19th and final season before retiring at se | Forum

Moving forward, was Peter ppd Dagers response to the question of how Evil Geniuses were recuperating from a rough showing at the Manila Major. Discount Sneakers . The captain of Evil Geniuses had a lot on his mind, and the team could spare only a few minutes after a full day of boot camping.Every response he made was short, direct, honest. Dager didnt like to mince words, and he had little reason to. Evil Geniuses were facing a very different international landscape compared to 2015, and though he said they werent feeling the pressure, there became an inherent level of expectation for this team.Changing the playbookA shift in team dynamic seemed necessary after a disappointing finish in Manila. It was the wake-up call for the American squad, and with The International on the horizon, there wasnt much room in the schedule to slowly work out the issues. Luckily, the replacement offlane EG acquired was a former member of the team. Saahil UNiVeRsE Arora had been with the team when it took home the Aegis at last years International.Coming back wasnt a hard transition, said Arora. Referencing his time with the team in the past, both he and EGs other new addition, Ludwig zai W?hlberg, were quickly getting back up to speed.I played with EG before, so theres no extra pressure, no spotlight, said Arora.According to Dager, the biggest change wasnt in these returning members, but in the changing role of Clinton Fear Loomis. Fear moved from the one-role to a support position after last years International, but since Arora and W?hlbergs return, he has been back in the carry role. Loomis change in roles has his influence extending further into the game, an element that EG has been adjusting to well.The biggest difference in shotcalling is probably Fears role in late-game leadership, said Dager. Moving Fear from the four to the one-role has been the biggest change in shotcalling.Meanwhile, in the mid lane, Syed SumaiL Sumail Hassan has been finding his groove again. The young prodigy made a name for himself at TI5, showcasing fantastic play across a number of heroes. But Storm isnt in the meta anymore, and Sumail has had to adjust his playstyle. Mirana has been a solid pick-up, but at the recent StarLadder finals, Sumail ran some unusual mids: Oracle and Ancient Apparition, two heroes rarely seen in the middle lane. Dager hinted that they hadnt fully planned to draft either for Sumail, but it came from the mid laners own suggestion.We were a little bit YOLO, Dager said about the unconventional picks. But Sumail felt confident and we trusted him.Preparing for the main eventBoth Dager and Arora said boot camp had been going well, as the team prepped for the big event in Seattle. EG is in the midst of its intensive training for TI6, right off the tail end of a long qualifier run. Due to roster shifts, the team had to fight its way into the International, past a long line of teams aiming for their shot at the throne.When asked about burnout before TI6, though, neither player expressed weariness. This is also the time of the year where teams have to show up, said Dager.EG is no exception. Theres no room for excuses and the landscape certainly isnt the easiest to handle either, as this patch has been the hardest to read. Theres no overarching strategy or theme beyond just teamwork, smart play and capitalizing on mistakes. Dager has found that his team has been fine with this mindset.We have no set playstyle, really, said Dager. So the patch has been good for us.But this years International might be the most competitive yet. There are favorites, but many of the teams could have a shot at the top. Theres six or seven teams who could win TI this year, Dager explained. Hes reticent to divulge the top teams at the event but he does chat a bit about what teams he might root for.NaVi would be a cool team to watch win, said Dager. Referencing the teams recent LAN win at the StarLadder i-League StarSeries finals, EGs captain said it was cool seeing NaVi take home the victory in Los Angeles. Dager also expressed interest in playing Wings at TI6, due to the teams interesting playstyle and drafting. Sneakers Outlet . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Cheap Sneakers China . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. http://www.cheapsneakers.us/ . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers regular-season record of 166-80 in Doc Rivers first three years as coach proves theyre one of the better teams in the NBA.Their postseason results, however, suggest something else.Theyve never gotten past the second round of the playoffs in pursuit of the franchises first-ever NBA championship.Now, time is ticking on Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, who enter their sixth year together. Griffin and Paul will be free agents at seasons end, while J.J. Redick is also in the final year of his contract.If the Clippers dont at least make the Western Conference finals, speculation is rife that the team could be broken up and rebuilt.We have the talent, leadership, tangibles and coaches, Griffin said, we just have to put it together.The Clippers went 53-29 in the regular season and lost to Portland in the first round of the playoffs, when Paul broke his right hand and Griffin reinjured his left quadriceps tendon, forcing both to miss the last two games of the series, which the Clippers lost in six.It was the latest in a series of playoff failures for a team whose potential has yet to be fully realized.In 2015, the Clippers lost to Houston in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals after blowing a 3-1 lead. In 2014, they bowed out in six games to Oklahoma City in the second round.This is the deepest, most talented group weve had since Ive been here, Rivers said. Thats why this year should be great.Los Angeles opens the season on Oct. 27 at Portland in a rematch of last seasons playoff series and opens at home against Utah three days later.Some things to watch for this season with the Clippers:HOW GRIFFIN GOES: After missing much of last season because of a broken hand and the quad injury, he figures to have extra motivation. Griffin averaged 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists while limited to 35 regular-season games. His hand injury was the result of a fight with a former staff member and landed him a four-game suspension and a loss oof pay. Adidas Sneakers Cheap. Besides demonstrating greater maturity, Griffin needs to stay injury-free and boost a shooting percentage that has declined five consecutive seasons.FIFTH STARTER: Who will join Griffin, Paul, big man Jordan and shooting guard J.J. Redick as a reliable fifth starter? The small forward options are Luc Mbah a Moute, Wesley Johnson, veteran Alan Anderson and Austin Rivers. The elder Rivers may pick one or rotate depending on the need in a particular game. Mbah a Moute started 61 games last season, Johnson shot 33 percent from 3-point range last season, and the younger Rivers can guard an opposing teams top guard, giving Paul a chance to focus on offense.ADDING VETERANS: Rivers, who also serves as director of basketball operations, went after veterans during the offseason to add depth. He brought in 12-year pro Dorell Wright, 11-year pros Brandon Bass and Raymond Felton, eight-year pro Marreese Speights, who left Golden State, and seven-year pro Anderson. Along with three-time sixth man of the year Jamal Crawford, theyll comprise a talented bench. We all understand what were playing for, Crawford said. Starting the season, they all appear to have bought into the vision of Rivers, who will have to juggle minutes among veterans who might have found more playing time had they gone elsewhere.PIERCES FINALE: Paul Pierce is playing his 19th and final season before retiring at seasons end. He turned 39 earlier this month and is the NBAs only active player with 25,000-plus points, 7,000-plus rebounds and 4,500-plus assists. He and Doc Rivers won the 2008 NBA Finals together in Boston, and Rivers enjoys having him around as a veteran presence in addition to the Big Three of Griffin, Paul and Jordan. Pierce started 38 of 68 games last season and hed like to improve his averages of 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists before calling it a career. ' ' '