In my mind, Jason Terry- fondly known as "Jet", will always be a Dallas Maverick.
Sure, he's with the Brooklyn Nets now, with fellow thirtysomethings Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson, and Andrei Kirilenko. He's got a Russian Billionaire-out-of-a-James-Bond-flick to help back up his bravado.
"Jet" may have met his match recently, though.
In a event at Chelsea Piers, Knicks guard JR Smith said that was positive that the Knicks would win the NBA Title this coming season.
Back in 2010, Jason Terry, then a Mav, went so far as to tattoo an image of the Larry O'Brien trophy on his bicep to show how sure he was that Dallas would win it all. Terry was a perfect foil to Dirk Nowitzki's quiet, more unassuming leadership style in those days. Had the Mavericks had 2 vocal leaders, they might have ended up like, err, the Lakers of the early 2000s.
Jason Terry has responded to Smith saying that the Knicks could maybe win the "Rucker Park title", referencing the popular Harlem, New York basketball court (155th and Frederick Douglas Boulevard) which has produced many an NBA cager (Satch Sanders, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kenny Anderson, Rafer Alston aka "Skip 2 Ma Lou", etc). The Nets and Knicks have been going at it in the media over the past summer, sparking the reigniting a rivalry that, in recent years, has resided on the mellow side of things. Either the Nets, or the Knicks, have been downtrodden at one point or another in the NBA standings over the last few seasons, so much so that the rivalry hasn't been all that competitive.
So maybe Jason Terry isn't a Maverick anymore, but to Mavs fans like myself, he'll always be the feisty guard who torched the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the 2011 NBA Finals when Dirk Nowitzki had gone cold. Pair that with DeShawn Stevenson's "You Can't See Me" waves from Game 6 and what you get is an indelible image of swagger that, unlike JR Smith's claims- has, as of now, been backed up.
The Knicks certainly have the tools to win, but to "win it all"? I don't know. It seems a bit premature for that.
Newsflash- The Miami Heat are still intact.
And so are Terry's Brooklyn Nets.
MC
(Photo Courtesy of clippers.topbuzz.com)
I've always been a fan of the man known as "Tuff Juice".
He's recently been dealt to a Bucks team with a glut of guards and forwards.
Here's to hoping he can stay healthy and provide some leadership to a young team in flux.
#tuffjuice
#onceamaverickalwaysamaverick
If I am not mistaken, the gentleman guarding Lebron James in the photo above is Talk N' Text cager Ranidel De Ocampo. While Ranidel is a great shooter, one on one defender, and all-around stud, it's anyone's best guess who would win an extended matchup between RDO and the King.
Lebron James recently visited Manila, much to the delight of hoops crazy Pinoys. I too am a hoops crazy Filipino, but in a way, I took Lebron's visit to my homeland as a "Hi, see you later."
Before you throw tomatoes, cucumbers, and other types of produce my way, hear me out.
Lebron James is probably this current NBA generation's finest player. He's a cross between Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson. He's got 2 championships and counting, and can dominate ballgames through scoring, playmaking, and/or through his ability to make his teammates look better by drawing defenses towards him. He has proven that, since his days as a player for the Ohio-based Cavaliers, he has indeed grown as a player- and as a man- by leaps and bounds.
Well, maybe I just have the propensity to root for the underdog. In every NBA generation, therein lies players who are great, but fall down a few rungs because of the undisputed greatness of a subset of all-stars. During the generation of Bird and Magic, those players were Isiah, Dumars, Erving (in a sense), Olajuwon (partly), Bernard King, Alex English, Ralph Sampson (again, asterisk because he became oft-injured at some point), McHale, Parish, Kareem (partly), etc. During the Jordan era, you had a litany of stars that would have won multiple rings had His Airness not dominated as much as he did. The list of would-have-beens includes a litany of all-world players like Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Miller, D. Robinson, and Alonzo Mourning, just to name a few. Rooting for the underdog, the guy who either gets little to no media fanfare because he just can't beat the big guy no matter how skilled he is, or, the person who gets a lot of media fanfare as the poster child for "giving it your best shot against the odds", is fun because of the possibilities it presents.
1) Adversity can bring out the best in the 2nd fiddlers.
*John Starks played his best games as a Knick versus Jordan's Bulls, and who can forget Reggie Miller's turnaround 3 point shot in the waining seconds of Game 6 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals that sent the series between his Pacers and Chicago Bulls to a seventh and deciding match? Greatness is expecting from guys like Jordan, and even Lebron, but it's the Millers, David Wests, Paul Georges, Dirk Nowitzkis, Jason Kidds, Zach Randolphs of the world- the guys who are stellar but not otherworldy- who tend to grab my attention because facing the all-timers tend to make them "extend themselves". Players pushing themselves to levels they never thought they could reach is always a joy to watch. See the Mavs over the Heat in the 2011 Finals, the Pistons over the Lakers in the 2004 Finals, and the Warriors over the 67-win Mavs in the 2007 Playoffs.
2) It is exciting to see the mighty fall.
*Baron Davis and his 2007 "We Believe" Warriors shocked the sports world when they defeated the number 1 ranked Dallas Mavericks in 6 games during the opening round of the 2007 NBA Postseason. It was stunning because of the numbers- a 67 win team downed by a 42 win club, Dirk Nowitzki getting kicked out of the title picture so soon despite winning league MVP, etc. The X's and O's, when analyzed closely, though, tend to paint a picture which portray the Mavericks to be on the losing side of things.
That Warriors team had a helter-skelter style that the older, stiffer, Mavericks could not contend with. The athleticism of that Golden State team flustered Dallas which tended to rely to gang defense (Zone) instead of being able to gain advantages on straight up, man to man, sets.
Basically, there was no way in hell Dirk was going to be able to guard Monta Ellis on a switch, nor was Jason Terry going to be able to stop Baron Davis (in his prime) on a pick and roll. The Mavericks were doomed from the start.
The Lakers teams of Kobe and Shaq, and the Bulls teams of Pippen and MJ had their share of haters, and it wasn't really because they played dirty or did not have any respect for the game. In fact, it is the other way around. They had detractors because it was so tantalizing a prospect to see these era-defining clubs fall to run of the mill teams, despite being fundamentally (logically) more outstanding- man for man, or an a system per system basis.
I don't always root for the underdog due to a desire to see the great teams crumble. I am selective about it. When I do root for the all-time greats, it's often because they are great but don't exude greatness to the point that the suspense is sucked out of watching nip and tuck ballgames, for instance. I am not even referring to hubris here. It's more of, fans, as fans, want to see greatness, but not greatness at the expense of thrill.
3) The underdogs tend to be "unique".
Underdog teams always tend to have quirks which endear them to viewers. In the 2011, the Mavs were a ragtag crew comprised of veterans and cast offs that made them look- on paper- like the NBA's version of the Addams Family rather than the A-Team. The Memphis Grizzlies took their hard hats and lunch buckets towards a gritty series win over a highly favored OKC team in 2013. The Knicks of Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell made the NBA Finals instead on lineup headlined at Center by cagers that weren't exactly known for being fleet-footed or jump-out-of-the-gym athletes- Chris Dudley, and Kurt Thomas. Teams who headline the NBA's top tier- the old Bulls, the Spurs, and Lakers, the Thunder, the Heat, tend to be all too clean cut and moulded out of gold and granite to be "compelling".
Wouldn't you be watch a post championship interview with Brian Scalabrine rather than hear out-of-a-dictionary "love for game" quotes from Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? I know I would. We need loose cannons and off kilter situations once in a while to make things fun. Just like Friedreich Nietzsche said- "“You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.”
I believe what Nietzsche said, but of course, I also prefer to qualify what chaos is on a scenario-per-scenario basis before pledging allegiance. Pretention and BS aside though, I'm sure you all get my point.
Having said all that, I have one request- please wake up when Mark Madsen or Greg Stiemsma come to town to do appearances, or when NBA mascots play an exhibition game at a local arena. I am for underdog- and oddball- stories, any day of the week.
Makin' It Happen,
MC
So what does basketball have to do with Georgina Wilson?
A supermodel is someone you tend to love with all your heart. Yes, because she's charming, gorgeous, full of wit. Basketball, like a supermodel, keeps you coming back for more. Supermodels have style. Impeccable style. Balling tends to impress with flourish, but just like supermodels we tend to fall for, therein also lies tons of substance.
Who doesn't love a beautiful, kind hearted girl? In the same way, it's hard not to be enamored by a game that beautifully swings to and fro, from awesome, to absolutely breathtaking.
MC
Good morning, people!
As I sip my overpriced cup of Starbucks Cafe Mocha, I find myself saying, "What the....?????" in reference to some oddball occurrences in the Association today.
Let's get right to headlines...
"Mavericks a legit contender to land Greg Oden": From SI.com
The Dallas Mavericks have bombed out in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes in the last 2 years. What to do with all the cap space and aging roster, then? Apparently, owner Mark Cuban believes that the appropriate course of action is to sign veterans and "potential-layden" players to try and win while Dirk's knees can still hold up.
Enter former number 1 pick and Ohio State Buckeye Gregory Wayne Oden, who comes to us post microfracture surgery and as somewhat of a giant question mark. The potential is there- with Oden having averaged 11 points and 8 boards in his second season with the Portland Trailblazers. His career high for points is 24, but beyond the stats, the man can be a game changer, particular on the defensive/intangibles end. His long arms and quick first step (or what's left of it) can prove to be a terror to squads that are reliant on slow, lumbering Centers. If Oden can stay out of the hospital- and note the gigantic "IF" here- then we may see the Mavs showcase a poor man's Tyson Chandler as their starting Center, should Oden land in the Big D. If his health issues persist, however, then we may very well jot this signing-to-be as yet another Mark Cuban shot-in-the-dark.
Dallas' history with signing bigs (Save for Tyson Chandler)- Erick Dampier, Roy Tarpley, Shawn Bradley, and Brendan Haywood, doesn't exactly scream Shaq-to-the-Lakers circa 1996, or Wilt from Philadelphia to LA. A shred of decency could be had here, though, again, if Oden can stay on the court. Rick Carlisle is a masterful mentor, and Dirk will be in the kid's ear for sure. If the Mavs can sign Oden for the vets minimum- or even slightly more than that- then this can still be tagged as a "win".
*Manu Ginobili to be a Spur for 2 more years: From ESPN.COM
The San Antonio Spurs, to me, are the best run organization in the NBA- having kept their core of Parker, Duncan, Manu, and Coach Gregg Popovich together for what seems like an eternity.
Following a heartbreaking loss to the Miami Heat in last month's NBA Finals, the Spurs have stayed true to their winning formula- replacing their spark plugs, nuts, and bolts, and keeping the motor of their team together.
Enter the re-inking of Argentinian Superstar Manu Ginobili for 2 years.
Yes, San Antonio can sometimes look like the walking wounded, but really, is there any better example of the power of familiarity and coming together as a unit? As we saw in the 2013 NBA Finals, teamwork and simple basketball fundamentals can compete with otherworldly on-court talent. Ginobili's pedestrian averages of 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists over this past season do not speak of Manu's value to the Alamo. He brings grit, toughness, and unparalleled calm under pressure to a team that already has that in copious amounts through other vets like Parker and Duncan. Parker is the "accelerator", Duncan is the "balancer", and Ginobili is the "silencer". He's the guy the Spurs look to the bury the proverbial dagger into opponents. It's a tried and tested formula that's worked for over a decade. Look for this team to ride it until its natural expiration date.
*Why Dwight Left LA: From CBSSports.com/nba
Dwight Howard is a superhero. He's got superhero arms, a winsome superhero smile, and yes, superhero skills as a cager, particularly on defense. With all these gifts, you'd think that he would be a multiple time MVP or NBA Champion by now. That isn't the case, though. Why? Because Howard just can't keep his head on straight and lay off of the drama.
Maybe the media just loves to hype up Dwight's flaws as a celebrity, or maybe it's Dwight himself that plays into the media's deathtrap. Whatever the case may be, Howard has dropped two franchises to date like hot potatoes. In his most recently foray into the soap opera world, he's clashed with Kobe Bryant, yet another product of La-La Land's claim to fame- "Hollywood".
Everything tends to be magnified in big money market towns like New York, Chicago, and LA. It takes a different breed of player to maintain his focus while the klieg lights of a large market are on him. Howard hasn't fared too well in this sense. His numerical statistics are certainly laudable- 18.3 ppg, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Not every Tom, Dick, and Harry can claim to have numbers like that. What is noteworthy about D12, though, is that it would seem like no matter how much he is mentored by the greats- Ewing, Olajuwon, and to a certain degree, Kobe, Dwight just wants to stay the way Dwight is. What Dwight is, Dwight is. He may develop a jumper on year, and a skyhook the next, but so long as Howard's head isn't in the game, look for him to seek his next big contract, his next big landing spot, after purportedly "not being fit" for a particular system, or "group of guys".
In as far as being a fan of the game is concerned, I do hope we can see Howard mature at some point in time. Languishing in being fickle would invariably deprive us of seeing one of the would-be best big men of all time massively underachieve not because of a lack of skill, but rather, due to the absence of focus.
Much is going on in the world of basketball these days, so make sure to stay glued to the newswires- lest you miss next big trade, free agent signing, or, gasp, Lamar Odom tirade with local papparazzi.
Cheers,
MC
