You Just Hope That You Last

"I think I'm spending all my time with the wrong women."

I haven't blogged in a while, so here we go... My weekend was a pretty big disappointment. 3 day weekend, and I thought everything was gonna be terrific and all. But it's made a turn for the worse. I (kinda sorta, not really) work my butt off for 5-days at school and this weekend just slips right by, without any good. It's all good I guess. Back to the lab again. Time to start over and wait for my bowl of white rice. (Girls are like food because you have all the side dishes for your rice. But what you're really looking for is your white rice. Because even though you eat rice everyday, you don't really ever get tired of it. However, eating the same side dish every, single day gets a little boring and yeah... you get the point. P.S. Sorry if you're a girl, and you're reading this. And you happen to be slightly offended in any way. I'm really sorry. My sincere apologies.) Happy Halloween everyone. Forgot to mention that. I'm a little tired. I think I sleep way too late every night. Friday night, I didn't get to go to the Warriors' game, but it's all good. I went to Zack's game instead. But everyone there was a big phoney. Saturday was just...I dunno. Halloween, ehh...Giants won? Jeremy Lin played a lot? 49ers won? No school tomorrow. Practice at 4 though. Hopefully tomorrow's not so bad. But then again, I gotta finish up that crapload of homework. Ehh...we'll see.

"So what I tend to do is think of today as the past. It's funny when you comin' in first, but you hope that you last. You just hope that it lasts..."

"I knock on the door, hope isn't hope, fates not around, the luck's all gone."

"Cause in every dark cloud, there's a silver lining"

Rise of the King

Hate him or love him, he's worth the price of admission and the minds at Nike are geniuses.

"Rome wasn't built in a day." - LBJ

McRib???

For those of you who don't know about the McRib sandwich from McDonald's, it's basically a pork or beef pattie sandwich with pickles and onions covered in bbq sauce. What makes it so special is it's rarity at McDonald's locations. This sandwich is only at specific McDonald's for probably a week and it moves on to another Micky D's, and there are never details about where it will go next. There is even a McRib Locator to help customers find it if it happens to be in their city and Yahoo! has had an article about this sandwich's elusiveness not too long ago. Well today was my lucky day because my lovely sister found a McDonald's in the city that had it and she happened to get me one:

It really wasn't that great and I'm not a huge fan of fast food, but just to say I tried a McRib feels great! I might never be able to try one again in my life.

Let's Have a Toast

I don't care what anyone says about Kanye, he's still top five in my book, long ass video though.

"I'm just young, rich, and tasteless."

Room for Improvement? (Part 2)

The NBA season started yesterday. Absolutely, positively excited. Big matchups in yesterday's season opener. Boston already won, but I thought LeBron played very well (if you don't look at those turnovers - 8). D-Wade added another 6 turnovers to that. And combined, Wade and Bosh had a plus minus stat of -35. Not exactly the best. Rondo had 17 assists. The man is amazing. Ray Allen is wetter than my pet goldfish. And so, I had the TV on, turned to TNT to watch the Lakers - Rockets game. And...Brad Miller ran a break by himself and got to the line. Great stuff. My boy, Brandon Roy, played last night as well. And everyone that knows me, knows that I love Brandon Roy. But back to the reason why I'm making this post, part dos of my season previews for the bottom teams. Let's go!

5. Philadelphia 76ers: Last season's record: (27 - 55), Predicted record: (26 - 66)

Why in the world do the Sixers get worse? They just got Evan Turner, you say? Well, let's take a look at things shall we?

1. Evan Turner is going to have a rough start to this NBA season. It's going to hurt the Sixers record, but towards the end, he's going to start playing like the player he was in college. Much like Stephen Curry did. I'm sorry Sixers' fans if you're reading this, but I just don't feel that Mr.Turner is ready for the NBA yet. Doug Collins doesn't even trust the man enough to start him.
2. As you may or may not have had noticed, the power has shifted from West to East over the summer. (I'm pretty sure Boston, Orlando, Chicago, and Miami are better than any Western Conference team that's not the Lakers.) So that means, the Sixers' schedule is a lot tougher than if they were to be in the West this year. So sorry Sixers' fan.
3. Samuel Dalembert, who in my opinion was the most consistent player last season for the Sixers (except for maybe Iggy), is gone.
4. Elton Brand is simply a shadow of the man he once was. He hasn't 20 and 10 numbers since he was a Clipper. He only had two 20 and 10 games last season as apposed to his twenty 20 and 10 games in the 06 - 07 season.

Just because they have a poor record, doesn't mean they aren't going to have some bright spots in their season. Andre Iguoldala should be putting up career numbers coming off of that gold medal this summer, but I still think it's going to be highly overshadowed by the fact that Evan Turner's first half of the season won't be everything that everyone expects it to be.

Keys to the season: Evan Turner needs to play like he did in college, and adjust quickly to the fast-paced, NBA game.

Wild prediction: Spencer Hawes becomes a bigger part of the team's success than Elton Brand is.

This picture leaves me speechless...

6. Detroit Pistons: Last season's record: (27 - 55), Predicted record: (16 - 66)

I really don't have much to say about this team. I have no idea what direction they're going in. I can't tell if they're rebuilding or if they think they can make the playoffs with this team, but Tracy McGrady really shouldn't have joined this team. He doesn't fit in, and he's going to get even less playing time than he would in Chicago or Cleveland. The Piston's golden years are behind them. Sheed and Chauncey are gone, all that remains are Tayshaun, Rip, and Big Ben. The only bright spots, I would say, are Stuckey and Jerebko. The Pistons have a team that's filled with role players and sixth men, but no one that can really do much on their own. Rodney Stuckey has been coming along nicely and should improve some more this season, but other than that... the Pistons are going to have a pretty rough year.

Keys to the season: Rodney Stuckey is going to have to step his game up and lead this veteran squad if they want to have a shot at the playoffs.

Wild predicition: Tayshaun and/or Rip are gone by the trade deadline.

"I need you like the Pistons need Chauncey."
"You're just a Prince like Tayshaun, but I'm a king like LeBron"

7. Los Angeles Clippers: Last season's record: (29 - 53), Predicted record: (42 - 40)

Blake fudging Griffin is playing this year. I'm thoroughly convinced that the Clippers have all the pieces to make the playoffs for the first time since the 05 - 06 season. Eric Gordon is injured for now, but the man should be amazing when he gets back. Yes, he was on that gold medal team. And yes, he was wetter than the ocean. I originally posted the predicted record at 49 and 33. But after some reviewing and looking over some things, I really can't give that to them. One problem could possibly be Vinny del Negro. del Negro is my negro, but many people that watch NBA basketball have had their number of doubts. The man is a decent coach, but he's not the best in the business like the Clippers cross-town rivals' coach. Prove me wrong Vinny, I sure hope you do. Baron Davis should be motivized to play the way he did when he was back in Golden State. Chris Kaman is now delivered of his ADD (not really, but whatever makes you happy) and should put up borderline All-Star numbers much in the fashion he did last year. However, Blake Griffin will eat up some of Kaman's stats just because he's Blake Griffin. Randy Foye should be a fine addition to the team, and should backup Davis and Gordon pretty well in case Boom's beard is out of whack. Ryan Gomes is also a solid starter at the 3-position. High expectations for this team.

Keys to the season: The entire team's season rests on how well Baron Davis plays. Without an inspired Baron Davis, the team will not be able to meet those expectations.

Wild prediction: The Clips make the playoffs. Blake Griffin gets All-Star consideration, but fails to make the team due to some sort of misplacement (Allen Iverson and T-Mac last year?).

"You'll deliver Chris of his ADD..."

8. New York Knickerbockers: Last season's record: (29 - 53), Predicted Record: (41 - 41)

Big things in the big apple? Let's hope for the best on this one. The Knicks only managed to pick up 1 of 6 superstars this summer (Amare, LeBron, Chris Bosh, D-Wade, CP3, 'Melo). The Knicks should still have a shot at the playoffs. There should be no doubt on anyone's mind on whether or not they can score. But with Mike D'Antoni teams, it's always a matter of defense. The Knicks cleared up most of their roster over the summer and put a bunch of guys together. Raymond Felton has a shot to prove himself this season. But he's going to need to be more than just another point guard this season if he's going to shine. Draft classmates, Deron Williams and Chris Paul have emerged as premiere point guards in the league. While Felton has failed to get any All-Star consideration at all. During the summer, the Knicks got rid of David Lee and replaced him with perennial All-Star, Amare Stoudemire.The additions of Anthony Randolph and Ronny Turiaf should help with the work on the boards. Turiaf will also be a presence in the middle on defense and will provide much needed energy off the bench. Amare has also been surrounded by great shooters. Roger Mason and Danilo Gallinari are terrific shooters and are among the top shooters in the league. They'll be able to spread the floor on the kickout when teams double or triple Amare. The one question for this team is still whether or not they can defend.

Keys to the season: Defense, defense, defense. Raymond Felton has to run the show at the point.

Wild prediction: Anthony Randolph averages 10+ PPG, 7 - 8 RPG, and makes the Warriors front office look bad.

"It's the shoes."

Golden State of Mind

Happy Opening night GSW fans, and happy opening night of the World Series my Giant fans. This post will be a full breakdown of the Warriors roster and the outlook of their season.

Golden State Warriors: Last year's record (26-56), Predicted record (35-47)
The one thing I can almost guarantee you, with this 2010-2011 season and I guess from the past few years is that the W's will be really fun to watch. The Warriors have made many moves this offseason and the most important move was the firing or "resignation" of Don Nelson. Although Nellie has the most wins all-time for a head coach, he had never won a championship. Nellie Ball was designed for under-sized teams and high-paced scoring, but that style of play is not the blueprint for championships. Since Baron left, Nellie had been a cancer to the team and the chase for his record last year cost us some losses and a better draft pick. Keith Smart is the new head coach and I had been waiting for the day he would take over. What Smart will bring to this team is a tougher mentality and more emphasis on defense. He won't favor players and he'll play whoever is deserving of playing time. However these changes won't come overnight. You should still expect this team to score a lot of points and give up a lot of points as well (Just not as much as last year). It'll be a gradual process to play better defense, but they will play a little more of it. With that being said, the Warriors could be a sleeper team this year and compete for that 8th seed in the West. Like I said yesterday, that 8th spot is wide open for any team. They have the offensive fire power to do it and I'm starting to like the acquisition of our new big man more and more each day. I just think we lack the experience and the chemistry of this team will take awhile to form especially with all the new guys. In the end Josh and I both agreed that this team will fall short of the playoffs most likely as the 10th or 11th seed in the West.
"Dark liquor till we busted till I got a buzz like that nigga Chris Mullin" - Wale


Breakdown of Roster 
Guards:
Stephen Curry - There's a ton of hype on Steph this year. He's ranked as high as 6th on fantasy boards and that means large expectations to put up big numbers. I want everyone to be cautious of these expectations and lower them, just a little though. Steph exceeded everyone's expectations last year and if he had played the 1st half of the season the way he played the 2nd, there would have been no doubt about him being the rookie of the year. As for this year, I think the Baby-Face Assassin will still put up numbers, just not as many points because he will be the focus of most defenses. His assists will go up and hopefully his defense will get better and he got a little stronger. There were too many times where he was beat off the dribble and allowed guards like Andre Miller to kill him with their strength. Steph will have an excellent season but don't expect him to assert himself as a superstar this year or ever in his career. In my opinion he will be an all-star just not a superstar and I love this guy. Just ask Ry who was talking about a kid named Stephen Curry from Davidson when his Junior season began and no one knew about him. I'm just being honest about the type of player he is. 

Monta Ellis - Words that I would use to describe Monta Ellis: "Selfish," "Lazy," "Ballhog," "Egotistic," "Can't speak English?" and so on. You get the picture. I don't really like the guy and I'm not embarrassed to say I had no problem with the team trading him just for Eddy Curry's expiring contract and nothing else. Even though I say all of this, I still think Monta is a good player just not for a young team like us. Monta can score like crazy and is a blur on the break. His mid range jumper is nice and he gets a lot of steals because he gambles on defense. He is in fact the closest thing you will get to Allen Iverson today. He'll probably average 25 or more and he'll do it shooting the ball 20+ times a night. He'll be a joy to watch, but the next step for this team is to get rid of him for cap space and build around Steph with Monta's lost contract. Just imagine in the offseason after our magical playoff run in 06-07 if we had pulled the trigger on sending him and Biedrins and a couple other scrubs to Minnesota for KG. Our lineup for the next season would've been: Baron, J-Rich, Captain Jack, Al Harrington, and KG, just imagine what could've been...

Charlie Bell - Not much to say here. 2 years left on his contract, ok player, and has "Flint" tattooed on his right arm.

Jeremy Lin - The Asians' new pride and joy in the league? In all honesty, he can play basketball well and if he doesn't make it on this team, he'll get chances somewhere else. I watched his state championship game when he was a senior in high school against powerhouse Mater Dei, his summer league games this offseason, and I watched him play live in Santa Clara, and the one thing about him is that he won't back down to anyone and he's mentally tough. He has confidence in his game. He's a very average player though in terms of NBA talent. He can do everything well, but nothing great, but if he can light up UConn for 30 and Boston College for 25+, he can play. My bold prediction for him will be a game where he puts up 20+, 5 and 5, Bob Fitzgerald and Jim Barnett will be loving it, and the fans at the Oracle will be going crazy. However this can only happen if Steph or Monta get hurt, let's knock on wood and hope that actually doesn't happen.

Forwards:
Dorell Wright - He will be our staring small forward and he is not too shabby of a player. He's still young since he came out of high school and he's actually grown 2 inches since coming into the league. He always has a cool hair design in NBA 2K and he's an average player. He doesn't do anything great but I have a gut feeling he will have a very good season for us.

Reggie Williams - This is a player I really like. From his first game in the league to summer league this offseason, Reggie has scored and scored. He is just an excellent scorer period. He deserves more playing time this year and hopefully he'll get it  because if this man averages 24+ minutes a game he can average close to 15 a game.

Rodney Carney - He's super athletic, but that's it.

Jeff Adrien - I always thought at UConn he would've become a good post presence, but he is not, he's a benchwarmer

Louis Amundson - Sweet Baby Lou is an excellent pickup. He is exactly what the W's need, an energy guy that every team has that always kills us. We have that now in Louis. It's actually quite a shocker to me that so many teams passed up on his services and he wasn't signed till September! But yeah, Louis is nice and he rides his bike in Jordans, cool guy.

Vladimir Radmanovic - Starred in the Nutcracker when he played in Seattle.

Ekpe Udoh - Bust. A 24-year old rookie who had Hornet's coach, Monty Williams make him look like a fool in his workouts for their team (watch it on YouTube), yet we still drafted him... oh and he can't play till the 2nd half of the season, phonie.

Brandan Wright - Keith Smart rarely played him in the preseason and he is getting unhappy. It's time to give up on him and trade him. It'd be good for him and the team.

David Lee - He was our biggest acquisition in the offseason and we sure gave up a lot to get him. I really like him because this is a guy who has had to work for everything he has accomplished in the league so far. He's not that athletic, he's not that tall, and he looks like the baby of Jason Siegel and Seth Rogen if they had a baby. Yet this man is a double-double machine. He's working on his mid range jumper and he's excellent on the pick and roll. He struggles on defense however, and I still hate the fact we had to give up Anthony Randolph and his potential to get Lee. Let's just hope Randolph never reaches that potential and D. Lee gets that 20 and 10 everyone expects.

Centers:
Dan Gadzuric - 1 year left on his contract, clogs the paint, and he is Josh's favorite Warrior.

Andris Biedrins - The drop off in his game last season was incredible. Sure he was hurt, but he looked like he didn't want to play even when healthy. He went from an excellent shot blocker and master of garbage buckets to a big softie, even though he already was off the court. He complained in the offseason for a trade and I really don't care if he is traded, but now that Nellie is gone and he's not complaining, he will have to be a large contributor this year. I think he can return to his old form, but I really hope that old form on his free throw doesn't return this year.

                                             (Oh how I miss the good old days....)

Anyways that does it for my previews of the NBA season, maybe Josh will have more but I'm unsure, enjoy the new season folks!

The West

Today is the day, oh how sweet it is, opening night to one of the most highly anticipated seasons the NBA has had in years. So many storylines and the NBA could not have done a better job with their opening night schedule. Anyways, I will be continuing my previews today, with the Western Conference, and just like yesterday there will be one sleeper team and the top five teams in my opinion. The West is pretty hard to analyze because there's one alpha team and the rest aren't even close to them. But enjoy the games tonight, I know I will, and enjoy the post, feel free to debate with me:

Sleeper Team: Denver Nuggets - Last year's record: (53-29), Predicted record: (55-27)***
The predicted record with asterisks says it all because the Nuggets could be the 2nd best team in the West, but their record could end up being flipped around to 27-55 if everything blows up. This Nuggets team is deep and very good, but all of this does not matter if Carmelo Anthony keeps whining and moping for a trade. The reality for Carmelo is that New York has nothing to offer to the Nuggets in a trade, Chicago won't give up Joakim Noah, and the multiple team deal with the Nets has been dead for awhile. If Carmelo looks at this current Nuggets' roster and the situation the way I do, then he can see something special. The Nuggets have a really good roster. Chauncey Billups will start declining soon, but you can never count out Mr. Big Shot's mental toughness and winning attitude, he'll still put up his normal numbers. Besides that his backup isn't too bad either. Ty Lawson is fast and still super raw in terms of his talent, with sneaky athleticism. The 2-guards are perfect compliments for each other. Aaron Afflalo plays defense, hits the trey, and does whatever is asked of him, as for J.R. Smith, he is consistently inconsistent, but when he's on, you gotta love him. His offense and hot streaks have won plenty of games for this team in the past, but his cold shooting and poor shot selection have also killed the team as well. The big forwards will be Kenyon Martin and Al Harrington, not too bad, and they have one of the most underrated centers in Nene, and Birdman off the bench (energy, cool hair, and blocks). This team consists of crazy tattoos, big personalities, and many problems, but the one person that can hold all of this together is the guy who left towards the end of  last year, George Karl. George Karl is back and he was the glue that kept everything together and it is his job to keep this team from fallling apart this year. Carmelo needs to realize that before Karl left for cancer treatment last year this team was the 2nd seed in the West, and the roster they currently have is better than the team that pushed the Lakers to six games in the conference finals two years ago. If Melo wants to be a Knick and form a new super team, he needs to suck it up, lose some money, and play the free agency game when this season is over. As of now he needs to open his eyes and play his ass off for this team because he has a special team that can definitely give the 1st Ranked team in this conference a run for their money.
"And my jewels are blue and yellow, the type of shit that make em call you Carmelo" - Weezy

5) Houston Rockets: Last year's record: (42-40), Predicted record: (48-34)
 When I think about evaluating the west, the seeding for the playoffs from 2-7 can be flip-flopped around with about five to six teams in this conference and any team in the West can be the 8 seed, honestly. The West is a wide open conference for anyone to finish runner-up to the 1st ranked team. I feel like this Rockets team will be rugged, scrappy, and very strong defensively, thus deserving the 5th spot in a much weaker West. This team has made quite a few significant moves since the start of last season, Darryl Morey is a good gm and all his moves even though they may seem strange are usually for the better of the team, and did I mention China's pride and joy is back?!? T-Mac is gone and has been gone, so is Trveor Ariza and it's a blessing for this team. They don't need players who shoot the ball excessively and inefficiently. I love the point guards on this team. Aaron Brooks is very much underrated. The man that wears red suits in playoff postgame news conferences can really play. He's pretty short, but he knows how to score and he's quick, really quick. His backup Kyle Lowry is no scrub either. Kevin Martin is very important in making this team work. He has to score and play like the K-Mart in Sacramento, he must. This team won't score too many points and their defense will win them many games, but Kevin Martin's job is to average at least 23 a game this year and his backup is Courtney Lee, who will score the basketball too. Basically the shooting guards on this team have one job and one job only, put the ball in the hoop. Shane Battier is the 3. I don't really need to say much about him, I love the guy, does everything right, second best defender on Kobe in the league and his backup is Chase Budinger, volleyball superstar, and his game is nice. The key player to this team however is their power forward, Luis Scola. If you watched just a little bit of what this man did in the World Championships (2nd best  player in the tournament) this summer, you can see that he is ready for a big season. Sure he's averaged 13 and 8 for his career (good numbers), but I'm thinking this year it could be 20 and 10. The man is smooth in the post and he's actually fun to watch, and he has nice hair. His backup will be Patrick Patterson, another guy that just fits what the Rockets are. Of course the most exciting thing to me about this team is the return of Yao Ming. Even though he will be limited to 24 minutes a game, will not play on the back end of a back-to-back, and come off the bench, he will contribute and his presence will be felt. Maybe I'm biased. but I love Yao and how much he has improved since he came to the league. I just really hope he can one day return to the player he was two years ago. They're starting center is pretty decent too, Brad Miller. The man will lay a guard out if he tries to dunk on him, he'll score on occasion, and he fits the system Rick Adelman runs. And I forgot to mention Chuck Hayes, he is rugged and takes up a lot of space for a 6'6 center. This Rockets team will have a good season and they'll play like a team because they have to. Each player must fill their role because they don't have that superstar that can take over a game. I have this team giving the team they play on opening night a 6-game series in the conference semis.
"I used to post up on the block like Yao Ming in the paint but now I pimp the parkin lot drivin slow n slippin drank" - Paul Wall

4) Oklahoma City Thunder: Last year's record: (50-32), Predicted record: (50-32)
If you know me really well or if I have ever talked to you about this game, you probably know I love the OKC Thunder, absolutely love them. They are my second favorite team in the league and I can be really biased about everything I say about them. The team has a lot of hype this season and a lot of people think they will be contending for a chance to play in the Finals. I hate the hype. I love the fact this team exceeded my expectations and they blew up a year earlier than I expected, but I hate hype and I hate high expectations, they're never good, especially for a young team. However, I think the Thunder will be a year older and a year better, even if I think they will have the same record as last year. The sky really is the limit for this team, but they are still a young Marcus Camby-like center away from being a true contender. Russell Westbrook? Stud. Freakishly athletic and getting better every year. I honestly didn't think he would be this good and I remember I really wanted this team to draft Jerryd Bayless in 08 instead. How wrong was I. But that's why Sam Presti is one of the best gm's in the league. Thabo Sefolosha doesn't really have an offensive game but he is the best defender on Kobe Bryant in the league. Doubt it? Ask Kobe Bryant about that first round series last year. James Harden, I am very high on him. For some crazy reason I have two players that I think in this league can become an offensive killer like Kobe, and that's O.J. Mayo and this guy, James Harden. The man just needs pt and he'll prove his worth. Kevin Durant, KD35, Durantula, top fantasy player, my favorite player in the league, on his jock since he was a senior in high school, I can go on and on about how this guy is my favorite player to watch and how I LOVE Durant, but I'll stop. Dude is unguardable: 6'10, no offensive weaknesses, pretty good on the other end of the floor as well. He just needs to keep getting stronger, and assert himself as the leader of the team, take the initiative and not be so lovable and humble, the best players in sports are all assholes, sorry. Jeff Green was supposed to be the sidekick but that role belongs to Westbrook now. The man is a good NBA player but he's easily replaceable and he doesn't do anything special. The center is Nenad Krstic, nothing to be excited about at all, but he won't play too many minutes anyways. The other promising aspect of this team is their bench. I already mentioned Harden, but their bench also has Eric Maynor (Great steal from the Jazz), Serge Ibaka, "Dr. Nasty" (His potential is limitless also, he can be that 4 or 5 the Thunder are missing from being a contender, but I just don't think he will get there and he'll play his entire career the way he does now), Daequan Cook (Wet), Nick Collison (Scrappy), and Cole Aldrich (My gut tells me he can become a decent 5, and contribute enough to push this team over the top, but my heart tells me he's a bust). This Thunder team will be better, just how much better? I only see them improving in the playoff seeding, but actually losing to the Rockets in the first round.
"Kevin Duuuuuurant" - Anson Toy

3) San Antonio Spurs: Last season's record: (50-32), Predicted record: (53-29)
Anyone who watches the San Antonio Spurs know that they are probably one of the most boring teams to watch, well at least for me they are and they're pretty much an old bunch. Just like the Celtics, this team is running out of time and they must win now. Their team however is a solid bunch of veterans and a small mix of young and promising players as well. I have a strong belief that this team will actually remain healthy because their stars will play limited minutes each night and they'll play like the Spurs we're all used to seeing. Their starting guards could be flip-flopped around all season, but the main four getting playing time will be Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, George Hill, and James Anderson. A lot of people are doubtful of Parker's ability because he had a bad season, but he wasn't healthy, and when healthy, he is one of the best point guards in the game (beautiful floaters, good mid-range game, scores efficiently inside). Ginobili, I personally like off the bench and I personally digged the long hair he had back in the day. He is a year older but if he stays healthy he will definitely have a better year than last. Hill has gotten better every season and he just plays the system well. Lastly, Anderson is a good rookie and can score. Who knows? By season's end he may be in the starting lineup or not even in Popovich's rotation. I believe he can be a starter. At small forward is Richard Jefferson, and I'm not too excited about him and he's overpaid. But he's a year into the system now and maybe he'll turn things around. The big forwards will be Antonio McDyess (mid-range game), Matt Bonner (Not gonna say anything about him though), DeJuan Blair (no ACL's in his knees, beast on the boards), and Tiago Splitter (Love his potential and may end up being the perfect compliment to this team's best player). Of course, the key piece to the team is Tim Duncan and his knees. Tim Duncan has lost a lot of weight this offseason and if his knees don't bother him all year, the former best power forward in the league will have this team fighting for a shot at the Finals. Timmy is boring to watch but the "Big Fundamental" does everything right. In the end I truly believe this will be the team that challenges the 1st ranked team in the conference the most. I have them losing to that team in the conference finals in seven games though.
No quote, just Eva Longoria :)

2) Utah Jazz: Last year's record: (53-29), Predicted record:(58-24)
This was an impulsive pick for me. Originally I had the Dallas Mavericks as high as second, but currently I'm feeling this Jazz team and I'm not buying into the Mavericks because of their age. The Jazz lost Carlos Boozer in the offseason, but made a huge steal in acquiring Al Jefferson for basically nothing. This is another one of those rugged hard-nosed teams that will play very physical basketball. I'll start with the bench and it really is nothing. Mehmet Okur will expand the floor with his shooting, Gordon Hayward fits the 90s version of a Jazz guard/forward, and there's C.J. Miles and Ronnie Price who are energy guys and not much else. The starting five is what will provide this team with a deep run in the playoffs. Deron Williams is either the best point guard in the league or second only to Chris Paul. Raja Bell was an excellent pick-up because he will drive whoever he guards nuts, and he's been coached by Jerry Sloan before. Andrei Kirilenko is this team's X-factor. In his best season he averaged 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 3 blocks a game, 3 blocks! but that was five years ago. And for some reason I still believe Kirilenko can play like that again. I always thought highly of Paul Millsap and I didn't think this team needed a replacement for Boozer because I thought he was the guy. Well he doesn't have to be that guy and he will still have a big role as a double-double machine. The key piece to the squad is the new guy, Al Jefferson. I was eating lunch with Ry a couple hours ago and I told him I didn't think Jefferson would adjust quick enough to the team and two hours later I am convinced. He will be the Malone to DWill's Stockton. Just a couple of highlights of him playing was enough. The Jazz will be in the final four in the West but I think they will fall short in the semis to the Spurs in seven games, but this team will remain relevant for a long time barring any injuries because they have DWill and Al Jefferson and both guys are young.
Sorry no quote, but short shorts...

 1) Los Angeles Lakers: Last year's record: (57-25), Predicted record: (65-17)
The Lakers are not a team that I like very much, I hate Kobe Bryant and I will never forgive the man for destroying the dynasty that I loved as a child. With that being said, the Lakers are the best team in the NBA and Kobe Bryant is the best player on the planet and only one ring away from matching Jordan? Damn. This team is coming off back-to-back championships and the only thing that's stopping them from winning a third championship is themselves and their big ego.The pieces are all there: very good bench, excellent starting five, size, experience, the best player in the game, the best forward in the game, and Ron Artest. Let's begin with Ron Artest. He is crazy and plays the game absolutely wrong but when he wants to play correctly he can be one hell of a player and fun to watch. His backup will be Matt Barnes and every team needs a Matt Barnes. He beats his girlfriend and he sure as hell won't have a problem fighting an opponent. Oh and he's a decent defender, hits the three on occasion, and rebounds the ball well. The frontcourt is the best in the NBA, Lamar Kardashian, whoops I meant Odom (one of the best sixth men in the league, but had potential to be one of the best players in the league, waste), Pau Gasol (Most skilled big man in the league, amazing passer, grizzly bear), Theo Ratliff (Dinosaur, but can rebound and block shots), and Andrew Bynum (X-factor). Andrew Bynum's health is crucial for this team because when he's on the court with Gasol, it's tough to stop both of them from being effective on both ends of the floor (Just watch game 7 from the Finals). Bynum when healthy is a top 5 center and unlike Dwight who I criticized yesterday, actually learned a great deal from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Gasol and Bynum's size and presence in the post will be the one thing the Miami Heat cannot defend. Derek Fisher is back to run the show, his regular season numbers will be down, but when the Playoffs come around, he'll be ready. Steve Blake is also an excellent backup point guard for Phil Jackson, I see a Steve Kerr/John Paxson role for him so Jordan Farmar won't be missed too much. Shannon Brown is an R&B video star and also a pretty good basketball player. He'll provide a couple highlight dunks this year. Last, but certainly not least is Kobe Bryant. I don't like him, but I appreciate and respect his game a lot. Kobe Bryant has absolutely  no weaknesses in his game and he just has that competitive fire and that "it" that no one else has. He studies and knows the game better than anyone. He'll beat you in the post, he'll hit the three, and hit a fadeaway jumper over a double-team with relative ease. He has also been an all-league defender numerous times. People are still waiting for Kobe to drop off and they can keep waiting. Kobe's numbers may go down a little bit this year, but he'll still be hitting game-winners and remain the toughest man to guard in the league, and when it's Playoff time, he'll be ready to defend the title. All signs point to a trip to the NBA Finals where they'll three-peat against the Heat in six games.
"Kobe doing work, two-four on my shirt, he the greatest on the court and I'm the greatest on the verse" - Lil Wayne  

Stay tuned for the Warriors preview tomorrow.

Room for Improvement? (Part 1)

As Anson stated in the previous post, we'll be starting up our NBA season previews. So Anson decided to take the top five teams and a sleeper team of each conference (plus the Warriors). So I'll be doing the bottom ten teams or so (excluding the Warriors). When I say "bottom ten teams," I'm referring to last season's results. And...let's go.

1. New Jersey Nets: Last season's record: (12 - 70), Predicted record: (43 - 39)

How is it possible for the Nets to go from the worst team in the league to a potential playoff team you ask? It starts with Avery Johnson. Avery Johnson is a very, very good coach, and certainly knows how to win. He led the Mavericks from 05 - 08. This coaching job includes: 2006 Coach of the Year, 2006 NBA Finals Appearance, and became the fastest coach to reach 100 and 150 wins, respectively. You might notice that he's crazy at times, but he's, nonetheless, a great coach. Now, you're probably wondering how a team can jump up 31 wins with just a great coach. While they failed to get a superstar (Carmelo Anthony), the New Jersey Nets managed to improve a lot this off-season, making a bunch of moves to acquire solid players (Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, Troy Murphy, Jordan Farmar, Derrick Favors, etc.) They certainly have the talent to win some games, but can they put it all together to forget last season's execrable breakdown?

Keys to the season: An upcoming center in the league, Brook Lopez, will need to stay consistent all season long and prove to the rest of the league what he's capable of. Devin Harris will need to stay healthy and prove that he's capable of performing at an All-Star level.

Wild prediction: The Nets will make the playoffs at the 7th, or 8th seed and push the series to 7 games.

(All the people in the background are Asian. Yay for Asians!)

2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Last season's record: (15 - 67), Predicted record: (24 - 58)

Why do the Timberwolves only improve 9 wins? Losing an All-Star talent certainly hurts a team. But that doesn't mean that the Timberwolves didn't improve just a little. Big Al Jeffs simply was not himself last season, so that shouldn't hurt the team's record by that much. Even if that doesn't have much of an effect on the team, Jonny Flynn is out for the first few weeks of the season. Kevin Love, fresh off of the Team U.S.A. gold medal this summer, should be stepping it up and doing work. Always gotta have love for the Kevin Love, right? On a side note, the big reason why the T'Wolves got rid of Big Al, was to give Darko Milicic - NBA Superstar more playing time. Speaking of trading and acquisitions, the Wolves revamped pretty much everyone on the roster (excluding Darko, Love, Flynn, Brewer, Telfair, and Ellington). They picked up Martell Webster, Luke Ridnour, Wesley Johnson, etc. On another side note, Michael Beasley is in town now, and though he's very capable of putting up numbers and tearing up arenas, he's had a few mental lapses over the past two years. If you're the 2nd pick of any professional sports league, why in the world would you want to kill yourself? Hopefully, this is the year he puts it all together. B-Easy

Keys to the season: Michael Beasley really shouldn't have that many distractions in Minnesota, but we'll just have to wait and see. Kevin Love is going to have to be the double-double machine that he was last season and more, if the T'Wolves hope to even be in the top 10 of the conference.

Wild prediction: Darko is going to average at least 13 PPG.

Free Darko anyone?

3. Sacramento Kings: Last season's record: (25 - 57) , Predicted record: (33 - 49)

The Kings are certainly a talented team. Young studs everywhere. Tyreke Evans + DeMarcus Cousins + that hair Israeli with a well groomed beard that gets wet = 33 wins?! Whaaat?! Yeah. Even though this team is talented, they really don't have any experience at all. They have a superstar in the making, Tyreke Evans, but no experience. The team only has 5 players with 5+ years of experience. So, even though they're talented, they're not experienced enough to reach playoff waters. The Kings will definitely be a team to watch for in about 3 years or so. But just not yet. If people were having questions about DeMarcus, well... yeah. The Kings should be a fun team to watch, but they won't make the playoffs. The Kings also don't have a reliable shooting guard if Tyreke is going to be running the show from the point position.

Keys to the season: The studs are going to have to prove that talent is better than experience. DeMarcus Cousins is going to have to overcome any doubts that anyone has.

Wild prediction: The Kings go 11 - 5 within the first month of the season, but start to die out.

"Reke-ing havoc"

4. Washington Wizards: Last season's record: (26 - 56), Predicted record: (37 - 45)

John Wall. John Wall? Is the Wizards' season based solely on John Wall? Yes and no. Gilbert Arenas anyone? If this John Wall- Gilbert Arenas tangent works out, the Wizards could be dangerous. The Wizards have a solid, talented team all-around, but I don't really see anyone that can quite take them over the top yet. John Wall is a rookie and is projected to win Rookie of the Year at the end of the year. But can he take them to the playoffs? On paper, they're looking pretty good if not very good. JaVale McGee, another Team U.S.A. gold medalist, can possibly be on the verge of a breakout season. The sky's the limit for McGee, but he'll need to start putting things together to max out all that potential. If he doesn't do this sooner than later, he just might be getting that bust label. John Wall should be able to carry the team somewhat, but he's gonna need a lot of help to push this team into the playoffs. Captain Kirk, the man that does no wrong, should be able to do just that, all while helping Gilbert teach Wall about being in the league.

Keys to the season: The triple-double whore, Andray Blatche, will have to step things up and help carry some of the load for John Wall.

Wild prediction: Andray Blatche gets a triple double, and the JW-GA tangent works out fine.

Fear the beard.

The East

Happy NBA Opening Night's Eve folks. So today begins the day that Josh and I begin our previews of the NBA season. Since there's 30 teams in the league there's way too many to breakdown and talk about, so I will be doing my predictions and analysis of the top five teams in my opinion of each conference, and I'll even throw in one sleeper team from each conference. Rankings also do not relate to predicted records. Anyways, read it and weep, feel free to debate, and enjoy:

Sleeper Team: Milwaukee Bucks: Last year's record: (46-36), Predicted record: (44-38)
You're probably wondering how this team can be a sleeper if my predicted record is worse than their record last year. Well the top three teams in the East rankings will have a ton of wins and this conference is a lot tougher. I still think the Bucks are flying under the radar in the league, and not too many people know how good this team can actually be. I like these Bucks because of the offseason moves they've made and the fact that they've added a lot more depth to their roster, especially their bench (CDR, Keyon Dooling, and Larry Sanders) which already has Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Last year this team could not score to save their lives, but this year they have some guys who can. Let's start with their best player, Brandon Jennings. Now this guy loves putting on a show for me and Josh, it seemed like everytime we watched him play last year he put up buckets (55 against the Warriors, witnessed, 16 straight points or more against the Hawks in the playoffs, witnessed, etc.) The one thing about Young Money that worries me is a sophomore slump and his terrible shot selection, but I think he won't drop off and he'll have a good season maybe similar to last. John Salmons is a question mark cause he never plays basketball until he is traded to a new team in the second half of the season. Corey Maggette is solid, super buff, and will score but shoot in high volume to score. Drew Gooden is a good NBA role-playing power forward and he will be just that. Lastly, Andrew Bogut, the key to this team's success. last year he had that horrific arm injury, but he should be back to full strength soon, and this man's game is beautiful (unselfish, underrated passer, and good post-moves). He is definitely a top 5 center and that inside/outside game of he and Brandon will work well. If this team puts it all together, they can actually crack the top 4 in the East, but there's a lot of "ifs" mainly because this team's second option (Salmons) and third option (Maggette) in scoring are guys that need the ball in their hands all the time to be effective and scoring is this teams' biggest concern.
"I like big Bucks and I cannot lie" - Scott Van Pelt 

5) Chicago Bulls: Last year's record: (41-41), Predicted record: (45-37)
The Bulls have spent the last two seasons? I believe as the 8 seed in the East. They had front office issues and a pretty bad coach in Vinny Del Negro. However this season, they've made some very solid offseason moves, first with their coach, Tom Thibodeau, who will definitely bring that winning mentality with him from Boston, and then with their offseason acquisitions: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson, and yes even Kurt Thomas (solid). The Bulls can be a dangerous team because of their starting five, especially with Derrick Rose and his limitless potential and I truly believe that this will be his breakout season (plus he was my second round pick in my fantasy draft, so he better come through). If the man says "I don't know what's stopping me from being the best player in the league this year" then I am convinced as long as he learned how to shoot a jumper this offseason. The rest of the lineup has Ronnie Brewer (excellent role player, in my opinion the third-best defender in the league at guarding Kobe) although Keith Bogans may end up starting, Luol Deng (X-factor of the team), Carlos Boozer (he'll fit in fine and get double doubles when he returns from the broken hand, but if he doesn't, this team can drop off immensely), and lastly Joakim Noah (one of the most underrated centers in the league, plays his role perfectly). The one thing that makes me doubtful of this team is its depth, their bench is pretty bad. If Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson, and Taj Gibson are your best bench players, that may be a problem, but then again, Korver provides the offense to Brewer's defense, and Kurt Thomas and Taj Gibson just add minutes to a strong starting frontcourt, and Rose will definitely play 38+ minutes a night. This team won't be the most fun to watch, but they'll be solid all-year, barring any injuries. They'll be out in the first round losing to my 4th ranked team though.
"My shorty always on some "Bull"shit like Chicago so I flip that middle finger and the index finger follow"- Kevin McCall

4) Atlanta Hawks Last year's record: (53-29), Predicted record: (50-32)
Less wins predicted for this year than last year does not make me think of the Hawks as being worse than last year. I just believe that with a stronger conference, their record will decline just a little bit. The Hawks aren't much different than last year, they didn't make too many significant offseason moves besides Josh Powell and trading for Jordan Crawford (who I really like, and he did dunk on LeBron, just saying.) on draft night and all they lost was Joe "Beast" a.k.a. Joe Smith. The biggest change this team made is their coach, from Mike Woodson to Larry Drew (fun fact: his son was the starting pg for North Carolina last year) and his new Princeton-style offense. The team on paper is actually really good. Al Horford, Josh Smith, and Marvin Williams, their frontcourt, are still young and have a room full of potential. Horford is a beast in the paint, I had Josh Smith as high as 6th on my fantasy board and he is a poor man's LeBron, and Marvin Williams is this teams X-factor, but I hate Marvin Williams cause he will never play to his potential, such a waste. The backcourt is another year older, but should be exactly the same, Joe Johnson won't drop off much and he'll stay hoisting those shots, Jamal Crawford won't be as great and he'll stay hoisting those shots, and Mike Bibby will most likely start declining and he'll still stay hoisting those shots, but that's why I'm super high on Jeff Teague because I think he will be a very good backup for Bibby and be their best bench player. The Hawks could be scary if they put it all together, but when do they ever? Sorry, out in the second round of the playoffs for these guys to the 2nd ranked team.   
"They be jockin and they Hawkin, I call them hoes Josh Smith" - Wale

3) Orlando Magic Last year's record: (59-23), Predicted record: (62-20)
The Magic are a dangerous, very dangerous team, but many things must fall in place for them to be on that level. Matt Barnes is gone, but Chris Duhon and QRich have been added, and Malik Allen as well. I would say I am one of the toughest critics of Dwight Howard and when I watch him play he gets me really angry. Yes he gets hacked and takes a beating inside by all opposing players, but he could be the best center to ever play the game, no lie, but he is following the footsteps of Shaq and settling for dominant but not the best ever. This will be his seventh year in the league and he still has no hook shot, it's flat. Patrick Ewing has been basically his personal assistant for the last however many years and he hasn't learned how to even get a touch on a jump shot from 10 ft. How is that possible?? And even though he lacks an offensive skill set, the man averages 18 and 13 for his career, but just imagine if he just learned one of those facets of the game. He's worked with Hakeem the Dream this offseason and hopefully he learned something cause this team is all on the shoulders of Superman and he can take them very far, far enough to beat the Heat and the C's. The rest of the team is really the same. Word around the league is that Jameer Nelson is in shape and primed for his best season, Vince Carter is a phonie and doesn't know what "team basketball" is and I actually believe J.J. Redick deserves more playing time, Rashard Lewis will be Rashard Lewis but a year older, and I don't even know who their fourth starter is, Pietrus? Brandon Bass? Regardless, they need a new fourth starter because Pietrus and Bass are great bench players, and this team has a good bench, but I really wish they signed someone like Al Harrington to be their 4. Overall, they can achieve a lot and I truly believe Dwight will actually have an improved offensive game this year, but this team is out in the 2nd Round to the 1st ranked team.
"Get some rebounds Dwwwwigghhhht!!!" - Stan Van Gundy

2) Miami Heat: Last Year's record: (47-35), Predicted record: (68-14)
What hasn't been said about this team already? In a summer night in July, LeBron James turned the Miami Heat into the NBA's version of the New York Yankees. You can either hate this team, from my best friend Calvin: "I hope when LeBron goes back to Cleveland, a fan shoots him, actually I hope a fan runs on to the court and cripples him like Tonya Harding." or you may love this team. One thing I do know, is that this team will win many games this year and they will be a joy to watch. Chemistry is not lacking and the "Super Friends" will have no problem sharing the spotlight. As for the roster, it's stacked and the man wearing number 6 is playing mad at the world. Just look at his preseason stats and I don't care if it's preseason, he'll average close to a triple double when it counts, trust. Eventually this will be LeBron's team as the offense is already run through him, but D. Wade will be the primary scorer, and Bosh will be the biggest beneficiary of these two (two footers, offensive rebounds, and dunks for days) and Pat Riley has done a hell of a job filling out the rest of the roster as well. With this team, it's honestly pick your poison, you can stop one or two of the stars, but you're not gonna stop the third. And even if all three sturggle one night, there will be nights where Mike Miller picks up the slack, Mario Chalmers will have some big games, Udonis Haslem will be the same (defense, mid-range jumper, and boards) which is perfect, and Big Z, Joel Anthony, Carlos Arroyo, James Jones, Eddie House, Stack, and whoever else is on this team will fit their roles fine. The biggest concern I have for this team is their center, and there's a team in Southern California who I believe have an answer for these guys. The Heat are ranked 2nd now but eventually they will finish the season ranked 1st, I'm just not ready to give them that spot until they play some real games together. As for where they'll finish, they'll be in the Finals, but you'll have to wait to see how they finish tomorrow.
"I keep three Heats on me: 45, glock, and a gauge, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, & D. Wade" - The Game

 1) Boston Celtics: Last year's record: (50-32) , Predicted record: (55-27)
Last season I really didn't like this Boston team at all. Not until I got to watch the brilliance of my favorite point guard in the league, Rajon Rondo, during the playoffs and witness my favorite coach, Doc Rivers, call the show. This Celtics team is really old, and the window of opportunity closes after this year. This is a must-win-championship season for these guys and they've made all the moves to make a final good run and they've done it by revamping that bench. I know a lot of people criticize the signing of Shaq, but I love it. He looks like he's in great shape and he will provide that offense that Kendrick Perkins lacks, oh and 6 extra fouls for Dwight. Jermaine O'Neal, he'll fit in nicely as well (6 fouls to put on Dwight, solid interior offense, and he'll get put on a poster a couple times this year). However, my favorite offseason move this team made was signing Delonte West. Even though he has offcourt issues, a 10-game suspension, and does freestyle raps outside of KFC, the dude plays defense and can score the basketball, he just fits this team so well. The rest of the bench include Marquis Daniels (good defender), and Shrek & Donkey, Glen Davis (6 fouls for Dwight, mid-range jumper, cry-baby) and Nate Robinson (can light it up, but kill a team with decisions). The starting five is the same, except for Perkins who is out for the first half of the season and more, whcih is actually really important because he actually does everything right on this team, offensive boards and shot blocking, which they really missed in Game 7 last year. Rondo will be a year older and a year better, Sugar Ray will be on the decline, but that's why they have Delonte, and Jesus Shuttlesworth still has the prettiest jumper in the league. Everyone expects Paul Pierce to decline, but this guy stays the same, super unorthodox game, but super effective. But the most important player will be Kevin Garnett. If he can be 75% of the KG the year they won their first title, they will be ok. This teams' fortune is all on their health, and I highly doubt they will all stay healthy during the course of the season. But they will be around in the playoffs and there is nothing that beats experience. This team will fall short though in the conference finals to the Heat, but for now until proven otherwise, they're still the Eastern Conference champions, and still ranked 1st in the East.
"RondOOOoooooOOOOooooOOOOoooo" - Anson Toy

Stay tuned for tomorrow's preview of the West... Oh and enjoy the Ron Artest music.

Mike Posner

Dope song, dope video.

Bomb Weekend / Upcoming Week

My weekend was pretty good, if you ask me. Highlights of my weekend would include:

• HN Fright Fest
• Got 2 fish
  
• Played NBA 2K11 for the first time
• Kicked it with James, X, and Brian the whole weekend
• Tutoring with the man
• Bruno Mars power hour with J.E. Skeets

I don't really have much else to say about the weekend. Except for the fact that it was pretty darn amazazing. Nothing execrable happened. And yeah, that was my weekend. Next weekend should be better though cause Warriors game on Friday, :) on Saturday, and Halloween on Sunday.

Over the next week or so, J.E. (Anson Toy) and I will be writing up season previews and predictions for the upcoming NBA season. Should be a good season. Stay tuned.

Black & Orange

The season has truly been magical and torture. Picked to finish 3rd in the West, win only once against the Phillies, and a team with a bunch of misfits and nobodies, we've proved all the haters wrong. If anybody listened to me, I said all along our pitching staff could get us far and with some clutch hitting, we're in the world series and we can definitely take it. Gigantes baby! Let's keep this shit rolling.

“Not bad for a bunch of castoffs and misfits.” - Bruce Bochy

Reminisce Sometime

Thinking is good for the most part. (Unless you think too much, and your head has a mind explosion.) I was thinking about a lot of different things late last night. Cause I always think about stuff and contemplate life before I sleep. Haha. And I realized that I'm blessed to have so many amazazing people in my life. I really shouldn't take things for granted and just try to enjoy everything. There's a lot of things that I miss, but I guess I can't complain. They've helped me become who I am today. Life's good.

Today Was a Decent Day

I slept pretty late last night, so I was really tired throughout the day. Luckily for me, I got to sleep in a bunch of my classes. And...I didn't get in trouble. And I even got an A on my chem test thing with my crazy chem teacher. Just in case you were wondering how crazy my chem teacher is...

1. Mrs. Landa has a really heavy, Russian accent.
2. She's super buff with calves that are like...the size of my head.
3. On the first day of school, she told my class that she is going to eat us.
4. We also took 3 tests during the first week of school.
5. And for the last progress reports that were out, out of the hundreds of people that have her, I only know one person that got above a C.

So yeah, that's pretty much my chem teacher in a nutshell. I got out of school 20 minutes early because my P.E. teacher is a boss. No basketball practice for today, and I got a haircut. So everything was pretty good. And that was my day.

"When life hands me lemons, I make beef stew."

Introducing Josh

So...Anson posted that first post. Hope everyone enjoyed it. I don't think anyone's read it yet, but yeah. Hopefully someone does. So umm...hi. My name is Josh, and I'm starting this blogging stuff with my cousin, Anson. Unlike Anson, I didn't really plan out what to write so I'm just writing whatever right now. I go to Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco. Pretty nice campus there, everything's all new and what not. There's graffiti like all over the bathrooms and stuff, but it's all good. I love basketball, if you didn't know. I also like to draw/paint/etc. I feel like this post is a lot shorter than Anson's, so sorry if it is. It's getting a little late, and I'm getting kinda tired. I don't really have much else to say, except to keep checking back for updates on the blog. Gonna be blogging about life, basketball, unicorns, maybe some other stuff. But yeah, you should definitely stay tuned. Hope you enjoy! (:

P.S. I don't have a cool picture thingy and a quote to post so...I'll just put up a drawing.

Ever watch the movie Despicable Me?

Introducing Me

Alright, so welcome to the blog, I guess this is my welcoming post. Well the basics, I'm Anson, I'm 19, I attend the San Mateo community colleges, I'm a communications major and hopefully by this time next year i'll be blogging from SoCal...fast-forward to now I am now 21 and am indeed blogging from Socal. I have to say I am truly blessed. For those that remember my original welcoming post, well it needed a change. This blog originally was for life and basketball and all things that intrigued me or made me want to write, but now it's safe to say it's solely basketball but won't entirely be restricted to it if anything provokes my thoughts. For any new readers, welcome, and for those who have been reading from the start. I hoped you enjoyed those older posts not relating to sports and cherish it in your hearts, but they are no longer here, and moving forward now, strictly sports. Nothing will change on the sports writings. I will try to offer my thoughts and provide humor that hopefully generates some laughs. I still love the Warriors and Thunder, and I will always hate Steve Kerr, Clark Kelogg, and Duke basketball. Click the hyperlinks, read the footnotes, and enjoy. This blog is also made with my partner in crime, the super cute, high-school stud, Josh. Look for his posts as well and thanks for reading yall.