I Love This Stuff

How can you not love playoff basketball, especially this season’s version of postseason antics? It has at once been exhilarating and boring, expected and surprising, heroic and deflating. What is left is right, up is down, yet it all is normal in the same prism that previous playoffs have been seen in.

Hip-Hop Breeds Contempt

Aim here Gilbert

As the Gilbert Arenas saga evolves from comedy to tragedy, a familiar topic is once again linked to the NBA. The ever present Hip-Hop culture once again surfaces as a catch all for the actions of Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton. Somewhere along the line David Stern and other league executives decided to marry the NBA to hip-hop and, but clearly they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into.

Given recent player actions, it seems as though the dark side of hip-hop has also managed to infiltrate the league. With its “bling-bling” gaudiness and “I gotta get paid” ruthlessness, this culture isn’t exactly synonymous with the average NBA fan. To the NBA’s credit, welcoming the music of Will Smith and L.L Cool J is a terrific marketing move, one certain to help the league resonate with younger fans. However, when welcoming the mainstream side of hip-hop, the NBA also opened the door for violence, drug-abuse, gang related sub-culture, and other misnomers of traditional thug life personified by players such as Allen Iverson. When he entered the league, Iverson was the poster boy for this thug life ruthlessness; he was a walking middle finger pointed directly at David Stern and his efforts to improve the image of the league.

Make Them Love The Situation

Can we talk about LeBron James and his affinity for busting a move while on and sometimes off of the court? The Paints Dudes have touched on this subject numerous times and will again be discussing it on the upcoming podcast.

Champ’s Power Rankings: Week 4

Playoffs?

1. Los Angeles Lakers: OK, an early home schedule is good and all, and Pau Gasol is back and doing work, and everythings clicking. But, there is no but, the Lakers are the number one team in the league. However, I’m not sure Kobe’s increased scoring is a good sign or not.

2. Atlanta Hawks: Disclaimer: Yes I am writing this after watching their cold effort in their falling to the Orlando Magic, at home. But coming into Monday this team was still on fire, yes they deserve to be here now. Next week? watch out.

3. Denver Nuggets: Coming into the season I was concerned about Denver. Yes, drafting Ty Lawson is a HUGE plus, but they made no offseason moves to improve the team. But then, Carmello Anthony stepped up, he finally is dishing out points and rebounds like a true superstar. Tracking Anthony’s development at a recent trip to the pool really sold me on the Nuggets, they’ve come a long way. They had Allen Iverson around this time last year.

Champ’s Power Rankings: Week 3

the kid can play

1. Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets keep winning, in the West. Carmelo looks like he’s playing with more determination than ever, second in the league in scoring, the team is winning on the road, and J.R. Smith has had a hot return off of his seven game suspension, possibly due to his desire to be called by his real first name: Earl. The Nuggets’ ascent is surely helped by the Lakers’ current slump, but for now the Nuggets are enjoying their time as the Western Conference’s best team.

2. Atlanta Hawks: The Ivy Leaguer is a prophet, the Hawks have raced to an early 8-2 record. They have beaten both the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic, does a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers earn them a spot in the Eastern Conference elite?

3. Phoenix Suns: The Suns sit at the three position this week. With a very respectable record of 9-2, with losses coming to the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers (last year’s NBA Finals) both played on the second game of back-to-back series, the Suns still impress the Champ.

Champ’s Power Rankings: Week 2

 

 

Week Two showed the Beast in Chris Paul, however the Hornets still struggled.

 

1. Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers played without Bynum and Gasol last night and still resulted in victory. The Lakers are the top dogs in the league right now. No questions about it. Lamar Odum also translated well into his role on Keeping up with the Kardashians.

2. Boston Celtics: A slip up against the now formidable Phoenix Suns lost some credibility as well as the near win over the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves cost the C’s to slip to #2 in my rankings. However, they still head their own conference and very well could earn homecourt advantage, minus any major injuries.

3. Phoenix Suns: Surprised? Maybe a little but the Suns are the hot team in the league for now. You forget this team has Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire, and Jason Richardson. As well as a rejuivenated Grant Hill and an up-and-coming Channing Frye. Will they stay at three? Probably not, but this is Week Two.

Observations on the Miami/Washington Game

Setting: the Franchise and the Champ are watching an ESPN double header with the first game being the Miami Heat at the Washington Wizards.

Champ’s Power Rankings: Week One

The 2009-2010 season has been one of immense scoring, and tremendous excitement.

1. Boston Celtics: I am no fool. The Celtics are legit, at this point in time the C’s are  the best team in the league. Their offense is clicking, Rasheed Wallace looks more like a contestant for the All Star Weekend NBA 3 Point Contest, rather than the Sixth Man of the Year. Rondo got his extension, a safe move to protect young talent on an aging team. Things are working out in Boston, and as of week one, no team can touch them.

2. Orlando Magic: Just ask The Octagon, the Magic are very potent. The depth of this Magic Team is simply incredible. Their scoring recalls the glory days of the Phoenix Suns under Mike D’Antoni. Just think with J.J. (Get me a record deal!) Reddick scoring 27 points in the absence of Vince Carter, as well as Rashard Lewis’ suspension and Pietrus’ injury the Orlando Magic offense firing on all cylinders is truly scary.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: I can’t bring myself to rank the Lakers any lower than third, they are: 1. still the best team substantially in the Western Conference 2. temporarily lacking the frontcourt depth that Pau Gasol brings and 3. they are the Los Angeles Lakers, the same Lakers that have won 15 NBA titles, brought in guys like Gasol and Ron Artest, and will continue to do anything to win Kobe another ring.

Paints in the Fantasy Draft

So the teams have been drafted for the 2009-2010 Fantasy Draft and here are the rosters.

Season Preview: Denver Nuggets

Fun Fact: These nuggets were fried at a McDonald's in Denver.

History:

Founded as the Denver Rockets in 1968 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association, the Denver Nuggets found modest success, reaching either a tiebreaker or the playoffs every year while they were an ABA team, but this was more likely because of the ABA’s playoff system (eight of eleven teams reached the playoffs each year, and as the league began to contract, eight of ten teams made the playoffs). Of the nine seasons as an ABA franchise, the Rockets/Nuggets (the name changed in the summer of 1974 so as not to compete with the Rockets team name used by Houston) had a winning record in six seasons, and only won three playoff series, reaching the ABA Finals in the last year of the league’s existence. Led by Dan Issel, David Thompson, Bobby Jones, Marvin Webster, and coached by a very young Larry Brown, even after the team moved into the NBA, they were still successful, extending their tiebreaker/playoff streak to twelve.

Earn Your Scars

Chris “Birdman” Anderson has taken a vow to be carried out up until the point where he shares his vows with his potential future better half. That vow is one of the most sacred and prestigious ones that a man can make: he will not shave his beard until his wedding day. This wedding is still quite a distance away from now, essentially putting his beard at that point into a thicker, more passionate version of Grizzly Adams in his hairiest of days.

Cupid’s Couples

Sometimes in the Association, two players will meet at one junction or another on a team and true chemistry will form. These are the top 12 pairs of players in the league right now, duos that complement each other’s capabilities on the court.

One More for Kobe

There you have it ladies and gentlemen, curtain call for the NBA Finals and guess who ended up with all the marbles.