NBA: New Season's Biggest Storylines

The NBA season is finally upon us and I am very happy.  The NFL is cool, but basketball has always been my first love.  This season should be one of the most interesting in recent history.  Let’s discuss some of the season’s biggest storylines.

Miami Heat: Championship or Bust

Will Miami repeat?  That is the million dollar question. I believe they have positioned themselves to do so.  They did not lose any key players from the championship team.  In fact, they added Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, two outstanding shooters who can space the floor even more for Lebron and D. Wade.  Further, Lebron is in a different stratosphere right now, and he is focused to become the best of all time.  Wade appears to be healthy and when he is, he is a top 5 player.  Chris Bosh has had another year to adjust to playing the center position.  The bench now boasts the likes of Haslem, Cole, M. Miller, R. Allen, R. Lewis, and J. Jones.  They may have the best shooting team, from top to bottom, in the entire NBA.  I am predicting another championship for the Heat.

Los Angeles Lakers: Reminiscent of the 2004 Team?

On paper, the Lakers look like a championship ready team.  But, will they live up to the lofty expectations, or will they underachieve?  Be clear, underachievement for this team means anything short of winning an NBA championship.  They were constructed to win, and win now.  Kobe is a year older, and Nash is just old.  Dwight Howard recovered earlier than expected and I expect him to clean the glass and block a lot of shots.  They have a serviceable bench with A. Jamison, S. Blake, J. Meeks, and J. Hill.  But, as with any other team in the league, they are one injury away from a Kobe Bryant temper tantrum and a Mike Brown firing.  We shall see.

Oklahoma City Thunder:  The End of a Dynasty?

I have been following the Thunder closely during the off season.  Throughout the summer, there were consistent rumblings that James Harden may not re-sign with OKC.  I honestly thought they would lose him in free agency, but I did not think he would leave before the beginning of the season.  Well, it happened and he is gone to Houston.  The Thunder signed Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb to replace Harden.  Also, they signed rookie, Perry Jones III, who has the potential to be a really good NBA player.  Eric Maynor has returned from offseason surgery and Serge Ibaka has signed a long term deal.  In terms of talent, I think they are in a good position, but, in terms of chemistry, the Harden departure may have a lasting negative impact.  We shall see.

Los Angeles Clippers: Ready for the Bright Lights?

The Los Angeles Clippers made many significant offseason moves.  They may have the deepest team in the league at this point.  They signed G. Hill, L. Odom, J. Crawford, M. Barnes to contracts and E. Bledsoe is still under contract.  Blake Griffin signed a contract extension and if this season is a good one, Chris Paul will likely sign a contract extension as well.  If Blake Griffin can develop a few back-to-the-basket moves to go along with his immeasurable athletic ability, he can make a leap as a player.  I am expecting Chris Paul to have an even better season than he did last year.  If the Clippers can win 53 or more games, I think he will have to be considered a heavy favorite for a Most Valuable Player award. 

Boston Celtics: A Year Older; A Year Wiser?

What an offseason for the Celtics.  They signed Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Jeff Green. They lost Ray Allen, who has been involved in a war of words with members of the Celtics.  Kevin Garnett, in typical KG fashion said that he no longer has Ray Allen’s telephone number.  Rondo has been referring to him as “number 20.”  The Heat and Celtics never liked each other, and with Ray Allen changing teams, it will be even more contentious during the opening night game.  As an aside, I do not think Rondo is a top 3 point guard.  He is too limited because he simply cannot shoot the ball and he is a terrible free throw shooter.  That said, this is his year to emerge and prove people like me wrong.  Maybe.

Knicks or Nets: Battle of the Big Apple

New York Knicks or Brooklyn Nets?  Before the injury of Amare Stoudemire, who is becoming an overpaid, unhealthy bum, things were looking good for the Knicks.  Without him providing scoring, the Knicks won’t be better than a number 6 seed in the Playoffs.  The Brooklyn team has some talent, but they are unproven.  D. Will is a really good player, and Joe Johnson can play as well.  They have good coaching with Avery Jonhson and a solid low post presence with Brook Lopez and Chris Humphries.  I think Raymond Felton is going to have a very good year for the Knicks, but, without Stoudemire, the Knicks won’t advance and Carmelo with be blamed for it all. 

Peace 

 

Now Listening to: Lupe Fiasco Food and Liquor II

This past weekend was a good one.  I attended GHOE at North Carolina A&T State University.  Great weekend.  Today, I am back at work and listening to a little music as I work.  I am currently feeling the new Lupe Album.  It has a different vibe than his "Lasers" album and I appreciate that.  He was focused on this album and I hear it may be his last.  Check out the album. 

My favorite track on the album

Peace

Now listening to: Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid Mad City

I heard Kendrick Lamar's name for the first time a few years ago, but I did not listen to his music.  I was wrong but his new album is amazing.  Today is a busy day at work, but a blogpost about his album will be coming soon.  Until then, peace.

The Greatest: Jordan, Bryant or James?

Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player to ever play the game.  However, most recently, Charles Barkley and Phil Jackson made controversial statements regarding MJ.  Charles Barkley, an all time NBA great, said Lebron James has the potential to be better than Michael Jordan.   Phil Jackson a similar statement and noted that Lebron has all the physical attributes that Jordan possessed.  Barkley’s comments must be viewed with a bit of skepticism.  Barkley is a sports commentator and he has to make controversial statements from time-to-time to make sure his ratings remain at a high level.  Phil Jackson’s comments must be taken a bit more seriously, considering he coached MJ and Kobe.

Lebron James is the best player in the world and he is only 27 years old.  He is just now reaching his “prime” and his best basketball may be ahead of him.  He won a NBA championship last season.  He has already won 3 regular season MVP awards, a NBA finals MVP, 2 Olympic gold medals and an NBA title.  He can dominate at any number of four positions.  There has never been a player in the league that has his skill set.  He is arguably the best athlete to ever play in the NBA as well.  If I had to guess, I would think that he will be considered the second best basketball player in the history of the game. Ultimately, the jury is still out; only time will tell.

Kobe Bryant is an all time great.  His individual statistics and accomplishments are stellar.  He has 5 NBA championships, 2 NBA finals MVP awards, 2 Olympic gold medals and countless other individual accolades.  In his prime, he dominated on both ends of the court, much like Jordan did.  He has a reputation of being incredibly skilled and intelligent player.  Even in his prime, Kobe was a low percentage, volume shooter.  He has never shot better than 47% from the field.  As a quick comparison, Michael Jordan’s worst field goal percentage year was 47% when he was nearly 40 years old.  I also remember Kobe’s performance in a playoff series against the Phoenix Suns when he essentially quit competing for his team.  A player that will quit on his team can never be considered to be the greatest ever.

Michael Jordan has 5 NBA regular season MVP awards, 6 NBA finals MVP awards, 10 all NBA-first team awards, 1 defensive player of the year award, 9 time all NBA defensive first team, Rookie of the Year, 14 time all star, 3 time all star game MVP, and two time Olympic gold medals.  The most impressive of his statistics to me is the fact that he has 6 NBA championships and 6 NBA Finals MVP awards.  When the stakes were the highest, he “stepped his game up” to another level.  He is undefeated in Championship series competition.  What other player can say that?  He had 6 NBA finals appearances and 6 NBA finals championships.  

As of now, Micahel Jordan is the greatest player.  Kobe will have to settle for arguably being a top five all time NBA great and the jury is sill out of Lebron.

 

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Juvenile Delinquency: The Age of Majority

The other day, I had one of the most productive days of my young career.  Because I was in such a great groove, I ate lunch at my desk.  As I sat there, I began reflecting on my career and how thankful I was to be employed.  I browsed a few of my favorite websites and then began reading an article on cnn.com about a challenge to an affirmative action policy at the University of Texas.  The student challenging the policy argued that race should not be a factor in determinng whether a student is admitted into the university.  The outcome of the case has the potential to eliminate affirmative action in college admissions.  That said, I hope the Supreme Court renders the correct opinion.

 

When I left the office around 6:15 pm, I was in a pensive mood.  As I arrived at the meeting, I was pleasantly surprised because I had a chance to speak with one of my mentors, who happens to be a judge.  After our brief conversation, it was time to eat, and then time for the program to begin.  The program was about juvenile delinquency and the age of majority in the state of North Carolina.  During the first presentation, I learned that North Carolina is one of only two states where the age of majority is sixteen years old.  Essentially, that means that a sixteen year old accused of a crime can be tried as an adult.  In about ten states across the United States, the age of majority is seventeen years old and in the remaining states, the age of majority is eighteen years old.  When I think about the implications of the age of majority, I cannot help but think about a sixteen year old child being saddled with a criminal record for the remainder of his life.

Proponents of the law argue that sixteen year olds are capable of making decisions.  They argue that all sixteen year olds understand the difference between right and wrong.  They believe teenagers must be accountable for their actions.  This group also believes prosecuting sixteen year olds will act as a deterrent for other young children who may at some point commit crimes.  Individuals supporting this law believe it is “tough” on crime. 

Opponents of the law argue that a sixteen year old child does not have a fully developed mind. Moreover, they argue that the teenager is not capable of understanding the consequences of their actions.  They argue that juvenile delinquency is about more than children committing crimes.  They argue that the problem begins with their parents’ lack of involvement in their children’s lives.  They also argue that if a sixteen year old commits a crime under this system, that crime will follow them for the remainder of their lives.  They believe that is too tough of a result.

 

What do you think?

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Lawyer League Baketball: Win or Go Home

Basketball has played a major part of my life since I was 11 years old.  As much as I love basketball, I almost stopped playing a few years ago.  Law school was demanding and it made me feel that I did not have time to play.  I finally started playing basketball again at the end of my second year.  That really helped me get my mind back to the game.  During my third year, I joined a gym, and played a few times per week.  During bar prep immediately following my third year, I played basketball when I could, but realized how much I missed being away from the game.  The problem was simple: Where could I play with a group of like minded people who did not want to argue and fight about every possession?  The answer to that problem has been the Wake County Lawyer Basketball League.

I started working at my firm in September 2011 and almost immediately I asked my colleagues about local basketball leagues.  I was informed about the Wake County League.  I signed up for the league in November 2011 and the winter league began in January 2012.  The league was perfect because you played one game per week on Saturdays.  I ended up being selected to play on a good team and we clicked as a unit almost immediately.  We finished the season with an outstanding record and advanced through the playoffs.  Eventually, we lost in the championship game by 5 points.  I do not like losing, and making it that far just to lose the championship game was a tough pill to swallow.  I thought I would have to wait a year before being able to play again.  I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that I would have a chance to play in the summer league.

The league began in July 2012.  I was on a completely different team, but we ended up meshing very well.  Everyone seemed to know and accept their roles.  At first, we thought we would be a zone team, but then, we figured out that we could hang our hats on man-to-man defense.  That worked really well for us as we went through the season.  We had to deal with many absences throughout the summer because of vacations and family obligations, so our record was not great.  The beauty of the postseason is that your regular season record does not matter.  You just need to hit your collective stride at the right time.  We did just that and made it to the championship round.  We played a very good team, but thanks to great pressure defense, timely shooting, and unselfish play, we won.  I was extremely excited to win the championship, considering my team’s loss in the championship game in March.

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Jay Electronica: Where is the Album?

Please excuse my rant, but I have to get this off my chest.  Jay Electronica is one of the dopest emcess in the game right now.  But, is he really in the game without an album??  Jay Electronica is a lyricist.  That gets him at least 8 cool points.  He dated Erykah Badu.  She is dope, so that gets him another 10 points.  Exhibit C is one of the best mixtape songs I have ever heard.  Yep, add another 15 points.  He rapped toe to toe with some of the best emcess in the game, and held his own.  Add 20 points.  But, despite his great skills and all the cool points in the world, the fact remains that he still has not released an album.  My frustration cannot be tempered because I do not know who I should be mad at.  He is signed to Roc Nation, I think, so should my anger be directed at the management there?  Or, is Jay Electronica being a perfectionist and not finishing his album?  Who knows?  He needs to drop an album because no matter how talented he is, his buzz is just about dead.  Along those same lines, I was happy to see J. Cole drop his album while his buzz was still hot.  Shout out to him for dropping that classic, “Friday Night Lights.”  Hip hop fans can be fickle.  They can love you today and hate you tomorrow.  Today you are the best and tomorrow you are old news.  Remember Mims, Mr. “this is why I’m hot?”  Where is he now? You have to strike while the iron is hot.  I hope its not too late for Electronica.

I heard the name “Jay Electronica” for the first time a few years ago.  I was browsing online, as I like to do, and I came across his name.  I asked a few of my boys if they had ever heard of him.  All everyone said was “listen to Exhibit C.”  Nobody said listen because of any particular reasons, they all just said listen.  So I did.  If you have not heard the song, listen to the link below.  It is a classic track.  At the time of its release, it won a Sucker Free Summit Award for Instant Classic.  From that moment going forward, I began following his career.  Since then, he has released a few mix tapes.  Check out some of his newer songs. 

Exhibit C

“When I was sleeping on a train, sleepin’ on Meserole Ave out in the rain, without even a slice of pizza to my name, too proud to beg for change, mastering the pain, when New York Ni**as were calling southern rappers lame but then jacking out slang . . .”

Shiny Suit Theory

“Pay no attention to the critics and vulture they’d rather have a shot of Belvy just to spite you, they passing judgments cause they feel they got the right to, f**k em, I let the dice roll like the father did, I got to shine its in my blood im a Harlem Kid, I treat my babies right treate my ladies lady like, hit em with a remix to make sure they play me twice . . .

The Ghost of Christopher Wallace      

"Don’t talk to me about who’s the best alive or who is in your top five, cause he is not ill, real recognize real, stick to your deal, try to make a cool mil off the single, with that ringtone appeal, in three years you’ll be nil . . . “

Jay Electronica tweeted at the end of July 2012 that his album is finished.  This is good news, but I still have no idea when, if at all, that it will be released. 

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