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Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released...”

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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#101 » by Slacktard » Fri Mar 25, 2022 2:37 pm

If you're a good enough player teams don't care about anything. If you're not a 'good enough' player then teams will certainly decide whether any 'distractions' from statements or actions by a player are 'worth' adding a 'not good enough' player.

If Colin Kaepernick was Deshaun Watson level he would have kept being an NFL player.

That doesn't mean there aren't WORSE players in the league, it does mean teams believe that the 'on-field/on-court' benefit just isn't worth it.

Is there 'collusion?' is the NBA league offices indirectly/directly talking with other GMs and like "hey, we can't have this guy because it can hurt us financially in China?"

Possibly. That still doesn't mean if 'this guy' was actually a difference maker/good enough player that there wouldn't be GMs signing him regardless of that though.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#102 » by Marty McFly » Fri Mar 25, 2022 2:44 pm

it doesn't take a rocket science to know you're a lawn chair on defense.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#103 » by HabsAndDubs » Fri Mar 25, 2022 2:52 pm

Dominater wrote:
HabsAndDubs wrote:
Liam_Gallagher wrote:I'm actually curious as to why he's a free agent still. Dude averaged 11 and 11 last year. I know he's not a starter, but geez. Not even on a team at all?

He’s in the awkward spot where he’s too old for a lottery team to give him minutes and his defense is too bad for any contending team to sign him. I can’t think of any team in the league who could use a guy like him.

Like, I would take Kelly Olynyk over him, and Kelly is still stuck in Detroit. That’s what the market is for an offensive big bench player.

Agree but actually , he's perfect for a tanking team. He'll put points on the board but always give back more, and teams can be like "look were not tanking, we signed a vet double-double machine" lol

Probably, lol. If Houston lost Sengun for the season and just needed a placeholder to uphold the tank, he’d be perfect. Hell, Orlando looked a little too good against the Warriors earlier this week. Maybe you give Franz Wagner a couple weeks off and you put Mr Freedom in your really guarantee those lotto odds
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#104 » by Myth » Fri Mar 25, 2022 2:57 pm

If you are already on the fringe as a player for any reason, then you aren't worth it if you come with additional headaches. Meyers Leonard learned this as well. The same thing would have happened with Kyrie Irving if he was a back of the bench sort of guy, but teams will put up with his mess because he is a good enough player to justify the other headaches.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#105 » by Jeremy Lin 7 » Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:01 pm

Maybe try playing a thing called defense for once in your career
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#106 » by LightTheBeam » Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:12 pm

Duke4life831 wrote:I hate the whole "Im being blackballed" angle these guys take. This isnt political, this isnt a racial thing, this isnt a religious thing. Its very basic and simple. If your production on the court/field outweighs the off the court/field circus/distraction then teams will put up with you.

Guess what Tim Tebow would have been a backup or 3rd string QB for awhile if there was no Tebow circus with him. But there was way too much of a distraction with him and he wasn't that good on the field so his career ended very quickly.

If Colin Kaepernick was still Colin Kaepernick of 2013, he would've still had a job in the NFL. But Kaepernick ended up being a bad starting QB over his last 3 years in the NFL. He ended up being benched for freaking Blaine Gabbert. Was he still good enough to be on a NFL roster? Yup. But guess what, no one wants a backup QB that will bring a media circus and distraction to your team. So the distraction outweighed the impact. And if Enes was still a 24/11 on high end efficiency for per 36, he would still be on a roster right now.

There are countless more examples especially with the NFL diva WRs where teams put up with over the top diva WRs while they're still elite, but the second they're no longer elite they get passed around because no one wants them. Meyers Leonard would still be on a roster if he didnt do his dumbass thing.

There are countless examples of guys of different races, different political views and so on. None of these guys were blackballed. The common denominator for all of them is that their off court distractions outweighed their on the court/field production/impact. Its as simple as that. Teams try to avoid distractions when they can, they're not going to take on bench players that bring distractions to the team. Its pretty simple.
Exactly this. And there's just as much proof the other way with guys who are distractions keeping jobs (especially in the nfl). The big Ben's, Watsons, hunt, Mixon. If you produce it doesn't matter what you do.

This feels very similar to Kaep. If teams felt either of these guys would win them games, they would be signed right now.

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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#107 » by Aurelius » Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:24 pm

This is the Tebow/Kaep syndrome. Talent isn't enough to make up for the media circus.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#108 » by Johnny Fontane » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:14 pm

Jadoogar wrote:
Pharenheit wrote:Way too many people turning a blind eye to China’s injustices

Uyghur people deserve much more on a humanitarian level from the world


This is absolutely true.
This is also not the reason Enes Kanter isn't playing

Both things can be true.


I wouldn’t say it has nothing to do with why he’s not on a team, but I could understand why from a talent level too. As said I think he knows he sounds ridiculous, but whatever gets his name out there and people talking about the movement is beneficial in his eyes
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#109 » by queridiculo » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:22 pm

Wingnut‘s in a nutshell.

Always a conspiracy theory when you can’t come to terms with your own inadequacy.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#110 » by JayMKE » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:23 pm

Kap and Tebow were both legitimately bigger than the game and arguably were the most recognizable athletes in America, Kanter mostly just has delusions of grandeur and if he’s accusing staff of “censoring” him by getting DNPs then not even foreign teams are going to want him.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#111 » by lakerz12 » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:28 pm

Duke4life831 wrote:I hate the whole "Im being blackballed" angle these guys take. This isnt political, this isnt a racial thing, this isnt a religious thing. Its very basic and simple. If your production on the court/field outweighs the off the court/field circus/distraction then teams will put up with you.

Guess what Tim Tebow would have been a backup or 3rd string QB for awhile if there was no Tebow circus with him. But there was way too much of a distraction with him and he wasn't that good on the field so his career ended very quickly.

If Colin Kaepernick was still Colin Kaepernick of 2013, he would've still had a job in the NFL. But Kaepernick ended up being a bad starting QB over his last 3 years in the NFL. He ended up being benched for freaking Blaine Gabbert. Was he still good enough to be on a NFL roster? Yup. But guess what, no one wants a backup QB that will bring a media circus and distraction to your team. So the distraction outweighed the impact. And if Enes was still a 24/11 on high end efficiency for per 36, he would still be on a roster right now.

There are countless more examples especially with the NFL diva WRs where teams put up with over the top diva WRs while they're still elite, but the second they're no longer elite they get passed around because no one wants them. Meyers Leonard would still be on a roster if he didnt do his dumbass thing.

There are countless examples of guys of different races, different political views and so on. None of these guys were blackballed. The common denominator for all of them is that their off court distractions outweighed their on the court/field production/impact. Its as simple as that. Teams try to avoid distractions when they can, they're not going to take on bench players that bring distractions to the team. Its pretty simple.


I'm not sure if there's any merit to it, but the difference with Kanter is he could claim that he is being "blackballed" specifically because he said things that the NBA doesn't like. Things that run against the specific (economic) interests of the NBA.

I don't think the other examples you mentioned would claim that they were "blackballed" because they criticized their league.

Kanter could say it isn't media circus. It's that he touched a nerve and talked about topics the NBA doesn't want to talk about.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#112 » by lakerz12 » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:32 pm

JayMKE wrote:Kap and Tebow were both legitimately bigger than the game and arguably were the most recognizable athletes in America, Kanter mostly just has delusions of grandeur and if he’s accusing staff of “censoring” him by getting DNPs then not even foreign teams are going to want him.


Tebow was very very famous for a long time. He won 2 National Championships in college. At one point he was rated the most influential athlete in the world: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1630720-tim-tebow-michael-phelps-lead-forbes-list-of-most-influential-athletes

Kaepernick? He was only very famous after he left the league and created his whole martyr brand, aided by Nike. At the peak of his playing career, he was just an average famous NFL quarterback. Relatively famous because he played for a big team, the 49ers. But definitely never "bigger than the game and arguably were the most recognizable athletes in America". . .

Tebow was famous and popular prior to any controversy. Tebow never played the victim card.

Kap became famous by using controversy to become famous. The same way Kanter is actually getting way more publicity now than he would be getting as a player.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#113 » by BrianFitz » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:44 pm

Optms wrote:
falcolombardi wrote:just like with jeremy lin or Carmelo before him there is not a conspiracy lol, they just were washed/ineffective like many other players

Carmelo didnt even have a obvious conspiracy angle for why he didnt have a team (like lin race or enes outspoken stuff) and still went jobless for a while


Carmelo was not washed though. He is still in the NBA years after people reportedly said he was done. His name was dragged through the mud and he was made to falsely be a scapegoat.


He still wanted to be the man on a team a few years ago. If he had accepted a bench role earlier things would have been different. At least that was the perception around the NBA. Truth or not.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#114 » by John Murdoch » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:49 pm

Lol , ibtl
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#115 » by BrianFitz » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:52 pm

JonFromVA wrote:I just assumed he was out of the league because of his defense and the affect it was having on his impact, but he's had a very nice OnCourt and On-Off numbers for Boston and Portland over the past 3 seasons.

He may have a point, or maybe GM's are just assuming he's awful like we are and/or not valuing rebounding.


no. Hes trash
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#116 » by BrianFitz » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:53 pm

kg01 wrote:
Duke4life831 wrote:I hate the whole "Im being blackballed" angle these guys take. This isnt political, this isnt a racial thing, this isnt a religious thing. Its very basic and simple. If your production on the court/field outweighs the off the court/field circus/distraction then teams will put up with you.

blah, blah, blah ...


This shuts down the whole thread.... oh and I totally read the rest of your post too, bro. Totally. :)


I read his whole post because I don't have attention deficit issues. His entire post was good.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#117 » by BrianFitz » Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:58 pm

MrBigShot wrote:First of all, I'm just going to mention that Enes Kanter called being on Tucker Carlson the best day of his life, who is one of the most racist dudes you'll find on television these days. Enes also said that he loves America and people should not be complaining and criticizing it as a country, which is laughably ironic considering being able to criticize your country and government freely is precisely what his home country of Turkey does not have.

Now that that's out of the way, Kanter can put up points and grab rebounds but he is absolutely atrocious defensively. Well duh if you are a role player teams will be less likely to put up with whatever headaches you cause off the court. It's nice that he speaks up about social issues but at a certain point its too much, the sneakers of lebron bowing to china isn't the kind of distraction and nba team needs. And as shameful as lebron's response to china was, he's still done more good for social issues than Kanter ever will.


Typical lefty garbage. Tucker Carlson is amazing and it doesn't make him racist because he says things you don't agree with. Get a grip.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#118 » by GreatWhiteStiff » Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:07 pm

cgf wrote:Crazy how differently his career could've gone had he come into the league 10+ years earlier, cause the man had a soft touch around the rim, the power to muscle through a lot of NBAers on his way to the hoop, and a good sense for offensive rebounds.

But life in the NBA has become really rough on the lead-footed post-up big if...like enes...they can't shoot, pass, or defend.


I was kind of amazed at how he went in the nba draft, given his limitations. It was pretty well known at draft time that his defence was really bad. I think he had the kind of offensive (and rebounding talent) that scouts thought could offset his limitations, but they didn't really. He wasn't a prodigious scorer or anything.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#119 » by JonFromVA » Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:14 pm

BrianFitz wrote:
JonFromVA wrote:I just assumed he was out of the league because of his defense and the affect it was having on his impact, but he's had a very nice OnCourt and On-Off numbers for Boston and Portland over the past 3 seasons.

He may have a point, or maybe GM's are just assuming he's awful like we are and/or not valuing rebounding.


no. Hes trash


The issue isn't whether he's trash or whether the Celtics were right to take out the trash ... the issue is where does he rank .vs. the other trash around the league and other stuff like is he willing to accept a trash contract, or is he happy to collect the vet min he was already given.
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Re: Enes Kanter Freedom: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released.. 

Post#120 » by queridiculo » Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:19 pm

BrianFitz wrote:
MrBigShot wrote:First of all, I'm just going to mention that Enes Kanter called being on Tucker Carlson the best day of his life, who is one of the most racist dudes you'll find on television these days. Enes also said that he loves America and people should not be complaining and criticizing it as a country, which is laughably ironic considering being able to criticize your country and government freely is precisely what his home country of Turkey does not have.

Now that that's out of the way, Kanter can put up points and grab rebounds but he is absolutely atrocious defensively. Well duh if you are a role player teams will be less likely to put up with whatever headaches you cause off the court. It's nice that he speaks up about social issues but at a certain point its too much, the sneakers of lebron bowing to china isn't the kind of distraction and nba team needs. And as shameful as lebron's response to china was, he's still done more good for social issues than Kanter ever will.


Typical lefty garbage. Tucker Carlson is amazing and it doesn't make him racist because he says things you don't agree with. Get a grip.


Yeah, I mean, I don't agree with Iraq being filled with semi-literate primitive monkeys for example, not a racist.

Replacement theory? Not a racist.

Calling immigrants dirty? Not a racist.

Implying that the only thing qualifying Ketanji Brown is the color of here skin. Not racist.

Carlson is a true working class hero that tells it like it is.

Amazing!

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