Aug. 9

Sports. What do they mean to you? A fun afternoon? A forgotten yesterday — or tomorrow. A way to keep up with a friend? Maybe all of them. For me, Sports has been all of those things, multiple times. But most of all, they’re a good excuse to get together with a good group of guys or gals (use your own definition of “good”) and just have fun. There’s not another thing that can make you laugh, “ooh” and “ahhh”, make a Cleveland native cry and conjure a sense of pride from a buzzed fanatic when they have no real reason to feel that way.  Bur it doesn’t just stop there, though; Sports can mean so much more — a career for distraught kid; in an indirect way, a career for less gifted person; or a life long lesson. All these things from games. Whether football, basketball or — does any one still watch — baseball (sorry…), these games have something for everyone. You can break it down; find out how a valuable player fits into certain lineups and where they are the most efficient, or what position is revolutionizing the game. Or, you can sit, watch, “Ohhh” and “Ahhh”. There’s something for everyone. You don’t need to know the Assistant Coach’s name to appreciate a 240lb man out-running a 190lb man with cut-off speed. Sports are visceral and intricate. They can caudal you and crush you — love you and lash you. No, I’m not talking about your ex. Still, something most of us can relate to and, sometimes, appreciate.

As I go through school and work, I realize how important these games are to my life. These games, they’re dots on the map where busy friends can gather and strengthen a bond, they’re why Mondays aren’t so bad (Is it August yet? And don’t be that asshole who likes Mondays. It’s never a good look.) — they’re also the reason why you know that girl you’ve been talking up is really into you (or you’ve met a unicorn, and in that case, she already knows the Vikings record and who Charles Johnson is). Why else would she care how the Purple People Eaters were faring? Of course, there are other reasons to do and know the things I have mention, but why? Like I said earlier, there’s no better instance to get a group of your trouble makers together and get a little too involved, even if you have to invite Josh, and last time he broke your buddies mirror when the Cowboys lost, and you told him: don’t be surprised when the Cowboys don’t pull through, they will fuck this up. Life’s not about white-knuckling it until you can let loose; it’s about little incentives on the way. So, go ahead, invite Josh — just lock your bedroom.

Sports, one of life’s great incentives. Right after 19 year-old tail.

Essentialism And The Houston Rockets

This was Inspired by Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, a book by Greg McKeown. This book details and breaks down what is important–what is essential.

Essentialism: discerning the Vital few from the Trivial many.

If there was a basketball team that mirrored the ideals of Essentialism, it’d be the Houston Rockets. They have discerned the Vital few from the Trivial many. They’ve cut the fat.

The Vital Few In Basketball:

What are the vital few in the NBA, now? Pace and space; three and d; wing players with size that can switch on pick-and-rolls. As for putting the ball in the basket, it’s all about lay-ups, free-throws and the oh-so essential three pointer–something that (surprise, surprise) Houston’s MVP Runner-up, James Harden specializes in. What I just mentioned are the most efficient ways to score and in basketball; in other words, they are the Vital few and Houston has capitalized on them.

The Rockets have found a way to maximize their success by focusing on the Vital few and minimizing their priorities. Instead of improving by a millimeter in a million directions, they have grown in leaps and bounds in their carefully selected few. They are true basketball Essentialists.

Here is a visual representation of what Houston is doing with their priorities (the lines coming off the circle). Marvel at my paint skills: Imgur

When you have too many priorities you have none; This something that this team’s front office recognized early. They analyzed what was efficient, what worked and ran with it, not worrying about what was left behind. By lessening their priorities, they added by subtraction. And that makes it even funnier that Josh Smith is thriving in this offense.

With less priorities come less decision; and with less decisions comes less decision fatigue. The more decisions we are forced to make, the more the quality of our decisions decline. So, whether or not the Rockets can bounce back down 2-0 to the warriors, we should continue to be appreciate this team and it’s structure; they took an idea, an Essentialist take on basketball and ran with it. They’ve created one of the blueprints for what teams may look like for years to come.

Did A Zombie Help Houston Win Game 6?

I can’t recall the Rocket’s biggest late-game deficit — but it was close to 10 points and they had less than ten minutes to summit it. But it felt like the Clippers had the type of lead where garbage time could almost engulf the fourth quarter, at any moment. The Rockets’ deficit was reminiscent of the hole the Clippers climbed out of, a few playoffs ago, against the Grizzlies. And, of all players, Nick Young might’ve been the biggest key that unlocked that victory for LA. And, not to mention, the Rockets were trying to drudge through a comeback without the guy that got them there, the runner-up MVP, James Harden. \

Regardless, the Rockets kept their heads up and still played incredible hard-fought hoops to pull themselves out of the trenches and elimination; which could be hard to believe, if you witnessed their previous attempted “playoff performances” in Staples Center.

There were many heroes on the Houston team in Game 6 — Brewer, Ariza, Terry and, maybe the most of all, Josh Smith (due to his outside shooting). (Is this real life?) Even Harden was perfect from the stripe, shooting 11 of 11 free throws, before exiting the game with an unseen ailment. It almost seemed like Harden knew something we didn’t, like he had an unwavering faith in his guys. Either way, he got some much needed rest while his team played their hearts out.

At some point, later in the fourth, Jamal Crawford hit a three to put the Clips back up double-digits. A perceived back breaker. I’ll admit it, I counted Houston out, but they didn’t; and that’s one of the biggest parts of competition. If you believe you’re better, if you believe you can win, your increase your chances–exponentially–of winning. A lot of times, the physical battle dulls in comparison to the mental tug of war, the constant mind-game of back and forth competition (tell that to a late-game, laboring Dwight Howard). And the Rockets won that mind game–of all ways, I believe, by being mindless.

Post-game, after Houston spoiled LA’s hometown party, I was watching Dwight Howard’s post-game interview; and the first answer a baffled Howard said, to whatever cookie cutter question, was, “I just thank God, man.” He said it again a few sentences later. He mentioned how they kept believing and that they “gave up themselves.” Words more familiar from a pastor than a basketball player. And, players say this sort of stuff all the time, but, this time, it seemed eerily sincere. Later in the interview, I thought Howard was going to chalk up the entire game to the big man upstairs, but I’d like to think he caught himself and threw in a few my teammates were (endearing word: fill in the blank) type comments. It got me thinking. How much did these players really buy into this God thing? It seemed like a lot. When an athlete says “God” more than “Uh/Um” in interviews, you know he holds his evangelical savior in high esteem. My next thought was: Do they think about this on the court, and does it really help? The finger points up toward the sky after sinking tough shots would indicate: yes and probably yes.

Howard also mention that he stopped paying attention to the clock and just played, even when their fate was tested. Was that his faith in his religion, or was that just him buying into Houston’s basketball system and just playing? Probably both. But being mindless, in the midst of battle like Houston was, can be one of your biggest weapons; you don’t get deterred by the opposing teams big basket; you don’t keep thinking about that possible game-altering turnover you might’ve just committed; you just let the mechanics that got you there work.

Is that was these players seemingly endless faith in their God allow them to do–be mindless and have faith that everything will work out? If so, what an advantage. No wonder the Lakers suck. It’s too progressive (not really) over here, on the west coast. People are out here proclaiming yoga as their religion. Not nearly as magical as a man in the sky that has zombie-like powers. Makes perfect sense. Don’t question it.

Just something to think about.

I Care Too Much (From A Miami Heat Fan)

He left and we hated him for it; he came, and we loved it for him. The fact that this had happened twice in LeBron James’ career could, in itself, make for a few documentaries.

The greatest player I’ve had the pleasure of viewing, the highest standards that I’ve come to expect, have come from Mr. James.

I grew up (or decided in the 6th grade–I know, pretty old) a Miami Heat fan; I had to rebel to the highest degree from my California natives, so I went as far East as the United States would allow my eleven year old mind to reach. South Beach. Being the wide eyed, single minded kid I was, all I did was watch an electric Dwyane Wade. This was back when an assist meant Wade should’ve taken the shot for himself; back when I only saw him on the court–David vs The Goliaths, every time I watched; back when I didn’t see the spot-up shooter, or even cared for him; back before I knew everyone’s names (even the assistant coach’s) and knew what PER and plus/minus was. D-Wade was superhuman to me. Those might’ve been my favorite years of fandom. Because now, I find myself focusing a team’s fourth best player running around screens, instead of just salivating over my favorite player(s). My love for NBA basketball is trying to supplant my emotional connections to my favorite players and team, which feels like cheating on your fun college girlfriend, but with the girl that has already graduated and doesn’t plan to be a career waitress and has her head on straight. It feels weirdly wrong. (I’m not knocking on the waitresses out there. If I was a cute, young chick, best believe I’d hustling for those tips. But, I’ve only got 2ish out of 3 of those attributes. Bruce Jenner is giving me hope though! I kid, I kid.)

Back to an entering-middle-school me: I’m watching more hoops. Every Miami Heat clip I can find. And, at this point, I’m starting to have more appreciation for the team, and team basketball, in general, which in turn gave me a greater respect for my favorite player (Wade). He did so much sometimes. Did it ever hurt?, I thought. He moved so fast and played with so much fervor. Was he ever tired? How does he do THIS so often?, I thought. I started to care about my favorite player’s well-being, which is a big thing for a twelve year old–you know, to think about someone else for a change. And sometimes, I felt bad watching players carry teams. I’d see the expression on their face after trying to launch another shot to keep their team afloat–only for it to miss. I guess there are consequences for caring.

Fast Forward to The Decision:

I knew who LeBron James was, I knew he was an awesome basketball player, but I was so biased toward my guy, D-Wade, the South-Beach-Shimmy, It didn’t even cross my mind that LeBron would/could be better than my guy. But when James made his decision to take his talents to South Beach, I didn’t how to feel. I remember wondering how it would change the team. And Chris Bosh was an after thought at this point, unfortunately. (I liked Bosh, I knew he was good; he just didn’t move the needle for me, at that time. Sorry, Bosh–I love you now. Hoping for a full recovery from possibly the toughest Heatle of the past 5 years.)

It was weird being a fan of a team that was supposed to win the championship. It was more fun than anything, though. Wade and LeBron, an unbeatable tandem. And still not enough evidence to prove to me that LeBron James was a better player. I was living a sports fans dream. Their first season didn’t start well, but I wasn’t worried–we had Wade. And where there’s Wade there’s W’s. In my mind, I remember not really embracing LeBron until the finals. I was mad at him for “losing” the finals for us. Everyone felt some animosity. You were either a disappointed fan, or you were a haha-I-told-you-he-wasn’t-a-winner hater. It almost gave me more ammo to for my Camp Wade bunker, but it didn’t. I was too involved in the team. I hated that we lost and King James was just my scapegoat.

Next season, our year for redemption, I started to see the physical limitation of Wade. And not in the way you think. It was more the seemingly endless physical limitation of James, rather than the extent of Wade’s, I recognized. LeBron was bigger, stronger and made everyone better. He was now greater–more often–than Wade. And he did so much. He was better. A championship came, which was followed by another; I was a spoiled basketball-brat. Greatness was expected and the Miami Heat exceeded it. Again and again; finals trip after finals trip. Listen to this crazy run: Lebron won MVP, led us to a championship (finals MVP), arrow headed an olympic gold medal win, won MVP and then, carried us to another championship (finals MVP–big shout Ray), again. That’s even a long winded sentence; imagine that stretch of time for the man living it. It was so fun watching it all, and I’m sure LeBron had an extraordinary time experiencing it. But, after all the accolades, those thoughts from middle school started to pop up in my head again. He does so much. Was it ever too much? How was he not hurting? He was the best scorer, the most precise passer, the most voracious rebounder. I found myself feeling like he was carrying too much weight. And all this while getting the most public criticism from the media any athlete has ever gotten. He had to be tired. I knew he was.

After our repeat finals win, I knew something not-so-great was going to happen (by back-to-back champs standards). It was as simple in my head as I’m sure you’ve heard before. The best Western Conference team got better, and the best Eastern Conference team didn’t. So, when we lost in the Finals, I wasn’t surprised. But I was still as frustrated as when we lost to Dirk & them boys. Instead, this time, I was mad at everyone, except LeBron. How did you expect him to do everything? You can’t miss that shot when he makes a pass that good! He can’t lead every column in the box score, every night. These were all the things I was thinking (plus, a few of the words you’d commonly use in madlibs, when you were a waay too immature 13 year old). He did so much, and gave so much to his team, every night. It was hard not to sports-love the guy. So, when he left South Beach, I found myself still attached to LeBron. I’m still a Heat fan, but I have to root for the guy. If you’re a Heat fan, and you appreciate what he did for the team, I don’t see how you can’t hope the guy succeeds in life. (Of course, assuming the Heat aren’t in the playoff picture, like right now.) LeBron did to me, what Dwyane Wade did in my middle school years. He made me care for his well-being. But–he’s not on my team anymore and he’s still in our conference. I’m torn between two of my favorite players: A man who has given everything he could for a franchise (Wade) and man who has done the same, in my (not so) humble opinion, while being the most compelling sports figure I’ve ever watched (James).

It’s weird that I care so much.

I mean, these guys are making millions of dollars to play a game. But it’s a game I love, so I guess it doesn’t matter the circumstances. Both of the mentioned players have made me care more for people I don’t even know–people I’ve never actually seen–than I ever thought possible. Dwyane’s decline and relaxed minutes has helped my curse for caring. But with LeBron still chasing rings and leading the pack, I find myself still watching over him, even though it’s not my pack. He’s back at it and his men are falling. As I watch Kyrie re-aggravate his left leg, and LeBron hurt his 30-year-old-back while reaching for a rebound I wish his big men could’ve got, those prepubescent thoughts come back. His team needs to step up for him (they did). How can you miss that shot when he makes that pass?! He has to be hurting.

Then, just now, I see LeBron play lazy defense on a C+ Joakim Noah and still get a block after getting blown by. He’s still the best player in the league, and he’s still playing a game for millions of dollars, and superstars are superstars because they always have too much on their plates, yet they still perform–I just need to remember that stuff. I care way too much. Can’t I just watch the fucking game?

Why Not The Wiz?

If you watch the NBA like a true over-involved fan, you knew the Raptors-Wizards series was going to be, most likely, uninspiring. And knowing what we do now, that’s exactly what it wasn’t. It was an underdog-sweep; the Wiz put the Raps away every game, no BS involved (SWEEP THE LEGS!). The Wizards also went down in history this weekend as the first team to ever sweep an opposing team with home-court advantage (I think).

So, my question is: What reason is there to think the Wiz can’t get to the Eastern Conference Finals and take a game (or more) off the challenger? Lets look at their next possible match-ups. We’ll start with the marginally less likey:

The Brooklyn Nets:

Lets see how their starting fives match up: John Wall, Bradley Beal, Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat for DC; and Deron Williams, “Iso” Joe Johnson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez. Who has the best player: Washington — John Wall. Ball handlers run the league and it won’t be any different in this series. John Wall is averaging double digit assists in the playoffs, and will be the best athlete on the floor. Veteran Leadership: A must on any playoff team that wants to do anything in the playoffs —  Ad. Washington, again. In the form of “The Truth”, Paul Pierce beats Joe Johnson in this category. And not just by experience, by production. Pierce has produced in every first round game, and you could even make the argument that he’s put most of the games away; Pierce has had a knack for hitting a dagger three and shutting the door in the Raptors face–and, then, kicking it in when they tried to knock. As for the Wiz: While Johnson has been filling up the stat sheet and basically running the offense, his shot has been off. And the Nets can’t count on Bojan Bogdanovic to go for ~20 points every game to cover for it. Front Court: Although the Nets have the most offensively skilled big man, in Brook Lopez, I give the edge to DC for their interior defense. I’m not sure Young could handle Nene in the post, and Nene is one of those players that knows how to exploit his matchup. Also, Gortat has scored over twenty in his last two games, but that might just be the Raps defense… Either way, I like DC’s size. As for Bench: The Nets, once again, have the most skilled bench player (Jarrett Jack), but the Washington’s bench plays with good energy. Otto Porter has been giving the Wiz good minutes and weirdly found his outside touch; and Ramon Session is good to spell Wall for a few minutes. I’d give the edge to the Wizards, being that they have more players that can actually produce on their bench. Difference Maker: Look no further than Bradley Beal. When Beal was hitting outside against Toronto, the Wiz looked unbeatable (against the Raptors…). As for the Nets difference maker, I’m not sure. I’d say Deron Williams actually making shots, but I want to be realistic. So, I’ll just stick with Joe Johnson finding his outside stroke; you know, something more feasible. (For the record, I think Williams is more hurt than we know, which would explain some of his lack of production.)

Advantage: The Washington Wizards.

Door No.2–The Atlanta Hawks:

Okay, now lets look at their more likely match up. Earlier, I mention that the Nets were “the marginally less likely” match up, which should tell you something. The Hawks don’t look like the Hawks. Whether they were regular seasons fools gold or not, I’m not sure. I don’t think they are, which makes this ever more weird. It could just be that the Nets are a bad matchup; or the Hawks are still dealing with injuries, but–regardless–something is wrong. We saw Al Horford injure his finger earlier in the series, and we know Paul Millsap is dealing with a shoulder injury, but is that enough to cripple the Hawks? If I’m not mistaken, I’m pretty sure the Hawks has the worst point differential of any No.1 seed, ever, which goes back to that whole fools gold thing. But that low point differential shows; the Hawks are beating the Nets 2-1, right now, but they haven’t exactly put away Brooklyn in any of those W’s; none of the games have been run away wins–you know, the type a No.1 seed should be getting, when playing a No.8 seed. That could go back to that bad matchup.

As for player-to-player matchups, this one is just about even in my mind. I like the Wall-Teague athletic guard battle; you got to guys that can get hot from outside, in Beal and Korver; you’ve got two quality small-forwards and some skilled big men. Theoretically, Wall should be able to check Teague and maybe vice versa. In the back court, everyone seems to matchup nicely. The problem for DC should lie in Atlanta’s spacing. Millsap, and even Horford, would be able to stretch Nene and Gortat out to the three-point line (or near it), which would allow for penetration. Drive-and-kicks mixed with good ball movement spells game over for any team, which sounds a lot like the Hawks (working) offense. It just comes down to execution for Hawks; they have the better system, but they don’t seem to be themselves, which is why I don’t see any reason the Wizards can’t give the Hawks a real series. Hell, the Nets seem to be. So, if you need a fun team to root for that has no expectations, and has a real chance to make the Eastern Conference Finals, the Wizards might be your bandwagon.

The Wizards were an underdog and they swept the home team, and if that doesn’t make them a fun team to root for, while your favorite team is reloading for next season, nothing will.

#DCRising

Durant and Westbrook: Two Very Different Talents

Kevin Durant is the second best basketball player in the world, right?. But is Russell Westbrook a more dominant player? I think so, and not in the animal sense–because, then, he definitely is. Russell has all the skills; he can handle, pass, shoot (well enough) and get to the line. And so does KD. But there’s one thing Durant doesn’t have. Ferocity. I mean, Nike even had that KD is not nice campaign to prove he wasn’t as kind-hearted as he seemed–on court, at least. And as far as I can tell, I’m not sure it’s helped; whether that’s Westbrook’s doing or something else, I’m not sure. As of late, due to KD’s injury related absence, The Brodie has been stepping up; and by stepping up, I mean, going hard as a mother-fucker. HE HAS THREE STRAIGHT TRIPLE DOUBLES. WHAT THE FUCK. This is insane. But let’s forget the stats for second. The numbers aren’t what is catapulting Westbrook ahead of KD–although, they’re helping–it’s the attitude, it’s the way he plays. You’ve heard it before: Westbrook plays every game like its his last; Westbrook plays with a reckless abandon. It’s true.

KD plays within the limits of his talents, which is more than enough, because he’s extremely talented and genetically gifted. Westbrook does not; Westbrook is also extremely talented and genetically gifted but he is not limited by his talent, which say A LOT. If The Brodie wants to get to the rim, he gets to the rim. End of story. If KD wants to get to the rim, he can, but doesn’t always. Why? Because KD is nice, contrary to the Nike ad campaign. Both these guys have unbelievable ability but amazingly different personalities.

If you take two basketball players with similar builds, but outfit one with Durants personality and tendencies and the other with Westbrook’s, and you made these guys play each other–one-on-one–the player with Westbrook’s drive and intensity would win every time. The way Westbrook goes about the game of basketball transcendes his talents. I’d argue that if Westbrook lost his ability to shoot–via the Space Jam phenomena–he would still find a way to be a dominant player; whether it be doubling his trips to the line or doubling his assist total, he’d find a way. If Durant lost his ability to shoot, he could definitely make up in other departments; we’ve seen KD average almost triple-double stats for a stretch, but I get the feeling that he wouldn’t find a way to be a premier talent. And this isn’t an attack on Durant, because, for all I know, maybe he could find another way to be great; these are all just speculations, eye tests and gut feelings.

Westbrook’s demeanor makes him dominant, while Durant’s talent does. Which is better, I’m not sure. Gun to my head, I’d take Westbrook’s demeanor. You can teach a guy to shoot a ball, how to pass and how to box out; but you can’t teach aggressiveness and drive. If, by nature or nurture, you don’t like to speak up, or always defer to an alpha, or don’t like to challenge what’s being said or done, that’s hard to change. A broken bone will heal in months (physical), a broken heart might not (mental); external and internal problems are two very different things. Westbrook has the mental (and physical), Durant has the physical (and maybe the mental). Either way, this is my comparison without the numbers. And I’m not exactly positive what this proves, other than Westbrook and KD are both amazing players, yet very different people.

This all stemmed from me trying to imagine Durant as a second fiddle, under Westbrook. It kind of weirded me out. But who knows–KD could come back and drop four straight triple-doubles. What the hell to do I know?

Truncated Trade Deadline “Grades”

The trade deadline is over and now it’s going to be 2.5 weeks before I get adjusted to current rosters (I’ll take the over on that 2.5 weeks).

So, who won and who lost? 

OKC:

Well, according to way too many people, apparently Enes Kanter is the greatest offensive force the NBA has ever seen and OKC is now a true contender; oh, wait, they’ve been contenders for years and finally made a positive team move (moving Reggie Jackson and adding Kanter/some other DNP candidates). With Kevin Durant now in full pissed off girlfriend mode, complaining about everything being presented to him, and with Westbrook now smiling harder than Andrew Wiggins when… trying to think of a situation where Andrew Wiggins doesn’t smile his hardest, then, realizing he always smiles like he just found out he’s a 19 year old that plays basketball for a living and makes millions of dollars… being Andrew Wiggins, and the new roster of players OKC added to their current roster, they’re in almost as good of shape as they would’ve been had they paid James “I’m an MVP candidate” Harden… Sorry, OKC fans, I had to. Either way, OKC now has an offensively competent center and seems to be getting hot at the right time, as they’ve just taken the 8th seed from Phoenix with a win over the Mavs.

P.S. They also lost Kendrick Perkins and his scowls.

So, my grade for OKC: screw grades, this isn’t class and letter grades give me a mild form of PTSD. W.

MIAMI:

He delivers once again; The Dark Price aka Pat Riley has brought another coveted free agent to south beach, in the form of Goran Dragic. And all the sudden the Miami Heat aren’t just a scary 8th seed, they’re an actual force. The Heat now have something they didn’t even have when LeBron was there–a point guard. Coupled with the emergence of Hassan Whiteside (Are we sure he doesn’t just care about his NBA 2K rating?), the Heatles now have a scary starting five: Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh* and Hassan Whiteside. Miami did give up some 1st round picks (2, along with Norris “2 for 3” Cole and some DNP candidates), but we all know that The Dark Price has other methods of luring players to the Miami Mafia, outside of the draft: Promises of sunshine, brown women with unreal bodies (literally unreal, like plastic), the beach, Gabrielle Union and LIV (a club–just wondering, how quick can JR Smith opt out of his contract? We could use him off the bench). If we can get healthy, this squad looks like, dare I say, a title contender. If you couldn’t tell by my use of the word “we”, I’m a Heat fan.

As for a grade: A+. I know I said no grades, but, I’m a homer–so oops.

P.S. As for the asterisk on Bosh’s name: he was admitted into a hospital after complaining of pain near his ribs and is undergoing lung x-rays. Hopefully it isn’t anything too serious. I hope him the best as heat-homer and as someone who really enjoys Chris Bosh, the person.

PHOENIX:

They started the February 19th, 2015 with three, starting-caliber point guards and finished with two. I looked like this: 3-2=1+1=2; they now have Brandon Knight, who has been replaced by Michael Carter-Williams. And they lost a Plumlee (the one that used to be “Rich-Man’s Plumlee” and is now “Poor-Man’s Plumlee” ) and their 8th seed (as of February 20th at 2:04 AM, when I’m writing this, OKC is still holding it from their win over the Mavs).

Grade: Don’t amass three starting point guards and expect it all to work out.

MILWAUKEE/PHILLY:

And you thought the Bucks couldn’t get longer, didn’t you? Well, you were wrong. Michael Carter-Williams is now a Buck, and the 76ers are are worse team than they were last week–Khrist (a horrible Khris Middleton joke). We can now see how committed (insane) Sam Hinkie is when it comes to his tanking strategy. They even got rid of K.J. McDaniels! If I were a 76er, I’d be missing shots on purpose so Hinkie wouldn’t ship me off. Actually, that’d mean I’d want to stay in Philly… Never mind, I’d become a perennial All-Star so they’d have to trade me. Wait, if I was that good, they’d be forced to keep me… Okay, never mind, I’d become good enough to where I had an on–off switch; that way, I’d turn it on every other game. I’d be making the team semi-competitive, but not so much so that I wasn’t replaceable. Yup, that’s the plan.

Grade: Milwaukee got longer, brickier and lost a point guard (and gained one that can’t shoot); Philly still sucks and is on their way to owning an entire round of the NBA Draft. I did more analysis in that previous sentence than in the above paragraph, which says nothing.

This (My) Week In NBA: 3

(Hyperlinks to videos in RED)

Stat of the Week: the number of people that get away with not giving Russell Westbrook a “good game” high-five–zero.

Jeremy Lamb, for your safety, please never omit the “good game” high-five when interacting with The Brodie. Please.

I’m sorry to say that everyone’s favorite team, the Hawks, lost. It’s sad to see the streak end (at 19 games), but we knew it had to come to a stop at some point; either the end of the season, or whenever another team felt like out-rebounding/out-assisting the hell out of ’em, all while having Anthony Davis. It was the latter that came first, surprisingly–the reign is over.

And in this weeks MMA news Jon “Bones” Jones fractured Rajon Rondo’s orbital and nose–oh, wait, that was Richard Jefferson, and everyone hates him for it. It was obviously an accident, but it was still a textbook flying knee. (See below.)

                

Maybe a career change in the twilight of Jefferson’s NBA career? He’d have the reach…

It’s bird, it’s a Hawk, it’s Mike Scott?

Okay, that’s an irrelevant video, except for the fact that every time I here “Mike Scott” during a Hawks game, I can’t help but think of the Dunder Mifflin Man Himself–Michael Gary Scott. And I’d like to think that during this recent clash vs Golden State, Mike Scott transitioned into “Date Mike”. (Seriously–watch the clip above.) 

So, the two best teams, with the two best records, met up in Atlanta, where–apparently–the best organ player in the world resides. And as you’d expect, Curry got his, Klay got his; and the Hawks four got theirs, mostly (Teague, Millsap, Korver and Horford). But the surprise difference maker, as you can guess from the above paragraph, was Mike “Gary” Scott. (Go watch every episode of The Office real quick.) Scott was perfect from the line (4-4) and beyond the arc (3-3); he threw together 17 points in less than 17 minutes. A forward that comes off the bench and has the upside (I’m using “upside” liberally) to out score your starters… sounds exactly like the type of guy that you want on your team in the playoffs. If you remember, Scott also put up numbers similar to this last year, when they faced the Pacers, in the playoffs (first round). Anyway, Mike Scott is on my Top 10: Names That Get My Attention When They Are Mention On A Broadcast For Not 100% Basketball Reasons list; along with–Dion Waiters (mentioned in a Meek Mill verse [explicit] I like), Brandon Bass (his mid-range jumper in 2K is too wet–I don’t have evidence, except for my strained vocal cords, which came from yelling), Rondo (dang he looks like franklin, the turtle) and a few others. Disclaimer–all I did was type in ‘franklin the turtle’ to get the Rondo comparison picture. I swear on my league pass. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Hawks beat the Warriors (124-116; now, that’s how you hit the over!). I knew I was forgetting something.

Oh, and if that wasn’t enough excitement for Friday night, Anthony Davis traveled to OKC for the performance of his life (41-10-3-game winning shot). And Russell Westbrook (48 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds) would’ve just about matched him if not for the Brow’s game-winning, buzzer beater, double-clutch trey. Poor Russ, almost stole the show. Sounds like a lot of action, huh? Oh, wait, I’m forgetting someone–oops, I guess Tyreke Evans slipped a triple-double in there, too… (22-16AST-10); he almost even tried to spoil his crazy line by missing two free-throws down the stretch. And that’s the story of how The Brodie broke his career-high (45 and 48 points) two games in a row, and The Brow saved the game and Tyreke Evans from spoiling his triple-double. Just to let you know, the reigning MVP, Kevin Durant, played in this game, too. Holy shit. Just watch the highlights linked…

Since this game, Anthony Davis has been diagnosed with a shoulder contusion after falling off the rim during an ally–oop (Chicago Bulls @ New Orleans). Get well soon, Brow. Once AD left the game–up two points, 32 to 30–the Pelicans fell apart and, eventually, lost by thirty. If that’s not enough evidence that AD is an MVP candidate, I don’t know what is; his team was competitive with him and incompetent without him. Fact.

Staying with the talented big men with injuries topic, Blake Griffin was diagnosed with a staph infection, and after surgery, he should miss 4-6 weeks. As if the Clippers road trip from hell wasn’t already bad enough, it just got worse; which was on display this Sunday, when the Clips got smacked in OKC by KD and Company (Lost 131 to 108). The loss was highlighted by Chris Paul staring down the Thunder bench after a made mid-range jump shot, of which Durant responded with: “You’re down 20, bro”. Well put. You can’t be talkin’ slick, while down 20+.

With the comment made about the female ref still hanging the air (CP3 has since been fined 25K for his comment), Paul needs to put a word limit on himself–maybe he should only talk in tweets… never mind, that’d be horrible. Adding insult to injury, Durant was quoted saying, “They cry too (bleeping) much.” I mean, at this point, he ain’t lying; and KD is NOT NICE. (I’m not sure if people are still saying that.)

And one last thing: BOOOOOOGIE!!! A DeMarcus Cousins game-winner; you couldn’t write a better ending to a week of NBA.

 

This (My) Weeks NBA: 2

(Click on the bold, italicized words [links]; they take you to greatness.)

First, this weeks un-surprising stat: Out of 287 minutes together on the court (at 23.9 MPG–his average–that’s about 12 games for Young), Nick Young never assisted Kobe Bryant. Not even by accident; even Kobe would’ve assisted Kobe–on accident–with that many minutes. And now, this seems like it’s about the time where I say, “surprise, surprise, Nick Young is an inefficient, volume shooter, who chucks every shot” but I’m not going to. What Swaggy P has accomplished here is rather impressive–seriously. It’s like he shares his women with the public more than he shares the ball… And if that’s not a enough, Young recently was quoted saying something very… him.

Nick Young on what the Lakers must do without Kobe: "Pretty much just give me the ball and get out of the way."

— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) January 26, 2015

Oh, and he sprained his ankle. And that’t 100% enough talk about Nick Young.

Injuries

They got Kemba Walker! NO! Another exciting point guard stricken down by the basketball gods (left meniscus, TBD recovery time) . First Jrue (Holiday), then Jennings, now, this… C’mon man. On the [Hassan] bright side, we get to see Lance “Born Ready” Stephenson go full “Eight Grader” and increase his trade stock. And this is just me dreaming, but how fun would it be to see Lance in a Lakers uniform; I mean, I don’t even know if the Lakers scrape up enough assets for him–but a boy can dream, right?. Another all-time great went down this week, too; Dwyane Wade went down this week with a hamstring injury and is out indefinitely. First Kobe, now Wade. We may be seeing the near end of two of the top-five shooting guards of all time. (Yes, D-Wade is top 5.) Pay your respects while you can. Keep it together, hoops fans. I might even have something to cheer you up. (Courtesy of Lance Stephenson.)

Also, Zach Lowe is stoking a twitter beef between Portland Center, Robin Lopez, and a mascot…

@ZachLowe_NBA It's a sign from above, I'm on a mission from God like Jake and Elwood. Moving on to @CavsMoondog #NoComeuppance

— Robin Lopez (@rolopez42) January 26, 2015

No offense @rolopez42, but I only feud with the more high profile of twin brothers. No one remembers the mascot fights with Ed Mikan.

— Moondog (@CavsMoondog) January 26, 2015

I get the vibe from RoLo that he’s the type of guy that starts patting you on the back waaaay too hard after a few drinks. Just one of those feelings–maybe it’s the hair.

Quick HIT: Byron Scott hates Jeremy Lin. A lot.

All-Star Weekend

The NBA All-Star Game is just around the corner! And don’t look now, but it looks like we already have a [manufactured] rivalry–Stephen Curry vs John Wall; and we have Degree Deodorant to thank for it. So at the All-Star weekend these top point-guards will be pitted against each other in a battle of… H-O-R-S-E. Don’t get it twisted, I love a good game of H-O-R-S-E, but John Wall isn’t exactly known to be a knock down, elite shooter, while is competition (Curry) is praised for it. But if you saw the Kevin Durant vs Rajon Rondo H-O-R-S-E game (back in 2010), you know that it isn’t impossible for a lights-out shooter to be challenged.

I mean, after all, they are professionals and, if unguarded, are most likely knocking down their open j’s, so Wall might have a chance. Either way, good luck, Wall, you’re gonna need it.

Oh yeah. there’s also some sort of game. And in case you missed it, as I’m writing this, the big subs of the ASG (All-Star Game) are DeMarcus Cousins, who is No.2 in ppg among centers at 23.8 per game and No.3 in rebounding at 12.3) and Kyle Kover, who is shooting 53.4% on threes, while averaging 5.8 attempts. (Boogie has since replaced the injured Kobe Bryant is the ASG.) Of course, there are others, but those are the big/controversial ones. So, the ASG is going to be without the best, all-around statistical center in the NBA (nope) and a guy who is making history with his shooting, while playing for–arguably–the best team in the NBA. This one hurts, hoops gods, this one hurts. But I guess not everyone can make it, right? Right? #FreeBoogie (they did). Hey, at least we have the stacked three-point contest, which–in spite of his snub–I’m hoping Korver destroys, while Will Ferrell whispers to whoever is sanctioning the three-point contest, “Let the boy watch.” Well, boys–in this case. (YOU MUST WATCH THE CLIP BELOW.)

(Did you notice how I didn’t mention the dunk contest? Also, the gambler in me likes J.J. Redick at +500 [bovada] to win the three point contest. Sorry, Kyle.)

On a lighter note, Andrew Wiggins, while increasing in skill at an exponential rate, has the most infectious smile, ever. Try watching this video and not smiling. I dare you.

Staying on the topic of Minny–while the Timberwolves are taking L’s, their PR team just racked a giant W in the win column with this promo vid: #TheReturn

Slow clap. That was beautiful. This game has since passed and it was definitely worth a watch, even though Mo “52 Points” Williams didn’t play (my condolences, viewers)… It featured a battle between LeBron and his castaway, Andrew Wiggins; Wiggins racked up 33 points on 14 made shots (3-4 from deep), while LeBron “The GM” filled it up with 36-6(rebs)-5. Bron may have got the W, and the stats, over Wiggins but the rook did showcase what he can do in the post and open court–and it was impressive. You mad, Bron? Of course not, you have Kevin Love, a point guard who just dropped 55 points and a team that’s in title contention… Maybe just a little salty, Mr. James? Maybe?

Okay, I’ll stop.

Get out your time machines and ready-up for a clash of two titans; the Miami Heat vs the Boston Celtics, a game that would’ve been more fun 2 years ago. This is one of the two games on Super Bowl Sunday; the other being Lakers vs Knicks… So, I think it’s safe to say that you’re good to envelope your day in obscure prop bets and cheap beer. (Hide the good stuff and bring out the piss-beer for the savag–I mean, guests…)

Finally, sorry, Seattle Seahawks. I know it’s tough losing a Championship and–oh, wait, they won last year. Shut the hell up Seattle.

This (My) Weeks NBA

In these weekly looks into the NBA, I will be going over the ups, downs, the hilarious and all around J.R Smith-y/Raymond Felton-y shenanigans.

So let’s just get this one out of the way: Klay Thompson is jumpshot-stroking robot. If you payed any attention to NBA basketball this week, you heard/saw about this. Thompson scored 37 points in one quarter, while going 13 for 13 on field goals; and, now, it’s only a matter of days before Drake (or any other current rapper) name drops this less mentioned splash brother in some type of single. (I ain’t missin’, like Klay in the third; I know you see me, so fuck what you heard.)

Sorry, I had to.

Anyways, my condolences to Brandon Jennings and the Detroit Pistons. Jennings went down with a ruptured left achilles in a loss to the Bucks, this Saturday. He tweeted, “6/9 Months.” So, with BJ out for the season that’s one more team that the Western Conference can laugh about; that is… as long as DJ Augustin doesn’t try and drop 40 every night. (Augustin had 35 points–5 threes–in a loss to the Raptors this most recent Sunday, while replacing BJ.) That loss also marked Detroit’s first back-to-back losses since the addition by subtraction banishment of Josh Smith. Either way, hopefully Jennings is back to getting 20 & 20 soon enough–Odin speed. Just remember, you still don’t have Josh Smith. Just a little something to smile about. DEEETROIT BAASKETBAALLL (big shout Jalen Rose)!

And back to the Warriors for a second. Okay, so we saw the Dubs blowout the Rockets this week, and we saw Steph Curry try and go at Ariza for hitting him with the Blade Liger side-swipe. (See/Compare below)

I love Curry, but man, tough guy Curry is not a good look; I mean, let Draymond Green or Bogut handle that. Ariza is 6’8″–240lbs; Curry is 6’3″–185lbs, so somebody HOOOLLD him back before he gets ejected. Also, now that I’m mentioning Draymond Green, does anyone know if he actually WILL get all Stephen Jackson out there? Of course, I don’t want to see Dray get in a physical altercation on the court; I’m just saying–do we know if he’s all bark, like an edgier Nick Young? Besides that, Warriors are still rolling and sitting pretty with that No.1 seed, and I don’t see that changing this season.

And Biggest news of the week: Pelicans are on a three game win-streak, due to their recent win over the Dallas Mavericks! And they just overtook Oklahoma City Thunder (they can thank LeBron & Co.) for the No.9 spot in the West, this Sunday. In past weeks, this Pelicans squad couldn’t break .500, so three W’s in the win column sure look pretty. But don’t freak out yet, the Pelicans (23-21) are still several games behind No.8 seed, Phoenix (26-20); but the Pels (do fans call them that?) fans can wave the .500 Gods goodbye, because they are streaking! Damn, did I just jinx it… Oops.

And then there was Kobe.

The man that might have been playing through a torn rotator cuff and is just now conceding the rest of the season. First, I’m just going to commend this man for being as tough as he’s been for his entire career. I would say he’s as tough as nails, but that doesn’t quite do it for me. Kobe is as tough as trying to open something that is in that hard-sealed plastic packaging. By hand… (You know exactly what I’m talking about.) For real, despite what people think Kobe is doing to the Laker franchise, there’s something about watching someone give their all (when he plays), and knowing it won’t affect the outcome in the end. And it would, honestly, shock me if Kobe didn’t come back next year, even though I wish he wouldn’t. That man has written his legacy and–I feel–that anything else is just eroding was people might think of him. Regardless, Kobe is Kobe and should be able to do whatever he wants. I mean, it’s not its boxing, it’s not like these players get punch-drunk (only soda can knee syndrome). Oh God–imagine how punch-drunk Shaq would be; he wouldn’t have even have known what team he was on towards the end–not that I did… he hopped teams more than a confused college girl, buzzed on Malibu Rum.

Some final thoughts: I think Rondo made a free throw this year. I think. Reddit’s (/r/nba) sweetie, Ty Lawson,  broke their hearts (DUI), Hassan Whiteside upped his NBA 2K rating and Blake Griffin got some on-court assistance from a trainer.

Until next Sunday.