Communications breakdown
Jim Rodriguez: It's a new world when it comes to social media
Jim Rodriguez
Feb 1, 2018, 7:43 am
Blake Griffin learned he was traded from social media. NBA.com
Here is what’s trending...your future.
It started on Monday when the Clippers decided to hit the reset button and trade Blake Griffin to the Pistons.
“Shocked” is how Griffin described it.
After all, he was just months removed from signing a 5-year, 173 million dollar deal with Los Angeles. But it was more than the trade itself that blew Blake away. It is how he found out he was going from Lob City to the Motor City. Wait for it.... social media.
Griffin told ESPN: "Finding out through Twitter or through other people is a tough way to find out when you've been with a franchise for so long.”
Seven and a half seasons to be exact.
This is the same franchise that while trying to re-sign him last summer, had employees raise his number 32 jersey to the rafters at Staples Center symbolizing a future retirement ceremony.
The Clippers have every right to move a player, any player. Just like a player can veto a deal with a no-trade clause. But there is an uneasiness about this. No heads up, no conversations, nada. Here’s your stuff and peace out.
I get that Griffin is a millionaire a hundred and seventy times over. Like that’s suppose to make it easy.
Think how freaked out you were when Facebook changed their page layout. Now try moving halfway across the country.. tomorrow.
This is something that isn’t lost on LeBron James. The “King” dropped this dilly dilly on the media:
"When a player gets traded, [the front office] was doing what was best for the franchise," James said. "But when a player decides to leave, he's not loyal, he's a snake, he's not committed.
"That's the narrative of how it goes. I know that firsthand."
Thank you LeBron. We’ll get to you later this summer. Maybe he’ll Facebook Live his Decision Part 2.
Things got even wilder on Tuesday for corner back, Kendall Fuller.
As news broke about the Chiefs trading quarterback, Alex Smith to Washington; a report said there was an “unidentified” player in the mix that was going to Kansas City.
Fuller on his twitter account, @KeFu11er dropped these pearls as the identity of the player was coming to light:
At 10:45pm on Jan 30, 2018:
Awkward...
14 minutes later:
Nahh its not me.. I don’t thinkk
Lol im on here tryna find out just like yaa
Three minutes after that (11:02pm):
Mannnnn im safe! I ain’t get traded
Then an hour later. 12:09am, Fuller posts the meme of Homer Simpson backing up into bushes and disappearing:
Me on Twitter after tweeting all that then finding out i got traded!
And a minute after that:
Talk About A Night
Hell, I tilt my head like a puppy in confusion when my smart phone rings. I forget you can actually speak to someone on it.
I’m sure a grandparent somewhere said that social media will be the death of us. I’ll take my chances. It’s far better than any show on TV. Plus it’s really crockpots that will kill us all.
Can’t wait to see what’s next.
You can listen to my radio show, The Sports Bosses , weekdays at 9 a.m. on SBNation Radio.
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Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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