Mo Swag

[closg00]

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[FAH1223]

Another Lakers big man dumped for cap relief.

Zubac claimed by the Clippers. Jerry West was like "WTF" when the Lakers got rid of him.
Bryant claimed on waivers a year ago by the Wizards, providing a seismic shift in the East

And now Wagner... who the Wiz liked last summer before the draft.

It's too bad he also plays no defense.

[FAH1223]

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[payitforward]

I spent two weeks in Berlin last November. No, it is nothing like Washington DC.

Well... ok it's more like Washington DC than like Los Angeles. But, that's about as far as I can go.

[closg00]

I spent two weeks in Berlin last November. No, it is nothing like Washington DC.

Well... ok it's more like Washington DC than like Los Angeles. But, that's about as far as I can go.

I may be going to Berlin this Fall, do you recommend a visit? Thx

[Ruzious]

Another Lakers big man dumped for cap relief.

Zubac claimed by the Clippers. Jerry West was like "WTF" when the Lakers got rid of him.
Bryant claimed on waivers a year ago by the Wizards, providing a seismic shift in the East

And now Wagner... who the Wiz liked last summer before the draft.

It's too bad he also plays no defense.

In addition to those bigs, they lost both Brook Lopez and Julius Randle last offseason for nada - almost like... magic.

[closg00]

Another Lakers big man dumped for cap relief.

Zubac claimed by the Clippers. Jerry West was like "WTF" when the Lakers got rid of him.
Bryant claimed on waivers a year ago by the Wizards, providing a seismic shift in the East

And now Wagner... who the Wiz liked last summer before the draft.

It's too bad he also plays no defense.

In addition to those bigs, they lost both Brook Lopez and Julius Randle last offseason for nada - almost like... magic.

The Lakers traded-away anther Center who is doing well on another team.

Tony Bradley, Utah Jazz
The second-year center has been a steady performer for the Jazz all summer and continued that against Portland. He came up clutch late with a pair of free throws to seal the win as he finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. The Jazz could use some frontcourt depth and Bradley could be making his case for more minutes this season.

[ShazamDaShiznt]

Zimmerman supporter. Not sure if this type of guy would be good for locker room.



Send him some DC goons

[nate33]

Wagner was a 14 year old kid living in Germany at the time. It's doubtful that he was paying very much attention to this issue.

Also, there's this:

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[payitforward]

I spent two weeks in Berlin last November. No, it is nothing like Washington DC.

Well... ok it's more like Washington DC than like Los Angeles. But, that's about as far as I can go.

I may be going to Berlin this Fall, do you recommend a visit? Thx

Absolutely! One of the great cities.

[overtheborder]

Just listened to his interview on the Off The Bench podcast, seems like a real team player and a positive influence in the locker room. If he steps up on the court he seems like a positive signing.

[payitforward]

Unfortunately, Mo is not much of a player at the NBA level.

Right now, it might still be possible to get a R2 pick for him -- definitely what I'd be trying to do.

[Jaekast]

This guy doesn't deserve his own thread.

[nate33]

Unfortunately, Mo is not much of a player at the NBA level.

Right now, it might still be possible to get a R2 pick for him -- definitely what I'd be trying to do.

I'm inclined to agree.

The one thing that gives me some hope is that big men, particularly system bigs, usually suck in Summer League. Wagner's Summer League suckiness may not portend regular season suckiness. (Though certainly his rookie year suckiness was not encouraging.)

All that said, given the general availability of competent big men these days, I don't see much reason to spend the time and resources developing Wagner when his upside is that of a backup stretch big. You can find those guys on vet minimum contracts easily now. Just get Khem Birch. Or heck, grab Joakim Noah, or Tyson Chandler, or Amir Johnson or Kosta Koufos.

[queridiculo]

I spent two weeks in Berlin last November. No, it is nothing like Washington DC.

Well... ok it's more like Washington DC than like Los Angeles. But, that's about as far as I can go.

I may be going to Berlin this Fall, do you recommend a visit? Thx

Berlin is a big sprawling place.

By population it's twice as big as the next biggest city Hamburg, so if you're going to go it makes sense to have a clear idea of what you want to get out of the place. It's going to to dictate where you're going to stay at as getting around the city can be a mid intimidating when using public transportation.

Berlin also has a tendency to look/feel very dreary when it's cold and rainy outside, so if you plan on going early to late September fine, a bit later and you may miss out on some of the outdoorsie charm.

If I had to try to explain Berlin I'd say the vibe is closest to New York sans Manhattan and transported back in time by a good 10-15 years.

The city has forever struggled with finances so it's got a certain grit to it.

For somebody there for the first time I'd recommend staying in Berlin-Mitte.

Charlottenburg, Moabit, Mitte, Tiergarten, Prenzlauer Berg, Pankow, Friedrichs-Hain, Kreuzberg and Schöneberg are the neighborhoods worth checking out in no particular order.

In terms of dining, whenever I am there I find myself skipping traditional German cuisine in favor of some of the authentic foreign culinary choices the place has to offer.

From a quick Döner to authentic Chinese, Korean, or Middle-Eastern cuisine there are quite a few places that won't leave you disappointed.

My personal favorites:

Baraka Egyptian - Moroccan amazing Tajin
Kimchi Princess - Korean BBQ & traditional food
Good Friends - Cantonese/Chinese

Try the Currywurst, it's a Berlin staple and if you're going to have one or two or more, check out Konnopke's Imbiss. It's been around since the 1930s and they've been selling those things since back then.

[closg00]

I spent two weeks in Berlin last November. No, it is nothing like Washington DC.

Well... ok it's more like Washington DC than like Los Angeles. But, that's about as far as I can go.

I may be going to Berlin this Fall, do you recommend a visit? Thx

Berlin is a big sprawling place.

By population it's twice as big as the next biggest city Hamburg, so if you're going to go it makes sense to have a clear idea of what you want to get out of the place. It's going to to dictate where you're going to stay at as getting around the city can be a mid intimidating when using public transportation.

Berlin also has a tendency to look/feel very dreary when it's cold and rainy outside, so if you plan on going early to late September fine, a bit later and you may miss out on some of the outdoorsie charm.

If I had to try to explain Berlin I'd say the vibe is closest to New York sans Manhattan and transported back in time by a good 10-15 years.

The city has forever struggled with finances so it's got a certain grit to it.

For somebody there for the first time I'd recommend staying in Berlin-Mitte.

Charlottenburg, Moabit, Mitte, Tiergarten, Prenzlauer Berg, Pankow, Friedrichs-Hain, Kreuzberg and Schöneberg are the neighborhoods worth checking out in no particular order.

In terms of dining, whenever I am there I find myself skipping traditional German cuisine in favor of some of the authentic foreign culinary choices the place has to offer.

From a quick Döner to authentic Chinese, Korean, or Middle-Eastern cuisine there are quite a few places that won't leave you disappointed.

My personal favorites:

Baraka Egyptian - Moroccan amazing Tajin
Kimchi Princess - Korean BBQ & traditional food
Good Friends - Cantonese/Chinese

Try the Currywurst, it's a Berlin staple and if you're going to have one or two or more, check out Konnopke's Imbiss. It's been around since the 1930s and they've been selling those things since back then.

Wow, Thank you for all of that detail, I have two friends living there now and I keep hearing how amazing it is, but NYC without Manhattan a decade ago sounds so bleak.

[BigA]

Berlin has a number of outstanding museums, including the Pergamon and the Neues.

[queridiculo]

It’s a bit bleak but that’s also part of the charm. Where in most other German metro areas cost of living is quite high, Berlin is still a bit more affordable so its neighborhoods aren’t quite as gentrified.

Also gave the place a bit of a playground/anarcho vibe where people were able to experiment quite a bit without bankrupting themselves around the turn of the century.

Huge club scene as a result of it if that’s your thing

These days reality is catching up with the city and everything is becoming a bit more square, but it’s still a pretty big draw for people all over Europe.

[payitforward]

Most of Berlin was East Berlin (part of East Germany) before the wall came down, & when the wall did come down the city immediately began to turn into a no-holds-barred center of bohemian artsy culture. Because it was both incredibly cheap & one of the great historical cities of Europe, people moved there in droves from all over the world, especially young people. That's the source of the "playground/anarcho vibe" queridiculo notes -- & of the club scene as well.

It's not cheap anymore, the young people have all become middle-aged. Not much is left of that era except things that remind you of it.

When I'm in Berlin I stay in Prenzlauer Berg, & I love the neighborhood. Although I don't particularly agree with the complicated NY comparison above, PB really is a lot like Brooklyn. For hundreds of years, it was the "artsy, bohemian" neighborhood of Brooklyn. Not even 40 years of Communist rule was able to wipe that out. OTOH, it took "international capitalism" only a couple of decades to get the job done, & now PB is like Brooklyn, you bet -- i.e. gentrified! It's full of moms on bikes with their kids. You can eat any kind of cuisine in its restaurants. English is spoken almost as much as German. I would expect myself to hate it, but actually I love it!

An American friend of mine, a techy whom I mentored for years (but now we're just good friends), moved to Berlin in @2002 & found a small (ex-East Berlin) rent-controlled apartment. He doesn't live there any more, but he keeps it for when his Mom visits & for friends. That's where I stay. It is incredibly primitive in ways an American would find hard to believe & even harder to live with. OTOH, it's got 12 foot ceilings & a balcony. I absolutely love it.

The French have a phrase, "nostalgie de la boue" (nostalgia for the mud -- i.e. the ooze or swamp -- from which one emerged), which fully describes the source of my pleasure in the place. It reminds me of the broke, young bohemian I no longer am.

Once, long ago, I lived in a single room, a maid's room, in Paris. It was an 8th floor walkup, perhaps 90 square feet in all, with a cold water sink & a mattress on the floor. A single light bulb hung from a wire. To get to the pissoir/crapper you walked all the way around the narrow hall to the end of the building. The room had one dormer window, & when you opened it & looked out into the brilliant blue freezing night, it was Paris that you saw. I'd go back there in a minute. I'd give anything to go back there.

But of course there's no way back. Not even for a visit. For starters, I would be unable to climb 8 floors to get to the place I lived. Still... it was great (not that I knew it at the time!).

[trast66]

Cut by German national team.