Here we were, worried about Dr. Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton), when it was Japril that Shonda Rhimes tried to kill off in the "Grey's Anatomy" Season 13 finale.

There were plenty of surprises in the finale, including some actual good news to go along with the bittersweet. And then there were those record scratch scenes between April Kepner (Sarah Drew), Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), and Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams), including April telling Maggie she can tell that Maggie likes Jackson (!) and she can also tell that Jackson likes Maggie too (!!) ending with the suggestion that Maggie tell Jackson how she feels (!!!).

Didn't Japril make up during #JaprilTheSequel? And didn't Maggie just have a huge crush on Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson), like, five minutes ago?

Some fans have been anticipating/dreading a Maggie/Jackson pairing since Maggie's mom suggested she let loose and make a mistake, and that episode was followed by some borderline intimate moments with Jackson. But others thought, nah, they wouldn't do that, it's just step-family members supporting each other.

There are some fans out there who support a Maggie/Jackson pairing, in part because they don't like April and would like to see Jackson with someone else. But several more viewers, at least the ones who tweet, are solidly and vocally against the idea.

Here's a taste of the reactions to Japril + Maggie:

Clearly, this is what Shonda and company wanted -- to get fans talking and speculating in the summer before Season 14. It's possible Jackson will be conflicted, or know he wants to be with April (aka the mother of his child) and this will be another short love triangle for Maggie. It would be nice if she could have her own romance without third-party complications, but that's not "Grey's" style.

"Grey's Anatomy" Season 14 will premiere this fall on ABC.

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

See the original post:
'Grey's Anatomy' Fans 'Rebuke' That Jackson, Maggie, April Twist ... - Moviefone

Dr. Stephanie Edwards has checked out of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

At the end of last week's episode, viewers were left wondering what the character's fate would be after she and a young girl were left trapped in the same room as a massive explosion.

Stephanie, who is played by actress Jerrika Hinton, and the young girl survived. They suffered burns, smoke inhalation and various other wounds from which they were told they'd recover. (The deranged patient who Stephanie lit on fire, inadvertently causing the explosion, did not survive -- as one might imagine.)

But Stephanie was not eager to get back into the operating room.

The harrowing experience -- coupled with her history as a sick child -- made her realized she didn't want to spend any more time in hospitals. She told mentor Dr. Webber (James Pickens Jr.) that she needed to get outside the sterile walls and live.

Thus, Stephanie walked away with the rarest of "Grey's Anatomy" endings: something not completely horrific or tragic or heartbreaking.

Hinton took to Instagram to mark the moment.

"I am eternally thankful for five seasons of #GreysAnatomy and a graceful departure that underscores the courage it takes to choose yourself," Hinton wrote. "That Stephanie literally walks through fire to reach freedom -- her freedom -- inspires me."

Hinton had been rumored to be leaving the long-running ABC drama, but her departure was not confirmed until Thursday night.

In another post, Hinton spoke more directly to the fans "who look like me," saying, "I hear you when you say I represent you."

"It has been the greatest honor to show us *us*," she wrote. "Eking out this kind of #representation on a weekly basis within a medium that continues to correlate value with proximity to whiteness is a feat. That I got to deliver a relatable, recognizable and unvarnished #StephanieEdwards who looks and feels like women I know who are people rather than ideas has been worth more than you know."

She added: "Thank the tv gods for #TGIT."

"Jerrika has shared so much of herself with Stephanie and I am incredibly proud of the journey we've taken together," she wrote.

"Grey's Anatomy" returns for Season 14 in the fall, with a new firefighter-themed spinoff set to debut in mid-season.

Continued here:
'Grey's Anatomy' star bids farewell to show with emotional note - CNN

CINCINNATI Carlos Gonzalez sat at his locker, flashing his bright CarGo smile.

It seemed a bit out of place considering the topic at hand: a hitting slump that began with a 2-for-17 start and remained in place deep into May.

Gonzalez, however, refuses to dwell on his ugly numbers.

When you are going bad, its easy to get negative, but I just dont let myself go there, the three-time all-star right fielder said. You have to remind yourself that you can do damage at any time. And every time you come to the plate, you have to think, Im one step closer to getting hot.

But when the Rockies arrived at Great American Ball Park Friday for a weekend series against the Reds, Gonzalez wasnt even lukewarm. He was hitting .210 with a .279 on-base percentage and just two home runs in 138 at-bats. Though hes hit mostly from the third or fourth spot until getting dropped to fifth in recent games, he had just 11 RBIs to show for it. Thats what happens when you hit .182 with runners in scoring position.

But the Rockies, ever mindful of Gonzalezs ability to break out at any moment, are keeping the faith.

When you have been good for as long as CarGo, you have to believe that after game No. 162, hes going to be hitting .290-something, with 30 homers and 90 RBIs, assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar said. So CarGo can truthfully tell himself, Im hitting .180 right now, so there is a good chance Im about to hit .340 for the next stretch.

That takes a lot of confidence, trust in yourself and trust in the organization. And trust from the organization, too.

When Gonzalezs swing is on, its one of the prettiest in baseball, drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. But when its not, Gonzalez flails at breaking pitches and frequently hits weak grounders to second base.

Gonzalezs strikeouts, contrary to conventional wisdom, dont risesubstantially when hes in a slump. His strikeout rate is 25.4 percent this season, compared to 24.2 percent for his career. He is, after all, a slugger. Perhaps his whiffs are just more noticeable when they arent offset by second-deck moon shots.

Its also a misnomer that Gonzalez always starts in a funk. This is Gonzalezs eighth season with Colorado and hes had really three poor Aprils: 2011 when he hit .228 with one homer; 2015, with a .200 average and two homers; and this season, .216 with two homers.

But in 2012 (.303 average, four homers) and 2013 (.306, five homers), he came out of the gate slugging. Gonzalezs ebbs and flows are more about being in sync at the plate than about the calendar.

Gonzalezs swing is all about timing, and when his timing gets a few ticks off, he gets out of whack.

With CarGo, the leg kick is his timing mechanism, manager Bud Black said. When hes off, hes going to be out way out front on breaking balls and behind on the fastball.

But I see that gap narrowing, where hes becoming on time for both pitches. Youll know hes back when hes on top of fastballs and his hands are sitting back enough to handle the off-speed pitch.

Thats why Black was encouraged to see Gonzalez rip a double down the right-field line Tuesday night in Colorados 7-3 victory at Minnesota.

CarGo hit a low breaking ball, Black said. He was out in front of it, but he stayed back enough to be able to drive it.

A 95 mph fastball takes aboutfour-tenths of a second to travel the 60 feet, 6 inches from the pitchers mound to home plate. At the big-league level, pitch recognition is paramount, and right now, Gonzalezs is still off.

With CarGos swing with the leg kick, the timing there is a lot that can go wrong, Salazar said. When your body moves the wrong way at the wrong time, it can make any pitch look desirable. So its easy to find yourself chasing pitches or becoming vulnerable to other pitches.

That leads to bad habits and the slump deepens.

Thats when you start to tinker with it and start questioning, and then it becomes a mental thing, Salazar continued. Thats when guys will switch batting gloves or do something to break the routine.

Gonzalez is, unquestionably, a streaky hitter.

When youre going good, its easy because you dont think about anything, not even executing, Gonzalez said. Youre just having fun. Youre going 3-for-4 and hitting homers and doubles and making diving plays and its so easy, because you are clean up here.

He pointed to his head when he said up here, knowing that his battle to produce is as much mental and emotional as it is physical.

There is a lot of psychology in baseball, said veteran first baseman Mark Reynolds, whos off to a terrific start, batting .319 with 12 homers and a 1.007 OPS (on-base percentage, plus slugging). Ive been through a lot of slumps before, so I know you have to be able to take a deep breath and know you will come out of it. If you are zero for your last 10 but you get a hit, then youre 1-for-1. Thats the way you have to look at it.

Gonzalez, 31, is in the final year ofa seven-year, $80 million contract. Hes the teams highest-paid player, collecting a $20 million salary, plus $428,571 as the final installment of a $3 million bonus. Hes playing for a new contract and chances are he wont be back with the Rockies in 2018.

But those who know Gonzalez dont think the pressure of a contract year has gotten to him.

I have seen guys in a similar situation and I would expect bad body language or attitude in this situation, Salazar said. Im not getting that from CarGo. Its been a pleasure to see the leader hes been, his work ethic and the way hes communicated through this.

He knows himself better than anybody else, so if he thinks hes about to starting hitting, then I might as well get on the train right now because I believe him.

See original here:
Carlos Gonzalez: Anatomy of a slump and why Rockies' slugger thinks he'll bust out of it - The Denver Post

Now Playing Grey's Anatomy Is Spinning Off Into the Fire Department

Thirteen seasons in, Grey's Anatomy is still hot -- so hot that it's getting its second spin-off next season focused on Seattle's finest (and probably horniest) firefighters.

Details are scarce on the project, but what we do know: It received a straight-to-series order and will debut sometime next year. And in lieu of Shonda Rhimes, Grey's executive producer Stacy McKee will serve as showrunner -- which makes sense since she penned Thursday's fiery Season 13 finale. That's probably what sparked the idea! (#sorrynotsorry) The show's currently untitled, but don't worry, Shondaland, we've got some suggestions for you.

Add the new Fall shows to your Watchlist now!

1. Sea(ttle) of Flames Look, anything like Seattle Fire is too easy and Rhimes is going to want to distance herself as much as possible from comparisons to Dick Wolf's One Chicago franchise, which she's already halfway to replicating. Sea(ttle) of Flames covers a lot of territory: The fire element, duh, the city, and the city's wet reputation. I'll refrain from the low-hanging "Why do we need firefighters anyway with the rain?" joke.

2. Scarlett's BlazeThis is ideal if Shondaland wants to continue its colored moniker nomenclature. Scarlett's a shade of red and a name! Grey's very briefly introduced "Firefighter Carroll" (Stephanie Czajkowski) in Thursday's finale, but it's unclear if she'd be the spin-off's lead right now. Nevertheless, Scarlett could still be her first name, while "blaze" would be a nod to the eventual use of Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory" (you know Rhimes loves her music!).

Furthermore, Rhimes' new, generically titled legal drama For the People was formerly dubbed Mother Court (LOL) and Black's Law. Since the slow is slated for midseason, it's not too late to retroactively make this the ChiJu of the Greysverse and revert to Black's Law. (The eventual cop spin-off would have a blue-hued name, obviously.)

3. Grey's InfernoOr they could retain the "Grey's" name for easy-to-recognize familiarity in the age of Peak TV (and would it surprise anyone if Meredith discovered she had another sister at this point?). Plus, everyone knows the 10th circle of hell is Shondaland's catastrophe-prone Seattle.

4. Byrnes' Ashes Non-colored, no Grey relation, but still pun-tastic. Alternate, far-more-literal spelling: Burns' Ashes.

5. How to Get Away with PyromaniaIn a Law & Order: Criminal Intent-esque twist, the show would be told from the perspectives of both the people who start fires around Seattle and the firefighters who try to put them out. (Fun fact: Czajkowski guest-starred on How to Get Away with Murder in 2015.)

6. Hose Before Bros The spin-off will almost definitely feature a female lead to join the ranks of Shondaland badass leading ladies Meredith Grey, Olivia Pope, Annalise Keating, Addison Montgomery et al., and it will definitely cover the team's personal lives (the logline promises the show will follow "heroic firefighters as they risk their lives and their hearts both in the line of duty and off the clock"). After getting burned (!) by a former flame (!!), our heroine will have a renewed focus on her career, coining the titular mantra, but then a new hoseman joins the firehouse, and well, you know.

The Grey's spin-off will premiere next year.

More here:
Grey's Inferno? 6 Suggestions for the Grey's Anatomy Firefighter Spin-Off - TV Guide (blog)

Jerrika Hinton took to Instagram to express just how grateful she is. USA TODAY

Spoiler alert! The following contains spoilers from Thursday's season finale ofGrey's Anatomy,"Ring of Fire."

Another doctor is leaving Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

In a bombastic finale to the show's 13th season, it was revealed that Dr. Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton) was alive after last week's cliffhanger, but also that she is leaving the hospital, and the show, after enduring burns during a traumatic night.

We'll miss you, Edwards!(Photo: Richard Cartwright, ABC)

Last week's episode found a rapist loose in the hospital, who first holds Edwards at knife-point, then sets a fire to attempt to escape the hospital and even takes a young girl hostage. Edwards is able to save the girl but suffers severe burns in the process. In the finale, confined to her hospital bed, Edwards tells her mentorDr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), "I quit."

And though Edwards will be missed, her method of exit is rare on a show known for its tragic deaths. In a goodbye note on her Instagram, Hinton noted how great it was that Edwards got to choose her own path.

"I am eternally thankful for five seasons of (Grey's Anatomy) and a graceful departure that underscores the courage it takes to choose yourself," Hinton wrote. "That Stephanie literally walks through fire to reach freedom her freedom inspires me. It also makes me curious: What does freedom look like for you, dear viewer? After all, its not only the heroics that make her brave, its her finally seeing (and seeking) a better path."

"You fans and viewers are some of the most devoted folks Ive ever met," she went on. "Thank you for your endless energy. Bosslady Shonda, Queen Debbie, and entire (Grey's Anatomy) cast and crew forever remain in my heart. The #Shondaland family is a mighty, winding forest. I look forward to seeing you all in another clearing."

See her whole note below.

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2qB3lL4

Go here to see the original:
'Grey's Anatomy': Find out which doctor just left the show - USA TODAY

Recently, enterprise-focused Google representatives have been encouraging a metric called Relevance, which is believed to be one of the three main factors that make upQuality Score. Relevance is a metric which evaluates how pertinent your ad creative is to your account structure and keywords.

At AdBasis, we have spent Q1 speaking with enterprise-level advertisers about changes being implemented to account structures and to ad units (creative) in order to improve their relevancy scores as recommended by Google. This often means that advertisers need to implement hyper-specific ads to every ad group in their accounts.

As a result, we have seen the demand for scaled ad implementations, ad unit management and creative optimization grow dramatically. This article is designed to give you a standard for what your creative should look like within every ad group. Im going to dissect the anatomy of ad structure, showcase some best practices and provide some additional commentary.

AdWords accounts are growing larger and larger. I am not talking about overall spend I am talking about the number of campaigns and ad groups within a single AdWords account.Whether youre using Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) or something close to it, chances are the number of ad groups in your account has grown significantly. SEMs everywhere are hit with a new set ofchallenges related to this shift.

If your account has been evolving, chances are your existing creative is fragmented and unmeasurable; this is a major problem. One of the biggest challenges is the management, implementation, measurement and optimization of the associated ad units. And now, with Googles new push for extremely granular ad copy relevance, your generic ad copy will no longer work.

So, what does a high-quality search ad look like?

Just as the human body can be dissected and understood, so can your search ads. Here we will evaluate the different organs that make up a search ad and how they can be altered to improve performance. Understanding how Google will evaluate your ad copy based on keyword + search term is vital to understanding how to structure your creative in bulk.

The elements of a search ad that are most vital to determining relevance are as follows:

In order to combat the problem of fragmented and differing creative at the ad group level, standardization through dynamic ad templates across similarly behaving ad groups is a great technique.

What does that mean? It means designing ad copy templatessuch that the search term can be inserted based on the ad group, but the ad copy surrounding your search term is relevant, flexible and testable.This can be achievedusing feed-based technologies to dynamically insert ad content based on ad group or campaign.

(Im notgoing to get into tech setup since thats beyond the scope of this article, but you can learn more about generating feeds and feed-based technologies here.)

Okay, so what should your dynamic ad templates look like?

In the examples below, I willshowcase how feeds can be used to dynamically insert unique creative based on the ad group or campaign (ad group and campaign are the two levels of hierarchy to which creative can be mapped).

The highlighted text in the examplesbelow represents ad copy that is not static; it is written in a way that can be swapped out orchanged based on the needs of the advertiser and how the account is set up. Imagine the highlighted elements are changing based on your ad group.

The goal of these templates is to map search terms to specific ad groups in ways that make sense in ad copy.

The company in the examplebelow has ad groups for specific action verbs (Browse, Search, Find and so on) and Makes/Models of vehicles (e.g., Toyota, Honda, Mercedes). From this, they could create a feed of action verbs by ad group, a list of Makes by ad group, and a list of Models by ad group. These variables would change dynamically based on the content in their feeds.

As you can see, this particular ad copy template would work across hundreds or thousands of ad groups which are geared toward different keywords and Makes/Models. Youd keep the quality of your ad copy relevance and be able to measure the performance of this creative template.

Through the use of dynamic templates, e-commerce brands can implement, manage and measure ad copy in bulk. Knowing if BOGO vs. 50% Off works best for particular audiences or product categories is vital information. But often, this is very difficult to execute at scale without sacrificing ad relevance.

Here is an example of a scaled ad template that can be used by e-commerce brands. The makeup of this ad template includes an audience variable (Men or Women), product category variable (Shoes, Shirts, Pants) and discount percentage (mapped to the product category).

These elements can be shifted throughout the ad and tested across ad groups/campaigns dynamically. Generating a feed of your dynamic elements and mapping them to campaigns or ad groups is crucial to standardization and measurement of ad creative at scale.

SaaS companies are unique because often, they only offer a single product. In many instances, SaaS companies will position the same product in different ways and will segment campaigns by the value proposition someone is searching for.

This provides a unique set of challenges. Another approach to dynamic ad copy templates isnt inserting a search term, but rather entire Headlines, Pathways, Descriptions and so on.

Below, this SaaS company is dynamically inserting the Headline 1 and Description based on the ad group. This gives them the opportunity to test Pathways and Headline 2 without sacrificing the customized Headline 1 and Description theyve written.

The use of dynamic ad templates across ad groups and campaigns affords you the opportunity to test your ads in two main ways:

This approach is designed to provide SEMs with an approach that is flexible enough to test across ad groups/campaigns (implement at scale) but specific enough to deliver extremely relevant ads to all searchers. Its not an easy task, but hopefully, this article will get the creative juices flowing on what technology options are out there to help improve your ad copy relevance.

Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

Visit link:
The anatomy of ad copy relevance: The new Google standard - Search Engine Land

Every spring the big TV networks mount elaborate stage shows to promote their new seasons to ad buyers, trying to establish the best possible position before beginning talks for all the upcoming commercial time. Some buyers may just as soon skip the spectacle, but networks still consider them a key tool for framing their offering.

For NBC Universal, the stakes are some $6 billion in ad commitments that Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising sales and client partnerships, will negotiate in the weeks following the presentation.

NBC's show at Radio City Music Hall ultimately included 10 confetti cannons, six pyrotechnics cannons and over 100 hours of rehearsal. It left out the planned dancing football players and trampoline artists when John Shea, creative director of the event, cut them at 10 p.m. the night before.

Ad Age followed NBC Universal's team for the three months leading up to the annual pitch to see firsthand what it takes to pull it all off. Watch the video for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look.

By Jeanine Poggi, Nate Skid and David Hall.

Read more here:
Anatomy of an Upfront: Behind the Scenes of NBCU's Road to Radio City - AdAge.com

SPOILER ALERT:Do notread ahead, if you have not watched the season finale of Greys Anatomy Season 13, which aired onThursday, May 18.

Grey Sloan Memorial said goodbye to one of its own, after a fire rocked the hospital in the Season 13 finale of Greys Anatomy but despite some major foreshadowing, the goodbye was not due to death, unlike most Greys departures.

However, that doesnt mean the exit isnt permanent. The season finale revealed that Jerrika Hintons Dr. Stephanie Edwards is leaving her job and the medical profession entirely. The storyline comes as the actress is exiting the ABC series for a role in Alan Balls new HBO drama, asVariety previously reported.

In Thursday nights episode, after fighting off a rapist and dodging an explosion, Edwards spent the season-ender ignoring her own life-threatening burns to save a little girl which she did, by the way in the process, she realized what she wants out of life: to stop spending all her time in hospitals.

As for Hinton, the actress joined Greys Anatomy in 2012. She expanded her Shondaland relationship last season when she was cast as the lead in the companys comedy pilot Toast, which ultimately did not go to series.

Regarding Hintons exit, in a statement provided toVariety, series creator Shonda Rhimes said: Actors evolve differently and when an actor like Jerrika comes to me and says she wants to try something new creatively, I like to honor that.Jerrika has shared so much of herself with Stephanie and I am incredibly proud of the journey weve taken together. While Im sad to see Stephanie leave Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, I am excited to see whats next for Jerrika.

Here,Hinton fights back tears as she speaks to Variety about her decision to leave Greys Anatomy, her new HBO series, and why youshouldnt expect to see Edwards back in Seattle any time soon

When did you decide to leave the show?

Shonda and I met almost a year ago now, and we had a very lengthy and gratifying and really splendid conversation about work and creative process. She was immensely supportive of my wishes, and shes really lovely, Shonda. Every private conversation Ive had with her has left with me feeling just heard and seen and respected as a human being and as an artist, and I really appreciate that.

Have we seen the last of Edwards full time, or could we see her come backin a guest role?

I genuinely dont know the answer to that question. I will say, though, that because of the nature of her injuries and because of what she says she wants to experience in her next chapter of life, if we do see her come back through those doors, it will be a long time. I think that she needs to heal. She needs to heal in a variety of ways before that place becomes a viable option again.

Can you pinpoint a favorite moment you had withyour character over the years?

To be honest, that final scene with Jim Pickens [who plays Dr. Webber], that stands out in my memory. That was, for a scene thats so weighty, so heavy, tapping into it was a beautifully straightforward process. Jim is a fantastic scene partner. I always feel very safe with him. And Debbie [Allen, who directed the episode], the way that Debbie really just let us do what we needed to do allowed for all elements to really coalesce. And I havent seen it, [so] I hope that it comes across on screen. But on the day, shooting that was lovely.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time on the show?

I dont know if Im gonna have an opportunity to talk about what I will miss about Stephanie, is that okay? Im gonna miss wow, I didnt expect this. Im feeling emotional now. Need to go grab some Kleenex. I think Im just gonna miss her willingness to go the extra mile for what she believes in. I think its a quality that has been there from day one. I was thinking about this a few weeks ago, and something I remember from back in Season 9 is the way she really rallied Leah and Joe when Shane was going through a hard time. She told them not to give up and that we are all a part of this together. I think that she has such great fortitude and empathy and brilliance, and shes just, I think, for all of the folly of youth that she has, shes such a wonderful person. I was friends with her, and thats a great compliment because I choose friends carefully.

Can you tease anything about your HBO show?

I will say this: Five years of working in Shondaland makes me nervous about teasing things. I think I can, but all of my instincts in my body say, Keep your mouth shut, and Ive gotta work on letting go of that. But its a really wonderful new project. Its a new drama from Alan Ball, who is a phenomenal writer. And I will say that weve already started working on it, and its genuinely been a gratifying, collaborative, generous, and welcoming experience, and I feel so fortunate. I used to say, all the time, that being welcomed into Shondaland felt like winning the lottery, and I still feel that way. And now, moving from there to this, I dont even know whats beyond the lottery.

Even though youre leaving, do you have any intel on Greys Anatomy Season 14?

I literally have zero idea, and I have not asked because I dont work there anymore. When I worked there, I would ask all of those questions, and now that I dont, its a beautiful mystery.

Go here to see the original:
'Grey's Anatomy' Season 13 Finale Says Goodbye to Another Cast Member (SPOILERS) - Variety

Mar 22, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) reacts during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Morris season in review and grade by Duncan Smith

Mr. Big Shot could be headed to the Atlanta Hawks by Luke Wolthuis

The Detroit Pistons had a pattern for most of the season. They would start slow, take poor shots, be a step slow defensively, be down 6-10 points halfway through the first quarter. Sometimes the bench would rally and the Pistons would win, sometimes they trailed by too much or the bench never got it together. Either way, the starters almost never got off to a good start, and the first quarter was usually when they were at their worst.

There were platitudes about energy, getting off to better starts. Expressions that certain players had to bring it, play harder with more consistency. But what if there was another way to describe the Pistons starts? A way to quantify what they were doing and why it was so consistently unsuccessful, and a way forward to avoid falling into the same pitfalls going into next season can only be of help.

The Pistons were 21st in first quarter offensive rating, scoring just 102.7 points per 100 possessions in opening stanzas. They also had the second-worst true shooting rate in the NBA in first quarters with a woeful 51.3 clip.

In this piece were going to look at a typical Detroit Pistons first quarter from this past season. Were going to look at the kind of shots and locations the Pistons took, and were going to look at the expected value (or EV) of each shot they took in this specific first quarter. This EV will be based on a simple calculation of (FG% * 2) for two-pointers and (FG% * 3) for three-pointers. Well use NBA.coms shooting by range stat page to determine the varying field goal percentages by range.

The quarter that were going to examine is the first quarter of a game between the Pistons and the Indiana Pacers at the Palace of Auburn Hills on December 17th. The Pistons lost this game 105-90 and were outscored 27-26 in the first quarter. This is an entirely reasonable first quarter output, and this loss was due more to a 15-point second quarter than any specific failure in the first quarter.

Lets dive in.

The first shot of the game is taken by Tobias Harris. Its a 19-foot jump shot late in the shot clock. Remember, this is the first possession of the game, and it results in a late clock long two. This might be the most Piston way to start a game all season.

Harris has an expected value of 0.96 points per attempt from 15-19 feet.

He also takes the next shot, a spot up miss from 26 feet out on a drive and kick from Reggie Jackson. His expectation from there is slightly higher at 1.014 points per attempt.

Jackson scores the first points of the game for the Pistons on a spot up three, assisted by Tobias Harris. Remember, Jackson was among the best three-point shooters on the team, and he has an outstanding expectation from the corner, hitting 43.8 percent of those shots. His expectation on that success rate is 1.314 points per shot.

Andre Drummond takes and makes the next two shots, a seven-foot hook shot and a nine-foot hook. Its been well-documented on this site and elsewhere how poor his hook shot is and how mediocre his offense is when he gets outside five feet. Both shots go, but his expectation on both shots is a mere 0.81 points per attempt.

Tobias Harris takes the next two shots, splitting them. He misses the first, a 12-footer with an expectation of .898 points per attempt, but he hits the second, a 26-foot three-pointer with an EV of 1.014 points per attempt.

At this point, the Pistons have a 10-7 lead and theyre 4-of-7 from the floor. The shots theyve taken have a combined EV of 6.82, meaning their average expectation per field goal attempt is 0.974 points.

The Pistons score their next points on a transition three from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Jackson spots him across the arc and finds him for a wide open triple. Thanks to a late-season swoon, this shot has an EV of just .954 points per attempt, but at the time it was closer to 1.2 points per attempt.

KCP makes the next shot, also a three, and then misses a third three. Again, the EV for each shot is .954 points per attempt.

Tobias Harris follows that up with a missed three, with an expectation of 1.095 points.

Following that comes perhaps the wildest layup youll ever see from Reggie Jackson. While were going to assign this attempt a value of .968 (which itself is a dreadful rate at the rim), we can be honest and say this was basically a zero-chance attempt.

Drummond collects the rebound, misses a put back which has a 1.248 points per attempt EV, and a jump ball ensues which leads to a layup from Tobias Harris. That layup has a value of 1.308, significantly better than both Jackson and Drummonds rate at the rim.

The next attempts come from the free throw line via Reggie Jackson. He has a free throw percentage of 86.8 percent, thus eachattempt has a value of .868.

Andre Drummond takes the next three shots. He misses a six-foot hook worth .81 points, then Jackson hits him in transition for a layup at the basket, valued at 1.248. The third shot is a 20-foot jumper as the shot clock expires. Considering he hasnt hit such a shot, this attempt is assigned theentirely reasonable value of 0.

Reggie Jackson takes the next two shots, making a layup valued at .968 and missing a 16-foot jumps hot, valued at .81 points per attempt. Caldwell-Pope then misses a 27-foot jumper, valued at .954, and Ish Smith has checked in and misses a 26-foot three. Given his dreadful three-point shooting numbers from beyond 24 feet, his expected value here is .609 points per attempt.

KCP misses a layup valued at 1.074 points per attempt, Tobias Harris makes two free throws with a success rate of .841 (again, each free throw has this value), and Ish Smith misses a 12-foot shot with a value of 1.014 points per attempt.

In the end, the shots taken by the Detroit Pistons had an expected value of 25.206 points, and they scored this on 9-of-23 shooting. They were buoyed by better-than-average three-point shooting, hitting 4-of-9, and they were aided by four free throws, all of which they made.

Based on the pace of the first quarter (they played about 24 possessions, on pace for 95 in the game), their EV provides an expected offensive rating of 105.2. This rate would have tied them with the New York Knicks for 15th in the NBA in first quarter offensive rating, and it took them above-average three-point and free throw shooting to get there.

In summary, the Pistons had a positive-variance shooting stretch (or good luck, you could call it) in order to bring them to the middle of the league in first quarter scoring efficiency. Drummond also took three post shots (which is three too many) and made two, but he has among the leagues worst efficiency from the post.

The rest is here:
The anatomy of a typical Piston first quarter - PistonPowered

Greys Anatomy actress Jessica Capshaw, who is Arizona on the show, has opened up about how playing a lesbian has changed her life.

Capshaw, who first appeared as a guest star in the shows fifth season in 2009, has been through the wringer as Arizona.

Her character has married kick-ass orthopaedic surgeon Callie Torres, been divorced, lost her leg, and is now starting a relationship with Eliza Minnick, cast as this seasons antagonist.

She said that acting as a lesbian in the enormously popular show for so long had been a huge positive in her life.

I never would have imagined that I would be able to play a character that would feel like it does so much good, she told Yahoo Style.

Capshaw said that she hoped her on-screen presence helped people who feel like the character resonates with them and it makes their day a little easier to see themselves represented.

Or, she added, it could also provide a crucial tool in teaching family members or friends about homosexuality.

If its someone watching it who has someone in their life who is gay, and they might have not understood it before all of a sudden they have another person or another thing to point to and say: Oh, thats a different context.

Being able to play a lesbian as a series regular on television has been enormously rewarding.

Capshaw, who has also appeared on The L Word and Bones, proudly recalled an example of how representation can help how people see the LGBT community.

My daughter goes to preschool, and the preschool has all kinds of families, she said.

And I guess one of the kids said: You have to have a mom and a dad to have a baby. And my daughter said: No. No, you dont.

And this was all overheard and told to me later. She said, in a very kind and patient way to that child: There can be a mom and a mom and a dad and a mom and there can be a dad and a dad.

Capshaw said she was so grateful that she will never know any different, and it will only be if she is in the presence of people who are on the wrong side of history or small-minded that she will hear anything other than that.

Arizonas burgeoning relationship with Dr Minnick was a whole new experience, she said, since the two were already familiar with each other.

Ive known her for quite a while and shes a good friend of mine and married to Scott Foley, who is also a friend of mine.

Its a very interesting negotiation, but we had fun. We laughed a lot.

It was definitely one of those moments when you were like: Im going to kiss my friend. Thats going to happen, she added, laughing.

Capshaws positive take on playing a lesbian follows Pretty Little Liars Shay Mitchell saying that the fact that her character Emily Fields is queer was the best part of being on the show.

Go here to see the original:
Grey's Anatomy actress: playing a lesbian has changed my life - PinkNews