seeing this franchise finally turn around.

[theFireBlanket]

Of course the Bucks lose to this awful Heat team that probably had only 12 or so wins prior to that game. Of course at the last second the D squad pulls it off, and the Bucks walk off the court with zero self respect.

I was just pissed to see half the team in the huddle tune out the coach and watch the heat dancers in a close 1 point game with only a minute left on the clock. The team didn't give a ****. They didn't give a **** about the end of the game, about losing to a garbage team, or about the play that was being drawn up. They didn't care about anything. It was professional sports at its worse. Players who don't care or even bother to try. It was awful.

I never went to another Heat/Bucks game after that. And for years I just tuned them out.


I'm finally starting to get interested in them again. I'm excited about Jabari and Giannis and Kidd, the new owners, and seeing this franchise finally turn around.

I don't think the issue with that team was a lack of self-respect. It's difficult to come together on the court when select players have a personal agenda that goes beyond anything the coach would draw up: Mo & Redd (ball hog chucking mentality). That's why players like Bogut were tuned out, atop of all of the in team fighting.

You arguably tuned out at the right time because the 09-10 team caught fire and made all of the die-hards hope that things were finally on the upswing.

Assume this is the play-by-play from the game you're referring to: http://www.basketball-reference.com/box ... 40MIA.html

[Nowak008]

Basically, back in 2006-07 when the team was a disaster, Ruben gave zero f*cks. He'd walk right up to Herb Kohl and call him a f*g. He'd grab and shake his ass and say "you know you like it". Patterson found out that Kohl preferred other players and gave them special treatments, so Patterson got offended and did things like that to Herb.

Apparently, a couple members of the Bucks organization thought everyone at RealGM knew this story, and the organization AND Herb thought the member wearing the Patterson jersey during the bag revolt did that on purpose in accordance with the above story.

Apparently Bogut and Mo were fighting different guys left and right. Stotts had zero control of absolutely anyone and no one in management cared enough to try to do anything. Then a team meeting was called, and that's when **** exploded. Ahhh...good memories.

But yeah, thought that Patterson story + the organization assuming the Patterson supporter on this board knew the story was gold.

The Patterson jersey has been a symbol for many things. It's origin story is a topic of much debate. There is one issue that is not in debate though - it's raw power.

[paulpressey25]

Ruben Patterson

If that AP photographer Arnie Gash wasn't tipped off to be ready for that photo, we have nothing.

Then again bag night brought us six-years of John Hammond, so I'm not sure that event did anything for Bucks fans even though emotionally it was a great night to blow off steam.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

Ruben Patterson

If that AP photographer Arnie Gash wasn't tipped off to be ready for that photo, we have nothing.

Then again bag night brought us six-years of John Hammond, so I'm not sure that event did anything for Bucks fans even though emotionally it was a great night to blow off steam.

It brought us a response. Now, the most direct part of that response (John Hammond) didn't end up panning out at all, but one of our complaints at the time was also hiring cheap garbage coaches. Another response was hiring a serious, at the time still well-regarded, coach that required spending some decent money on, Scott Skiles.

But most importantly, that night gave the media (local and national) cover and reason to start discussing how misguided and ineffective the Herb Kohl regime was. You had previously never come across discussions of Kohl's meddling, the cronies, etc., etc. in the media.

It also was the first salvo in the movement to push Senator Kohl to sell the team.

It was the biggest first step in a process that resulted in more and more Bucks fans not tolerating the notion that we were simply lucky to have an NBA team, regardless of how it was run. It was the infancy of a movement that matured into Save Our Bucks.

John Hammond? He's still here. Still the GM. But I don't think anyone can wonder whether Save Our Bucks did nothing for Bucks fans other than emotionally blow off steam. It most certainly did much more than that...

[paulpressey25]

But most importantly, that night gave the media (local and national) cover and reason to start discussing how misguided and ineffective the Herb Kohl regime was.

I get what you are saying and now concur with it in that context. Everything was a process and bag night was a necessary part of the journey.

[zmanishere11]

Before it gets taken down - check out the Bucks facebook page. They posted a note from a little kid to Jabari asking him not to leave when his contract is up.

Awesome.

[Badgerlander]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/ ... talent-nba

Ranking teams by U25 talent
Pelicans, Wizards lead list of NBA teams with up-and-coming talent

Last year, we ranked the NBA's top teams according to the under-25 talent on active rosters. Maintaining a pipeline of young talent is essential for any team with hopes of having sustainable success. While veteran-laden teams are usually the ones we see playing deep into May and June, the groundwork is set years in advance. Savvy management will amass and develop young talent, either to be the cornerstones for the future (like drafting and keeping Tony Parker) or to be moved for a bigger-name, ready-to-win-now type of player (trading Al Jefferson for Kevin Garnett). More often than not, players under 25 have yet to reach their prime and are on affordable contracts (either rookie scale deals or rookie extensions, both of which usually undervalue their true impact).

While an inventory of talent under the age of 25 on a roster is not predictive of a franchise's future success (see our Future Power Rankings for an idea of what is predictive), you'd rather your team have the assets in hand than not have them, all else being equal. Given the select nature of those players eligible for an under-25 team ranking, here's an overview of guidelines and some brief rules of thumb:

• In order to be eligible for this list, a player must be 24 years old or younger as of Nov. 1 (born on or after Oct. 31, 1989).

• Teams with established superstars get an edge, due to a greater likelihood of return on investment, over teams with multiple "solid" talents (as the adage goes, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"). However, teams with a lot of bushes (a full cupboard of solid talents) might trump teams with a solitary star.

• Added consideration was given to players who made last season's top 25 under-25 list or next 10 list.

• Players considered were only those expected to be on the 2014-15 roster (i.e., no Dario Saric for Philadelphia, Bogdan Bogdanovic for Phoenix, etc).

With the ground rules established, here's our second annual ranking of the teams in the league based on under-25 talent. Note that current player ages are indicated in parentheses.

1. New Orleans Pelicans
2. Washington Wizards

3. Milwaukee Bucks
Players Giannis Antetokounmpo (19), John Henson (23), Damien Inglis (19), Brandon Knight (22), Kendall Marshall (23), Khris Middleton (23), Johnny O'Bryant (21), Jabari Parker (19), Nate Wolters (23)

The Bucks are exploding with potential: Antetokounmpo had something of a cult following last season as the pleasant surprise in a disappointing draft class, and he parlayed a solid rookie season into a strong summer league performance, followed by flashes at the FIBA World Cup. Henson really took advantage of the absence of Larry Sanders, scoring efficiently around the rim and rebounding at a high rate on both ends of the court. And, of course, 2014 second overall pick Parker is projected to develop into a scoring machine, with comparisons to Carmelo Anthony.

Knight led the team in scoring last season, but he's probably best suited as a combo guard off the bench. Middleton had a nice sophomore campaign, with deep range and potential to be a lockdown wing defender. Both Marshall and Wolters had stretches as competent playmakers, although shooting concerns still follow them. All in all, Milwaukee has a nice combination of potential stars and savvy role players in the making.

[Fresh_Prince12]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11547672/ranking-league-based-25-talent-nba

Ranking teams by U25 talent
Pelicans, Wizards lead list of NBA teams with up-and-coming talent

Last year, we ranked the NBA's top teams according to the under-25 talent on active rosters. Maintaining a pipeline of young talent is essential for any team with hopes of having sustainable success. While veteran-laden teams are usually the ones we see playing deep into May and June, the groundwork is set years in advance. Savvy management will amass and develop young talent, either to be the cornerstones for the future (like drafting and keeping Tony Parker) or to be moved for a bigger-name, ready-to-win-now type of player (trading Al Jefferson for Kevin Garnett). More often than not, players under 25 have yet to reach their prime and are on affordable contracts (either rookie scale deals or rookie extensions, both of which usually undervalue their true impact).

While an inventory of talent under the age of 25 on a roster is not predictive of a franchise's future success (see our Future Power Rankings for an idea of what is predictive), you'd rather your team have the assets in hand than not have them, all else being equal. Given the select nature of those players eligible for an under-25 team ranking, here's an overview of guidelines and some brief rules of thumb:

• In order to be eligible for this list, a player must be 24 years old or younger as of Nov. 1 (born on or after Oct. 31, 1989).

• Teams with established superstars get an edge, due to a greater likelihood of return on investment, over teams with multiple "solid" talents (as the adage goes, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"). However, teams with a lot of bushes (a full cupboard of solid talents) might trump teams with a solitary star.

• Added consideration was given to players who made last season's top 25 under-25 list or next 10 list.

• Players considered were only those expected to be on the 2014-15 roster (i.e., no Dario Saric for Philadelphia, Bogdan Bogdanovic for Phoenix, etc).

With the ground rules established, here's our second annual ranking of the teams in the league based on under-25 talent. Note that current player ages are indicated in parentheses.

1. New Orleans Pelicans
2. Washington Wizards

3. Milwaukee Bucks
Players Giannis Antetokounmpo (19), John Henson (23), Damien Inglis (19), Brandon Knight (22), Kendall Marshall (23), Khris Middleton (23), Johnny O'Bryant (21), Jabari Parker (19), Nate Wolters (23)

The Bucks are exploding with potential: Antetokounmpo had something of a cult following last season as the pleasant surprise in a disappointing draft class, and he parlayed a solid rookie season into a strong summer league performance, followed by flashes at the FIBA World Cup. Henson really took advantage of the absence of Larry Sanders, scoring efficiently around the rim and rebounding at a high rate on both ends of the court. And, of course, 2014 second overall pick Parker is projected to develop into a scoring machine, with comparisons to Carmelo Anthony.

Knight led the team in scoring last season, but he's probably best suited as a combo guard off the bench. Middleton had a nice sophomore campaign, with deep range and potential to be a lockdown wing defender. Both Marshall and Wolters had stretches as competent playmakers, although shooting concerns still follow them. All in all, Milwaukee has a nice combination of potential stars and savvy role players in the making.

Holy ****!!!! I can't remember the last time the bucks has had this much hope

[ReasonablySober]

Philly at #18? Huh.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

im excited to watch the young guys but thatll probably wear off by December. im certainly not damn excited about chasing another lotto pic altho I know that's what we need to do so im resigned to it.

what I am excited about is watching the league in general maybe more than any season I can remeber. theres a lot of interesting storylines that have developed and unless its the spurs holding father time in check for one more year, I cant say theres a clear favorite out there that maybe 7-8 teams this year could knock off for a championship. that aspect of things is gonna make watching across the league more fun than maybe ever.

[VooDoo7]

Philly at #18? Huh.

Maybe 2K ranked these?

[HurricaneKid]

I like what Philly is doing but I don't exactly love the pieces they have ended up with. MCW will never be an above avg PG in the NBA. Embiid? We just spent months being told by Drs that he had SEVERAL physical problems that would each be red flags.

[paulpressey25]

Certainly much better than the NBA futures stuff from two weeks ago where we ranked in the bottom five. I can't get the link to work, but Philly at #18 wouldn't make sense. But all depends on whether the author believes in Embiid and Saric. I like them both but they aren't "real" yet and won't be for a season.