RAS KASS - GOLDYN CHYLD
Unreleased
2002
Producer: DJ Premier
One of the most slept-on MCs ever, accompanied by my favorite producer of all time. You won't see another Ras Kass joint on here again, but there will be plenty of DJ Premier productions.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
225 Shuffle #2
BEANIE SIGEL - I CAN FEEL IT IN THE AIR
2005
The B. Coming
Producer: Heavy D.
Honestly, I'm hard-pressed to think of another rapper who's albums' first track seem to always suck you in every time. From "The Truth" off his debut album to "Nothing Like It" from his second album to this track off his third, dude always, at least in his first three albums, had a way to make you stop what you were doing and listen.
"Feel it in the Air" might be the best track about paranoia since Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me", which dude pays homage to on this track.
*BONUS
SAMPLED RAPHAEL RAVENSCROFT'S "WHOLE LOTTA SOMETHING GOIN ON"
2005
The B. Coming
Producer: Heavy D.
Honestly, I'm hard-pressed to think of another rapper who's albums' first track seem to always suck you in every time. From "The Truth" off his debut album to "Nothing Like It" from his second album to this track off his third, dude always, at least in his first three albums, had a way to make you stop what you were doing and listen.
"Feel it in the Air" might be the best track about paranoia since Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me", which dude pays homage to on this track.
*BONUS
SAMPLED RAPHAEL RAVENSCROFT'S "WHOLE LOTTA SOMETHING GOIN ON"
225 Shuffle #1
What's the 225 Shuffle? Basically, I put 225 of my favorite rap songs on a playlist in itunes, put it on shuffle, first song that comes up I post on the blog, and we go down the list till all the songs are on here.
What's the point? Well, perhaps it'll give you a chance to hear something new, or something you haven't heard in a while. Perhaps it'll give me something to post about until I get over this damn writer's block that's been plaguing my dome.
This is not a top 225 songs of all time type list, like I said above, I just took some of my favorite songs and put them on shuffle. So let's go to it, here is number 1.
NOTORIOUS BIG - MACHINE GUN FUNK
Ready to Die
1994
Producer: Easy Mo Bee
Simple enough, one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite rappers.
What's the point? Well, perhaps it'll give you a chance to hear something new, or something you haven't heard in a while. Perhaps it'll give me something to post about until I get over this damn writer's block that's been plaguing my dome.
This is not a top 225 songs of all time type list, like I said above, I just took some of my favorite songs and put them on shuffle. So let's go to it, here is number 1.
NOTORIOUS BIG - MACHINE GUN FUNK
Ready to Die
1994
Producer: Easy Mo Bee
Simple enough, one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite rappers.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Things Fall Apart
Interestingly enough, I've heard the rumblings that the Bulls' 2010-2011 season was a failure. I disagree with that point of view. The Bulls had the best record in the NBA, the MVP and the Coach of the Year, so it's easy to say that they should have at the very least made the NBA finals. However, I believe they overachieved during the regular season. They're a great team, Derrick Rose absolutely deserved the MVP, as Thibs was the best coach this year, but they were not expected to be this good this fast. They still had their flaws, and they were exposed in the postseason.
The most startling reality the Bulls must face is that their five-year, $75 million power forward, Carlos Boozer, absolutely shrunk in the playoffs. His 12.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs were career lows, and I'm not convinced they were the result of his turf toe injury. Boozer also continued to be the weakest defender on a team that hangs its hat on defense.
Bulls management was pretty insistent in claiming Boozer was their top priority among the free agent power forwards last summer, but I remain convinced that at least part of the reason they signed him was because Wade and Bosh signed in Miami, and Stoudemire in New York, so they had to at least sign Boozer in the hopes that he could somehow convince LeBron James to head to Chicago. We all know how that turned out. Sure, his presence allowed the Bulls to finally have a low-post presence, but in hindsight I firmly believe it was a move down out of haste. It could cost them dearly, as no team might want to touch Boozer's contract and at 29 years old there is little to no chance that he will improve defensively or shed his prolific injury problems in the next four years.
Boozer might return next year and be more consistent as well as durable, or we might get more of the same from Boozer. Four years and roughly $60.5 million remain on his contract. Joakim Noah, meanwhile, will stand to make $60 million himself in the next five years, and he also had a subpar postseason. While Noah had always stepped his game up in prior postseasons, this year his 8.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per in the playoffs seemed pretty pedestrian compared to what we've come to expected of him in the playoffs, and he also shot just 41% from the field.
The most telling thing about Noah, however, was the fact that Thibs opted to bench him down the stretch in favor of rookie big man Omer Asik. The fact that Thibs opted to go with the rookie Asik because he trusted his defense more than Noah's, an NBA second-team all-defensive player, has to worry Bulls fans. Noah once again started strong this season, as he did last, and once again was plagued with injury concerns. Noah was deemed an "untouchable" prior to this season, however if a player like Dwight Howard could someone be pried away by dangling Noah, I absolutely believe it should be done. Noah's combination of hustle, energy, defense, rebounding, passing ability and leadership are unmatched by any other NBA center, but I believe he has become expendable IF the right player comes along, especially with Asik possessing so much potential.
The top priority for the Bulls this offseason, however, should without question be getting Rose some help on the offensive end, preferably in the form of a shooting guard who can score, create his own shot, and be willing to defend as well. Keith Bogans plays his role well, he defends admirably and can hit the open shot, but he cannot be a starter on an NBA championship team. Ronnie Brewer is also solid defensively, athletic, has shown he can also hit the open shot, and is a much better ball-handler than Bogans, but he also isn't able to create his own shot.
With so many unknowns regarding the impending lockout and the CBA, we can't speculate for certain about things such as the Mid-Level Exception as such, but through whatever avenue, whether trades or signing, the Bulls must get that upgrade at the shooting guard position. If they're not able to snag a capable shooting guard in the draft itself, which this year may be next to impossible consider how thin it is, they are armed with several attractive pieces as well as two first-round draft picks, so a trade might be the route to take.
Of course, the more attractive players will be the harder ones to acquire. Aaron Afflalo would be a great fit, but the Nuggets seem intent on resigning him. Which might make JR Smith available, but the Bulls had him and let him go because of his "character issues", and they most likely are still not interested in the potential headache. OJ Mayo would make a solid backcourt partner for Derrick Rose, but there hasn't been any indication that the Grizzlies have any interest in trading him. There's other options available, such as potentially being able to snatch up Rip Hamilton should his contract be bought out. I'm not sure how I'd feel about that one. I think the Bulls need to find a long-term solution to their SG problem, and with Hamilton getting up there in age, he might not be it.
Of course, there's a lot to look forward to next season. After a few seasons where Deng's durability and even his heart was questioned, he has emerged as an outstanding player for his position. Asik and Taj Gibson still look very promising, and lest we forget - Derrick Rose is only 22 years old. The immediate past was dim, but the future still looks very bright for the Chicago Bulls.
Most Slept on Rap Albums of My Time
I'm mostly all about basketball on here, and I have a few bball-related posts I'm working on, but for the time being I wanted to step away from sports and write about music. Specifically rap music. For me, rap was what I grew up listening to, from about 1991 up until around 2005 or so when mainstream rap music became pretty much untolerable.
My list of favorite albums reads like most other hip-hop heads' - Nas' "Illmatic", Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die", Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter the Wu-Tang" and so on. But beyond the more obvious and well-respected classics are the albums that don't often get mentioned in the same breath but I remember fondly just as much.
So here's my list of the most slept-on and underrated albums that came out while I was still a heavy listener of the music.
Back in 1998, it seemed like No Limit Records had the game on lock in the south, or at least that's how it appeared to someone like me from the Midwest. Young Bleed came out with "My Balls and my Word" that year, and what seemed like another No Limit album initially resulted in some damn good rap upon first listen. While most other No Limit albums were produced by the Beats by the Pound production crew, this album was mostly produced by Nathan "Happy" Perez, who definitely brought the noise.
My favorite track - Lil Poppa Got a Brand New Bag
Capone-N-Noreaga - The War Report
While not SLEPT-ON slept-on, this album still for some reason hasn't gotten the love that other QB rappers' albums, most notably Nas and Mobb Deep, have gotten. Capone was incarcerated while the album was still being recorded, but Noreaga managed to hold his own, especially on "Halfway Thugs" where dude went in with no hook or chorus. The beats were sick, classic East Coast style of the day.
My favorite track - "Halfway Thugs"
Common - One Day It'll all Make Sense
Common's "Resurrection" was a certified classic which included the timeless "I used to love H.E.R.", but for some reason his solid follow-up wasn't as well-known to the masses. With the majority of the production handled by Chicago legend No ID, who mentored a young Kanye West, nearly every track on this album is a banger. Check out the "Stolen Moments" trilogy, and how Common had the courage to tackle a topic most rappers wouldn't touch on "Retrospect for Life"
My favorite track - "Retrospective for Life"
Cormega - The True Meaning
Another Queensbridge resident, Cormega had already long been known to many. From his solid debut album "The Realness" to his beef with Nas, Cormega already had respect before this album dropped. But he hit this one out the park. The combination of solid production and Cormega being even more honest and introspective than usual created a solid album.
My Favorite Track - "Therapy"
Do or Die - Picture This
Being from the Chicago area, this list might be a little heavy on the Chicago rap, but if you don't like it make your own list. Back in the late 90's it seemed like everyone in the Chicago area was bumping their cd out their SUV. The Legendary Traxster was the main producer on this, and to this day "Po Pimp" is a Chi-town classic.
My favorite track - "Po Pimp"
Gang Starr -Moment of Truth
DJ Premier is my favorite producer of all time, but "Moment of Truth" was the first Gang Starr album I copped, and I was definitely not disappointed. Of course, every track has a dope beat, and GURU (RIP) could hold his own on the mic. Outstanding guest appearances by the likes of Scarface, Inspectah Deck, MOP and Krumb Snatcha highlighted this album.
My favorite track - "Above the Clouds" featuring Inspectah Deck
Goodie Mob - Still Standing
Before Cee Lo Green was known to all for "Gnarls Barkley" and "F You", he was down with the Goodie Mob, Outkast's lesser known label mates. This album hits hard from the get with the Cee Lo solo "The Experience" and doesn't let up from there. Though it can be a bit preachy at times, this was a solid showing by the Mob backed by The Dungeon Family's own Organized Noize.
My favorite track - "I Refuse Limitation"
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Little Brother's debut album "The Listening" was also criminally underrated and overlooked, but their second album should've gone triple platinum. Big Pooh and Phonte came with it over every 9th wonder beat. This is one of those albums that brings back memories for me. I was stationed overseas in Okinawa, Japan when I copped this at one of the record stores out in town (the PX on base only had those wack mainstream albums), and I used to bump this album every day in the ride on the way to and from work. I got a lot of looks from the older locals, and a lot of head nods and dap from the younger Okinawan cats. Hip-Hop's very much alive overseas.
My favorite tack - "Watch Me"
Psycho Realm -The Psycho Realm
Usually when you think of Chicano rap from LA, you think of eses, cholos and vatos rapping about lowriders, ladies and drugs. Usually when you think of B-Real, you think of Cypress Hill and um, drugs. Specifically the sticky-icky. But when B-Real caught a performance of socially conscious siblings Sick Jacken and Duke, he knew he had to find a way to let the masses hear them. So he teamed up with the duo and formed the trio Psycho Realm. Their debut album, and really only album with all members present, was solid, with outstanding production coming mostly from Jacken, but it never really made it past the ears of the most hardcore underground rap fiends and Chicano rap fans. Perhaps it was their different approach from the "typical" Chicano rappers. Afterwards, B-Real returned to his Cypress Hill duties, and Duke was shot in an altercation and left paralyzed. Jacken's still doing his thing, though.
My favorite track - "Lost Cities"
Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek - Reflection Eternal
Talib Kweli gained a little bit of fame after Jay-Z dropped his name on The Black Album's "Moment of Clarity" when Jay suggested he dumbs down for his audience to sell more albums and that if he brought it lyrically the way he'd like to, he'd bring it like Kweli. I actually disagree with that, I think even when Jigga "dumbs down" his lyrics he's still a better lyricist than Kweli. That being said, however, Kweli is no slouch, and his album with DJ Hi-Tek was a solid outing.
My favorite track - "Memories Live"
Twista - Adrenaline Rush
Yet another Chicago classic that I felt was slept on by the masses. Twista gained a little bit of fame in the early 90's for being the record holder for the fastest rapper in the world. Which made him a bit of a gimmick more than a respected artist. All that changed when he released Adrenaline Rush in 1997. Suddenly, everyone from P Diddy to Jay-Z wanted him to guest star on their albums. And then he blew up with Kanye's "Slow Jamz". But Adrenaline Rush still remains his best offering. The Legendary Traxster was the main producer.
My favorite track - "Overdose"....but I couldn't find a video so....."Adrenaline Rush"
I'll end this with a few slept-on songs that I've really enjoyed listening to, even if the rest of the album the song was on wasn't good enough to make it to this list.
Fiend - "Live Me Long"
Tribeca - "Cold World"
Royce Da 5'9" - "Boom"
The Roots featuring Common - "Love of my Life"
Little Brother - "The Listening"
Kidz in the Hall - "Go Ill"
Theory Hazit - "Extra Credit"
Jean Grae featuring Cannibal Ox - "Swing Blades"
Elzhi featuring Royce Da 5'9" - "Motown 25"
Away Team - "The Shining"
Atmosphere - "Little Man"
My list of favorite albums reads like most other hip-hop heads' - Nas' "Illmatic", Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die", Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter the Wu-Tang" and so on. But beyond the more obvious and well-respected classics are the albums that don't often get mentioned in the same breath but I remember fondly just as much.
So here's my list of the most slept-on and underrated albums that came out while I was still a heavy listener of the music.
Young Bleed - My Balls and My Word
Back in 1998, it seemed like No Limit Records had the game on lock in the south, or at least that's how it appeared to someone like me from the Midwest. Young Bleed came out with "My Balls and my Word" that year, and what seemed like another No Limit album initially resulted in some damn good rap upon first listen. While most other No Limit albums were produced by the Beats by the Pound production crew, this album was mostly produced by Nathan "Happy" Perez, who definitely brought the noise.
My favorite track - Lil Poppa Got a Brand New Bag
Capone-N-Noreaga - The War Report
While not SLEPT-ON slept-on, this album still for some reason hasn't gotten the love that other QB rappers' albums, most notably Nas and Mobb Deep, have gotten. Capone was incarcerated while the album was still being recorded, but Noreaga managed to hold his own, especially on "Halfway Thugs" where dude went in with no hook or chorus. The beats were sick, classic East Coast style of the day.
My favorite track - "Halfway Thugs"
Common - One Day It'll all Make Sense
Common's "Resurrection" was a certified classic which included the timeless "I used to love H.E.R.", but for some reason his solid follow-up wasn't as well-known to the masses. With the majority of the production handled by Chicago legend No ID, who mentored a young Kanye West, nearly every track on this album is a banger. Check out the "Stolen Moments" trilogy, and how Common had the courage to tackle a topic most rappers wouldn't touch on "Retrospect for Life"
My favorite track - "Retrospective for Life"
Cormega - The True Meaning
Another Queensbridge resident, Cormega had already long been known to many. From his solid debut album "The Realness" to his beef with Nas, Cormega already had respect before this album dropped. But he hit this one out the park. The combination of solid production and Cormega being even more honest and introspective than usual created a solid album.
My Favorite Track - "Therapy"
Do or Die - Picture This
Being from the Chicago area, this list might be a little heavy on the Chicago rap, but if you don't like it make your own list. Back in the late 90's it seemed like everyone in the Chicago area was bumping their cd out their SUV. The Legendary Traxster was the main producer on this, and to this day "Po Pimp" is a Chi-town classic.
My favorite track - "Po Pimp"
Gang Starr -Moment of Truth
DJ Premier is my favorite producer of all time, but "Moment of Truth" was the first Gang Starr album I copped, and I was definitely not disappointed. Of course, every track has a dope beat, and GURU (RIP) could hold his own on the mic. Outstanding guest appearances by the likes of Scarface, Inspectah Deck, MOP and Krumb Snatcha highlighted this album.
My favorite track - "Above the Clouds" featuring Inspectah Deck
Goodie Mob - Still Standing
My favorite track - "I Refuse Limitation"
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Little Brother's debut album "The Listening" was also criminally underrated and overlooked, but their second album should've gone triple platinum. Big Pooh and Phonte came with it over every 9th wonder beat. This is one of those albums that brings back memories for me. I was stationed overseas in Okinawa, Japan when I copped this at one of the record stores out in town (the PX on base only had those wack mainstream albums), and I used to bump this album every day in the ride on the way to and from work. I got a lot of looks from the older locals, and a lot of head nods and dap from the younger Okinawan cats. Hip-Hop's very much alive overseas.
My favorite tack - "Watch Me"
Psycho Realm -The Psycho Realm
Usually when you think of Chicano rap from LA, you think of eses, cholos and vatos rapping about lowriders, ladies and drugs. Usually when you think of B-Real, you think of Cypress Hill and um, drugs. Specifically the sticky-icky. But when B-Real caught a performance of socially conscious siblings Sick Jacken and Duke, he knew he had to find a way to let the masses hear them. So he teamed up with the duo and formed the trio Psycho Realm. Their debut album, and really only album with all members present, was solid, with outstanding production coming mostly from Jacken, but it never really made it past the ears of the most hardcore underground rap fiends and Chicano rap fans. Perhaps it was their different approach from the "typical" Chicano rappers. Afterwards, B-Real returned to his Cypress Hill duties, and Duke was shot in an altercation and left paralyzed. Jacken's still doing his thing, though.
My favorite track - "Lost Cities"
Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek - Reflection Eternal
Talib Kweli gained a little bit of fame after Jay-Z dropped his name on The Black Album's "Moment of Clarity" when Jay suggested he dumbs down for his audience to sell more albums and that if he brought it lyrically the way he'd like to, he'd bring it like Kweli. I actually disagree with that, I think even when Jigga "dumbs down" his lyrics he's still a better lyricist than Kweli. That being said, however, Kweli is no slouch, and his album with DJ Hi-Tek was a solid outing.
My favorite track - "Memories Live"
Twista - Adrenaline Rush
Yet another Chicago classic that I felt was slept on by the masses. Twista gained a little bit of fame in the early 90's for being the record holder for the fastest rapper in the world. Which made him a bit of a gimmick more than a respected artist. All that changed when he released Adrenaline Rush in 1997. Suddenly, everyone from P Diddy to Jay-Z wanted him to guest star on their albums. And then he blew up with Kanye's "Slow Jamz". But Adrenaline Rush still remains his best offering. The Legendary Traxster was the main producer.
My favorite track - "Overdose"....but I couldn't find a video so....."Adrenaline Rush"
I'll end this with a few slept-on songs that I've really enjoyed listening to, even if the rest of the album the song was on wasn't good enough to make it to this list.
Fiend - "Live Me Long"
Tribeca - "Cold World"
Royce Da 5'9" - "Boom"
The Roots featuring Common - "Love of my Life"
Little Brother - "The Listening"
Kidz in the Hall - "Go Ill"
Theory Hazit - "Extra Credit"
Jean Grae featuring Cannibal Ox - "Swing Blades"
Elzhi featuring Royce Da 5'9" - "Motown 25"
Away Team - "The Shining"
Atmosphere - "Little Man"
Monday, May 23, 2011
2011 NBA Mock Draft
So I'm going to take a crack at my own Mock Draft. First of all, it's important to note that I agree with a lot of the experts in saying this class is weak. But there should be some solid role-players and maybe even second-tier stars in this draft.
Anyways, with the draft still some time away, and in the midst of some HUGE Conference Finals showdowns, here is how I think the 1st round of the draft will go down. Click on each player's name for the link to a YouTube video (except for Markief Morris cause like everything else about him, it'd be the same as Macrus Morris' video) -
1st pick - Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyrie Irving
Irving won't be anywhere near as good as the Cavs' last number one overall pick, LeBron James. He won't be as good as last year's number one pick, John Wall. Or the year before that's number one pick, Blake Griffin. Or the year before that's number one pick, Derrick Rose. Or the year before that's, ummm, number two pick, Kevin Durant. And so on. Point being, I don't see Irving being a franchise player. But he should be solid for the Cavs and the best player available in this draft.
2nd pick - Minnesota Timberwolves - Derrick Williams
Is it too early to draft Brandon Knight? All kidding aside regarding Kahn's love of point guards, I think this selection will be a simple case of them taking the best player available. Already. With Mike Beasley, Wesley Johnson and Kevin Love already in the small forward / power forward rotation, if the Wolves draft Williams, someone might be on the outside looking in next season. Hopefully Khan.
3rd pick - Utah Jazz -Brandon Knight
If this pick had been any other team's I might have gone with Enes Kanter, but the Jazz currently have only Devin Harris as a truly servicable point guard and could use another one. Surprisingly, he'll be the only Kentucky player in the lottery this year. Or does Kanter count?
4th pick - Cleveland Cavaliers - Enes Kanter
Back so soon? The Cavs get their second pick in four selections. Kanter looks like a solid future pro. JJ Hickson was thought of as the possible future franchise player, but his at times ineffectiveness in Bryon Scott's system and the impending arrival of Kyrie Irving and another lottery pick makes him expendable, or at least bench relegatable (is that a word?).
5th pick - Toronto Raptors -Kemba Walker
Like Khan and point guards, I'm really tempted to say Colangelo will pick a European big here. But he seems committed to Ed Davis and Andrea Bargnani, so the Raptors go with Walker, who many believed was the best player in college last year.
6th pick - Washington Wizards - Jan Vesely
Vesely has great size at 6'11' and can play the three or the four. John Wall would love his hustle and tenacity.
7th pick - Sacramento Kings - Jonas Valanciunas
The Kings have DeMarcus Cousins and other formidable frontcourt players, but Jonas might be too good to pass up here.
8th pick - Detroit Pistons - Bismack Biyombo
The intrigue surrounding this kid from the Congo is unbelievable. With a huge wingspan and an excellent motor, he should become a fan favorite in the Motor City.
9th pick - Charlotte Bobcats - Donatas Motiejunas
The Bobcats, like the Bulls before them, haven't been too impressed with Tyrus Thomas and might look for a big here. Motiejunas was thought to be a top ten pick last year but he decided to opt out at the last minute.
10th pick - Milwaukee Bucks - Tristan Thompson
The 10th pick had brought us some very good NBA players in the past. Guys like Paul Pierce, Andrew Bynum, Caron Butler, Brandon Jennings, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson. Tristan Thompson won't be as good as most of those guys, if any. But he should be a solid player.
11th pick - Golden State Warriors - Kawhi Leonard
Still have no idea why they chose Epke Udoh so high last year. But it's the Warriors. Leonard was one of the best mid-major players in the country last year. NBA fans should love his energy.
12th pick - Utah Jazz - Alec Burks
After taking Brandon Knight with the third pick, the Jazz will look to another back court player, this time Burks of Colorado. Burks was a high scorer in college.
13th pick - Phoenix Suns - Marcus Morris
Marcus was the best player on one of the best teams in college last year. The Suns could use his toughness and rebounding.
14th pick - Houston Rockets - Klay Thompson
With Yao Ming's future still uncertain, the Rockets may yet again elect to go with a big man. Or they may decide to believe Hasheem Thabeet might actually pan out. If they don't elect to go big, Thompson would be a fine choice for them.
15th pick - Indiana Pacers - Darius Morris
The Pacers need a point guard. They surprised many by making a run at the playoffs and making the first round a bit tougher than expected for the Chicago Bulls. Morris could come in and spell Darren Collison in Indiana.
16th pick - Philadeplphia 76ers - Markief Morris
Another team that surprised. And wherever Marcus Morris gets drafted, you can expect to see Markeif get drafted not too long after that.
17th pick - New York Knicks - Jimmer Fredette
Why not? The BYU bomber goes back home to back up Billups.
18th pick - Washington Wizards - Tobias Harris
The Wiz snatch up the Tennessee freshman with their second pick in the first round. He should also play well with John Wall. Playing with Wall isn't the toughest job in the world, though.
19th pick - Charlotte Bobcats - Chris Singleton
Singleton should be a solid defender in the L. And as a 6'9" small forward, he'd be a nice addition to any team.
20th pick - Minnesota Timberwolves - Tyler Honeycutt
Never know which direction Kahn is gonna go in. He might just up and take another point guard here. Honeycutt is solid athletically, but he desperately needs to add weight.
21st pick - Portland Trailblazers - Trey Thompkins
They need frontcourt depth. Thompkins was solid at Georgia and can back up Aldridge .
22nd pick - Denver Nuggets - Kenneth Faried
There's a lot of uncertainty going forward with the Nuggets. They could lose Kenyon Martin, Nene or both in free agency. Faried is a tenacious rebounder who will remind some of Paul Millsap minus the jump shot.
23rd pick - Houston Rockets - Jordan Hamilton
Hamilton exceled in his second season at Texas. But he was also inconsistent at times. He would have to battle Terrence Williams, Courtney Lee, Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger for playing time if chosen by the Rockets.
24th pick - Oklahoma City Thunder - Davis Bertans
Not that Kevin Durant really needs a backup, but Bertans would allow the Thunder to rest Durant and still keep a near seven-foot jump shooter on the floor. Besides being really tall and and having a sweet jumper however, no other aspect of Bertans' game will remind any of Durant.
25th pick - Boston Celtics - Lucas Nogueira
Unfortunately, he's not the next Kendrick Perkins, but the next Brazilian NBA big man is still raw and could develop into a solid shotblocker/rebounder.
26th pick - Dallas Mavericks - JaJuan Johnson
Another shotblocker. If paired with Tyson Chandler, the two would provide a wonderful shotblocking duo. Also, that would probably mean Dirk is on the bench. So not much scoring, but a definite block party.
27th pick - New Jersey Nets - DeAndre Liggins
Liggins might slide into the first round. If he does, the Nets need more wing players.
28th pick - Chicago Bulls - Marshon Brooks
The Bulls could really use a shooting guard that can, um, shoot. Or at least score. Brooks did plenty of that his senior season, to the tune of 24.6 points per game. Good for second in the nation. He also possesses the long arms and athletic ability to be a good defender with proper coaching. Enter Tom Thibodeau.
29th pick - San Antonio Spurs - Jeremy Tyler
I think the Spurs can afford to take a risk here. And Tyler is certainly one of those high risk/high reward picks. He was once the number one player in his high school class, now after leaving for overseas after his junior year of high school, he might not even be a first round pick.
30th pick - Chicago Bulls - Justin Harper
A 6'10" power forward with a great jump shot. Needs to get stronger to be able to defend NBA power forwards though.
Anyways, with the draft still some time away, and in the midst of some HUGE Conference Finals showdowns, here is how I think the 1st round of the draft will go down. Click on each player's name for the link to a YouTube video (except for Markief Morris cause like everything else about him, it'd be the same as Macrus Morris' video) -
1st pick - Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyrie Irving
2nd pick - Minnesota Timberwolves - Derrick Williams
Is it too early to draft Brandon Knight? All kidding aside regarding Kahn's love of point guards, I think this selection will be a simple case of them taking the best player available. Already. With Mike Beasley, Wesley Johnson and Kevin Love already in the small forward / power forward rotation, if the Wolves draft Williams, someone might be on the outside looking in next season. Hopefully Khan.
3rd pick - Utah Jazz -Brandon Knight
If this pick had been any other team's I might have gone with Enes Kanter, but the Jazz currently have only Devin Harris as a truly servicable point guard and could use another one. Surprisingly, he'll be the only Kentucky player in the lottery this year. Or does Kanter count?
4th pick - Cleveland Cavaliers - Enes Kanter
Back so soon? The Cavs get their second pick in four selections. Kanter looks like a solid future pro. JJ Hickson was thought of as the possible future franchise player, but his at times ineffectiveness in Bryon Scott's system and the impending arrival of Kyrie Irving and another lottery pick makes him expendable, or at least bench relegatable (is that a word?).
5th pick - Toronto Raptors -Kemba Walker
Like Khan and point guards, I'm really tempted to say Colangelo will pick a European big here. But he seems committed to Ed Davis and Andrea Bargnani, so the Raptors go with Walker, who many believed was the best player in college last year.
6th pick - Washington Wizards - Jan Vesely
Vesely has great size at 6'11' and can play the three or the four. John Wall would love his hustle and tenacity.
7th pick - Sacramento Kings - Jonas Valanciunas
The Kings have DeMarcus Cousins and other formidable frontcourt players, but Jonas might be too good to pass up here.
8th pick - Detroit Pistons - Bismack Biyombo
9th pick - Charlotte Bobcats - Donatas Motiejunas
The Bobcats, like the Bulls before them, haven't been too impressed with Tyrus Thomas and might look for a big here. Motiejunas was thought to be a top ten pick last year but he decided to opt out at the last minute.
10th pick - Milwaukee Bucks - Tristan Thompson
The 10th pick had brought us some very good NBA players in the past. Guys like Paul Pierce, Andrew Bynum, Caron Butler, Brandon Jennings, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson. Tristan Thompson won't be as good as most of those guys, if any. But he should be a solid player.
11th pick - Golden State Warriors - Kawhi Leonard
12th pick - Utah Jazz - Alec Burks
After taking Brandon Knight with the third pick, the Jazz will look to another back court player, this time Burks of Colorado. Burks was a high scorer in college.
13th pick - Phoenix Suns - Marcus Morris
Marcus was the best player on one of the best teams in college last year. The Suns could use his toughness and rebounding.
14th pick - Houston Rockets - Klay Thompson
With Yao Ming's future still uncertain, the Rockets may yet again elect to go with a big man. Or they may decide to believe Hasheem Thabeet might actually pan out. If they don't elect to go big, Thompson would be a fine choice for them.
15th pick - Indiana Pacers - Darius Morris
16th pick - Philadeplphia 76ers - Markief Morris
Another team that surprised. And wherever Marcus Morris gets drafted, you can expect to see Markeif get drafted not too long after that.
17th pick - New York Knicks - Jimmer Fredette
Why not? The BYU bomber goes back home to back up Billups.
18th pick - Washington Wizards - Tobias Harris
The Wiz snatch up the Tennessee freshman with their second pick in the first round. He should also play well with John Wall. Playing with Wall isn't the toughest job in the world, though.
19th pick - Charlotte Bobcats - Chris Singleton
Singleton should be a solid defender in the L. And as a 6'9" small forward, he'd be a nice addition to any team.
20th pick - Minnesota Timberwolves - Tyler Honeycutt
Never know which direction Kahn is gonna go in. He might just up and take another point guard here. Honeycutt is solid athletically, but he desperately needs to add weight.
21st pick - Portland Trailblazers - Trey Thompkins
They need frontcourt depth. Thompkins was solid at Georgia and can back up Aldridge .
22nd pick - Denver Nuggets - Kenneth Faried
There's a lot of uncertainty going forward with the Nuggets. They could lose Kenyon Martin, Nene or both in free agency. Faried is a tenacious rebounder who will remind some of Paul Millsap minus the jump shot.
23rd pick - Houston Rockets - Jordan Hamilton
Hamilton exceled in his second season at Texas. But he was also inconsistent at times. He would have to battle Terrence Williams, Courtney Lee, Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger for playing time if chosen by the Rockets.
24th pick - Oklahoma City Thunder - Davis Bertans
Not that Kevin Durant really needs a backup, but Bertans would allow the Thunder to rest Durant and still keep a near seven-foot jump shooter on the floor. Besides being really tall and and having a sweet jumper however, no other aspect of Bertans' game will remind any of Durant.
25th pick - Boston Celtics - Lucas Nogueira
Unfortunately, he's not the next Kendrick Perkins, but the next Brazilian NBA big man is still raw and could develop into a solid shotblocker/rebounder.
26th pick - Dallas Mavericks - JaJuan Johnson
Another shotblocker. If paired with Tyson Chandler, the two would provide a wonderful shotblocking duo. Also, that would probably mean Dirk is on the bench. So not much scoring, but a definite block party.
27th pick - New Jersey Nets - DeAndre Liggins
Liggins might slide into the first round. If he does, the Nets need more wing players.
28th pick - Chicago Bulls - Marshon Brooks
The Bulls could really use a shooting guard that can, um, shoot. Or at least score. Brooks did plenty of that his senior season, to the tune of 24.6 points per game. Good for second in the nation. He also possesses the long arms and athletic ability to be a good defender with proper coaching. Enter Tom Thibodeau.
29th pick - San Antonio Spurs - Jeremy Tyler
I think the Spurs can afford to take a risk here. And Tyler is certainly one of those high risk/high reward picks. He was once the number one player in his high school class, now after leaving for overseas after his junior year of high school, he might not even be a first round pick.
30th pick - Chicago Bulls - Justin Harper
A 6'10" power forward with a great jump shot. Needs to get stronger to be able to defend NBA power forwards though.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Class of 2011 Straight Off The Dome HS All Americans
I plan on doing plenty of writing about the Heat/Bulls Eastern Conference Finals this weekend and until it's over, and after the NBA Draft Lottery I also plan on getting my NBA Mock Draft on, but for right now I wanna write about who I think the top 5 senior high school basketball players were this year.
Disclaimer: I'm obviously no scout. I've never watched any of these young cats play in person, I'm basing this list off what I've read about them, and what I've seen of them on YouTube, tv, SLAM or other venues.
With no further ado (what the hell is an "ado" anyways?) here's my first annual Straight Off The Dome High School All-Americans (SOTDHSAA, if you will). Huge shoutout to ballislife.com and anyone else I got these videos from.
AUSTIN RIVERS 6'4" SG WINTER PARK, FLORIDA
Doc River's kid has been at or near the top of many lists over the years, and rightfully so. While I'll readily admit, I'm not a big fan of his college choice, the kid can flat out play, and thus I'll be forced to catch a few Duke games next season. Looking ahead, if he stays at his current height he'd be undersized for the SG spot in the NBA, but that hasn't seemed to stop OJ Mayo or Eric Gordon just yet.
BRAD BEAL 6'4" SG ST LOUIS, MISSOURI
The next Ray Allen? Similar sweet shooting stroke. Similar height. Even the well-spoken and humbleness is there. The Gatorade Player of the Year will ball for the Florida Gators (coincidence? Nah, I'm playing) and should form a deadly backcourt with Kenny Boyton.
JAMES McADOO SF/PF 6'8" NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
Alright, if I'm gonna be really real, James McAdoo would've been in my top5 even if he wasn't in anyone elses'. Not only is he uber-talented, not only did he committ to one of the schools I love rooting for (UNC), but he's from Norfolk, Virginia. I spent 2 years stationed at Norfolk, and it wasn't until I lived there that I realized Norfolk, and the whole Hampton Roads area, have some ballers every year. Alonzo Mourning (Chesapeake), Joe Smith (Norfolk), Allen Iverson (Hampton) are all from the Hampton Roads area (and Portsmouth is represented by being home to the Portsmouth Invitational) and McAdoo is next. His North Carolina team will be LOADED next year.
MICHAEL GILCHRIST SF 6'7" SOMERDALE, NEW JERSEY
I've been a fan of Gilchrist for a minute now. He somewhat followed in the footsteps of LeBron James and OJ Mayo, being in the public eye way before any of their peers. As a sophomore, some people were openly debating whether he was the best player in the country, regardless of class. Unfortunately, like Mayo, being in the public eye for so long allowed scouts to absolutely pick apart his game and he has thus fallen out of the top spot in most, if not all, scouts' eyes. Fortunately, like Mayo, in the end it won't mean a damn thing because this kid is NBA bound. Next year he will be at STACKED U, better known as the University of Kentucky, where he will team up with, among others, Marquis Teague, Terrence Jones, and our last SOTD All-American.
ANTHONY DAVIS PF 6'10" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Every year there's always a previously relatively unknown high school kid who balls his way into the lists of the top 100, or top 50 recruits in the nation. Rarely does a kid go from being previously relatively unknown to a consensus top 5 recruit, however. I can only think of Tracy McGrady back in 1997 as the only other time that's happened in my lifetime. Anthony Davis is absolutely loaded with potential and the sky's the limit for this kid. As previously noted, he will play next year at ONE AND DONE U, better known as the University of Kentucky.
IT AIN'T OVER...
Every year there's a few high school kids that are, for whatever reason, sentimental favorites of mine. Kids like Waukegan's (IL) Colin Nickerson from a few years ago, who just finished his sophomore year at Fairfield University (that's my own alma mater, Dundee-Crown High School, that they went up against in the state semi-finals in that video, BTW. DC What!). He was a sentimental favorite of mine simply because he stuck out to me when I went to check out his then-teammate Jereme Richmond. Great kid off the court too, by the way.
So you may not have heard of these kids, and they may or may not play in the NBA one day, but I need to give a special shoutout to the following youngins' -
RYAN BOATRIGHT 6'2" PG, AURORA, ILLINOIS
Boatright's a consensus top 100 recruit, and will be playing for the defending national champs UConn, but he still somewhat flew under the radar nationally. People will know about him soon enough. Especially with Kemba Walker set to play in the NBA. Shoutout to Aurora, Illinois too.
SHANE LARKIN 5'11" PG, ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Of course I had to add a future DePaul Blue Demon on here. Shane Larkin will be a great addition to Oliver Purnell's squad at DePaul. As seen in the video, he led his school to the state championship game against super stud Austin Rivers and held his own. Larkin might be one of the first dominos to fall in place in what could be a Purnell-led resurgence of DePaul.
DEVON BOOKERT 6'2" PG ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Well now that Illinois and DePaul have all been represented, I gotta give it up to my new home state of Alaska. And the state's 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year. He may not reach the heights of past Alaska notables Mario Chalmers, Carlos Boozer and Trajan Langdon, but Bookert was balling out of his mind in his senior season at West Anchorage, to the tune of 25.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 3.6 steals while leading his school to the state championship (where they lost to Chalmers' alma mater, Bartlett High). Forward the video to the 3:27 mark for what might've been one of the dopest plays in Alaska high school basketball this past year.
Disclaimer: I'm obviously no scout. I've never watched any of these young cats play in person, I'm basing this list off what I've read about them, and what I've seen of them on YouTube, tv, SLAM or other venues.
With no further ado (what the hell is an "ado" anyways?) here's my first annual Straight Off The Dome High School All-Americans (SOTDHSAA, if you will). Huge shoutout to ballislife.com and anyone else I got these videos from.
AUSTIN RIVERS 6'4" SG WINTER PARK, FLORIDA
Doc River's kid has been at or near the top of many lists over the years, and rightfully so. While I'll readily admit, I'm not a big fan of his college choice, the kid can flat out play, and thus I'll be forced to catch a few Duke games next season. Looking ahead, if he stays at his current height he'd be undersized for the SG spot in the NBA, but that hasn't seemed to stop OJ Mayo or Eric Gordon just yet.
BRAD BEAL 6'4" SG ST LOUIS, MISSOURI
The next Ray Allen? Similar sweet shooting stroke. Similar height. Even the well-spoken and humbleness is there. The Gatorade Player of the Year will ball for the Florida Gators (coincidence? Nah, I'm playing) and should form a deadly backcourt with Kenny Boyton.
JAMES McADOO SF/PF 6'8" NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
Alright, if I'm gonna be really real, James McAdoo would've been in my top5 even if he wasn't in anyone elses'. Not only is he uber-talented, not only did he committ to one of the schools I love rooting for (UNC), but he's from Norfolk, Virginia. I spent 2 years stationed at Norfolk, and it wasn't until I lived there that I realized Norfolk, and the whole Hampton Roads area, have some ballers every year. Alonzo Mourning (Chesapeake), Joe Smith (Norfolk), Allen Iverson (Hampton) are all from the Hampton Roads area (and Portsmouth is represented by being home to the Portsmouth Invitational) and McAdoo is next. His North Carolina team will be LOADED next year.
MICHAEL GILCHRIST SF 6'7" SOMERDALE, NEW JERSEY
I've been a fan of Gilchrist for a minute now. He somewhat followed in the footsteps of LeBron James and OJ Mayo, being in the public eye way before any of their peers. As a sophomore, some people were openly debating whether he was the best player in the country, regardless of class. Unfortunately, like Mayo, being in the public eye for so long allowed scouts to absolutely pick apart his game and he has thus fallen out of the top spot in most, if not all, scouts' eyes. Fortunately, like Mayo, in the end it won't mean a damn thing because this kid is NBA bound. Next year he will be at STACKED U, better known as the University of Kentucky, where he will team up with, among others, Marquis Teague, Terrence Jones, and our last SOTD All-American.
ANTHONY DAVIS PF 6'10" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Every year there's always a previously relatively unknown high school kid who balls his way into the lists of the top 100, or top 50 recruits in the nation. Rarely does a kid go from being previously relatively unknown to a consensus top 5 recruit, however. I can only think of Tracy McGrady back in 1997 as the only other time that's happened in my lifetime. Anthony Davis is absolutely loaded with potential and the sky's the limit for this kid. As previously noted, he will play next year at ONE AND DONE U, better known as the University of Kentucky.
IT AIN'T OVER...
Every year there's a few high school kids that are, for whatever reason, sentimental favorites of mine. Kids like Waukegan's (IL) Colin Nickerson from a few years ago, who just finished his sophomore year at Fairfield University (that's my own alma mater, Dundee-Crown High School, that they went up against in the state semi-finals in that video, BTW. DC What!). He was a sentimental favorite of mine simply because he stuck out to me when I went to check out his then-teammate Jereme Richmond. Great kid off the court too, by the way.
So you may not have heard of these kids, and they may or may not play in the NBA one day, but I need to give a special shoutout to the following youngins' -
RYAN BOATRIGHT 6'2" PG, AURORA, ILLINOIS
Boatright's a consensus top 100 recruit, and will be playing for the defending national champs UConn, but he still somewhat flew under the radar nationally. People will know about him soon enough. Especially with Kemba Walker set to play in the NBA. Shoutout to Aurora, Illinois too.
SHANE LARKIN 5'11" PG, ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Of course I had to add a future DePaul Blue Demon on here. Shane Larkin will be a great addition to Oliver Purnell's squad at DePaul. As seen in the video, he led his school to the state championship game against super stud Austin Rivers and held his own. Larkin might be one of the first dominos to fall in place in what could be a Purnell-led resurgence of DePaul.
DEVON BOOKERT 6'2" PG ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Well now that Illinois and DePaul have all been represented, I gotta give it up to my new home state of Alaska. And the state's 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year. He may not reach the heights of past Alaska notables Mario Chalmers, Carlos Boozer and Trajan Langdon, but Bookert was balling out of his mind in his senior season at West Anchorage, to the tune of 25.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 3.6 steals while leading his school to the state championship (where they lost to Chalmers' alma mater, Bartlett High). Forward the video to the 3:27 mark for what might've been one of the dopest plays in Alaska high school basketball this past year.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Ain't No Love
Word?
Judging by the players, coaches and fan's reactions after Miami defeated Boston 97-87 in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, and judging by the media's take on it, you would think Miami had exorcised all their demons and dispatched their biggest competition for the title all in one fell swoop. We all “witnessed” LeBron James on his knees on the court, head down in a moment of exhaustive triumph and relief like a knight who had slayed the mighty dragon. Dwyane Wade on his back, soaking it all in, reveling in the pleasure of curing his pain.
Please…
Everyone wanted to paint Boston and Miami as the Eastern Conference’s elite and bitter rivals all year. What with Boston dispatching both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade early in last year's playoffs, and then embarrassing the new "Big Three" in their first ever game together, sending them off in defeat while the Boston crowd serenaded them with chants of “overrated”. Boston would go on to win the next two games, Paul Pierce infamously tweeting “It’s been a pleasure to bring my talents to South Beach” after one victory in Miami.
Yet while the Heat won their last regular season meeting in convincing fashion, somehow when the two met in the second round, it was seen as a chance for the Heat to “exorcise their demons”, and all that good stuff. It was being called the “real” Eastern Conference Finals; “whoever won the series would win the East”!
I beg to differ.
Everyone must have forgotten that there’s a third team in the East. The one that had the best record in the entire league. The one that has the MVP as well as the Coach of the Year. The one that was 5-2 against the Heat and the Celtics on the season, and 3-0 against the Heat specifically. The one that may have literally reduced some Miami Heat players to tears the last time the two teams met.
You may have accidentally stumbled upon my blog and not know a thing about the NBA if you don’t know which team I’m talking about by now. And if you did, welcome! Thanks for stopping by. Stick around a bit, you’ll learn something.
The Chicago Bulls may be, in the opinion of some, currently struggling in the playoffs, but make no mistake about it, they are TRULY the Miami Heat’s biggest obstacle as far as reaching the Finals goes. All three games between the two in the regular season were close, but the Bulls were able to close them out, and the Heat obviously weren’t. Wade and James were brilliant, but Rose was just as brilliant if not more, and took it to both superstars time and time again.
After their final game, a devastating loss for Miami in which neither LeBron James nor Dwyane Wade were able to make potentially game winning baskets, Miami coach Eric Spoelstra told the media that there were members of the Miami Heat crying in the locker room. Whether this was true or not, it was undeniable that the Bulls had the Heat’s number in the regular season.
So with a potential showdown looming, what to make of the fact that the Bulls are “struggling” and the Heat are dominating in the postseason? Well, while most would say that regular season stats mean little in the playoffs, I do feel the need to point out that while the Bulls have had a problem with playing down to the level of their competition, they have played their absolute best against other elite teams. Case in point: after the New Year, the Bulls were 10-0 against teams that would go on to win 50-plus games on the season, including the aforementioned 3-0 against the Heat. That’s pretty impressive stuff.
If the regular season trend holds true in the postseason, you can expect the Bulls to step their game up tremendously and remind the Miami Heat who their real beasts, bullies and demons are. And if that trend holds true, the Bulls should leave the Heat in tears once more.
I will add that realistically, the Heat have been playing phenomenally and the Bulls have indeed had their miscues in the postseason. I will also add that all that may not matter in the Eastern Conference Finals
I realize, as I type this, that there’s still the simple matter of dispatching the Hawks before a Miami/Chicago Eastern Conference Finals is official. While it’s never wise to underestimate your foe, in regards to the Atlanta Hawks, as a Bulls fan I must paraphrase Sean Carter: “We ain’t looking at you dudes, we looking past you”
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
What Might Have Been...
I shouldn't have to explain or justify that last sentence to most of you, because I'm sure most of you hate Duke too. It's that sense of entitlement, of elitism, you see it on their faces, their swag, the way they carry themselves. That whole "you're gonna work for us one day" bravado.
And the white players. All the damn white players. I'm no racist. Hell, my wife is white, and despite being from a Chicago suburb that was about 60% Hispanic, I'm currently living in a town that's about 80% white.
Nah, it's not racism. It's the annoyance that comes from knowing Coach K seems to almost purposely recruit an overabundance of white players. It's like he has a quota he needs to fulfill. Every year you look at his recruiting class, and it's always half-white if not more. I'm not saying he's racist either. But DAMN. You're telling me more black players couldn't excel academically and athletically at Duke?
My apologies, let me get back to the subject at hand. See, this isn't another "why I hate Duke" blog. Rather, this is a write-up about my all-time favorite college basketball player, who just happened to ball at...Duke.
HOLD UP. What the hell? Didn't I just go on about how much I hate Duke? And then I dropped the Hiroshima that my favorite college player was a Dukie? Yup. What can I say? Dude was nice like that.
Dude in questions is Jay Williams, known as Jason Williams at the time. It was 2000 and I was 16 years old the year I really started watching him and that Duke team. I had really just started watching college basketball about two years or so earlier, and while DePaul was my team, Quentin Richardson was off to the NBA and the Blue Demons went 12-18 that year. The Michigan State team I enjoyed watching the previous year had most of their main stars leave for the NBA as well. Illinois got a lot of love from me that year, they went 27-8 and had two of my all-time favorite Fighting Illini players, Sergio McClain and Sean Harrington.
But Illinois wasn't on TV much. Duke was on TV ALL THE TIME. Being a relatively new fan to college ball, I hadn't yet established my hate for Duke, so I gave them a chance. And I'm glad I did. They went on to win it all that year, so we all know the specifics. Great three point shooting team. Outstanding defense. Shane Battier was a wonderful defender. Boozer a great low post player. Dunleavy a jack-of-all-trades. Duhon a steady floor general.
But this Williams cat though. He was a former McDonald's All-American from New Jersey who had been a local legend in his high school days. A 6'2" killer, equally adept at slashing to the rim or firing away from the perimeter. He was solid defensively too. Even had that annoying Wojo-inspired court slap down pat. This dude almost single-handedly orchestrated the "miracle minute", coming back from being down ten with 54 seconds to go to send the game into overtime, where Duke prevailed.
That year, while everyone else voted Shane Battier the college player of the year, the coaches said Williams deserved the honor. Duke went on to win the national title against Arizona. The next year, Williams went on to average 21.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.5 RPG and 2.1 SPG. While the team didn't enjoy the same success they had the previous year, bowing out in the Sweet 16 in the tournament, Williams was voted the best player in college ball that year by just about everyone.
Earning his degree in three years, and with an NCAA title and multiple Player of the Year awards on his resume, there was nothing left to do but to declare for the NBA draft. There was only one other player who could stop Williams from being the top overall pick that year - 7'6" Chinese center Yao Ming.
My Chicago Bulls ended up with the second pick that year. It was a win-win situation. We either get the guy who was arguably the best player in college the previous two years, or we get the giant with the nice shooting touch that every analyst swore straight up and down would be much better than Shawn Bradley. We know how it all went down. Houston took Yao, and the Chicago Bulls selected Jay "no longer Jason" Williams.
Unfortunately, this is where our story takes a turn for the worse...
Williams had a respectable if not impressive 13, 7 and 7 on 66% shooting in his very first game. He shot 66% again in his second game. Though that was because he was only 2 of 3 that night and ended up with as many points as turnovers (4) and only 2 assists.
That would be the ongoing trend of his rookie year. More of the latter than the former, however. Occasionally, he would impress, but more often than not he would turn out a dud. No rookie really set the NBA on fire that year, Amare Stoudemire would end up winning the ROY, but many felt that Williams was a bust with the second overall pick.
He would go on to average 9.5, 4.7 and 2.6 and 39% shooting. Not exactly the type of numbers Bulls faithful were expecting. Thing is however, I never saw Williams as a bust. Perhaps it was the fact that I was such a fan of his, but I thought that he performed alright for a rookie point guard. Along with the center position, it is one of the hardest positions to learn in the NBA.
When I think of Williams' rookie year, the game that sticks out to me is his 26 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists triple double against the New Jersey Nets, and the man considered the top point guard in the league at the time, Jason Kidd. Williams was a revelation in that game, and I'm convinced we were destined for more of those types of performances, if only...
Williams ended the season with little fanfare, but most were confident that he would return a better player the next season, including himself.
Unfortunately, this is where our story really takes a turn for the worse...
On June 19, 2003, Williams was involved in a motorcycle accident. He severed a main vain, tore three ligaments and fractured his pelvis. He would never be the same player again. While Williams had violated the terms of his contract and the Bulls could have just cut him loose, they chose to buy out his contract first.
But the search was on for a new point guard, and the Bulls took Kirk Hinrich in the 2003 draft. We all know what happened next, and these days the Bulls are just fine at the point guard spot, thank you very much.
It's always fun to wonder what could have been, however. Would Williams had come back better and had the tools to lead the Bulls back to the postseason? Would he have continued to not impress? Would having Williams have meant losing out on Derrick Rose?
More importantly, it hurts as a fan sometimes to think of Williams never having the chance to reach his prime, or shine in the game again. Comeback attempts were more awkward than encouraging, and his career as a player is officially over these days. Meanwhile, there are still guys with less passion and work-ethic still collecting NBA checks on the regular. Dudes Williams would murder if he was still playing. Dudes that will never shine as bright as he once did. Frankly, his former teammate Eddy Curry comes to mind.
In the end, obviously, the Bulls ended up with the better deal. After all, it doesn't get much better than having an MVP point guard. But on occasion it's still fun to reminisce, and think about what might have been.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Mess With Da Bulls...
First and foremost, my apologies for the extremely corny "The Breakfast Club" and ESPN-Jon-Heder-inspired speak, but it's really hard not to be gassed up as a Bulls fan when your best player, who was handed the MVP trophy earlier this week, has the type of performance he had tonight.
Forty-four points on twenty seven shots, and 59% shooting from the field must have made the likes of John Hollinger, Colin Cowherd, and several other haters sick. This is the type of performance that not only confirms that the MVP award is in the right hands, but smacks the hell out of cats who thought otherwise.
Early on, it seemed as if the night's festivities was destined to feature a battle of each squads' point guards. The NBA Most Valuable Player vs. a slept on but ready for prime-time Jeff Teague. However, as the game went on, it was obvious Rose was in a class all his own. As well, he should be.
Rose's 44 points were a career-high, not just in the playoffs but overall. He seemed to make a concentrated effort to try and play his usual game instead of worrying about the ankle, and once he had some success early on, he seemed to just keep at it like he was thrilled that he got his mojo back.
However, as we all now, basketball is a team sport, so Rose's supporting cast has to be shouted out as well. The bench showed why they had so many followers during the regular season, and the defense was solid. Throw in the seemingly obligatory die-hard road Bulls fans, and the Bulls were all set for the win.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Derrick Rose wins MVP
There's a certain storybook quality to Derrick Rose. Hometown prodigy grows up in the shadows of the great Jordan/Pippen/Jackson Chicago Bulls dynasty. Shielded by his family from all the harms of his neighborhood, and all the harms from outside his neighborhood, he leaves for one year of college before coming home to lead his hometown franchise back to greatness.We've all heard the story before, especially Bulls fans. But the story is far from over, and the best chapter thus far was written today as Derrick Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history.
Many thought Rose lost his damn mind when he asked "Why can't I be MVP?" prior to the season, but what many, including myself, didn't realize is that Rose works as hard as any NBA player in the league to be the best at what he does. And while he had many detractors and haters, for lack of a more flattering word, his performances more often than not trumped any talk of him being "inefficient" or "overrated".
Stat-heads like to throw around his field goal percentage and "PER". However, the only stats that matter more than any other are these: 25, 7 and 4. And most importantly, 62-20. Those were enough to give him the MVP.
If you were able to catch his acceptance speech, you witnessed (not you, LeBron) what makes this man, as Gar Foreman said, a "better man than he is a basketball player". Rose thanked his teammates, fans, management, trainer, agent, friends and family, and last but not least his mother and of course, God. When thanking his mother, you can see the admiration he had for what she has done for he and his family. The most refreshing aspect of the speech may very well have been how genuine he was. No note cards, no constant smiling at the camera, no bravado. Just Derrick Rose being Derrick Rose.
Thus ends this chapter titled "MVP". Next chapter being written might be "Championship".
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Tom Thibodeau will win Coach of the Year
He might be the most intense head coach in the NBA, both on and off the court. On the court, we've all seen him stalking the sidelines, out-yelling everyone in the arena not named Carlos Boozer, arms flailing and even getting into the occasional defensive stance to show his guys how it's done. Off the court, he lives in the gym and is notorious for watching game film non-stop, always looking on ways to improve, never satisfied.
Tom Thibodeau won the respect and admiration of his team early on, they all bought in, worked hard and subscribed to his winning ways. The result was a 62-20 season, best in the NBA, tied for best by a rookie head coach, and a 21-game improvement over last season. The result is also a probable Most Valuable Player award for Derrick Rose, and has been announced today, a Coach of the Year award for Thibs.
When Vinny Del Negro was fired and the Bulls turned to Thibs, most Bulls fans were excited about his hiring, but there were still those who were weary seeing another first-year head coach try to lead the squad. What they may not have known, was that unlike Del Negro, Thibs was not new to this. Despite being a 21-year assistant of the NBA and earning a well-deserved reputation as an outstanding defensive coach, he was never given a shot to be a head coach until this year. He actually was also offered jobs, more lucrative ones, by two other organizations but turned them down to sign with the Bulls, which he believed would be the best of the three.
We'll never truly know if the opportunity to coach LeBron James or Dwyane Wade factored into Thib's decision to go with the Bulls, but while those two joined up in Miami, Thibs coached Derrick Rose to an MVP season, and the Bulls wound up winning four more games than the Heat.
Today, all that hard work will pay off as Thibs will win the COY, but he will without a doubt say the hard work is still in progress, and a title is the only goal.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
But If You Really Cared For Her...
Seems like every year there are nationally ranked high school basketball recruits in Chicago. And it seems like every year these recruits go out of state to put in work at the college level, the most famous of which most recently was Derrick Rose, who balled for a year at Memphis.
Wayne Blackshear (Louisville), and Anthony Davis (Kentucky) are the latest examples. And while it's nothing new for high school kids to go out of state to play college ball, Chicago kids traditionally stayed in state, if not in the city.
Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big DePaul basketball fan. Can't claim alumni status or anything like that, though after two years at a community college I was all set to transfer to DePaul until I moved to Alaska instead. But I became a fan for no reason other than when I first started watching college ball in about '98 or so (I was strictly an NBA fan prior to that), I started by watching that DePaul team with Q Rich and them, and they've been my squad ever since.
But while the talent pool in Chicago's high school hoops is as deep as ever, with the decline of DePaul came a lack of commitments from kids in the city, and they opted to go elsewhere. The drought also extends to the University of Illinois, where Bruce Weber has done a fine job of recruiting in-state, but still cannot break through and recruit Chicago kids the way a Pitino or Calipari can.
The last few season have been horrendous for DePaul basketball, but there have been bright spots. Flint, Michigan's own Wilson Chandler has made a name for himself in the NBA, freshman Melvin Cleveland from Maryland just won the Big East Freshman of the Year award, and new coach Oliver Purnell is as determined as any other previous Blue Demons coach was at attracting Chicago talent.
Can Jabari Parker Save DePaul?
Every Chicago high school hoops fan has heard the name Jabari Parker by now. The super-sophomore plays for Derrick Rose's alma mater, Simeon. He's played for the varsity squad both years of high school, the first freshman to ever play for Simeon's varsity squad (though don't get it twisted, Rose was good enough to play varsity as a freshman, but former coach Bob Hambric had a longstanding tradition that freshmen would not play on the varsity squad). He is a consensus top-5 recruit in the class of 2013 and already has top power colleges hitting him up.
And DePaul wants him really, REALLY bad. So if the trend has been elite Chicago kids going out of state, what makes me think Parker will buck the trend? Well, for one, because a die-hard fan can dream, damnit. Beyond that, though, it should be noted that Parker's close friend, Morgan Park's Billy Garret Jr. has just committed to DePaul. Which might mean nothing. Or it might mean that this friendship might convince an elite Chicago player to finally decide to stay home.
Parker committing to the Blue Demons would potentially cause a major domino effect. DePaul could be competitive again, and recruits could be more open-minded to staying in-city or even in-state. Of course, even if Parker joined the Blue Demons, he would most likely be one-and-done and his impact would be minimal. Imagine if the former happened, however. Imagine if Derrick Rose has signed with DePaul. Crazy, huh? But had he did, would Wayne Blackshear and/or Anthony Davis signing with DePaul this year had been as crazy?
Ultimately, the onus is on Oliver Purnell to return DePaul to glory, and judging by his past history, he should be able to at least bring them back to relevancy, however he seems to like getting his Larry Brown on, rebuilding programs and then bolting before they reach their peak.
One thing is not in doubt in the least, however. On the high school tip, the city of Chicago will continue to crank out the type of talent that has coaches all over the country salivating. Here's hoping one of them decides to stay home.
Will the real Carlos Boozer please stand up?
Ever since Jerry "Organizations wins championships" Krause dismantled one of the greatest NBA teams of all times, the Chicago Bulls have been slowly climbing back to respectability.At the same time, ever since Elton Brand was traded for a teenage Tyson Chandler, it's been known around the league that the Bulls were missing a back-to-the-basket low post presence. The Bulls had a chance to accomplish both goals in one fell swoop when they signed Carlos Boozer to a five-year, $75 million contract last summer.
NBA fans, and Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers fans in particular, have been familiar with all the highs and lows of Carlos Boozer over the years. An outstanding post scorer and rebounder. A horrible defender. An All-Star and Olympian. An injury-plagued player. The Chicago Bulls took the risks because they needed his skills and, well, they had the money to spend.
Before the season even started, injury hit Boozer once again. A man who stands 6'9", 270 and has gone up against some of the biggest people in the world met his match in the form of an ill-placed gym bag. Down he went for the first month of the season.
Upon his return, though he would only play in 59 games on the season, Boozer was as good as advertised. He averaged 17.5 and 9.6 and was an integral part of a surprising 62-win team. Bulls fans were willing to overlook his constant injuries due to their depth, as long as he was able to produce when he did play. And with the playoffs approaching, fans were looking forward to seeing Boozer feast on the Indiana Pacer's bigs.
It was all good just a week ago...or two, or however long ago that Chicago-Indiana first round series started. Despite the fact that Chicago won the series 4-1, no one can claim it was an easy series, save for the decisive game five. No one struggled more mightily, on either team, than Boozer, who averaged 10 and 10 on 35% shooting. In fact, in game 5 when damn near everyone else were having career playoff games, Boozer had 2 points and five rebounds.
Boozer obviously has to step up against the Atlanta Hawks, and beyond should they advance. I can't think of too many other players that have been as criticized by fans and media alike as Boozer has. But while most players relish proving the haters wrong, Boozer seems content to let everyone say what they wanna say, keep doing his thing, and go into beast mode occasionally.
That won't be good enough to help the Chicago Bulls win the championship, and it's certainly not what the Bulls organization were hoping for when they signed Boozer to that contract last season. The Hawks series should be seen by Boozer as his chance to redeem himself both to the organization and his team. Will he step up or be content to do his thing..and go into beast mode occasionally?
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