Kyrie Irving: Hardwood Magician

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Nope. Handles is pretty frequently being used in the same context that handle used to be used.
Does this mean you are a young person?

Serious question--I have no way of knowing which would be which in the lingo.
 

DGreenwood

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Does this mean you are a young person?

Serious question--I have no way of knowing which would be which in the lingo.
I'm old. The old way is to call it a handle, the new way is to call it handles

Which is great and all and I see the point there. The title of the film is ‘top 100 handles’. As DD alluded to, it’s plural in this instance.
You're right. I thought we were talking about general usage. In this specific example, it has to be top 100 handles, regardless of whether you think Kyrie has a good handle, or good handles.
 

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I'm old. The old way is to call it a handle, the new way is to call it handles



You're right. I thought we were talking about general usage. In this specific example, it has to be top 100 handles, regardless of whether you think Kyrie has a good handle, or good handles.
Word.

Follow up: If you are old, how do you know the new thing?

Serious question.
 

Bunt Single

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Aug 11, 2010
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Kyrie Irving = Handle's Messiah?
Or would it be Handles' Messiah?
Handel's Messiah?
We need to know this.

No, on second thought, the correct answer is clear enough:
Handles Messiah!
 
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Sam Ray Not

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I guess I'm old enough to remember the old way but young enough to be aware of the new way. I'm in the hoops lingo sweet spot.
I vaguely remember a time 20-25 years ago when “hoops” and “handles” (as non-plural mass nouns) sounded like weird neologisms to me, as I had grown up with “hoop” and “handle.”

Getting worked up about it in 2018 sounds kinda like “get off my lawn” — and I say this as a cranky gen x-er prone to saying “get off my lawn.” :)
 

snowmanny

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It’s all just a bunch of fiddling and diddling until you’re traded to Boston.
Then it’s a handle.
 

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I vaguely remember a time 20-25 years ago when “hoops” and “handles” (as non-plural mass nouns) sounded like weird neologisms to me, as I had grown up with “hoop” and “handle.”

Getting worked up about it in 2018 sounds kinda like “get off my lawn” — and I say this as a cranky gen x-er prone to saying “get off my lawn.” :)
"Hoop" and "handle" also both double as verbs, and verbification is a long revered tradition in the history of slang.
 

djbayko

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I vaguely remember a time 20-25 years ago when “hoops” and “handles” (as non-plural mass nouns) sounded like weird neologisms to me, as I had grown up with “hoop” and “handle.”

Getting worked up about it in 2018 sounds kinda like “get off my lawn” — and I say this as a cranky gen x-er prone to saying “get off my lawn.” :)
Hoop and hoops were interchangeable where I grew up. “Handles” night get you ostracized from the court along with that sweaty old guy who fouls others way to hard and calls every foul committed on himself. Doesn’t make sense.
 
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DJnVa

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Hmm. Almost 44 year old here and it was always hoops. As in, " hey, let's go play some hoops".
IN MY DAY IT WAS "HOOP"!!! BECAUSE YOU PLAYED TO 1. FIRST BASKET WINS!! NO FOULS!! IN THE SNOW!!
 

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If you watch basketball with any regularity, it would be impossible not to pick up the new lingo.
That makes sense.

But then you have to explain this damned thread, now, don't you, empiricist guy?! ;)
 

The Needler

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I'm old. The old way is to call it a handle, the new way is to call it handles



You're right. I thought we were talking about general usage. In this specific example, it has to be top 100 handles, regardless of whether you think Kyrie has a good handle, or good handles.
We called it not "a handle," but just "handle." He's got game, he's got handle, he's got charisma. This video is akin to a compilation of Pedro's 100 greatest charismas.
 

TripleOT

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Saying that a particular player has "good handles" is annoying and idiotic.

Curry has a good handle. How tough is that?

If you want to say "NBA point guards have good handles," that's another deal entirely. I get it when used when referring to more than one player's dribbling ability.
 

samuelLsamson

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I think the term has moved from meaning handle: "a player's ability to handle the ball" to handle: "a specific instance of handling the ball well". So where I would use the former and talk about Kyrie having a good handle, these young whippersnappers talk about his "good handles".
 

Sam Ray Not

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Curry has a good handle. How tough is that?
I'd go with "great," lol.

I could go either way on handle vs. handles, but we're gonna be strict about it, a big part what makes Kyrie, Curry, CP3 et al. so elite is their ability to dribble and drive with both their left and right hands — so "handles." (Ditto "hoops," of which there are also two).

Also, unlike "handle", "handles" doesn't have a secondary meaning of nickname, so when you say "Chris Paul has good handles" there's no risk of anyone thinking you mean "CP3." :)
 

lars10

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I'd go with "great," lol.

I could go either way on handle vs. handles, but we're gonna be strict about it, a big part what makes Kyrie, Curry, CP3 et al. so elite is their ability to dribble and drive with both their left and right hands — so "handles." (Ditto "hoops," of which there are also two).

Also, unlike "handle", "handles" doesn't have a secondary meaning of nickname, so when you say "Chris Paul has good handles" there's no risk of anyone thinking you mean "CP3." :)
I think you’ve got a good handles of the topic.
 

djbayko

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You haven't watched clips of the 60's and 70's have you? Cousy and Havlicek most definitely had a (singular) "handle."
The transition from "handle" to "handles" is far more recent than that though. Heck, I wasn't even born. Are you really saying you think it's because of ambidexterity?
 

HomeRunBaker

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The transition from "handle" to "handles" is far more recent than that though. Heck, I wasn't even born. Are you really saying you think it's because of ambidexterity?
I was joking about you saying guys weren't one-armed back then. Neither player hardly ever had their left hand touch the ball except when passing or raising to shoot.
 

Sprowl

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I think you’ve got a good handles of the topic.
You're in good handles with all-stars.

I was joking about you saying guys weren't one-armed back then. Neither player hardly ever had their left hand touch the ball except when passing or raising to shoot.
Truly. It was awkward watching Havlicek cross over from right to right. His left hand was strictly supporting cast.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Nope, because with him this year they are a threat to win the whole thing.

Without him next year you can sign Rozier and with the improvements the kids make and draft picks /trades, you will be a threat to win the while thing.
 

Jimbodandy

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Nope, because with him this year they are a threat to win the whole thing.

Without him next year you can sign Rozier and with the improvements the kids make and draft picks /trades, you will be a threat to win the while thing.
Yes. This "we can't squander an asset" talk is maddening enough when Rozier is the topic, nevermind Kyrie. A year of Kyrie IS an asset. Assets can be used to trade for other players or picks. They can also be used to compete for championships.
 

lovegtm

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1. It's nice that the Knicks want things.
2. I'm forming my own league next year, and taking ownership of one of the teams. The Lovegtm Monstars are excited to announce that Kyrie Irving is our top priority in free agency.
3. If the team did know for sure that he were leaving, I expect they'd field offers, weighing those offers against their current championship equity.
 

ifmanis5

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No minutes restrictions for Kyrie: http://www.nba.com/article/2018/09/17/morning-tip-injured-players-update-chris-paul-demarcus-cousins-kyrie-irving

Irving was cleared for basketball activities in late July and expects to be ready for the start of camp. He’ll be under no minutes restrictions once the regular season begins, according to a source. (What remains unclear is how coach Brad Stevens can manage the minutes at point guard between Irving, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier without someone getting out of sorts.)
 

InstaFace

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Does Smart really need to play point guard? I thought he was pretty successful at the 2 against smaller lineups. It's not like they won't be babying Hayward to start.