After the first week of the NBA season, I'm picking the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors to compete in the NBA Finals.
Duh!
Well, not exactly. Boston lost to a very tough Toronto Raptors last night.. The Warriors have won two uninspired victories. Last night's game against the Utah Jazz should have been a loss, considering their lousy first half defense, salvaged at the end by a tip in by Jonas Jerebko on a missed Durant jumper with one tick left on the clock. So, some observers might say it's not quite such a "Duh!" as to the winners of the East and West.
Except for this:
BARING INJURIES Toronto and Utah looked to me as if they were already playing at mid-season form if not exactly at playoff level. Both the Warriors and the Celts, not at all. Boston has still not incorporated Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving into their offense as Coach Steven certainly will by the first of the year or sooner. The Warriors are not nearly in sync with a number of additions to their team. Klay Thompson's three is still in China. Igoudala, a key defender and leader, is missing. And the Bigs: Looney and Jones are not where they will be at a later date [you choose the date] Looney on offense, and Jones on Defense. Looney is showing me some moves on offense I never expected. And, does anyone doubt that Klay will regain his touch? Also, a surprise to me, I'm beginning to believe Damian Jones may possibly turn into a young Tyson Chandler who led the Mavs to a NBA Championship. This belief after the first two games, requires me to take back what I said about him in my last blog. I take it back, my man, and apologize, but don't let me down!
For the time being lets not count on Cousins.
I've got to give a shout out to the Utah Jazz. I liked them a lot at the end of the last season. Based on what I saw last night, I like them better. I'm still trying to figure out how Ingles gets that three off. He must be a lot quicker than he looks. He kind of lumbers along and appears about to fall asleep. Then, he's shooting in your face. Must be the Aussie factor. And I'm betting his real age is somewhere in forties.
It's a little early to be making predictions, since I haven't seen all the teams play yet. I could be surprised.
ETC:
I'm delighted with the rebirth of the BIG MON in the NBA: Ayton in Phoenix, Bamba in Orlando, adding to the presence of versatile bigs already in the league: Joel Embid, Anthony Davis, Kristap Porzingis, Rudy Gobert, and Demarcus Cousins. It was just a matter of time, wasn't it? I wish I could add Cauley Stein but he's still missing an ingredient on both ends. Still, he is a legit 7 footer and can flat out run the court.
I've always loved this poem about a sport not much is written about in our sports pages.
Karate by Stanley Plumly
If I could chop wood.
If I could just cut through
this furniture
the paraphernalia
of blocks
and stacks of boards,
wedged and
piled
head-high.
If I could break the back
of a single two-by-four,
if the Japanese instructor would only
lay his little building
of bricks
in front of me,
if I could only drive nails
deep into the hard rose of the wood.
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Monday, October 15, 2018
2018/19 NBA Season Comments
Another NBA season that looks top heavy in the West, with Boston, Philly, and Toronto, easily the favorites in the East.
As a general rules, in my opinion, a team to win the NBA Championship must have at least two WOW players - Super-All Stars such as LeBron James, KD, Curry, Antetokoumpo, Paul George, James Harden, etc.
EASTERN DIVISION
Boston Celtics: They are solid at every starting position with solid bench strength at every position. Irving and Hayward are WOW players (If Hayword is healthy) with some HALF WOW's in Jaylen Brown Horford and emerging WOW player, Jayson Tatum. The Celts can run, but are also patient. They can defend and rebound. Bench is strong. They have an excellent , gifted coach and appear to have all his players on the same page in terms of goals. You can't out tough them and you can't out finesse them, at least not in the East.
Philadelphia 76ers: They should be the second best team in the East, but a lot will depend on Embid's health and the development of Marquelle Fultz. Other questions, can Ben Simmons ever learn to shoot? Can JJ Redick have one more top notch shooting season after 13 years? I think the addition of Wilson Chandler will provide depth at the SF to help an great but inconsistent shooter Robert Covington. I like the coaching, but this season will test his mettle. Can the team defend as a team beyond the third pass? Joel Embid is a WOW players. Simmons is a HALF WOW, not a full WOW until he learns to shoot from middle distance and free throws. If all the stars are aligned, the 76ers could upset the Celtics. But not in a 7 game series.
Toronto Raptors: Have a point guard problem. Is Kyle Lowry a true point? Probably, but I'm not entirely convinced. He can shoot, even though streaky. Fred Vanvleet is a solid point guard, but over 80 games? Can the Raptors stretch the floor shooting threes? Lowry and CJ Miles are both streak shooters in my opinion. Danny Green is strong addition, and he can shoot deep. Green could turn into an X factor. Kawhi Leonard gives the team a WOW player. Lowry is a HALF WOW. But will Kawhi by in mentally is the question? Will he stay healthy? If he's right, the Raptors will be very tough. They are very solid at the center and power forward positions. I see lots of growth in Siakim.
Indiana:Pacers: Two huge question marks for a team I like a lot. Do they have a true starter-type point guard who can be a complete floor manager? I see Darren Collison and Cory Joseph as excellent PG backups. Perhaps Aaron Holiday? But he is a rookie and that's a lot to ask a rookie to take over the running of a team. At every other position I love this team. Oladipo is a WOW player. Myles Turner is a HALF WOW player with a caveat, which is - will he or won't he insist on being the star he can be? Or is he just a little too congenial? I'm not sold on Doug McDermott, but he could prove me wrong. Bogdanovic will stretch the floor and Sabonis might make an All Star team one of these days. McMillan is a solid coach. Put an All Start type point guard on this team, and they go to the finals of the Eastern Division playoffs and maybe further.
Milwaukee Bucks: I'm picking the Pacers over the Bucks, but this could flip, as the Budenholtzer factor has to be assessed. Here's another team like the Pacers, with some questions at the point guard position. I've never been a Bledsoe fan. I think he makes bad decisions. Dellavadova is a true point guard, but he's slow and an inconsistent shooter. His D is top notch. The Bucks play him off the bench, and I bet most teams in the NBA would like to have a tough strong thinker like Delly coming off the bench for them. That leaves Malcolm Brogdan at the point. I like him, but not with any enthusiasm. Antetekoumpo is a WOW player. Krhis Middleton is a HALF WOW in my opinion. Zeller, Lopez, Maker are solid in the post. Can Snell at shooting guard shoot consistently? They have strong help off the bench at the power positions in Henson and Ilyasova. I think the Buck are one season and one draft choice/trade away from making some real noise.
Washington Wizards: What is it about the Wizards that I don't like? The chemistry? Wall and Beale should be dominant. Why aren't they? Was Gortat for Howard the gamble that will pay off? I doubt it. Never thought Howard ever worked hard enough at his game. Some strong young shooting forwards in Porter and Obre. Will Austen Rivers be the guy off the bench that makes a difference? Just too many question marks for this team to do anything but play themselves out of the first round of Eastern Division Playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't make the playoffs. If Miami can get Butler without giving up too much???
Chicago Bulls: Surprise team in the east.
WESTERN DIVISION
Golden State Warriors: Always tough for me to evaluate the Warriors objectively as I'm an ex Warrior and one of their biggest fans. So, I'll begin with the obvious - if Demarcus Cousins can recover fully from his torn Achilles tendon and play the way he did in New Orleans, the Warriors should win a fourth NBA Championship. If not, the Dubs have a problem in the post, (not sold on Jones) and may have to rely on Draymond and small ball, which is not a bad thing because Draymond is a Mr. All Around Stud. In all the other four positions, the Warriors are super solid. Cook has come along nicely and it looks as if Jacob Evans, the team's 1st round choice in June, will be a solid defender. Igudala and Livingston are a little long in the tooth, but should have enough where-with-all left for this season. I'm interested to see how Jerebko fits in to the Dubs defensively. I've always thought of him as a little soft on D. I'm a big Jordan Bell fan and am getting to be a Loony fan as his progress has been steady in defense and offense. Curry, Durant, and Klay are WOW players. Green is a HALF WOW (got to put more arc into the jumper for consistency's sake). Cousins is a WOW player. Lot's of WOW's going on. Could be a starting five with 5 All Star players. Coaching: EXCELLENT.
Houston Rockets: I thought that the Rockets would miss Ariza and Maboute, but I've changed my mind. PJ Tucker has shown me some stuff. He is definitely an X factor player. The Rockets have never had any defensive toughness, but PJ can change that. Even so, he is only one player. I still think the Rockets remain vulnerable on D: Hardin is an unwilling defender; Chris Paul, when all is said and done, is too small; Gordon is not a solid defender, and neither is Carmelo, who always looses defensive focus after the 3rd pass. .I'm a huge Capela fan. If Dwight Howard had Capela's work ethic, he be superman. Gerald Green is too flacky for my taste, and can make and has made in the past some awfully stupid moves. Ennis might turn into a strong acquisition. The Rockets will still be able to stretch the floor, so they will always be dangerous. As long as Chris Paul has a full healthy season, the Rockets are the only team I see giving the Warriors any trouble. D'Antoni is only an adequate coach in my opinion. Run and gun is easy to say.
Oklahoma Thunder: I will never be sold on a team with Westbrook running the show. Russell's problem is he's not a good point guard and he's not a good off guard. So what is he, really? A point shooter? Now what do you do with Dennis Schroeder? Is he really going to be happy coming off the bench? If OKC can figure out this problem, they'll be the 3rd best team in the west. At the forward and post positions, they are extremely strong. Steve Adams is awesome and doesn't need the ball to be successful, a HALF WOW. Paul George is a WOW player. Is Russell Westbrook? Not in my book, but I'll grant he's a HALF WOW. Nerlen Noel might turn out help when Adams has to rest. I like the Noel pick up - a little soft, but very long. Grant and Paterson are solid. Robinson will always play great D, but remains a shooting liability. Got to improve his free throws. Coaching has got to improve for this team to move forward. I see no strategic defensive or offensive strategy that's at all innovative. .
Denver Nuggets: Lots of talking heads are predicting a break out year for the Nuggets, led my Nicola Jokic, a WOW player. Maybe, if Paul Milsap, a HALF WOW player, stays healthy and Isiah Thomas can find his Mojo. If those two players have strong seasons, there is enough talent that the Nuggets could upset OKC and hold off all other challengers except the Warriors and Rockets. And if I were the Warrior and Rockets, I wouldn't take the Mile High City's team too lightly. They can shoot and penetrate. Even though Plumlee is no threat offensively, he's a first-rate backup center, who'll run the floor and pick up cheap baskets. Solid if not imaginative coaching.
San Antonio Spurs: . Pop will find a way, but the loss of Kawhi was big. I've never been an Aldridge fan and Pau is getting old. Aldridge is a HALF WOW player. Who's going to run the club, now that Murrry is gone with an injury? Patty Mills? Maybe, but I like Patty coming off the bench. Who's going to stretch the floor? Derozen is a WOW player. but a middle distance shooting expert, Other than Patty Mills, where are the 3's coming from? The Spurs may turn out to be the worst three-point shooting team to ever make the playoffs.
Utah Jazz: A well coached team, a year away, in my opinion, from contending for the finals in the West if they make the right trade and draft choice at the end of the season. Not impressed with the point guards.I don't care if he's improved, Rubio is still a poor shooter so teams can slack off. Same is true with Dante Exum. Neto is marginal off the bench. Team needs a stud at the point, then watch out. Donovan Mitchel is a WOW player. So is center Rudy Gobert a WOW. Joe Ingles always mystifies me, how does that slow dude get his shot off? Crowder and Favors will give the Jazz strength at the power spots and occasional big point production, but not consistent. Will see about the progress of O'Neele. Looks like a lot of potential. Still wondering where there's real jazz in Utah.
Los Angeles Lakers: Will make the playoffs on the back of Lebron James. Definate young stars, Ingram and Kuzma will contribute. Rondo will help, but is a flake factor, so what will he be like at the end of the season? Other flake factors: Lance Stephensen, and Mile Beasley, with these two anything can happen. Javale, I love you, but not as a starter. The more minutes you get the greater the chance of errors. Lonzo Ball looks like he's worked hard on his jumper, but I'd still slack off him if it meant stopping James, Ingram or Kuzma. I was hard on Ball last year, but I'm seeing him in a more positive light. I like hard workers, and he appears to have worked hard on the off season to improve his game. I'm a big K Caldwell Pope fan, but there is only one basketball to share. Walton is a good coach and getting better OJT. If Kawhi comes next season, the Lakers become scary.
Surprise Team: If Doncic is as good as his rep, Dallas, maybe.
General over-all not going into the 2018/19 season: There are a lot of mediocre players in the NBA, so I hope the NBA is not thinking of expansion for a while.
It's still football season, so here's a football poem I wrote recently.
As a general rules, in my opinion, a team to win the NBA Championship must have at least two WOW players - Super-All Stars such as LeBron James, KD, Curry, Antetokoumpo, Paul George, James Harden, etc.
EASTERN DIVISION
Boston Celtics: They are solid at every starting position with solid bench strength at every position. Irving and Hayward are WOW players (If Hayword is healthy) with some HALF WOW's in Jaylen Brown Horford and emerging WOW player, Jayson Tatum. The Celts can run, but are also patient. They can defend and rebound. Bench is strong. They have an excellent , gifted coach and appear to have all his players on the same page in terms of goals. You can't out tough them and you can't out finesse them, at least not in the East.
Philadelphia 76ers: They should be the second best team in the East, but a lot will depend on Embid's health and the development of Marquelle Fultz. Other questions, can Ben Simmons ever learn to shoot? Can JJ Redick have one more top notch shooting season after 13 years? I think the addition of Wilson Chandler will provide depth at the SF to help an great but inconsistent shooter Robert Covington. I like the coaching, but this season will test his mettle. Can the team defend as a team beyond the third pass? Joel Embid is a WOW players. Simmons is a HALF WOW, not a full WOW until he learns to shoot from middle distance and free throws. If all the stars are aligned, the 76ers could upset the Celtics. But not in a 7 game series.
Toronto Raptors: Have a point guard problem. Is Kyle Lowry a true point? Probably, but I'm not entirely convinced. He can shoot, even though streaky. Fred Vanvleet is a solid point guard, but over 80 games? Can the Raptors stretch the floor shooting threes? Lowry and CJ Miles are both streak shooters in my opinion. Danny Green is strong addition, and he can shoot deep. Green could turn into an X factor. Kawhi Leonard gives the team a WOW player. Lowry is a HALF WOW. But will Kawhi by in mentally is the question? Will he stay healthy? If he's right, the Raptors will be very tough. They are very solid at the center and power forward positions. I see lots of growth in Siakim.
Indiana:Pacers: Two huge question marks for a team I like a lot. Do they have a true starter-type point guard who can be a complete floor manager? I see Darren Collison and Cory Joseph as excellent PG backups. Perhaps Aaron Holiday? But he is a rookie and that's a lot to ask a rookie to take over the running of a team. At every other position I love this team. Oladipo is a WOW player. Myles Turner is a HALF WOW player with a caveat, which is - will he or won't he insist on being the star he can be? Or is he just a little too congenial? I'm not sold on Doug McDermott, but he could prove me wrong. Bogdanovic will stretch the floor and Sabonis might make an All Star team one of these days. McMillan is a solid coach. Put an All Start type point guard on this team, and they go to the finals of the Eastern Division playoffs and maybe further.
Milwaukee Bucks: I'm picking the Pacers over the Bucks, but this could flip, as the Budenholtzer factor has to be assessed. Here's another team like the Pacers, with some questions at the point guard position. I've never been a Bledsoe fan. I think he makes bad decisions. Dellavadova is a true point guard, but he's slow and an inconsistent shooter. His D is top notch. The Bucks play him off the bench, and I bet most teams in the NBA would like to have a tough strong thinker like Delly coming off the bench for them. That leaves Malcolm Brogdan at the point. I like him, but not with any enthusiasm. Antetekoumpo is a WOW player. Krhis Middleton is a HALF WOW in my opinion. Zeller, Lopez, Maker are solid in the post. Can Snell at shooting guard shoot consistently? They have strong help off the bench at the power positions in Henson and Ilyasova. I think the Buck are one season and one draft choice/trade away from making some real noise.
Washington Wizards: What is it about the Wizards that I don't like? The chemistry? Wall and Beale should be dominant. Why aren't they? Was Gortat for Howard the gamble that will pay off? I doubt it. Never thought Howard ever worked hard enough at his game. Some strong young shooting forwards in Porter and Obre. Will Austen Rivers be the guy off the bench that makes a difference? Just too many question marks for this team to do anything but play themselves out of the first round of Eastern Division Playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't make the playoffs. If Miami can get Butler without giving up too much???
Chicago Bulls: Surprise team in the east.
WESTERN DIVISION
Golden State Warriors: Always tough for me to evaluate the Warriors objectively as I'm an ex Warrior and one of their biggest fans. So, I'll begin with the obvious - if Demarcus Cousins can recover fully from his torn Achilles tendon and play the way he did in New Orleans, the Warriors should win a fourth NBA Championship. If not, the Dubs have a problem in the post, (not sold on Jones) and may have to rely on Draymond and small ball, which is not a bad thing because Draymond is a Mr. All Around Stud. In all the other four positions, the Warriors are super solid. Cook has come along nicely and it looks as if Jacob Evans, the team's 1st round choice in June, will be a solid defender. Igudala and Livingston are a little long in the tooth, but should have enough where-with-all left for this season. I'm interested to see how Jerebko fits in to the Dubs defensively. I've always thought of him as a little soft on D. I'm a big Jordan Bell fan and am getting to be a Loony fan as his progress has been steady in defense and offense. Curry, Durant, and Klay are WOW players. Green is a HALF WOW (got to put more arc into the jumper for consistency's sake). Cousins is a WOW player. Lot's of WOW's going on. Could be a starting five with 5 All Star players. Coaching: EXCELLENT.
Houston Rockets: I thought that the Rockets would miss Ariza and Maboute, but I've changed my mind. PJ Tucker has shown me some stuff. He is definitely an X factor player. The Rockets have never had any defensive toughness, but PJ can change that. Even so, he is only one player. I still think the Rockets remain vulnerable on D: Hardin is an unwilling defender; Chris Paul, when all is said and done, is too small; Gordon is not a solid defender, and neither is Carmelo, who always looses defensive focus after the 3rd pass. .I'm a huge Capela fan. If Dwight Howard had Capela's work ethic, he be superman. Gerald Green is too flacky for my taste, and can make and has made in the past some awfully stupid moves. Ennis might turn into a strong acquisition. The Rockets will still be able to stretch the floor, so they will always be dangerous. As long as Chris Paul has a full healthy season, the Rockets are the only team I see giving the Warriors any trouble. D'Antoni is only an adequate coach in my opinion. Run and gun is easy to say.
Oklahoma Thunder: I will never be sold on a team with Westbrook running the show. Russell's problem is he's not a good point guard and he's not a good off guard. So what is he, really? A point shooter? Now what do you do with Dennis Schroeder? Is he really going to be happy coming off the bench? If OKC can figure out this problem, they'll be the 3rd best team in the west. At the forward and post positions, they are extremely strong. Steve Adams is awesome and doesn't need the ball to be successful, a HALF WOW. Paul George is a WOW player. Is Russell Westbrook? Not in my book, but I'll grant he's a HALF WOW. Nerlen Noel might turn out help when Adams has to rest. I like the Noel pick up - a little soft, but very long. Grant and Paterson are solid. Robinson will always play great D, but remains a shooting liability. Got to improve his free throws. Coaching has got to improve for this team to move forward. I see no strategic defensive or offensive strategy that's at all innovative. .
Denver Nuggets: Lots of talking heads are predicting a break out year for the Nuggets, led my Nicola Jokic, a WOW player. Maybe, if Paul Milsap, a HALF WOW player, stays healthy and Isiah Thomas can find his Mojo. If those two players have strong seasons, there is enough talent that the Nuggets could upset OKC and hold off all other challengers except the Warriors and Rockets. And if I were the Warrior and Rockets, I wouldn't take the Mile High City's team too lightly. They can shoot and penetrate. Even though Plumlee is no threat offensively, he's a first-rate backup center, who'll run the floor and pick up cheap baskets. Solid if not imaginative coaching.
San Antonio Spurs: . Pop will find a way, but the loss of Kawhi was big. I've never been an Aldridge fan and Pau is getting old. Aldridge is a HALF WOW player. Who's going to run the club, now that Murrry is gone with an injury? Patty Mills? Maybe, but I like Patty coming off the bench. Who's going to stretch the floor? Derozen is a WOW player. but a middle distance shooting expert, Other than Patty Mills, where are the 3's coming from? The Spurs may turn out to be the worst three-point shooting team to ever make the playoffs.
Utah Jazz: A well coached team, a year away, in my opinion, from contending for the finals in the West if they make the right trade and draft choice at the end of the season. Not impressed with the point guards.I don't care if he's improved, Rubio is still a poor shooter so teams can slack off. Same is true with Dante Exum. Neto is marginal off the bench. Team needs a stud at the point, then watch out. Donovan Mitchel is a WOW player. So is center Rudy Gobert a WOW. Joe Ingles always mystifies me, how does that slow dude get his shot off? Crowder and Favors will give the Jazz strength at the power spots and occasional big point production, but not consistent. Will see about the progress of O'Neele. Looks like a lot of potential. Still wondering where there's real jazz in Utah.
Los Angeles Lakers: Will make the playoffs on the back of Lebron James. Definate young stars, Ingram and Kuzma will contribute. Rondo will help, but is a flake factor, so what will he be like at the end of the season? Other flake factors: Lance Stephensen, and Mile Beasley, with these two anything can happen. Javale, I love you, but not as a starter. The more minutes you get the greater the chance of errors. Lonzo Ball looks like he's worked hard on his jumper, but I'd still slack off him if it meant stopping James, Ingram or Kuzma. I was hard on Ball last year, but I'm seeing him in a more positive light. I like hard workers, and he appears to have worked hard on the off season to improve his game. I'm a big K Caldwell Pope fan, but there is only one basketball to share. Walton is a good coach and getting better OJT. If Kawhi comes next season, the Lakers become scary.
Surprise Team: If Doncic is as good as his rep, Dallas, maybe.
General over-all not going into the 2018/19 season: There are a lot of mediocre players in the NBA, so I hope the NBA is not thinking of expansion for a while.
It's still football season, so here's a football poem I wrote recently.
JAXON by Tom Meschery
I’ve a grandson who plays high
school football.
He’s a linebacker, which means he
attacks
the ball carrier, hoping to dislodge
any pig skin or weapon of mass
destruction
tucked under the runner's arm with
the intention
of harming the National Interest or
ruining
the chances of his team winning the
game.
Football is that kind of sport.
The difference
between death and a losing season
is blurred.
Why not chuck a grenade to a wide receiver
and watch him explode into the
end-zone,
or take a hit from a 300 pound
line-man?
Or, in the case of line-backers, volunteer
to lose their memories before
they’re fifty.
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