The PDBIP kicked off the 2014 season with a thud yesterday. Facing the league's worst team from last season, Washington scored 1st but watched Houston score the game's final 17 points. If I go in paragraph form, I would probably drone on and on forever about the dreck that is my boyhead team, but hopefully bullet form will keep this more brief. Some observations from yesterday...
1. You have to let RG3 be RG3 at least a little bit. I'm all for making Griffin more of a pocket passer and protecting him from big hits, but if you don't let him use his legs at least a smidge then you might as well start Kirk Cousins (or anyone else). I didn't have a problem with RG3 dinking and dunking his way down the field, as some people did. It was working, especially when the Texans' corners were giving DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon a huge cushion almost every play. But the "fake" read-option hand-offs, the boot legs, and other play action fakes aren't nearly as effective when Griffin never tucks the ball and runs ever. And Griffin got pounded from the pocket all day anyway, so you might as well let him get hit while running down the field, ball in hand once in a while too. (Which leads to my next point...)
2. No one could f***ing block JJ Watt. Watt wreaked havoc in the Washington backfield all afternoon. He pressured and hit Griffin, sacked him, tackled Alfred Morris behind the line of scrimmage a few times, recovered a fumble, and even blocked an extra point attempt for Pete's sake. I shouldn't say no one, because I think the Texans kept Watt clear of tackle Trent Williams. But they smartly kept scheming ways to have him work against the Redskins much weaker right side in Tyler Polumbus and Chris Chester. Jay Gruden continously kept dialing up plays where the blocking scheme called for one of them to block Watt 1-on-1, which ensued in Watt wrecking several plays all by himself.
3. How could Washington's special teams be this bad? I admittedly didn't see every play (or even every box score) from every game yesterday...and we've established that Watt is a beast...but did any other team have an extra point blocked yesterday? Or a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown? I'm pretty sure no one else f***ing did. The PDBIP had maybe the worst special teams I'd ever seen last season. Is it possible they will be worse this year?
4. Turnovers were where the game was lost. If you watch enough football coverage, turnovers (and related terms) are mentioned enough to make you numb to the idea. But if you look at win-loss percentages based on who wins the turnover battle over the years, they are pretty staggering. Watching yesterday's game, it actually felt like Washington was dominating. But there were basically 5 game-deciding plays in my humble opinion that all went in favor or Houston: the 2 Washington fumbles inside the red zone, the p***-poor tackling effort by Bacari Rambo on Houston's 2nd touchdown, the blocked punt for a touchdown, and the blocked point after attempt (it could have been game-altering if any of the 4 other plays mentioned didn't happen at least).
5. Washington is completely irrelevant on a national scale. Aside from the issues stemming from the team name, no one cares about the PDBIP. They got what was in effect the last place Fox broadcast team yesterday to cover the game. There was zero mention of anything Washington-related on my hour long drive into work this morning. And there is basically nothing on yesterday's game aside from Clowney's apparent knee injury on ESPN's NFL homepage. What's the one thing worse than being bad? Irrelevant...and Washington has earned a 1st class ticket into sports irrelevancy as of right now.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Kevin Love To Cleveland; LeBron For Exec Of The Year
Kevin Love is coming to the Cleveland Cavaliers...well, the news can't be made official for another few weeks, but what has been speculated ever since LeBron announced his homecoming looks as if it will become a reality once the 30 day no-trade period of signed draft picks is completed.
With Cleveland seemingly winning the draft lottery every year since James skipped town, you had to start wondering whether the Cavs could ever take advantage of their good fortune. No one would argue that Kyrie Irving isn't great (when healthy), but last year's #1 pick, Anthony Bennett, looks to be a bust so far. Andrew Wiggins is full of promise, but by no means is he a can't-miss prospect of any kind. But with no chance of Love staying in Minnesota, the Wolves at least got something back (they will get Bennett, Wiggins, and Cleveland's 1st round pick next year as well, although they presumably won't be drafting from the lottery for the foreseeable future given the offseason they've put together.)
For my money, I think it would have been cool to see the Cavs hold onto Wiggins, and see how he developed under James' tutelage. James will be 30 this year, and if Wiggins developed he could have been a bridge to the future in the same way the Celtics thought Len Bias would be for them 30 years ago (tragically, that wasn't the case, but still...). Also, Wiggins' cheap rookie deal could have given the Cavs even more flexibility to grab additional talent next summer.
But I get it...when you have a chance to pair 2 guys who were both in the top 3 in the league in Player Efficiency Rating, you do it. Plus, if you thought the James-Wade-Bosh trio in Miami was too perimeter-focused, James-Irving-Wiggins might have given you an aneurysm. Love is the natural fit for the talents of James and Irving. If you're talking about pure talent, I would take the Heat's Big 3 of the last 4 seasons. But if you want to talk about how each player complements each other, on paper Cleveland's new Big 3 takes the cake.
Can you imagine Love grabbing every defensive rebound and doling out sweet outlet passes to LeBron and Irving? And then if they need to slow it down, Love trailing for a pull-up trey on the secondary break? What about the pick-and-roll possibilities? Irving and James, James and Love, Irving and Love...
The rest of the roster fills out pretty nicely as well, especially compared to the role players Miami threw out there in year 1 of the Big 3 era (Mike Bibby, Joel Anthony, etc...yikes). Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson are up to some stuff. Anderson Varejo still does Anderson Varejo things. And Mike Miller can still fill it up off the bench. And all these guys should be more improved/efficient playing alongside better players.
If you're Cleveland, there are 2 things for you to still worry about. 1st, they have nobody that can protect the rim...like, nobody. They could be an outstanding defensive rebounding team, and they will have to be in order to get it done on D. 2nd, Irving and Love are still spring chickens, but you have to worry a little bit about their health. In fact, even though James has played more NBA seasons than Love and Irving combined, they have both missed more regular season games than LeBron has in their respective careers already.
Still, having said all that, this is a formidable group now. And with Paul George's gruesome injury and uncertainty about the Bulls, the Cavs should be the odds-on favorite to advance out of the East without having played a single game together yet. It's only August, but I already can't wait for basketball season.
Much excite!
For my money, I think it would have been cool to see the Cavs hold onto Wiggins, and see how he developed under James' tutelage. James will be 30 this year, and if Wiggins developed he could have been a bridge to the future in the same way the Celtics thought Len Bias would be for them 30 years ago (tragically, that wasn't the case, but still...). Also, Wiggins' cheap rookie deal could have given the Cavs even more flexibility to grab additional talent next summer.
But I get it...when you have a chance to pair 2 guys who were both in the top 3 in the league in Player Efficiency Rating, you do it. Plus, if you thought the James-Wade-Bosh trio in Miami was too perimeter-focused, James-Irving-Wiggins might have given you an aneurysm. Love is the natural fit for the talents of James and Irving. If you're talking about pure talent, I would take the Heat's Big 3 of the last 4 seasons. But if you want to talk about how each player complements each other, on paper Cleveland's new Big 3 takes the cake.
And speaking of cake, LeBron has apparently cut that s*** out this summer...possibly more on that later.
Can you imagine Love grabbing every defensive rebound and doling out sweet outlet passes to LeBron and Irving? And then if they need to slow it down, Love trailing for a pull-up trey on the secondary break? What about the pick-and-roll possibilities? Irving and James, James and Love, Irving and Love...
The rest of the roster fills out pretty nicely as well, especially compared to the role players Miami threw out there in year 1 of the Big 3 era (Mike Bibby, Joel Anthony, etc...yikes). Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson are up to some stuff. Anderson Varejo still does Anderson Varejo things. And Mike Miller can still fill it up off the bench. And all these guys should be more improved/efficient playing alongside better players.
If you're Cleveland, there are 2 things for you to still worry about. 1st, they have nobody that can protect the rim...like, nobody. They could be an outstanding defensive rebounding team, and they will have to be in order to get it done on D. 2nd, Irving and Love are still spring chickens, but you have to worry a little bit about their health. In fact, even though James has played more NBA seasons than Love and Irving combined, they have both missed more regular season games than LeBron has in their respective careers already.
Still, having said all that, this is a formidable group now. And with Paul George's gruesome injury and uncertainty about the Bulls, the Cavs should be the odds-on favorite to advance out of the East without having played a single game together yet. It's only August, but I already can't wait for basketball season.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Fred Durst-ing It
That’s what Matt from “Two Best Friends Play” refers to rolling as…a reference that goes completely over “Super Best Friend” Liam’s head every time. I can’t say exactly how old the “Best Friends” are, but from what I can gather 3 of the 4 members (Matt, Pat, and Woolie) are around my age. Liam is several years younger, and is thus referred to as the baby. Part of the reason that telling someone to just Fred Durst over or around an object in a video game is funny to the 3 elder Friends is the same reason it’s funny to me: because there is an entire generation of Liams (people younger than me, but not that much younger really) that will have no idea what that means.
Aside from Rage Against The Machine and a select few other artists, rap-rock/rap-metal bands worth a listen back in the day were few and far between. Thank God that the era of such groups was mercifully short. However, it’s possible that the genre was at least partially responsible for the death of the alternative rock movement that I grew up listening to. By the mid-90’s, rap and hip-hop weren’t just quantities for urban black kids. DMX and Jay-Z albums were seen in just about every 13 year old white kids’ zipper-up CD case that I knew as well. Unfortunately, it seemed like every band that started up around that time had a lead singer that thought he could rap as well…those bands would probably have become alternative rock or grunge rock groups otherwise.
One of the great things about satellite radio is listening to stations that have a devoted genre and time period. SiriusXM’s “Lithium” gives you the general goodness of Nirvana, Rage, and Sublime, but it also allows you to reminisce. I’ve heard the Bizkit twice in the past week on Lithium…“Nookie” and “Break Stuff.” Not once since I’ve been a satellite radio subscriber have 2 songs brought on such confusing feelings. As a 13 year old, both songs would have incited mosh pits among my friends and I (even before I really understand what a nookie was). Now, the old man emotions of F***, I can’t believe I ever used to listen to this garbage juice surface as well. (I did it all for the nookie, so you can take that cookie, and stick it up your ass…now that’s some quality writing.)
If it’s not obvious already, Limp Bizkit was never meant to stand the test of time. For many years, I even held on to Durst’s collab effort with Method Man, “N2gether Now,” including it on every mix CD or playlist I created. After a while, I would skip through Durst’s verses to get to Method. Before long, I would just hit the skip button and move on to the next song until finally I stopped including the song on my iPhone completely. So, while Limp Bizkit may forever by emblematic of that poser era where white kids got home from school, jumped out of their mom’s minivan, went upstairs to their room, put on a backwards hat, and started blasting Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water through their Walkman, at least they will have a soft spot in my heart for nostalgia’s sake. And life will just keep Fred Durst-ing along.
Rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin'.
Aside from Rage Against The Machine and a select few other artists, rap-rock/rap-metal bands worth a listen back in the day were few and far between. Thank God that the era of such groups was mercifully short. However, it’s possible that the genre was at least partially responsible for the death of the alternative rock movement that I grew up listening to. By the mid-90’s, rap and hip-hop weren’t just quantities for urban black kids. DMX and Jay-Z albums were seen in just about every 13 year old white kids’ zipper-up CD case that I knew as well. Unfortunately, it seemed like every band that started up around that time had a lead singer that thought he could rap as well…those bands would probably have become alternative rock or grunge rock groups otherwise.
Enter Mr. Durst and Limp Bizkit.
One of the great things about satellite radio is listening to stations that have a devoted genre and time period. SiriusXM’s “Lithium” gives you the general goodness of Nirvana, Rage, and Sublime, but it also allows you to reminisce. I’ve heard the Bizkit twice in the past week on Lithium…“Nookie” and “Break Stuff.” Not once since I’ve been a satellite radio subscriber have 2 songs brought on such confusing feelings. As a 13 year old, both songs would have incited mosh pits among my friends and I (even before I really understand what a nookie was). Now, the old man emotions of F***, I can’t believe I ever used to listen to this garbage juice surface as well. (I did it all for the nookie, so you can take that cookie, and stick it up your ass…now that’s some quality writing.)
If it’s not obvious already, Limp Bizkit was never meant to stand the test of time. For many years, I even held on to Durst’s collab effort with Method Man, “N2gether Now,” including it on every mix CD or playlist I created. After a while, I would skip through Durst’s verses to get to Method. Before long, I would just hit the skip button and move on to the next song until finally I stopped including the song on my iPhone completely. So, while Limp Bizkit may forever by emblematic of that poser era where white kids got home from school, jumped out of their mom’s minivan, went upstairs to their room, put on a backwards hat, and started blasting Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water through their Walkman, at least they will have a soft spot in my heart for nostalgia’s sake. And life will just keep Fred Durst-ing along.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
NBA Free Agency's Big 3
With no Internet access at my office, doing this exclusively from my smartphone...how's that for dedication?
With NBA free agents now officially allowed to sign with teams, we all know that LeBron James is this year's big kahuna. But much like the summer of 2010, there is a Big 3 of star free agents that could be moving on to new locations, and none of them may end up in the places we would have placed our bets on a few weeks ago.
LeBron James - As LeBron pretty much holds the entire league hostage until he signs somewhere, you could argue that free agency's Big 3 is really a Big 1, as the dominoes will begin to fall once James decides on a destination.
Where he should go - If he's all about contending for a title right now, the Clippers, Bulls, and Rockets are the best choices outside of Miami, but those teams appear to not even be in the running anymore according to what we hear coming out of James' camp. James would still make the Heat the runaway favorite in the the sorry East even with D-Wade's sorry knees, so Miami is probably where he should stay.
Where he will go - When James 1st opted out of his contract with Miami, I listed Cleveland as a longshot, but it seems like they might actually be the front-runner now. LeBron was under immense pressure to win right now after 2010. After 2 titles and 4 Finals appearances in 4 years with the Heat, that pressure doesn't exist anymore. And James doesn't seem to care what people think about him anymore either. Now, it seems he can just follow his heart (if it wasn't for that pressure, he probably never would've left the Cavs in the 1st place), think long-term about his career (Cleveland's other young talent and cap-flexibility make this a no-brainer), and doing what's right by his family (and as someone who has personally had to weigh career decisions against familial desires, I can attest to this).
Carmelo Anthony - Melo isn't the player and, as Jeff Jarrett used to say, doesn't have the stroke that James has, having no rings and not even much postseason success period. Despite Anthony's unparalleled talents as a scorer, I'm still convinced that he needs to be a team's 2nd banana for that team to be championship-level. But it appears several teams are still convinced otherwise.
Where He Should Go - The Knicks can offer him the most money, but they are probably going to be mediocre-to-bad for a year or 2 before they can get their s*** together. The Lakers are an option for Anthony because they can pay him and have the cap flexibility to bring on a couple more pieces right away, but that still probably isn't enough to contend in the loaded West. Even if D-Rose isn't healthy, Chicago seems like the obvious choice for Melo if titles are his number one goal though.
Where He Will Go - By all accounts though, Anthony loves his money, and despite what everyone preaches about winning, it's hard to fault anyone for that. New York can outbid everyone else, and Anthony's wife loves The Big Apple to boot (that darn family thing again). And rather than bashing Melo for taking the money over the possibility of rings, maybe we could praise him a little for being patient and staying the course.
Chris Bosh - Definitely, the most under appreciated of Miami's Big 3, you forget how good Bosh is sometimes...and that out of he, James, and Wade no one had to sacrifice more of and change more of his game to make the Heat work. LeBron's good enough that he makes whatever team he goes to a title contender (or at least a contender for the conference title) on his own. Melo is a dynamic talent and a star, but I think that only certain teams will succeed with him (depending on the roster construction). Bosh's skillset is the missing piece to a lot of puzzles though.
Where He Should Go - Bosh's case might be the most difficult of the 3 in some ways. He reportedly loves Miami, and if LeBron stays put you would think South Beach would be where CB belongs also. But that Houston offer is very very enticing. And that potential Big 3 would be nothing to sneeze at either.
Where He Will Go - Early on in this process, it looked like this was all a bunch of smoke and mirrors, and Miami's Big 3 would all re-up there and recruit some fresh supporting characters to boot. But with each day that passes, the Big Breakup looks more and more likely. And if you're Bosh, you have to like what Houston has to offer: more money, going back to your home state, and playing in a role that better fits your true skillset. I'm not saying Houston's Big 3 could touch Miami's, and Bosh might still be the 3rd wheel between he, James Harden, and Dwight Howard, but at least he could play his traditional role on offense and defense. The pick-and-pop possibilities with Harden are scary. He could also play high-low with Howard while still spacing the floor with his shooting for Dwight to work in the paint. And Bosh would no longer have to bang down low with centers on the defensive end as he's asked to so often in Miami. In a day and age where top flight big men no longer exist, a Howard-Bosh paint duo would be the best combination at the 4 and the 5 in the league.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Too Many Chefs In The Kitchen: Evaluating Bryce Harper's Return
When I was just a little B-Court All-Star Junior, as a shy introverted kid I often preferred getting lost in my own imagination to playing with others. I was also an athlete and obsessed with numbers and statistics. It wasn't enough to pretend I was on an NBA team taking the game-winning shot...all of my sports fantasies had to be tracked. I actually had a notebook that logged everything from my fictitious basketball career's points per game to the card for each Pay Per View wrestling event for my GI Joe action figures.
Summertime was when I got the most bored and had the least other sports to follow, so baseball became a key cog in this fantasy world (even though I never played organized baseball as a kid). I imagined an entire lineup and batting order, complete with game-by-game box scores. When my made-up franchise made a mid-season trade for an All-Star infielder in exchange for a minor league prospect, it was impossible to choose which star putting up video game numbers to bench...instead, I simply rotated 10 guys through the 9 positions (my fantasy team had a DH, and several players were versatile enough to play multiple positions, of course).
However, as the Nationals are figuring out now, things just aren't as simplistic in real life baseball as they were when I used to play make-believe. This past offseason, Washington took a gamble that they could make it through 1 more season with Ryan Zimmerman at 3rd base. But his shoulder and throwing mechanics are so f***ed that routine throws to 1st are adventures now. With young stud Anthony Rendon primed to take over at 3rd and Adam LaRoche penciled in at 1st base, Zimmerman's only real move is to the outfield. But with Bryce Harper returning to the lineup from a thumb injury, Nats' Manager Matt Williams now has a real dilemma.
When healthy, the Nats could very well be the best team in baseball on paper. Their starting rotation may be the best in baseball 1-5. And their lineup is already solid from top to bottom, but even at 21 Harper is probably their most feared and dynamic hitter. His return should provide a jolt and boost up everyone else as well.
But its Williams' job to juggle playing time, positions, batting orders, and egos here. He has already clashed with Harper once, and maybe unnecessarily, this year. (Harper was benched and publicly called out by Williams for failing to run out a ground ball...Harper happened to be nursing a quad injury and was reportedly under the weather at the time.) Now, not even 1 day after being back in the bigs, Harper is chirping about what the lineup should look like and where he should hit.
As it stands, Williams and the Nats have no easy solution. Harper's got to play...that much is easy. Right field belongs to Jason Werth though. Put Harper in left and that puts Zimmerman back at 3rd, Anthony Rendon at 2nd, and Danny Espinosa on the pine. Espinosa always strikes out a ton and is hitting a miserable .217 right now, but that would hurt Washington's defensive infield significantly. Zimmerman's struggles at 3rd are well-documented, and while Rendon can play 2nd, 3rd is his more natural position. LaRoche has arguably been the Nats best hitter this year. He also is one of the best defensive 1st basemen in the league, so moving Zimmerman there seems unlikely at this point.
The Nats could put Harper in center field, a position he has played well and has publicly voiced that he prefers, but that would drop Denard Span out of the lineup. No one is going to argue that Span can out-hit Harper, but that move could hurt in a couple of ways. 1st, Harper plays center adequately, but Span is one of the better defensive center fielders in the league. Also, Span is the 1 player in the Nats' lineup that is truly a leadoff hitter. Others, like Jason Werth, have filled that role in prior seasons, but no one else is a natural fit for that spot like Span is.
If only the Nats could magically move to the American League at the All-Star break, then they could play everyone and rotate guys into that DH spot to give a player a rest while keeping their bats in the lineup. Alas, that seems about as likely as the Wizards not overpaying to keep Trevor Ariza and Marcin Gortat (oops). So, to solve this the Nationals either need to make a trade or simply just play out the messy situation of rotating guys in and out of the lineup based on matchups, who might need a night off, etc. Having too many good players is not the worst problem to have. The odds in any sport are that someone will go down with an injury again sooner than later, and Williams will adjust the lineup accordingly. Until one of those things happen though, the Nationals are faced with a sticky situation as they try for another playoff push.
For the record, Snake Eyes was my all-time leader in World Heavyweight Championship reigns.
Summertime was when I got the most bored and had the least other sports to follow, so baseball became a key cog in this fantasy world (even though I never played organized baseball as a kid). I imagined an entire lineup and batting order, complete with game-by-game box scores. When my made-up franchise made a mid-season trade for an All-Star infielder in exchange for a minor league prospect, it was impossible to choose which star putting up video game numbers to bench...instead, I simply rotated 10 guys through the 9 positions (my fantasy team had a DH, and several players were versatile enough to play multiple positions, of course).
However, as the Nationals are figuring out now, things just aren't as simplistic in real life baseball as they were when I used to play make-believe. This past offseason, Washington took a gamble that they could make it through 1 more season with Ryan Zimmerman at 3rd base. But his shoulder and throwing mechanics are so f***ed that routine throws to 1st are adventures now. With young stud Anthony Rendon primed to take over at 3rd and Adam LaRoche penciled in at 1st base, Zimmerman's only real move is to the outfield. But with Bryce Harper returning to the lineup from a thumb injury, Nats' Manager Matt Williams now has a real dilemma.
Not a clown question, bro.
When healthy, the Nats could very well be the best team in baseball on paper. Their starting rotation may be the best in baseball 1-5. And their lineup is already solid from top to bottom, but even at 21 Harper is probably their most feared and dynamic hitter. His return should provide a jolt and boost up everyone else as well.
But its Williams' job to juggle playing time, positions, batting orders, and egos here. He has already clashed with Harper once, and maybe unnecessarily, this year. (Harper was benched and publicly called out by Williams for failing to run out a ground ball...Harper happened to be nursing a quad injury and was reportedly under the weather at the time.) Now, not even 1 day after being back in the bigs, Harper is chirping about what the lineup should look like and where he should hit.
As it stands, Williams and the Nats have no easy solution. Harper's got to play...that much is easy. Right field belongs to Jason Werth though. Put Harper in left and that puts Zimmerman back at 3rd, Anthony Rendon at 2nd, and Danny Espinosa on the pine. Espinosa always strikes out a ton and is hitting a miserable .217 right now, but that would hurt Washington's defensive infield significantly. Zimmerman's struggles at 3rd are well-documented, and while Rendon can play 2nd, 3rd is his more natural position. LaRoche has arguably been the Nats best hitter this year. He also is one of the best defensive 1st basemen in the league, so moving Zimmerman there seems unlikely at this point.
The Nats could put Harper in center field, a position he has played well and has publicly voiced that he prefers, but that would drop Denard Span out of the lineup. No one is going to argue that Span can out-hit Harper, but that move could hurt in a couple of ways. 1st, Harper plays center adequately, but Span is one of the better defensive center fielders in the league. Also, Span is the 1 player in the Nats' lineup that is truly a leadoff hitter. Others, like Jason Werth, have filled that role in prior seasons, but no one else is a natural fit for that spot like Span is.
Good luck!
If only the Nats could magically move to the American League at the All-Star break, then they could play everyone and rotate guys into that DH spot to give a player a rest while keeping their bats in the lineup. Alas, that seems about as likely as the Wizards not overpaying to keep Trevor Ariza and Marcin Gortat (oops). So, to solve this the Nationals either need to make a trade or simply just play out the messy situation of rotating guys in and out of the lineup based on matchups, who might need a night off, etc. Having too many good players is not the worst problem to have. The odds in any sport are that someone will go down with an injury again sooner than later, and Williams will adjust the lineup accordingly. Until one of those things happen though, the Nationals are faced with a sticky situation as they try for another playoff push.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
James Opts Out...29 Other NBA Franchies Are All-In
Sometimes, you want to write, but have nothing in particular to write about. Today, I contemplated writing a general news & notes post about the happenings of the NBA offseason or focusing on the Miami Heat's potential moves. But when LeBron James officially opts out of his contract thus becoming an unrestricted free agent, it's hard to pass up writing about that.
The last time James was on the market, the league and media frenzy was unimaginable. It all culminated with the oh-so-regrettable The Decision on ESPN. 4 years later, LeBron is in a very different position. He's no longer chasing rings (he has 2). Prior to coming to Miami, James' clutchness/greatness/legitimacy as a great player/mental toughness was often criticized (those things are no longer in question).
Basically, in every aspect of the LeBron James package that was viewed as a weakness in the summer of 2010, James is now coming from a position of strength. To paraphrase ESPN's Brian Windhorst, James needed Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and everything the Miami Heat had to offer 4 summers ago; now, they need him.
Of course, I would say that the odds-on favorite to land LeBron is still Miami. Teams will again look to move heaven and earth just for the chance to sign him, but the grass isn't always greener. And if Wade and Bosh also decide to opt out of their contracts, and the Big 3 collectively decide to re-up with the Heat at a discount rate allowing them the chance to add a better supporting cast, then it would be tough to envision a better chance for James to collect more rings than right where he is.
The point is that LeBron seems more at peace with himself now more than ever though. His got his titles. He's married. He seems to have finally grown comfortable in his own skin. Maybe 4 years ago, James was too worried about pleasing other people when he took his talents to South Beach. Now, his demeanor seems much more relaxed. It seems he is going to make the best decision for him, and damn what everyone else thinks about it.
If the Heatles have a gentleman's agreement to take a little bit less money, then I think James' choice is pretty easy. If Pat Riley and the Miami brass can successfully have some kind of come to Jesus meeting with Wade and convince him to sign on for closer to what he would truly be worth on the open market ($12 million a year? $10 million? $8 million?), then I think this is a slam dunk. If a very proud D-Wade still thinks he's a $20 million a year player (which he's due next season), then Miami may have problems.
The possibilities (even the ridiculous ones) then become magically delicious. James to Chicago to team up with Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, and Jimmy Butler. James to Houston with Dwight Howard and James Harden. James back to Cleveland with Kyrie Irving, this year's number 1 overall pick in the draft, and a roster of young talent. James bringing Carmelo Anthony along with him to the Lakers to team up with an aging Kobe Bryant...eh, I'm not sure how great that sounds actually. Or my personal favorite, James to LA (but to the Clippers) to play with his buddy Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and being coached by a guy he truly respects in Doc Rivers.
If James is about winning championships, the Cavs and Lakers seem the least likely fits. The idea of going back home to Cleveland is intriguing, but Irving has not been durable or consistent enough to make him championship-ready, and draft picks are too uncertain even in this year's talent-rich field. Melo's scoring ability as a compliment to the defensive attention James attracts and his willingness to pass is a deadly formula in any uniform, but I can't envision Kobe being anything but a shell of his former self, and we are talking about 3 guys who basically play the same position (if in different ways).
The other 3 choices put James on teams that are contenders already without him. And unlike when James 1st got to Miami and it wasn't clear how 2 guys who played basically the same position would mesh, the Bulls, Clips, and Rockets could slot LeBron right into his natural position on the floor. The Bulls and Rockets also have the ability to clear the requisite cap space to make a deal with James work. And the Clippers just had a guy agree to pay $2 billion for the franchise, so I don't think the luxury tax would stop them.
Other teams will likely pop into the conversation in the upcoming week, as everyone will attempt to trade away their entire roster just to clear up enough cap space for the possibility of signing James, and the teams I just mentioned are each intriguing, but at the end of the day Miami still looks like the destination to me. They have history. They have the Miami mafia. They have James' trust. What do I see happening? Wade and Bosh also opting out and resigning with Miami along with James, and all leaving a few dollars on the table so the Heat can bring in more shooters, a point guard, and another big guy who can protect the rim. After all, the Big 3 aren't dumb...it's likely they realize their best chance of winning is staying together too.
The last time James was on the market, the league and media frenzy was unimaginable. It all culminated with the oh-so-regrettable The Decision on ESPN. 4 years later, LeBron is in a very different position. He's no longer chasing rings (he has 2). Prior to coming to Miami, James' clutchness/greatness/legitimacy as a great player/mental toughness was often criticized (those things are no longer in question).
Basically, in every aspect of the LeBron James package that was viewed as a weakness in the summer of 2010, James is now coming from a position of strength. To paraphrase ESPN's Brian Windhorst, James needed Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and everything the Miami Heat had to offer 4 summers ago; now, they need him.
Of course, I would say that the odds-on favorite to land LeBron is still Miami. Teams will again look to move heaven and earth just for the chance to sign him, but the grass isn't always greener. And if Wade and Bosh also decide to opt out of their contracts, and the Big 3 collectively decide to re-up with the Heat at a discount rate allowing them the chance to add a better supporting cast, then it would be tough to envision a better chance for James to collect more rings than right where he is.
The point is that LeBron seems more at peace with himself now more than ever though. His got his titles. He's married. He seems to have finally grown comfortable in his own skin. Maybe 4 years ago, James was too worried about pleasing other people when he took his talents to South Beach. Now, his demeanor seems much more relaxed. It seems he is going to make the best decision for him, and damn what everyone else thinks about it.
James appears to be in a much better place than 2010.
If the Heatles have a gentleman's agreement to take a little bit less money, then I think James' choice is pretty easy. If Pat Riley and the Miami brass can successfully have some kind of come to Jesus meeting with Wade and convince him to sign on for closer to what he would truly be worth on the open market ($12 million a year? $10 million? $8 million?), then I think this is a slam dunk. If a very proud D-Wade still thinks he's a $20 million a year player (which he's due next season), then Miami may have problems.
The possibilities (even the ridiculous ones) then become magically delicious. James to Chicago to team up with Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, and Jimmy Butler. James to Houston with Dwight Howard and James Harden. James back to Cleveland with Kyrie Irving, this year's number 1 overall pick in the draft, and a roster of young talent. James bringing Carmelo Anthony along with him to the Lakers to team up with an aging Kobe Bryant...eh, I'm not sure how great that sounds actually. Or my personal favorite, James to LA (but to the Clippers) to play with his buddy Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and being coached by a guy he truly respects in Doc Rivers.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave.
If James is about winning championships, the Cavs and Lakers seem the least likely fits. The idea of going back home to Cleveland is intriguing, but Irving has not been durable or consistent enough to make him championship-ready, and draft picks are too uncertain even in this year's talent-rich field. Melo's scoring ability as a compliment to the defensive attention James attracts and his willingness to pass is a deadly formula in any uniform, but I can't envision Kobe being anything but a shell of his former self, and we are talking about 3 guys who basically play the same position (if in different ways).
The other 3 choices put James on teams that are contenders already without him. And unlike when James 1st got to Miami and it wasn't clear how 2 guys who played basically the same position would mesh, the Bulls, Clips, and Rockets could slot LeBron right into his natural position on the floor. The Bulls and Rockets also have the ability to clear the requisite cap space to make a deal with James work. And the Clippers just had a guy agree to pay $2 billion for the franchise, so I don't think the luxury tax would stop them.
Other teams will likely pop into the conversation in the upcoming week, as everyone will attempt to trade away their entire roster just to clear up enough cap space for the possibility of signing James, and the teams I just mentioned are each intriguing, but at the end of the day Miami still looks like the destination to me. They have history. They have the Miami mafia. They have James' trust. What do I see happening? Wade and Bosh also opting out and resigning with Miami along with James, and all leaving a few dollars on the table so the Heat can bring in more shooters, a point guard, and another big guy who can protect the rim. After all, the Big 3 aren't dumb...it's likely they realize their best chance of winning is staying together too.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Elevating Expectations: The Evolution of Louie
Watching the season 4 finale of Louie last night left me with a mixed bag of thoughts and emotions. Part of Louis CK's genius is that he doesn't give a s*** what anyone else wants. His network, FX, legendarily never sees so much of a snippet of the show before it's aired. He sells his hour long standup routines on his website for $5 a pop because he doesn't want the middlemen of Ticket Master and the like in his or his audience's pockets. Louis CK could care less what I or anybody else thinks about him. It's part of his charm and what makes him super-rad.
You have to know there's a but coming, right? But season 4 of Louie left me wanting more in so many ways. Part of this was simply the format of the show. Playing back-to-back episodes on a single night is great in an instant gratification sort of way, but because of that the season basically spanned a month and a half from beginning to end...an especially short period of time considering CK took off a year from the show last year. Now, I have to wait 11 more months for more?!? And what the f*** happened to the song in the opening sequence?
Louie's biggest problem in 2014 is that it lacked the one thing that CK is known for delivering: laughs. Sure, the show still had it's moments, like the opening scene of the season's premiere episode with the comically invasive garbage men, and the season finale where Pam asks a question regarding his ex-wife's race that Louie audiences have been collectively asking for years. But other than those scenes and some of the scenes from the hurricane episode, there aren't many of those absurd moments that made Louie great early on.
Instead of those ROTFLMFAO moments, CK opts for more nuance and better storytelling this time around. It's more clever than hysterically funny. You find yourself thinking wow, what he did there was really smart much more often than busting a gut. In that way, season 4 is undoubtedly the best season of Louie. Seasons 1-3 each had a few minor storylines (like the Letterman angle from season 3), but each episode mostly followed CK's stream of consciousness, where one episode might contain 3 completely separate and unrelated scenes, stories, or ideas. The majority of season 4 revolved around Louie's love life. We still got to see Louie in all his clumsy, self-loathing glory, but this angle showed him in a different light as well, which was nice (however, 6 episodes of the "Elevator" storyline was probably too much). On a side note, one particular story arc, "In The Woods," while not particularly funny might have been one of the best anythings I've watched on television in a long time.
Season 4 of Louie is interesting, thought-provoking, and beautifully written. The season finale was Monday night, and I honestly haven't read any reviews yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if CK's work on the show was up for another Emmy. Louie is still one of my favorite shows on TV, and I will continue to watch however many seasons CK is willing to give us. We should just continue to expect the unexpected though...because if there's one other thing it's clear Louis CK doesn't give a s*** about, it's our expectations. And we love him all the more for it.
Yes, I'm using super-rad as an adjective...deal with it.
You have to know there's a but coming, right? But season 4 of Louie left me wanting more in so many ways. Part of this was simply the format of the show. Playing back-to-back episodes on a single night is great in an instant gratification sort of way, but because of that the season basically spanned a month and a half from beginning to end...an especially short period of time considering CK took off a year from the show last year. Now, I have to wait 11 more months for more?!? And what the f*** happened to the song in the opening sequence?
Louie's biggest problem in 2014 is that it lacked the one thing that CK is known for delivering: laughs. Sure, the show still had it's moments, like the opening scene of the season's premiere episode with the comically invasive garbage men, and the season finale where Pam asks a question regarding his ex-wife's race that Louie audiences have been collectively asking for years. But other than those scenes and some of the scenes from the hurricane episode, there aren't many of those absurd moments that made Louie great early on.
Instead of those ROTFLMFAO moments, CK opts for more nuance and better storytelling this time around. It's more clever than hysterically funny. You find yourself thinking wow, what he did there was really smart much more often than busting a gut. In that way, season 4 is undoubtedly the best season of Louie. Seasons 1-3 each had a few minor storylines (like the Letterman angle from season 3), but each episode mostly followed CK's stream of consciousness, where one episode might contain 3 completely separate and unrelated scenes, stories, or ideas. The majority of season 4 revolved around Louie's love life. We still got to see Louie in all his clumsy, self-loathing glory, but this angle showed him in a different light as well, which was nice (however, 6 episodes of the "Elevator" storyline was probably too much). On a side note, one particular story arc, "In The Woods," while not particularly funny might have been one of the best anythings I've watched on television in a long time.
...and also, romantic, naked, candlelit bubble baths.
Season 4 of Louie is interesting, thought-provoking, and beautifully written. The season finale was Monday night, and I honestly haven't read any reviews yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if CK's work on the show was up for another Emmy. Louie is still one of my favorite shows on TV, and I will continue to watch however many seasons CK is willing to give us. We should just continue to expect the unexpected though...because if there's one other thing it's clear Louis CK doesn't give a s*** about, it's our expectations. And we love him all the more for it.
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