Rocket To Nowhere

The NBA has been through what can only be described as a major change up this last few months.

With Commissioner David Stern relinquishing his title, one which he has held for over three decades, and handing over to his Deputy (Adam Silver) the recent 2013 draft picks were shocking and somewhat over-shadowed by the fans reception of Sterns retirement.  However David Stern does not formally vacate his roll as Commish until 1 Feb 2014, exactly 30 years to the day he first accepted the role.

I’m not much for the draft.  There is never alot of excitement in it for me and that’s probably because I do not watch College basketball, nor have access to it.  It could be argued that collegiate sports are far more important to the average american family than the actual pro games are. Whether that’s because families are more invested in College as they are closer to home, what with their kids etc going to them I don’t know.  But there is certainly just as much money and hype (if not more) in collegiate sports as in the pros. And because of that you get people being aware of the college players who are being scouted and expected to turn up in the draft and then what team is going to pick what.

The fun of the draft ‘season’ for me, is more the trades.

This year we saw some BIG changes in the L.  None more so than that of Dwight Howard upping sticks and heading to Houston!

Now you could be forgiven for thinking that this has come out of the blue.  I mean there wasn’t really any sign that Howard wanted to leave the Lakers, he was playing okay, getting his minutes and there apparently seemed no issues between him and the rest of the team. But like every other star player; they want more than just a great set of fans and playing with arguably the best point guard/shooting guard/small forward/game winner/ black mamba(Kobe Bryant). The Los Angles Lakers went 45 for 37, barely making themselves a .500 team.  This is a far cry from the Phil Jackson days.  Dwight saw the potential of playing with other players that are just about to step into their prime. Players like James Harden and Jeremy Lin – yeah that guy that drafted with the Knicks and took the League by storm forcing fans around the globe to recognize an era of Linsanity that lasted until injury and a trade to Houston.  But at Houston they have a coach in Kevin Mchale (one of the best post players in history) and Hakeem Olajuwon on the staff.  Howard is set for super-stardom that he could only of dreamed of on the West Coast.

But i’m not even that fussed about D12 making a move. Hop on a greyhound and hit the East Coast and you’ll find that Mikhail Prokohov appears to be fulfilling his promise of a ‘championship caliber team in 5 years’.

Kevin Garnett, Paul Peirce and Jason Terry have joined the Brooklyn Nets. KG averages at 12.7 ppg, and 13.7 rpg. Peirce with 18.9 ppg and Terry at 12 ppg.  Add that to the already impressive stats of DWill 20.6 ppg 8.4 apg, Iso Joe with 14.9 ppg and at center Brook Lopez with 22.3 ppg 7.4 rpg (sorry for all the numbers!)  The Brooklyn Nets look set to makje a big impact on the league this year.  Great roster of players and a bench that still has Marshon Brooks, I think teams are going to have to think twice about how ‘easy’ BKN is going to be in the 2013-2014 season.  Towards the end of last season we got rid of the dead weight that was Avery Johnson and fortunately had an Assistant Coach who was ready to step up in PJ Carlesimo,  PJ got us to the playoffs and ended a season with 49-33 ( a big improvement from previous 2011-2012 22W-44L) however PJ obviously didn’t have what Billy King wanted and so when the Nets dropped out of the playoffs after round one PJ was also dropped and the hunt for a new head coach was on.

Jason Kidd, a former New Jersey Nets player and starting point guard.

He was a ten-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team member, and a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team member.

In just 10 days Kidd had retired from playing basketball for the Dallas Mavericks and was hired as the Head Coach of the Nets, (and all before Derrick Rose could say he was fit. Again.) It is my strong belief that JKidd has what it takes to help mould the Nets into a strong and capable winning formula.  He has modern day, relevant playing experience which will allow him to empathize with the team when they are fatigued or downhearted playing against the Heat.  He led the league in assists on a regular basis, which will help DWill, and we should see much more cohesive basketball.  Towards the end of last season DWill was feeding Lopez some awesome balls and it helped the team win and Lopez to be noticed for what he is.  A great center.  Kidd knows and understands that basketball is a team game and the best chance you have of winning is to play unselfishly.

We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees.

Jason knows how to play with superstars and knows that will great skills come great egos.  He should have the ability and apathy to understand that each player on his team has at one time or another achieved greatness and therefore are worthy of good court time and stats.  Having at a time, great accuracy shooting a 3 ball in his tenure then he should also have no problem coaching the likes of Johnson, Peirce and Terry.  There only spot I think he may struggle with is center and power forward – but only cos he hasn’t played there! – I think being able to play with some of the best big men or against some of the best big men will help him here.  But let’s not forget that ironically Jason Kidd has hired his former Head Coach of the NJ Nets when he played there, Lawrence Frank as his assistant coach.  Frank is known to be one of the best when it comes to drawing up plays and has a wealth of experience with the NBA. With two season as head coach at Detroit, Frank spent a season under Doc Rivers as assistant to the Boston Celtics so he has some experience with the Nets newly acquired talent.

Either way this season is going to be exciting to say the least.  What do you guys think, leave your comment in the section below 🙂

Holla
Ell Himself

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Dwight Howard set for trade to Brooklyn Nets?

So the rumors have resurfaced and the internet and the league are a buzz with ‘he say – she say’.

Apparently The Nets might be looking to position themselves again for trade talks with the Lakers Center when the end of January hits.

Last season Brooklyn were looking to secure the big man who wasn’t happy with his lot at Orlando, those talks centred around Brook Lopez and a bunch of draft picks.  Lopez who is really on form this season, (probably playing the best ball he’s ever played), is again in the spot light now the rumours have ignited again.

And it is for this reason as well as his play that is really making me look at Lopez in a different light.

I’ve been a Nets fan for a long time now, back when JKidd and Kittles were the talk of New Jersey, which was a good time, as I was then introduced to the magic of Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson and the ’05 Dynasty era.  Mutombo (later Josh Boone) was the center then, and he really didn’t have much of an impact in the game –  (when he played as he was consistently  plagued by injuries and had very little to do with the playoffs when we got there, we should remember that Dikembe was brought in as New Jersey wanted a powerful big man that could contend with the likes of Shaq, and Tim Duncan) – as the ball was ran by the front court trio.

Lopez was a 10^th round pick for the Nets back in the 2008 draft, and began starting for the Nets after an injury took Boone out of the line-up.

Lopez went on to play in the 2009 Rookie All Star game and began to average ‘okay’ numbers.

He’s never been a name you would throw around in the same conversation as say Tyson Chandler, Tim Duncan, Serge Ibaka, or even Pau Gasol (centre wise).  However in my opinion I think that began to change around the same time Shaq named Brook as the best centre in the league.  People began to take notice of him and started looking at his game to see if Shaq was smoking something when he made such a bold statement.  Unfortunately this was also around the time the first round of trade talks began with a pitch by the Nets for Dwight Howard.  During this time you could say the media buzz affected Lopez’s game as he was displaying fairly negative stats.  But alas Dwight let the colour of money (namely yellow and purple) and the chance to play with someone as good as the man who wears 24 make his decision and he signed with the LA Lakers in a deal affecting 4 other teams.

The dust settled and play resumed as normal.

We’re 3 quarters of the way through the 2012/2013 season and the talks have started again presumably after this comment, courtesy of nydailynews.com

(Chemistry) is something we have to do to get better…
We have to play like we like each other. Even if we don’t want to be friends off the court, whatever that may be, when we step in between the lines or we step in the locker room or the gym, we have to respect each other and what we bring to the table.

Dwight said this during an interview after the Lakers fell to 15-18 at the Denver Nuggets.  Probably off the back of Kobe remarks and disdain for his new center.   Kobe has made no secret that he feels Howard is lacking in offense and effort, calling him soft; Kobe’s anger was evident after the loss at the hands of the 76ers.

NYDailynews.com reports –

A league source told the Daily News that the Lakers stars got into a heated exchange following a New Year’s Day loss to the 76ers, and Bryant went for a low blow – referencing and agreeing with Shaquille O’Neal’s criticisms of Howard being soft.Howard was restrained from going at his teammate, according to the source, and there have been rumblings from the center’s camp that he’s been unhappy with Bryant since earlier in the season.

Now I am in no way saying the ‘source’ is factual; more over recently Kobe tweeted a picture of himself in a skit with Coach Mike D’Antoni and Superman:

However this could be public relations, at an attempt to smooth over the fans outcry that the two all stars are not getting on and to attempt to restore faith and solidarity in the Laker camp.

I’m not buying it, Kobe is an 11 time All Star, 5 time All Star MVP, 5 time NBA Champion and I could go on, his credentials are crazy long!  So do we really think that Black Mamba is happy with how his team are playing and more importantly his center is playing? Exactly.

Also lets not forget that Brooklyn was Dwight’s team of choice, particularly because of his friendship with the Nets all star point guard and the fact that going to the Barclays centre would of planted him firmly in the spot light without any other player getting any of the lime light.  This was reaffirmed in October 2012 when Dwight again mentioned that his choice was Brooklyn –

I did want to go to Brooklyn. That’s a place where I told the Magic that I really wanted to go

Dwight told Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco on ESPN NewYork 98.7 FM.

However he wanted something fast, and what the Nets offered wasn’t a quick solution; it required some extra planning – the Lakers had salary space and the authority to do what it takes to bring ‘Showtime’ back to Los Angeles – and Howard just didn’t want to be in Orlando anymore.

But now, as the month end draws closer two facts are bound to make sporting headlines around the globe

• Howard becomes a free agent
• Lopez cant be traded until January 15^th because of the 4 year $61 million deal he signed in the summer.

Regardless of all the speculation I have to draw back to what I originally wanted to bring up and that was how well Brook Lopez is doing.  It has to be hard for the guy to continually feel like you have to prove yourself, and knowing that the Nets will be looking to recover some of the money they have put into moving, rebranding, re-inventing themselves and unfortunately that money returns by winning games – more importantly winning championships, and although Brooklyn look like they are in a nice spot to make the playoffs, the Finals are a whole different ball game, a ball game that may require trades and more money to be spent.  But hey you gotta spend money to make money.

But Lopez will continue to average 18.9 ppg and 8 rpg 2.3 blkpg shooting on average 50%.  And he will continue to mature into an even more dedicated and talented center with his feet firmly in the ground, or on their way to the hole.  As his response to reporters after yesterdays practice confirmed during this interview.

So for right now, whether we get Dwight or not, I’m backing number 11 to pull down those boards and play the good, traditional post up game that he does so well and that lately we have been have all been loving.

 

 

Holla
Ell Himself

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Thinking, That’s All

Whoa! over a month since I last posted! (with the exception of last nights post, which I just uploaded rather than write fresh).
Pretty slack of me I know and apologies, but haven’t necessarily had anything I wanted to share so much as thoughts that would potentially lead to offence (however since drafting this post alot of problems have been aired! 🙂 and the storm is hopefully beginning to pass).

I did have and still do have blogs which were set to be posted last week, the week before and etc however they have unfortunately become fully accustomed to what my ‘draft box’ looks like, and as the nature of my blogs is usually time related to certain things at that moment 1 or 2 of these drafts are out of date.  I posted a game review last night (Splinter Cell) a rarity on this site I know but when I like something i’ll review it check out my other reviews on this site:

 

This review had literally been sitting in my draft box since 2010! I actually thought I had already posted it but obviously had not (whoops!)

Yes okay I know theres not alot there, but there never was meant to be.  I didn’t start this blog with the intent to review things constantly.  However if you do want reviews on certain gamer and movie related items then head on over to MaceMedia TV.  This is a reasonably fresh new site that has a weekly round up of things happening in the gaming (and movie) world. You can also see some ‘other’ gaming related posts at Gunbuck Chucks.  I really do want to clear this up.

This will never be just a blog for reviews, nor am I going to review everything I like, everything I play, watch, listen or use.

I’ve forever loved the Assassins Creed series, Matrix, Die Hard, Metal Gear, 24 and I could go on and on and…on, but i’ve not written a review on those because i’ve not thought to.  And sometimes there are some things that should just be left alone for individuals to get themselves.  Granted I think reviews can help massively when it comes to promoting a game/movie but then again I think they can have a negative effect, as it is personal opinion; i’ve read magazines before that have told me a game is rubbish etc but I loved it.
But then there are things that I think, whoa! people need to know about this! (Avatar anyone?) And so, just like anything I post, i’ll blog it with the intention that someone will see it and be turned to watch or play it if they haven’t already.

But enough about other peoples blogs etc i really just wanna take this time to thank the followers and viewers of my site. Even when im not posting on the regular, hits are still in the couple of hundred!!

Because of this i’m thinking about broadening my scope. Im not sure how or what with maybe just posting things that perhaps I wouldn’t of thought to post a few years ago.

Any ideas? Write them on a postcard and send to the usual address 😉

We’ll see how it goes from there, in the mean time don’t forget my tumblr and YouTube.

Holla
Ell Himself

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