My World, You're Just Living In It

BJ tatted on my forearm

2009-08-14T22:48:00.002-05:00

Teams I will be watching- Warriors, Bucks, Thunder

Did Tyreke Evans get picked three times in this video?

Pooty!

2009-07-15T18:33:00.002-05:00

Poot... it is amazing to hear that you will be coming to Southern California in September... What kind of teaching job could be in the works? I unfortunately will be in Boonville in September... is there anyway you could find a way to come north?

Summer League-

-Very pleased with the Warriors squad... Anthony Randolph, SL MVP is spectacular... I can't believe how much he has grown since the end of last season. I wager that this season or next he will have the best dunk of the modern era...

-Still hurting over the Curry pick-up over Jennings.... Jennings to Randolph/Monta/Jackson/Everyone else would have been a joy. Curry needs the ball way too much, and that is absolutely the last thing there is to go around on this team. Don't get me wrong, he is talented and will provide some excitement, but we didn't need another scorer, and his efficiency certainly doesn't provide enough to make up for it. On the other hand, the bucks are looking like they could be a fun young team to watch... Amir Johnson, Joe Alexander and Jennings is a great young core of talents, who will make for some appearances on Sportscenter. I also like Jodie Meeks playing behind gunner Michael Redd.

Summertime Ft. D.J. Jazzy Jeff

2009-07-12T13:15:00.003-05:00

-It's more than halfway through this summer and my impending trip to southern California looms large on September 19th. Hopefully I can stay longer than a couple days but that might not be the case in the event that a teaching job is received during the final couple weeks of August. Either way, can't wait to see you both, even if it is for a short period of time.

-Pretty sure you guys have already reached this point....but MLB has truly lost its luster for me. Complete disinterest, even with my beloved A's. If they go on their typical August tear, my allegiances will still fall with Summer League ball on nba.com and the start of the European soccer league seasons in England, Spain and Italy. I can't quite pinpoint the exact reason as to why my interest has faded so dramatically. Perhaps it lies in the sheer amount of man-hours required to make it through a 162 game season or the frequent lulls in the action. It says something that a VERY patient person like myself (teaching kids) can't sit through more than a half inning before flipping to Deadliest Catch or Reno 911.

-Got to observe a couple T. Hansborough games during Summer League and I was a little surprised to see the numbers he was able to put up with ease, albeit in SUMMER LEAGUE. Bayless teased me last summer, so I'll withhold judgement until November. It's looking like he'll see about 20 minutes a game providing foul trouble relief from either Jeff Foster or Roy Hibbert (who is just as gangsta as he wants to be....Spice 1). Along the Pacer lines, I've spent a couple of hours reviewing advanced Pacers stats from last season and this season should show a few improvements. For details, explore this place for a bit.

-Boston's defensive efficiency rating is out of this world and Rasheed Wallace is only going to make it better. Look out for them boys next year, but that's it...as age is sure to set in during 2010-2011.

Episode VI: Return of the Poot

2009-06-17T16:12:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been away for such a long time. It's not that all of my extra time has been spent watching the playoffs, I've been working on my Civil War class which is now finally done FOREVER. That also means that I am officially a certified teacher. Look out kids! Here are my more poignant thoughts on the 2009 NBA Playoffs.

-The Atlanta Hawks have really impressed me over the last two years. Losing to a dominant Boston and Cleveland team is nothing to be ashamed of, and with any luck of the draw next year, they could be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. I wish that Joe Johnson had more of a defined role. Reminds me a little of Rashard Lewis, in that you aren't really sure what you are going to get out of him on a nightly basis. "I'm a SCORER TONITE! Never mind, I feel like playing lockdown perimeter D and rebounding."

-Every year I continue to hate the Lakers more and more. Pretty sure that I pinpointed the reason during the Houston series. Just about every Laker throws on that "I'm god's gift to the earth" look on their face after every made basket. Or they are bitching their ass of to the ref and have the "pouty" face on. PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE ONCE IN A WHILE!! You are playing a game and it is supposed to be fun isn't it?

-The Baseline blog on Sporting News has been KILLING since their startup right before the playoffs. Well, actually Shoals has been killing it. Pretty sure he is my new favorite "author" ever.

-Sad to see Kevin Garnett's from this year's playoffs. Big Baby is highly annoying and I've never enjoyed watching him, including LSU days. And I CANNOT for the life of me figure out why I don't like his game being that he reminds me a little of ME.

-Bulls-Celtics epic series did not turn me on as much as the mainstream media. Simply for the reason that it was a 2-7 matchup with key stars injured. That is all except for the 57 OT game.

-Kobe Bryant holds on to the ball for about 40% of the Laker's possessions. That means about half the time the Lakers have the ball, the other 4 players are doing just about nothing except spotting up for an inevitable wide open jumper or a quick jog back to the defensive end. How does that NOT save a ton of energy. No wonder Ariza, Fisher, Odom and Bynum play phenomenal defense on the other end. That's pretty much all they have to worry about....and hitting WIDE OPEN jumpers.

-Hoping to throw some thoughts on paper regarding the upcoming Draft in the next few days, keep your eye on the blog.

Pray Break

2009-05-19T08:49:00.002-05:00

I'd say Poot's World is entering the Matt Millen Detroit Lions era circa 2002. We don't quite know when we're gonna get out this funk, but maybe this summer we can pick up a draft pick that will send us to the top. Mike, the Birdman, Pugh just got busted for a Schedule 1, and will be gone for 2 years, and Poot, well... Poot will be standing trial at the supreme court for HGH next month. As for me... I heard the Warriors wanted AK-47 and Steve Nash this off-season... I'm hanging it up boys...

I hope the Matt Millen comparison doesn't relate to what I want to say, but yes folks, today is a great day to be a fan of a bad team in the NBA,. While the conference finals are seeing fan-boys pop up over the globe, and Vince McMahon and the Denver Nuggets are set for a steel cage match during halftime of Game 4, we are given the pleasure to spectate into the future of our miscreant franchises. The Lottery will take place (the one which doesn't involve people getting stoned to death), and my hopes are up, as I'm sure your guy's are, that the the long breath that lasts between the opening of envelopes 9-7 will not hear the Golden State Warriors name be called; Rather, one of those fateful 4 ping-pong balls will land in the 1,2, or 3 spot, and a franchise will be rocketed to blog stardom for the next 1.5 months. I have studying to do, but here are my thoughts...

1. Blakey
Would be pumped, we have a hole at Power Forward for an explosive beast around the bucket. Could you imagine an AB, AR, and Blake Griffin front court? My genitalea are trembling...

2. Rickey
What would be better than a Rick Rubey Monta back court? First, getting to see if Rubio's stellar defense is what it has been prophesized, since he would be guarding the best point guards in the world on a daily basis. I'm on the fence between Brandon Jennings and Rubio, but that's the beauty of being slated at 7 right? Ricky's gonna be something special but the last white lottery pick I said that about was Adam Morrison.

3. Hasheem Thabeet
Wait... Did I say I wanted to get the 3rd ping-pong ball?

If my Warriors don't get what they deserve... my hopes heavily rest on the OKC Thunder's chances. What if this team got Blakey? Maybe James Harden could move KD to SF and Green to PF? 2nd fav team in the league for sure.

Well let's take a break out of our day to cross our fingers, light some incense, and rub Poot's belly. Today is what makes franchises boys....

No Good When Working

2009-04-19T14:10:00.005-05:00

Have to apologize for the frequency of postings. As the amount of classwork/regular work increases, the amount of free time left spent on a computer diminishes to about 5 minutes a day. And of course those 5 minutes are spent updating myself on the newest Yo Gotti tracks or finding out if Kevin Pelton has found out the secret to advanced basketball statistics. Fear not ladies and gentlemen, the playoffs are here and I foresee that the frequency will again rise for the next couple of months. Quality will go probably go down, but who am I kidding, it never was that high in the first place. After one complete season of a League Pass subscription, my regular season awards as follows, with no explanations...

Rookie of the Year:

Sixth Man:

Defensive Player of the Year:

Most Improved Player:

Coach of the Year:

MVP:

Inspiration

2009-04-08T12:24:00.003-05:00

This will be short and sweet because i have to get to class, but reading Ball Don't Lie's power rankings this morning, jump-started my day with a rallying-cry I thought no-one in warriors nation, besides myself, was getting behind these days. While that statement may seem a little narcissistic, just rack your brain for the Warriors headlines these days... Team falling apart, Management in Shambles, Don Nelson is Crazy... Well, thanks to a streamlined and thoughtful weekly Rankings by Kelly Dwyer, I was happily able to read this over my morning coffee.

24. Golden State Warriors - The worst part about this sad, pathetic, pointless mess? This team is so, so fun to watch. They have legitimate talent, and a good GM and good coach could take this kernel and do great things with it. To say nothing of possibly the best local play-by-play team in the NBA covering things, and an All-Star fan base. Sad, sad, sad.

So many correct things in one small paragraph, (minus the fact Chris Mullin will be gone next year). Jim Barnett and Bob Fitzgerald are the best play by play team in the league, they are absolutely loaded with young talent, arguably more than Portland and Memphis, and they have a coach who will be the all-time winningnest next year... Can I say more?

The Mystery Of Findlay Prep

2009-04-08T11:50:00.002-05:00

About a week ago, ESPN hosted a tournament where the Top 8 high school teams from across the country competed in a 3 day event to see who was the "National Champion." I was completely unaware of this due to my 55 hour work week during the games but received word from a friend that Findlay Prep School upset Oak Hill Academy to take home the top honors and the title of "NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!" This lead to a research session between my friend and myself for information on this mysterious school in Henderson, Nevada. Our findings are as follows...

-Findlay Prep was founded 3 years ago as a college preparation high school. This year was its first as a regular high school, which means that no one on the team is eligible for a 5th year of basketball.

-The first thing that struck me as I opened up the school's website was its complete devotion to the basketball team. There is a brief "Mission Statement" about the school in the bottom right hand side of the website. Other than that, the school seemed to revolve completely around its basketball team. Don't get me wrong, everyone and their mother is aware of the fact that Oak Hill is first and foremost a basketball school, but at least their site pretends to have some sort of academic intent and create the "student-athlete ideal." I even had to click on 3 links before getting to their basketball team's website. Findlay on the other hand, has no mention of classes, curriculum, field trips, student organizations etc.

-Coming from a purely basketball standpoint, I was surprised that Findlay's team consisted of only 8 players. Strange as that may sound, looking at the team's stats for the year showed that 1 of their players only played 5 total games. Albeit he averaged 11 ppg during his brief stint, but most of Findlay's season was played with only 7 basketball players. Listening carefully to the ESPN recap of the game, you'll notice that the announcer says that all 8 players are Division 1 recruits. Not a bad set of individuals to have on "campus."

-The school's website raised quite a few questions, so I continued my research on Youtube where I found an 8 minute documentary on this team's season. My favorite part of this episode was at the 1:30 mark, where the campus map shows signs for the school's Gym, Fields, Athletic Office, Campus Center, and Cafe. No directions to classrooms of any sort, or anything academically related. It's food, fields, and basketball courts my friends. The coach is interviewed during this piece and did shed some light on possible scholastic endevours that these 8 individuals take part in. Apparently, Findlay is loosly associated with The Henderson International School, a private school that costs approximately $17,000 a year to attend. The coach (who ironically looks like a pre-pubescent John Calapari, only increasing his "shadiness factor") mentioned that the players are "integrated" into the Henderson School for classes. I checked out the school's financial aid page and it stated that "funds for financial aid are very limited." Translated: "The only students that recieve financial aid at Henderson are 8 students...chosen at random." The documentary also mentions a couple other fun facts, including the extreme difficulty of practice. Yes that makes sense, considering the coach can't even run a full 5 on 5 scrimmage! The documentary states that it is Episode 1, but we couldn't find an Episode 2, only a preview of it.

-More searching in the archives of Youtube unearthed this gem. It takes the viewer into the living situation of the 8 members of the basketball team. They all eat, sleep and live under the same roof with the Assistant Coach playing the role of father/mother. Not sure, but that sounds like some sort of NCAA rules violation. Especially after hearing that all 8 of these players were "hand picked from all over the world."

-Fun little video Findlay made a couple of years eariler based on my favorite Nike Basketball campaign. Notice that the team is only slightly bigger in size, and that all the players are sporting a variety of accents from all over the globe.

So what does all of this say about the supposed "monumental upset" of Oak Hill Academy? It wasn't an upset at all! These guys were bred to be star prep basketball players and in no way could you call this game a "David vs. Golaith" matchup. Please take into account that I did not write this piece out of any sort of jealousy or to start any sort of contravorsy. I don't think that Findlay is some sort of morally corrupt school that breeds future D1 recruits who bring down the "student athlete" montra. Hell, I would have loved to have gone to this school had I not been lacking in additional height and basketball talent. It just seems that something slightly shady might be going on in the outskirts of Las Vegas. To be honest, my friend Brekke and I spent most of our time laughing over AOL Messenger at all of the sites visited and videos watched. It was a fun way for me to spend my morning avoiding my Civil War Independent Study class. Special thanks to Brekke by the way, couldn't have done this without you mentioning Oak Hill's loss.

Weekend in Review + Weekend in Preview

2009-03-26T08:55:00.002-05:00

-Not much beats the first couple days of March Madness in your typical college basketball season. I guess this year veered away from the normal buzzer beating upsets that we are used to on Weekend 1. Can't complain, there were a few upsets here and there, but nothing truly inspirational such as the U of Florida wins of old, or the Valpo experience of B. Drew. Seeing Wake Forest lose was a slight turn on, but it lacked character and ESPNClassicability. No mention of brackets as far as "MY BRACKET SUCKS," or things of that nature, as the novelty has truly worn off for me. It's for the love of the game folks.

-Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill are on my watch list for their game against Louisville. They will truly have to take over if Arizona hopes for a win against the ridiculously deep Patino squad. Chase continues to climb the draft board daily? Afraid he may be another Joe Alexander? Not I said the fly. His utterly unflappable midrange game will translate well in the league and he will learn quickly that a little effort will be required to create space for an open shot, something missing from the college game. No worries though, "Athlete Budinger" has not been released. October 2009.

-2 seeds losing to 3 seeds is not considered an upset in my book. So will any of the 1 seeds be upset this weekend? In an ideal west coast world (a world we should strive harder to create in the midwest) Gonzaga and Arizona would pull off the shockers. Sadly, my beliefs are that Connecticut and Pitt. will be the 1 seeds catching the Final 4 omission. Good luck to all.....and BIG NEWS coming in a day or two.

Obama's Flaw

2009-03-18T20:18:00.006-05:00

-I don't know if you guys got to check out Obama's bracket on ESPN, but there is only one west coast team coming out of the first round! What a biased dude.

-This article by Dan Wetzel hits home. I picked USC to win it all last year too, and was met with OJ Mayo not doing shit against K-State, Bill Walker looking like MJ, and Beasley eating it up. Why didn't that team with Taj, OJ, and Davon not do it way bigger?

THE MADNESS BEGINS TOMORROW!!!!!

Big East Butt-Licking

2009-03-16T21:43:00.007-05:00

The word around the block this week has been surrounding the superiority of the Big East Conference this year. Some analysts have even gone as far as to say that this is the greatest conference at any point during the era of a 64 team bracket. Under no circumstances can I agree with these statements and a majority of that has to do with the amount of NBA talent created by teams in particular conference. Other than Thabeet and Flynn, the Big East is hardly a place frequented by NBA scouts on their travels around the country. A few good potential role players lie in the midst (Wes Matthews and Terrence Williams) but the true talent lies in a somewhat weak freshman class spread evenly throughout the country. Quite often, the Pac-10 is able to pile up on "1 and done" talent, but this year proved to be somewhat disappointing. And with the continual coaching problems at Arizona, it doesn't look good in future years for McDonald's talent out west. Back to the Big East, we see that coaches have worked on recruiting middle class talent that won't bolt for the NBA after freshman seasons. While these experienced players provide a solid foundation for tournament success, we don't see the type of supreme talent found during the era of Patrick Ewing or Zo Mourning staying for at least 3 seasons. Personally, I find the "1 and done" teams much more entertaining in that we are able to watch the best basketball talent offered in our country. More athletes, better shooters, NBA bodies etc... I'll even follow players to Europe if I have to (Brandon Jennings) see NBA quality material. Until they are able to garnish teams with the nation's top high schoolers, this Big East butt-licking needs to stop folks. On a somewhat unrelated note, look out for Memphis next year. The inevitable loss of Tyreke Evans to the league will be cured by 4 incoming freshman. Three of them are ranked in the Top 10 and McDonald's All-Americans and the other is ranked in the Top 25. Possible Fab Four?

*****************************Poot's World Bracket Challenge****************************

^^^^^^^THIS ONES FOR YOU MICHAEL!^^^^^^^^

And for both of you....Remember Smilez and Southstar? Well you sure as hell should, and you NEED to listen to this.

Erection Sunday

2009-03-15T12:13:00.007-05:00

Welcome Trojans, to the big dance. It's time for Demar Derozen to showcase his freakish athleticism and pole vault his way up to the Top 5 in this June's draft again. Here's to hoping the selection committee realizes that St. Mary's didn't have their best player for the past 6 weeks and still rolled out an overall 25-6 record. And of course let's not forget there were still some pretty phenomenal NBA games on the schedule to go along with the matriculation into March Madness.

-Duke seems to have locked down a 2 seed with this advancement deep into the ACC tourney. As usual, I like them to make it to the Sweet 16 and promptly lose in a moderate upset. Really haven't spent much time watching this team, but they seem to have the tendencies of a team too reliant on their 3 point shooting to make it far in March.

-Pacers continue to amaze me with their ineptness versus inept basketball teams. Tall, slow, good-shooting Euros continue to pose the most problem to their defense and I can't seem to figure out why. Lebron comes to town and is held in check (as much as you can with LBJ) but Mehmet Okur, Danillo Gellardo and at this very moment, A. Bargnani are cutting through this team with the effectiveness of Kobe Bryant. Does Jim O'Brien just tell his players to give up and let these guys beat them and stop all other scoring threats? Why do Jeff Foster and Troy Murphy possess the necessary skills to hold Yao Ming to 5-14 shooting but Okur drops 43? At this very moment, Indiana is down 19 to the Raptors. Danny Granger has returned but his +- is currently a -19.

-Just watched Mississippi St. beat Tennessee in the SEC Tournament finals. Another bubble goes POP! If the selection committee is thinking with their heads on straight, it'll be a Big 10 squad. How many years of the 2nd-7th ranked Big 10 teams exiting after the first weekend of March Madness will it take before they stop inviting them?

-Speaking of Big 10 basketball, Purdue is about to tip off against Ohio St. Any feelings on Robbie Hummel's potential as an NBA prospect. As much as I hate the conference's style of play, I could see this guy being an integral cog in a future playoff team. He rebounds and defends well along with his dead eye range. Can't argue with that Shane Battier, or James Posey.

-Only one complaint for the selection committee this year....St. Mary's in over Wisconsin. That's right, I'm backstabbing my own alma mater. By far, this had to have been the worst season for me to get season tickets to the Badgers, and I still regret the decision to this day. Incredibly boring team to watch play on both ends of the floor with the most stagnant offense created by man and a brutal "beat the living shit out of the other team" defense. The real cherry on the cake is their cakewalk of a schedule through the overrated Big 10 regular season and a less then impressive non-conference schedule. When they did schedule good teams, (UCONN and Texas) they were supremely outclassed. Arizona was allowed into the tournament on NBA talent alone in my opinion. If you seeded based on lottery selections in next year's draft, Arizona would have been a 1 seed. Can't deny talent.

-Poot's World Bracket Challenge...All are welcome to join.

On the Bubble

2009-03-14T00:49:00.004-05:00

* The moment we've all been waiting for: Mark Cuban's All-Stars

* Didn't know if either of you got to catch the playoff '07 rematch earlier tonight, but the Warriors just lit the Mavs up as electrifyingly as when Baron did it 2 years ago. Look at the NBA.com video.

*Syracuse vs. Connecticut last night... I watched the 1st half and half time, went to a 3 hr basketball tourney and came back at the start of the 6th OT. It is the first time, as Jonny Flinn puts it, that a Big East Tourney game just really didn't matter , everyone was just over it.

*Poot: -- Nets Center Sean Williams plans to spend his summer working out with Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh. The ultra-talented second-year player spent eight games with Colorado's 14ers before being returning to the Nets. Teammates and coaches have noticed a difference in Williams since his return. Williams is more accepting of his role and has devoted himself to practice. Traveling in buses after being pampered by charter flights and $100 per diems tends to have that affect on young players. Williams possesses a boatload of potential. Let's hope his stint in the D-League was the wakeup call he needed. As far as role models for big men are concerned, I can't think of anyone better than Bosh.

*This is just too much

Brain Stir

2009-03-10T22:36:00.002-05:00

-Hard to agree with a couple of choices on that mock draft you gave to us Alex. First off, can't stand Willie Warren going at number 14. The guy is entirely too raw and in my personal opinion, is not at all ready to step in as an NBA point guard. Ever. Same thing goes for Jrue Holiday, unless he is drafted as a shooting guard. Love the idea of the Warriors rolling out a Jennings-Ellis backcourt next year and for years to come. Yes they would be slightly undersized, but the thrilling pace at which they could play at with a Randolph/Biedrens frontline along with Maggete/Jackson/"insert one of the G.S. SF's here" is enough to make a person salivate. Seriously, the Warriors need to look in to locking up him or Rubio. Great things could happen. On that Bay Area note, listened to a KNBR talk show this afternoon with Ralph and Tom Tolbert. Tom was saying that the Warriors lack a STAR player. He went through all the top teams in the West and noted one or 2 players on each team that were better than any 1 Warrior player. Ralph argued that Monta is better than Roy, which was slightly "Chris Bridges" and I'd have to side with Tom's point. They need at least one star.

-People have been jumping all over this Rudy/Ariza play. I was more pissed off at the fact that Ariza showed no remorse. The play wasn't dirty, but it was damn reckless and stupid.

-Man from the Eagles got fired last week for posting on his facebook that they were "retarded" for cutting Dawkins. While he might have a point, how stupid must this guy be?

-Had the complete and utter honor of watching this game live last night. Reminded my why I bought League Pass and why I still love watching basketball.

Quckie

2009-03-09T13:38:00.004-05:00

Look at #8

Yes... my thoughts exactly Sportingnews.com. Despite having a rigged fantasy football contest, I can see you still maintain some wisdom.

HUGE NEWS!! And some sad news

2009-02-26T20:28:00.005-06:00

Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I have huge news I have to share with you. Check this out. That's right, you can see our driveway on google maps street view! The entire Mountain View Road apparently has street view now. Other than people that actually live on Mt. View Rd and think it's cool to look at the road they already know, I don't know what use this would be to anyone...I guess someone driving from Point Arena to Boonville could plan out what pullouts they are going to stop at to take a piss.

I did find one more use for it though. I was able to locate the historical site of the best tire swing ever! And maybe it's like identifying Big Foot in a photo, but I swear you can see the ropes still hanging there....what do you guys think?

On a sadder note, Iggy, the official mascot of Poot's World, passed away yesterday. He was at home with my parents and brother, and apparently he'd been progressively acting sicker the last couple weeks. He will be missed, but I'm sure he's in birdy heaven right now...attacking Jesus's ear.

When I Put On A Shoooooooow...

2009-02-22T00:48:00.005-06:00

Couldn't help but throw together a quick Poot's World show on a Saturday night. Had some things running through my head but they never really made it on to the cast. Part of me thinks I should throw a couple ideas on to paper before I flip on the mic and just spew my random thoughts. Might make for a MUCH more interesting listen, or if I could have Alex or Mike join in via SKYPE....who knows.

Episode 4: Brain Stir

Should explain the reasoning for putting a Brittany Spears song on the show....TNT killed it on the All-Star Saturday Night Festivities with this intro...

Things Are Looking Up...

2009-02-20T16:10:00.003-06:00

-Golden State played a nail-biter with the Lakers on Wednesday night. The dubs were up through the first 3 until the Lakers locked it down and gave it to their best. I distinctly remember saying that this was Anthony Randolph's best game as a pro, and now reviewing after the fact, it most certainly was. I also pointed out the similarities between the frame and games of Lamar Odom and Randolph, with Lamar obviously being way more experienced, yet out being out- played 2x in particular when AR went over the back of him to get a vicious put-back jam, and another time when AR sat on his back after grabbing a board. Odom's quote after the game:

"It's like looking in the mirror a little," Odom said of Randolph. "He's also 6-11, he's left-handed and he can put the ball on the floor. He's two times as athletic as I was at that age.

"He should set his goals high. He has All-Star potential, Hall of Fame potential, with that size, his ability to put the ball on the floor, he can shoot the three, he can pass. If he stays focused, the sky is the limit for him."

I've given Anthony Randolph shit since the season began, but if he can 1. learn the game, and 2. get a decent jumpshot, he could be out of this world. A fiery competitor to the likes of KG, with a ludicrous handle, and an appetite for boards.

-This article on Shane Battier is awesome.

-We are losing a lot of superstars. Al Jefferson, Amare, Andrew Bynum, Granger, Garnett, Jameer Nelson, and Ginobli... Bummer

-Trade deadline sure had a lot of hype before it, with my fallus fluttering undoubtedly the most with the Salmons to Chicago trade. Larry Hughes and Chris Wilcox to New York is a snore, and the same with Rafer, worst starting point guard in the league, Alston to Orlando. The Jermaine O'Neal story is now just starting to get sadder, while Shawn Marrion remains as nostalgic about '05 as anyone. All and All I read a hefty daily amount of Realgm.com for nothing.

All-Star Results

2009-02-16T11:05:00.002-06:00

Kind of a buzz kill of an All-Star weekend in my opinion. The one thing I wanted NOT to happen (Nate Robinson winning) did happen and the actual game itself was a moderate blowout. Is was nice to see both teams trying pretty hard up until the last couple minutes, a rarity in all other professional sports. There were a couple of major high points that need to be voiced in video form including Shaq's phenomenal introduction dance and Lebron announcing that he is entering his name in for the 2010 dunk contest. I wish I had video footage of this from my DVR...Lebron throws it off the glass for a two handed dunk and his nose is literally at the rim. Its one of those moments where you honestly cannot believe what you are witnessing. If he could just get a little creative in the air, the contest is his to lose. Part of me believes that he is capable of creativity, but has been holding out for all these years in hope of putting on one of the greater P.R. stunts in recent NBA history.

All Star Predictions

2009-02-12T18:15:00.003-06:00

Being that a majority of the festivities take place on Valentine's night, I will not be able to watch the 3pt Shootout and Dunk Contest. Or for that matter, I think I have to work during the H-O-R-S-E competition. So why not make predictions on the events that I can't view...

HORSE: Not sure what to expect with this bad boy of a new event. Love the way Joe Johnson operates on the basketball court so I'm going to roll with him. I'm also going to put it out there that this event is going to be uneventful, boring and uninteresting. Go JOE!

Skills Competition: Devin Harris is the only one that will give a crap about this event so I'm giving the torch to the Wisconsin native. Also, visited his hometown last weekend and the town is completely up in arms about Devin's All-Star weekend debut. Well, on second thought...

3pt Shootout: Of course you know I'm going to be jumping on the Granger bandwagon in this competition. His line drive laser shot will need to catch fire, which of course it will slipping through the first round. Semi's and finals will be dominated by this year's most improved player.

Dunk Contest: ANYBODY BUT NATE ROBINSON, ANYONE BUT NATE ROBINSON!!!! So sick of little men getting major props for doing what would be considered a simple dunk for someone above the height of 6'5. Why not just have an event that measures vertical jumps and crown a winner. J.R. SMITH biatches! He's creative, has mad hops, and finishes with authority. Can't ask for much more. Plus his behind the back dunk 2 years ago did not get proper recognition in the dunk contest world.

Feb 19

2009-02-10T17:30:00.003-06:00

Thanks Poot for keeping the World turning.

Huge trade scenarios being put forth as Feb 19 deadline looms. Amare is the focal point

Amare to: Warriors, Heat, Pistons, any other team under the Sun!

Warriors: I love Amare, but I love Biedrins and Monta more. They're not going to land him anyway, but there insistence to shop these 2 puts a cloud over my otherwise sunny day.

Heat: Your'e looking at Carlos Boozer next year if they don't land Amare now... I would go with the latter. Apparently Kerr doesn't want Marion or Beasely, which are the two biggest pawns, hence, we're not going to see Amare setting over Wade County anytime soon.

Bulls: Could go down seeing as for some reason the Suns want Tyrus Thomas and Kirk Hinrich out of it. Thow in Sefalosha and you get an absolute steal for Chicago.

Grizzlies: Gay, Gasol, Conley, whoever else besides OJ. Amare and Mayo would be unstoppable! By the way OJ lead the league in rebounding the few nights with a total of 16 tied with Okafor!

Detroit: If you could get Rasheed Wallace and a Jason Maxiell/Amir Johnson, I say go ahead. You would have 2 expiring contracts with Amare and Iverson next year, hopefully re-signing the former and having a solid nucleus of Stuckey, Rip and Amare to work around.

Vince Carter to San Antonio - Would provide another wounded dog Michael Finley presence but with substantially more fire-power. Looking to deal Roger Mason, another Bruce Bowen we may have to deal with for the next 5 years, would nix this one though

The Quest For "G"

2009-02-04T15:12:00.003-06:00

Never was as big of a fan of Monty Python as the other two writers of this blog, but I thought this 9 minute spoof on The Holy Grail by Gatorade was pretty freaking hilarious. Alex, I hope you don't have to worry about dial up internet anymore, or else this could be a bitch to load. List of cast members...

1. Garnett the Glorious
2. Jeter the Gifted
3. Jimmie Johnson the other Gifted
4. Sir bolt the Gutsy
5. Sir bolts pet “Ego”
6. Misty and Keri the 3 legged and 2 headed knight.
7. Alicia the girl that made horse trotting noises.

Listen for Michael Jordan's voice at the very end. Love Usain Bolt's pet Ego.

Pooty Profile: Brook Lopez

2009-02-02T16:48:00.007-06:00

Often while watching an NBA game, I find it interesting to focus on one player for 10-15 minutes at a time. Doesn't matter where the ball is or if the player has too much of an impact on the game. This weekend's player happened to be Brook Lopez.

Brook has always fascinated me as a basketball enthusiast. His quirky demeanor,
crazy sounding voice, low post skills and freaky neck hair has often made my eyes wander his way. Offensively, Brook is somewhat of an anomaly. He plays well with his back to the basket setting up on either side of the low post. On most possessions, he is a master of conserving energy (methodical as all hell) until the exact right moment where his body springs into action and he gets ready for an entry pass. After receiving the entry pass, he has an array of moves up his sleeves ranging from a fadaway jumper to a drop step baby hook. This burst of energy usually only lasts 4 seconds at a time. The rest of the shot clock is spent with Brook looking like my grandpa trying to shovel the driveway at 5:30 AM. On some occasions, I noticed him display characteristics to his twin Robin, as he would hound the offensive glass with much longer bursts of energy and he had a couple of put back slams that reminded me of a much nimbler player than the one I had viewed earlier. Defensively, Brook left much to be desired. He was often late helping out on ball screens and his rotation across the lane was boarderline snaillike. His 4 blocks were merely because of his height but I'll give him some props for Brook's timing. Reminded me more of "Tim Duncan blocks" where he more or less outsmarts the offensive player into thinking that the ultra-methodical center will not be able to position himself quickly enough to send the shot in the other direction. Looking back on what I wrote, it sounds like I don't think highly of Lopez. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Part of basketball involves being the oddball of the group. Every player is not the same, and sometimes having a sloth in a horserace can be beneficial. Brook notices openings that might be lost to the quicker players and is able to slip through these openings resulting in a decent fg% and high point total, especially for a rookie. It is yet to be seen if he has the ability to make his teammates better. Ah yes, the unmeasurable big man stat that only Tim Duncan seems to truly pwn other centers at is impossible to see with the naked eye and requires years of analysis. Who knows what the future will hold for the Stanford grad. I don't imagine that he'll win any league MVP's anytime soon like the aformentioned Duncan, but don't put a few all-star appearances beyond Brook
and maybe a career 20ppg 10rbpg 2bl average.

Remember Voshon Lenard?

2009-01-27T12:13:00.004-06:00

-Three point threat for the Heat way back in the Pat Riley days. Often lit it up including a memorable 3pt contest victory in 2004. Did I say memorable? Exactly right my people, he came back and destroyed the field hitting 16 points in the final round after a rough start. On wikipedia, it states that Voshon is currently a free agent. That's right NBA GM's, its time to get on the wire and bring this flamethrower back into the league for your playoff push. Celtics? Anyone?

-Does Olimpiakos have the dumbest set of player personnel team assembled? Willing to argue yes based on the fact that there is interest in Stephon Marbury. European teams are particularly notorious for not putting up with "me first" personalities and one would imagine that Steph wouldn't last much longer then a couple weeks before his coach and teammates would be at his throat.

-Chris Paul keeps edging closer to the vaunted quadruple double with 27, 15, 10 and 7 steals. I can't put it into words how much this statline blows my mind. The little one grabs so many boards which I continue to point out has nothing to do with size, and much more with effort.

-Remember this game? Played it a couple times at Aaron Sawyer's house back in the day. Sick, sick find!

-Have you been watching the Basketball Jones Videocast? Love their analysis and humor that they bring to the table most weekday mornings. However, doesn't it it take away from their credibility when seeing them on video? Looks like neither of them have picked up a basketball at any point in their lives.

-Another NBA podcast that has been on my radar recently. The guys at Talk Hoops have one called The Weekly Fix. It's a little long, but pretty funny and a little more explicit then The Jones. Also, looking forward to The Hardwood Paroxysm's Podcast which has yet to be started but has been advertised. They have quite a collection of NBA minds that should blend well for a solid podcast. Not enough hours in the day to listen to all of the things I'd like to.

NBA Draft

2009-01-21T00:09:00.002-06:00

Greetings, its your draft specialist Pooty Love, here to break down the mock draft in unfortunately poor fashion due to the lack of college bball i have watched this season. Still some topics of discussion:

1. Blake Griffin - No qualms with Griffin here. He is the premier athlete in the NCAA and will surely succeed once he gets a few go-to moves in the post at the next level.

2. Hasheem Thabeet - Whoever drafts Hasheem here is setting themselves up for disaster... Guarantee he will drop a bunch of spots come July. If one thing can be learned from this decade its draft the best player at whatever spot / not necessarily the one with the most athletic potential, and be VERY weary high using your high pick on a center. Hasheem is far from the answer for a struggling NBA team, is he even killing it at UConn?

3. James Harden - Oh yeah. This guy is the real. Polished, smart and gutsy player who along with a great supporting cast at Ariz St. is tearing it up. OJ Mayoesque ladies and gentlemen, not as athletic, but has got the will to get it done.

4.Jordan Hill - Not sure how Mr. Hill has jumped so far up the draft board. Everytime I watch him at Zona, he is lethargic 80% of the time, and the remaining production are put-backs or alley-oops. Not sold on this athletic big man.

5. Brandon Jennings - If you haven't read PW's world the past few months, this guy is the definition of brilliance. Could do what Jason Williams and Allen Iverson did to re-stylize the NBA. #1 on this Poot's Big Board

---Don't know enough names after this... Budinger is projected too high, Jeff Teague and Wake Forest are on the rise. More to come. Poot, I can't listen to your radioshow, the box is blacked out. Very disappointing.

Monta Countdown - I'll give it 2 weeks

4.

Taking Full Advantage

2009-01-16T12:43:00.004-06:00

Happy to see Jerryd Bayless get some action last night against the Nets. He scored 23 points in his Blake-less debut due to a shoulder injury and added 3 boards and assists along with a robust 11-11 at the stripe. The kid was meant to be a serious player in the NBA and its a damn travesty that Maryland's own Blake gets a majority of the play. His consistancy is nice, but Bayless' ability to explode offensively and his sturdy frame and ridiculous quicks providing enough on the defensive end should warrant a spot in the starting rotation. Or at the very least, big minute 6th man. Brandon Roy said this about Bayless.

"He's strong, strong as hell,' Roy said. 'Just play against him and you'll see why he gets there. Tell him to drive on you one time. He puts that body on you ... I mean, I was falling back (going) 'Whoooooa!'' After that happened a couple times in Blazers practices, it struck a chord with Roy. This was not common, he thought. It got him thinking which other players in the NBA posed the same problem when he was guarding them. 'It's the Dwyane Wades that give you that type of problem,' Roy said. 'You look at the young players, it's Rodney Stuckey. Those dudes that get low and power to the basket, those are the toughest to guard. And he has that."

Would have liked to see him grab a couple of steals during his 25 minutes stint, but you can't complain about this monster dunk he threw down....

The Kids We Love

2009-01-14T17:43:00.001-06:00

If there was any doubt about a ballplayers age, Ricky Rubio is not the place to start. He looks about 15...maybe? Enjoy the viral vid.....

Booty Star Glock Talk: Central Division

2009-01-11T18:18:00.005-06:00

Continuing with our "watchability"review up to this point in the NBA season is everyone's favorite, THE CENTRAL! Beware, a couple of these reviews could be incredibly biased.

Cleveland Cavaliers: The Lebrons always rank high on my watchability index. During my freshman year of college in the dorms of UC Riverside, my doormates would constantly tell me that Lebron was going to be a complete failure in the NBA. I'll continue to stand by my opinion of him turning in to one of the greatest players in NBA history. Of course, I did say the same thing on Johnathan Bender. C'mon, the guy was a 7'1" shooting guard who could slash with and pass with the best of them. His jump shot was butter when left open all the way out to the 3pt line and he boarded like CRAZY! Points per minute were through the roof but his problem was 2 incompetent knees and a couple of untrusting coaches. Jury's still undecided on that one....right? Anyways, besides the obvious draw of Lebron, Mo Williams is fun to watch on the offensive side of the floor and their array of 3pt shooters genetically engineered to compliment Lebron's strengths provide for a GREAT VIEW every time.
Watchability: 9.0

http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/nateorious-poots-world-watchability

Decided to get some of my watchability piece on radio. Enjoy, I was tired and couldn't even remember what day of the week it was. Turn down your speakers when listening to the music. ITS WAY TOO LOUD!

Booty Star Glock Talk: Atlantic Division

2009-01-10T12:31:00.004-06:00

Having nearly reached the halfway point of this fine NBA season with my equally gorgeous subscription to League Pass, I felt it pertinent to reflect on the games I have been watching and assess the "watchability" of certain teams. Too many factors went into this grading system so I'll just fire out a list and explain the reasons. Take into account that these are incredibly biased reasons for disliking or liking to watch a team play. The scale is from 1-10 with 1 being an automatic channel change and 10 a "locked in and no switching, even during commercial mode."

Boston Celtics: The defending champs are slowly becoming one of the least interesting teams to watch in my opinion. Ray Allen has never been a favorite of mine, and the excessive attempted punking by Pierce and Garnett is just getting annoying. Rondo's all around brilliance and freakishly long arms continue to keep me coming back for more. And the added inscentive to watch the continual growth of Bay Area's Leon Powe.
Watchability: 7.5

New Jersey Nets: Devin Harris is my main draw here for me. Got to meet him a few times during his stint at UW (I even walked into his apartment when he was in nothing but his boxers ;) and the guy is truly a nice person. Very level-headed and not a dick with his star status. Easy to root for him as he ascends to All-Star levels in his newfound role. Having said all this, it is incredibly difficult for one player to bring me to a team's attention. Devin is close, but if he rests, I often switch and just forget the Nets were even on in the first place. Was getting a little ticked off that Sean Williams was never playing, but with his recent D-League struggles, I suppose Frank's reasons were legitimate.
Watchability: 7.0

Philadelphia 76ers: No offense to the major sixer following we have aquired on PW, but I just can't stand watching this team play basketball. All of the parts are in place for me to being a fan of this team. Andre Miller dropping mad dimes, Thad and Dre providing the much needed athletic freaks I so enjoy watching, and a fantasy basketball favorite, Sam Dalembert. Even with the injured Brand, I was continually ticked off by their underachieving nature and the fact that I expect so much more from them leads to the infrequency of view time.
Watchability: 2.5

Toronto Raptors: Another team I should love watching on a daily basis is sinking fast due to my high pre-season expectations. Chris Bosh was easily my favorite player on Team U.S.A. last summer and Jose Calderon's assist to turnover ratio and smooth stroke has always been a huge turn on for this blogger. Maybe its the bitterness at J.O. for always being injured during his tenure with the Pacers, or perhaps its their oft-stagnent offense that should be cutting through defenses around the league like a hot knife through butter. Sad story, but I often change the channel after a couple minutes of watching this team ball. The one thing that pumps them up a couple notches is that they always provide me with a Sunday morning NBA fix with their 11:30 starts when playing at Air Canada Centre.
Watchability: 4.0

New York Knicks: This is one of the few teams I can't stop watching due to one player. Mr. David Lee has me hooked on the Bockers like one of those Blue Magic heroin addicts in American Gangster. He has an incredibly quick first step, finishes in all shapes and styles, runs around on defense like a fiend, and has those springloaded calves, supremely important for grabbing rebounds even after misjudging the ball off the rim. Nate Robinson should be enough to offset my love of Lee, but I do my best to ignore the annoying little bastard. IF he wins the slam dunk contest this year, I might get more angry than last night watching the Lakers-Pacers game.
Watchability: 6.5

Its a New Year

2009-01-05T18:10:00.002-06:00

Like the title says, Poot's World is ready for big and better things. Although I am too, entrenched back into the university, my commitment to PW will never wane (except when I succumb to inexplicable laziness).

-My love for Anthony Randolph beginning in July has rapidly decreased with his overall rookie effort through January. I'm not one to rag on a guy for not knowing plays, because 1. An NBA team is not an easy system to incorporate yourself into at such an early age, 2. I never learned plays very fluidly, nor used them even though i was the starting pg under Coach JB, BUT have you ever seen a guy look completely lost on the offensive end, and on the way to huddles have his teammates ignore or reject frustratingly his asking of help? What makes both of those things untolerable is the fact he seems extremely hard-headed which leaves unforeseeable improvement. I'm already tired of the guy and despite his flashes of freakish athleticism, have little hope for his future. I say trade him while he is still hot off the first round pick, along with Maggette, for Gerald Wallace, if Charlotte would do that.

Concerning such a deal for PW's COVETED Gerald Wallace, Matt Steinmetz, my new daily NBA read, lists 10 players who would "fit" Don Nelson's style. . Although I hardly ever disagree with what the man says, this article appauls me. He gives a nod to: Andre Blatche, Andrea Barngani, Tony Allen, YI JIANLIAN, Darko Milicic, Darius Miles, Acie Law, Marquis Daniels, Tyrus Thomas, YET, says this about GW... Gerald Wallace, Charlotte: It’s hard to imagine Wallace coming to the Warriors and making any kind of significant positive impact. He seems like just another player you'll bring in and get marginal results. But he’s Nelson’s kind of power forward, isn’t he? Aside from baller Marquis Daniels, if any of those players were traded to the Warriors, I would proceed to puke my intenstines out. I probably couldn't make a list of NBA players I think suck more than that this set of names in particular, and Gerald Wallace is at the bottom? He works hard as fuck, scores at the power forward position, swats, steals, plays D. I'm waiting for him to come our way but something tells me a much darker force, (aka those names above) may reveal itself in the coming month...

-I haven't gotten to watch Rodney Stuckey in his recent tear, and I am asking myself why I am even saying this, but if I had to pick a PG for the future and it was Rondo or Stuckey, isn't it obvious I would pick Stuckey? Let's see, I can't even fathom the damage a Stuckey run Celtics could deal, whereas, Rondo's role has been so nurtured and perfected within that "Big 3" structure, they have just masterfully made that situation work. They turned an NBA type athlete in Rondo, into a PG that kills it in their system. I know he has a lot of fans, so I won't say much more, but if he was to be in Detroit, I wouldn't see him doing near as much. Just look at the hype surrounding Rondo at Kentucky in '04. Like a deflated baloon.

Brain Stir

2009-01-01T23:26:00.007-06:00

-I'm starting to believe I could cut it as a coach in the NBA. Here is my argument.....

Coaching middle school is exactly like coaching in the league in that their are 15 nearly impossible ego's to please and manage on a daily basis. The ultimate goal is to have everyone work together, but more often then not, the stars of each team just end up duking it out. Then it turns into a damage control scene for playing time and figuring out painless explanations to the other 13 egos as to why they just aren't very good. Installing offensive and defensive systems often goes to the wayside during games as 1 on 1 lane clearage takes full effect. Couple in multiple player run ins with the law, scattered drug or sex scandals, and I've got the perfect resume. Sure the age difference is slightly significant, but I'd have to say the elements are there. I am fully aware that my tenure will probably last no longer then a year and am OK with the complete lack of job stability. Sign ME UP!

-I will continue to tell EVERYONE to ease up on NBA betting. I swear Vegas has already watched all of these games and knows exactly where to set the lines. The most enraging part is it always seems to come down to a meaningless foul or layup in the final seconds. Smart peeps they got.

-Watching the USC Rose Bowl victory and they cut to a shot of Taylor Mays just standing their in all of his 1st round draft pick glory. In a room of 3 guys, Brett and Kirk Herbie, we all fell silent for about 10 seconds. Kirk broke the silence with, "It should be illegal to look that good in a football uniform." Couldn't have agreed more. Not only is he one of the brightest young football minds of this defensive generation, but he looks like Terrell Owens warming up in the Under Armor. Only he is in full gear! Lebron and Dwight couldn't even compare to #4.

-It concerns me that Josh Smith only has one game this year with at least 4 steals and 4 blocks. It happened 5 times last year. And no, I'm not taking the injury as an excuse.

-Sad I missed the epic battle at A.V. High School. Did not think that the empress of Boonville would make an appearance on the hardwood floors, but I'm guessing she is the one that had the keys and was forced into the game. Epic analysis comparing Jim to Amare S.

-DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that Dan Patrick's real last name is Pugh. He decided to not use the name during his time on air. Looks like the Pugh's of the world only do BIG things. NASA, Swiss Robots, sports radio...

-It's a new year and another chance for us to put a little more effort into PW. I say this only to myself come to think of it, as my life over the past 6 months has just been entirely too hectic. Post January 23rd, concentration and effort will be restored on my front, and I look to do a little more fun and entertaining writing. Maybe weekly editions of certain topics of my/our choices.

Holiday

2008-12-30T03:13:00.003-06:00

-I have been back in the states for 3 weeks and find that having dial-up makes me feel more like i am in a different continent than Argentina did. I have been thinking of Poots World daily, and guilt arises each time, yet not enough to make me want to watch our banner load for 5 minutes and then wait another 10 to post a quickie. I apologize and am from this point back in the game:

-Warriors: Looked like a D-League team throughout 2/3 of December, now getting back their Swagger produced by a summer league-esque madman Marco Bellinelli each night, and a healthy Steven Jackson.... and of course Goose, the most gifted center behind Dwight Howard. They lost a lead against the Raptors tonight and we only up 2 with 3 minutes to go, but you just knew they weren't going to lose.

-Poot, if you get the chance, watch Bellinelli draw fouls. He is a "smooth flopper". He doesn't exaggerate his movements but takes advantage of the opponents little pushes which he reacts to very fluidly. He drew something like 6 against the Celtics, fouled Ray Allen out, and received the dreaded, Garnett "i bully white guys and rookies" stare/taunt.

-I dreamt that Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson were having Tea, and Baron professed his desire to return to the warriors and escape the clutches of Mike Dunleavy. Well not really, but that did happen. Let's just say Poot's World would celebrate with a week long party if that happened.

-I would love to hear Lakers and Boston thoughts Poot. Like everyone is saying, the Lakers didn't get pushed around like last time and hit timely shots, with a big game from Gasol.

-Last Saturday morning the AV High School gym was graced by a 3v3 game including Mike, Jeff, Janneana, vs Donna, Me and Jim. Assessing their performances:

Jim's "Amare" type physical presence didn't emerge until the end of the 3rd game, when he came up with 2 huge blocks on Jeff and Janneana, and hitting 3 big jumpers on the final stretch... He finished 4 for 19 with 6 rebounds.
Jeff came up with a big charge on me in the 2nd game, however the great play was negated by the delay of game call he received later for lying on the floor before subbing himself and Donna out.
Mike's solid play continued as he came up with 10 steals on passes that the coach is still shaking his head at.
Donna began to show promise with her pick and pop game but still has happy feet. Camp Coleman couldn't come sooner.
Janneana survived 3 Jeff elbows and was able to walk away with the coveted Eddy Slottie JV Basketball award: "Best Free Throw"
Alex's week contract after a call-up from the Bakersfield Jam was cut short as his Anthony Randolph scowl and low percentage corner 3s didn't make a statement.

Its Poot's World... and as your famous Twitter friend demonstrated... 2009 has big things in store.

2008-12-29T16:09:00.003-06:00

Notice I put a Twitter link in the corner of our site by the "What We Are Here For." Twitter allows you to get brief little updates throughout the day and hooks in with a bunch of other NBA bloggers. Check it out. Alex, you will love this...19 weeks ago, Ryne Nelson (he runs the majorly traffic'd SlamOnline blog, another you need to check out) wrote a reply to me on Twitter that said "By the way, when did you start your blog? It has some interesting content and an even *more* interesting banner. =)" Thats right my friend, we truly have hit it big time.

Roll-call

2008-12-29T10:33:00.005-06:00

HELLLLLOOOOOO?!! Is anyone out there? Can I get any visual confirmation that anyone is reading this??? (Alex/Mike) More importantly, can I get a location update from our South American friend? I think you are back in California, but that is yet to be established. Remember, I live half a continent away where the weather has dipped to -30 twice this year, and snow is more abundant than beer. I wanted to take this brief vacation time I have available near a computer to look back and grade our previews of NBA rookies thus far.

Demarcus Nelson: We gave the guy some love and he is coming up with some pretty solid minutes when he gets a chance. Considering no one thought he would see any floor time, I'd say we get a...

B+

Bill Walker: Another heralded future star by PW, we didn't expect to see him in the D-League. But the man is tearing the shit out of the minors, and Danny Ainge is on a flight right now to watch a game of his as we speak...

Mario Chalmers: "Stuck on bench for 8 year career," was my exact quote. While he isn't exactly sitting on the bench as much as I originally thought, I stick by my guns with the span of his time in the League...

B-

Deandre Jordan, Danillo Gallinari, Javale McGee and Anthony Randolph: These were my prized possessions of my Rookie preview. The BUSTS! I've always known these four would prove absolutely useless in the league and would inevitably taking a flight to (or back to) Europe within a few years. The jury is still a little bit out on Randolph, who has shown flashes of brilliance with Nelly. Gallinari's back has proven to be problematic, but in 1 months time, you'll see why I penciled him in to the busts...

Eric Gordon: Another spot on pick for a bust! The kid doesn't do much beyond jacking up the most shots per minute in the NBA and hitting them with great inconsistencies. Am not surprised in the least. The only thing keeping us from getting an "A" on this guy is that he keeps on getting serious minutes for some weird reason. Give up Dunleavy...

B+

OJ Mayo: The heralded bust by draft experts turned premier Rookie of the Year candidate. The man was just built to dominate the NBA. The writers at PW are hardly shocked. We crowned him future All-Star for a reason...

A+

Jerryd Bayless: Along with Mayo, we gave this guy early All-Star considerations. It's impossible to tell with this young man where his career is heading. When he does see the court, he shows Monta Ellis-like composure and scoring abilities. Nate M. keeps holding him on the bench for some strange reason as the gluttony of capable backcourt players continues to pile up in Portland. I foresee a career much similar to that of Jermaine O'Neal, a superior talent lost on the Blazer bench...

No Grade

Continuing To Watch Brandon Jennings

2008-12-17T15:58:00.004-06:00

Just watched their game against Ricky Rubio's team in the Euroleagues on NBA TV. So many thoughts to follow when I get a chance on Friday. Hey, I graduate on Sunday! Anyways, B. also has a blog on UnderArmor which is phenomenal. It's safe to say that he is my new daily obsession. More so than looking up obscure Josh Smith or Gerald Wallace stats. Until Friday, ADIOS!

Watching Brandon Jennings

2008-12-07T17:50:00.003-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of watching Roma play some German team in the Euroleague competition. Of course my eyes were locked in on Roma's little man with the white arm sleeve. It was the only way I could distinguish him from other guards on the team with the bad feed from NBA TV. Getting past the awful announcing from some Italian guy took some time, but once I did, I was able to hone in on our main man from Compton. Sadly, he only played 11 minutes and never got into the flow of things on both ends of the court. His timing was a little off and his shot selection was questionable at best. I do not agree with the coaching for this team and many Euroleague teams I have seen in the past. The pace is slow, yet the bodies keep flooding in on subsitutions. Just about every players sees some time on the court but no one truly develops a chance to get comfortable within the context of the game. With Brandon, its obvious that he is eons ahead of all of the players athletically and visually. He sees and attempts passes on the court that no one else would be cabable of visualizing. While the execution is yet to be on par with the likes of Chris Paul, Steve Nash or D. Williams, these flashes of brilliance leave you wanting more. Unfortunately, playing in Europe, I'm guessing his floortime will top off at around 24 minutes a game with little chance for developling the necessary rythmn for upper echelon point guards. His turnovers were high, but I would attribute that to his style of play. He is built for the NBA, methodical buildups into freakishly athletic bursts to find openings on the floor. The lane is packed with 3-4 players diminishing some of Brandons greatest talents. The amount of hours spent playing basketball with his team should benefit him greatly in the League, but I'd argue that game experience will prove useless, at least on the offensive end.

The Kid in Timberlands

2008-12-03T18:30:00.003-06:00

-Really interesting article on Greg Paulus.

http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/for-greg-paulus-is-being-the-sixth-man-better-than-starting-at/

I remember him coming out Freshman year being the point god of the future, who JJ Redick consoled to take off his timberlands and fubu jacket when he came to visit the campus for the first time. Crazy touted QB chose to play BBall at Duke, and after a long 4 years which I have watched my fair share of, he is on the bench rather than the starting line-up. With JJ the kid worked well, but didn't stand out, and when he had his chance, revealed himself to be realtively unastounding along with super bust Josh McRoberts. I think it is a good spot for him coming off the bench, he provides energy and solid PG skills while letting the reigns go to Nolan Smith.

Looking forward to the Mich St. vs. UNC game tonight... wait Drew Neitzel plays in Germany.

Here it is: http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/55795/20081203/sources_warriors_already_regretting_maggette_signing/#

Corey Maggette's Statistics

Date	Opponent	Minutes	Points	Assists	Turnovers
11/25	Washington	30	17	3	2
11/26	Boston	37	32	1	4
11/28	Cleveland	32	11	0	2
11/30	New York	42	32	2	5
12/1	Miami	47	29	0	1

the hate train started right here, but get read for it to gain steam. He is the #1 reason they suck.

: )

2008-12-02T20:47:00.001-06:00

More on this when I get a chance...have to go to bed now....BUT THAT WAS A TOP 5 LIFE MOMENT watching the Pacers beat my most hated team ever at the BUZZER with a tip in...

Bad Times

2008-12-02T18:39:00.003-06:00

Terrible time to be a Warriors fan. Last night, stayed up til 1:30 to watch the game, OT was over by 4:30, with a lot of wind taken out of the sails. Up by 4 with 18 seconds left, how do you fuck that up? Giving credit to B-Easy, he stole what ended up being the last shot of the game, and to Wade for playing like the animal he is... Glancing at this offensive efficiency chart which sorts itself by positive to negative change over the this season and last, the warriors are ranked last with a -4.2 ranking. Not hard to imagine, but it just puts the nail in the coffin. This team looked like another run-n-gun fun team to watch at the beginning of the season, but they lost that somewhere along the way. I'll blame it on no Ellis and Magette but, who knows, unfortunately, we could have seen the last of it forever.

Much props if you can tell me who this is Poot.

NBA League Pass: Love and Hate

2008-12-01T22:35:00.002-06:00

-I get these free streams online for League Pass, and i can't complain being able to watch any game i want, the service is clutch... But jesus, they need to realize how much time their viewers dedicate to watching an NBA game, and how many advertisements they must see. I feel like THX 1138, or 1984 hearing the same mind-numbing symphonic piano with the same where ' ' happens over, and over again... if i see Dirk Nowitzki as a smiling 12 year old one more time i am going to lose it. Even worse, Kevin Garnett grabbing the mic and in late-night cinemax soft-core porn voice, "i'm happy to be here." That one catches me off guard everytime...it makes me cringe thinking about it. PLEASE NBA, have a fan contest to get more commericials up, these ones are really really wearing thin.

-I'm watching the late-night warriors-heat game. Like the NBA commercials, I'm losing patience with Corey Maggette. Everytime I nag on him he gets and and1 or a sweet jumper, and you can't deny it, he is a gifted scorer, but he needs the ball and way too much in isolation and too much of the shot clock to get anything done. Jackson already has both of those things down pat, and with jamal and him primed for Monta's return, there is basically no need for Magette at all anymore. Add to the fact he really wasn't much of a 'winner' with the Clippers doesn't save him any.

-I don't know if you get to watch the Warriors Poot, but its so funny the Brandon Wright, Anthony Randolph dynamic. They are literally good/evil twins. Brandon Wright, crazy athletic, nice baby hooks, and surprising but not seldom put back dunks, and none of these things being accompanied by any showmanship. Randolph however, has a mean mug all game, was just trying to go shot for shot with Beasely, takes a mid-range jumper everytime he gets the ball inside the 3, and rebounds with reckless abandon. One of them will get traded by the end of the year i think, we'll see, but nevertheless they are a funny pair.

-Everyone is giving OJ Mayo love, no doubt, he would be a ROY lock if it weren't for DR. I like to think here that we saw that coming at Poot's World. keep it up mayo, if he manages to keep his average up, i think a 2x ROY could be on the horizon.

-Who is going to give Marbury a contract? It's obvious he has a personality disorder. Anyone who takes a chance on this guy especially after this recent stuff with calling Quintin Richardson a coward for not standing up for him is just crazy.

Looking Closely At Andris Biedrins

2008-11-29T09:00:00.006-06:00

First off, I have to start by saying that I still cannot believe this guy is more than a year younger then I am. It's ludicrous! There must be some kind of Danny Almonte birth certificate deal going on here and I refuse to believe that I will be able to rent a car faster than the starting center for the Golden State Warriors. Just look at the man; the chiseled jaw, the constant look of unquestioned patience even in the most wild of times, the hair, and the uncanny body control scream out to us that Andris has to be at least 25.

I ran a comparison of Andris, Dwight Howard, Yao Ming and Andrew Bynum to see if I could uncover anything interesting about our favorite Latvian I must say that the results were somewhat staggering. On the surface, Andris's stats are comparable with our future starting centers in the All-Star game and Bynum. Points per game are a little lower and rebounds per game are a little higher. However, we all know that over the course of an entire season, (I also looked over their entire careers) Biedrins receives lower amounts of playing time in Don Nelson's system when compared to the other 3. This is where the advanced statistics were needed from basketball-reference to truly uncover the brilliance of Hair Product Central. I picked out the stats that Andris was tops in when compared to the other 3 centers. The following statistics were from each of the 4 players' careers. It's too early for this particular season to give effective analysis on these advanced statistics.

ORtg: Offensive Rating is points produced per 100 possessions. It has a whole bunch of different algorithms and other math words I don't know the meaning of but the essence of the stat is points produced per 100 possessions. Guess who leads in this category? None other than our man Andris. While it may be hard to find in a boxscore, this man's efficiency every time he touches the ball on offense is through the roof. This leads into my next stat...

Usg%: Usage percentage is an estimate of the percentage of team plays used while this player is on the court. As one would expect, Andris had the lowest usage percentage of the bunch. I didn't need to tell anyone this, just watch a Warriors game. The man sometimes disappears during Warrior offensive sets, but when he does touch the ball, great things happen.

eFG%: Effective field goal percentage adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal. For example, suppose Player A goes 4 for 10 with 2 threes, while Player B goes 5 for 10 with 0 threes. Each player would have 10 points from field goals, and thus would have the same effective field goal percentage of 50%. Andris tops the group far and away. This must mean that he knows his role better than the other 3 and attempts less from downtown. He also is much more effective in his 2pt. field goal percentage.

TS%: Same thing as the one before only this one takes into account free throws rather than 3 pointers. Biede heads up this department which was a surprise to me. I figured that Yao's uncanny ability to hit free throws would push him over the edge on this statistic. It just goes to show you how much MORE effective Andris is at hitting his shots that aren't free throws.

ORB%: Offensive rebound percentage is an estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while he was on the floor. The man has an ability to be in the right place in the right time. This stat more than anything shows his natural instinct around a basketball. While he does not top off the list for defensive and total rebounding percentage, I felt that this stat was telling of the type of player Andris is. Another reason this stat is near and dear to my heart is that Jeff Foster has been in the Top 2 for this percentage over the past 10 years.

STL%: Just like our last stat only with steals. He leads the stat because of his complete awareness on the defensive end of the court. Andris doesn't just go for the blocks, (as evidence of him being 3rd in that category of our 4 centers) but he also plays the passing lanes and I would imagine that a majority of these steals come from his ability to snake his way around other post players to nab errant entry passes.

TOV%: Same as the last two stats only with turnovers. Remember, this data I am presenting DOES take into account playing time and even so, Andris still commits the least amount of turnovers by far. He protects the ball and won't try to go into an advanced set of moves that could allow for a guard to sink in and swipe at the ball mid possession. His moves around the basket are quick and deliberate, lowering his turnover numbers.

DRtg: Defensive Rating is points allowed per 100 possessions. Often times, blocks and steals are used to determine how effective a player is on the defensive end. This stat looks at if your man is scoring on you or not. And in Andris's case, his man isn't scoring on him as often as the other 3 centers. I'd argue that this statistic would be the hardest to accurately keep track of with all the double teams, switches, help defense, zone defense and matchups. Still, I was impressed that he showed up as the leader in this category.

So what can we take away from these stats? Obviously Andris is an unheralded elite center who does not receive the attention deserved due to the limits put on his minutes. Raw numbers are harder to come by but the percentage at which he preforms in measurable statistical categories is at or often above the most elite centers of the game.

Look at the data for yourself.

Here is the glossary I used along with the formulas for each stat.

06 Ohio State Redux

2008-11-28T19:45:00.002-06:00

With the youngest/most talented squad in the NBA, the Blazers and Kevin Pritchard are looking to finish what they began in the 2007 draft by trying to get a hold of Mike Conley to provide a familiar 1-2 punch with former teammate Greg Oden. Hindsight now telling us that neither of them are going to be that good, why would you trade Travis Outlaw and Sergio Rodriguez for arguably the biggest disappointment in the 07 draft, Conley, and dunking salary mongerer, Hakim Warrick. I guess this is to light a fire underneath Oden? In that thinking, should they keep Sergio to light a fire under a much more interesting prospect of Rudy Fernandez?

-I'm interested in seeing how BJ Mullins and Demar DeRozan figure their game out. I haven't watched ANY college BBall, but will when i get back home, i need some inspiration though, don't know who to look for anymore besides our man Stephen

Rise from your Grave

2008-11-28T18:39:00.003-06:00

-Whew... back at it, Poot's World here i come. Wish i had a microphone, when i get back California i may have to purchase one.

-I am watching the Cavs Warriors game as we speak... The Cavs took a page out of the Celtic's (Poot's World's) Kevin Garnett scream to open up the starting line-ups, except they use Varejao instead of Lebron. Sounded oddly like an Altered Beast morph.

-Warriors are on a tough road stretch, but started it off in terrible fashion letting the Wizards run all over them... super garbage Andray Blatche in particular. Check this, the Warriors dodged two bullets very recently, one, when Baron opted out, Gilbert Arenas was offered the max by the dubs which was then matched, and Al Harrington was about to get traded for Kirk Hinrich before Big Kansas hurt his thumb! jeez, i honestly couldn't live with myself if the warriors had Agent Zero sitting on the bench right now, they messed up once by not making him their franchise player back in 2003 or 4, so let's get him when he's injured and washed up to make up for it!

-I was extremely pumped on the Jamal Crawford deal if Mr. Offense can change his game a little once Monta comes back and be a distributor. As you well know, they already have too many scorers, but Crawford could potentially provide both a deadly left-open threat, and a passer, we'll see.

-I'm about half-way through Gunnin' For that #1 Spot... would have been WAY cooler seeing it last summer before the draft, now seeing Kevin Love trod down court averaging 9 and 7, Donta Greene and Jerryd Bayless, riding the pine, and Kyle Singler under-achieving at Duke, i was kind of deflated watching the youngsters... what was a nice surprise was getting a look at Tyreke Evans who is tearing it up at Memphis and Lance Stephenson. Check it out if you haven't seen it Poot http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VNNEKNVX

-Camping was dope but I kept having flash backs to our excursion to Manchester. 2 Right? First, Who are we gonna bring, 2nd Donuts, Pee on Fire? I'll remember that trip forever, it'd be cool to figure out how to do another one before we croak.

-Watching all these warriors games has me thinking about Andres Biedrins... He is on a slump right now, but every single Center he goes against that is supposed to do the same things he does, just can't even touch how efficiently Biedrins gets stuff done. His hands are ball magnets, his finger roll is unstoppable, and his active rebounding is bar-none the best i have ever seen. After watching so much AB, Chris Kaman looked TERRIBLE, Drew Gooden a lowly Thug, Varejao may have a lot better D, but is definitely a lesser in all the other categories, and i get to watch David Lee in a couple of days to see how he compares.... Some statistics Poot?

-Derick Rose single-handedly took apart the Warriors last week, who knew he had a ridiculous jumpshot? Looks like the real deal numero 1.

More thoughts soon...

Note: Kyle Singler is not under-achieving at Duke... Averaging 17 and 7

Strange & Outlandish Observations

2008-11-27T23:01:00.010-06:00

-While watching the Nuggets play last night, I noticed that Kenyon Martin completely turned his back and ran away from rebounding the ball on an attempted free throw...twice...and one of the shooters was Chris Anderson, which is not a guaranteed make.

-Pacers do not win games where they are in the lead. In their 8 losses, Indiana was winning 78% of the time. Statistically, they are the 7th ranked team in the NBA, but are the only team in the top 16 with a losing record. This stat has to do with point differential, and fg% differential to name a couple. One of those cases where statistics do not tell the entire story. For the Pacers, its their inability to close out games in the 4th quarter.

-Anthony Marrow is on pace to have the highest True Shooting Percentage for a guard in NBA history. The formula is pts/(2 x (fga+0.44 x fta)) Its a way to include free throw percentage into a shooters body of work. For every 7 three pointers he attempts, Anthony hits 4 of them on average. Keep shooting big guy.

-In NBA regular season games, Greg Oden averages 7 more rebounds per game after major season-ending surgery when compared to surgery-free play.

-Lakers rank 1st in the league on the defensive end and 3rd on offense. Has their ever been a team this efficient on both ends of the court? I'm off to do so research, keeping in mind that we are only 13 games into this regular season.

Update: The only 2 teams that had the Laker efficiency of this year were the 00-01 Lakers team that won the finals and of course, our good friends the 95-96 Chicago Bulls team that went 72-10. They, of course, were 1st in both categories. What does this all mean? My belief is that Trevor Ariza has been more of a savior this season and not so much Bynum. Don't get me wrong, Bynum helps with a few boards and blocks on the defensive end, but Ariza being able to lock down team's best wings frees up Kobe to be more of a roaming centerfield on defense and allows him to concentrate more energy on offense. If the Lakers manage to stay healthy, this could be another disastrous year for the league as the devil children will prove to be nearly unstoppable.

-Watch me pull off a big time jinx. Jose Calderon has yet to miss a free throw this season!

-One team that has a lot of room for improvement is the Celtics. They are second in the league in turnover percentage. That means that for the few amount of possessions Boston has per game, (they prefer a slow pace) they are turning the ball over at an alarmingly high rate. Expect for Doc to remedy the situation quickly and look out for an even better Celtic squad.

-I'm not sure where you are Alex, but good luck with whatever you are doing and thanks for keeping us all updated. Surely your lost camping trip was nothing like the Manchester Beach experience. 3 men, no utensils, no bowls for the cereal, no flashlights for the peanut butter sandwich making, and an open tent door during the fire urination session. OH, I FORGOT, no room in the tent for the unlucky person sleeping in the middle!

!!!

2008-11-21T17:11:00.002-06:00

I am stuck in a small beach town in Brazil, rained out, on what was expected to be an epic camping trip... bummed doesnt even begin to describe it... finding out Jamal Crawford got traded to the warriors though, has lightened my mood, and made it that much easier to go back and watch the warriors... and anthony morrow

Out Here Grinding

2008-11-14T16:42:00.005-06:00

-Last Friday, I went to Barnes and Noble to scout out a pre-order of FreeDarko's Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac. Was lucky enough to get a guy to run to the stock room and snag me a version 5 days early. Needless to say I've been mowing right through this gem whenever I get a chance. So far a personal high point has been reading a chapter on Josh Smith&Gerald Smith. All of the other chapters in the book are devoted to an individual player but they decided to devote one chapter to my two favorite enigmas and their outrageous statistical periods of domination. I'm glad someone else much smarter than I was able to enlighten the rest of the world on two of my favorite players who happened to carry my fantasy basketball last season. Interesting moment for Poot's World Blog; I was able to talk to Bethlehem Shoals today through Facebook chat. He was nice enough to chat with me for a couple minutes and I told him how much I enjoyed the book and his Smith/Wallace chapter in particular. Shoals told me he wished that chapter could have been 20 pages longer (each chapter is about 3 pages, so that would be quite an increase) so he could expand on Josh Smith's personality and Gerald Wallace's "country" soul. The guy is even deep on his Facebook chats. I told him that would be a great place to start next year's almanac. His reply was that it would have to be in a couple of years, as books take a while to write. I suppose I can't argue. He also said that it has been his dream come true with this release of the book and to recieve the outpouring of support it has recieved in its infancy. Anyways, you HAVE to grab a copy of this book, its amazing, and has re readability.

-Still getting a free preview of League Pass and life continues to be high quality. Potentially expensive trips to Madison bars have been replaced with weekends in the apartment watching the NBA in all of its HD greatness.

-Clearly too early to pick league MVP right now, but its going to be a helluva battle betwixt Lebron James and Dwight Howard.

-Golden State continues to intrigue me. I wish they weren't on so late at night, but watching them is enough of an adrenilene infusion to keep me awake past halftime. Don's 4 guard, 1 center lineup causes fits through the first 3 quarters but they just can't seem to hold it up for the full 48. In a league full of on the fly adjustments, its time for the eldest coach in the league to work on a few.

-Refs are calling an inordinately high amount of traveling early this season. Players are doing a poor job of adjusting, as the numbers continue a steady rise. Looks like the referees are holding firm on their attention paid to steps taken. Lebron had 4 against Indiana last week and should have had 2 more. His PER would be even more off the charts minus the high turnover numbers.

-Watched 3 close games this evening that came down to the final shot with teams down 2. Team down 2 ended up attempting a 3 pointer all three times. Not sure I completely agree with that philosophy. My guess is that all three coaches drew up a play that looked to score an easier bucket and perhaps the way things ended up, the 3 point attempted was more of a requirement. Inside the arc, it was a parting of the Red Sea. Catch, two strong dribbles, pull-up 13 footer just seems to be a higher percentage when compared to off-balance 3 point attempt.

It's A Midwest Thing

2008-11-07T07:08:00.005-06:00

I've spent over 7 years in Madison, Wisconsin and one of the many things that sticks out at me in my daily routine is a complete absence of the NBA in this region of the U.S. Unlike the Green Bay Packers or the Milwaukee Brewers (who just hired Oakland's finest in Ken Macha to manage), the Milwaukee Bucks are an afterthought in the athletic viewing ladder of Wisconsin. From top to bottom, this is how our state rolls... 1. Green Bay Packers 2. UW Badgers Football 3. Milwaukee Brewers 4. UW Badgers Basketball 5. Marquette Basketball 6. UW Badgers Hockey 7. Chicago Cubs (lots of these nutjobs walking around) 8. Milwaukee Bucks

Does this shock me in the least anymore? I'd have to argue that after 7 years of this hierarchy, you tend to get used to the manner in which sports are viewed in the Midwest. I have about 3 friends that pay very close attention to the NBA, none of whom I've seen in a few years. A few will dabble in the sport, understanding player flow and slight intricacies of the game. If I am to ever talk sports with folks in this area in light conversation and happen to land on the topic of the NBA, I often receive one of two remarks. "Oh?" accompanied with a quizzical look. Or, "I hate the NBA, those guys are overpaid and they don't play hard at all. I only watch college basketball."

For readers of this blog, you are probably familiar with my musings on the NBA vs. College debate and how I am a firm believe in the former. Look back to our first month of existence if you are looking for detailed reasons, but I can sum it up for you in that an 82 game schedule takes much more of a toll on the body and that the effortlessness of NBA players is part of the beauty of why we watch. They look like they aren't trying when in actuality, their supremely fit bodies (in comparison to college players) are firing on all cylinders. Grade A efficiency and brute athleticism are my main points but their our other aspects of the game that cause me to tune into Bill Walton and Mike Breen over Dicky V. and Brad Nessler. Again, just look back in our blog archives.

My theory on why mid-westerners can't stand the NBA lies in the leagues celebration of the individual. Out here, its always about the team. What can this team do to get better and win a championship? The swing offense employed by UW Basketball is a perfect example of killing the individual spirit of potential stars and turning them into one cog of an extensive basketball machine. It's a region that loves watching UW Football teams meticulously grind out every possession with a heavy dose of brute force running games. Big corn fed boys leading the way for an even bigger hog of a running back. Brat in one hand, Miller Lite in the other, the true Midwestern way. You could argue that Brett Favre was a 12 year individual celebration but I look at it as if the folks here believed he exemplified the ultimate TEAM player and just rolled with that.

The moral of this story is that I'm not going to be winning over the hearts of my Midwestern brethren anytime soon with my love of a league whose top players frequent the wrong parts of the sports section, or have a higher tattoo to empty skin ratio than field goal percentage. It's a lost cause. So tonight, as I sit down for the first time in a while to relax and watch a full slate of NBA games, I'll take pleasure in knowing that I am the only one doing so in a 200 mile radius.

Where is Too $hort when you need him?

2008-11-05T15:18:00.004-06:00

Some say the apocalypse is coming in a few years, and at times you can't help but buy into some of the morbid hype. The Mayan Calender, Super Volcanoes, Asteroids, whatever... With rumblings in the Monta Ellis circle of a possible trade demand within the next few months comes my first inklings of a world, (no, not Poot's World) falling apart.

After Monta injured his ankle severely this summer and yes, lied about it, everyone was curious to see what was to come next from the warriors execs, let me emphasize curious. No big deal, my dad and I agreed, everyone has seen this guy play and knows that the last thing the warriors would want to do is lose him. Issue a Rad-Man snowboard type penalty and send him a get-well card, but don't blow this thing up. Monta is the future and one of those players that comes around about once every millennium.

However, at the time, I was surprisingly unfamiliar with team president, Robert Rowell. Tim Kawakami wrote an article last week detailing Rowell's prevalence as the teams primary cover-spread the past 2 years, despite much bigger things going on with the franchise, player-wise. This guy is in power, and wants people to know it. Adding to the ego are Rowell's questionable dealings. It was this douche-bag who x'd a3 year Mullin-Baron agreement thought to be set in stone in the early summer, and he expounded getting rid of the most beloved player since Tim Hardaway, and sole reason for the 2007 playoff victory, by denying that he nixed the deal. When called out on it, Rowell angrily contested that he doesn't take the "popularity" of his decisions into account. He is now feuding with former coach Mike Montgomery over an unpaid 1,000,000 dollars, and has been taking cheap shots at Chris Mullin over the teams future.

Coming to an understanding that there are now 2 Al Davis' in Oakland, the Monta question becomes much more pressing. When Rowell came out with the 30 game suspension for Ellis with a 3 million dollar contract loss, it was an uncompassionate but fitting punishment. However, Rowell decided to go further, into the territory which my dad and I discussed, but never in our wildest dreams thought the Warriors would go forward with. Rowell incited that if Monta struggled to regain form after his injury, his contract could be voided.

Writers discuss the punishment as Double Jeopardy, which despite the its severity, for me, still evokes images of Ashley Judd getting chased by her murderous husband, and a vague memory of Mike telling me how much he wanted to see it over a Dr. Pepper in the hot tub. What I get from it is that Monta basically has the potential to get fucked twice by his injury, once with his ongoing suspension, and the other with Rowell's finger over his head the next 5 years of his contract.

An issue that started with a youngster's mistake, has fallen into the hands of a ruthless number-cruncher, devoid in what seems in any love for the game. What Monta did was retarded, we all know, but jeez, when did riding a moped become career threatening? It is fair to conjure the notion that the quickest player in the league and one who greatly relies on his lateral quickness could be greatly hampered by a shattered ankle, but only time will tell. Monta is young and certainly has the will to recover, and aggravating him by discussing contract termination so early in the recovery process is the product of a true numb skull.

Due to terrible choices in management, a severely broken ankle on a moped has transformed itself into Jason Williams on a street bike. This post started as a plea for Monta to bear with this stuff, but has turned into a shout for Rowell's head. This guy's a one-of-a-kind douche bag Chris Cohan, if you wanted to pull an instant replay of the bay area 07 Mav's victory celebration, just fire him.

Everyone keeps dropping the line that if this goes where it is heading with Monta, then we'll have to live with another 13 year playoff drought, and i couldn't agree more; but, more comes to mind with Monta in a Grizzlies jersey. His picture perfect transition jumpers, contortions surrounded by 2 bigs around the rim, sick cross-overs, Mississippi drawl, and confidence, just scream for more of the most entertaining basketball the NBA has to offer. I don't even think playoffs anymore, it happened already, and never will again in such spectacular fashion, so why not revel in the beautiful pandemonium the Warriors have to offer? I've said it before and I will again, the Warriors are a show. With Baron they were the Suns fast style with a Rucker Park attitude who reinvented the definition of a 3 pointer. And even at 1-3 with Baron and Monta gone, I still love this team, they bring it every night, are young, and got style.But part of that love still contains within it that light at the end of the tunnel when Monta hits the floor in late December, and if these restrictions and threats continue, I won't even be able to blame the guy when he's gone.

I know Poot has got the Mandy leg-humping fetish for Josh Smith, and the same is probably more true for me and Monta, but this kid was the best young player in the league before the injury, and its absolutely devesating watching a front-office cyborg dismantle this rising star. So here's to the next few months Rowell, the world, as all warriors fans know it, rests in your grubby little hands. Maybe if you can get some sense and listen to the fans, you can set things right and save this franchise after all; and Monta, a big shout-out from Poot's World, because we too, know all too well, the aftermath of poorly driven 2-wheel vehicles (Michael).

A Little Fuzz Ball

2008-11-03T02:40:00.003-06:00

It was early summer (I think), just before dusk. The perfect time of day for shooting baskets, throwing the football, or playing meadow volleyball, when the last of the sun light trickles through the tops of the redwoods and the earth finally begins to radiate off the summer heat into the cooler evening breeze. I was on my way to the Wakemans’ to take advantage of the ideal climate and join Alex in some basketball. I had just crossed the wooden bridge, which years later would be the site of the historic Nate slip of ’02, and was emerging onto the gravel driveway, when I noticed a small furry lump in the corner of the basketball court. When the lump, which was no bigger than a football, began to move, I thought to myself, “Alex must have gotten a new kitten!” But no, that little fuzz ball was Mr. Otto Wakeman, “The Brute” himself; and while his tiny stature did not betray the massive beast of a dog he would become, that he immediately bit my fingers when I petted him, forewarned of an era of impressively destructive chewing exploits.

In honor of Otto, I present:
The Top Five Fondest Otto Memories

Otto chewing to the point of destruction countless items, including my minibike helmet, a cordless phone, and the entire passenger seat of the Wakemans’ car. (Not to be out done, his brother apparently destroyed a washer machine!)
Trying to tag Otto, while he out maneuvered both Alex and I.
Charging down the trail to the trampoline expecting Otto to move out of the way, but getting knocked on my ass.
Despite our best efforts, never being able to push Otto into the pool
Otto patiently standing there, while Stubby humps his face

With Otto goes one of the last of our childhood dogs and certainly one of the finest. Say hi to Stubby, Tannin, Mandy, and Sylvester for us…you all are missed.

Episode 2

2008-10-30T19:43:00.002-05:00

Decided to just wing it and fire out a quick podcast. I'm sticking with my Finals picks by the way.

My World!

P.S. Is anyone else having trouble putting pictures in? Mine isn't working!

Dish Network Can Eat It

2008-10-30T09:40:00.002-05:00

-Was looking forward to my first night of NBA League Pass but Dish Network decided that it needs to have contract negotiations with the NBA and allow none of their customers an opportunity to watch many of the games I had penciled in to my nightly routine. The free preview of one out of market game per night is not cutting it Dish Network, F**k you! Figure out your contracts and get me on the NLP.

-Atlanta is my new 2nd favorite team and Josh Smith continues to be my favorite player to watch in the NBA. 5 blocks and 4 steals? Along with your standard point and rebound numbers, this guy continues to boggle the mind.

-FreeDarko's authors (whose updated site MUST be viewed by all) must have been collectively puking into their Chi-Town toilets, as Anthony Randolph and Amir Johnson combined for 21 minutes of playing time last night. Did I miss something? Is Anthony Randolph hurt?

-Being that I have a 4 day weekend, and that our NBA preview work didn't quite live up to our high standards, I was thinking of busting out a radio show to finish all the teams we missed. We'll see if that actually goes down.

-Anyone else notice who leads the NBA in scoring today? That's right, Danny Granger!

-Everyone at Poot's World will truly miss Mr. Otto Wakeman.

Damn it feels good

2008-10-29T22:29:00.002-05:00

-its 46-35, and somehow despite the obvious hole left by the one and only bd, the warriors are killing it. Stephen Jackson is playing out of his mind, and the Don Nelson system hasn't missed a beat. For crying out loud Demarcus F*ing Nelson is getting huge minutes and playing well! You forget sometimes how efficient Biedrins is. Its like he got into a morphing chamber with Dennis Rodman and a banana peel. I'll let freedarko describe it more eloquantly, but Warrior pride isn't gone, its manifesting itself behind this team with no expectations, led by a fearless Stephen Jackson (All-Star Lock), Jason Richardson replica in Magette, Biedrins a skinny kevin love, and a bunch of hard nose competitors ready to lay it on the line for Jackson and Don Nelson. Monta can't come back sooner. If that situation however comes to fisticuffs, i might just go ahead and crawl into the bomb-shelter.

-don't know how to feel about basketball jones videocast, maybe it will grow on me, but i think i'll stick with my imagination this time. i would like to hear their reasoning for doing that in the first place... if we had a poots world show, we would definitely be behind the taco bell counter.

-these are the last days of otto wakeman, send him some love

Comencing Ceremony

2008-10-29T13:54:00.002-05:00

Quick Thoughts-

-When Adam Morrison leads the Bobcats to their first title, those same tears will flow like Pierce's sobbing face last night

-Blazers may be the hype bubble that may burst in all NBA fans face (give it two years/fernandez excluded)

-how did one year of aging make Kevin Durant look like Shawn Kemp post cocaine acohol rehab?

-Get ready for the Anthony Randolph Show

-9 dimes in 1st game? go Rose go

...more to come

Season Preview: New York Knicks

2008-10-19T17:27:00.006-05:00

I've written about the Knicks enough on this blog including some half-drunk pre-season highlight energy about a week ago. If it weren't D' an-bony, than I would have 0 interest, but pair his 7 seconds or less style with a Marbury cross-over here and there, to Nate Robinson, and Wilson Chandler, and we have a Poot's World must-watch squad. I wish i could give some pace statistics like Poot does or break down their defensive percentages (both wouldn't be pretty), but as you can see I go with a gut, and the Knicks this year will bring some heart. They won't make the playoffs, but like the Nets, who cares with all the free agents that could come their way next year, even if Curry and Randolph eat up too much cap space to get any of them.

Must Poot TV- Wilson Chandler

Besides just being born 2 days before me, Wilson is looking like the key to a future development of the Knickerbockers, and will undoubtedly turn some heads this year. D'Antoni likes his defense and his versatility on offense reminds him of the Matrix. His ability to take bigs out of the key to defend him is a sweet offensive assett. Watch out for him and David Lee to make some noise this year, only to be traded as sweet add-ins to get rid of Z-Bo and Curry's contracts.

Can we agree that Nate Robinson is the best Summer League Player of all time?

Grocery Outlet Comparison - Papa Peroshkis
A light savory pastry filled with leeks, corn beef, celery and carrots. A forgettable yet tasty treat that within the confines of Madison Square Garden, will please all with its fun antics. Get ready for some digestion issues once starbury pulls a 03 Deep Valley vs AV Redwood Classic on Jamal Crawford.

Projected Record- 35-47 Atlantic Conference: 4th

To add onto my post on the celtics... Gabe Pruitt had a triple-double tonight and should start ahead of Rondo. He would actually provide a scoring threat, and Rondo could be the perfect back-up for him

Season Preview: Denver Nuggets

2008-10-19T15:49:00.004-05:00

Always a fun team to watch, the Nuggets were actually a more efficient defensive team than 70% of the year, you just couldn't tell because their Pace Factor was out of this world. They love high amounts of possessions, and will sacrifice waiting out the shot clock for a good shot any day of the week. Nene continues to disapoint and I'll give him just one more year before I consider him an absolute waste of time in the League. If he and Kenyon Martin can share the duties of what Marcus Camby left, the Nuggets should have no problem making it back to the playoffs. Remember how Melo played defensively during the Olympics? I have the sneaking suspicion that he will bring his summer attitude to this team and it might even wear off on a individuals.

Poot's Stat Buster: J.R. Smith

This might be a little bit of a stretch, but if his minutes increase with the age of A.I. and the team goes small more often with Kleiza at the 4, I could see his numbers skyrocket with the style of play the Nuggets roll with. The key will be if he can keep up his ridiculously high (and improving) shooting percentage. He is one of the top in eFg%, which takes into account the fact that 3's are a little harder to shoot from. His rebounding numbers should go up being that he is athletic as hell, and much like fellow draftee Josh Smith, he can mix it up down low and bring in a few blocks.

Taco Bell Menu Comparison: Nachos Bell Grande

Even though its lacking a few ingredients from the past (green onions and olives), the Nacho Bell Grande always works as a one hit meal. Again, its a little steep financially, weighing in at a whopping 3.49, but the money is well spent and each bite will leave you desiring another.

Season Record: 48-34

Season Preview: New Jersey Nets

2008-10-19T14:04:00.005-05:00

-Oh Lord. What we once had to look forward to in the highflying antics coordinated by alley-oop extraordinaire Jason Kidd, ambiguity of NBA legend/misfit, old-bones Vince Carter, and the Dave Berri hating, yet still entertaining Richard Jefferson, has now turned into currently* the most depressing franchise in the NBA. The whole team is comprised of a lot of average veteran talent. along with young unproven players with chips on their shoulders, who unfortunately aren't good enough to do anything about it. Bobby Simmons, washed up a while ago in Milwaukee, Maurice Ager a great Michigan St. Alum with less NBA floor time than the halftime mascots, Keyon Dooling, one of the more untalented "scorers" in the NBA, Sean Williams with crazy defensive potential yet caught in "the little engine that could"'s dog house. Julius Hodge, well, here's to getting better after being almost shot to death. All that round's out that secondary talent out with old-bones and Yi Jianlian, biggest marketing fluke in NBA history and you have well... the Nets.

The Good Side: I wish i could find a comparison to Chris Douglas Roberts, maybe a less athletic, more jumpshot oriented version of Grant Hill. Maybe a little Reggie Miller? This guy's got it, and whether that means he'll be the 2nd option on a championship team in the next 13 years we'll wait to see, but him and Devin Harris will be the only ones to fill the seats for the die-hards this year. I have hope for Ryan Anderson, but something tells me he might be too slow for the NBA

*ASTERISK means that all of this pertains to this year. I'd say that Jay-Z's ownership in this issue and that pertaining to him being Lebron's Jesus, may turn things around in 2010. Anything could happen with this team but if the free agents don't come in '10, and your starting point guard is getting beaten by a British White dude.. you're in for it.

Grocery Outlet Comparison: Claim Jumper's Meatloaf

One of the foulest frozen foods in the GOC. Too many gravied fake potatoes: Josh Boone. The "fresh" green beans are limp and tasteless, Brook Lopez. and the Meaty special is old prepared horsemeat which somehow still excites you because how well your mom used to make it: Vince Carter

MVP: CDR

I don't think it will take long for CDR to show he'll be one of the top scorers in the league within the next few years.

Projected Record 28 - 54 Atlantic Division: 5th

Season Preview: Boston Celtics

2008-10-18T21:49:00.005-05:00

Yes this team won the championship last year, coming from nowhere to win the series vs the lakers in 6, (picked dead on by Yo Gotti), and now they are left with 82 games to show once again they are the top dogs, and to secure what Sam Cassell assures a must-have home court in the finals to make sure they don't play LA at home 2-3-2, like what he had to endure against the Knicks in 95! Like all of Boston sports, I hope they all go down, but in all likelihood, they will come out on top at the end of the season, I just hope Doc Rivers gives some love to the reserves

Bitch Get Ya Mind Right, I Thought I Told Ya 08-09:

They got the Big 3, with Scala-Bree
Ainge Danee without his Celtic budee =
Allen Tonee as the Celt's mVp
Sam shoot da fade-aways like Paul Pierce
but misses like Perk on the charity perch
Bill Sky Walker talking Shit to Lebron means
Conference finals ejection and a repeat to dawn

Pooty Love Spotlight: Patrick O'Bryant

What's better for a 7'0 foot robot big man to develop care-free behind Perk and Garnett without having to worry about Don Nelson making you run the break while screaming you're a pussy? Look out for PB and J come playoffs, like i said a few posts before, he will probably provide a good 5 presence to battle with Bynum come finals time, although Kareem's heir will ultimately get the best of him. LET'S GO BRADLEY

Fast Food Comparison: Tombstone Meat Trio

The pizza that Mike would never let you have, yet 2 mysteriously disappeared when Nate went downstairs. The True Find at Grocery Outlet. Garnett would certaintly be the peperroni, Pierce the sausage, and Ray the little ham pieces. #1 in town and won't go down without a fight.

Projected Record 70-12 - 1st Atlantic

Season Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves

2008-10-18T20:49:00.003-05:00

Remember Troy Hudson? The Timberwolves sure should...they are still paying for his contract and to the tune of 7 million dollars for the next 2 years. Couple that with being stuck with an overpaid, overweight, and overrated big man (Al Jefferson) and this team is not in the best of shape. Speaking of being in shape, the Timberwolves lead the league in players over 250 pounds with 7! And Ryan Gomes is close, clocking in at 245. Dammit what am I saying, I've lived my whole life being a slightly overweight basketball player, THESE GUYS WILL BE FINE! I'm joining you Alex, and jumping on this beef train.

Poot's Stat Buster: Al Jefferson

The guy is incredibly productive, even though he seems to suck the life right out of his other 4 teammates on the floor. Those other players falling down around Al in the above picture could very well be his own guys as well as the person guarding him. Don't know whats up with this guy but he's absolutely a 20-10 guy who can carry any fantasy basketball team in a given season.

Taco Bell Menu Comparison: Grilled Stuft Burrito (Beef)

This is by far the heaviest item on the menu at Taco Bell. There are a ton of ingredients that should work together nicely, but again, the beef overdose (Al Jefferson) hurts what could be a legitimate playoff team (if they were in the Eastern Conference). It's also a little bit pricey by T-Bell standards.

Season Record: 33-49

Season Preview: Oklahoma Thunder

2008-10-18T20:27:00.002-05:00

Might as well start the previews with a team that intrigues me as much as my little finger. Durant and Green do not impress me as much as I expected and their lack of development into NBA stars will prove to be the Thunder's downfall this season, and in seasons to come. This team was worst in the NBA last year in the Simple Rating System statistic. In other words, their opponents regularly beat the crap out of them. The one thing that this team can look forward to, is that they are well under the salary cap and have the money to bring in one of the megastars in the 2010 free agent sweepstakes.

Poot's Stat Buster: Kevin Durant

This is not a good stat my friends...29% from downtown last year. Isn't that what this kid was supposed to be built for?

Taco Bell Menu Comparison: Cheesy Double Beef Burrito

It's only 89 cents so you aren't expecting much, but the massive quantity of beef (Kevin Durant) truly overwhelms the rest of the potentially yummy ingredients. Come in hungry, leave with a stomach ache. The true Thunder way.

Season Record: 21-61

Splitting Up The Previews

2008-10-17T19:08:00.002-05:00

Alex: Atlantic, Southwest, Pacific?

Mike: Lakers?

Me: Central, Southeast, Northwest?

I need you two to sign off on this so I can start doing mine. I'm pressed for time and I would have to do this in the next 2 days. Also, just got HD set up on my 50 inch TV I practically stole for 500 bucks plus a 2 year Best Buy Warranty. League Pass is going to be SIIIICK!

Hard Times

2008-10-16T22:31:00.002-05:00

Its hard seeing our world going down the tubes, its even harder seeing Gerry McNamera getting straight stripped by Mateen Cleaves of all people, in his quite 12 minutes of playing time for pre-season Orlando Magic last night. What made it worse was i checked his box score that morning after seeing the "steal of the night" to see Gerry didn't do too hot, something like 2 points on 1-7 shooting. And wouldn't you know it, it got worse, as Gerry wasn't on the team anymore later that night. We still love you Gerry, and know you are hurting, a special shout out to you from Poot's World.

Colorinche

2008-10-11T02:32:00.002-05:00

I've reached that moment... too many things to say after just 2 preseason highlight reels...

-are the knicks a phenomenom that are going to explode in our face?
-marbury played looked good
-duhon too, z-bo
- lee 15 boards?
-ROBINSON!
-holy shit could the entire sports world implode/d'antoni become king of the universe if kings win 45 games this year?

- I've been teetering on the edge of really disliking Doc Rivers. He's kind of a joke. Celtics are a lock for the finals, he knows that, anyway you put it... therefore at 30-8 record, this starting 5 obligation-
PG - Gabe Pruitt
SG - JR Giddens
SF - Tony Allen
PF- BW!!!
C- Powe

Yeah, its small, Doc Pretend your are Donnie for a night/coach. PB and W started tonight!!!!!!! I'm going to go ahead and say Boston area is going to be busting a nut over this guy come playoffs when he is coming off the bench and having rondo-esque performances playing with the big 3.

- Marc Cuban needs to invest internet stock in Brandon Bass

- Little mentions PW's Own Birdman posted a nice 12 and 11 tonight... free him denver

-Pooty Loves favorite section... THUNDER NOTES
-Russell Westbrook making sick assists? What does coach Howland have these guys on? Could they have ran their team around him?
-Thats it for thunder notes however they did play the Kings:
*Spencer Hawes belongs on Nightmare on Elm Street not in the NBA
*Kevin Martin will be the 3rd highest scorer in the NBA this year 1st within next 2 years
*Bobby Brown = Cal State Fullerton? represent... BB you are officially Poots World
*Where's Donte Greene?

-

Welcome Back

2008-10-10T09:40:00.002-05:00

It is a sweet shot of energy to see preseason highlights, younger players giving it their all and vets owning accordingly... quick shout outs-

-Greg Oden. Shaq imposing presence with frankenstein's footwork? The Oden Bynum battles will be good for YEARS. Oden looks downright scary to anyone within 3 feet of the basket with the ball in his hands.

-Bill Walker dunk the sickest i've seen yet. He absolutely yacked on ratliff? or hunter? the bench's reaction made it though...

-Chris Douglas Roberts will be a steal for the NJN, he's just too confident and explosive as a scorer to be left alone.

-hasn't played yet due to injury but my hopes on Joe Alexander are dwindling after summer league, i'm curious to see him play with skiles in limited minutes.

-haven't watched training camp vid's but they seem like the real deal, more poot commentary desired.

Bill Walker Video To Come

2008-10-08T19:15:00.004-05:00

HOLY SHIT! I'm watching preseason NBA right now of Celtics vs. 76ers. My friend calls me up screaming about Bill Walker. I sprint downstairs and rewind my TIVO only to find BW throw down an alley oop from half court. Alright, that wasn't bad, but what the hell is he screaming about? Then, like a bombshell, IT HAPPENS. Obviously I don't have the video, but I'll be sure to find it tomorrow and post it. Prepare for TrueHoop/BDL to flip out over this sequence of BW events....

Didn't have his first alley oop dunk that happened about 30 seconds before the monster, but this thing should have covered what was needed. Sorry T. Ratliff.

Swag Like Jennings

2008-10-06T19:15:00.003-05:00

My doctor said Mylanta and that I should up my dosage of Brandon Jennings this year. Couldn't agree more my man, as this kid is going to be phenomenal. Free Darko sweats the nuts off of Anthony Randolph and Amir Johnson, but PW has Bill Walker and Brandon Jennings. We're international bitches! Anyways, I just copped this video of Brandon's first scrimmage vs. a Serbian team and he's definately half bear, half man-pig.

Anyone other than the Lakers drafts Jennings next year, and they are hands down my second favorite team. The kid just blows my mind with his uncanny ability to find the open man, AND do it in the flashiest way possible. I do want to watch him for a full 40 minute game though, to see if these flashes of brilliance are also accomponied with heavy doses of turnovers and misreads. I'm eternally the optimist. Speaking of my second favorite team, some people on this blog, and 99% of NBA fans think that the Pacers are more boring than a Jim Boudourous pep talk (thats twice this week I've mentioned him). While the individual parts of this machine prove to be wildly uninteresting, the team was 3rd in the NBA in Pace last season behind Denver and Golden State. That means....their styles of play are almost identical, take a lot of shots, score a lot of points, and give up a lot on the definsive end. While this style has had little postseason success, you have to admit, it is fun to watch.

NBA 101

2008-10-05T21:51:00.003-05:00

-That's right, this is Poot's World's 101st post, surely an after-thought to Poot's last, which placed us at the centennial mark, up there with the Dicky V's and Jay Mariotti's of sports commentary and entertainment. Like our esteemed leader said, the NBA season is fast approaching, and with Hollinger's ratings and pre-season losses by 3, come issues, projections and pure unadulterated pooty adrenaline.

-Aside from the Warriors, the team i will pay attention to most will be the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unitentionally i was able to watch a few of their games last year and gained some intrigue. Shying away from the obvious with Al Jefferon being one of the best young beasts in the game today, and the grizzled grizzly-vet Mike Miller, the T-Wolves have assembled some very unique talent.
Can i challenge you two to tell me a player who looks less likely to be an NBA starter* than Craig Smith? A more underrated scorer than Rashad McCants? a more dynamic/unique pf in Kevin Love? and two of the worst high draft picks in recent memory, Brewer and Telfair (Portland)? This is a team of anomalies, that, like Hollinger said, won't wow anyone defensively (brewer prove me wrong... plllleeassse), but is going to provide an exciting attack, and hopefully a posterization or two by Rodney Carney throughout the season.
I realize i'm making a big stretch with this one, but can't help but like these guys as the best super-young/rebuilding squad in the league behind Portland and GS. They easily top the pacers, griz, thunder, nets and kings in my mind. To boot, watching Gomes brings me back to the McGrath Brewington era of one of my fav NCAA'ers in recent memory, the Providence Friars.

-Least likely to watch: Indiana Pacers. This selection gives poot free reign to hate this fellow blogger all-season long but when the most intriguing player on your roster is Danny Granger, you know you are in for a very stale year. and with a deal that is going to grab peanuts for jamal tinsley? Nothing short of nuking boonville would would ever rid Larry Legend of his godly status, but his job as a GM especially young player management, has in kind words, sucked. i know i'm rubbing salt in the wounds as a benefactor of the jax/harrington for dunmurphy trade, but jeez, at least those guys would be bringing some drama that the NBA's eeyore, Jermain O'Neal, now leaves the Pacers without. I would rather watch a TNT Yellow-Book cam of Anderson Varajeao than this team.

-Runner-up: Orlando Magic. Yes Dwight, we know you are Superman. Shaq was at one time too. Now if we can somehow take your super-hero shoe-deal aspirations and turn them into offensive production/team leadership, then we will have a more than a 1st round exit for the next 5 years. If only we could do a Freaky Friday with Garnett and Dwight... GODZILLA. The magic need Jameer and Dalonte need to be reunited in the back-court ala St. Joes, its that simple.

- It would only be fair to add the Sixers to the league's up and coming talent, which leads me to ask, would you rather have the warriors roster or sixers for your Idaho expansion team in 2012? I'd take randolph and ellis, but lou/brand and igou will be good for years...

- I can say for sure that in the imaginationland south park episode i saw the brandon wright jason richardson deal emerging from behind the broken barrier between heaven and hell.

-Bellinelli looking good last night, going 50% from the field and perfect from 3. He needs a good chunk of playing time during the season if he wants to shoot like that though.

-Praising Poot's World's Bill Walker is a kind way for Doc Rivers to keep our boy in the media spotlight by highlighting his humility which every rookie, (including Beasely for crying out loud, and exluding Mr. Randolph), are obligated to demonstrate. Look out though for Billy Boy in 2010.

-Beasely is a mortal lock for Rookie of the Year like his Big 12 counterpart the year before.

Season Fast Approaching

2008-10-05T19:27:00.003-05:00

I spent a lot of time this past week reading Hollinger's season outlooks for all 30 teams, and I'm just barely halfway done! Additionally, NBA TV has started a series called Real Training Camp where they go around to different teams and record preseason practices for 2 hours with commentary from 2 individuals who look like they would rather be somewhere else. Here are my thoughts...

-I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that the 76er project will not work out as well as suspected. They are getting a lot of play as being the #2 seed in the Playoffs for the East. Elton Brand's health is always a question and he thrives in a slow paced half court offense. With the athletes the 76ers have, they should be running up and down the court, creating turnovers, as much as possible. Brands ability to adapt, and not falling into the "big contract trap," will dictate the team's success.

-Lordy, I'm keeping an eye on the preseason scores, and Mike Beasley has 16 points in 20 minutes.

-In my opinion, Luol Deng's busy summer internationally, and continual work on his game will lead to his first All-Star appearence.

-The Hornet's training camp was so boring to watch. They spent 1 hour doing different shooting drills and none of the players looked like they were taking game shots. Or at least their shooting form wasn't. Every shot was taken lazily, but I can't really argue because they went in about 83% of the time.

-Byron Scott walks around practice and makes $100 bets with the players. They take 50 3point shots from 4 different points on the floor. If they make 40 or more, Byron loses. If not, he profits. Byron made $500 on the day NBA TV came into town. He did mention that he usually loses $2,000 a year from Peja, but makes up for it with Morris Peterson, who's shot form is boarderline grotesque. But then again, I can't argue as most of his shots are falling.

-PW's favorite player is having a good start to his NBA Player and Doc Rivers is giving much props.

-Speaking of Doc Rivers, he is hardly the brains behind the operation at Celtics camp. Jim Boudoures could have executed a better speech to start the practice. The highlight was saying "we turn the ball over too much, and that needs to stop." Solid analysis. The assistant coach does a majority of the talking during drills/scrimmages/simulations and he actually puts together well thought out statements that benefit the player's learning of the game. His attention to detail is uncanny, as they will go over how each play would be run, throwing in different wrinkles for different time scenarios. For example, the first 20 minutes of practice was spent going over defending a jump ball at either free throw line. If their is 5 seconds left on the shot clock, it looks a lot different from than a full shot clock.

Career Choices And Such

2008-09-29T20:55:00.007-05:00

So I have been thinking about what I want to do with my life recently with all the student teaching going on. While I think that teaching could be an interesting career decision, I'm starting to think I should give it the old college try towards something I truly love. And of course that would be basketball. When I student teach and coach my little middle schoolers, I find that I am better at watching something and writing about it, not verbalizing it. Verbalizing everything you see is half the battle of being a coach and teacher and I'm getting the feeling I'm not playing completely towards my strengths. While I'm competent, its not my area of expertise. Recently, I've found some interesting connections in the NCAA D2 and D3 ranks who are willing to take me under their wings of the basketball world. None of this is completely final obviously, but I'm also considering taking a course online that can help me better myself in a career I would prefer greatly to the path I am on now. Check it out and tell me if it sounds fishy/scam, because its 1500 bucks...

Sports Management Worldwide

The thing that really caught my eye is that they work with Synergy Sports, who I also am working for and am currently training for their new software and the upcoming NBA season. Anyways, I know it says GM and Scout course, but believe me, I do not have aspirations of being a GM at all, or even a scout on the NBA level. I would be completely happy doing the good work of a scout on the D1, D2, or D3 level. Feel free to leave your opinions boys. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll just take a boat to Europe!

Stat Poot

2008-09-29T19:13:00.004-05:00

Yes my softub companions, it's almost October, thus ending the doldrums of September which saw a record low in posts for Poots World. I can't speak for everyone when i profess my fervid excitement for the MLB playoffs, but we are almost about to turn the bend to the NBA Pre., and regular seasons. Highlights of the upcoming preseason will certainly include:

-Golden State Opening Night vs. the Hornets
-A TNT televised OUTSIDE match-up between the Suns and Nuggets, (Nash playground moves + JR raining on the blacktop)
- Dallas vs. Cleveland where Tony Romo will make an appearance on the Cleveland sideline and mock the Mavs fans.
- Golden State vs. Milwaukee played out in China where the riled-up Ghangzhouian fans will start a brutal riot after being told Yi Jianlian no longer plays for the Bucks.
- Adam Morrison becomes the first "left for dead come-back sensation" white boy to grace the court and lead the Bobcats to a 6 and 1 preseason record... Who's watching CSI Miami now? (Despite my love for the guy, I know as well as the rest of you, that his career ended when he appeared at his alma mater's loss to Davidson in the 2nd round of this years NCAA Tourney. I can't decide whether he looks more Sith or Kid Rock on the Detroit sideline circa 2004.)
-Vlade Divac making a return to see his old squads, the Lakers and Kings face off in Vegas. The sad news comes after when Vlade's found dead, cradled in Brad Miller's arms after ODing on vodka and cigarettes following an all-night gambling binge.
-The new royalty of OK City, Kevinston Durant II dropping 30 in 1st quarter vs. the Griz.

-Henry Abbott is heading to IMG skills academy to gain a better grasp on intensive off-season training and to improve his game. Could we do something similar with Poot's World? Maybe send Poot on an all expense paid trip to visit Mike and Mike in the Morning and brush up on his radio skills? Golic will like him so much that a new character, Stat Poot, will be introduced but later removed due to copyright infringement with PTI (also owned by ESPN, it gets complicated).

Poots and Yoohoos

2008-09-21T11:50:00.003-05:00

- Josh Howard has come to a tipping point. If he doesn't break out of his post 2006 finals funk this year, the media has won, and he will ride the washed up express through the rest of his career. If he decides to take his political/ganjafarian momentum and translate it to a Mavericks turn-around season, then we have a crusader on our hands folks, a true warrior.

- I can't say i have disagreed with the L. Ron Hubbard of Poot"s World very many times, however your last post Mr. Gotti, has me questioning your NBA viewing habits... All of the boys on your NBA "must-watch", aside from Monta, the 2 Smiths, and Calderon are old news. I could see wanting to see Gilbert because you never know if you are going to get: diety or douche taking teams final shot after going 1-14 from the field. My issues are with Lebron, who you will have plenty of time to watch come playoff time (same goes for Rondo), and Dwight Howard who's dunks are the only reason to watch aside from him stealing his teammates rebounds. Gerald Wallace could be explosive this year, so i can't say anything about that, but Poot, I have to make a case for my top 10, which may be more of a let down come april, but should keep you glued during the first few months... Watch out for the Kevins, give me your opinion Poot.

10. Kevin Love
9. Kevin Martin
8. Greg Oden
6. Jerryd Bayless
5. Dwyane Wade
4. OJ Mayo
3. Adam Morrison
2. Kevin Durant
1. Monta Ellis

-Can someone with technical expertise stretch the banner... maybe he who's name i refuse to utter... oh and regarding that same person, Tyler Thigpen Kansas City's 3rd string QB is playing and is cheap, i would suggest picking him up, he looks great.

Odds And Ends

2008-09-19T19:37:00.003-05:00

Things that have been on my mind over the last couple weeks...

*USC could perform quite well in the NFC West.

*Patrick Willis is a man, the rest of the NFL are boys.

*My Top 10 Players To Watch This NBA Season (not based on skill, just who I'd switch the channel to watch).

10. J.R. Smith
9. Rajon Rando
8. Jamaal Tinsley (when healthy)
7. Dwight Howard
6. Monta Ellis
5. Gilbert Arenas
4. Jose Calderon
3. Lebron James
2. Gerald Wallace
1. Josh Smith

*At this point, I think I'd rather watch Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN 2 than any MLB game.

*It looks like the Pacers are stuck with Jamaal Tinsley according to ESPN experts. If by stuck, you mean having the most creative point guard of the last 10 years, than yes, they are stuck.

America's Team

2008-09-16T23:51:00.003-05:00

Well, those fortunate enough to watch Monday Night Football, and there apparently were a lot of us, were in for a treat. It was a high scoring, back 'n' forth, nail biter, that featured plays both brilliant and boneheaded, and ultimately resulted in the good guys wining! Dallas is looking quite good this year, keeping their biggest weapons from last year and adding some new ones. Additionally, bringing in Adam 'No longer Pacman' Jones, who's only been arrested a few times and involved in just ONE shooting, should improve the team's sometimes questionable image.

This game was particularly interesting for me since I literally had over half my fantasy roster playing in the game (in retrospect I probably should have dropped the Eagles D, although it did make it a little easier to handle Romo handing the Eagles the ball in the end zone). Of course the play of the night belonged to Mr. Jackson. What's stupider than negating your FIRST NFL touchdown by throwing away the ball at the 1 yard line in a premature celebration? Doing it for the second time in your career! The best part is that Westbrook scored the TD on the next play, so instead of sharing the TD fantasy points with Alex, I got them by myself. My plan of crushing Alex's fantasy football spirit (which involved a seacret trip to Argentina, in order spy on him while he chose his picks and declared his favorite player) is well under way!

A Letter to Nasa

2008-09-08T22:41:00.003-05:00

Dear Nasa,

An employee of yours who goes by the initials MP, wrote me 1 year and 3 months ago asking me to fill out a form rating his "trust" and background credibility. At the time, it had been 4 years since he had maliciously blocked one of my diving board trick shots, 3 since he had denied me a Dr. Pepper at his house (forcing me to bring my own 6 pack of Pepsi over), and 2 since he had won the Sportingnews basic fantasy league by stealing my players. Well, to tell you the truth, i haven't seen the guy in a while, and when he suggested doing the league again I couldn't refuse a good old fashioned mano y mano showdown... To my surprise today your employee had Darren McFadden along with receiver Deshaun Jackson starring in his line-up which continues his master plan of basic fantasy dominance. As follows: pick 2 of Alex's best players, one of them being his favorite, thus destroying his morale, and keeping him from gaining any ground on his Tony Romo star-studded squad... Nasa, I just want you to know I am revoking my competitive faith in this man because it has been 4 times too many that my players mysteriously end up on his team. I have decided to put my faith in my house-mate Ryan, half man, half boy, half genius, whose soul mission is to take down this ruthless fantasy pirate.

Sincerely,
Pooty Love

Sportingnews

2008-09-04T15:09:00.004-05:00

-Farewell Daunte Culpepper. Your exploits on the field for you last two teams, Oakland and Miami, have gone by the way side, but you will still always be in our hearts for that amazing season in Minnesota when you threw for 4000 yards and helped keep Chris Carter and Randy Moss the best receiving combo to ever play. I think we can all agree that the constant usage of the his trademark 'rollin' hand gesture may have been the karma that caused the knee injuries/inability to come back after forgettable seasons in Miami. Thank you Daunte, Poot's World Salutes you from the confines of the Wakeman household circa year 2000.

- I read a trade proposal on ballhype this morning, Tinsley for Harrington which puzzled yet made me curious to how that would work. Tinsley is one of the PG's I have never seen enough of to know if he is actually done from injury or he can play again, but getting rid of harrington in the new era warriors could be ok, would tinsley give any type of baron presence? poot's... world... radio topic please.

-Sportingnews, the site that has never been seen other than for gambling addicts, Poot, and Mike and I, when basic fantasy calls. Only three trades per season this year! ? uhh, well I guess that means i am counting on Kansas City's D and Randy Moss to cancel each other out.

-Monta talk continues. Abrahsions on leg near site of injury. Monta if 4x4'ing is involved i am not going to be pleased. On a better note Mr. Turiaf likes going to restraunts and is good at "having fun". Ronny we know you are sad about leaving Kobe, but if you gel with this team considering all the spectacular plays that go on every given night, there hopefully will be a higher ratio of dance on sideline to minutes on floor rate which will keep us all happy in spite of the Lakers loss. We'll keep a chart as the year goes on, hopefully along with marcus williams' Assist to Turnover ratio.

I'M BACK!!!!

2008-09-03T02:05:00.003-05:00

After a depressingly abysmal conclusion to the NBA finals, I was so embarrassed to live in LA that I was forced to spend the last few months in solitary mediation in a Buddhist temple in highest reaches of Tibet, reflecting on how my inaccurate predictions had tarnished our noble blog and let down our, what must be millions of, readers. But atlas, before I achieved total Enlightenment, I sensed that once again my blogmates needed me. For who else could deliver what promises to be a somewhat shoddy and clearly biased prediction of the Dallas Cowboys' success in the NFC? Well probably either James Owen or Kyle Robinson, but I came back anyways!

My Dallas preview will come shortly, but first there are more pressing matters. In memory of the epic battles of the past, we must once again enter the arena of Salary Cap Fantasy Football! Highlights of those fierce competitions include:

-Alex using all his trades up in first 4 weeks
-Kelsey creating a team and then apparently never even looking at it again
-Nathan clearly not caring nearly as much as Alex and I about our stupid little league, but still doing better than us
-Alex weekly accusing me of copying his players
-The Raging Scallions riding on the shoulders of Peyton Manning and Priest Holmes to victory!

I created a league on SportingNews.com but you guys have precious little time. I emailed you invitations, but in case I used the wrong email addresses, the league is "Poot's World" and the password is "Pooty".

P.S. Nate, I look forward to more "KPOOT Radio: All Pooty, All the Time"!

Efficiency At It's Highest?

2008-08-28T21:49:00.006-05:00

How good were the Boston Celtics during the 2007-2008 NBA season? I got to thinking this question when I looked through some of the most efficient games in the last 22 years. Only 3 teams have been able to shoot better than 55% from the field, 70% from downtown, and 100% from the line. Ladies and gentleman I present to you the 2008 TORONTO RAPTORS? Yes, one of the greatest offensive performances in NBA history had Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon in the starting lineup. What blows my mind even more than this is that the Boston Celtics only lost by 2! The only other 2 times a team was this efficient were in 1994, and 1990 with the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks respectively, and they won by an average of 26 points.

More from me after I watch this game with my own eyes...

1st Quarter:

-Oh this might make some sense, first Raptors possession is a turnover. Not taking shots that eventually miss will help out the percentages in the long run.

-Having not looked at Calderon carefully last year, I can't help but notice how the ball is on a string for this guy. Easy to see why he led the league in assist to turnover ratio. Also, Raptors start game going 5-5 from the field. That'll help the efficiency. TURNOVERS! JESUS CHRIST!

-Its funny, when the Raptors do hit baskets, it is absolutely nothing but net. Splash homies, they haven't even touched the rim.

2nd Quarter:

-I don't know why I didn't check the turnover numbers for Toronto, but that sure explains a lot. Tony Allen nails two shots and Ginger Scally is in the game. Looks like they didn't care at this point of the season.

-Raptors in a slump, down by 10. They must turn it up in second half. Sorry for skipping over Raptors free throws, I know they go 100%.

-A majority of their shots hit are not good shots. They'll dribble drive from well outside the arc and pull up from about 17 feet for a tough fadeaway. They are still going in.

-15-2 run near the end of the half. Calderon is the man, and Parker is on fire hitting from everywhere. 57-55 Raps at the half.

3rd and 4th Quarters:

-Well as it turns out, heavy turnovers + never missing a shot equals the most "efficient" game of all time. It's amazing how it was so unimpressive to accomplish something so amazing. Also, shows how gravy Boston was last year to just barely lose.

Sharon..... Sh, Sharon

2008-08-28T12:59:00.004-05:00

Yes, as our founder best put it, our symbol for the first "O" in Poot's World, Monta Ellis, is out 3-4 months with a ligament tear in his ankle. The wonder boy, whose impressive athleticism and durability the last couple of seasons has left us craving his spectacular play, unfortunately suffered one of those things you never would think possible. The tumultous off-season which left us without arguably one of the most electrifying figures in professional basketball history, now deals us another blow. This occurrence cannot be considered anywhere in the league of Amare micro-fracture or Baron leaving the W's, but knowing that the warriors are going to have to be perfect this year to slip in at 7 and 8, Ellis' injury is going to leave us some very dull first months, and being the most exciting team in the league who has Don Nelson at the helm only one more year, this injury just leaves us with that much less time to savor this once in a life-time assemble of talent. Speedy recovery Monta... Without you we are just Pot's World with Budinger barely holding it down.

-Poot, that ankle of fall 2003 definitely falls under that category of worst injury sustained in the pugh wakeman forest circuit, which has seen plenty of nasty spills at top speeds. Despite ruining one of the meadow's eternal all-star edifices, that post route which was supposed to have you launching gracefully for the Jerry Rice grab off the blue slide, is still one of my favorite memories.

-Stephen Hill is in the NBA now? I liked his game back a few years ago, seemed like a decently athletic 7 footer with a great feel for base-line alley-oops. My friend from Arkansas however, hates him, and I certaintly agree with him that he is severely limited offensively, but despite all of that, he will now be a Portland Trailblazer. Two centers who can't play offense? We'll see how that works. I heard Portland wants to ship Travis Outlaw for Mike Conley? They look like they are in good shape at PG with Blake, Bayless as a tweener (better suited at sg), and Roy. Why would they give up a small forward, they have Nicholas Batum and Outlaw... so, yeah, keep Outlaw Portland.

Monta Ellis: The Ankle Edition

2008-08-27T21:14:00.003-05:00

Monta, I feel your pain. Ligament damage from a severely sprained ankle can bring the most stellar of athletes to their knees. Were you sprinting down a gravel road that leads to a huge dip before a meadow? Did this meadow have a run down pig pen filled with grass towering over 6 feet in the air? Was their a tether ball pole complete with a limp green ball (it used to be yellow) and a slide that would collapse from an infant's weight? Did you run past that meadow and down a dark path with trees shading any sort of sunlight from hitting the earth and notorious for making creepy noises after dark? And on this path was there a huge puddle of mud that you attempted to hop over and glance your foot on an obstructive root? Did this glance cause an awkward landing leading to your pain and suffering? Don't worry Monta, I've been there too.

Wishing you a speedy recovery from Poot's World, Monta, because god knows that a Baron-less Warriors squad needs you more than ever.

Brandon Jennings Update

2008-08-25T23:11:00.003-05:00

Oh, you thought this was going to be a serious update about Brandon getting acclimated to the Italian ways of life and practicing with his new teammates Abelardo and Rodrigo (thats right, I looked up Italian baby names on Google). Sorry reader, you were wrong. In a disturbing career move, Brandon Jennings, the one player that pushed me over the edge to watch future Euroleague games, has decided that the Kanye West glasses will be a positive addition to his eye wear collection. Apparently being blessed with court vision does not coincide with off the court vision. I hope all else is well in Italy my young Padawan Brandon, and we can't wait for your return to America.

More radio show nonsense after I get rid of a nasty cough. ETA: 4 days.

AFC Part 1 + Bonus Predictions

2008-08-25T15:05:00.003-05:00

-Trying to prove that we are well rounded sports analysts could prove to be a difficult feat but we will try. The basketball "season" will soon be over and something will have to occupy us for the month of September. Like my good friend pointed out in his NFC Part 1 post, we haven't been following football as much as we used to. Too many commercials (which is also killing NCAA Basketball) and slow paced action brings for low ratings in the Olsen household. Is it bad that I have to open up espn.com and check out depth charts to make any sense of the AFC? Yessir....but you know what? I'm going to roll with it.

Denver Broncos (By Guest Writer Simon): A decade has passed since the Broncos won their second consecutive Super Bowl lead by big dick bastards such as John Elway and Terrell Davis. This begs the question “Who is better: 1998 Broncos or the 2008 Broncos?”

QB:
John Elway eclipses the 50,000 yard career passing mark and is named Super Bowl MVP.
Jay Cutler has type 1 diabetes.

RB:
Terrell Davis has a career year rushing for 2,008 yards and scores 23 touchdowns.
Selvin Young predicts he’ll rush for over 2000 yards this season.

Receiving:
Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey, and Shannon Sharpe combine for over 3,000 yards receiving and 26 touchdowns.
Brandon Marshall had some decent looking seasons the past couple years and is Denver’s biggest threat while rookie Eddie Royal remains unproven but have people whispering comparisons to Kansas City standout Daunte Hall.

The defense is what I’ll be skipping to on the Tivo, more specifically to the camera that is assigned to Champ Bailey as the 2008 defense is in shambles compared to last year’s. John Lynch is gone. Al Wilson is gone. Ian Gold is gone. Darrent Williams is dead and replaced by locker room crybaby Dre Bly.
The 1998 team? Trevor Pryce, Keith Traylor, Bill Romanowski, John Mobley, Steve Atwater. ‘Nuf said.

In conclusion, I would have Terrell Davis’ babies.

2008 Denver Broncos go 7-9.

Kansas City Chiefs: Replacing the Chiefs with the Cowboys on HBO's Hard Knocks was truly an emotional blow to my fall lineup. Tony Dungy's hilarious banter and one-liners are now replaced by boring as shit Wade Phillips. T.O. would make up for the loss but they hardly show him talking. Best line would have to be when wide receivers were exchanging their target weights.
Patrick Crayton: "I gotta be 208."
WR 2: "I gotta be 217."
WR 3: "I gotta be 201...Hey T.O! What's your weight??"
T.O: "2 SEXY!"
No quarterback controversy equals no fun on Hard Knocks and Brodie Croyle v. Damon Huard is now a viewing of the past as I have to watch pretty boy Tony Romo smile like a little jerk. I digress...The Chiefs apparently have a running back named Larry Johnson, and allegedly, he is healthy. That does no good when I haven't heard of a single offensive lineman on your depth chart and the aforementioned Croyle is starting at QB. You better call yo mama, because Dwayne Bowe, receiver extrordinair, saves the Chiefs from going 0-16. Final record: 5-11.

Oakland Raiders: Wrong Bay Area team for me to be previewing but there is a job to be done. Darren McFadden blows my mind but apparently not those in the Fantasy Football world. I can always pick him up in later rounds and just bank on his freak athleticism and vision. With a developing offensive line and a quarterback who hasn't yet figured out how to throw (with accuracy) in this league, you'd think Darren would be in for a rough year as opposing defenses stack the line with 8 in the box. You'd be wrong! Final Record: 6-10

San Diego Chargers: Few teams can boast this kind of lineup on both sides of the ball (even with an injured Shawne Merriam). Cocky little bastard Philip Rivers finally backs up his filthy mouth and brings the Chargers deep into the playoffs again. Final Record: 13-3

Bonus Predictions:

MLB World Series: All signs are pointing to my least favorite team in sports making to the World Series. The only problem could arise versus the wild card team of either Boston or Minnesota. My thoughts are that they squeeze by, dispose of the final A.L. team, then beat the Diamondbacks in 5.

NCAA Football: USC can lose their top player at every position and I still think they would take down any team in the country. The only problem with the Trojans is that they seem to fall asleep during 1-2 meaningless games a year. Hello Stanford! If the game matters, and people are watching, USC will not lose. Joe McKnight figures out he is the next Reggie Bush, wins the Heisman, and leads the Trojans past Georgia in the national championship game.

English Premier League Top 4 Finishers: This is finally Chelsea's year to regain power in the EPL. They signed just about the entire Portuguese national team along with their coach and he should bring them success on the home front along with the European title. Manchester United is so full of themselves at the moment, but they will finish 2nd with their being no chance of Ronaldo replicating last year's ridiculousness. Arsenal 3rd, Everton 4th. Sorry Liverpool, when you let go of a 6'7" striker who celebrates goals by doing the worst rendition of "The Robot," the soccer gods will strike back.

My Country Vs. Your Country

2008-08-20T15:48:00.004-05:00

-There was an article on truehoop today about blogging which hit a chord with me... Watching the emergence of PW's own radio program made me feel like a father in the operating room, seeing that little head poke out of the plasmic liquid, and knowing that good days lay ahead. Henry Abbot wrote earlier about how to make it big in the blogging sphere and said you gotta come up with stuff new and innovative that 1000's of people aren't already doing. Well I agree with him when it comes to making it big, and Abbot can toot his horn all he wants when he works for ESPN for crying out loud, but blogging for me on this site along with a majority of the others is just looking to creatively vent our sports love and frustration that takes up a decent percentage of our daily thought process... unfortunately we won't be at the scene when Ben Gordon gets traded, or Andres "Chaco" Nocioni breaks his nose on a D-Howard elbow in a couple of days, but we are the detritavores of sports news and gossip, taking pride in re-hashing and low blowing the sports world we love so much. First step radio, next step getting Mike to write my Dallas preview, keep up the good work...

-Watched in it's entirety, Argentina vs. Greece. Delfino played absolutely out of his skull... For those 18 points straight on 3 balls and fade-aways, that cocky smirk he always has actually fit him... Ginobili's early dominance i think gave Carlitos some extra big game gusto... All and all, Greece should have won that game, but Argentina's guards played out of their fucking skulls and willed them to face the US. I have been living in Argentina for the last 7 months, and i would like to inform you all that Argee's don't care about basketball, and despite being the reigning olympic champion, have only heard of Manu Ginobili... Hopefully the Raps Spurs combo can pull some more miracles and keep this close, I certaintly will be watching, maybe even with a blue and white flag on my back, i wish...

Poot's World, The Radio Show

2008-08-19T23:01:00.005-05:00

In my tired state just before bed, I decided to do something real dumb and throw down a Poot's World Radio Show with help from youcastr.com. Again, no idea why I did this. Hopefully next time I'll think of an interesting topic...previewing games that will happen in 5 hours, not so awesome. This was very spur of the moment, hope you enjoy...

Episode 1

Only listened to about 1/2 of the finished product and it was out of this world awwwwful! Next time there will be a well-rested host, an actual topic, and NO CLICKS FROM THE MOUSE!

Guest Writer Ekbzy

2008-08-18T14:50:00.004-05:00

I brought in guest writer Erik Brekke for his thoughts on the monumental preseason game featuring the causes of a great many arguments...Niners v. Packers. Here they are via AOL Instant Messenger...

Post-game 49er thoughts after looking at highlights/box scores:
1) Obviously pleased we could stick it to the packers, although its only pre-season, we exposed their shitty offensive line and dominated on defense
2) I'm not happy about what I saw out of any of our Quarterbacks. Putting up zero points in the first quarter is a little concerning, along with some of JT's horrible throws. Smith's numbers certainly don't impress me either, but I still think I favor giving him the starting job.
3) JT almost got Deshaun Foster killed. I was impressed, however, with how Foster rebounded himself- what a man!
4) I like what I'm seeing out of Josh Morgan, the guy looks like he could be a potential stud. Hopefully he'll prove to be a late round steal and add a much needed play-maker to our weak receiving core. Now only if we had a decent quarterback to throw to him...
5) Speaking of getting a decent QB on the team, I've noticed that Brooks Bollinger is currently the 4th slotted QB on the Vikings depth chart. If we could some how make a deal to steal him away, all our problems could be solved!
6) Despite the ass-whooping we put on those scrubs on paper, I'm still a little weary about how good this team actually is. Hopefully Martz will get these QB's in order and prove me wrong.

7) Frank Gore is a stud, just get him the damn ball.
8) Oh how this makes me smile...

Spot on analysis for the Deshaun Foster hit. What a terrible throw JT. If the 49ers waste 8 million and let Alex Smith sit all season, GM and Nolan should be Auto-Fired.

Making Paella Out Of Spain

2008-08-16T10:53:00.006-05:00

-Finally, an Olympic basketball game to watch where I am not exhausted. Against the best team other than themselves, the boys in blue looked unbeatable. The three's were finally falling and Ricky Rubio failed to impress. Oh well, he is only 17. Areas of concern in this blowout would be Kobe's continuing failure to consistently hit outside shots, Dwight Howard looking periodically lost on both ends of the court, and Jason Kidd's defense on opposing point guards.

-Of course as I write this, Dwight goes off. But it was against Spain's second unit.

-Subtract Ricky Rubio from Spain, and they are by far the ugliest team assembled since the Milwaukee Bucks suited up Ervin Johnson, Darvin "elf" Hamm and Sam Cassell at the same time.

-Just watched Spain/USA... I personally was very impressed with Ricky Rubio's defense, picking off a couple of USA passes, his compliments of being one step ahead seem to be dead-on on the denfensive end... nice alley-oop to rudy too. Who knows, maybe not #1 but this guy will freshen up the NBA like a glade plug-in.

NFC Part 1

2008-08-14T12:23:00.016-05:00

-Last time I cared about the NFL I was digging in the the bushes beneath the meadow thinking about my future fantasy picks while searching for a punted ball put there by none other than Mr. Shannigans, Mike Pugh... All the amazing Vikings and Niners game I watched with my dad aside, outside of the playoffs, I haven't indulged in a NFL game in sometime, but due to my obligation to Poot's World, along with some inspiring words from Dave Berri, I am coming with a preview of the NFC!!!!

The Wages of Wins article on the Brett Farve Crapshoot, ends on a note that in a nutshell best represents the joy of professional football... "But as I have said repeatedly, quarterbacks are really like mutual funds. Past performance really doesn’t tell us much about the future. Consequently, every Lions fan (and I am one) can enter every season hopeful about the future (and this makes football great)." Although football, in my opinion, is way too calculative, slow, and depedent on one position to be considered in the same stratosphere as the guiding light to Poot's World, basketball, the condensed seasons with constant parody, give hope for marketable stars to be born along with the worst teams of last season, a chance at redemtion the next. As you can tell, I my qualifications will limit me from providing Balls-Deep Sean Salisbury type analysis, however, criteria based on Strength of Schedule, 2003 Likeability, Head Coach Tendencies, and RB/QB/WR strengths will all be taken into consideration... Enough BS, 16 previews on the way, let's start with 8:

Detroit Lions - If the NFL was 17 century Europe, the courageous 14 year-old girl Joan of Ark, would undoubtedly be played by the Lions' John Kitna. Driven by Jesus, Kitna has been said to have converted his teammates with his spirited pre-game huddles, along with predicting the Lions to make the playoffs last year... The latter surely a sign of desperation which the bearer of the thorny crown paid no attention. Despite Kitna's old dog/zealous determination, he who hath the organization's throne of player personel, Matt Millen, would be safely considered any Lion fan's version of the anti-christ, therefore negating all this religious hoopla... a decade of bad decisions/losing culture have Detroit in a slump, but their schedule is the easiest I have seen so far, which has me looking for them to start 3-0, even out 8-4 and then slide into the playoffs at 10-6? I might be crazy but come on, Charles Rogers is still in Poot's World's HOF....

Green Bay Packers - Oh Brett, how your LEGACY has been tainted! oh wait, no that was when you threw 26 ints in '06. Ok so onto Aaron Rodgers. Chico/Cal Native... 'Nuf said, this guy could definitely beat Rothlisburger in a Keg Stand, which makes him a good guy for your fantasy team. Mike McCarthy looks like he should be Pixar's version of the Marshmallow Man which won't fare well when he is thrown to the fire of their tough regular season. Despite the fact I think Rodger's will prove he deserves to be with this team for the next few years, with Minny looking to improve and Detroit finally sneaking into the playoffs, I'm going to have to say sorry Cheeseheads, 8-8. *Note, Poot put up a picture of Jason from the Hills and Rodgers not only taking this blog down a notch, but also plummeting the GB record to a projected 6-9.

Philadelphia Eagles - Brian Westbrook reminds me somewhat of a Baron Davis type star... When they are on the court/field they light it up in dynamic fashion, however they are criticized as being plagued with injury problems *Westbrook much more of late. When Donovan is healthy and the Q is rocking, Philly is a tough team to contend with, but the question is, am i living in 2003 when Michael "PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON" *Donna voice, picked McNabb and P Manning and won fantasy, or are him and Westbrook in washed-up wonderland. Whatever those 2 status' are, the Eagles fate will fall with, entonces, look for one last gasp of breath from the current bunch... Andy Reid is a boss, +3 wins, their schedule looks good, and their D is usually vicious so, there we go, 11-5 for a re-energized Eggles squad.

Saint Louis Rams - With a 3-13 record last year, and a sub-par performance from a man expected to have a break-out year, Stephen Jackson, we're looking at another bummer in Saint Louis, but wait, we're in the NFC West, which means anything's possible. If Jackson an Bulger get healthy they will do some damage, and their schedule doesn't seem too tough, so look for Jackson to have a better year, and a few surprises to come their way... maybe a Trent Greene heroic come-back? Their defense apparently sucks, but hell, 9-7 sneaking in.

New York Giants- You know that type of hang-over that comes around once ever, i don't know, 3 months, where you wake up feeling energized. Well, that's not Giants this year, and why should it be? They pulled a Miami Heat on 'roids, beating the Patriot-Mavericks on a deal with the devil, which solidifies Eli the next few years at quarterback, and gives New Yorkers a reason to sit back and watch Brett Favre get sacked 3 times a game. They've got a killer D, and potent enough offense, but Michael Strahan's absence and lack of reasoning to even try to get as lucky as they did last year truly does not "vale la pena". Congragulations New York and Mr. Coughlin (On the Right), you have a free-ride to do whatever you want the next two years, start it by booking a trip to Hawaii in January... 7-9

Chicago Bears- However meaningless and subjective all my criteria may be, the RB, QB, and WR's anchor any team's attempts at putting points on the board, and the Bears have collectively the worst of these in the league. Brian Griese, PWHOF Brandon Lloyd, and Kevin Jones will not get t idone, and their D is good but not what it used to be. Everyone expects the Bears to be good every year but it's looking like Paris Hilton return to the luxury box might have to be the only thing to look forward to. Ouch... 4-12

Hotlanta Falcons- Last year being the exception, every season since the NFC AFC merger of 1933, the NFC South's worst team of the year goes on to win the conference championship the ensuing season.... Is this going to change despite Hotlanta having one of the worst teams in the NFL, NO! Consider this Matt Ryan's lucky four-leaf clover getting drafted by a team in an anti-madden curse type year. Rejoice Falcons, Al Horford might even suit up for tight end... 11-5.

Tampa Bay Buccanneers - Any sane person would, I believe, pick the Bucs, and not the Falcons to go 11-5 and win the NFC South. That's just not the case here. With another Poot's World Hall of Fame nominee Jeff Garcia at the helm as one of the more underrated quartbacks of the century, decent receivers, and a Cadillac just waiting to go under the radar, the Bucs could be very dangerous. Add to that Child's Play III Jeff Gruden, and a killer defense, and if it weren't for the Dirty Curse of the NFC South, we'd be talking a 12-4 team here... Well Bucs just feel fortunate that it helped you out a couple of years ago when you went to the super bowl vs the raiders. 5-11 considering the voodoo shit.

Jesus that was tenuous... 8 more maybe next week

My Big Fat Greek Morning

2008-08-14T11:53:00.006-05:00

-Of course I got up this morning at the ridiculous hour of 7 to watch the U.S. beat the Greeks. My initial feelings on waking up were that its really early in the morning and I had better get used to being awake at this hour for student teaching AND that our men in the red, white, and blue were in for a loss. My intuition appeared to be proving me right up until the 2nd quarter, when a plethora of U.S. steals resulted in 14 fast break points and an early dagger right into the hearts of our Greek opponents.

-One month ago, my roommate voiced his displeasure with keeping Dwayne Wade on the team for the Olympics. Turns out he is not only our most valuable player, but as of this morning, he is the tournament's most valuable player. He had 20 minutes, 17 points, 6 steals, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, only 1 turnover, and the most ridiculous play of the Olympics up to this point.

Wade Kobe
by bsap11

Over the first 3 games, Dwayne Wade has shot 23-30 from the field. His only hiccup would have to be going 4-9 from the charity stripe. All the problems I have been griping about over the last few weeks with Team U.S.A. seemed to disappear for one night (other than the FT's) and lets hope they can play the same way versus a strong Spanish team that boasts the toughest zone defense in the world.

-I hate to poop all over the Michael Phelps show, but the swimming events do not impress me. Yes, they are some of the best athletes around, and working over the world in 8 different swimming events would be outrageous for M. Pheezy, but I find it amusing to watch the 70 year old "stroke judges" walk next to the swimmers at ground level while they are competing in different races. AN OLD MAN IS KEEPING UP WITH YOU GUYS! C'MON!

-Being that I live in Packerland, Aaron Rodgers makes an appearance or 12 on a daily basis in the newspapers, t.v. news, radio talk shows etc. Nothing would destroy my NFL season more than watching him become better than Alex Smith (who I repeatedly told the 49ers to draft, but to no avail) and lead the Packers to the promise land. On a side note, doesn't he look remarkably like Jason from Laguna Beach?

Aaron Rodgers:

Jason Wahler:

Sites And Sounds From A New Perch

2008-08-10T19:20:00.005-05:00

-I've moved in to my new apartment on the west side of Madison and have acquired the services of Dish Network. My apartment faces the wrong direction so I am not able to get Direct TV (AND SUNDAY TICKET) due to the monopoly at my complex by the aforementioned satellite provider. NBA League Pass is still a definite possibility in the fall and I will just have to deal with not having the Niners in my life for another year. Which reminds me, isn't it time for an NFL preview Alex? You take NFC, I'll take AFC? Mike take the Cowboys? I'm still curious to know if you have gotten together with James Owen and Kyle Robinson to have a couple brews and watch America's team.

-Best new offseason acquisition of the Olsen household: Once used tan Lay-Z Boy from Aunt Janet for moving her freezer from the basement to the curb, a 2009 3rd round draft pick, and cash considerations.

-Watched Team U.S.A. this morning play against China and I was not impressed. Their defense of opponent's 3 point shooting is borderline pathetic and the turnovers are still way too frequent. On a much happier note, I was pleased to see that NBC brought back the old NBA on NBC theme song for the entire U.S.A. game. All breaks, no exceptions.

-Was up at 2AM last night and happened to watch the Greece vs. Spain game. Spain's defense looks like something derived from god himself. They create the illusion that there are 7 or 8 defenders on the floor with this ridiculous match up zone. Rudy Fernandez looked spectacular. Rubio looked O.K. and didn't receive much playing time.

J-Ho

2008-08-07T13:25:00.004-05:00

-Remember that Maverick's, may I say, dynasty of the mid-00's? Those team's with Don Nellie and Avery at the helm killing it in the regular and post-season? A nutty run at brilliance with floppy haired Nash, consistently improving/deadly Nowitzki, and a young Mike Finley gave way to a just as scary a team with "future Tony Parker" Wisconsin guard Devin Harris, under-rated but absolutely deadly Jason Terry, Jerry "crunch-time corner three" Stackhouse, and the topic of my discussion, Mr. Unshakeable Josh Howard.

J-Ho was one of those players who you knew, even before Hubie Brown and Mike Fratello started the pre-game show, was going to bring it every game. His all-acc defense, smooth mid-range game, and nose for the ball made him my favorite role-player of this decade. In 2006 him and the squad made it to the finals and not unlike Detroit in '04, and Boston in '08, everyone including myself believed in no way a scrappy Heat team could pose any type of threat to these western gladiators. A few missed free-throws, unavailable time-outs, and a myriad of D-Wade Converse commercials/52 foul calls later, The mav's biggest and best achievement slipped through their fingers...

To be honest I always loathed this perennial play-off team during their run at potential greatness most likely due to just how lethal they were... I feel like comparing the recent Mavs to the Spurs of late would be like pitting the first Terminator vs. Bicentennial Man. Whatever you want to say, the Spurs get it done nearly every year, but in a form that infuriates everyone outside 300 miles from the Alamo. Nelson and Avery's system on the other hand took pleasure in the isolation style of play that just put a dagger in your heart everytime Dirk hit a fall-away 20 footer in Diaw's face, Harris Tony-Parkering it past one of the west's bigs, or J-Ho hitting his bo-legged runners in the lane. They were a smooth bunch of killers, and even though i think a lot of people saw the Warriors as a serious threat, it still made it that much sweeter that W's could knock off such an unstoppable force (mainly due to Lord Baron and the Mastermind).

It may take me 1500 words and a bibliography to make my point, but some GM out there better take advantage of Howard's current circumstances, which motivated primarily by ESPN's anti-cannibi agenda, and obsession with drag-racing tickets, have severly decrease his market value and set him asail on the Sam Cassell "washed-up" express. I forgot where, but the J-Smith fo J-Ho trade would seem like a win-win for both parties, especially if the hawks would have drafted Chris Paul... J-Jo, J-Ho, C-Pau... With this new chip on his shoulder, Howard is going to get it back soon, and no matter what team he is on, it will be scary when he does.

The Mikeatrarian

2008-08-05T14:13:00.003-05:00

-Watched bits and pieces of the final Team USA exhibition game versus the Aussies and they looked far from impressive. My belief is that if they continue having Dwayne Wade as the primary scoring option, the gold medal will never be attained. He requires so much time and space to get into positions to score that it takes away from the team essence. Even when he makes a sweet pass, (like the ones to Bosh) its usually the result of a long, drawn out play that is dominated by Wade having to have the ball in his hands. I'm also fascinated by the Nike commercials that show every Team USA player except for the Adidas man Dwight Howard, who could very well be their most important player.

-So Hardwood Paroxysm has a writer called The Arbitrarian who is the site's expert on statistics. I understand some of his work but the math gets a little dicey and it usually takes me an hour (no joke) to comprehend a majority of his articles (or this one....or this one). Perhaps Mike, who very well might not even be reading this at the moment, could be the site's statistical expert. He could make sense of all of The Arbirtrarian gibberish and put it into people terms. Than come up with his own brilliant all encompassing statistic that will blow all past statistics out of the water. Just Beans And Cheese!

-NBA League Pass better start thinking about extending their coverage to the European Leagues.

Crab People

2008-08-02T10:35:00.007-05:00

-On Upside and Motor, the hideous new Timberwolves' jersey surfaced, sported by none other than Mr. K Love. Like commented on U&M, it appears as if he put the new space age top on,(unflattering on our big beefy hero), over his 'original' T-Wolves Jersey... I would like to track down the history of this new 'fad' in NBA/College jerseys. To me it's as if Queer Eye and The Professor from AND1 had a brain storming session and decided to compromise with the tops being super tight to show Dwight Howard's ginormous pectorals, and the shorts reminiscent of the super baggy and long Jordan's of recent era. My memory of this hanus transformation goes like this... Nike decides to unveil new design on 5 College Teams in 07, Greg Oden's Ohio State and Syracuse being the two that I noticed, maybe Villanova too. Mike Conley was a sword and cap away from being the Prince of Persia... Anway flashing forward to the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks were the first team to stray from their actual colors of red and gold to go Red White and Blue along with the futuristic font and jersey style. If this wasn't bad enough, the USA bball team just ripped the Hawk's jerseys, furthering the development of some Nike exec's Crab People vision of NBA/College style...

One thing that will come from all of this, I hypothesize, will be the culmination of this fad five years from now, when an Undrcrwn employee in the front-office of Houston Rockets, will bring the NBA back to the days of old. The transition to a early 90's NBA is happening before our eyes even amidst the emergence of Tim Allen's Galaxy Quest Uni... We see it happening with future shoe billionaire B Jennings and the high top fade, and you know when the same kids, who on the swing sets argued whether or not they would rather be Larry Johnson or Michael Jordan, begin to become the majority of the NBA, there will be iminent change back to turqouise, crazy fonts, and Tom Gugliotta...

-I salute you Dwyane Wade, that in-air, alley-oop windmill on Lithuania was one of the sickest dunks I have seen in quite sometime. I think of all the guys on the team it is the best to see him do it, and now we know he's got it back. Who knows, with Beasely, Marion and Dwade, could Bostons heralded bigggest turn-around in NBA history be broken just one year later? With that absolutely vicious alley, anything is possible...

-Mike, if it's any motivation to get you back on here, you've got more profile views than me... now come home.

-If Lebron pulls a Josh Childress in 2010, in order to get paid 20 mil a year in olympiakos, which *knock on wood* he won't, the consequences will be more dire than Randy Quaid flying up the destruction beam over the white house... Like I said, very unlikely to happen but keeping it mind, worse things I guess have happened? The NBA, I believe, would implode on in on itself, along with my soul....

-Poot's World's own Walter Hermann signed back with the Pistons... The anti-childress, someone who would benefit greatly from leaving to Europe or back to Argentina, but instead decides to stay in the best league in the world, and hopefully get out of the Detroit dog-house made even harder by their SF log jam.

-Pinche Pendejo! Get ready for some tears... I present you "La Caida de Edgar"

Ball Don't Lie vs. FreeDarko

2008-07-30T21:16:00.006-05:00

-I'm starting to get the feeling that Alex is the Bethlehem Shoals to my J.E. Skeets on this blog. (at a much smaller level of course) I come in and provide posts that aren't much longer than a sentence but get to the point. Alex uses the English language as his toy and plays around beautifully with thoughts and insight. My posted videos and pictures make me laugh but rarely have anything to do with what I write about, and Alex's go along with his post. If we both mated, we would create a Henry Abbott of TrueHoop. Which is where Mike will need to come into the picture. Even though I'm not sure you understand any of this, Mike, for which I apologize. Of course, I love where the blog is going so far, even though 5 people max read it.

-Not sure if you mentioned this in your post Alex, but don't you get the feeling that the Rockets COULD, just maybe work out like the Celtics IF Ron Artest pulls a Ray Allen and solely concentrates on what he needs to do for the team, rather than try and take over every game offensively? I do. And the role players on Houston are so much stronger than Boston's with Scola, Head, Landry, Battier, Novak(clutch photoshop), and Alston. (UPDATE: Goddammit, Shoals already made the Boston comparison early in the morning...I seriously hadn't read it)

-I apologize for my posts being short and far apart but I am hitting crunch time in summer school and am still working about 35+ hours per week. My game will pick up in mid August before yet another lull with the start of my student teaching.

-And of course, a video that makes me laugh, even though I'm positive most of you have already seen it......

Nash Davis
by bsap11

Rocketeers

2008-07-30T15:17:00.003-05:00

-I'm happy for the rockets getting Ron Artest the same way i was happy for the Nuggets getting Carmelo Antony, this is obviously a little different though. The nuglet twins + JR + Kleiza + even marcus camby basically tells us we need to pay a little more attention to these stat machines ala (the Hollinger/Berry's)and that two super scorers put together doesn't guarantee a thing... The Rockets to me, with I'm sure just about everyone, else are a conundrum in their own right. a Fairly average team with Yao Ming, and 21+ without him largely due to confidence and, *Dikembe voice*, Luis Scola. (To me last year's signing of Scola will have had more impact when everything is said and done than Artest's stint will have) Before I read John Hollinger's piece today on Truehoop i thought, well this just adds another piece into their already stacked squad along with a solid defender, but with the Carmelo Iverson aftermath along only one ball to go around, will this work? Hollinger describes Artest back in Indiana as an over achieving role player that struggled to maintain star power when being option 1. So basically, if Artest can get jump started back into his crazy defensive minded and nasty when called upon offensive game, he could be perfect for this team. Unfortunately, with Ron and Yao coming back, the rocket's crazy chemistry will have to be built anew, but if everyone gets on the same page and T-Mac is healthy this will be the number 3 team in the West behind OKC and Lakers.

-I know who Poot would pick but Beans or David Lee? Two different positions, but like said on truehoop today, both very active, smart players.

-Machine clips are amazing, he is honestly the biggest weiner in the NBA, post-game comments on lakers-fan.com cementing it. No doubt in my mind, no one else comes close.

-I like Kevin Martin and the potential of Donte Greene. Two extremely gifted scorers +another in Douby with the likes of Jason Thompson coming up to keep the inside under wraps and Garcia to distribute the rock... Spencer Hawes isn't bad either, but imagine if D'Antoni had this crew? I like them way better than his Knicks squad in terms of "Seven Seconds or Less"... Greene needs to go to New York with along with Ramon Sessions.

-

Amidst being stuck on the bench for the last few years, damn man, JJ Redick killed it in college. Furthest I could remember his Duke team going was i believe the Sweet 16, but in ACC play he was unstoppable... even Chris Paul back in the day was no match for him

The New Machine

2008-07-29T10:33:00.001-05:00

Sasha resigns with Lakers. As much as I can't stand watching him on the court, these videos make everything so much better...

Machine & Kobe = BFF

Legend of Sleepy Morrow

2008-07-27T11:02:00.003-05:00

-The all star studded line-up at the Rocky Mountain Revue was no match for newly signed warrior Anthony Morrow, along with wrecking buddy Mr. Anthony Randolph. The tournament of tournaments was highlighted by Morrow, who i never saw play for Georgia Tech, the last name i can remember from a Georgia Tech team is Will Bynum and BJ Elder, aside from Thaddeus Young and Crittenton who i never layed eyes on in college... On espn, Morrow is described as having a Rip Hamilton type game, which could develop well under Nelson's system if he gets some minutes... maybe we'll see a more varied attack this up-coming year with waning hopes of the playoffs and a slew of youngsters who could potentially rival Portlands crazy up-and-comers for future dominance in the west? (for the next 6 years at least). Get Brandon Wright and Bellinelli on board and Golden State will have a bench nothing to gawk at... Anyway, Ellis, Maggette, Morrow, Bellinelli? Sounds good to me, this season will be fun even though arguably the most entertaining player in the league picked up and ran out of town.

-I've been saying for the last three and half days that Spain is someone to be very weary about in USA's quest for another Bronze... Honestly it's easy to get pumped on the Gasol's, Rubios and Fernandez's, but holy jah, Calderon and Navarro in the back court?! Honeslty nothing is going to be guaranteed with the Red White and Blue on August 15. We need to utilize our athleticism, get into their heads if that's possible, and have Dwight Howard bang on them... Why isn't Tyson Chandler on the second string? Him Chris Paul and Deron Williams could arguably be very close to as good as Dwade and Kobe on the floor...*This just in, first prediction of Gold:Argentina, Silver: Spain, Bronze: USA on UpsideandMotor... man says until NBA takes breaks in season to allow team to be assembled and galvanized, we won't win with sheer all-star power alone... You could be very correct my friend, and this is the year that will make or break this very standard.

-In no way is this blog ever going to be on SB nation... unique pages like Golden State of Mind along with NBADRAFT.NET, have taken on McDonald's countertop layouts, and although all the sites may be networked and easier to navigate, that's why I have 24 BBall bookmarks, you don't need to do that for me... these sites are hideous. If anyone has dissenting opinion, i would be pleased to hear it.

-Biedrins just got re-signed... Praise that. Some say 63 mil is too much, but he is a one-of-a-kind active center who's singing, along with Monta's, establishes Run TMC on steroids until 2013... Bless you beans, I know you are from Latvia, but Europe just wasn't for you...

-Since it is sunday i will anounce Man-crushes of the week in order of respective times I have had picnics with them in my dreams... 1.Portland Trailblazers 2.Anthony Randolph 3. Spanish Basketball Team 4. Brian McCorkmick 5. Yo Gotti

-Poot, this is a lot to ask but maybe an NFL mini preview of the shit you GOTTA see this year? I'm going to try to see some Adrian Peterson games along with Mr. Marshawn Lynch, but other than this, I need some fuel to get excited come September...

Olympic Exhibition Game 1

2008-07-26T17:44:00.005-05:00

The U.S. dominated Canada in exhibition play but I feel that they left much to be desired. Their defense was OK vs. a very weak opponent but I was surprised at how useless non-Dwight Howard centers preformed (Bosh and Boozer) especially on the defensive end. If they think that playing top notch competition such as Argentina or Spain and try to score by isolating Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant Lebron James (when he gets back) and Carmelo Anthony, U.S. will be in for a surprise. Crisp passing along the outside to find players like Michael Redd will be the only way we will advance and win the Gold. Having said all this, it was the first exhibition and Lebron was kept out for precautionary reasons with a mildly sprained ankle, so I'll give Team U.S.A. a free pass.

As far as the future of U.S.A. Basketball, look no farther than the man who just signed a 5 year extension with the Warriors. It's hard to not get up for this guy. Click on that shit to see how far up that little guy can rise...

Stats And Such

2008-07-25T08:12:00.002-05:00

Count the Basket did a phenomenal job of compiling last years statistics and different statistical methods for ranking players. You might be familiar with John Hollinger's PER stat from ESPN.com. Just imagine about 10 other statistics that place different levels of importance for different statistical categories such as points, rebounds, assists etc. After the compilation, Eli compared their ranks across all statistical categories and came up with a Top 10 player list for the 2007-2008 NBA season based on every major statistical scoring method.

1. Kevin Garnett
2. Lebron James
3. Manu Ginobili
4. Dwight Howard
5. Kobe Bryant
6. Dirk Nowitzki
7. Tim Duncan
8. Pau Gasol
9. Steve Nash
10. Chris Bosh

I am kind of disappointed that Eli did not release the entire list (only Top and Bottom 10 were shown). Curious to see which players were considered "Middle of the Pack" in the NBA.

Glad that points are not the be all, end all statistic and other important characteristics of a true basketball player were considered.

Tim Duncan is exactly where I think he should be. Sick of all the analysts who rate him head and shoulders the best player in the NBA because his team wins titles. He does have some help at #3. And I am guessing Tony Parker is somewhere in the Top 25 as well.

I have a slight problem with Kevin Garnett being considered the best of the best and with Chris Bosh showing up at all on the Top 10. I know they both stuff the stat sheets with points, blocks and rebounds, but recall that they never seem to have that "clutch" factor in the 4th quarter. Even in the Finals, Garnett was often a ghost in the final 5 minutes of games. I know it is hard to qualitatively (or am I thinking quantitatively) put a number with "clutch" but I think there should be some sort of point deduction for that.

On a final and unrelated note, Team USA starts exhibition play tonight against Canada without the services of Lebron James who is resting an ankle. While resting, he managed to throw at the "Guarantee Card" in one of his interviews regarding the Gold Medal. The entire team was asked about his prediction and they all fired back with the generic, "If my teammate says it, I believe it. We are a team." Except Carmelo, who said that no game in the tournament is a guarantee. Way to go Melo, fight that machine!

Krayzie Bone As Who?

2008-07-23T10:54:00.003-05:00

I was watching this video off of my little Bone Thugs website and I couldn't help but notice the jersey worn by Krayzie Bone at 1:26. Alex, your thoughts....

Oh and one more thing, I will be getting NFL Sunday Ticket this year for free (Direct TV Promo) and will be treating myself with NBA League Pass for finishing student teaching. Good luck getting me off of my couch this Fall/Winter/Spring.

Priorities

2008-07-23T09:42:00.003-05:00

-Solid article in SLAM yesterday about the stars in the NBA... just not willing to be stars. The J.R. Smiths of the world along with Sean Williams, and Mr. Gerald Green. Although Adam Morrison is on this list for lack of reasoning, or as put, sits on the sideline and doesn't care about his job, I see J.R. Smith and Gerald Green with potential in the right formula and situation to become useful, if not super-useful. I could try to analyze in what situation that could be, however, my NBA talent evaluation skills prohibit me from doing so. Gut feeling on this one, but they are still really young and could find a good home somewhere... come to think of it, Green is kind of a poor man's Smith + a little more height and athleticism. J.R. Smith has proven he can kill it any given night/be a consistent warm-up allstar, whereas, Green you are more surprised to see him raining jump shots, rather more of a role player. Anywayz, i would be happy to see Smith take Louis William's spot on the Sixers after the Warriors sign Williams. Elton Brand, AI, and JR could be a devlish threesome. We'll see.

-Don't give up on Morrison yet. People are writing him off, but if he is given another chance to shine behind Gerald and Jared this year he could turn some heads... just give him time, don't send him to europe yet. I don't know if a chip on his shoulder will help or hinder his progress because he seems like he always plays with one, and contains Donte Green's same impeccable shot selection as demonstrated by Jim Boeheim on our front page.

-Warriors signed a very smooth Jim Calhoun stud. The way he used to drop dimes in college was awesome, but the NBA is a different story. I'm guessing he won't play too much under Nelson, but i still like the signing. I'm pumped if we get Lou Williams, we'll be hands-down the funnest team to watch in the NBA behind Oklahoma City Thunder if they would have drafted Bayless... Westbrook will do just fine though. Lou and Monta though? Don't they both pose a problem with an undersized two? Like i said, fun to watch but maybe Lou running the point and not Monta. There's gotta be priorities, No? They won't win but hell, Mullin will get it right, if they get this guy. Let's shoot for the 1st round again, not to win it all, but to be #1 in fastbreak points, and entertainment value. Best represented by Eddie starring Whoopie Goldberg. Maggette, Biedrins, Monta, Jackson, and Harrington, with Lou, Randolph, Bellinelli, and Wright off the bench. Sign me up league pass.....

-Watched the Argentina, Spain highlights of the olympic qualifiers last night... whew! Those are two terrific teams. Everyone loves down here the argentine squad obviously, but Spain is stacked too, and with Delfino running the show and not Ginobili, i'll put my stack in Spain's favor. There are always Carlos Arroyo type performances in the Olympics which defy all odds and make you look forward to that player's future in the NBA, but I hope Ricky Rubio kills it in the olympics, and continues that in the NBA. If this guy is as good as advertised, we're looking at either a Larry Bird type, or Sergio Rodriguez 2.0, or who was once called (Spanish Chocolate, aka Jason Williams 2.0 :(

Summer League!

2008-07-20T03:17:00.001-05:00

Poot's World... It's time for some observations of a very interesting summer league, packed with ballers, airballs, and uruguayans carrying the ball...

Poot's Allstars/No Shows

Donte Greene.... Holy shit this guy can fill it up. When i heard the warriors had the potential to draft him, i wasn't too excited since apparently he didn't fit the bill at Syracuse, but DAMN. Right now i am watching him against Washington and he is over shooting everything, but i feel like when he finds his range, he could be a superstar. Honestly, this guy could be electrifying. We'll see, but good pick-up for Houston, things are looking up for them.

Jerryd Bayless.... Another holy shit... gets to the cup at will and creates contact everytime. 36 points last night and 17 in the 4th quarter. Poot, honestly, this could be one of the those Sam Bowie things Larry Bird pulled with this one. You liked him too which sucked, but man, Kareem Rush's brother for this fireball? Only time will tell. Blazers added Nicholas Batum too!? Jeez, Pritchard can sit on his squad and be GM of the year 2012-16

Anthony Randolph.... Whoaaaa. Sometimes when you are in a rut, pleasant surprises seem unable to come by, but holy shit... Little-know freshman on a shitty LSU team has these kinds of scoring abilities, SMOOTH handles, and 6 10 to boot? Sign me up. Maybe not this year or the next, but man if he gets this game in the future, him and Monta could be a devlish duo. Things are looking up!

Marco Bellinelli.... When confident, appears to be lights out... on the flip side, when he doesn't have it, ala against Sacramento, he dissappears. Let's hope he learns paced confidence of a role player and not the shoot first mentality of the go-to-guy. His bombs are impressive

Quincy Douby.... Favorite NCAA player in 2005. When he played for Rutgers in the big east, he absolutely killed it despite having the frame of a Sea Horse. He reminds me of a poor-man's Rip Hamilton. He has the potential to be really good in Sac Town.

Brandon Wright... Unfortunately doesn't seem to have it yet. Here's to hoping he does, and i will apologize for Poot and myself whether he likes it or not, that AR and BW are two very different players despite their body doubles.

Nick Young... Would seemingly more or less dominate some of these match-ups in summer league after tutoring under Gil and talking via plastic cups and telephone wire to Gabe Pruitt across benches. From what i have seen he is trying too hard and is expecting too much to be given/come to him. He is a great scorer, but i would imagine Douby or Bayless to have more trouble than Nick appears to be having...

Michael! *Donna voice* I know a 9-5 may be impairing you from contributing to this fine institution, but without your help, this burrito is just beans, and no cheese... starcraft 2 thoughts? Glen Rice is not joining the NBA anytime soon mike, so your post need not wait either.... Poot wonderful writing, without my nonsense, this could actually be a legitimate blog...

Brandon Jennings To Europe!

2008-07-08T22:48:00.005-05:00

The top incoming freshman to the college ranks has decided to earn some cash instead of playing in the NBA. He is off to Europe. I am not really surprised by this decision but it has huge implications on the future of basketball. Mark my words, today marks the beginning of the end of college basketball. I've seen this coming for a long time. More top prospects will choose to spend 1 or 2 years in Europe playing for about half a million dollars (300,000 euros) per year including endorsements before leap-frogging back to America to play in the NBA. I don't really blame them either. Who wouldn't want to go overseas to make money while playing the game they love rather than be stuck in an O.J. Mayo situation like we saw this past season? As the talent gets more and more diluted, NCAA basketball talent will suffer dramatically. The NBA draft will feature 75% international players that most people won't know. There is a reason I have been watching Spanish and Italian games online and am training for a job to analyze the NBA, NCAA and European Basketball leagues. The future of the game looks to be completely globalized. Anyone ready for it? Oh and I am sure most of you have seen this, but look at what Chase and the rest of America will be missing out as Brandon leaves for Europe. He reminds me of a "pass first" Allen Iverson...

Brandon Jennings

My World, You're Just Living In It

BJ tatted on my forearm

Pooty!

Summertime Ft. D.J. Jazzy Jeff

Episode VI: Return of the Poot

Pray Break

No Good When Working

Inspiration

The Mystery Of Findlay Prep

Weekend in Review + Weekend in Preview

Obama's Flaw

Big East Butt-Licking

Erection Sunday

On the Bubble

Brain Stir

Quckie

HUGE NEWS!! And some sad news

When I Put On A Shoooooooow...

Things Are Looking Up...

All-Star Results

All Star Predictions

Feb 19

The Quest For "G"

Pooty Profile: Brook Lopez

Remember Voshon Lenard?

NBA Draft

Taking Full Advantage

The Kids We Love

Booty Star Glock Talk: Central Division

Booty Star Glock Talk: Atlantic Division

Its a New Year

Brain Stir

Holiday

Tweet

Roll-call

Continuing To Watch Brandon Jennings

Watching Brandon Jennings

The Kid in Timberlands

: )

Bad Times

NBA League Pass: Love and Hate

Looking Closely At Andris Biedrins

06 Ohio State Redux

Rise from your Grave

Strange & Outlandish Observations

!!!

Out Here Grinding

It's A Midwest Thing

Where is Too $hort when you need him?

A Little Fuzz Ball

Episode 2

Dish Network Can Eat It

Damn it feels good

Comencing Ceremony

Season Preview: New York Knicks

Season Preview: Denver Nuggets

Season Preview: New Jersey Nets

Season Preview: Boston Celtics

Season Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves

Season Preview: Oklahoma Thunder

Splitting Up The Previews

Hard Times

Colorinche

Welcome Back

Bill Walker Video To Come

Swag Like Jennings

NBA 101

Season Fast Approaching

Career Choices And Such

Stat Poot

Poots and Yoohoos

Odds And Ends

America's Team

A Letter to Nasa

Sportingnews

I'M BACK!!!!

Efficiency At It's Highest?

Sharon..... Sh, Sharon

Monta Ellis: The Ankle Edition

Brandon Jennings Update