NBA: Where Dallas wins in December

 

I haven’t published an NBA post since the beginning of the month. Don’t worry I’m not dead, just insanely busy with finals and then visiting home in NYC. Since we’ve been gone, the league is a bit different. Al Horford is out, likely until next season. Kobe is out, likely until some point next year. Russell Westbrook is out, likely until some time after the All-Star Break. Brook Lopez is out, likely until next season.

Last night, Dallas got its 8th win in December, increasing their record to 8-5 for the month and 18-13 for the year. Dallas caught a major break at the end of the game against Minnesota. The Mavericks were up by 2 and Minnesota was inbounding the ball. Kevin Love caught the pass and attempted a shot (trying for a game winning 3, but his foot was on the line.) As Love shot the ball, Shawn Marion (who had a great game including a season high 32 points), clearly hit his arm. No foul was called, and Kevin Love missed the shot (and by missed, I mean “barely got the ball out of his hands”). Game Over. Dallas wins.

This morning the NBA released an official statement, which stated that Kevin Love was fouled and should have gotten 2 shots. On one hand, it doesn’t do the Wolves any good. They get an extra loss on their record (to go with the other 7 games they’ve lost where the point differential was 4 points or less). On the other hand you don’t know that Love hits those shots or if they would have gone to OT and lost anyway. I do think that it’s a good thing that the NBA does point out where the refs have made mistakes. It’s better than the alternative where the NBA pretends that the mistake didn’t happen and just moves on, which is really easy to do with a 82 game regular season.

 

Nationally Televised Schedule *All Times EST

Tuesday
Portland at Oklahoma City NBATV 8PM

Last week, I got to watch the Thunder live for the first time. It was great to watch Westbrook get a triple double and for Kevin Durant to put up 29 points (both in 3 quarters as they sat out the 4th quarter). Now Westbrook is out, again, and the Thunder are back where they began the season, with KD carrying the team and hoping that Reggie Jackson and Ibaka pick up the slack. So far they’ve done well, beating the Bobcats and tearing apart the Rockets in convincing fashion.

Now they get the division rival Blazers. They have been amazing all year. Last post, I gushed about how they raised their floor by having better bench players this season, but since then they have been consistently good against top competition. A win on the road in a nationally televised game would be huge for them

No Nationally televised games on Wednesday, for unclear reasons. (Really, we couldn’t have flexed in New Orleans at Minnesota or something?) Actually, the schedule is bleak for Wednesday unless you want to watch hockey. Spend time with your family, recovering from your hangover or both.

Thursday
Brooklyn at Oklahoma City NBATV 8PM

2013 has been rough for the Nets. On the other hand, they are still in the East, and they aren’t far out of the division lead. (about 4 wins as of 12/31). That’s all I got.

Friday
New York at Houston NBATV 8PM

Houston is about who I thought they were. Right now they are the 5th seed in the West. They aren’t a bad team but they aren’t on the same level as a healthy Spurs or Thunder team. They just got slaughtered by the Thunder, without Westbrook. However there is hope. The Rockets are either going to trade disgruntled center Omer Asik or play him. Either way, this will improve the team. While trades for Millsap and Ryan Anderson may be purely fantasy, any improvement at PF or PG will change the Rockets from being a second tier team team in the Western Conference. They already have the best Shooting Guard in the league (Harden) and arguably the best Center (Howard, as long as Marc Gasol is not playing).  

Saturday
New York at Dallas NBATV 730PM

At the aforementioned Thunder game I watched in MSG, the Knicks… were there. Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton and Mike Woodson were all in well-tailored suits. The Knicks faithful  made it clear that they hoped that none of them would be there for long. Commentators said (hoped, really) that Carmelo and Felton would be healthy soon and  “FI-RE WOOD-SON” chants echoed through out the arena. 

As far as those who weren’t suited I didn’t see a lot to be happy about. Tim Hardaway, Jr. was electrifying and gave the crowd a reason to be excited. Shumpert was his usual, defensive-stopper self. However, J.R. smith got booed on his way to the bench. Chris Smith got his first, inconsequential minute for the Knicks (he got a wonderfully appropriate trillion) and likely, his last minute for the Knicks.

Meanwhile, Dallas keeps chugging along and working towards earning their playoff spot, just like that other Dallas team.

Week 17–Playoff Picture

TL;DR - 13 games feature some playoff implications. If the right things happen, the AFC playoffs could be decided by the end of the early games. If the wrong things happen then there are a lot of teams that are vying for the 6th seed. In the NFC, Green Bay, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas all have to win to get in the dance and losing means elimination. New Orleans could end up out of the playoffs or with a bye. 

WEEK 17- Sunday, December 29
The playoffs for the NFL is largely a weird system. There are 4 division winners and 2 wild cards in each division. The cleanest way to do a playoff discussion is to realize that there's 4 important levels to this.
Level 4- Non-playoff team. 20 teams end up here every year.
Level 3- playoff berth - You're in the playoffs, better to be there than to be home.
Level 2- First round bye - What's better than playing at home in the first round? Advancing without playing at all?
Level 1- Homefield throughout the playoffs - The Holy Grail. The entirety of your playoff games until the Super Bowl will be played in your stadium.

I'm not going to discuss the difference between a 5 and 6th seed or 3rd and 4th seed. There isn't one in the first round. Also, it would make the picture needlessly complicated. In the NFC the winner of the North and East will get the 3rd and 4th spots. In the AFC the 3rd and 4th spots will go to the worst of the Patriots, Bengals or Colts. 

AFC Games

Baltimore at Cincinnati, 1 pm
If Cincinnati wins and New England loses, then Cincinnati gets a 1st round bye.
If Baltimore wins and SD or Miami loses or ties, Baltimore clinches a playoff spot. If Baltimore ties and SD or Miami lose, the Baltimore clinches a playoff spot. If Miami, San Diego, and Pittsburgh all lose, then this game is playoff irrelevant for the Ravens, because they'll be in.

Buffalo at New England, 1 pm If New England wins or ties, they get a first round bye. Otherwise, the game depends on Cincinnati.

Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1 pm
If Pittsburgh wins, they need Miami, Baltimore and San Diego to lose to get in the playoffs. If any of those things doesn't happen, Pittsburgh is out.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 pm Playoff-bound Indy can clinch a first round bye if they win and New England and Cincinnati lose.

NY Jets at Miami, 1 pm If Miami wins, Miami clinches a spot if San Diego wins or Baltimore loses
If Miami ties they clinch if Baltimore and San Diego tie or if Baltimore loses and San Diego loses or ties.

Late Games

Denver at Oakland, 4:25 pm
If New England has already lost (or tied), this game is playoff irrelevant. If New England wins, then Denver needs to win or tie to clinch home field advantage in the AFC playoffs.

Kansas City at San Diego, 4:25 pm
This game is irrelevant for playoff bound KC. But if Miami and Baltimore have already lost, then San Diego can win (or tie) the game and get in.

NFC

Carolina at Atlanta, 1 pm Carolina wins or ties they get a first round bye. If they lose, they need New Orleans to also lose. They already have a playoff berth.

Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 1 pm
The Saints need to win the game for a chance at a first round bye and to clinch the playoffs. If they lose and Arizona wins, they are out of the playoffs.

Green Bay at Chicago, 1 pm Winner gets the NFC North title. Loser goes home. If there's a tie, Chicago makes the playoffs.

Late Games

St. Louis at Seattle, 4:25 pm
If Seattle wins, they clinch the division and homefield advantage.

San Francisco at Arizona, 4:25 pm
If Arizona wins, they're in, only if New Orleans loses.
If San Francisco wins and Seattle has already lost, then SF gets a first round bye. If Carolina also loses, then SF gets homefield throughout the playoffs.

Philadelphia at Dallas, 8 pm Rules of Engagement - Winner gets in. Philly gets in if they tie.

Playoff irrelevant

Houston at Tennessee, 1 pm
Washington at NY Giants, 1 pm
If Houston wins and Washington loses the number 1 pick goes to… the St. Louis Rams.

Detroit at Minnesota, 1 pm
Best RB vs the Best WR, perhaps? Nothing to see here.

Colorado vs. Kansas College Basketball- Scouting Trip.

 

TL;DR Andrew Wiggins is as good as advertised, Joel Embiid is better than advertised and Askia Booker will be remembered forever. Shout out to Zoe.

So in my third year of law school I finally went to a CU-basketball game. The unranked Buffaloes were going against the highly touted Kansas Jayhawks. I was really excited about the game because of a couple of reasons. 1) Andrew Wiggins. Basketball messiah. He’s currently projected to be the number one overall pick in a stacked draft. 2) Joel Embiid. Center from Africa. Comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon. 3) Spencer Dinwiddie. Junior guard, might be drafted in the 1st round. So, I went on a scouting trip.

Last year, the Buffs were beaten by the Jayhawks 90-54 in Kansas. This game represented a bit of revenge for Colorado. At first it looked like it was going to be a long day for our heroes. The game began with Andrew Wiggins (Does this guy have a nickname yet? We need to fix this) hitting a three pointer and then blocking a Colorado 3 pointer. Kansas went up 7-0 and led 21-14 at one point. Andrew Wiggins picked up 2 quick fouls and was out for most of the 1st half. Luckily. Joel Embiid stepped in and showed why he’s getting comparisons to my favorite NBA player of all time. He looked dominant in the post and has 2 steals and a block. He led Kansas in scoring at halftime with 10 points. He also showed a good pretty good eye for passing that a lot of 7 footers don’t have. However, by the end of the half, the Buffaloes were in the lead due to a team effort as far as as scoring went.

Andrew Wiggins wasn’t around much in the first half but he was dominant in the second. He ended up leading the game in scoring with a versatile set of moves.  In a performance reminiscent of the Duke game, he took over and was clearly the best player on the floor. The Buffaloes maintained their lead, which became a ten point lead at one point but Kansas kept coming back. Embiid completely disappeared offensively. Picking up four fouls and fouling out with 1:44 left in the game. Meanwhile Dinwiddie who wasn’t particularly effective in the first half really showed out. He was clearly the leader of the team.

When winning time came. Dinwiddie took care of business. Dinwiddie hit 4 free throws to pull the Buffs ahead. The theme of the game was the the missed free throws by both teams. Askia Booker missed his second free throw to pull the Buffs lead to 3 points with 18 seconds left. Then as Wiggins tried to hit a game tying three he was unconscionably fouled by Dinwiddie (and by fouled I mean damn near felony assault) Note: Don’t foul a three point shooter in that situation. Ever. Luckily, Wiggins missed a free throw. Dinwiddie was fouled on the inbound pass (one of several questionable “thank god the game is in Colorado and not anywhere else” calls throughout the game). Dinwiddie could have iced the game but he too missed a free throw. When the ball was back in  Kansas’ hands Perry Ellis (who I’m sure is a super-senior and you can’t tell me otherwise) hit an impressive layup to tie the game at 72-72 with 3 seconds left.  Overtime, for sure.

Except that it wasn’t.  The resulting inbound pass went to Askia Booker (up to that point shooting 4 for 11 and killing us at the free throw line at 2 for 6) who ran down the court and hit a 3 pointer, from barely across half court. Colorado wins, Colarado’s bench empties, and C-Unit (Colorado’s student section, rushed the court.

 

 

Other notes:

• This was a great first CU game. I think the next one on my calendar is Aaron Gordon’s 2nd ranked Arizona team (February 2nd).
• Embiid is my new favorite second player in the draft, not the best (Wiggins/Parker) or the most immediately NBA ready (Randle) but the center that the NBA deserves. Bring back the post game!
• If Wiggins hit those free throws, Dinwiddie is the goat of the game. Thank goodness that it didn’t end that way. 
• Andrew Wiggins is as good as advertised, but it’d be nice if he would foul a lot less. It’s nice to see a player of his offensive talent level work so hard on defense. The comparisons to Scottie Pippen are interesting.
• I’m always a fan of obscene college chants and Fuck You KU isn’t creative, but it was fun to hear.
• My favorite chant was the USA USA chant directed at Wiggins when he was fouled hard in the first half. (Andrew Wiggins is from Canada)
• Considering all of the shaky calls that CU got, the BULLSHIT chants were a little unwarranted for the one bad call that went against CU. Admittedly, it was a really bad call, but still. (I think it was a block/charge call).
• It felt like Kansas hit about ten threes in the first half. 
• Shout out to Zoe for getting the tickets and making this happen. She’s awesome. Thanks to Quentin and Mitch as well.

The Black Album 10 years removed

“One day it too will pass on its legacy through the seeds it dropped to the ground
And as the wind carries these seeds throughout wherever they might move
A new life will begin for each one of them as they stand as a monument to the one that came before” (Interlude)

The Black Album isn’t my favorite Jay-Z album (The Blueprint), nor is it the most critically acclaimed (Reasonable Doubt). But if I wanted someone to listen to a Jay-Z album for the first time, this would be this album that I would have them listen to first.
The Black Album came out 10 years ago in 2003. At the time it was presented as Jay-Z’s “swansong”. This would be his “last” album.  With hindsight we know that he released more albums (about 5 as of right now), but even at the time people knew that he wouldn’t be able to stay away. If Jay-Z is like Michael Jordan, the person who he often compares himself to, then the Black album is the 1998 season where 23 ends his career with a game winner.
The Black Album starts with a completely uneccesary intro. Jay-Z’s albums are known for having great introductions (A million and one questions, The Ruler’s Back and The Dynasty Intro come to mind) and this doesn’t match up in the slightest. Luckily, the next song “December 4th” completely redeems it. It features a great feature by none other than Jay-Z’s mom, Gloria Carter. It works well as an autobiographical song  

“Pound-for-pound, I'm the best to ever come around here
Excluding nobody, look what I embody:
The soul of a hustler, I really ran the street
A CEO's mind, that marketing plan was me” – Jay-Z (What More Can I Say)

“What More Can I Say” and “Encore” are essentially the same song. Both of the songs are victory laps, but one sounds like a street single (WMCIS) and Encore has a more commercial sound. The joy of having an 8th album and having 7 of them be great is that your victory laps are deserved, and Jay can have two right after each other. “Change Clothes” is the spiritual predecessor of “Tom Ford” from Magna Carter where Jay-Z talks about fashion and namedrops designers.
“Dirt Off Your Shoulder” is a song that has a special place in my heart. When the video came out it featured the first verse of Public Service Announcement which is one of my favorite songs (more later). Also, it’s a fun song to perform because of the obvious dance. (You can do it it, no one’s watching)  It’s probably my go to karaoke song. Back to the music, the refrain of  “best rapper alive” continues the victory lap theme of the album.
“Threat” was a standout song when I first listened to the album. It features Cedric the Entertainer just shouting out random threats in between verses. Jay-Z is at his best when he uses word play to stick with conceits.

“When the gun is tucked, untucked, nigga you dies
Like nunchuks held by the Jet L-I
I'm the one, thus meanin no one must try
No two, no three, no four, know why?
Because one's four-five might blow yo' high” – Jay-Z (Threat)

The first two are self explanatory for anyone who’s seen Jet Li with a pair of nunchucks. The 4th line is what makes it. two three and four are both exaggerations of the “no one” from line 3. (As in no two must try, no three etc.) and also saying that he’s “the one” and there’s not even a 2, 3, or 4. The one’s .45 phrase is just icing but still sticking with the numerical conceit. He does it things like this throughout his career at different levels of consistency.
Moment of Clarity is a deep song discussing his father’s death (Pop died, didn't cry, didn't know him that well /Between him doing heroin and me doing crack sales) and his views towards the music he makes (We as rappers must decide what's most important / And I can't help the poor if I'm one of them / So I got rich and gave back, to me that's the win/win). Even better is the song 99 problems, on of Jay-Z’s biggest songs and the song that is the subject of a well-written law review article. The song is popular, great, etc, ad nauseum…
“Fellow Americans, it is with the utmost pride and sincerity
That I present this recording, as a living testament and recollection
Of history in the making during our generation.”
Public Service Announcement is the highlight of The Black Album (and the Grey Album for that matter). It’s one of the best songs in his entire musical catalogue. The song just works. The first verse is one of the more memorable ones that he has. The second verse is less remembered but more impactful

“You can blame Shawn, but I ain't invent the game
I just rolled the dice, trying to get some change
And I do it twice, ain't no sense in me
Lying as if I am a different man
And I could blame my environment but
There ain't no reason why I be buying expensive chains
Hope you don't think users are the only abusers
Niggas getting high within the game
If you do then, how would you explain?
I'm ten years removed, still the vibe is in my veins”. –Jay-Z (P.S.A.)

Following the masterpiece, Justify my Thug and Lucifer play. Justify my Thug isn’t a bad song, but it’s probably my least favorite song on the album.  Lucifer features a Kanye West beat, which is always a good thing, but it also features Jay-Z’s imitation of a West Indian accent which I could live without. (Also, see the first verse of Brooklyn Go Hard. Boom bye bye, please). 
Allure features Pharell again. This time he uses a great Neptunes beat to tell a great story in the second verse. Allure is a haunting song in an unconventional way. It’s a relatively upbeat song until you get to Jay-Z’s story of the mistresses of hustlers.

“Say "hooray" to the bad guy, and all the broads
Putting cars in their name, for the stars of the game
Putting 'caine in their bras and their tomorrows on the train:
All in the Name of Love
Just to see that love locked in chains and the family came
Over the house to take back everything that they claimed
Or even the worse pain is the distress
Learning you're the mistress only after that love gets slain
And the anger and the sorrow mixed up leads to mistrust
Now it gets tough to ever love again” – Jay-Z (Allure)

TL;DR Girl risks everything moving drugs for her guy and after he gets arrested,then killed, she finds out that she’s not even his number one. It’s deep. One of the things that Jay-Z does well is paint selling drugs as a not-always-rosy day-job, something that other rappers don’t do nearly as well.
The last song on this album, “My 1st Song”, features a Biggie interview, where Big relays advice given to him by Diddy.  (“The key to staying on top of things is treat everything like it's your first project, knahmsayin. Like it's your first day like back when you was an intern. Like, that's how you try to treat things like, just stay hungry”) It also explains the title. Mr. Carter borrows Mr. Wallace’s cadence to begin the second verse (“Like I never rode in a limo / Like I just dropped flows to a demo / Like it's ninety-two again and And I got O's in the rental”). The song is the perfect outro for the album. It didn’t end up as his last song or album (he came back like Jordan wearing a Wizards jersey on Kingdom Come). The album is solid and even ten years later it holds up exceptionally well. It’s an album that Jay-Z an be proud of on his birthday (unlike Blueprint 2 which preceeded it and Kingdom Come which followed it)

NBA: Where Unibrow Down Happens

 

“Moment of silence for the champions
For those who make goin' hard a lifestyle
Never waver nothing, gotta get it right now
I'm in the spotlight when they turn the lights down
Only a champ swings the hardest in the 12th round”  -Ron Artest (Champions)

Anthony Davis is down, dammit. After putting up amazing numbers all season, Camby 2.0 was injured by the Knicks. The team that hasn’t mustered up a win since December had to take out Unibrow to try to win. (Note: They still didn’t win). Anthony Davis has a nondisplaced hand fracture and it appears that Davis will be out for a long time. The now .500 New Orleans Pelicans have played well and have shown themselves to be a tough bunch. Luckily the return of Ryan Anderson helps to limit the offensive problems caused by Davis’s absence.

 

Stats of the Week 11/25-12/1

POINTS: Stephen Curry (36)
REBOUNDS: Josh Smith/ Andre Drummond(19)
ASSISTS: Brandon Jennings (13)
STEALS: Andre Drummond/ Michael Carter Williams/ Tony Allen (6)
BLOCKS: DeAndre Jordan (9)

Honorable Mention:

32 PTS/ 10 REBS /12 ASTS / 4 STLS / 4 BLKS
I usually leave writing nice things about Kevin Durant for other people, considering that he’s a superstar and universally beloved. However, when you get a triple double that almost becomes a 5 by 5 I’ll write about you.

9 PTS/ 9 REBS/ 9 AST
Nicolas Batum is one of my favorite players in the league, period. This is why.  I’m also sure his 9/9/9 stat line is penance for what he did in the earlier game this year where he got a triple double in less than desirable circumstances

 

Nationally Televised Games *all times MST 

Tuesday - No nationally televised games

Wednesday

San Antonio at Minnesota NBATV 7:30PM

With the Unibrow injury, my fantasy season is dependant on Kevin Love, who despite being largely irrelevant on defense has been great on defense due to his 20/10 numbers and 3 pointers. I’ve also liked Corey Brewer who takes care of the wing defense for me.

Thursday

New York at Brooklyn TNT 5PM

New York City basketball is depressing. These two teams (as of Monday morning) have less wins than other teams that are actively trying to tank. 

Miami at Chicago TNT 7:30PM

Chicago basketball is a different type of depressing. The Bulls have a great coach and players who I have a lot of respect for. The problem is that in their current incarnation they can’t win a title, so all of their work is irrelevant. They fought valiantly (and ultimately lost in triple overtime) against a middling Pelicans team without their best player, Anthony Davis. 

Friday

Denver at Boston ESPN 5:30 PM

The Nuggets have played extremely well recently in a tough western conference. The Celtics are one game out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If they were in the West they would be the worst team in the conference. 

Saturday

LA Clippers at Cleveland NBA TV 7:30PM

I watched Cleveland play for the first time this season last week. At some point Free Kyrie Irving will be the title of my blog. It just isn’t right. He’s so talented and the ownership keeps whiffing in the draft. Reminds me of a small forward who used to play for Cleveland who was also a number one pick.

Dallas at Portland NBA TV 8PM

Portland has been a great story. When they added a ton of bench players in the offseason they raised their floor a ton. Sometimes, that’s just as important as gathering a big free agent, if not more.

Day 3- Poppin, Lockin, Breckdancing

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Since I've moved to Colorado, this line from Thessalonians has become my favorite bible verse. For all of the flaws that a book written so long ago has, there's a lot of wisdom to be found. There's a lot of good "how to treat each other correctly" verses in the Bible and this is the one that I think describes my time at CU and the way my classmates have treated me pretty succinctly, regardless of how much I deserved it, if at all.

Day 3 at Breck involved a lot of martial arts movies and dancing. The productive morning became watching Jackie Chan and other martial artists. We ended up going across the street to go dancing. It was one of those strikeout nights until about 15 minutes until closing.  I ended up dancing with/ dance battling people. People always seem surprised when I can match them move for move. 

All good things must come to an end. Today I'm packing up and headed home. It was great hanging out with the group. Now it's time to head back to Boulder.   

Day 2- Brecksgiving

“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness” – Allen Ginsberg (Howl)

Day 2 in Breck. Spent the night watching car crash, helicopter crash and motorcycle crash videos with the guys. Oh, and we watched Red Scorpion, which changed my life. But before that we had Thanksgiving.

So this was my third Thanksgiving away from NYC after spending all of the previous ones on the East Coast. The first involved lots of FIFA, Madden and chess, the second involved lots of Taboo, this one involved a lot of football.  I didn’t leave the place much, other for more Thanksgiving food shopping. The group made turkey, stuffing, roasted squash, and apple pie.

In the background of this week is the fact that finals season is impending. At minimum, we‘ve got outlining to do. But right now there’s a ton of things for the 3L class to do. Finishing projects for internships, looking for post-graduation jobs, and obviously finishing up our academic work. This doesn’t even including putting up money for the bar exam classes and the actual test itself.  On one hand, it’s a series of first world problems. On the other hand, even first world problems are stressful. For me, it’s deciding what I want to do with the rest of my life. Do I want to stay on the same path that I’ve been on for the last 6 years or so or can I do more to help in another field?

That’s why I’m trying to have as much fun as possible. I’ve had a hell of a semester (or semester of hell depending on your perspective) and a couple of days of fun are a good change for me. I really needed it.

Day 1: Breckenridge–9,000 feet up

 

"Dreamed of you this morning
Then came the dawn, and
I thought you were here with me
If you could only see
How much I love you
That's all, that's all baby" - Marvin Gaye (Soon I'll be loving you) (as sampled in Jay-Z's American Dreaming)

So until yesterday my travels in Colorado only took me from nights in Denver to nights in Boulder. Occasional trips to Niwot and Westminster also happened, but I was never out of the metro area. So last weekend, I got invited to spend Thanksgiving in Breckenridge, CO. Not a bad way to spend the holiday, and I probably needed to get away. So here I am in Breck.

First and foremost, there are no words for how beautiful the drive out here is. It's absolutely gorgeous. The mountains are beautiful. On the way up here, I learned about runaway truck ramps. Apparently, on the side of the roads (Colorado has a lot of uphill and downhill driving, for obvious reasons), there are runaway truck ramps designed to stop trucks if their brakes stop working. This has now moved ahead of death by mountain lion as the most terrifying thing that can happen in Colorado that doesn’t happen in NYC.

As far as what I did when I got out here, most of it was hanging out in and around the apts and preparing for Thanksgiving. Also, a night filled with arcade machines (Rampage, who knew?), great live music (Whiskey Richards, just formed a month ago), an acoustic version of “Got Your Money by ODB, dancing on tables and 40 fireball shots (apparently cinnamon is involved). 

I’ll keep the updates coming this week.

NBA: Where Career Threatening Injuries Happens

Anfernee Hardaway, Brandon Roy, Allen Houston, Amare  Stoudemire, Greg Oden. I hope Derrick Rose doesn't end up on that list of those whose careers were cut short by injuries.

Derrick Rose had surgery on his knee this morning resulting in Rose being projected to miss another season of basketball. He has missed the 2011-2012 playoffs, the entire 2012-2013 season and now the rest of the 2013-2014 season.

I saw Derrick Rose live on Thursday when he visited Denver on Thursday. I showed up to the game at halftime, because class ran just late enough that I missed a lot of the game. Derrick Rose looked really good on a set of layups in the 3rd.  He's the player who I most looked forward to watching on the court.

The NBA is a worse place without Rose but so are the Bulls. Without Rose, the Bulls aren't nearly as good. They are a playoff team but a complete non-contender for the NBA Championship. Sigh. Marquis Teague is a competent point guard but he's no Derrick Rose.

  

Weekly Leaders 11/18-11/24

Points - Kyrie Irving (41)

Rebounds - LaMarcus Aldridge (21)

Assists- Ty Lawson/ Chris Paul (17)

Steals- Michael Carter Williams (7)

Blocks- Anthony Davis (8)

Trip-Dubs- Lance Stephenson PTS/REB/AST

Nationally Televised Games - All Times MST

Monday

Chicago at Utah NBATV 7PM

I just can't talk about the Bulls any more. Utah on the other hand is on the fast track to Randle, Wiggins, Parker, Exum,

Tuesday

LA Lakers at Washington NBATV 5PM

Nope. No conversation about the Lakers until Mamba is back. The Wizards often look like a competent team, if unspectacular team. Bradley Beal is becoming my favorite player on the team (Sorry, Ariza and Wall, nothing personal) An opportunity to watch them will be much appreciated.

Wednesday

Miami at Cleveland ESPN 5:30PM

Lebron goes back to Ohio. He gets booed. Signs abound asking him to come back. Lovely.

New York at LA Clippers NBATV 8:30PM

The Chandler injury was previously the titleholder for most depressing injury in the league. Mostly, it's because the Knicks are so unbelieveably awful on defense without him.

Thursday

No Nationally televised games. Spend time with your family. Tell your significant others you love them. This way when you ignore them on Christmas they won't feel as bad.

Friday

Golden State at Oklahoma City NBATV 6PM

In the depressing injury notes there's Igoudala who made the Golden State Warriors much better at wing defense. Not easy for a team that features Steph Curry. Iggy is a player who's hard to dislike as a role player.

Saturday

Brooklyn at Memphis NBATV 6PM

Last but not least, the reigning defensive player of the year, Marc Gasol is out for at least the next month. The question of "How will the Grizzlies score with that roster" becomes that much more difficult.

Sunday

No Nationally Televised games

Bound 2 - Love According to West

Rap music doesn't lend itself well to being in love. Most of the the time rap music is about struggle. The lack of control that comes with being in love doesn't work well in rap music. It's very rarely attempted and even more rarely executed well in a way that doesn't scream "I just needed a song for the ladies". Kanye West's music exemplifies this difficulty because of his abrasive personality. Last week's "Bound 2" video shows the disconnect.

"I know I got a bad reputation
Walking 'round, always-mad reputation
Leave-a-pretty-girl-sad reputation
Start a Fight Club, Brad reputation"

There's nothing in Kanye West's repertoire that would lead you to believe that he'd even have a song about being in love. In "Never Let Me Down" from College Dropout he promises to marry the girl he's with but it sounds more like obligation than love. "Slow  Jamz" and quite a few others discuss a potential future hookup. "Addiction" seeks a threesome in the most awkward way possible. "Flashing Lights" and "Touch the Sky" discuss him cheating. The entirety of the 808's and Heartbreak album discuss him feeling bad about a previous relationship. Kanye West is never in the happy vulnerable part of a relationship in song. Yeezy doesn't have crushes. Yeezus crushes... in a Big Pun "i'm not a player I just crush a lot" sense.

Hey, you remember where we first met?
Okay, I don't remember where we first met
But hey, admitting is the first step
And hey, you know ain't nobody perfect

When the video for Bound 2 was first announced there was excitement for two main reasons. The first one was " OMG, Kim Kardashian topless in Kanye West video" which has an appeal that speaks for itself. The second was that the song Bound 2 was universally beloved when Yeezus was first released. It has the classic Kanye West soul samples that his fans are used to and have grown to love. It has great self deprecating humor. But also it was a necessary softer song. It's the only rest period that the album has to offer with the heavy drums on Black Skinhead, themes of Blood on the Leaves and nihlism of Send It Up.

The actual video left many disappointed. It's really corny. Nature shots, Horses running in slow motion, Kanye West on a motorcycle in front of a green screen. Kim Kardashian posing on her own. Kim and Kanye West on a bike together. Hugging  and embracing on the bike. Zoom-ins of Kanye and Kim. Lastly there's an Arizona license plate that reads "Bound 2."

And hey, ayo, we made it: Thanksgiving
So hey, maybe we can make it to Christmas
She asked me what I wished for on my wishlist
Have you ever asked your bitch for other bitches?
Maybe we could still make it to the church steps
But first, you gon' remember how to forget
After all these long-ass verses
I'm tired, you tired, Jesus wept

The video fits the song for all of the same reasons why the video is corny. The song itself isn't a straightforward love song. This isn't "I need love" by LL Cool J. It's love according to Kanye West. The song is as vulnerable as the current incarnation of Kanye West can be. It's very unsure. The "sweetest" part of the song (if any thing in the song could rightfully be considered that way) is when he's saying maybe we can make it to the next milestone, throughout the second verse and it seems to drain him just to get there. But let's be honest here. The act of being in love is a series of corny events. If that makes the video look like a generic 90's video, then that's okay. 

NBA: Where Laptop Access Happens

Conversation from 1L year...
Classmate: Are you okay?
Me: Yeah, I'm fine.
Classmate: Do you need a hug?
Me: *pauses* Yeah
*hug*
Classmate: If you need anything, let me know
Me: Thanks *walks off*

Since I've come to Colorado, I've appreciated the kindness that people have shown me for no reason. People have helped me carry my suitcases to my new place. They've helped to find me an apartment sight unseen. They helped in getting me furniture for that apartment. They've given me a place to stay when that apartment flooded.

The above conversation happened in Spring of 1L year. What she didn't know was that the night before I broke up with my girlfriend of 5 years. I probably looked like I hadn't slept all night (I probably looked that way because I hadn't slept all night). But without knowing what was wrong, or intruding, she still reached out. It's the sort of thing that has just... happened over the last few years. People have been overwhelmingly kind to me.

Last week, an anonymous donor bought me a laptop. That last sentence doesn't make sense to me even as I'm typing it. For the last 2 months, since the flood, I've gone without a laptop. On the Saturday afterwards, I starting typing and it died on me. A couple of people have seen  That, along with the half foot of water in my apartment, really delayed my blogging and note taking in class.  Right now, I'm using that laptop right now to catch up on notes from class, research for a paper I'm working and clearly, my NBA posts. I figure the best way to say thank you is to use this open forum. Thank you.


Leaders of the Week 11/11 - 11/17

Points: Melo (45)
Rebounds: Dwight (24)
Assist: Ty Lawson (17)
Blocks: Anthony Davis / Roy Hibbert (8)
Steals: Dwayne Wade (8)

Nationally Televised Games This Week

Tuesday
Atlanta at Miami NBA TV 5PM

The Atlanta Hawks haven't lost a step with the departure of Josh Smith in free agency last summer. Last year's free agency period brought them Paul Millsap, a player with less star power but more consistency. Millsap is shooting a phenomenal 53%. Paul Millsap also has an amazing contract at 2 years/ 19 million (Also known as the "After 7 years in Utah, I get to spend my free time in Atlanta" discount). Also, Lou Williams (Former 6th man of the year candidate) and Gustavo Ayon (Former shot-blocker extraordinaire for the Hornets) have also returned for the team, bolstering their bench.

Wednesday
Indiana at New York 5PM ESPN
Years ago, the Pacers and Knicks had one of the best rivalries that basketball had to offer. Now, the Knicks are barely a playoff team and the Pacers are the best team in the league record-wise

Houston at Dallas 7:30PM ESPN
Houston's treatment of Omer Asik has been painful to watch. Last year, Asik averaged a double double for the team and served as a defensive anchor. He was 5th overall in rebounds per game. Since then, the Rockets acquired Dwight Howard and Asik has become an afterthought. Because of Howard's star status the fact that neither can play power forward effectively, Asik has been the major loser in the competition.

Thursday
LA Clippers at Oklahoma City TNT 6PM
The last game between these two teams led to a long drawn out discussion of the use of the N-word in a tweet. $25,000 later, Barnes and Ibaka will have the opportunity to meet again. Ibaka has been blocking shots left and right.

Chicago at Denver TNT 8:30PM
I'll be watching this game live with a few of my University of Colorado classmates. The Bulls looked sluggish when the season started but they looked like the team we expected them to be in an absolute beating of the otherwise dominant Indiana Pacers. My favorite top to bottom starting 5 in the NBA meets a sloppily constructed Nuggets team. The Javale McGee experiment has been largely a failure. Faried might be traded by time I get to the Pepsi Center. Gallo is still hurt. (Which it seems that he's been ever since he was traded to the Nuggets, depsite the large percentage of games played). Coach Shaw looks frustrated every game.

Friday
San Antonio at Memphis ESPN 6PM
The Spurs have been their usual dominant selves. 

Golden State at LA Lakers ESPN 8:30PM
Another nationally televised game, another appearance by the terrible Lakers. Meanwhile, the best team in the golden state of California continues to dominate. The Warriors depend on a lot of players with checkered injury histories (Curry, Lee, Bogut).

Saturday
Dallas at Denver NBATV 7PM
They play, against each other, on a Saturday. No thoughts whatsoever. 

Sunday
Phoenix at Orlando NBA TV 4PM
At one point this seemed to be a match-up between two truly terrible squads. However, if you squint and turn your head just to the left, you'll see that the Phoenix Suns have a competent lineup, and players like Gerald Green have shown themselves to be pretty good. The team is still bad, but they aren't going to be the horror show that they were projected to be. The Magic also have interesting pieces but not a full set. Right now, while Tobias "The Animorph"  Harris, stays out with an injury the Magic are forced to use Jason "Should be riding the bench" Maxiell.

Week 11: Proving grounds

NFL: Week 11

My laptop is back now. I foresee more consistent Posts.

Early Posts

Baltimore Ravens (4-5) @ Chicago Bears (5-5)

The Bears have to decide whether or not to pay Jay Cutler this season. On one hand the Bears haven't had a QB better than Cutler in recent history. The problem is that Cutler is still profoundly outside of the list of elite QBs in the league. When the Bears look across the field, they'll see a team that was put in the same position and now has overpaid for a slightly above average qb. Admittedly, the Ravens have a Super Bowl ring which makes things easier to swallow. 

Cleveland Browns (4-5) @ Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

The Bengals, when healthy, are the best team by far in the division. They have been struck down by injuries this year to all of their elite players on defense. Also, if the Trent Richardson trade happened tomorrow, would the Browns be able to get a 5th round pick for him?

New York Jets (5-4) @ Buffalo Bills (3-7)

The poor Bills this year. It's hard to measure how good they are because they've had backup quarterbacks almost all year. They've reached deep into the their bench.

Atlanta Falcons (2-7) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) 

I said the NFC south would have the most wins when they year began. I regret that. The Bucs and Falcons are better than their records, and were it not for the major injuries that both teams have (does having Schiano as your coach count as an injury?) they would likely both be playoff contenders.

Washington Redskins (3-6) @ Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)

Nick Foles can't be this good right? Wasn't RG3 supposed to be the best QB in the league this year? 

Arizona Cardinals (5-4) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)

What did Jacksonville do to deserve a matchup against the Cardinals? #Bridgewater 

Detroit Lions (6-3) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6)

The Lions have looked amazing this year and combined with the absolute incompetence of the Steelers, this should be an uninteresting game.

Oakland Raiders (3-6) @ Houston Texans (2-7)

Both of these teams are throwing out backup QBs when their starters weren't that good. Unwatchable.

Late Games

San Diego Chargers (4-5) @ Miami Dolphins (4-5)

Both of these teams have showed flashes of competence outweighed by awful play. The Phillip Rivers resurgence didn't last as long as the Chargers hoped. 

Minnesota Vikings (2-7) @ Seattle Seahawks (9-1)

Percy Harvin's revenge might start tonight. On the other hand, Harvin should write a thank you letter to the Vikings organization because he's in a much better place.  

Green Bay Packers (5-4) @ New York Giants (3-6)

The Aaron Rodgers Seneca Wallace Scott Tolzein show is beginning. Everyone is certain that the Giants have played under their potential and that they will return to prominence. On the other hand, the Giants have had a relatively easy schedule and it appears that the Giants time is running out even though they could end this week at 1 game behind the division leader. 

San Francisco 49ers (6-3) @ New Orleans Saints (7-2)

Oh, there is a 4 o'clock game worth watching. The offensive minded Saints vs. the defense minded Niners should be interesting. The Saints have been one of my better picks this season, so I'm excited about their potential. 

Sunday Night Football

Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) @ Denver Broncos (8-1)

The Battle of the AFC West is going to be as good of a matchup as the weekend has to offer. Kansas City has been a defensive juggernaut, although they have also had an easy schedule. The Chiefs will have their hands full with against the Broncos offense. Provided Manning stays upright, the Broncos have the best pass offense in the league. Manning has been hobbled with injury and the Chiefs pass rush must be excited to see him. 

Monday Night Football

New England Patriots (7-2) @ Carolina Panthers (6-3)

Since when are the Panthers "good"? Carolina has struggled over the last year since their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. If you don't remember that performance, Janet Jackson performed at halftime. The Panthers defense, led by Luke Kuechly, has been as talented as the league has to offer. 

NBA: Where "Racially charged" tweets happen?

Matt Barnes, known instigator and enforcer in the NBA, got into a shoving match during a game between his LA Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Serge Ibaka and Blake Griffin got into a tussle and Barnes got involved to protect Griffin, as he often does. He was summarily ejected from the game. After being ejected from last night's games, Matt Barnes sent out a tweet.

 RT @Matt_Barnes22 I love my teammates like family, but I'm DONE standing up for these niggas! All this shit does is cost me money..

As you can see, the tweet contained the N-word, and has been described in some form or fashion as "racially charged" by some writers. This characterization is inaccurate and represents an oversimplification of a word with nuanced use. 

Admittedly, the N-word in its various forms has a long and sordid history in this country. For many, use of the N-word is closely related to slavery, lynchings and other demeaning treatment of black persons in the US. This treatment and associated use of the N-word isn't simply historic. It is still used today, often as a venomous term. 

However, the N-word is also just as often used in a neutral term, laced with with no more racial vitriol than the word "dude". For example, rap music features the word prominently in that light. More importantly the word is used on basketball courts across the country including those in the National Basketball Association.  Listening closely to telecasts, especially local ones will reveal lots of use of the N-word on the court, where players use the word to describe their opponents, their teammates and themselves. Most importantly, context will often differentiate between the word's alternatively demeaning and neutral meanings. 

Barnes's tweet does not have any obvious racial intonations other than the mere use of the word. This should be differentiated from the other recent media story concerning the use of the word. Richie Incognito was caught using the word in a voicemail to his teammate Jonathan Martin. In this case, Incognito uses the phrase "half-nigger" to refer to Martin.  The phrase seems to refer to Martin's racial identity. Barnes's tweet refers to his teammates in a haphazard way, some of which are white or black. 

Matt Barnes isn't using the word to demean his teammates and his use of the N-word doesn't appear to reference their race in way. Yet, media reports are describing it as racially inflammatory. For some people, context will never matter and given the word's history, it will always be a racist term, regardless of how it is used. However, the horse is way out of the barn on this issue, and people should appreciate the fact that in 2013, the N-word has a nuanced use. Sometimes the N-word isn't a charged term at all. 

NBA: Where Conflicting Incentives Happen

In the NBA, drafting the right player can affect the success of a team for many years. The nature of the game, one where only 5 people are on the field of play at a time and everyone plays offense and defense creates a huge incentive to grab the best player in a draft class. This affects the current season because the projected draft class in 2014 is supposed to be one of the best in league history. Currently, Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon and Jabari Parker are all projected to be franchise players, players who can carry a team for the next 10 years. All of these players are entering their first year of college and due to the "One and done rule", the NBA rule allowing players to enter the league after a year of college or overseas professional basketball, they should be entering the draft next year. Outside of these 4 players, there are the Harrison twins in Kentucky, Dante Exum from Australia, Marcus Smart, the sophomore from Oklahoma State and other players who will rise up the draft boards over the course of the season.  

Every year there are 3 classes of teams in the NBA, championship contenders, high lottery pick teams and those in the middle. More than most years, there is a focus on the future of current NBA teams. Jokes about tanking (intentionally losing games, or putting your team in a position where they are less likely to win, to get a better chance of a high lottery pick) abound in the league and in coverage of non-contender teams. Every losing streak is followed by fans of the team asking "should we be tanking"? It has created a weird situation where the being the Jazz (1-7)  is better than being a middling team like the Sixers.

On Tuesday, Kentucky played against Michigan State and Kansas played against Duke, giving most people the first opportunity to watch them in action. During the course of the night, Randle, Parker and Wiggins showed themselves to be worthy of a number one spot. Each of them carried their teams and showed poise under pressure. NBA teams would be happy to have any of them. The question will be how far will teams go to put themselves in a better position to get them. 

Best Stats of the Week (11/4-11/10)

Points: Kyrie Irving (39)
Rebounds: Nikola Vucevic (21)
Assists: Chris Paul (17)
Steals: Corey Brewer (6)
Blocks: Roy Hibbert  (7)

Nationally Televised Games of the week(end).

Thursday

Houston @ New York 6PM TNT

The return of the great Jeremy Lin to MSG. While last year was incredibly lackluster, Lin has played well in spurts to start the year off and has played some shooting guard becase of the injury to James Harden. 

Oklahoma City @ Golden State 830 PM TNT

The Thunder and Warriors have great players and both think that they will be in this year's Western Conference Finals. Over the offseason, the Warriors added Andre Igoudala to bolster their defense. 

Friday

Minnesota @ Denver 6PM ESPN

Timberwolves have been playing extremely well. The Nuggets have... not. The Timberwolves have been considered an up and coming team for years based on the idea that if healthy their starting 5 could compete with anyone's. Right now this has been shown to be the case and the wolves might be the best team in the west at the end of the year, if healthy. 

Detroit @ Sacramento 830PM ESPN

Josh Smith is still a redundant piece on that Detroit frontcourt, but at least the Detroit situation isnt as bad as the Kings. The kings are currently trying to shoehorn Vasquez into the starting pg role on the team, while Isaiah Thomas waits im the wings. The Kings dont have a ton of talent, and having Thomas coming off the bench is confusing, especially since he is often their second best player.

Saturday

Brooklyn @ LA Clippers

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce vs. Doc Rivers. Brooklyn has been pretty awful to start the year even with all of the talent on their roster. Mostly, it's because that talent is aging and KG and Pierce ae collecti their last NBA checks at this point. 

NBA: Where Burglar's Tools Happen

“When you crossed me, you lost me

Now if I was guarding Derrick Rose

I would be more understanding but you ain't Derrick Rose

You was my number one, but uuuhmm, you ain't Derrick Rose

You try to make a point again, you ain’t Derrick Rose” - Fabolous (Want You Back)

What a great opening week for basketball. Rookie Michael Carter Williams had an impressive debut for the 76ers, gathering 9 steals in a near quadruple double. The 76ers are one of the few undefeated teams left in the league. While the first game could be considered a fluke, the fact that they’ve won a couple more says that we should at least consider if they are a fringe playoff teams with their pieces. The other undefeated teams are Indiana, Houston, and surprisingly Minnesota. The Wolves have been injury prone for so long and it’s been a while since Rubio, Love, and Pekovic shared the floor.

My favorite player in the league right now is Anthony Davis. He’s a center who does a lot of great defensive work. It’s a little too early to call him Olajuwon-esque but the stat line he put up against the Bobcats certainly looked that way with 6 blocks and steals in the same game. Only 4 players since 1985 have done this, including great defensive players like AK-47, the Admiral, and of course, The Dream (Andrei Kirlienko, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon respectively).  Having a player who can do things defensively creates less work for the offense and covers up defensive deficiencies that other players on the team have. No one notices that a player blew by the point guard if the center steals the ball away.

Weekly leaders

Points -  Kevin Durant / Chris Paul (42)

Steals -  Michael Carter Williams (9)

Blocks -     Roy Hibbert (7)

3PM -     Stephen Curry (9)

Rebounds -     Dwight Howard (26)

Assists -      Chris Paul (15)

Turnovers -   Stephen Curry (11)

Triple Double - Batum (PTS/REBS/ASTS)

Nationally Televised Games 

*all times MST

Monday

Houston @ LA Clippers 8:30PM NBATV

Well this game should be good. The Clippers and Rockets both made huge personnel changes that aim to make their teams the leader in the West (Doc Rivers, coach and Dwight Howard, coach killer, respectively). The Rockets have been dominant so far, as expected and a win here would be huge for them.   

Tuesday

LA Lakers @ Dallas 6:30PM NBATV

While I predicted neither of these teams going to the playoffs, I still think both of them will be in the mix and neither of them have owners who will endorse tanking for picks.

Wednesday

Chicago @ Indiana 5PM ESPN

This central division rivalry will be important all year. The Bulls have looked lackluster despite having the best “on paper” starting lineup in the game. Playing against the Pacers will serve as a great measuring stick for the squad.

Dallas @ Oklahoma City 7:30PM ESPN

WAR MACHINE! Russell Westbrook came back weeks ahead of schedule and now the thunder, warts and all, look like the team they were designed to be. We’ve learned over the last few months that Russ’s presence makes Ibaka better and makes Durant’s life easier.

Thursday

LA  Clippers @ Miami TNT 5PM

Doc Rivers against Miami, with a lineup that exploits the Heat weaknesses (PG and C). This game should prove interesting.

LA Lakers @ Houston TNT 7:30PM

Let’s ignore this match-up until the Dwight visits LA and Kobe is healthy. This game should be a blowout in Houston’s favor.

Friday

New York @ Charlotte 5PM NBATV

I don’t think much of the Knicks this year but having defensive minded players Iman Shumpert and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist guarding each other should prove to be interesting.

Sacramento @ Portland 8PM NBA TV

These to squads are perennially interesting teams that are always irrelevant once June rolls around.

Saturday

Indiana @ Brooklyn 5PM NBA TV

While Saturday games are usually terrible, The Pacers against Brooklyn should be amazing since both could potentially lead the Eastern Conference at the end of the year.

Sunday

Washington at Oklahoma City 5PM NBATV

The Thunder tried to trade James Harden for Bradley Beal. They’d be much happier if they did. As of now, the Wizards should be a fringe playoff team and now after the Okafor trade, things should be great for them.

NBA: Where The Return Happens

Finally, Derrick Rose is back to playing basketball. After a year and a half long absence due to a prolonged leg injury (ACL), David Stern rewarded our hero with a game against the defending champion Miami Heat. (Derrick Rose: 4-15 FGM, 1-7 3PM / 12 points, 4 assists, 5 turnovers) The Bulls might be ready for the Heat in May, when the playoffs are back, but they were out classed by the champions last night. They could have used a game against an easier opponent to start with. The Miami Heat have one of the best transition defenses in the league, led by last years league MVP Lebron James.

Meanwhile the Magic and Pacers opened the season in what was an obvious mismatch on paper. The Magic want the number 1 pick in the draft and the Pacers want the #1 seed in the East. Roy Hibbert looked amazing. (Roy Hibbert: 8 points, 16 rebounds, 7 blocks) Here we see the joys of having an elite shot blocker. Weirdly, David West, not known as an elite shot blocker had 5 blocks (tied for most in his career).

The biggest blowout was in the Battle for LA, Lakers vs. Clippers. The game itself ended up being surprising with the Lakers winning in dominating fashion. (Xavier Henry 22 points, 6 rebounds)As a result of the Lakers win, they have the best record in the conference.

Unless you're a fan of those teams, the season opens tonight (every team other than Chicago and the Clippers has a game tonight). Some of the games look like mismatches on paper (Rockets/Bobcats, Heat 76ers) and some feature rosters that are generally the same as they were last year or are otherwise not particularly interesting (Spurs/Grizzlies). However there are a couple of match-ups that I'm interested in watching.

Games to watch tonight


**League pass is free all week. Just a heads up.


Wizards @ Pistons 5:30 PM

The Wizards just traded their troublesome center Emeka Okafor for Marcin Gortat a solid, if unspectacular center. The team could be very interesting as the Eastern Conference playoff race goes on. Also, the Pistons spent the offseason upgrading at PG (Brandon Jennings, hurt) and adding a new big man (Josh Smith). This should make for an interesting matchup that's fun to watch.

Pacers @ Pelicans 6:00 PM

Do you like blocked shots? (Spoiler: If you don't this might not be your blog to read). Anthony Davis and Roy Hibbert will be in the same game.

Hawks @ Mavericks 6:30 PM

The Atlanta Hawks and Mavericks are both fringe playoff teams. I like the moves they made in the offseason   (adding Paul Millsap for the Hawks and adding Calderon and Ellis for the Mavericks)

GTA V: Musically inclined

♫ Like a sound you hearThat lingers in your earBut you can't forgetFrom sundown to sunset
It's all in the airYou hear it everywhereNo matter what you doIt's gonna grab a hold on you
California soul, California soul ♫

There's an argument that the best thing about the Grand Theft Auto Series is the music. The game has historically had a great soundtrack and the most recent iteration of the game is no different. The music in Grand Theft Auto is amazing, as usual, spanning genres and decades to make wonderful soundtracks.

The newest Grand Theft Auto game takes place in Los Santos, a fictionalized version of modern day California. As usual, the soundtrack puts you in the mood by using some songs of the decade. San Andreas, the last GTA game to take place in this setting, used Radio Los Santos for their modern music. However, "modern" for that game was the music of the early 1990's. Radio Los Santos now plays Kendrick Lamar and other modern day West Coast rappers. 

My favorite station has been "The Lowdown 91.1" a station that plays classic soul and disco. A lot of the time I spend in game is time that I spend drifting from one place to another, or driving around enjoying the scenery. Having Smokey Robinson playing in the background makes everything in game better. Double for hearing "California Soul". The actress, Pam Grier is the host for that station, because who else represents that era better.

For the times that I miss the old Radio Los Santos, there's a station for West Coast Classics, a nod to the N.W.A. west coast gangsta rap era, hosted by DJ Pooh. That station features songs from the era that you would expect, including the haunting Streiht Up Menace and a surprising feature of Mind Playing Tricks on Me, which I wouldn't expect on a West Coast classics station. 

For all out the things that make the game realistic, the larger variety of music is the most important effect. The music here sets the mood and enhances it.  Sometimes, it serves as humorous backdrop and often, it helps tell the story of a mission.  No matter what the specific effect ends up being, the music is to notch.