Impressions From The NBA and... Maryland
Okay, so I missed an NBA preview this year. I'm fallin' off, I know. 
Truth be told, between working 40 hour shifts at Jimmie Johnson's and doing my best Michael Vick impression every weekend, I have been a busy Bee Movie. But, in short, here's what I think will happen this year:
*a team from the West will win it
*Dirk Nowitzki will not win the MVP.
*Kevin Durant will give Oklahoma City something exciting to look forward to for years to come.
*T-Mac will hurt himself again (oh, wait, did that already happen?).
*The Boston Celtics will have the biggest turnaround in NBA history.
That's pretty much all you missed from what would have been my NBA Preview (aside from the most astute insight in the industry, contract or no contract).
But, here's some stuff I've been intrigued by this season:
* I mentioned above about the Celts. You know, I really thought KG and co. were gonna pull a Patriots' Act for a second (God I'm slick with the puns, huh?), but, alas, the Magic ended all that nonsense last night. Seriously though, the real Big Three are good enough to bring Boston back to the finals. I hate to say it, but (had I actually published an NBA Preview) I (would have) told you so.
*A lot of people talk about the Houston Rockets' rise to the upper echelon of the West. As a matter of fact, if I'm not mistaken John Hollinger annointed them as the best team in the NBA by the numbers in the pre-season (a ranking system I'm still not sure I, or that matter, anybody gets). Sure, Rick Adelman's presence injects some life into a boring offensive philosophy from the Jeff Van Gundy regime, but creativity doesn't totally make up for the fact that only three players on that entire team can create their own shot (sorry, Steve Francis, at press time you're not one of them). Add to the fact that one of them, the aforementioned McGrady, is constantly in a cast, wheel chair or sauna. Don't get me wrong, I like Houston; I almost have to since my screen name has been Rafer11 since 1998 (due to my ability to handle the virtual rock, take that however you like). However, are they really better than San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, or even Utah at this point? Time will tell, but my early answer is no.
*The Chicago Bulls have got to be kicking themselves. Michael Jordan must be rolling over in his grave... wait, he's still alive? Oh yeah, the J-Rich trade... anyway, yeah, the Bulls, and specifically John Paxson, are insane. I don't care what it takes: when you have a chance to get Kobe F. Bryant in his prime--and yes the man has at least four more really good years left--you pull the trigger. Nobody on that team is untouchable to the point where I wouldn't include him to get Kobe, including Luol Deng, who will be a solid borderline star player for years in this league but would never on his luckiest day have the privilege of holding Bryant's jock strap ("Yo, he brought out the jock strap reference, yo, and made me say 'yo' multiple times in a sentence, yo!).
So, instead of easily being the best team bar none in the East, they were stubborn and didn't change anything because they thought they could ride the wave of last season's second round appearance. And where are they now? 2-7.
Despite all that, don't write them off. They always start off slow, but a classic symphonic piece, they gradually progress until you almost didn't even notice the crescendo in measure 500. Shout to the AHS Wind Ensemble.
So, those are some early impressions from the beginning of the NBA. I promise I'll try to update you more than twice a year.
Oh, but I'm not done. Maryland had a game against UCLA tonight.
They lost.
Not that I expected a win. I'm approaching this Maryland season a little bit different from years past. I can't get mad at this team because they're so cute and young. Aside from James Gist, this team is so wet behind the ears. Even Bambale Osby, the only other senior of consequence on this team (sorry James), is rawer than my skin in the winter time (Shanta, my girlfriend, just said my skin is dry, not raw, but you get the point).
It'll be interesting watching these guys grow up throughout the course of a 35 game or so season. No longer do I have to pin unrealistic expectations on a talent-laden Maryland squad. Yes, this team has talent, but it's very young talent. I'll be happy with a 20 win seasons and an appearance in the NCAAs.
And, the funny thing is, despite an awful game in the turnover department, despite getting next to nothing from Gist (aside from an amazing dunk where I don't have footage), despite not making a three-pointer until the last minute... they only lost by 12 against the co-number one team in the nation.
They won't be world-beaters, but they won't suck.
On a side-note... I actually like Kevin Love. I hate to sound overly white here, but he plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. He's more fundamentally sound than 99% of the fours in the NBA.
And yet... listening to Dick Vitale gush about him makes me fall out of Love very easily.
I hope UCLA eventually fades, otherwise we're going to here about how superhuman he is for the next four and a half months. I don't know if I can take it. I'm probably going to get fined by David Stern or Myles Brand for saying this, but I love it how the white media gets so fired up when one of their own is successful on the basketball court. Yes, Kevin Love is a superb college player already, but in the NBA, he'll be another Michael Bradley clone.
Let the criticism pour in.
(Note: Kanye West was my guest editor in the last portion)
Truth be told, between working 40 hour shifts at Jimmie Johnson's and doing my best Michael Vick impression every weekend, I have been a busy Bee Movie. But, in short, here's what I think will happen this year:
*a team from the West will win it
*Dirk Nowitzki will not win the MVP.
*Kevin Durant will give Oklahoma City something exciting to look forward to for years to come.
*T-Mac will hurt himself again (oh, wait, did that already happen?).
*The Boston Celtics will have the biggest turnaround in NBA history.
That's pretty much all you missed from what would have been my NBA Preview (aside from the most astute insight in the industry, contract or no contract).
But, here's some stuff I've been intrigued by this season:
* I mentioned above about the Celts. You know, I really thought KG and co. were gonna pull a Patriots' Act for a second (God I'm slick with the puns, huh?), but, alas, the Magic ended all that nonsense last night. Seriously though, the real Big Three are good enough to bring Boston back to the finals. I hate to say it, but (had I actually published an NBA Preview) I (would have) told you so.
*A lot of people talk about the Houston Rockets' rise to the upper echelon of the West. As a matter of fact, if I'm not mistaken John Hollinger annointed them as the best team in the NBA by the numbers in the pre-season (a ranking system I'm still not sure I, or that matter, anybody gets). Sure, Rick Adelman's presence injects some life into a boring offensive philosophy from the Jeff Van Gundy regime, but creativity doesn't totally make up for the fact that only three players on that entire team can create their own shot (sorry, Steve Francis, at press time you're not one of them). Add to the fact that one of them, the aforementioned McGrady, is constantly in a cast, wheel chair or sauna. Don't get me wrong, I like Houston; I almost have to since my screen name has been Rafer11 since 1998 (due to my ability to handle the virtual rock, take that however you like). However, are they really better than San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, or even Utah at this point? Time will tell, but my early answer is no.
*The Chicago Bulls have got to be kicking themselves. Michael Jordan must be rolling over in his grave... wait, he's still alive? Oh yeah, the J-Rich trade... anyway, yeah, the Bulls, and specifically John Paxson, are insane. I don't care what it takes: when you have a chance to get Kobe F. Bryant in his prime--and yes the man has at least four more really good years left--you pull the trigger. Nobody on that team is untouchable to the point where I wouldn't include him to get Kobe, including Luol Deng, who will be a solid borderline star player for years in this league but would never on his luckiest day have the privilege of holding Bryant's jock strap ("Yo, he brought out the jock strap reference, yo, and made me say 'yo' multiple times in a sentence, yo!).
So, instead of easily being the best team bar none in the East, they were stubborn and didn't change anything because they thought they could ride the wave of last season's second round appearance. And where are they now? 2-7.
Despite all that, don't write them off. They always start off slow, but a classic symphonic piece, they gradually progress until you almost didn't even notice the crescendo in measure 500. Shout to the AHS Wind Ensemble.
So, those are some early impressions from the beginning of the NBA. I promise I'll try to update you more than twice a year.
Oh, but I'm not done. Maryland had a game against UCLA tonight.
They lost.
Not that I expected a win. I'm approaching this Maryland season a little bit different from years past. I can't get mad at this team because they're so cute and young. Aside from James Gist, this team is so wet behind the ears. Even Bambale Osby, the only other senior of consequence on this team (sorry James), is rawer than my skin in the winter time (Shanta, my girlfriend, just said my skin is dry, not raw, but you get the point).
It'll be interesting watching these guys grow up throughout the course of a 35 game or so season. No longer do I have to pin unrealistic expectations on a talent-laden Maryland squad. Yes, this team has talent, but it's very young talent. I'll be happy with a 20 win seasons and an appearance in the NCAAs.
And, the funny thing is, despite an awful game in the turnover department, despite getting next to nothing from Gist (aside from an amazing dunk where I don't have footage), despite not making a three-pointer until the last minute... they only lost by 12 against the co-number one team in the nation.
They won't be world-beaters, but they won't suck.
On a side-note... I actually like Kevin Love. I hate to sound overly white here, but he plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. He's more fundamentally sound than 99% of the fours in the NBA.
And yet... listening to Dick Vitale gush about him makes me fall out of Love very easily.
I hope UCLA eventually fades, otherwise we're going to here about how superhuman he is for the next four and a half months. I don't know if I can take it. I'm probably going to get fined by David Stern or Myles Brand for saying this, but I love it how the white media gets so fired up when one of their own is successful on the basketball court. Yes, Kevin Love is a superb college player already, but in the NBA, he'll be another Michael Bradley clone.
Let the criticism pour in.
(Note: Kanye West was my guest editor in the last portion)
posted by Justin Cherot @ 9:34 PM
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