Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday Morning Magusi Morsel - October 19, 2009
Heavy D - "Don't Curse" (featuring Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pete Rock and Q-Tip)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday Morning Magusi Morsel - September 28, 2009
Chali 2na - "Lock Sh-t Down (featuring Talib Kweli)"
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Monday Morning Magusi Morsel - August 3, 2009
This past Saturday I had a chance to catch wreck with arguably the greatest hip hop group ever. The trio is on tour celebrating 20-plus (uninterrupted!) years of rocking mics and crowds. So today's MMMM pays respect to the unparalleled career of the Plugs, professionally known as De La Soul.
Link from Facebook.
"Me, Myself and I"
(from 3 Feet High and Rising)
"A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'"
(from De La Soul is Dead)
"Stakes Is High"
(from Stakes Is High)
"Oooh" (featuring Redman)
(from Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump)
"Shopping Bags"
(from The Grind Date)
Link from Facebook.
"Me, Myself and I"
(from 3 Feet High and Rising)
"A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'"
(from De La Soul is Dead)
"Stakes Is High"
(from Stakes Is High)
"Oooh" (featuring Redman)
(from Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump)
"Shopping Bags"
(from The Grind Date)
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday Morning Magusi Morsel (Michael Memorial) - June 29, 2009
To honor the life of the Greatest Entertainer Ever, this MMMM will look at songs that sampled from his incomparable career.
Naughty By Nature - "OPP"
(samples "ABC" by the Jackson 5)
MC Lyte featuring Xscape - "Keep On Keepin' On"
(samples "Liberian Girl" by Michael Jackson)
Nas - "It Ain't Hard to Tell"
(Samples "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson)
Public Enemy - "911 is a Joke"
(samples "Thriller" by Michael Jackson)
Jay-Z - "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
(samples "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5)
Naughty By Nature - "OPP"
(samples "ABC" by the Jackson 5)
MC Lyte featuring Xscape - "Keep On Keepin' On"
(samples "Liberian Girl" by Michael Jackson)
Nas - "It Ain't Hard to Tell"
(Samples "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson)
Public Enemy - "911 is a Joke"
(samples "Thriller" by Michael Jackson)
Jay-Z - "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
(samples "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Monday Morning Magusi Morsel - June 15, 2009
Q-Tip - "Gettin Up"
(Note: this is not the official video for the song but the video released to promote Amplified prior to its release.)
(Note: this is not the official video for the song but the video released to promote Amplified prior to its release.)
Q-Tip - Gettin' Up from Q-Tip on Vimeo.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Let's see some hip hop!
Hmm. It has been pointed out to me that I have not written a hip hop post in quite a while. That's a darn shame. There are a variety of reasons for this but the overriding one is that I have just gotten kind of complacent about it. That is not a good thing so I need to kick start myself 
back into action. I do have a few idea running through my head so hopefully one or two of them will bear fruition. In the meantime, I thought I could share a couple of things.
***
I have decided to start sharing some of my favorite hip hop videos, using Twitter. Theoretically, I will post a link to a new video every Monday morning. I'm calling this Monday Morning Magusi Morsels. I posted the first one May 25th, with a Memorial Day theme. I do not anticipate that there will be much of an ongoing theme, other than being hip hop videos that I like. So make sure to check them out if you are interested in seeing dope hip hop videos from various eras and regions.
***
One of my favorite things to do is watch good documentaries about hip hop. The great thing is that there are a LOT of them out there. So I have decided to share the trailers of four of my favorites (if you are reading this from Facebook, you will have to click here in order to see the videos).
STYLE WARS (1982)
While I do not know this for sure, Style Wars might be the first ever documentary to study hip hop (it was certainly the first one to air on PBS). It was filmed in New York City in 1982 with a focus on graffiti writing (although it also looks into b-boying and emceeing). One of my favorite things about watching Style Wars is that it always reminds me of the diversity that hip hop was always intended to have.
(Note: this clip was taken from the original PBS documentary trailer and thus is rather grainy.)
SCRATCH (2001)
Since the first time I saw it, Scratch has been my favorite documentary. It is a look at the progression of DJing, specifically how much the art of scratching has evolved. I love anything dealing with DJing, as it is the foundation of hip hop and is too often overlooked today. One interesting note is that the director, Doug Pray, was not even a hip hop fan when he made this film. He decided to do it after he met MixMaster Mike (of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and Beastie Boys fame).
THE FRESHEST KIDS (2002)
Much like Style Wars, this documentary examines the entire culture of hip hop. However, instead of focusing on graffiti writing, The Freshest Kids focuses on b-boying. I love that because b-boying is my favorite element of hip hop. In my opinion it is the purest form of hip hop because, at its most base form, it is simply one person expressing himself or herself with nothing more than his or her imagination. No microphone, no cans of Krylon, no turntables.
(Note: OD3 Entertainment does not allow this video to be embedded so just use this link to watch the trailer.)
THIS IS THE LIFE (2008)
This film examines the impact of the Good Life Cafe workshops of the late 80s and early 90s. If you are not familiar with it, the Good Life was a movement that aimed to create a hip hop environment in Los Angeles that could serve as an alternative to the NWA/Ice Cube/ Dr. Dre image that was usually associated with the city. It eventually gave birth to what is today known as "underground hip hop." Many of my favorite emcees today (Pigeon John, Chali2na, Myka 9, Aceyalone, Abstract Rude) began their careers here.
back into action. I do have a few idea running through my head so hopefully one or two of them will bear fruition. In the meantime, I thought I could share a couple of things.***
I have decided to start sharing some of my favorite hip hop videos, using Twitter. Theoretically, I will post a link to a new video every Monday morning. I'm calling this Monday Morning Magusi Morsels. I posted the first one May 25th, with a Memorial Day theme. I do not anticipate that there will be much of an ongoing theme, other than being hip hop videos that I like. So make sure to check them out if you are interested in seeing dope hip hop videos from various eras and regions.
***
One of my favorite things to do is watch good documentaries about hip hop. The great thing is that there are a LOT of them out there. So I have decided to share the trailers of four of my favorites (if you are reading this from Facebook, you will have to click here in order to see the videos).
STYLE WARS (1982)
While I do not know this for sure, Style Wars might be the first ever documentary to study hip hop (it was certainly the first one to air on PBS). It was filmed in New York City in 1982 with a focus on graffiti writing (although it also looks into b-boying and emceeing). One of my favorite things about watching Style Wars is that it always reminds me of the diversity that hip hop was always intended to have.
(Note: this clip was taken from the original PBS documentary trailer and thus is rather grainy.)
SCRATCH (2001)
Since the first time I saw it, Scratch has been my favorite documentary. It is a look at the progression of DJing, specifically how much the art of scratching has evolved. I love anything dealing with DJing, as it is the foundation of hip hop and is too often overlooked today. One interesting note is that the director, Doug Pray, was not even a hip hop fan when he made this film. He decided to do it after he met MixMaster Mike (of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and Beastie Boys fame).
THE FRESHEST KIDS (2002)
Much like Style Wars, this documentary examines the entire culture of hip hop. However, instead of focusing on graffiti writing, The Freshest Kids focuses on b-boying. I love that because b-boying is my favorite element of hip hop. In my opinion it is the purest form of hip hop because, at its most base form, it is simply one person expressing himself or herself with nothing more than his or her imagination. No microphone, no cans of Krylon, no turntables.
(Note: OD3 Entertainment does not allow this video to be embedded so just use this link to watch the trailer.)
THIS IS THE LIFE (2008)
This film examines the impact of the Good Life Cafe workshops of the late 80s and early 90s. If you are not familiar with it, the Good Life was a movement that aimed to create a hip hop environment in Los Angeles that could serve as an alternative to the NWA/Ice Cube/ Dr. Dre image that was usually associated with the city. It eventually gave birth to what is today known as "underground hip hop." Many of my favorite emcees today (Pigeon John, Chali2na, Myka 9, Aceyalone, Abstract Rude) began their careers here.
Friday, April 17, 2009
NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Wrap Up
Well, another NBA regular season has come to an end and thus I must make a few comments on it. I will focus on three things: 1) a look at the Mavs; 2) my thoughts on the MVP; and 3) a brief preview of the post-season.
***
As much as I've talked about how much I hated the trade that brought Jason Kidd back to Dallas, I have to give props to the Mavericks for their galvanization at the end of the season and Kidd was a key contributor to that. After becoming the last Western Conference team to clinch a playoff berth, the team continued to play strong and was able to move up to the sixth seed. That's significant because it means that they will be playing the Spurs in the first round. When it comes down to it, none of the Western Conference playoff teams are significantly better than any of the others (with the obvious exception of the Lakers) so I don't really think any of the teams were looking for a particular match up. However, getting the Spurs right now is important.
The team from the Alamo City looks more vulnerable than it has since the 1997 draft. Manu Ginobili is out for the entire playoffs and it is woefully apparent that Tim Duncan is not close to being 100%. Add to that the traditional rivalry between the two teams and this is the best motivation that my boys from Dallas could possibly hope for. While I do not think it will be easy, I do expect them to win the first round series. Actually, I think the Mavericks could make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. If they can beat San Antonio, then they will face the winner of Portland/Houston, both of whom they can beat in 7-game series (even without home court advantage). I'd be particularly happy to see them meet the Trailblazers since the Mavericks swept the season series. Plus, as talented as that team is (and the Blazers have got some serious talent), it is still young and has not yet learned how to play post-season basketball.
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter because no one in the West will unseat the Lakers (barring an injury). The team from Hollywood has dominated the conference from start to finish. However, I'd really like to see the Mavericks build on something here. And I am really interested in seeing what happens in the off-season. Mark Cuban has gone on record as saying that he wants to be aggressive this off-season because the Mavs are one of only a handful of teams that are in a financial situation that will allow them to make moves. The craziest rumor has him targeting Chris Paul. Of course, that has almost no chance of happening but I like the fact that he wants to make that big a splash.
***
This was an interesting year for the MVP race. In some ways this was the antithesis to the 2006-07 season. That year no one player actually did much to deserve the award so it was given to the player that came closest to meeting the criteria that has been established for MVPs over the years. This year we have so many players that are worthy, yet one player put on such a phenomenal season that there's no way that he should not receive it. But let's take a look at the candidates.
First, there's a group of honorable mentions. These guys deserve to be mentioned but ultimately cannot measure up to the top tier talent. Guys like Chauncey Billups, who proved his value not only in how he moved Denver into second place in the West but also how Detroit collapsed after he was traded. Then there is Brandon Roy. Early in the season I was watching a Portland home game. Roy was having a great game and the crowd starting the "MVP!!!" chant. I scoffed and tweeted that such chants should be saved for "actual" MVP candidates. I was wrong. Brandon Roy is not only a fantastic NBA player but he is becoming one of the game's great clutch players. With their youth, and him as their leader, the Blazers should be a scary team for a long time. There is one other player who is almost (but not quite) ready to graduate from honorable mention status to bonafied MVP candidate. That is the man-beast in Orlando named Dwight Howard. He has already established himself as the best center in the game (sorry, Rockets' fans) and he's doing it strictly on talent. He still hasn't really learned how to play the game yet. When he is able to add skills to his already formidable talents, there is no reason why who should not go down as one of the Greatest Of All Time.
And that brings us to the four guys who deserve the most MVP love. I'll discuss them in ascending order of worthiness.
4) Kobe Bryant
Throughout the course of the season I thought that Kobe Bryant was, at worst, tied for co-MVP status. And if this were a regular NBA season, he would absolutely have kept that status, if not being the clear cut winner. There were three reasons why that was not enough this season.
One, his season was *just* great. The three guys ahead of him all had seasons that can among some of the best of all time. Two, you have to consider the Gasol factor. I hate punishing guys because their GM/coach was smart enough to put more talent around their star but I think that in this instance, it's less a case of punishing Kobe and more a case of showcasing just how great the seasons of the other three players actually were. None of them had a teammate capable of putting up 19 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting almost 57% from the field. Finally, I think that Kobe was pacing himself for the playoffs. He won his MVP last year and I don't think he cares about that anymore. He wants to be the clear cut leader of a championship team. That should scare the rest of the league.
3) Chris Paul
I don't think most fans have taken enough time to really appreciate how great a season we just got from Chris Paul (my choice to win the MVP last year). He led the league in steals (2.8) and assists (11.1) per game. He also managed to average almost 23 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field. Those numbers by themselves are amazing. They are Magic Johnson type stats. But then you have to factor in that he plays in a much slower paced era than Magic did. THEN you have to take into account that he is only six feet tall. That is unheard of. Fun fact: before CP3, only one player in NBA history has EVER averaged over 20 points and 11 assists per game while also making more than half his shots. That is the aforementioned 6'9 point guard who led the Showtime fast break in Los Angles during the 80s. Over the course of his 12 full seasons in the NBA, Magic Johnson did it twice. The first time was in his eighth NBA season. Chris Paul just did it in his fourth season (and was just a few field goal percentage points from having done it LAST season). And have I mentioned that he is nine inches shorter than Magic? When you factor in his ability to grab steals on the defensive end, it is no exaggeration to say that Paul has the ability to go down in history as the single greatest point guard of all time.
Despite this, I cannot justifiably rank him any higher. One, just like Kobe has Gasol, Paul has David West. There is also the fact that his team underachieved compared to last year. That is certainly no fault of CP3 but it still has to be taken into account.
2) Dwyane Wade
Anyone who knows me knows that I do not root for Dwyane Wade. I don't dislike the guy, he seems like a nice enough fellow and he plays hard every time he is on the court. But I will never get out of my mind the way the refs coddled him in the 2006 Finals against my Mavericks (and yes, I fully acknowledge that the Mavs imploded). But despite those misgivings, I will still recognize excellence when I see it. And "excellent" is the only way to describe the season that Wade just had.
All he did was lead the league in scoring...while also finishing in the top 10 in assists and steals...while leading his team in blocked shots (which might be the first time in history that has been done by a guard)...while making just under 50% of his shots. Simply put, this was the best season by a shooting guard in the post-Jordan era of the NBA. Yes, even better than Kobe in 2005-06 (and I *still* think that Kobe deserved MVP that season). While it is true that Kobe put on one of the greatest scoring seasons ever, he did so to the detriment of the rest of his game. He was rebounding and passing less while fouling more. Not so with Wade. He elevated every aspect of his game, setting career highs in scoring, assists, steals, blocks and 3-point field goal percentage while minimizing his fouls and turnover (more fodder for stat geeks: John Hollinger's PER system also says that Wade in 2008-09 was better than Kobe in 2005-06). And he carried his team into the playoffs. With Wade returning to form after being injury plagued last season, the Heat improved by 28 wins and a fifth-seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
1) LeBron James
I just spent a few hundred words discussing the historic seasons of both Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade. Yet both of them still have to rank behind LeBron James' year. He has the numbers to justify the MVP. He finished second to Wade in scoring and--like Wade--was in the top 10 in both assists and steals (for the record, he and Wade are the only non-point guards to finish in the top 16 in assists). He also led his team in virtually every statistic. If that's not enough, he guided the Cavaliers to the best record in the NBA (and the second best home record in NBA history). Anyone who said that the saw that coming at the beginning of the season is flat out lying.
Even with these accomplishments though, some people are making the argument that Wade is more worthy. After all, they say, Wade has a weaker supporting cast. Even without LeBron, the Cavs would still make the playoffs, they claim. I have already mentioned that it is unfair to dock one player for his accomplishments because he has a better supporting cast. But that point is not even necessary here. LeBron has a better supporting cast? Really? Think about this for a minute: how far would a team go if Mo Williams was its best player? Oh, wait...this doesn't have to be hypothetical because we already know the answer. See the Milwaukee Bucks of the past few seasons (yes, Michael Redd led the team in scoring but he is little more than a catch and shoot jump shooter). See, that is where LeBron really separates himself from Wade. Wade makes his *team* better. LeBron makes his *teammates* better.
A year ago, I made the observation that LeBron James is the most talented player the NBA has ever seen. We are now in the midst of seeing what that means when he can put it all together. The scary part is that he STILL has room for growth. What happens when he gets a more reliable jump shot? What happens when he develops a post game? What happens when he (woe be to the rest of the NBA) when he finds an unstoppable weapon like Jordan's turnaround? I don't think he will ever win as many rings as Jordan or Magic because we are fully in the era of NBA free agency. Dynasties cannot be built the way they were in the past (even the San Antonio Spurs, who have been the most consistent team of the past decade, have never successfully defended a championship). So if that is how we measure greatness, 'Bron will probably not get his due credit. But if we look at talent as the measure, I cannot see how he won't be at the top.
***
These playoffs are somewhat intriguing but ultimately, I think most people can see where this is headed. The West is the Lakers' for the taking. The only intrigue there is which team will meet them in the conference finals. Teams 2-8 are so evenly matched it's ridiculous. Any of them could meet the Lakers and none would be a surprise. Typically, I would give the edge to the team with the best player. In this case that would be the Hornets with Chris Paul. But since they fell to the 7th seed, they have an uphill climb. They will not have home court in any round. Still, the longer we can watch CP3 play, the better it is for the league. Portland may have the most talent of any non-Laker team in the West but none of their best players have any playoff experience. They'll have to wait a year or two. This morning on Colin Cowherd's radio program, TNT studio host Ernie Johnson said that he thinks the Mavericks are the team that no one is paying attention to; he believes that they will surprise a lot of people. I obviously hope that is the case. I would love to see my boys make a run to the Conference Finals and then retool in the off-season as one of the few teams that will have the financial flexibility to do so.
In terms of intrigue, the East pretty much became a mirror once the Boston Celtics announced that Kevin Garnett would miss at least a significant portion of the playoffs. Without a 100% healthy KG, there is no team in the East that can challenge the Cavs. The Orlando Magic are the Eastern Conference version of the Blazers in that they have the talent but not the experience to make a stronger push. And no other team has even that. That said, it is nice to see that the NBA has become more balanced after so many years of the West being by far the better conference.
So it looks like we are on a collision course of Lakers vs Cavaliers. David Stern HAS to be praying to Jehovah that this happens. One year after pitting the league's two marquee franchises against one another, he would get a Finals that has the league's two best players. It would be the 21st century version of the 1991 Finals when Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan met for all the marbles. I really don't know who I would pick if this happens. I think the Lakers are a better team but Cleveland would have home court, where they have been virtually unbeatable. Of course, the Lakers were the one team that was able to beat them at home while they were at full strength. So while I can't yet say who I'd pick to win, you can bet that I will certainly be watching.
***
As much as I've talked about how much I hated the trade that brought Jason Kidd back to Dallas, I have to give props to the Mavericks for their galvanization at the end of the season and Kidd was a key contributor to that. After becoming the last Western Conference team to clinch a playoff berth, the team continued to play strong and was able to move up to the sixth seed. That's significant because it means that they will be playing the Spurs in the first round. When it comes down to it, none of the Western Conference playoff teams are significantly better than any of the others (with the obvious exception of the Lakers) so I don't really think any of the teams were looking for a particular match up. However, getting the Spurs right now is important.
The team from the Alamo City looks more vulnerable than it has since the 1997 draft. Manu Ginobili is out for the entire playoffs and it is woefully apparent that Tim Duncan is not close to being 100%. Add to that the traditional rivalry between the two teams and this is the best motivation that my boys from Dallas could possibly hope for. While I do not think it will be easy, I do expect them to win the first round series. Actually, I think the Mavericks could make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. If they can beat San Antonio, then they will face the winner of Portland/Houston, both of whom they can beat in 7-game series (even without home court advantage). I'd be particularly happy to see them meet the Trailblazers since the Mavericks swept the season series. Plus, as talented as that team is (and the Blazers have got some serious talent), it is still young and has not yet learned how to play post-season basketball.
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter because no one in the West will unseat the Lakers (barring an injury). The team from Hollywood has dominated the conference from start to finish. However, I'd really like to see the Mavericks build on something here. And I am really interested in seeing what happens in the off-season. Mark Cuban has gone on record as saying that he wants to be aggressive this off-season because the Mavs are one of only a handful of teams that are in a financial situation that will allow them to make moves. The craziest rumor has him targeting Chris Paul. Of course, that has almost no chance of happening but I like the fact that he wants to make that big a splash.
***
This was an interesting year for the MVP race. In some ways this was the antithesis to the 2006-07 season. That year no one player actually did much to deserve the award so it was given to the player that came closest to meeting the criteria that has been established for MVPs over the years. This year we have so many players that are worthy, yet one player put on such a phenomenal season that there's no way that he should not receive it. But let's take a look at the candidates.
First, there's a group of honorable mentions. These guys deserve to be mentioned but ultimately cannot measure up to the top tier talent. Guys like Chauncey Billups, who proved his value not only in how he moved Denver into second place in the West but also how Detroit collapsed after he was traded. Then there is Brandon Roy. Early in the season I was watching a Portland home game. Roy was having a great game and the crowd starting the "MVP!!!" chant. I scoffed and tweeted that such chants should be saved for "actual" MVP candidates. I was wrong. Brandon Roy is not only a fantastic NBA player but he is becoming one of the game's great clutch players. With their youth, and him as their leader, the Blazers should be a scary team for a long time. There is one other player who is almost (but not quite) ready to graduate from honorable mention status to bonafied MVP candidate. That is the man-beast in Orlando named Dwight Howard. He has already established himself as the best center in the game (sorry, Rockets' fans) and he's doing it strictly on talent. He still hasn't really learned how to play the game yet. When he is able to add skills to his already formidable talents, there is no reason why who should not go down as one of the Greatest Of All Time.
And that brings us to the four guys who deserve the most MVP love. I'll discuss them in ascending order of worthiness.
4) Kobe Bryant
Throughout the course of the season I thought that Kobe Bryant was, at worst, tied for co-MVP status. And if this were a regular NBA season, he would absolutely have kept that status, if not being the clear cut winner. There were three reasons why that was not enough this season.
One, his season was *just* great. The three guys ahead of him all had seasons that can among some of the best of all time. Two, you have to consider the Gasol factor. I hate punishing guys because their GM/coach was smart enough to put more talent around their star but I think that in this instance, it's less a case of punishing Kobe and more a case of showcasing just how great the seasons of the other three players actually were. None of them had a teammate capable of putting up 19 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting almost 57% from the field. Finally, I think that Kobe was pacing himself for the playoffs. He won his MVP last year and I don't think he cares about that anymore. He wants to be the clear cut leader of a championship team. That should scare the rest of the league.
3) Chris Paul
I don't think most fans have taken enough time to really appreciate how great a season we just got from Chris Paul (my choice to win the MVP last year). He led the league in steals (2.8) and assists (11.1) per game. He also managed to average almost 23 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field. Those numbers by themselves are amazing. They are Magic Johnson type stats. But then you have to factor in that he plays in a much slower paced era than Magic did. THEN you have to take into account that he is only six feet tall. That is unheard of. Fun fact: before CP3, only one player in NBA history has EVER averaged over 20 points and 11 assists per game while also making more than half his shots. That is the aforementioned 6'9 point guard who led the Showtime fast break in Los Angles during the 80s. Over the course of his 12 full seasons in the NBA, Magic Johnson did it twice. The first time was in his eighth NBA season. Chris Paul just did it in his fourth season (and was just a few field goal percentage points from having done it LAST season). And have I mentioned that he is nine inches shorter than Magic? When you factor in his ability to grab steals on the defensive end, it is no exaggeration to say that Paul has the ability to go down in history as the single greatest point guard of all time.
Despite this, I cannot justifiably rank him any higher. One, just like Kobe has Gasol, Paul has David West. There is also the fact that his team underachieved compared to last year. That is certainly no fault of CP3 but it still has to be taken into account.
2) Dwyane Wade
Anyone who knows me knows that I do not root for Dwyane Wade. I don't dislike the guy, he seems like a nice enough fellow and he plays hard every time he is on the court. But I will never get out of my mind the way the refs coddled him in the 2006 Finals against my Mavericks (and yes, I fully acknowledge that the Mavs imploded). But despite those misgivings, I will still recognize excellence when I see it. And "excellent" is the only way to describe the season that Wade just had.
All he did was lead the league in scoring...while also finishing in the top 10 in assists and steals...while leading his team in blocked shots (which might be the first time in history that has been done by a guard)...while making just under 50% of his shots. Simply put, this was the best season by a shooting guard in the post-Jordan era of the NBA. Yes, even better than Kobe in 2005-06 (and I *still* think that Kobe deserved MVP that season). While it is true that Kobe put on one of the greatest scoring seasons ever, he did so to the detriment of the rest of his game. He was rebounding and passing less while fouling more. Not so with Wade. He elevated every aspect of his game, setting career highs in scoring, assists, steals, blocks and 3-point field goal percentage while minimizing his fouls and turnover (more fodder for stat geeks: John Hollinger's PER system also says that Wade in 2008-09 was better than Kobe in 2005-06). And he carried his team into the playoffs. With Wade returning to form after being injury plagued last season, the Heat improved by 28 wins and a fifth-seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
1) LeBron James
I just spent a few hundred words discussing the historic seasons of both Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade. Yet both of them still have to rank behind LeBron James' year. He has the numbers to justify the MVP. He finished second to Wade in scoring and--like Wade--was in the top 10 in both assists and steals (for the record, he and Wade are the only non-point guards to finish in the top 16 in assists). He also led his team in virtually every statistic. If that's not enough, he guided the Cavaliers to the best record in the NBA (and the second best home record in NBA history). Anyone who said that the saw that coming at the beginning of the season is flat out lying.
Even with these accomplishments though, some people are making the argument that Wade is more worthy. After all, they say, Wade has a weaker supporting cast. Even without LeBron, the Cavs would still make the playoffs, they claim. I have already mentioned that it is unfair to dock one player for his accomplishments because he has a better supporting cast. But that point is not even necessary here. LeBron has a better supporting cast? Really? Think about this for a minute: how far would a team go if Mo Williams was its best player? Oh, wait...this doesn't have to be hypothetical because we already know the answer. See the Milwaukee Bucks of the past few seasons (yes, Michael Redd led the team in scoring but he is little more than a catch and shoot jump shooter). See, that is where LeBron really separates himself from Wade. Wade makes his *team* better. LeBron makes his *teammates* better.
A year ago, I made the observation that LeBron James is the most talented player the NBA has ever seen. We are now in the midst of seeing what that means when he can put it all together. The scary part is that he STILL has room for growth. What happens when he gets a more reliable jump shot? What happens when he develops a post game? What happens when he (woe be to the rest of the NBA) when he finds an unstoppable weapon like Jordan's turnaround? I don't think he will ever win as many rings as Jordan or Magic because we are fully in the era of NBA free agency. Dynasties cannot be built the way they were in the past (even the San Antonio Spurs, who have been the most consistent team of the past decade, have never successfully defended a championship). So if that is how we measure greatness, 'Bron will probably not get his due credit. But if we look at talent as the measure, I cannot see how he won't be at the top.
***
These playoffs are somewhat intriguing but ultimately, I think most people can see where this is headed. The West is the Lakers' for the taking. The only intrigue there is which team will meet them in the conference finals. Teams 2-8 are so evenly matched it's ridiculous. Any of them could meet the Lakers and none would be a surprise. Typically, I would give the edge to the team with the best player. In this case that would be the Hornets with Chris Paul. But since they fell to the 7th seed, they have an uphill climb. They will not have home court in any round. Still, the longer we can watch CP3 play, the better it is for the league. Portland may have the most talent of any non-Laker team in the West but none of their best players have any playoff experience. They'll have to wait a year or two. This morning on Colin Cowherd's radio program, TNT studio host Ernie Johnson said that he thinks the Mavericks are the team that no one is paying attention to; he believes that they will surprise a lot of people. I obviously hope that is the case. I would love to see my boys make a run to the Conference Finals and then retool in the off-season as one of the few teams that will have the financial flexibility to do so.
In terms of intrigue, the East pretty much became a mirror once the Boston Celtics announced that Kevin Garnett would miss at least a significant portion of the playoffs. Without a 100% healthy KG, there is no team in the East that can challenge the Cavs. The Orlando Magic are the Eastern Conference version of the Blazers in that they have the talent but not the experience to make a stronger push. And no other team has even that. That said, it is nice to see that the NBA has become more balanced after so many years of the West being by far the better conference.
So it looks like we are on a collision course of Lakers vs Cavaliers. David Stern HAS to be praying to Jehovah that this happens. One year after pitting the league's two marquee franchises against one another, he would get a Finals that has the league's two best players. It would be the 21st century version of the 1991 Finals when Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan met for all the marbles. I really don't know who I would pick if this happens. I think the Lakers are a better team but Cleveland would have home court, where they have been virtually unbeatable. Of course, the Lakers were the one team that was able to beat them at home while they were at full strength. So while I can't yet say who I'd pick to win, you can bet that I will certainly be watching.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
It's Great To Be Dead
After failing again I stared into the back of my eyelids fatigued
And a colorful array of memories disguised as fond
Made me realize I had been conned
I was not what I thought I was
Simply because a man claims to understand does not mean he does
I know this firsthand; because the life that I was leading
Was the product of an inbreeding
Society where the conception
Of another man's perception
Birthed clones
So where is the variety in that? There's none
It's all wrong, all around the world the same song
So the metamorphosis began at my end
I can no longer pretend
That I had the power to control my own life cause the things that I was choosing
Was the reason I was losing
So when the voice said suicide
My only choice was to abide
I know that it seems sick to self inflict death
But dying to myself is the only way that I could live.
-Dax Reynosa
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Harris/Kidd trade was STILL stupid
Last night the Mavericks beat the Nets. Jason Kidd dropped 23 points points and 10 assists on his former team. I've seen at least two people say that proves that Kidd is better than Harris. For the life of me, I cannot understand that logic. A couple of points:
- Harris had 18 points and 7 assists; it's not like Kidd's numbers dwarfed his
- Apparently, some of my Maverick brethren have erased from their memories the night of December 19, 2008. That was the last time the Mavs played the Nets. In that game, Kidd had 17 points and 7 assists. Harris? Oh, he just settled for 41 and 13.
How anyone is trying to make the claim that Jason Kidd is currently better than Devin Harris is utterly beyond me.
Let's play with some more numbers. As a basketball fan, which stat line would you rather see from your point guard:
9.1 ppg, 8.5 apg, .423 FG%, .785 FT%
OR
21.4 ppg, 6.5 apg, .435 FGZ%, .817 FT%?
Would you rather have a player making $21.3 million this year or a player making $7.8 million this year?
Would you rather have a player whose best days are behind him or a player who is still getting better?
Oh, and would you like to have first round draft picks or would you rather see another team using yours?
Since making the trade, the Mavericks are 48-34 (16-13 after the trade last season, 32-21 so far this season) and the Nets are 35-49 (11-18 after the trade last season, 24-31 so far this season). The Mavs are clearly a better team. But have the results been worth mortgaging the promising future that they had when they were preparing to build around a nucleus of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Harris?
You know what? Just for the heck of it, let me look at the 82 regular season games (a full season's worth) played before the trade.
DAL 58-24: (23-6 in the 2006-07 season, 35-18 in the 2007-08 season)
NJN 40-42 (16-12 in the 2006-07 season, 24-30 in the 2007-08 season)
So in making the trade, Dallas went from a .707 winning percentage to a .585 winning percentage. New Jersey went from a winning percentage of .488 to .422. Both teams got WORSE (which in and of itself is reason enough for the trade to not have happened) but the Mavericks had a bigger drop plus New Jersey has a brighter future thanks to having younger players and multiple draft picks for the next several years.
The Kidd trade was supposed to make the Mavericks a title contender. Well, that obviously didn't happen last season and, barring a miracle, it won't happen this season. The silver lining in the trade SHOULD have been the Mavs getting cap relief when Kidd's contract expires at the end of the season. But that is negated because even after the his contract comes off the books, Dallas will still be over this year's cap; and considering the state of the economy, next year's cap will likely be lower, meaning the Mavs wil be even further over the cap.
So as a recap: the Mavericks traded away a bargain priced future All-Star, multiple first round picks, youth, depth and wins in return for one aging point guard who has been unable to help them get any further than they were already able to get WITHOUT him. Yet the fact that Kidd played *slightly* better than Harris in ONE game (after Harris had already torched Kidd in a previous head to head meeting) is supposed to prove that Kidd is better and the trade was a good one? Please explain.
- Harris had 18 points and 7 assists; it's not like Kidd's numbers dwarfed his
- Apparently, some of my Maverick brethren have erased from their memories the night of December 19, 2008. That was the last time the Mavs played the Nets. In that game, Kidd had 17 points and 7 assists. Harris? Oh, he just settled for 41 and 13.
How anyone is trying to make the claim that Jason Kidd is currently better than Devin Harris is utterly beyond me.
Let's play with some more numbers. As a basketball fan, which stat line would you rather see from your point guard:
9.1 ppg, 8.5 apg, .423 FG%, .785 FT%
OR
21.4 ppg, 6.5 apg, .435 FGZ%, .817 FT%?
Would you rather have a player making $21.3 million this year or a player making $7.8 million this year?
Would you rather have a player whose best days are behind him or a player who is still getting better?
Oh, and would you like to have first round draft picks or would you rather see another team using yours?
Since making the trade, the Mavericks are 48-34 (16-13 after the trade last season, 32-21 so far this season) and the Nets are 35-49 (11-18 after the trade last season, 24-31 so far this season). The Mavs are clearly a better team. But have the results been worth mortgaging the promising future that they had when they were preparing to build around a nucleus of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Harris?
You know what? Just for the heck of it, let me look at the 82 regular season games (a full season's worth) played before the trade.
DAL 58-24: (23-6 in the 2006-07 season, 35-18 in the 2007-08 season)
NJN 40-42 (16-12 in the 2006-07 season, 24-30 in the 2007-08 season)
So in making the trade, Dallas went from a .707 winning percentage to a .585 winning percentage. New Jersey went from a winning percentage of .488 to .422. Both teams got WORSE (which in and of itself is reason enough for the trade to not have happened) but the Mavericks had a bigger drop plus New Jersey has a brighter future thanks to having younger players and multiple draft picks for the next several years.
The Kidd trade was supposed to make the Mavericks a title contender. Well, that obviously didn't happen last season and, barring a miracle, it won't happen this season. The silver lining in the trade SHOULD have been the Mavs getting cap relief when Kidd's contract expires at the end of the season. But that is negated because even after the his contract comes off the books, Dallas will still be over this year's cap; and considering the state of the economy, next year's cap will likely be lower, meaning the Mavs wil be even further over the cap.
So as a recap: the Mavericks traded away a bargain priced future All-Star, multiple first round picks, youth, depth and wins in return for one aging point guard who has been unable to help them get any further than they were already able to get WITHOUT him. Yet the fact that Kidd played *slightly* better than Harris in ONE game (after Harris had already torched Kidd in a previous head to head meeting) is supposed to prove that Kidd is better and the trade was a good one? Please explain.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Copyright Criminals
I'm really looking forward to this movie.
I think it's interesting that when Black musicians from the inner city sampled White artists in the 80s, it became a crime. But when White musicians became rich from covering the songs of the original Black composers in the 50s, no one batted an eye.
(Link from Facebook.)
I think it's interesting that when Black musicians from the inner city sampled White artists in the 80s, it became a crime. But when White musicians became rich from covering the songs of the original Black composers in the 50s, no one batted an eye.
(Link from Facebook.)
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