Are Jimmy Butler and Jokic the only stars who aren’t ****ing around?

[Kblaze8855]

I feel like I shouldn’t have to explain what I mean so I won’t until one of you comes in here acting like you don’t understand.

Im gonna assume you grasp what I’m saying so let me just say…..

Jordan wasn’t ****ing around. Bird wasn’t ****ing around. Isiah wasn’t either(pictures of him kissing Magic aside). Barkley wasn’t ****ing around. Ewing definitely wasn’t. Karl Malone was only ****ing around middle schools but not basketball courts. Bernard King wasnt ****ing around. Shaq while friendly to speak to…wasnt ****ing around. Hakeem wasn’t ****ing around. Moses didn’t know the meaning of ****ing around.

I feel like right now?

Jimmy Butler is known to not **** around. Jokic clearly doesn’t **** around.

Is that it?

Embiid?

Does Embiid **** around? I think he might.

Giannis might be our Shaq….charming guy…but not ****ing around on the court. I might give Giannis that status. Demarcus Cousins didn’t **** around but he’s gone.

So 3?


Is that the total number of stars who simply….aren’t ****ing around out there?

[Kblaze8855]

I think 10 people on the 1994 all nba team weren’t ****ing around.

[SouBeachTalents]

If we're talking strictly superstar players (if we consider Butler one), then that's probably true. If we drop it to all-star caliber, I'd say Dame & Jrue typically aren't ****ing around, and while he probably wouldn't be considered a star by many these days, Dray too.

[tontoz]

KD brings it every night when he is on the floor but his off court antics skew perception.

[1987_Lakers]

I think 10 people on the 1994 all nba team weren’t ****ing around.

D-Rob wasn't tough.
KJ ****ed around with a 15 year old

Edit: I see that you included the 3rd team as well.

[tontoz]

I would take Hakeem off the list. He struck me as a guy who would coast at times and settle for too many jumpers. Ewing did the same thing at times.

They could beat their defenders off the dribble when they wanted to but frequently didn't bother trying.

[Kblaze8855]

Jrue probably doesn’t **** around but he may not have the status to fit in with these other stars. Dame?

Dame is a tough one. He doesn’t immediately strike me as a guy who doesn’t **** around.

[Kblaze8855]

I would take Hakeem off the list. He struck me as a guy who would coast at times and settle for too many jumpers. Ewing did the same thing at times.

They could beat their defenders off the dribble when they wanted to but frequently didn't bother trying.


Taking jumpers doesn’t mean you’re ****ing around otherwise Larry Bird would have ****ed around. And we all know Larry Bird didn’t **** around. Hell Kobe too. Awful lot of long jumpers. Didn’t **** around. We agree on that right? That Kobe didn’t **** around?

[j3lademaster]

We agree on that right? That Kobe didn’t **** around?Only in Denver.

[FultzNationRISE]

Giannis I think in the big picture isnt ****ing around, but bc his team has already been to the top and it’s just about the playoffs now, he allows himself some fun and rest in the regular season.

I feel like the same was probably true of Bird. Seems like he did **** around at times getting into shooting duels and ramping up the swag, but when it was time for business he wasnt about that soft shit.

Barkley was lethal on the court, tho he also spent a good deal of time provoking controversy with media quotes that became headlines. Not sure if that counts as ****ing around.


The big one you missed is Lebron James.

[iamgine]

MJ's Bulls were known to coast in the regular season. What is that if not playing around.

[Kblaze8855]

Giannis I think in the big picture isnt ****ing around, but bc his team has already been to the top and it’s just about the playoffs now, he allows himself some fun and rest in the regular season.

I feel like the same was probably true of Bird. Seems like he did **** around at times getting into shooting duels and ramping up the swag, but when it was time for business he wasnt about that soft shit.

Barkley was lethal on the court, tho he also spent a good deal of time provoking controversy with media quotes that became headlines. Not sure if that counts as ****ing around.


The big one you missed is Lebron James.



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[j3lademaster]

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlN68IXGXFM

[highwhey]

giannis isn't ****ing around, unfortunately he doesn't have a whole lot of nba skills. the refs have given him passage to his success thus far, so i guess you can add the refs to the not ****ing around category.

[tontoz]

Taking jumpers doesn’t mean you’re ****ing around otherwise Larry Bird would have ****ed around. And we all know Larry Bird didn’t **** around. Hell Kobe too. Awful lot of long jumpers. Didn’t **** around. We agree on that right? That Kobe didn’t **** around?


Bird wanted to score inside. He didn't settle for jumpers when opportunities to get inside were there. His jumper was generally a pretty good option though, far moreso that Ewing and Hakeem.

Those two at times seemed like they just settled for jumpers because it was easy. Defenders would play off them for a reason. The shooting numbers for their last few seasons are available and aren't pretty.

Guards are a different group. Kobe was different. He didn't take jumpers because that was the path of least resistance. He took them because he was a chucker.

[Kblaze8855]

Not only did Bird settle for jumpers he’s been known to tell people he was going to settle for a jumper before the play even developed to see if he could have gotten inside. Doesn’t mean he was ****ing around. Karl Malone wasn’t ****ing around when he was driving or taking 12 fadeaways. Shooting is not what determines such a thing.

[tontoz]

Not only did Bird settle for jumpers he’s been known to tell people he was going to settle for a jumper before the play even developed to see if he could have gotten inside. Doesn’t mean he was ****ing around. Karl Malone wasn’t ****ing around when he was driving or taking 12 fadeaways. Shooting is not what determines such a thing.



Birds jumper was a much bigger threat that Ewing and Hakeem. If a guy shoots jumpers well then he isn't settling by taking jumpers. Durant is a perfect example today.

If a big shoots poorly but still settles for jumpers instead of attacking the rim, he's settling. We only have the last 7 years of Ewings career for shooting numbers when he was obviously aging. Over 27% of his shots were from 10-16 feet where he shot 39%. That is settling. That is only slightly less than the number of shots he took at the rim.

[Kblaze8855]

Whatever else it might be it is certainly on brand for you to take your love of division to such an extent you would use it to determine even such an abstract concept as who ****s around or not.

[tontoz]

Whatever else it might be it is certainly on brand for you to take your love of division to such an extent you would use it to determine even such an abstract concept as who ****s around or not.


If you are 7' tall shooting 15 footers, which you shoot poorly, I am not going to give you credit for your effort.

FYI shooting efficiency is the primary factor that determines who wins a game, by a wide margin.

[Kblaze8855]

9 seconds of shooting in 37 minutes of play time doesn’t determine if you play hard. Not that playing hard and not ****ing around are the same thing either. Shooting percentages just feels like a weird place to take such a discussion. Eddy Currys shot chart doesn’t mean he didn’t **** around relative to Patrick Ewing. I’m not sure anyone but you would even try to make that connection.

[tontoz]

9 seconds of shooting in 37 minutes of play time doesn’t determine if you play hard. Not that playing hard and not ****ing around are the same thing either. Shooting percentages just feels like a weird place to take such a discussion. Eddy Currys shot chart doesn’t mean he didn’t **** around relative to Patrick Ewing. I’m not sure anyone but you would even try to make that connection.



I actually remember Ewing. For example he would have will perdue on him and settle for jumpers. Perdue didn't have to do anything but stand there and watch him shoot.

Perdue wouldn't have been able to do much if Ewing took him to the rim, but Ewing would routinely let weak defenders off the hook.

A guy like Barkley would just take it to the basket and dunk over and over until someone stopped him.

[Kblaze8855]

I’m well aware that you remember Patrick Ewing. The problem is you’re judging “Not ****ing around” by shooting numbers which is just…weird. It’s an unrelated issue. It’s generally better to make your jumpers and be a good shooter but I don’t know if KG knocking down a jumper is why someone might say he “Ain’t ****ing around out there” or that his tendency to crash into the paint ever made anyone say it or Corey Maggette.

They’re loosely related if at all.

[tontoz]

I’m well aware that you remember Patrick Ewing. The problem is you’re judging “Not ****ing around” by shooting numbers which is just…weird. It’s an unrelated issue. It’s generally better to make your jumpers and be a good shooter but I don’t know if KG knocking down a jumper is why someone might say he “Ain’t ****ing around out there” or that his tendency to crash into the paint ever made anyone say it or Corey Maggette.

They’re loosely related if at all.


If a poor shooting 7 footer settles for jumpers then I don't see him as a guy playing hard, especially when he is fully capable of getting to the rim

Garnett was a lightweight compared to Ewing. He couldn't bull his way to the basket like Ewing could, and he was a much better shooter. Dirk took a lot of fadeaway jumpers but he was a great shooter who really wasn't capable of getting to the rim very often.

Ewing was very capable of getting to the rim far more often. He just chose not to.

[Kblaze8855]

And yet…clearly wasn’t ****ing around. Neither was Oakley. Or Anyhony Mason. For reasons unrelated to the few seconds any of them might spend shooting a jumper.

[tontoz]

And yet…clearly wasn’t ****ing around. Neither was Oakley. Or Anyhony Mason. For reasons unrelated to the few seconds any of them might spend shooting a jumper.


Oakley and Mason weren't big threats to take it to the basket and score. Ewing was a big threat and I used to wonder why he didn't try to do it more often, especially against the bulls. The bulls centers weren't that good and I always felt like Ewing should take advantage of them. He just didn't do it very often.

[Reggie43]

I remember watching Miller elbow, trashtalk and play dirty as hell against Michael Jordan on the latter's actual birthday. Most guys would probably exchange pleasantries with MJ but Miller was taking cheapshots at him all day.

[Full Court]

Butler and Jokic...




...and Westbrook.