The NBA...It's Faaaaaaaaaan-Tastic!

Apologies for the lack of posting for the past month, graduation looms and I have been grinding away, making sure that I will receive that oh-so-important-piece-of-paper known as a degree. In 4 days, I will have completed my 18-year educational journey. Wow.

Without further ado, a lot has changed in the past month. Let's start with the NBA.

As predicted, my Denver Nuggets got merked by the Utah Jazz, who subsequently got ravaged thoroughly by the Los Angeles Lakers. Since my team in the Western Conference got eliminated, I'm not going to talk about that side of the NBA Playoffs at length...or any length (pause). Congrats to the Lakers. I guess. *vomits*

However, the most important development in the 2010 NBA Playoffs has been the resurgence of the Boston Celtics. Prior to the start of the Playoffs, I foresaw success for the Celtics. Did I think that they would be in the Finals? Not really. But then again, the one team that played the best basketball in the first 2 rounds in the Eastern Conference also had this guy:

I concur, Vince. Your performances against Boston were, in fact, hilarious.

I said it last year and I'll say it again. Hedo Turkoglu is better than Vince Carter. In fact, this is one statement where if you called "Bullshit", I would have a plethora of chat logs on tap to prove my sagacity. If anyone watched Orlando's games last year, Hedo was straight up playing point guard the entire game. Pick and Rolls against guards who are half a foot shorter poses tremendous matchup problems. As someone who played organized ball, being able to see over your defender as a point guard in pick and roll situations was like having a Gameshark in the 90s, overkill. Also, Vince Carter just simply blows dick. When it matters, he doesn't show up. When the team needs him, he hurts his pinky. His cousin is far better than he is.

Other things going against Orlando: a midget point guard who can't pass, a racist back-up point guard who can pass, and a center who once wanted to have the Holy Cross as a fixture of the NBA logo. Religious zealots...ugh.

Conversely, Rajon Rondo is officially the man. I was on his bandwagon before, I'm driving it now. Rondo has cracked my Fave 5. Paul Pierce is gettin it in as usual (pause). Kevin "I'm the biggest fake ass thug on the basketball court" Garnett is doing his usual "I'm 7'1" but I like to shoot jumpers and fade away on post ups". But the biggest surprise has been Rasheed Wallace. I feel like Rasheed Wallace is the smartest man in the world. He pretends to not care in the regular season, plays like an asshole, and to top it all off, was in the worst shape I have ever seen him. When the playoffs started, he started defending, hittin' 3s and lost the weight fat suit.


Man-Boobs? I prefer to refer to them as Decades of Wisdom manifested into the form of fatty deposits in the chest area.

Anyway, just my quick thoughts on the NBA Playoffs thus far. NBA Finals preview coming soon.

Quick Reactions from Tonight's Yankees-Red Sox Game

1) Josh Beckett is a piece of horseshit.

2) Josh Beckett is a 2-bit ho.

3) Josh Beckett is an emotional little bitch.

4) Josh Beckett can go suck a dick.

Here's hoping the following players are healthy and can make a speedy recovery:

Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Nick Johnson, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson.

New York's Greatest Year

On occasion, I experience fits of homesickness. I try not to feel homesick. I mean, what kind of a grown ass man has the same psychological crutch as a toddler?... Don't answer that.

One of the good things about living in Philly is that I'm only 2 hours away on a bus. The bad thing is that it takes me 2 hours to get home. Anyway, as I was thinkin about New York, I got to thinkin...what was New York's greatest year?

The more I thought about it, the more the answer became clear to me. New York's greatest year was easily 1994.

Quick Recap as to why 1994 was Ali..."The Greatest of All Time."

1) Nas releases Illmatic.
2) The New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup. (The Islanders also make the playoffs)
3) The Notorious BIG releases Ready To Die.
4) The New York Knicks make it to the NBA Finals.
5) The New York Yankees have the best record in the AL before a strike hits.
6) Rudy Giuliani takes office as the mayor of NYC.

What exactly did Giuliani mean to the city of New York?

There is only 1 King of New York...who's not named Biggie.

I) He turned a city filled with crime and the distinction of being the murder capital of the US into a city that would eventually become the 2nd safest city in America with over 1,000,000 residents. According to our fantastic government, New York is the safest city among America's 25 most populated cities. None of this is possible without Giuliani's hyper-aggressive tactics against crime, organized and otherwise.

II) Rebuilds Times Square's image. If you don't know, do yo' research.

III) Extending healthcare for city employees.

IV) Lax immigration laws and believing in protecting illegal immigrants because he recognizes what they contribute to the economy.

V) Rudy was gangsta: "On January 13, 1999, Giuliani suggested a "reciprocal relationship" whereby other states such as Virginia were obligated to accept New York City's garbage in exchange for being able to visit New York City's cultural sights." - Wiki.


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I Couldn't have said it better myself, Rudy.

Life was good in New York in '94...yes it was.

The Best Cheat Code Ever... Robinson Canó

Quick Thoughts on 2009

As I was watching the baseball playoffs last year, I always thought that the offensive key to the Yankees' playoff success would be Robinson Canó. My logic was that opposing pitchers would be primarily focused on containing Teixeira and Rodriguez. In conjunction with the fact that Robbie would be hidden in the lineup by hitting 7th, I thought it would be the perfect scenario for him to showcase his incredible bat skills. Well, Cano did terribly in the playoffs. The Yankees won the title despite the fact that Teixeira, Swisher, and Cano did pretty much nothing.

Yes, this is how I felt watching you in the playoffs last year.

Unfortunately for opposing teams, A-Rod decided that he was just joking around for the past few postseasons and flexed his Hall of Fame skills to the tune of .365 Avg, 6 HR and 18 RBI. The Yankees' top 3 pitchers pitched out of their mind. Although on occasion, it seemed as if AJ lost his mind. Most importantly, David Robertson and my personal choice for MVP, Damaso Marte, were brilliant and mind-numbingly clutch when we needed outs.

It's hard to complain since we won the World Series. But, as it is in Yankeeland and Cashman's office, a ticker tape parade means we expect more the next year.

Flashing Forward to 2010

As we moved into the offseason, the huge surprise was the 3-team deal that helped us land Curtis Granderson. I initially thought it was a bad move. I was one of the few who thought that an OF of Leches (Melky) in LF, Gardner in CF, and Swisher in RF would be more than enough. I really wanted to see Johnny Damon go. He threw like a bitch (no misogyny-o). I also thought his speech was very distracting. Have you seen his post game interviews? Takes that mofo 3 minutes to get one sentence out. Ridiculous. Anyway, I digress, I liked the defensive alignment of Melky, Gardner and Swisher. Statistically, Gardner was nearly as good as Franklin Gutierrez in CF. That is ridiculous.

Franklin Gutierrez plays for Seattle. He catches the ball...all the time.

Anyway, Man-Crush aside, the offseason moves resulted in the following:

Notable Adds:

Curtis Granderson, Javier Vazquez, Nick Johnson

Notable Losses:

Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Brian Bruney (hah, just kidding)

Before the season started, there was a lot of discussion regarding what the outfield alignment should have been and what the batting order should have been. This what I was hoping for in February:

1) R - Derek Jeter - SS

2) L - Nick Johnson - DH

3) S - Mark Teixeira - 1B

4) R - Alex Rodriguez - 3B

5) L - Curtis Granderson - LF

6)  S - Jorge Posada - C

7) L - Robinson Canó - 2B

8) S - Nick Swisher - RF

9) L - Brett Gardner - CF

As you can see, I was nearly spot on with the current batting order. Obviously, the biggest glaring mistake I made was the batting order of Granderson and Cano. Robbie's 2009 RISP numbers and postseason numbers disheartened me to such a degree that I thought it would be better to leave him in the 7th hole with more low-leverage situations. From a defensive standpoint, I thought that Gardner would be best suited for CF given his ridiculous range and speed. Plus, if you guys saw Grandy towards the end of the year, his defensive routes really made you scratch your head. From a pitching standpoint, I thought the Javy move was fantastic. Absolutely brilliant.

Was I Right In My Apprehension?

No, I was wrong. Very wrong. In fact, I was so wrong, I want to personally apologize to Robbie and Curtis. Curtis has played a fantastic centerfield this year and he hit a game-winning home run off Jonathan Papelbum. Despite his recent slump, Granderson has had a great first month with the Bombaz.

And now, Robinson Cano. Robbie, my bad. I fucked up.

Robbie hitting 5th has turned into one of the best moves this season. How good has he been? Let's see below.


Robinson Canó's 2010 Stats (Courtesy of Fan Graphs):

Season	Team	G	PA	H	HR	R	RBI	SB	BB%	K%	ISO	BABIP	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	wRC+	UZR	WAR
2009	Yankees	161	674	204	25	103	85	5	4.5 %	9.9 %	.199	.324	.320	.352	.520	.370	128	-2.2	4.7
2010	Yankees	21	90	33	8	21	17	2	6.7 %	12.3 %	.383	.385	.407	.444	.790	.510	226	-2.9	1.4

Some Reactions:

1) My man is hitting .407 as of April 30, 2010.
2) He leads the AL in runs scored with 21.
3) He's 2nd in HRs with 8.
4) His walk rate has increased since last year. In fact, it's the highest of his career.
5) His ISO is .383. That's good for 5th in MLB. (ISO is an advanced metric judging a player's power by the simple formula of Slugging % - Batting Average)
6) His BABIP (Batting Average for Balls in Play) is a ridiculous(ly unsustainable) .385. For a comparison, Albert Pujols' career BABIP is .317.
7) I suppose the only alarming trend is that his strikeout rate has risen considerably. But that's ok because he's seeing more pitches than ever before, so his Line Drive Rate is nearly 25% and his Home Runs Per Fly Fly Ball Rate is 29.6%.

For those who don't care what the stats mean, Robbie is basically God/Allah/Buddha handling a bat.

"Thomas, make sure you pick up my bat while I circle the bases."

"Yes, Master Cano."

Long story short, I was wrong about Curtis, wrong about Javy (what a bitch), and most importantly, wrong about Robbie.

Ladies & Gentlemen, I Present to You...The Chief of Swag

Pride of the Yankees

Monday was a good day. The World Champs were at the White House. Barack Obama was charismatic and entertaining as usual. I would continue gushing about the Yankees and Obama, but that would be in severe distaste. I will spare you guys the indignation of having to read my entries. Instead, today will be a YouTube Day. First up, an important message from our White House:

Bonus Pic:

Alex Rodriguez's Stylist. I need him/her.

The Good & The Bad: LeBron James

The Knicks have been bad. The Knicks have been bad for a decade. Much of that has to do with a front
office that has been wild with its finances and moronic with its basketball operations and personnel 

moves. So to solve this issue, the Knicks have to do one thing and one thing only: Sign LeBron James.

Really, it's not that hard. You already have Jay-Z whispering in his ear. You already have the Yankees and
CC Sabathia whispering in his ear. This is a layup. Don't fuck this up. I don't even care about the Knicks. I
just care about bringing glory back to New York City basketball. Let's face it, the best player from New
York and claims New York as his home is Joakim Noah. All of our high school talent has been overrated
and overhyped for over a decade. Carmelo Anthony, born in Brooklyn, claims Baltimore as his home. 
Where did it all go wrong?

Anyway, New York needs LeBron for all he brings on the court and off the court. Also, doing things like
this helps too:

The Best of Both Worlds

P.S.: I will leave you with the following statistic: 31.19. Michael status.

Basketball...The Gift and The Curse II

So what is causing me so much grief?

This year, the source of my despair and angst is the Denver Nuggets. Actually, for the last two years, it's been the Nuggets. I really don't understand how they are now down 3-1 to the Jazz. First of all, Mehmet Okur has a ruptured achilles tendon. Secondly, Andrei Kirilenko's not even on the fuckin roster. Holy shit, you get 39 points from Melo on 50% FG shooting and you STILL lose?

Where is the defense? Kenyon Martin, Aaron Afflalo and Chris Andersen are all great defensively. Carmelo is making strides. Billups is good as long as he doesn't guard someone quick (This is really only a problem if Denver plays San Antonio or Oklahoma City). Lawson is decent, but he's my height. Sooooo...it's like shooting over a tree stump. A mild nuisance, but it doesn't really affect your jumpshot...unless you're worried about landing on him and turning your ankle.

Why is JR Smith still allowed to shoot the ball? They should put a leash on him. Zap him if he takes 2 contested 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.

Why does Nene only take 3 shots? Is there anyone besides me who notices that Nene is probably the most underrated and most skilled big man we have in the NBA? HE ONLY TAKES 3 SHOTS?! Someone kill me. Despite his height issues, Lawson needs to play more than 17 minutes a game. *sigh*

You bitches are better than a 3-1 series deficit.

The motherfuckin Utah Jazz. There have only been four teams I have ever despised:

1) 1991-1995 New York Knicks

You know how hand checking is illegal now? Thank them.

As I touched upon earlier, Pat Riley nearly single-handedly ruined basketball. It was ok when Detroit did it because Chuck Daly was sandwiched between the era of Magic and Larry and the era of Michael. Pat Riley's style of basketball? Completely unsustainable to the casual viewing audience, especially once Jordan retired. Nobody wants to watch 77-74 slugfests. Even serious basketball fans who can appreciate the strategy behind the playing style grew weary of the skill-less brawn-based tactics of Pat Riley. They had no offensive game whatsoever. Patrick Ewing was good for about 20 points for 3 and a half quarters before his greasiness and profuse perspiration made him useless in crunch time. Pat Riley ruined basketball to such a degree that I have not rooted for the Knicks since.

2) 2000-2002 Los Angeles Lakers

Yo Kobe, remember when your hairline wasn't receding?

If it weren't for one of the worst officiated Games 6 and 7s of all time in 2002, the rightful team should have won the NBA Title, my Sacramento Kings. To be fair, my Kings did choke away games 6 and 7 even though the free throw disparity was 77-55. I digress...

3) 1996-2001 Miami Heat

Epic fights. Epic 79-77 48-minute scores.

The Late 90s Miami Heat were basically the same as the early 90s Knicks...except with less overall talent and a better center who did not perspire nearly as much as Patrick Ewing.

4) Post-Lockout San Antonio Spurs

I derive more joy from watching paint dry than from Popp's teams.

This team had EVERYTHING I hated in basketball. They had a boring star player who abused the backboard like it owed him money. A dirty defender in Bruce Bowen. A coach who implemented a playing style that is solely based on disruption, defensive junk plays, and a stagnant painstaking offense. A smug Frenchman for a point guard. A flopping swingman who I would like...if he weren't nominated for Academy Awards every year he plays in the NBA.

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Since 1999, it's been one case of bitter disappointment and frustration after another. As it stands, the Denver Nuggets will simply be the latest in a long line.

However, no NBA team loss has scarred me more than the loss of the 2002 Sacramento Kings.

The Greatest Tragedy in NBA History.

TRIVIA: 3 of these players are Black, can you guess which 3?

The Kings represented everything that was right about the NBA. The best passing front court of all time. A fantastic point guard who was clutch when it mattered. Deadly outside shooting. Great team rebounding and a defensive stopper in Doug Christie. The best run motion offense of the decade.

Most importantly, they had my favorite NBA Player not named Michael Jordan, Chris Webber. To this day, I will defend to my death that Chris Webber was the most skilled big man the NBA ever had. He was 6'10", could dribble, run the fast break, pass, run the motion offense without a top tier point guard, shoot from anywhere within 20 feet, rebounded, defended, blocked shots. He did everything...except when it mattered. *sigh*

Dear Basketball Gods,

Why have you forsaken me so? Have I not served as a good ambassador to the game? What more can I do to get a team I like to win a title?....

Basketball...The Gift and The Curse I

I love basketball so much. How much do I love it? I'm dedicating two posts in one day about it. So without further ado....

I can say without hesitation that basketball is my favorite sport. Beyond that, I can also say that basketball is the best sport. I've invested much of my life into the sport that I love to watch, to play, and to talk about. In fact, I'm such a dork that I pay money every year so I can pretend to be a General Manager (thanks Yahoo).

We are nothing without them.

However, despite all of the energy I have put into the sport, I have been perpetually shunned by the basketball deities since Money retired. How have I been shunned? I have been without a team that can win an NBA Championship. I suppose many of you would assume that I'm a Knicks fan. Actually, most of you who read this already know me. Therefore, you probably know I really don't like the Knicks.

I'm from New York and never was a fan of the Knicks.

Before I run off a list of NBA teams that have shattered my heart into so many pieces on so many occasions (which is coming in the second post), I feel like I should explain my fandom.

Professional Basketball
Obviously the sport I have the most connection to. My fandom in professional basketball has two basic criteria:

1. Do I like the player?
2. Do I like the style of play?

If criterion 1 is fulfilled, I will, in turn, root for the team that the player plays for. The same logic applies to criterion 2. Therefore, when I rooted for the Bulls, it was simply because I liked Michael, Scottie and Craig (Bonus points if you know know who Craig is). However, as I got older, my focus shifted further away from the first criterion and into the second. More on this in Part II.

College Basketball
I have softened my stance on college basketball over the years. I used to be a die hard North Caroline fan because of its affiliation to Michael Jordan. However, as the wise Bo Chen once elucidated, "Division I College Basketball is slave labor." Since then, I have watched college basketball to:

1. Casually root for the Tar Heels.
2. Scout potential NBA talent. 

Professional (American) Football

What an overrated sport. Yeah, I'm a heathen, treasonist and Anti-American. I can't help it. Football just doesn't cut it for me. However, my fandom in football is consistent with my fandom in basketball. That is, I root for players I like. My three favorite players? Randy Moss, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. For the time being, I root for the Baltimore Ravens and whoever "I play when I wanna play" plays for.

Football is probably tied for 3rd as my favorite sport along with this sport....

Tennis

I like Serena. *Kanye shrug*

Baseball

Baseball is the only sport that I irrationally root for one team. Of course, we all know that I'm a fan of the New York "It's-Not-A-World-Series-If-It's-Always-Played-In-The-Bronx" Yankees. This deserves a post in itself. When the time comes, I will explain why I live and die with the Yankees.

And with that...we now move on to Part II....the heartache known as the NBA.