RETURNING: What Happens in Vegas, Gets Blogged Here
Mar 8, 2016 2:49:05 GMT -5
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Post by TrailDucker on Mar 8, 2016 2:49:05 GMT -5
Welcome everybody. Some of you may remember this publication six years ago when the team was originally moved from New Jersey to Las Vegas before the NBA's big realignment draft where every player was available in a league wide draft. Unfortunately the chief editor of this blog developed a big gambling problem leading to many bookies having bounties out for him and the failed fake death attempt to look like he was killed by in a fire at our previous headquarters. He ended up overestimating the amount of gasoline he would need and the explosion killed him and burned all previous records of our blog. It has been unfortunate our passionate fan base hasn't had a place to get the insight they deserve on their team.
Well, allow me to reintroduce the "What Happens in Vegas, gets Blogged Here" where you can find all of your updated news on your Las Vegas Love!
SINCE WE'VE BEEN GONE
The Love have had an interesting six years to say the least. The initial two were exciting years filled with a lot of wins and two trips to the NBA Championship only to go home empty handed both times.
The next two years were filled with the same hope but ultimately injuries derailed the team late both years leading to two first round exits at the hands of the Cavaliers and The Oaks. The team GM, former NBA player Clifford Robinson, then decided to dramatically blow up the team and go with a youth movement. Every single player from the previous season was moved for draft picks leading to five first round and three second round draft pick selections in 2014 and four first round and one second round selection in 2015. The team also informed coach George Karl in the summer of 2014 they won't be renewing his expired contract. In an unprecedented move GM "Uncle Cliffy" reached across sports lines and hired Philadelphia Eagle and former University of Oregon Football head coach Chip Kelly. When asked about the move he stated "Chip Kelly is an innovator in his sport and I believe that creative innovation can cross over into basketball. His high octane flowing offense will be a beast to try and contain on the basketball court just as it is on the football field." The move was heavily scrutinized and an immense gamble by the team.
YEAR FROM HELL
With a team full of rookies and sophomores and a rookie coach, the 2014/2015 season was looking rough going in. Things only got worse when 14 minutes into the season opener, 5th overall pick Julius Randle broke his tibia causing him to miss the rest of the season. The team would not win a single game during that season l, which caused great angst amount the Love fans. Fans and media alike called for the firing of coach Kelly while GM Robinson was never available for comment because he was busy filming 'Survivor' in the Philippines. Kelly's stand offish demeanor towards the media didn't help and led to many local smear campaigns versus the coach. When Robinson returned the fans were worried their team was in disarray and Clifford asked them to "trust the process." Addressing calls for Kelly's firing Robinson said "no coach could sustain a winning record with such a young and unproven team! We don't know still what we have in Kelly as a coach he deserves to get a team built around him to show it."
Going into the next season with the number one pick, fans were again scratching their head when GM Robinson traded a top performer from the last season Bojan Bogdonovic for more draft picks and again early in the season trading the undisputed top performer from last year in Jusif Nurkic for promising but inconsistent Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Despite the lingering concerns the fans saw glimmers of hope early in the new season. The biggest source of hope was the #1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, who boasted abilities that had shades of an Anthony Davis-lite before ever stepping on the court. The thought of him and Julius Randle together manning the middle excited fans of the possibilities for this team. Losing fan favorites like Bogdonovic and Nurkic were difficult to swallow at first, but the fans agreed in shipping underperforming rookie Nik Stouskas and eventually Mudiay began to gain consistency to show he can be a very vital piece in the teams future. After a lack luster rookie year Gary Harris became an affective Swiss Army knife for the team proving he wasn't a wasted pick. As the season progressed, Randel Hollis-Jefferson and Joseph Young had flashes of great play as well but it was Devin Booker breaking out near the half point in the season becoming the true Robin to Town's Batman. Unfortunately, the injury bug hit the team in Mudiay and Hollis-Jefferson but they still fought with admirable effort every night. The Love were projected to only have 1 win on the season (Seattle) and ended with 5, including a final week win over Portland knocking them out of the playoffs.
With a starting line up of Mudiay, Booker, Hollis-Jefferson, Randle and probable Rookie of the Year Towns with Young and Harris manning the bench and the possibility of Dario Saric finally coming over from Europe, the Love fans are excited for what this team can be in 2016/2017. As Chip Kelly said when asked about his thoughts on the next season "Every night you better believe we're gonna go fast, we're gonna go hard, we're gonna go fast and did I mention we're gonna go fast? We are not going to be an easy team to beat."
I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely feeling The Love!
Well, allow me to reintroduce the "What Happens in Vegas, gets Blogged Here" where you can find all of your updated news on your Las Vegas Love!
SINCE WE'VE BEEN GONE
The Love have had an interesting six years to say the least. The initial two were exciting years filled with a lot of wins and two trips to the NBA Championship only to go home empty handed both times.
The next two years were filled with the same hope but ultimately injuries derailed the team late both years leading to two first round exits at the hands of the Cavaliers and The Oaks. The team GM, former NBA player Clifford Robinson, then decided to dramatically blow up the team and go with a youth movement. Every single player from the previous season was moved for draft picks leading to five first round and three second round draft pick selections in 2014 and four first round and one second round selection in 2015. The team also informed coach George Karl in the summer of 2014 they won't be renewing his expired contract. In an unprecedented move GM "Uncle Cliffy" reached across sports lines and hired Philadelphia Eagle and former University of Oregon Football head coach Chip Kelly. When asked about the move he stated "Chip Kelly is an innovator in his sport and I believe that creative innovation can cross over into basketball. His high octane flowing offense will be a beast to try and contain on the basketball court just as it is on the football field." The move was heavily scrutinized and an immense gamble by the team.
YEAR FROM HELL
With a team full of rookies and sophomores and a rookie coach, the 2014/2015 season was looking rough going in. Things only got worse when 14 minutes into the season opener, 5th overall pick Julius Randle broke his tibia causing him to miss the rest of the season. The team would not win a single game during that season l, which caused great angst amount the Love fans. Fans and media alike called for the firing of coach Kelly while GM Robinson was never available for comment because he was busy filming 'Survivor' in the Philippines. Kelly's stand offish demeanor towards the media didn't help and led to many local smear campaigns versus the coach. When Robinson returned the fans were worried their team was in disarray and Clifford asked them to "trust the process." Addressing calls for Kelly's firing Robinson said "no coach could sustain a winning record with such a young and unproven team! We don't know still what we have in Kelly as a coach he deserves to get a team built around him to show it."
Going into the next season with the number one pick, fans were again scratching their head when GM Robinson traded a top performer from the last season Bojan Bogdonovic for more draft picks and again early in the season trading the undisputed top performer from last year in Jusif Nurkic for promising but inconsistent Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Despite the lingering concerns the fans saw glimmers of hope early in the new season. The biggest source of hope was the #1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, who boasted abilities that had shades of an Anthony Davis-lite before ever stepping on the court. The thought of him and Julius Randle together manning the middle excited fans of the possibilities for this team. Losing fan favorites like Bogdonovic and Nurkic were difficult to swallow at first, but the fans agreed in shipping underperforming rookie Nik Stouskas and eventually Mudiay began to gain consistency to show he can be a very vital piece in the teams future. After a lack luster rookie year Gary Harris became an affective Swiss Army knife for the team proving he wasn't a wasted pick. As the season progressed, Randel Hollis-Jefferson and Joseph Young had flashes of great play as well but it was Devin Booker breaking out near the half point in the season becoming the true Robin to Town's Batman. Unfortunately, the injury bug hit the team in Mudiay and Hollis-Jefferson but they still fought with admirable effort every night. The Love were projected to only have 1 win on the season (Seattle) and ended with 5, including a final week win over Portland knocking them out of the playoffs.
With a starting line up of Mudiay, Booker, Hollis-Jefferson, Randle and probable Rookie of the Year Towns with Young and Harris manning the bench and the possibility of Dario Saric finally coming over from Europe, the Love fans are excited for what this team can be in 2016/2017. As Chip Kelly said when asked about his thoughts on the next season "Every night you better believe we're gonna go fast, we're gonna go hard, we're gonna go fast and did I mention we're gonna go fast? We are not going to be an easy team to beat."
I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely feeling The Love!