Everything Masai Ujiri

[Tmac2darak]

https://www.thestar.com/amp/sports/r...ud-report.html
Sheriff’s deputy behind Masai Ujiri lawsuit was convicted of insurance fraud: report

[G__Deane]

https://www.thestar.com/amp/sports/r...ud-report.html
Sheriff’s deputy behind Masai Ujiri lawsuit was convicted of insurance fraud: report

Probably doing it again with his latest "injuries"

[Jclaw]

Wasn't sure which thread to post in but this might be the one. I was listening to an old podcast (Malcolm Gladwell) where he was talking about Wilt Chamberlain. It's about 4 years old so maybe the story has already been told. While the broad concept was about Wilt, the bulk of it was "why do some good ideas go unused". It talked about the fact that during Wilt's 100 pf game, he went 28 for 32 on free throws. For his career he shot 51% on free throws. But, for that game, he shot free throws underhand. Rick Barry was also interviewed (shot all his free throws underhand). The overall statement is that shooting underhand is the more efficient way to shoot but players are embarrassed to do this. The podcast then went on to talk about there often needs to be a critical mass of people doing something for someone else to consider doing it. Teams are always looking to exploit market inefficiencies. What if Masai or Nick just said "if you're a Raptor, you shoot your free throws underhanded". Here's looking at you Pascal in the final minutes of game 3 against the Bucks. Could this every happen? We've been known to be janky before

[GOLDBLUM]

Wasn't sure which thread to post in but this might be the one. I was listening to an old podcast (Malcolm Gladwell) where he was talking about Wilt Chamberlain. It's about 4 years old so maybe the story has already been told. While the broad concept was about Wilt, the bulk of it was "why do some good ideas go unused". It talked about the fact that during Wilt's 100 pf game, he went 28 for 32 on free throws. For his career he shot 51% on free throws. But, for that game, he shot free throws underhand. Rick Barry was also interviewed (shot all his free throws underhand). The overall statement is that shooting underhand is the more efficient way to shoot but players are embarrassed to do this. The podcast then went on to talk about there often needs to be a critical mass of people doing something for someone else to consider doing it. Teams are always looking to exploit market inefficiencies. What if Masai or Nick just said "if you're a Raptor, you shoot your free throws underhanded". Here's looking at you Pascal in the final minutes of game 3 against the Bucks. Could this every happen? We've been known to be janky before

That’d be awesome.
Raptors repeat as Champs with the underhanded tactic of underhanded free-throws.

The jankiest Back to Back of all.

Hope you’re reading this, Nick.

[Puffer]

If this pandemic thing starts looking like it isn't being brought to a significant close, we're going to have to put Masai in charge of the Canadian effort. He's not a virus expert, but he IS a systems guy and pattern recognition expert with excellent management skills. He's not afraid to make big trades and is attracted to talent. This may mean that some of the country's top players will be moved, just to open up some flexibility. But sometimes, that's what has to be done.

[G__Deane]

If this pandemic thing starts looking like it isn't being brought to a significant close, we're going to have to put Masai in charge of the Canadian effort. He's not a virus expert, but he IS a systems guy and pattern recognition expert with excellent management skills. He's not afraid to make big trades and is attracted to talent. This may mean that some of the country's top players will be moved, just to open up some flexibility. But sometimes, that's what has to be done.

I'd give Masai the unlimited power to spend before any in our current government

[Puffer]

I'd give Masai the unlimited power to spend before any in our current government

At least he has demonstrated incredible competence in a significant position. Have many federal or provincial leaders done the same? None come to mind.

[Puffer]

Not directly about Masai, but related to the growth of basketball in Africa, a good article from SI about the exploitation of young African prospects who are looking to live their dream.

https://www.si.com/nba/2020/03/27/nb...rs-trafficking

[G__Deane]

This gets weirder and weirder lol Masai Ujiri alleges he was assaulted by deputy at NBA Finals

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball...suit-1.5521218

[KeonClark]

Today's reminder that even the great Spurs are no match for Masai. The list is long of embarrassed front offices.

Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors

The Spurs’ haul: DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, a 2019 protected first-round pick (conveyed at no. 29, Keldon Johnson). (The Spurs also gave up Danny Green in the deal.)

The broader takeaway: Focusing on the short term can be devastating.

There are cautionary tales, and then there’s this: a catastrophic blunder made by one of the most accomplished franchises in all of professional sports. It defies logic to this day. Even with all of the extenuating circumstances involved (Kawhi’s injury, Kawhi’s free agency, Kawhi’s reportedly icy relations with the Spurs ...), there isn’t any justification for downgrading this significantly without adjusting course. Teams can more easily work out mutually beneficial deals when their goals are misaligned—say, when one team is looking to contend and the other to rebuild. San Antonio instead chose to chase a lesser version of what it already had, and accepted one of the stranger return packages for a superstar in modern NBA history.

Through great scouting and even better developmental processes, the Spurs found a generational superstar to succeed Tim Duncan. Then, they traded him without getting so much as a single blue-chip prospect in return—Spurs contrarianism pushed well beyond its limit. If this deal teaches us anything, it’s that teams with great, available talent can sometimes behave counterintuitively. Best interests are impressionistic. What seems right for a franchise might not seem right to its star, its coach, its general manager, or its owner. There is a balance of those viewpoints that can be healthy. Miscalculate, however, and a storied franchise can have its worst season in 23 years.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/5...-anthony-davis

[inthepaint]

Today's reminder that even the great Spurs are no match for Masai. The list is long of embarrassed front offices.



https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/5...-anthony-davis

All that is true, but also a lot easier to say now, after knowing Kawhi was able to play a full playoff run (albeit with a lot of load management in the regular season), and be the best player on the team that went on to win the title. It seems like eons ago, but at the time of the trade, Kawhi was seen as a disgruntled player with an unknown chronic injury, hadn't played in a year, had some locker room friction with some of his teammates, and would be a rental desperate to go to LA.

So teams weren't necessarily lining up to give a guys like Klay Thompson, Donovan Mitchel, Beal, Tatum, Jokic, Butler or even a Ben Simmons for a player in those circumstances. Matter of fact if the Spurs had put their foot down asking for Siakam in the deal we may have balked as well. So I think the Spurs actually ended up the getting the best package they could get for an injured rental that didn't want to play there or anywhere else other than LA long term.

Of course if teams (including the Spurs) knew then what they know now, then the offers would have been a lot different and we probably wouldn't have got him. I also think that if we had lost to Philly in that second round and had Kawhi bolt right after, we'd be rebuilding right now and musing about what long term assets we could have got for our all-star in Derozan. So I think Masai was great for taking the risk, but also very lucky given the way it all turned out.

[bertarapsfan]

I dunno. The spurs could have had ball and Ingram plus maybe hart or kuzma. But pop doesnt do deals with L.A and wanted to keep making the playoffs. Ingram is now probably just as good as demar and has youth and room for improvement. If I'm a spurs fans I definitely am second guessing g the deal

[KeonClark]

All that is true, but also a lot easier to say now, after knowing Kawhi was able to play a full playoff run (albeit with a lot of load management in the regular season), and be the best player on the team that went on to win the title. It seems like eons ago, but at the time of the trade, Kawhi was seen as a disgruntled player with an unknown chronic injury, hadn't played in a year, had some locker room friction with some of his teammates, and would be a rental desperate to go to LA.

So teams weren't necessarily lining up to give a guys like Klay Thompson, Donovan Mitchel, Beal, Tatum, Jokic, Butler or even a Ben Simmons for a player in those circumstances. Matter of fact if the Spurs had put their foot down asking for Siakam in the deal we may have balked as well. So I think the Spurs actually ended up the getting the best package they could get for an injured rental that didn't want to play there or anywhere else other than LA long term.

Of course if teams (including the Spurs) knew then what they know now, then the offers would have been a lot different and we probably wouldn't have got him. I also think that if we had lost to Philly in that second round and had Kawhi bolt right after, we'd be rebuilding right now and musing about what long term assets we could have got for our all-star in Derozan. So I think Masai was great for taking the risk, but also very lucky given the way it all turned out.

I dunno, if you're asking me (and many others) on the day of the trade, I was suprised we got him that cheap and there wasnt more bidders. Sure there were many unknowns, but I knew he was better than harden, better than Westbrook and them, potentially the best player in the world. It was always a risk worth taking. I was willing to give them OG and another pick too

[G__Deane]

I also think that if we had lost to Philly in that second round and had Kawhi bolt right after, we'd be rebuilding right now and musing about what long term assets we could have got for our all-star in Derozan. So I think Masai was great for taking the risk, but also very lucky given the way it all turned out.

100%
Sometimes only 20/20 hindsight proves a trade fantastic or disastrous. Personally, I would have done the trade even if Philly had bounced us with Kawhi....because they sure would have with DeMar.

[The Great One]

Masai Ujiri coming to Toronto has got to be one of the best things to ever happen in Canadian sports history. This guy is the most important figure in Raptors franchise history. Jerry Krause has a banner hanging from the rafters at the the UC. Masai deserves to have his own banner one day and a statue outside of ACC.