Yardbarker: Vladimir Radmanovic

All the Kings' men might no longer include Artest

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:07:37 -0500

LAS VEGAS – He still answers to Ron these days, even though he recently told a Sacramento radio station he'd prefer to be called Bill. He's still as affable off the court as he is ferocious on it, and, yes, he's still a Sacramento King, enough so that he hopped a flight here from New York to help cheer on the franchise's summer-league team. For a change, though, Ron Artest isn't talking. At least he wasn't saying anything of substance Saturday afternoon. No trade demands. No complaining about the Kings not committing to him. No regrets about not opting out of his contract. No…comment. What are your thoughts on your future with the Kings? "No comment." Do you want to have a future with the Kings? "No comment." If you could be with any team next season who would it be? "No comment." New York Mets cap pulled low, smile stretched across his face, Artest sounded apologetic for not being more cooperative. "Seriously, I don't know what my future is," he said. "I don't know, really, so I can't say anything." Check back in 12 hours, or five minutes, for that matter. Ron-Ron changes his mind by the tick-tock of the clock. He wants to be traded. He wants to be a King for life. He's opting out of his contract. No, he's not. Artest has many skills, decisiveness not among them. That's not a knock on Artest. It's a fact. He's said enough and he'll probably say some more, but his opinion no longer matters. Eventually, someone is going to call with the right offer and eventually the Kings are going to trade him. Just like in Chicago and Indiana, Artest has become more valuable for Sacramento to move than keep. The Kings don't seem to be in a rush. Nor should they be. As free-agency options dry up, more teams look to trades to strengthen their roster. Even if the Kings have to wait until closer to the trade deadline, some contender will likely be willing to roll the dice on Artest. When healthy and motivated, he can dominate on both ends of the floor. His contract is more than affordable ($7.4 million) and he'll be a free agent at the end of the season, which has a few GMs thinking he'll also try to fit in and behave, at least for a few months. Already, the Los Angeles Lakers have inquired about Artest, according to a report in The Sacramento Bee, and there might not be a more logical destination. Exposed by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, the Lakers need to get tougher and better defensively. Swapping Artest for Lamar Odom, who wilted as much as any Laker during the Finals, would be an upgrade in both areas. Phil Jackson won three titles with Dennis Rodman, so he's accustomed to dealing with non-conformists, as well as extraterrestrials, if one is to believe Jackson's nickname for Vladimir Radmanovic: My Favorite Martian. Artest, too, has been accused of being from another planet. As for any ego concerns, not even Artest is bold enough to challenge Kobe Bryant's authority in the locker room. That's not to say Artest would be a perfect fit. At least one scout thinks the Lakers would be foolish to give up Odom, saying his length and versatility create too many matchup problems for opponents. Odom is the better rebounder and passer, and though Artest certainly is a more dependable three-point threat, he can be a ground-and-pound ball-stopper on offense. The Lakers also would be wise to wait as long as possible to see how their young center, Andrew Bynum, recovers from knee surgery. If Bynum continues to labor, the Lakers may very well need Odom's size next to Pau Gasol. Still, Jackson and Bryant can be sure of one thing: Artest isn't going to curl up in the fetal position just because Kevin Garnett cursed at him. The Kings also would want the Lakers to take on Kenny Thomas and his contract's remaining two years and $17.3 million. But with the Lakers also apparently hedging on matching Golden State's four-year, $17 million offer for Ronny Turiaf that might not be as big an issue as previously thought. As the Bee's Sam Amick wrote, "It's the price of doing business if they want to acquire the underpaid Artest." There's an old rule in professional sports that if you're going to make a trade, you better make one that doesn't help your rival. These days, though, the Kings and Lakers aren't rivals, no matter how much bitter history covers the 400 miles of I-5 interstate between them. The Lakers are coming off an appearance in the NBA Finals; Sacramento won 38 games and figures to again have a tough time qualifying for the playoffs, with or without Artest. The Kings have the potential to be major players in the expansive 2010 free-agent market. Shedding Thomas' contract (along with Odom's) could give them the option of reloading a year sooner, if they desire. And if the Kings choose not to deal with the Lakers? They should have at least a few more options. The Phoenix Suns had interest in Artest at last season's trade deadline. The San Antonio Spurs also are intrigued, but they don't have enough to offer to make a serious bid. "I like his talent. I like his competitiveness. I like his contract," one GM said of Artest. "But there's always a risk with him." Artest's erratic behavior has often overshadowed his talent, and it's been no different with the Kings. He decided not to opt out of his contract two weeks ago then emailed the Bee and ESPN.com to say he made a mistake after watching Baron Davis and Elton Brand land lucrative longterm deals. Artest claimed to have been misled to believe the Kings considered him an important piece of their future. He later tried to clarify his comments. And last week he told a Sacramento radio station he wanted everyone to start referring to him by his middle name: William. So where does that leave Artest now? Does he want to stay with the Kings? Or not? "No comment." Artest smiled. Saying nothing sometimes says enough.

Boom Dizzle Is My New Hero (Fer Shizzle)

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:07:56 -0500

Word on the street (Marc Stein - ESPN, to be specific & The LA Times) is that Baron Davis is leaving A WHOLE LOTTA MONEY on the table to sign with THE CLIPPERS (yes, you heard me right) for 5 yrs and $65m. (sooo.. $13m/yr) As you all well know, he could have exercised his (player) option with the Warriors to the tune of $17,180,000. However, in order to retain carry him on their cap at 150% of his 07-08 salary which equates to $24,660,000. (which, BY THE WAY, is more than Kobe makes, LOL). That left GSW with limited options if they were to keep him and who wants to stay somewhere they're not wanted and can't get playing time (exhibit A: Final Game Of The Season When Nelly Benched Him). SOOOOO ... Boom Dizzle leaves a whole lot on the table says "Call Me A Clipper" to the tune of about HALF what he could have made if he'd have stayed at The GSW. For what it's worth, I think this is a terrific move for him because he can turn anyone into a star. Look what he did for Monta Ellis! And now he will have the support of Phenom Eric Gordon (or as Petros Papadakis calls him "Long Winded Gordon" LOL) I think this could be a new era for the Down & Out Clippers. For soooo long they've been the redheaded stepchildren in Los Angeles basketball and I think they might just have something worth watching if this deal goes through. The Lakers, on the other hand, are probably going to be stuck with the same tired squad that couldn't get it outta first in the Finals unless my dream comes true and they trade Lamar & Vladi (and maybe Mihm, if he's actually DESIRED) for someone tough (AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, CONSISTENT) like Antonio McDyess. I'm proud of Baron Davis. It's not often that you actually see "The Love Of The Game" and not the "Love Of The Money For PLAYING The Game" demonstrated and he clearly wants to be somewhere that he'll make a difference no matter what it costs him. HOORAY FOR BOOM DIZZLE...... FER SHIZZLE. :-) (Sidenote: Kat, looks like you'll have to come to my hood to get your fill now! LOL)

Some Post Post-Season Thoughts

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:02:14 -0500

So at the beginning of the season, I was referring to the Boston Celtics as the NBA Champion Boston Celtics, not because I believed they were going to win the championship, but because just about every media outlet had them as the champion before the season had even started. Needless to say, I proved once again why I don't work at any of those major media outlets as a sports writer, but that being said, I still believe that if the Pistons had been healthy (Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups), they would have taken the Celtics. Anyway, I'm not upset that the Celtics won, I'm always happy when the champ comes from the East, I'm just still not completely convinced that they were the best team this year. It doesn't really matter, because they are the team holding the trophy (which could be the ugliest trophy in sports). One of the things that I hope will FINALLY be put to bed is all of the Kobe-Jordan comparisons. The Celtics shut Kobe down a lot easier than I thought was possible, to the point where you didn't even notice when Kobe was on the floor. It didn't matter who was on him, he got shut down repeatedly. Even when he started to look like he was going to put things together, Doc Rivers made the appropriate switches to shut him back down. The thing about Jordan was that he had a good supporting cast, but when his teammates weren't pulling their weight, he would simply take things over by himself. When Phil Jackson was interviewed during one halftime, he was asked about Kobe's performance and he said that they were going to need Kobe to carry them in the second half. We just didn't see that. Now whether that it completely attributed to the Celtics D is up for debate, but whether it was the D, Kobe just having some bad games or a combination of both, Kobe just didn't do what he was supposed to do: lead his team. Maybe Shaq was right, Kobe can't win without him. As far as coaching goes, we saw Doc go between using his D to fight through pick and rolls and subsequently switch on them, we saw his team get rough with Kobe when they had to and we saw them just simply outmuscle guys (hello? Gasol) inside. Through the sounds of the NBA, we were able to listen to Doc give talks during timeouts that were more inspirational than strategic, while others were completely X's and O's. You have to love the fact that when the Celtics were being routed early in games, Doc used his timeouts wisely, not so much to stop the bleeding, but to keep his team's focus. So with all of the talk that we always hear from various media outlets about Phil Jackson being a genius, I have to be the soundboard for the collective WTF? How do you blow those kinds of leads in the NBA Finals? THE FINALS! I mean, those blown leads were Raptoresque. Even Sam Mitchell was sitting back in his chair saying, "Wow, that guy should be fired." Why were the Lakers jacking the ball up so much when they had those big leads? Why were they not using the clock? Why didn't Phil call some timeouts and ask his team what they were doing shooting early in the clock? Why in God's name could he not see that Radmanovic was being outplayed on both ends of the court on a consistent basis? I mean, sure, Radmanovic is known as one of those players who can win the game for either team, but in the series, he was only killing the Lakers. His consistent playing time was mind boggling. On a final note, I have to say that I was hoping that anybody other than Paul Pierce was going to win the MVP. His exit and subsequent return from his life-threatening knee injury was embarrassing. This was on the "drunk uncle singing at the wedding" level. Seeing him carried off and then come back in a few minutes was so brutal, I thought he should have played the rest of the game in a Del Piero jersey (go Spain!). To then see him running up and down the court, hitting threes and jumping up and down on the sidelines made me sick. Somewhere Tim Donaghy was saying, "What has the NBA come to?" Oh well, now on to the draft season. Raptors should be busy…

WHAT THESE NBA PLAYOFFS TAUGHT US

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:41:05 -0500

by WCT, The Ship of Fools

This year's NBA postseason was quite a learning experience for basketball fans. We learned that NBA refs fix games (well, this postseason let us further know that NBA refs fix games), and we learned that Boston has some douche-y sports fans. Hmm, maybe these playoffs didn't teach us that much new stuff after all. In any case, even if we knew most of the ancillary stuff that goes along with the NBA, we did learn a lot of actual basketball information. Lets take a quick recap of the on-the-court stuff we learned since the first-round series tipped off way back in February (it was February right? Or does it only seem like it has been that long?)

We can stop with the whole "Kobe=Michael" nonsense - Kobe deserved the MVP award, because it was a regular season award, and Kobe lifted the play of his teammates during the year in a way that no one thought he could. But if you think that Michael Jordan would ever, ever allow his team to be embarrassed by almost 40 points in a close-out game, you're crazy. If you think that Michael would ever, ever allow his team to blow a 20+ point lead in a pivotal Finals game (at home!) you're nuts. Kobe allowed both to take place. In the same series. These playoffs taught us that Kobe probably doesn't even compare to LeBron James. James, with an equally garbage supporting cast (if not worse) pushed the Celtics to 7 games in a hard-fought series. In fact, in the Cavs-Celts series, it took a missed gimme in the final seconds for the Celtics to win game 1, and an other-worldly performance by Paul Pierce for the Celtics to win game 7. Otherwise, that was a very close series. The Lakers, on the other hand, got their doors blown off in the Finals.

Kobe is a great, great player, and there is no shame in not being as good as Michael Jordan. In fact, it is probably unfair that MJ is the measuring stick for Kobe just because they play the same position, and have won a lot of titles under Phil Jackson. But the fact is, those comparisons should stop.

A lot of people were wrong in picking the winner in this series - The ease with which the Celts disposed of the Lakers was a surprise, but the actual outcome should not be. What should be surprising is the number of people that picked the Lakers before the Finals began. The Celtics were the best team in the NBA record-wise for the entire season, and beat LA in their only regular season meetings. Why is everyone so surprised? Most thought that the Celtics record was inflated due to a weak Eastern Conference, which segues perfectly into the next thing we learned...

The Eastern Conference is AT LEAST as good as the West, if not better - For years, conventional NBA wisdom has been, the West is better, the East is weak. All record and accomplishments in the East should come with a disclaimer, blah blah blah. No more my friends. The Lakers series was by far the easiest series the Celtics had to win this postseason. The goddamn Hawks provided more resistance than the Lakers did.

The eventual champs were pushed to 7 games against Atlanta, 7 games against Cleveland, and the 6 game series with Detroit included three single-digit Celtic wins. The Lakers waltzed through a pathetic Denver team, a very good Utah team, and an old-looking group of San Antonio Spurs. The Finals were never in doubt. The Lakers had a historic collapse in game 4, were very lucky to win games 3 & 5, and were absolutely destroyed in game 6. I'm sorry, you can no longer make the argument that the West is better.

The Lakers are soft - First of all, congratulations to the Celtics. They deserve all of the accolades for winning the championship this year, their 17th in the 62 years of their existence (27% of all championships awarded in that time. Not even the Yankees can claim that kind of dominance) and I do not want this rant to take anything away from them.

That said, the way the Celtics pushed the Lakers around inside was laughable. Pau Gasol's scoring went from 22 points per game against Denver, to 14 against Boston (including 11 in game 6), Vladimir Radmanovic is 6-10 and averaged fewer that 5 rebounds per game, Lamar Odom seemed to disappear in the fourth quarters of games, and the "defense" that Sasha Vujacic played on Ray Allen, in the closing seconds of game 4, when the Lakers absolutely positively needed a stop, was a disgrace. Without so much as a crossover dribble, Allen blew by Vujacic like he was nailed to the floor. The Celtics embarrassed the Lakers for the better part of the entire 6 game series.

Celtics Dominate, Win 17th Championship

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:19:08 -0500

Somewhere Red Auerbach is smiling and lighting up a victory cigar. The Celtics delivered a beatdown of epic proportions Tuesday night to win their record seventeenth NBA championship, and first in 22 years. This year's final match-up was billed as a rebirth of the classic East Coast-West Coast rivalry that captivated the country in the 1980s, but turned into a lopsided affair dominated by the Boston defense.

NBA Finals: Six Players to Watch for Next Season

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 07:55:38 -0500

With the NBA Finals nearing a close, Screaming Sports' Serena Hays has decided to take a look at several players on each team that may have a significant fantasy impact next season. She avoids the obvious and examines six potential studs that you need to keep an eye on.

Sasha Vujacic as "The Machine"

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:53:29 -0500

My apologies in advance if these videos are old news, but I just saw them for the first time and they are priceless. Total hilarity!

The Real Question Becomes, Where Do the Lakers Go From Here?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:24:20 -0500

The Boston Celtics have their comeback. They likely will be headed to yet another championship, and the title cements the Hall of Fame credentials for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. The real question is, what of these Lakers? Perhaps the only thing more amazing than their Game 4 collapse is that they even reached that point in the first place. Either the Lakers are crushed by this loss, or use it as a springboard to bigger and better things as they anticipate the return of Andrew Bynum.

NBA Finals Shifts to L.A.

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:57:49 -0500

The Celtics dominated the Lakers for 40 minutes in Game 2 of the NBA finals leading by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter. And yet, somehow that lead was cut to just two by a furious Laker rally in the final minute of the game. Boston held on to win and take a 2-0 series lead, but the Lakers can get right back in the hunt with the next three games at home.

The NBA Finals, Game 2: Don't Call It a Comeback

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:07:16 -0500

It was almost the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. Almost. For those that turned the game off (or for those that want to relive the experience), this is how it went down… In Game 2, the Lakers were down 24 points with 7:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, and everyone thought that the game was over. Everyone but the Lakers, that is. A quick 7-1 run cuts the lead to 18 with 5:56 to play. Doc Rivers calls a full timeout. Sasha Vujacic and Derek Fisher each hit a three-pointer as part of an 8-3 run to trim the lead to 13 with 3:47 to play. Doc Rivers calls a 20-second timeout. Michelle Tafoya reports that Doc Rivers is telling his team not to let the Lakers get comfortable… for the next game. (This is when I knew the jinx was on, and that the Lakers were going to cut the lead the even more to make it a one-possession game. When you've just given up a 15-4 run in four minutes, and are only up 13 with almost four minutes to play, you DO NOT start talking to your team about the next game. This is covered on the first day of Coaching 101. Can anyone tell me what Doc is thinking here?) (Read more after the jump.)

Numbers Tilt in Favor of the Celtics

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:27:34 -0500

Boston held homecourt winning Game 1 98-88. The win was big for the Celtics as they now have a mental and mathematical edge they did not have before the start of the series. After taking the first game Boston has now moved into the role of favorites at 53 percent to win the series, an increase of 10 percentage points.

Small forward still a sore spot for the Lakers

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:40:45 -0500

Almost a month ago, I posted my thoughts on the Lakers' small forward situation. Last night, the problem reared its ugly head again. Vladimir Radmanovic was 2-5 on the night, scoring five points and committing five fouls. He couldn't keep up with Paul Pierce, especially at the beginning of the third quarter, when he allowed Pierce to score eight straight points (including an inexplicable four-point play), effectively squandering the Lakers' five-point halftime lead. The truth is that Radmanovic is in way over his head... (Read the rest of the post after the jump.)

Handicapping the NBA Finals, One Position at a Time

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:13:49 -0500

After matching up all five positions and the bench, the Roster Doctor drops a somewhat surprising prediction. Using a combination of stats and analysis, he finds that the Celtics have edges in many of the head-to-head matchups. But yet he picks the Lakers - read to find out why.

The Lakers Team 2008

Sat, 31 May 2008 09:08:49 -0500

How the Lakers have gone this far and it hasnt all been Kobe, just like it wasnt all Kobe the last time he won a championship. 1) Kobe Bryant-- has been amazing and for once he is being a leader out on the court. After seeing him pick apart the supposedly amazing defender "Bruce Bowen" is there anyone who can stop Kobe? Though at times he tends to ballhog and at times shot selection is dubious you have to give credit for his killer instinct and his desire to win. So I give him a pass for all the shots he takes because he does have an amazing FGP at 50% and makes shots that change the ebb and flow of the game. I can boast more about Kobe but hopefully all of you have seen what he has done this past year in leading to the FInals. 2) Pau Gasol- Charles Barkley called the trade for Pau a happy meal. I forget who Lakers traded for him anyway to Memphis, one of Jack Nickelsons (idc bout spelling) sunglasses and a shirt Denzel Washington wore at a game, I realy dont know. Kobe could do everything himself but that didnt lead to any championships in Post-Shaq era and with the Addition of Gasol a Very Good Center it opened up the game for Kobe. Pau is gaurenteed a double double every game and he actually plays defense unlike majority of the centers in the NBA, Just Ask Tim Duncan how it felt to get blocked all day. Congrats as well to Pau for being the FIrst Spaniard to Go to the FInals. Pau please shave your head and that nasty beard, Beards are only acceptable for players Like Baron Davis and mr 4 pt play Larry Johnson. 3) Lamar Odom- A Talented Player in all aspects of the game with only problem is consistency. But throw that consistency out the door because of what he has done this year. It is not all about stats regarding Odom who averaged a double double as well but the fact that he and Gasol open up the game for Kobe and shooters like Farmar, Vujacic, Fisher and Radmanovic. Recent news say he has not been smoking up before games like he did back in LA. 4) Derek Fisher- Solid Point Guard. 3pt Shooting in PLayoffs was 55%. Obviously not in top 10 pt gaurds in NBA but the fact that he hustles and puts it all out on the floor is something to give praise to. His shot put threes are classic. 5) Vladimir Radmanovic- Wolverine (X-Men). Fun to Watch always bombing threes. But is a good shooter. What he lacks on the defensive side he makes up for it cheerleading whens hes on the bench. 6) Jordan Farmar- Solid Backup. He has stepped his game up other than the Jazz series in which Deron Williams was like please sit down peon and watch the King play. Dude is always flapping his arms after each play. I dont get it only thing I see flapping beside your arms are your ears Will Smith (favorite actor though for mme). 7) Sasha Vujacic- Nice hairstyle. Cocky player but its all good if your hitting your shots. Ronny Turiaf is your butt buddy Vujacic 8) Luke Walton- Kobe yells at you more than any other player, the price you pay when Bill Walton is your father. I like his game reminds me of David Lee in NY 9) Ronny Turiaf- the Renaldo Balkman of the Western Confernce. Always Jumping Around , Going wild on Defense and Always Dunking on Offense. And Gr8 Cheerleader. 10) The ENd of the Bench--->Trevor Ariza, Ira Newble, Dj Mbenga, Chris Mihm, Coby Karl, Andrew Bynum--> When will yall play. Im not wasting my time on these players though they deserve credit for being practice players and Ariza and Bynum are solid players. o yea Phil Jackson but he doesnt do anything but just relax on the bench and talk to Celebrities next to him during the game anyway.. There is a reason why he has won so many championships and contrary to what Red Aurebach said about Phil Jackson inheriting great teams, he actually had to go through the doldrums of failure the past years unlike his Chicago Bulls run in which he inherited Jordan and Company. In conclusion if the Lakers win the title its because they have a Star (Kobe) , a Great Team Around Him and a Coach who has won about 10000 championships. (Lets just hope Kevin Garnett doesnt keep on slapping the floor like Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country searching for some bananas)Peace One Love....

Monkee Business

Fri, 30 May 2008 15:29:43 -0500

While Phil Jackson finished up his first NBA season in the spring of 1968, all the kids were getting high while real political conspiracies played out. And in a very short cinematic release, a film called "Head" entered and exited the cultural chaos of the times without leaving much of a mark, just as Phil had not done much to get noticed with his 6 points and 4 rebounds in 15 minutes per game behind Willis Reed and Walt Bellamy. "Head" starred the Monkees, and featured a screenplay written by Jack Nicholson following a weekend with the band in which they consumed something like a a garbage bag full of pot and "brainstormed". Cut to 40 years later and it is hard not to think that not only Josh Howard, Joakim Noah, and 80 percent of the players get silly with the weed, but that maybe Jack and Phil get together for a few hits off the bong now and again. You know Nicholson must be getting a buzz on at some point, with those sunglasses always there to counteract dilated pupils. Maybe the two of them get together in the back of Jack's limo pre-game, reliving the hazy days of the late sixties, and hyperventilating while laughing at comparisons of the present-day Lakers with the original Monkees. Jack: That kid Vujacic is Davy Jones. I bet he even dances like Davy. You should make him dance Phil. Make it a part of his practice sessions. You'll see baby - he's got Davy Jones living right there inside him. Phil: Yeah yeah. He's pretty enough with those perfect fuckin' eyebrows of his. I swear he gets that done on Rodeo. Radmanovic - he has a little of Mike Nesmith in him. I'll see if I can get him wearing toques. Jack: Pau is Peter Tork if I ever saw a Peter Tork. He was the one that played his own instruments, but looking at him you'd never know it. Maybe he played too many - the bass, the banjo, keyboards. There was that awkwardness, like what am I noodling around with now? I see that at least once a game with the Spanish kid, like he can't quite figure out if he's going to make a power move or a little finesse. Phil: Whoa - you blow my mind Jack. Whaddya say we make Luke into Mickey Dolenz then. Jack: I'm a believer coach. I am a believer! Well, my mind wanders to these kinds of wonderings after nights like that last one with the Lakers wrapping up their series against the Spurs. LA is down bigtime early, and Phil's got his three big weapons on the bench. And he doesn't flinch. Now how many coaches can get away with that kind of thing? Doug Collins starts to question it a little bit, but then makes it about how it's this kind of thing that makes Phil so good. It's all about trusting his bench. OK - of course. And sure enough it works out! And there's Barkley at the half proclaiming the zen-master's genius and his own utter bewilderment. But wouldn't a stoner have done the same thing? Could that be the secret? Could that be where the zen comes from? When Phil came on for his interview between the third and fourth quarters, complaining about the Spurs getting to toss an extra free-throw that only could have happened in his imagination, well I had to think that maybe there was something enhancing how he was "seeing the game". And if it works it works. Really I can't see THC being of any benefit to players within any game. But coaches? That might just work. Get Sam Mitchell some hash brownies, or put some in that yellow cake he loves so much.