NBA Jam

Around the League #3

2012-01-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

> Word broke this week that New Orleans is going to permanently inactivate Chris Kaman while they shop around the league looking to trade him. Two days prior to that announcement Eric Gordon turned down a four-year contract extension. (In that same press release Gordon was declared out another 3-6 weeks with a right knee “contusion.” He’s appeared in only TWO games all season. Might the league be hiding something here? Hmm...) Couple those two things with Al-Farouq Aminu basically stinking (shooting 37.5% with a PER of 10.20) and the Timberwolves being decent (9-10 with a +1.58 point differential) and my prediction is coming true even faster than I anticipated.

It’s really not hard to see where the league went wrong either. When Commissioner David Stern took control away from GM Dell Demps and gave it to Stu Jackson that was a crucial error in judgment. I voted Demps third for Executive of the Year last season and his track record runs circles around that of Jackson. I still believe the Laker/Houston trade was better in terms of assets even though Lamar Odom has been terrible (9.38 PER), Kevin Martin injured (plantar fasciitis right foot) and Luis Scola fatigued. Goran Dragic is having a career year (15.33 PER) and New York’s pick (7-12 & -1.32) could easily be higher than Minnesota’s.

I may end up eating a heaping pile of crow if Kaman returns something of significance and Gordon eventually resigns but both of those things seem unlikely at the moment. The league needlessly harpooned Kaman’s value when they decided to stop playing him, and he really wasn’t playing that well to begin with (13.98 PER). It’s well known that the Pacers are going to come hard after Gordon this summer and that Eric wants badly to go there (he’s from Indiana). I could see Gordon and his agent Rob Pelinka telling the Hornets to sign and trade him to Indy (for say Danny Granger) or else he’ll sign the one-year tender to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2013. Stay tuned…

> Andrew Bogut is going to miss 8-12 weeks with a fractured left ankle after landing on Samuel Dalembet’s foot Wednesday night. Besides being completely snake bitten when it comes to fluke injuries Bogut is the anchor of Milwaukee’s defense. The Bucks give up 7.5 fewer points per 100 possessions this season per 82games.com with the big Aussie on the court. Last season it was 3.3 and the season prior it was 5.5. While Drew Gooden is a capable backup no one is ever going to confuse him with a defensive presence in the paint. The East is so bad that this probably doesn’t kill Milwaukee’s playoff chances but they are certainly on life support.

> On Tuesday Washington fired Coach Flip Saunders and replaced him with assistant Randy Wittman through the end of the season. Much like Paul Westphal in Sacramento, Saunders had lost his team, but the mix of players is so putrid that Phil Jackson couldn’t coach them to a .500 record much less the playoffs. I know the final nail in Flip’s coffin was John Wall’s supposed lack of improvement but I’m not sure who on the Wizards Wall can really make better or vice versa?That’s why it’s long past time for President Ernie Grunfeld to be shown the door in DC. He’s the one that assembled this mess of a roster and I’m sure Owner Ted Leonsis is overjoyed to be paying Saunders $4.5 million next year to sit on his couch. Wittman has a career record of 100-207 and has never coached anything resembling a playoff contender so he should feel right at home adding some more losses and another last place division finish to his distinguished resume.

> Everyone’s favorite NBA punch line, Minnesota President David Kahn, made another in a long line of blunders Wednesday when he signed Kevin Love to a contract extension with an opt out after three years. This deal will allow Love to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2015 when a certain marquee team in Los Angeles (no, not the Clippers) will have salary cap space galore.

Kahn apparently wanted to keep his “designated player” option available (in the new collective bargaining agreement every team is allowed to have one "designated player" who receives a five-year maximum extension on his rookie contract) in case Ricky Rubio turns into that kind of talent. Umm, ok buddy, never mind that Love has the fifth highest PER (25.04) in the Association, is shooting 40.4% from three, averaging 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds RIGHT NOW. I think the contract negotiations between Kahn and Kevin’s agent Jeff Schwartz probably went something like this...

Schwartz: “We’d like the full five-year maximum for $80 million.”

Kahn: “We can’t go that high Jeff how about four years for between $60-62 million?”

Schwartz: “We can do that Dave but only if the fourth year is a player option.”

Kahn: “Ok we have a deal!”

Schwartz: “Alright let me know when the paper work is drawn up.”

Schwartz hangs up and calls Love: “You’re never going to believe this but I got us EXACTLY what we wanted all along. The same kind of contract LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh signed with an opt out after three seasons.”

Love: “NICE! Make sure you contact Mitch Kupchak through back channels and let him know I’m coming there in 2015.”

Schwartz: “I’m already on it my man.”

Around the League #2

2012-01-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

> Man-o-man…where to start with the Lakers. Being without Steve Blake (ribs) for 2-3 more weeks deprives them of their top bench scorer (7.3 ppg), best 3-point shooter (35.4%) and only tolerable option at PG. Derek Fisher is shooting a career low 20.8% from three and can’t guard a chair on defense. The good news is that he has a player option on his contract for next season when he’ll be 38 years old! While rookie Darius Morris is very athletic he has no idea how to run an NBA team and sports a PER of 2.89. More than anything else this is why Los Angeles struggles; they lack any semblance of competency at the most important position in the modern game.

(This is why trading Lamar Odom for nothing was beyond dumb. With Andre Miller making noise in Denver that he should be a starter Odom could have easily went there straight up. Or how about asking Dallas to include Rodrigue Beaubois in the original deal? With Devin Harris now available in Utah his $9.3 million salary doesn’t fit into the $8.9 million trade exception dumping Lam-Lam created either.)

The Lakers are tied for second in opponent shooting (41.1%) and third in rebound differential (+3.59) so defense obviously isn’t why they are 1-6 on the road. There’s no doubt that being tied for last in 3-point shooting (25.7%) plays a big part in their offensive struggles but this isn’t the first time a Mike Brown coached side has looked completely unimaginative and stale on offense. Anyone remember the give the ball to LeBron James and everyone else stand around attack he ran in Cleveland? Well we’re seeing plenty of that in LA just replace LeBron with Kobe Bryant. I’m surprised Little Jimmy Buss didn’t see this coming when he hired Brown after only one interview with almost no outside influence. Wait, no I’m not.

The future really doesn’t look very bright for the Lakers either since they have $61.5 million tied up in just four players (Bryant, Blake, Pau Gasol & Metta World Peace) two seasons after this one. The only way out is by making some big trades...and soon. If I was GM Mitch Kupchak I’d be calling Rockets GM Daryl Morey and proposing this and if that was no good I’d try to re-concoct the original three team deal for Chris Paul with New Jersey and Houston for Deron Williams. Of course if Kupchak is patient and receives some help from a few agents he may be able to swindle Nets President Billy King into this and Otis Smith in Orlando into this right at the March 15th trade deadline. One can dream anyway…

> When the Atlanta hawks lost Al Horford for 3-4 months with a torn left pectoral muscle I thought they were done, but somewhat amazingly they have gone 4-2 since losing who I consider to be their best player. In Horford’s absence Joe Johnson and particularly Josh Smith have stepped up their games but I’m dubious as to how long they can keep it up. Replacing everything Al does on the interior from low post scoring to help defense to rebounding is going to be especially tough over the long haul. Rookie PF Ivan Johnson has been a pleasant surprise, Zaza Pachulia is solid when mentally engaged but Jason Collins (-1.08 PER) is awful. I may yet be right about them missing the playoffs.

> So far this season the Boston Celtics have beaten Detroit, Washington (twice), New Jersey and Toronto. That’s it, that’s the entire list. Paul Pierce (right heel) has been slow to round into form, Rajon Rondo (right wrist) is currently sidelined and Kevin Garnett looks flat out done. Remember when the Celtics used to be one of the best defensive teams in the Association? Well that was before Tom Thibodeau and his replacement Lawrence Frank left for Chicago and Detroit respectively. Boston is tied for 12th in opponent shooting (43.5%) which isn’t that bad but when you couple that with being 26th in rebound differential (-2.72) the outlook isn’t as rosy. I’m not even mentioning that they have virtually no depth, athleticism or youth.

Which is why I think it’s high time that GM Danny Ainge starts taking some heat. Other than being gifted KG by a former teammate (Kevin McHale) and having Ray Allen fall into his lap during Sam Presti’s Seattle fire sale what has he done? He has nothing but a draft pick (less favorable of Clippers and Timberwolves pick in 2012, protected top 10 in 2012-15, unprotected in 2016) to show for Kendrick Perkins and his draft record is not the greatest to be kind. So when Ainge came out this week and said he’s willing to break up the big three it got me thinking that he’s primed for another fleecing; something along the lines of this. This is a developing situation that bears monitoring as the season progresses.

> If you are a long time reader you know that I’m extremely partial to guys like Andrei Kirilenko (young version), Josh Howard (ditto) and Jonas Jerebko. Or do-it-all small forward types that don’t demand the ball on offense, know how to defend and just play all around smart team ball. Well I’m here to tell you that I’ve found another one of these guys in Houston rookie Chandler Parsons. Since Coach McHale inserted him (and Sam Dalembert) into the starting lineup the Rockets are 6-2. Parsons is very long and has decent athleticism. He’s also a great rebounder, a willing passer, solid defender and doesn’t venture outside of his role in the starting unit. The only question I have is what took McHale so long to play him?

> In my travels around the league with my remote I’ve noticed two players in particular that have stood out to me as playing really well and when I looked at their numbers it turned out both were having career years. In Denver Al Harrington is tearing it up shooting a blistering 55.4% from the field while posting a 21.43 PER (both career highs). Then down in New Orleans Jarret Jack is putting up career numbers in points (16.3), assists (7.4), rebounds (4.3) and PER (18.36). Mr. Jack would look FANtastic in Laker purple and gold right about now. Think Hornets GM Dell Demps would do this? Even Lloyd Christmas knows that one has no chance.

My Year in Music 2011

2012-01-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Raw Statistics

Phish Shows – 9
Other Shows – 19
Festivals – Re:Generation (14 sets), Eugene Celebration (10 sets) & Outside Lands (5 sets)

Studio Albums

5) Rich Robinson – “Through a Crooked Sun”

In the seven years since 2004’s debut solo album “Paper” Rich’s vocal delivery has grown more confident while his music has stayed true to his roots. Joe Magistro (drums) and Steve Molitz (keys) join Rich (guitar/bass) to form his core band (Brain Allen plays bass live) while guests like Warren Haynes, John Medeski and Larry Campbell add their talents to three tunes. This is one of those albums that grows on you with each play and if old school rock is your thing you won’t be disappointed.

4) The Disco Biscuits – “Otherwise Law Abiding Citizens”

After the utter debacle that was 2009’s “Planet Anthem” the Biscuits rebounded with arguably their best record ever. The heavy overproduction that plagued “Anthem” has been replaced with stripped down straight up Bisco. From the opening grove party of “Great Abyss” to the slamming closer “Lunar Pursuit” the listener is taken on a voyage through all things Biscuits. Though no “new” songs appear fan favorites like “Spraypaint” and “Portal to an Empty Head” are given the full studio treatment.

3) Greensky Bluegrass – “Handguns”

Right from the opening track “Don’t Lie” you can’t help but be moved by Paul Hoffman’s lyrics and drawn into the pictures his words paint. Every time I hear “No Idea” I still get goose bumps just because the subject matter hits so close to home for me. The 11+ minute closing jam on “All Four” gives you a taste of their live show and the three piece horn section on “I’d Probably Kill You” works surprisingly well. From start to finish this album is a journey that is well worth taking for any music fan.

2) The Wood Brothers – “Smoke Ring Halo”

Brothers Chris (bass) and Oliver (guitar) truly struck gold on their fourth studio album. Tyler Greenwell joins them on drums, John Medeski makes a few appearances on organ and there are even horns on three tracks. There is something for everybody on this record. You have get up and dance numbers like “Shoofly Pie” and “When I was Young,” tender ballads like the title track and “Blue and Green” (the later no doubt a tribute their mother Renate who passed in 2010) and everything in between.

1) Tedeschi Trucks Band – “Revelator”

The husband and wife duo of Susan Tedeschi (guitar/vocals) and Derek Trucks (guitar) crafted a masterpiece with their debut release. Susan’s amazing voice is the star of record but the backing band has some serious talent too. You’ve got Oteil (bass) and Kofi (keys/flute) Burbridge, two drummers, two backup vocalists and three more horn players. That might sound crowded but it all comes together perfectly in a soulful southern rock stew. If you haven’t heard this one yet you are cheating yourself.

Official Live Releases

4) Soulive – “Bowlive” – DVD compilation of 3/2-13/10

This DVD chronicles Soulive’s very first Brooklyn Bowl residency and the cavalcade of guests and the quality of their sit-ins is an amazing sight to behold. Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Robert Randolph, Ivan Neville, Susan Tedeschi and DJ Logic are just the big names. Nigel Hall and The Shady Horns are also well represented and each track is preceded by one of the guests talking about Soulive. Charlie Hunter’s interview during the closing credits where he responds in German is DVD stealing hilarious.

3) Sound Tribe Sector 9 – “Axe the Cables” – 2 DVDs of 12/29/09

This double DVD set shows the iClips recording of the very first STS9 “acoustic” show (David Murphy plays electric bass throughout). Songs like “From Now On,” “986 Foot Tall Trees” and “So It Goes” thrive in this setting. Old favorites “Equinox,” “Satori” and “Breathe In” also flourish as do new numbers “South of Here” and “Glen Tells Kengo.” However it’s the tunes you wouldn’t expect like “Lo Swaga,” “Kamuy” and “Moon Socket” that steal the show. The only downside here is no surround sound option.

2) The Disco Biscuits – “Bisco Inferno 09/10” – 2 DVDs of 5/30/09 & 5/29/10

These discs document the Biscuits first two headlining shows at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The excitement of the band in 2009 when they first walk on stage is palpable. Then they drop into “Rock Candy > Strobelights and Martinis > I-Man > Strobelights and Martinis > Crickets > Sound One.” That totals an hour and fifteen minutes of a non-stop Bisco dance party. The 2010 show is no slouch with a guest guitar spot from Chris Michetti on “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.” but 2009 brings the heat from start to finish.

1) Phish – “Hampton/Winston-Salem ‘97” – 7 CDs of 11/21-23/97 (including the sound checks from 11/21 & 11/23)

“Emotional Rescue > Split Open and Melt” and “Ghost > AC/DC Bag” from 11/21 are 30+ and 40+ minutes respectively. Then “Mike’s Song > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove” and “Halley’s Comet > Tweezer > Black-Eyed Katy” from 11/22 are 35+ and 44+ respectively. Not to mention the near 32 minute “Bathtub Gin” from 11/23 too. Fred Kevorkian’s re-masters of Paul Languedoc’s original recordings capture the band at the height of their improvisational powers; a must have for any phan.

Top 5 Non-Phish Shows

5) 6/26/11 – Sound Tribe Sector 9 – North Plains, OR – Horning’s Hideout (34th show)
Equinox, From Now On, Moon Socket, South of Here, Glen Tells Kengo, ???, The New Soma, Circus, Roygbiv > Dance

See the number one show in this section.

4) 3/5/11 – Mike Gordon – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre (3rd show)
I: Horizon Line, Middle of the Road, Traveled Too Far, Willow Tree, Sailin’ Shoes, Be Good and You’ll Be Lonely, Babylon Baby^
II: Funky Bitch, Andelmans’ Yard, The Grid, Cruel World, Crumbling Bones, Pretend > She Said She Said, What Things Seem, Dig Further Down
E: Mound^
^first time played

I reached a milestone this year as I had my first ever review posted on Relix.com.

3) 3/6/11 – The New Mastersounds – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall (1st show)
Hole in the Bag, Run the Gauntlet, Take What You Need, Pure, Dusty Groove, On the Border, Thermal Bad, Return to Gijon, Fast Man, Give Me a Minute Part 2 > Six Underground, Carrot Juice, Make Me Proud!, 9 'Til 5, In the Middle, Baby Bouncer
E: San Frantico, Can You Get It?, Nervous

Things started slowly due to the late arriving crowd but by the time “Pure” rolled around the energy inside the intimate hall was crackling. What caught my ear about the first half of the show was that tunes like “Take What You Need,” “On the Border” and “Fast Man” had vocals...a surprise to this novice. From the opening guitar riff of “Carrot Juice” through the end of the show the boys were on fire and loving the enthusiastically dancing crowd. “Make Me Proud,” “In the Middle” and “Baby Bouncer” were also highlights. I really think they would have played all night long if there wasn’t a curfew…that’s how much fun everyone including the band was having (on a Sunday night no less). I didn’t know what to expect from my first Mastersound show but by the end of it I was a fan for life.

2) 11/17/11 – Greensky Bluegrass – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre (5th show)
Climbing Up a Mountain, Handguns, Doin’ My Time > Dry County > Time > Breathe Reprise > Doin’ My Time, Cold Feet, Can’t Stop Now, Train Junkie, Better Off, Little Red Corvette, Shuckin’ the Corn, Little Red Corvette Reprise
Hornedogs: ???, Up on Cripple Creek
Devolvers: Crowing at the Moon, Mean Old Wind
Green Butter: I'll Fly Away, I’m Working on a Building

In my 12 years of living in the Eugene area I don’t know of another band that made the jump from Sam Bond’s Garage (150 capacity) to the McDonald (1250 capacity) in the same calendar year. Well Greensky did just that playing Sam Bond’s on 3/10 and headlining the McDonald just eight months later. Granted the upstairs was closed and the floor was less than packed but I was impressed nonetheless.

The one-two punch of “Climbing Up a Mountain” and “Handguns” got things rolling but the show really took off with “Doin’ My Time > Dry County > Time > Breathe Reprise > Doin’ My Time.” That 20+ minutes saw bluegrass go in a direction that I didn’t think possible. The only way to describe the transition from “Doin’ My Time > Dry County” is “spacegrass” (copy write pending) featuring Anders Beck’s dobro at the forefront. New Grass Revival’s “Can’t Stop Now” had a nice jam but Beck was back at his spacey finest during a 13+ minute “Train Junkie.” During the peak in “Junkie” his dobro was literally reverberating off the walls of the theatre creating sounds that had to be felt in order to be fully appreciated. I thought Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” derailed the momentum of the show but it was only temporary.

The encore was a band “competition” between “teams” picked by Bryan Horne (bass, Hot Buttered Rum) and Mike Devol (bass, GSBG). Even though The Hornedogs pulled off a nice version of The Band’s “Cripple Creek” with Greensky guitar player Dave Bruzza on drums the Devolvers won the “competition” in my book with choice covers by Joshua Davis and Kris Delmhorst respectively. The capper to the evening, and one of those things you had to be there for, was the joint set featuring every musician in both bands (except Horne) unplugged at the lip of the stage. The audience participation was particularly impressive since you had to be pin drop quiet to hear what was being played while alternately belting out the chorus’ to the traditional numbers at Bruzza’s request. Just a fine night of music all around that I’m sure won Greensky a ton of new fans in this area.

1) 6/25/11 – Sound Tribe Sector 9 – North Plains, OR – Horning’s Hideout (33rd show)
I: This Us, Instantly, Shock Doctrine, Frequencies 2 > Frequencies 3, Four Year Puma, Arigato > NIN Closer > Tooth, When the Dust Settles
II: The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature, Golden Gate, F. Word, Water Song, Aimlessly, 20-12, Scheme, Rent
E: Breathe In, We'll Meet in Our Dreams

Check out my jambands.com review of the entire festival here.

Top 4 Phish Shows

4) 9/2/11 – Commerce City, CO – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (128th show)
I: Sample in a Jar, Sparkle, The Sloth, Sweet Virginia, Susskind Hotel, Strange Design, Stash, Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley > Sparks*, Scent of a Mule, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Shine a Light, Split Open and Melt, The Squirming Coil
II: Sand, Simple > Steam, Soul Shakedown Party > Seven Below, Suzy Greenberg > Scents and Subtle Sounds, Slave to the Traffic Light > Silent in the Morning, Sanity, Sweet Adeline**
E: Sabotage***
* last time played 11/29/96 (463 shows)
** last time played 8/1/99 (285 shows)
*** last time played 11/21/98 (318 shows)

The vibe at the beginning of this night was unlike anything I’d ever experienced at a Phish show. The boys came on stage and stated playing and people weren’t even paying attention to them. Everyone was talking to their friends, getting situated or whatever but the band and the music was obviously secondary to most of the crowd around us. I think this was the main factor in the uneven start to the evening but once “Susskind” dropped the energy began to change.

I’d say around “Strange Design” is where people started to realize that all the songs so far had started with the letter “S.” So by the time Allen Toussaint’s “Sneaking Sally” started up people were going bonkers and the transition into The Who’s “Sparks” caught everyone off guard. “Melt” was ferocious and could have closed the set but “Coil” was the perfect way to send everyone into set break buzzing.

Normally set breaks are like quiet debates amongst friends about what they just heard but this intermission was different. Everyone was talking to everyone about what “S” songs were left for set two. We were having an open conversation with our row and the rows directly behind and in front of us (and for the record we did a good job naming most of the second set).

With wild energy like that during set break it’s no wonder that “Sand” absolutely exploded into a full on dance party and the set kept rolling from there. A nice “Simple” flowed ever so smoothly into a powerful version of “Steam” that had me getting down with reckless abandon. “Seven Below” was another highlight as was my first “Scents” since 8/12/04.

Part of the excitement in the crowd was that Carlos Santana was in town to play Red Rocks the next two nights and many in attendance thought we’d get an “S stands for Santana” prior to the encore. Well that didn’t happen but the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” was a very Phishy joke on everyone thinking that way. As we scampered back to our rental car we were giddy at the prospect of the next two nights after the quality of the opening show we had just seen.

3) 8/5/11 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre (122nd show)
I: Kill Devil Falls, The Wedge, Bathtub Gin, Nellie Kane, My Friend My Friend, Cavern, Taste, Roggae, Walk Away, Funky Bitch, Roses are Free, David Bowie
II: Backwards Down the Number Line, Rock and Roll > Meatstick > Boogie On Reggae Woman, Farmhouse, Show of Life, Julius, Character Zero
E: Loving Cup

The Gorge always brings something special out of Phish and 2011 was no exception. The show didn’t really get going until “Gin” but that suited us OK as we barely made it to the floor in time for the opener. Even with our just-in-time arrival we actually had plenty space to boogie on the floor toward the back on Fish side. The “Roggae” that was the next standout is a nominee for best version ever and the closing “Bowie” that brought on dusk was no slouch either.

The meat of the second set, and arguably the best jam of the year, was the near 38 minute combo of “Rock and Roll > Meatstick > Boogie On Reggae Woman.” The Velvet Underground classic was a blast of supreme psychedelic “storage jamming” with Page moving over to the theremin and taking everyone on a ride through the cosmos. The segue into “Meatstick” was seamless and out of left field and gave me a brief respite to digest what I had just seen. My jaw was literally hanging open as I wondered if what just happened would translate upon re-listen (it did). As “Meatstick” became Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On” I think most people there were floating above the ground with smiles as wide as the Columbia River Gorge.

“Farmhouse” was the final high point of the evening as the set kind of fizzled for me after that. This is the reason why the show containing the jam of the year only finishes third on my list.

2) 9/4/11 – Commerce City, CO – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (130th show)
I: Maze, Back on the Train, Rift, Bathtub Gin, The Way It Goes^, Halfway to the Moon, Gumbo, Halley's Comet > Tube, Timber (Jerry), Roses are Free, Chalk Dust Torture
II: Rock and Roll > Come Together* > Twist > Piper > Harry Hood, Roggae, Ghost > Guy Forget** > Ghost, Walls of the Cave
E: Backwards Down the Number Line
^ first time played
* last time played 12/8/95 (537 shows)
** last time played 10/1/00 (199 shows)

This show got started with the first “Maze” opener since 12/9/95 (536 shows) and let everyone know the boys meant business as they bid adieu to the western states for the year. Another sick version of “Gin” anchored the first set and the debut of Gillian Welch’s “The Way it Goes” was nailed and saw me dancing up down an entire empty row by myself. The transition between “Halley’s” and “Tube” was unexpectedly smooth and “Chalk Dust” closed down what was an incredibly consistent first set from start to finish.

Set number two was a straight up rager from beginning to end. Once again “Rock and Roll” kick started things and as the jam was getting out there all of sudden they were playing the Beatles’ “Come Together?” Wow. After a short stopover in “Come Together” the classic combo of “Twist > Piper” was next to deliver the goods complete with a brief jam on War’s “Low Rider.” But the boys weren’t done yet segueing one more time into a sublime “Hood.” That was nearly 46 minutes of non-stop playing or something you don’t see very often from Phish 3.0.

When the familiar bass lines of “Ghost” started up everyone knew something top-shelf was coming but it’s the second time ever rendition of “Guy Forget” (100% club for me) that made this version special. A tightly fierce “Walls” closed things down and as we walked back to the rental we were in awe of the three night run we had just witnessed. Money well spent.

1) 8/6/11 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre (123rd show)
I: Possum, The Moma Dance, Sample in a Jar, Limb by Limb, Ocelot, Poor Heart, On Your Way Down, Wolfman's Brother > Maze, Wilson, Fluffhead
II: Chalk Dust Torture, Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Sand > Tweezer > Birds of a Feather, Waste > Golden Age, Reba, Run Like an Antelope
E: Suzy Greenberg, Sanity, Tweezer Reprise

Rather than the floor we opted for a perch in the flat mezzanine section of the Gorge lawn this time around (thanks to Brian, Doug & Doug for holding the spots under the sun) and it turned out to be a good choice. With our entire crew of ten people all right next to each other the stage was set for an outstanding night. Toussaint’s “On Your Way Down” was my first highlight but the substance of the first set was the near 20 minute jaunt of “Wolfman’s > Maze.” I also thought the “Fluffhead” closer was extremely well played.

If the first set was light on standout versions the second frame more than made up for it. “Chalk Dust” openers always signal good things ahead and this instance was no different. The 38+ minutes that was “Tweezer > Caspian > Sand > Tweezer > Birds” featured some sick, sick jamming in both “Tweezer” and “Sand.” And when the dance party that was “Sand” segued back into “Tweezer” the place erupted. The highlights don’t stop there though.

“Waste” was a much needed breather but the dance party kicked right back into high gear again when TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age” started up. Then out of nowhere we got a late second set “Reba” that created a night time dreamscape with its delicate and building guitar outro. Oh but the hits kept coming with an “Antelope” that featured teases of “Reba,” “Tweezer,” “Sand” and “Golden Age.” It was quite obvious that the boys were having a grand old time up there.

The encore fit my mood perfectly as “Sanity” was just the song I needed to hear before one last rave-up in “Reprise.” This was far and away the most fun I had seeing music all year. Just being around good friends all day shooting the breeze in the Terrace Camping area was fun enough, but then you throw some top quality Phish into the mix and you have one unforgettable experience.

Around the League

2012-01-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

I’ve been back to watching games for four days now and in an attempt to stay more relevant I’m going to try and post more often this season, even if it’s just short bursts. Unfortunately for some of you this means more Laker talk than you can probably stomach.

> Andrew Bynum has really embraced his role as an offensive focal point. So much so that I think he’s ready to be the second option on offense right now (or first, but we all know that isn’t happening while Kobe Bryant is still drawing breath). Granted Drew could get hurt or implode at any time but his aggressiveness, conditioning and skills seem to be coming together at the same time like a tasty gumbo. While this is happening shrinking violet Pau Gasol is getting pushed around like a rag doll on a nightly basis. I fully believe that if given a truth serum Gasoft would admit that he is fine playing third banana and filling in around the edges on offense. All that may sound crazy but barring a trade that is the course Coach Mike Brown should pursue.

Los Angeles’ defense has been surprisingly tough early on (2nd in opponent shooting) and is the main reason I am more optimistic about their chances than I was prior to tip-off. Their crunch time offense can be like watching paint dry but consistent defensive effort will keep them in games when they can’t buy a bucket. I was also really liking the way their rotation was shaping up until Josh McRoberts (left big toe) got hurt forcing Troy Murphy to have to play way more minutes than he should be at this point in his career. Steve Blake getting more time and closing out games over starter Derek Fisher might be Brown’s best coaching decision to date.

> If you’ve followed my ramblings over the years you know that I tend to track my playoffs picks closer than other sides early on. This leads me to my selection of the Milwaukee Bucks over the Atlanta Hawks. After seeing each team play a few games it’s quite obvious I made a blunder here.

The Bucks offense is still atrocious and watching one of their games is like watching the Lakers in crunch time for 48 minutes. Andrew Bogut still doesn’t look right, Brandon Jennings hasn’t really improved since his rookie year and newcomers Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy are shooting 32.4% and 32% from the field respectively. I think GM John Hammond needs to nip this in the bud and fire Coach Scott Skiles sooner rather than later or this is going to be a repeat of last season.

Contrary to what I had been reading leading up to the season the Hawks chemistry seems A-OK to me. In fact their experience together combined with their still top notch athleticism has them 3rd in opponent shooting early on. Jeff Teague has been a welcome surprise and given them way more than I thought he could. I still think their geriatric depth will catch up with them but they are a playoff team in the East regardless.

> What in the heck is going on in Cow Town…err…Sacramento? First Coach Paul Westphal releases a statement to the media that DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins has been told to stay away from the team because “When a player continually, aggressively, lets it be known that he is unwilling/unable to embrace traveling in the same direction as his team, it cannot be ignored indefinitely.” Then after one game Boogie was back in the fold and two games later Westphal was fired. Not only is this roster a mess as I said in my preview but the owners are broke, the personnel man (Geoff Petrie) is well past his prime and the future location of the franchise is in limbo. While Westphal had clearly lost control of his guys replacing him with Keith Smart isn’t going to change much of anything for the Kings.

> We had our first in season trade yesterday that saw Memphis acquire Marreese Speights, New Orleans Xavier Henry and Philadelphia two second picks (Grizzlies 2012 & Hornets 2013). Memphis GM Chris Wallace already made one nice save singing Dante Cunningham to replace Darrell Arthur (right Achilles) and in Speights he gets a stand in for Zach Randolph (right MCL, out 6-8 weeks). Marreese’s low post game will never be mistaken for Z-Bo’s but Speights had shown a few flashes prior to being permanently stuck in Coach Doug Collins’ dog house. I think you’ll see Marreese benefit from a change of scenery and put up some nice numbers occasionally but he still won’t play any defense.

Henry is a young athletic wing player that really doesn’t have an NBA skill or position to my eyes and how he helps NOLA is unclear to me. Then again the Hornets don’t really have much worth mentioning at the wing positions outside of Eric Gordon. So when Xavier’s right ankle heals he’ll get his chances.

On the 76ers end they received two second round picks for a guy they weren’t playing nor were they going to resign in the summer. Not a bad move from President Rod Thorn considering that NOLA pick could be #31.

> Manu Ginobili will miss at least two months with a broken left hand but I don’t see that as a death knell for San Antonio at all. The Spurs have nice depth at the SG position with second year pros Gary Neal and James Anderson. I expect Gregg Popovich to act like nothing has happened and coach his club the exact same way. What this does do to SA is eliminate any chance they had for a high seed in the West but they are still making the playoffs.

> I can’t understand how Ed Davis isn’t playing more in Toronto? First he inexplicably was shafted off both All-Rookie teams after last season by the coaches (I had him first team) and now new coach Dwane Casey is only playing him 17.8 minutes a game (down from 24.6 mpg last season). I know Andrea Bargnani is now playing almost exclusively at PF but couldn’t Davis spell him for 12 minutes and then play some with him in a two PF alignment? Nothing chaps my hide more than when coaches of bad teams won’t play their young guns so they can properly develop. But that’s an entire column for another day.

Early Season Quick-Hitters

2011-12-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

After only three days of games I’m about to take the next four days off to watch Phish blow up Madison Square Garden (online). So what have I seen so far? Read on…

> Even though it’s early and both are without a key player (Paul Pierce and Andrew Bynum respectively) Boston and the Lakers are pretty much what I thought they’d be. Old, slow and relying on guile more than skill. That said things look much bleaker for Boston since their depth is such that signing Mickael Pietrus qualifies as a reason for optimism. I think as the season progresses the Celtics are really going to wear down.

Things might not be as bad as I originally laid out for Los Angeles but they aren’t yet true contenders on this blog. The PG situation is still awful but freed from the triangle Steve Blake seems to have a little more pep in his step. He definitely spent his off season shooting threes. The real reason LA doesn’t hurt my eyes to watch though is the scrappiness guys like Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy and Devin Ebanks bring every night. Gone are the laissez-faire Lakers of yore. This group has to hustle and work on every possession or they will get blown out. Give Coach Mike Brown credit for instilling that early on and to the players for obviously buying in with their defensive effort.

> Miami’s new “spread” offense (inspired by the Oregon Ducks no less) is getting a lot of kudos around the league but I’m not sure it’s the answer to their problems. If you let the Heat get out into the open court where they can run and build a lead the game is essentially over. However when they get pulled into a grind it out half court affair where the opposition is playing a zone defense they still struggle. I know it’s very early but stay tuned.

> I wouldn’t necessarily make the jump John Hollinger did comparing Dallas to the ’06-07 defending champion Miami Heat but he does make a compelling argument (insider).

> I’ve seen every minute Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio has played so far and everyone needs to put the Haterade down. The kid can play. I’ve already witnessed enough to say that at worst he has a long career as a backup PG. That’s the floor for him. How high his ceiling goes obviously remains to be seen but he has an unreal feel for the game. His ability to see things one step ahead of everyone else manifests itself in his passing aptitude and the way he plays the passing lanes on defense. He lacks any semblance of confidence is his own offensive game but being surrounded by NBA caliber guys only accentuates what he does well.

One last point on the Wolves; Kevin Love looks great. He’s lost all his “baby fat” and is becoming the kind of leader that his immense talent suggests he should.

> The Stephen Jackson meltdown watch is officially on. First he missed most of training camp with “back issues” that were later said to be code for wanting a new contract. I hate to break it to Captain Jack but he is 33 with another year after this on his deal. I’m sorry but no one in their right mind would extend him now. He’s been grumpy and pouty so far from what I’ve seen which is a shame because if he comes to play with his head screwed on straight every night Milwaukee should be pretty darn good.

Another Bucks mention; Rookie Jon Leuer can play and will be in the NBA for quite some time. Think of a smarter more offensively polished but less athletic version of Kris Humphries. A nice find with the 40th pick in the draft by GM John Hammond.

Season Preview

2011-12-24T15:06:00.000-08:00

As unbelievable as it may sound I was actually able to catch at least a few minutes of every team this “preseason.” And my one take away from that experience is: Get ready for some ugly basketball. With only two weeks of training camp and two preseason games to prepare the first month of the season is going to be like training-camp-on-the-fly league wide. You can expect to see tons of bricks, missed bunnies at the rim, fumbled balls out of bounds, passes to no one and miscommunications galore on both offense and defense.

With an unsightly January looming I wish I could tell you that February will be better, but I can’t. I think this February will look and feel like what December normally would. Usually by December rotations have been established, kinks worked out and guys are in game shape but teams are still rounding into form. I expect it will take at least month to six weeks just for this season to get to that point.

By the time March rolls around we will be in uncharted territory as the toll of the grueling 66 games in 124 days schedule will be in full swing. Playing back-to-back-to-backs and stretches like nine games in twelve days is going to have a massive effect on the player’s bodies. So it’s safe to assume that there will be a plethora of injuries to key guys, especially early on. This kamikaze schedule will also favor squads with more depth and youth over sides with experience that have shortened rotations built for the playoffs.

In the spirit of this abbreviated season, and because I’m writing this on Christmas Eve during NFL games, the format of my preview has to change. The “Eyes On” and “Now or Never” sections will return next year and I apologize in advance if I give your team short shrift. With so many different variables in play this season (like the unbalanced inter-conference schedules) this year’s predictions feel like more of a crap shoot than ever. With that said…

EAST

1. Chicago Bulls – There’s nothing this team doesn’t have. They are young, deep, tough, can rebound, play defense and have continuity. The addition of Richard Hamilton will help them immensely during the regular season but I’m not sure he’s the answer to get them past Miami in the Conference Finals. The Bulls can certainly win it all but for that to happen Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah must develop some chemistry and become duel threats on offense.

2. Miami Heat – Other than LeBron James disappearing in crunch time of big games all the Heat have to worry about is the center position and big man depth. Joel Anthony is barely serviceable in the middle and Udonis Haslem is their only legitimate big off the bench. A healthy Mike Miller and the addition of Shane Battier shored up their wing positions and look out for rookie PG Norris Cole. Las Vegas has Miami as the 2-1 favorite to win the title and only injuries or internal strife can derail them as I see it.

3. Philadelphia 76ers – This is probably too high for the Sixers but they are young (outside of Elton Brand), deep, play defense and possess the needed continuity to get off to a good start. Doug Collins coached squads usually peak in year two of his reign and I expect that to happen once again. I don’t see Philly making much noise in the post season unless Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner take the next step in their development and even that might not be enough.

4. Indiana Pacers – I have the Pacers higher than most but again I like their depth and youth. What separates Indy from the clubs below them is their rebounding and big man depth. David West, Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough, Jeff Foster and Louis Amundson aren’t going to lose many toughness battles. I worry about their depth at the wing positions though and how Coach Frank Vogel will handle integrating two new starters in his first full season on the job.

5. Orlando Magic – The Magic are a very tough team to predict because who knows what’s going to happen with the Dwight Howard situation. External distractions aside Orlando returns pretty much the same unit outside of Glen Davis and possibly Daniel Orton. So if Howard is plugged in mentally he will still control the paint on both ends of the floor. How good the Magic really are will depend on which versions of Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu show up.

6. New York Knicks – The much ballyhooed addition of Tyson Chandler only matters if Mike D’Antoni decides to coach defense. The Knicks also have very questionable depth at every position and are relying on guys like Toney Douglas, Landry Fields and Baron Davis to be competent. The reason I have them so high is because D’Antoni is in a contract year (Phil Jackson anyone?) so he will likely ride his shortened rotation into the ground and end up with a few more wins because of it.

7. Boston Celtics – The compressed schedule is really going to hurt the Celtics and with Paul Pierce (right heel) already questionable that is not a good sign. Their depth is pretty much awful with the exception of Brandon Bass and four of their five starters have played 13 NBA seasons or more. There’s also talk that the mercurial Rajon Rondo is unhappy with his name constantly being trade rumors. Overall the boys from Bean Town are done and should be happy they play in the East.

8. Milwaukee Bucks – Their offense was so historically bad last season that even a slight improvement would have made them a playoff team. Ball stoppers John Salmons and Corey Maggette have been replaced with high basketball IQ guys Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy so that should help. However the Bucks fortunes really depend on Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut improving their play.

9. Detroit Pistons – The Pistons spent most of last season in sabotage-the-coach mode so replacing John Kuester with Lawrence Frank is a massive upgrade. That said their roster is still a mess of shoot first combo guards and tweener forwards. I have them this high based on their depth and the East stinking again.

10. Atlanta Hawks – Their free agent additions of Tracy McGrady, Jerry Stackhouse, Vladimir Radmanovic, Jannero Pargo and Willie Green reads like a who’s who of the NBA scrap heap. Josh Smith supposedly has made it known that he wants out and Kirk Hinrich (left shoulder) will miss at least the first month of the season. I think this group reached their peak a few years ago and now they are stuck in the middle.

11. New Jersey Nets – Replacing Brook Lopez (right foot) with Memo Okur on the fly was solid move by President Billy King. Aside from Deron Williams though I fail to see who on the Nets is going to score points consistently. They just won’t have the talent to compete on most nights and I’m not sure that D-Will resigns with them this summer.

12. Toronto Raptors – New coach Dwane Casey will at least attempt to make these guys plays defense for a change but I don’t think it will matter since most of their personnel is ill suited to the task. Raptor fans should look forward to next year when Jonas Valanciunas can join Ed Davis to form their big man tandem of the future.

13. Washington Wizards – John Wall seems poised to take his game to the next level but the rest of this squad is littered with shoot first and ask questions later types like Nick Young, Jordan Crawford and Andray Blatche. Wall should be fun to watch regardless though.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers – While Dan Gilbert continues his meteoric rise up the bad owner list his club continues to be an ugly mess on the court.

15. Charlotte Bobcats – Another guy moving up that same bad owner list is Michael Jordan and his team will be equally disastrous.

Final Four – Chicago, Miami, New York, Indiana

Eastern Finals – Chicago, Miami

WEST

1. Oklahoma City Thunder – Depth, youth, defense, rebounding, toughness, athleticism, continuity…you name it, they have it. The only thing that concerns me about their roster is the lack of a true backup behind Kevin Durant and they could also use another 3-point shooter. As long as the Thunder can deal with the pressure that comes with expectations, and Coach Scott Brooks improves his late game play designing, the West is OKC’s to lose.

2. Dallas Mavericks – Depth and versatility will be their calling cards somewhat offsetting how much their defense will likely fall off without Tyson Chandler. Roddy Beaubois can replace J.J. Barea’s production but I’m not as high on Lamar Odom’s addition as most. Lam-Lam’s best position is PF and unfortunately for him a guy named Dirk Nowitzki has dibs on the spot. I don’t expect that a crunch time lineup of Odom at SF or Dirk at center will work consistently. Regardless Coach Rick Carlisle will be able to alter his lineup to match up with anybody but they don’t have enough muscle up front to win it all.

3. San Antonio Spurs – I know this might seem high for such an old group but their second unit of T.J. Ford, James Anderson, Kawhi Leonard, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter has youth, athleticism, shooting and size. I expect Coach Gregg Popovich to use those guys liberally so Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson and Tim Duncan don’t wear down. I can’t go as far as them being legitimate title contenders but they will be very dangerous in a 7-game series.

4. Los Angeles Clippers – The additions of Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups to Blake Griffin will make the Clips absolutely murder in crunch time. I’m not sure how a high pick and roll with CP3 and Blake can be defended consistently. Especially when you figure that Billups will be spotting up in the corner and DeAndre Jordan will be on the weak side looking for a lob. However their backup big men are Brian Cook, Reggie Evans and Trey Thompkins which is not good…at all. “Lob City” will not be serious contenders until that is remedied.

5. Denver Nuggets – Another deep and versatile club with the ability to add a significant piece or two in March when Wilson Chandler, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin return from China. I think they lack low post scoring but are pretty solid everywhere else. I look for Coach George Karl to use the tried and true mile high method of running all the time and bringing bodies at the opposition in waves. If things break right the Nugs could finish even higher than this but it also wouldn’t surprise me if they missed the playoffs because the West is still very tough.

6. Portland Trail Blazers – No Brandon Roy (retired) no Greg Oden (left knee), no problem! The GM-less Blazers made a bunch of smart moves shoring up their depth by bringing in Jamal Crawford, Kurt Thomas and Craig Smith. Coach Nate McMillan has his work cut out for him integrating Ray Felton (contract year) and Crawford (notorious gunner) while keeping Gerald Wallace, Wesley Matthews and Nic Batum happy. This is another side that could finish a little higher or miss the playoffs entirely.

7. Los Angeles Lakers – My boys did nothing to address their one glaring weakness from last year, the PG position. Derek Fisher and Steve Blake combined to form the least productive PG tandem in the entire Association and they are inexplicably back for yet another go around. That is why giving Lamar Odom away for nothing was so stupid. Lamar could have easily returned a half decent PG which would have been a major upgrade for LA. As it stands now the Lakers are an aging, capped out team with a new coach and system, an injured superstar (Kobe Bryant, right wrist), no Andrew Bynum for the first 4 games, little depth and even less athleticism. Missing the playoffs is a very real possibility for them.

8. Memphis Grizzlies – The Griz are the trendy pick this season based on their playoff run last year and the return of Rudy Gay. Losing Darrel Arthur (right Achilles) for the season was a blow but replacing him with Dante Cunningham was an underrated shrewd move. That said I don’t like their depth enough to jump on the bandwagon but them catching lightning in a bottle again come playoff time can’t be ruled out either.

9. Houston Rockets – Pau Gasol and Nene Hilario should be one of the most formidable big men duos in the NBA. Oh wait, Commissioner David Stern didn’t like that. I guess Samuel Dalembert will have to do then! This Rocket team is extremely deep, almost too much so for new coach Kevin McHale to handle effectively. And as much as I love Luis Scola he’s more of second option than a first on good team. Houston would definitely make the playoffs in the East, and could in the West too, but without a true go-to scorer I think come up just short.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves – Coach Rick Adelman will have them playing an entertaining and exciting style which is why this squad has already been deemed the favorite to watch by League Pass junkies everywhere. Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Ricky Rubio, Anthony Randolph and Derrick Williams are a talented bunch but the playoffs are another year away at least.

11. Utah Jazz – The Jazz are at a sort of crossroads in terms of the construction of their roster. The future is obviously Alec Burks, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and two first round picks in this year’s draft. Then there’s Devin Harris, Raja Bell, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson whose contracts are all up after next season. The playoffs are probably out of reach this season but Director Kevin O’Connor has them set up masterfully for the future.

12. Sacramento Kings – Coach Paul Westphal really has his work cut out for him since passing is a dirty word to Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette, Marcus Thornton, Francisco Garcia, John Salmons, Travis Outlaw, J.J. Hickson and DeMarcus Cousins. I just mentioned eight of their top ten players and unfortunately neither Jason Thompson nor Chuck Hayes is a point guard. They should be very fun to watch though in a they-might-fight-each-other-at-any-moment kind of way.

13. Phoenix Suns – Owner Robert Sarver has done an unbelievably good job of dismantling a perennial contender while wasting the end of Steve Nash’s career at the same time. If they really aren’t going to package Nash with one of their many bad contracts they deserve everything they get. Like two more seasons after this one of Marcin Gortat, Josh Childress, Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick and Jared Dudley. Yuck!

14. New Orleans Hornets – Apparently the NBA has four or five buyers lined up that will keep this franchise down on the Bayou and the deal will be done by March. Uh-huh, and I have a line on some beach front property in Nebraska if you are interested. This bunch has been painfully awful any time Chris Paul wasn’t running the show and I don’t expect the arrival of Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman to change that any.

15. Golden State Warriors – I give rookie coach Mark Jackson about a month before he wishes he was back calling games with Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy. Jackson keeps saying how the Warriors are going to be all about defense. The problem with that is their best defenders outside of starter Dorrell Wright are scrubs Kwame Brown and Dominic McGuire. Good luck with that.

Final Four – Oklahoma City, Dallas, San Antonio, Clippers

Western Finals – Oklahoma City, Dallas

NBA Finals – Miami, Oklahoma City

NBA Champion – Miami

If you’ve read this far you deserve a gambling tip; Go big on Chicago -4.5 on Christmas.

Lockout & Trade Debacle

2011-12-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

The NBA lockout lasted 160 days and cost the league 240 total games and I’m here to tell you that the players won…yet again. For all the histrionics and mentions of “nuclear winter” and cancelled seasons all the players really gave up was a huge chuck of Basketball Related Income (BRI). I’m not trying to gloss over the difference between 57% and 49-51% of BRI (about $300 million per season) but there is still a soft salary cap, fully guaranteed contracts and no roll-backs of current contracts. If you’re scoring at home that’s a win-win-win for the players on three big issues. Not to mention that trade rules were loosened and the minimum team salary floor was raised. Two more wins for the players.

This lockout really had nothing to do with the players though. It was all about big market owners versus small market owners with the players more or less stuck in the middle. The fear amongst small market clubs (particularly those with new owners) was that the NBA was slowly morphing into the haves and haves nots similar to how Major League Baseball (MLB) operates. I give the lockout credit for nothing else besides opening my eyes to this fact.

In the end the little guys did manage to approximately triple the amount of money that is revenue-shared and made the luxury tax far more punitive. Theoretically these things should level the playing field but in practice I’m not so sure they will. Only time will tell I suppose but I really want to move on from the lockout and get to the crux of the problem, which is that Commissioner David Stern lost control of his constituents.

Larry Coon on what changed in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Bill Simmons on the behind the scenes machinations of the lockout.

In recent years the NBA has seen a new breed of owner come into the league. Gone are the Abe Pollin’s, Gordon Gund’s and Bill Davidson’s of the world, or the men who made a financial killing under Stern’s watch. Pretty much all of the newer owners in the league paid handsomely for their franchises and have been losing money ever since. You combine these new guys with their small market brethren and you have a legitimate split at the top of the NBA hierarchy. That faction was at odds with people like Jerry Buss, Mark Cuban and James Dolan who thought things were just fine as they were. In years past this is where “Easy Dave” would step in and either bully or charm enough of the room to get everyone on the same page. Well that didn’t happen this time around as evidenced by the 24-5 passing owner’s vote of the new CBA.

If only that was the end of the story, but on the same day that the owners ratified the new CBA the Lakers, Rockets and Hornets agreed on blockbuster trade that would have sent Chris Paul to Los Angeles, Pau Gasol to Houston and Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and New York’s 2012 first round draft pick to New Orleans. This deal was signed, sealed and delivered to the point of CP3 having a flight to LA and Lam-Lam crying on Stephen A. Smith’s radio show.

So what happened?

The small market owners created such an uproar that the Commish vetoed what was a very fair deal all the way around at the last second citing the extraordinarily dubious “basketball reasons.” It is unprecedented for any trade to get so far down the line that every player and agent is notified only to have the league say “Psych!” Since I can’t do a better job than Adrian Wojnarowski of explaining all the angles behind what is arguably the most sordid moment in sports history I won’t even try.

Instead I want to focus on what the Hornets actually got in exchange for CP3 and explain why, on a purely basketball level, that they didn’t do anywhere near as well as most experts are saying. I’m not blaming NOLA GM Dell Demps at all, because as the Commissioner has gone on record saying, NBA Executive Vice President Stu Jackson was the man calling the shots. The same Stu Jackson who ran the Vancouver Grizzlies so poorly that they moved to Memphis after only six seasons. This guy is pretty much universally known as a horrible GM, but whatever, he was acting in the “best interest” of the franchise. You know, because he did such a good job of that in the past.

Anyway, the Hornets ended up trading Paul and two second round picks in 2015 to the Clippers for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota’s 2012 first rounder. I find it outrageously hypocritical that Dan Gilbert, Mark Cuban and Michael Jordan had no problems with this trade even though it was another small to big market move. I guess the moral to the story is everyone loved sticking it to the Lakers and took their opportunity to seize the moment.

But I digress. In two years NOLA will have Aminu and whoever they get with that Timberwolves pick to show for their franchise player. The reason I say that is because Kaman is in the last year of his contract and there is no way he is resigning there. And per what I’m reading Gordon has already made it known to the powers that be that he desperately wants out of the Bayou. So unless they are able to turn Kaman and Gordon into something else this was a fleecing of the highest order.

Don’t believe me? Compare what Jackson and Stern obtained for their superstar to what Denver’s Masai Ujiri got for Carmelo Anthony:

Andre Miller, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Kosta Koufos, Jordan Hamilton, New York’s 2014 first round pick, Golden State’s 2012 & 2013 second round picks, Portland’s 2013 second round pick, the right to exchange first round picks with New York in 2016 and $3 million.

How about what Utah’s Kevin O’Connor received for Deron Williams:

Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Golden State’s 2012 first round pick (top 7 protected) and $3 million.

Hmmmm, are you feeling me now?

Here’s what Stern and Jackson weren’t thinking about when they completely shafted the Lakers and Rockets; the resale value of Odom, Scola, Martin and even Dragic (a very serviceable backup PG). Throwing out the fact that those four make them a competitive team, you know the kind that the people who bought 10,000+ season tickets would like to see. Martin is overpaid but is one of the most efficient SGs in the Association. Scola is fairly paid and one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Odom is actually underpaid and in the last year of his contract (he has a team option for next season).

My point being that a wise GM with a little patience, like say Sam Presti, could have flipped all of those guys (except Dragic) to desperate contenders who either needed an injury replacement or a little extra something to get them over the hump. All while putting a decent product on the floor at the same time. I’m not even mentioning that Minnesota’s pick likely won’t be as high as most people think (it will be better than New York’s though), unless they get lucky in the draft lottery of course. Imagine that one, an NBA owned franchise winning the lottery? And you thought the non-trade was a PR disaster.

This is why I am saying unequivocally that it’s time for David Stern to go. I’ve been one of his biggest defenders (total apologist) over the years but when people are comparing the NBA to MLB, and I’m actually agreeing with them, it’s time for a change. The lockout was handled like a shell game trying to distract the public from the real issues. And even though Stern says he doesn’t care about his legacy the vetoed trade will forever walk with him like the Scarlet Letter. Now I’m not saying that Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver is the man for the job by any means but an out-of-the-box thinker is what the NBA needs right now. Someone…like…say…ME!

Tap Dancing

2011-07-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Since there is nothing to talk about in the NBA at the moment I might as well don the tap shoes and get busy. I was pretty happy with my predictions for the most part this season (excluding my 10-5 playoff record). The teams that I missed on I didn’t miss on by much, although being wrong on 9-10-11 in West would have looked better than 10-11-12. Only four teams from the East would have made the playoffs in the West whereas three sides that didn’t make it in the West would have qualified in the East.

EAST

I had in…

5. Milwaukee Bucks – I had high hopes for this group but a combination of injuries, chemistry and a key player regressing did them in. First off they lost 277 man-games to injury which led the NBA. Then GM John Hammond added questionable character guys in Corey Maggette, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Drew Gooden, Keyon Dooling and Earl Boykins. Lastly Andrew Bogut (right elbow) was flat out not right as his drop in PER from 20.81 to 16.77 shows. Even though they finished 9th I think Coach Scott Skiles needs to go. If his message isn’t old by now surely his team being dead last in shooting (43%) is.

I had out…

9. Philadelphia 76ers – They performed to what I thought was their absolute ceiling and credit goes to Coach Doug Collins who certainly got the most of them. An underrated factor in them finishing .500 was that they almost had no injuries to their key rotation players.

WEST

I had in…

6. Houston Rockets – Yao Ming and Aaron Brooks (left ankles) getting hurt in the seventh and fifth games respectively really sent them into a tailspin they were never able to get out of. I watched them a lot during the season and they were flat out awful in close games. I think Coach Rick Adelman deserved to be fired even though his squad finished 9th after going 17-8 post All-Star break.

7. Utah Jazz – After Coach Jerry Sloan and his top assistant Phil Johnson resigned on 2/10 they went 0-3 prior to trading Deron Williams on 2/23. After D-Will’s departure they went 8-17. It’s tough to compete when you lose a Hall of Fame coach and your best player over a two week span.

8. Los Angeles Clippers – They never recovered from Baron Davis showing up out of shape and pulling his left hamstring three games into the season. Then Chris Kaman twisted his left ankle eight games in so by the time Eric Gordon (right wrist) went down on 1/22 it was already over. That’s what I get for picking them yet again.

I had out…

10. Memphis Grizzlies – I had them 8th originally based on their undefeated preseason record (8-0) and moved them down, shamefully so. I was surprised by how well they stayed together with O.J. Mayo moving to the bench and Mike Conley getting a 5-year $45 million deal while Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol had to play for their new contracts. Coach Lionel Hollins deserves plenty of kudos for keeping this disparate bunch together.

11. New Orleans Hornets – After David West (left knee) went down for the year their front court depth was about to do them in until GM Dell Demps acquired Carl Landry on 2/23 allowing them to go 13-11 down the stretch. As I expected Chris Paul wasn’t the same player but I didn’t count on him adjusting his game to still be extremely effective minus his once dominant athleticism. I won’t be picking against a healthy, albeit limited, CP3 ever again.

12. Denver Nuggets – VP Masai Ujiri got WAY more in return for Carmelo Anthony than I ever dreamed he could. They also weathered the 57-game MeloDrama much better than I anticipated they would. Considering that he was coming back from throat cancer this was an excellent coaching job by George Karl.

Re:Generation in Review

2011-07-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Even though I’ve lived in Oregon since February of 2000 I hadn’t been to Horning’s Hideout since Leftover Salmon’s Hoedown in August of 2002. So when Re:Generation was announced I was super psyched since I hadn’t seen Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) since 8/23/08. The only problem was that I couldn’t get anyone to go with me. All of my family and friends are kind of “meh” when it comes to jamtronica. Undeterred I decided to go it alone albeit staying off site at a hotel that was about 20 minutes away.

After skipping Thursday all together (had to watch the NBA draft) I arrived Friday just in time for Pigs on the Wing. The Pigs were a Pink Floyd cover band that featured David Murphy and David Phipps of STS9, Jeremy Salken and Dominic Lalli (for a few songs) of Big Gigantic , Coley Dennis of Maserati, Matt Weiss of Collective Efforts and Timi Connely from Kite to the Moon. For someone that’s not a huge Pink Floyd fan I thought these guys did a great job and kept the crowd engaged throughout.

Lalli and Salken were up next with Big G and the Colorado people in attendance made their presence known waving state flags incessantly from the front rows. As I see it Lalli’s saxophone textures over heavy beats and effects are what makes Big G unique and separates them from the rest of their electronic brethren.

My first venture to the Sawmill Stage had me seeing Lynx (Caitlin DeMuth) for the first time. Although the flow of her set seemed a little disjointed to me I found Lynx to be fun and entertaining. She switched genres and instruments between every song moving from guitar to drums to laptop while hitting folk, indie and electronica along the way. The highlight of her set had to be the tune that was just her beat boxing; the crowd totally ate it up.

Finally it was time for STS9 to hit the stage and they opened very appropriately with “ReEmergence.” “Grow” and “Move My Peeps” followed and got both the crowd and the band’s nervous energy out. Dom Lalli came out mid set and added his sax to “Empires” and “Jam > Firewall.” At this point in the set I was feeling a little bit of “meh” myself but STS9 closed the show very strong and this was definitely a precursor of things to come. “Tap-In” shook off any sit in blues people may have had but it was really “Mischief of a Sleepwalker” that grabbed the crowd and ramped up the energy level even more. “Inspire Strikes Back” closed the set out but it seemed to me that the boys were just finding their groove and heating up.

I caught a little of Paper Diamond (Alex Botwin) next and his set was extremely heavy on the in your face “whomp-whomp” (the only way I can describe it). Big beats and a fast pace seemed to be his thing but I prefer his work with the seemingly now defunct Pnuma Trio. I headed back to my hotel opting to skip Bassnectar who I later found out drew the biggest crowd of the entire weekend which only reinforced my decision to pack it in.

Day two started off for me with Eliot Lipp. Even though DJs aren’t really my thing I rather enjoyed Lipp’s style. He wasn’t just “whomp-whomp” at all. Instead he had more of an even paced down-tempo groove that I probably appreciated more than most of the youngsters in attendance.

I had big expectations (which can be dangerous) for my 14th Lotus show and their set did end up featuring a few very nice jams. Namely “Plant Your Root,” “Jump Off” and “Bubonic Tonic. “ All three got out there in a good way before coming back home. The set closing “Shimmer > Flower Sermon > and Out” sandwich seemed a touch rushed to me but it still brought the show home in style.

I was especially geared up for a two set STS9 show on a Saturday night in what can only be described as an idyllic setting. I think “This, Us” was picked to open the show more for the symbolism of the title than the actual music (much like “ReEmergence” from night one). It didn’t matter since things went completely crazy when “Instantly” dropped. Nothing starts up a show like a shot of “Instantly” adrenaline. “Shock Doctrine” kept the momentum surging and “Frequencies 2 > 3” was the first number that made my inner setlist geek smile. “When the Dust Settles” was the first of four new tunes (to my ears anyway) played on the night and closed the set out on a very high note.

Set two got started with another great opener “The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature.” After the wildness of “TUSON” ended the second new song “Golden Gate” popped up. “Gate” was short but sweet and showcased STS9’s ability to craft a song that doesn’t rely on big bass or soaring peaks. The next highlight for my inner geek was “Water Song” which even contained the thunder and rain samples at the beginning. “Aimlessly” featured a reworked start-stop intro that to me really defined the patience and confidence STS9 played with all weekend. “20-12” was far and away my favorite of the new tunes and included a down right nasty refrain that really went over very well with Saxton Waller’s light show. “Scheme” was the last of the new numbers and while good it didn’t impress me like the others did. The double encore of “Breathe In” and “We’ll Meet in Our Dreams” sent the crowd into the night in a state of sheer bliss.

I had heard lots of good things about Beats Antique prior to seeing them for the first time and they certainly delivered. I’d describe them as Middle Eastern electronica with multi-instrumentalist David Satori leading the way. But it was belly dancer Zoe Jakes that really stole the show and gave them that little extra added something of uniqueness. I left their set a little early only to have the car behind me get pulled over in the city of North Plains…maybe I will camp next time.

I think everyone at the festival was looking forward to STS9’s “Axe the Cables” acoustic set. Acoustic should be used lightly though since Murph and Hunter Brown were still plugged in, but Phipps played piano and Zach Velmer and Jeffree Lerner used stripped down kits. “Equinox” was the ideal opener on this beautifully sunny day and “From Now On” was executed perfectly and sounded especially crisp. “Moon Socket” was completely different in this setting and I found myself questioning why it was dropped so early in the set. Little did I know what they had in store to close things down. Next came three songs from the soundtrack of the movie “All God’s Children Can Dance” with “South of Here” being my favorite. The closing sequence began with a version of “Circus” that absolutely threw the crowd into a frenzy. But the boys weren’t done dropping the Boards of Canada’s “Roygbiv” that segued nicely into “Dance.” Nobody walked away from this set displeased with what they saw.

I caught some of Portland’s own Emancipator (Doug Appling) next and he was pretty good. Break Science (Adam Deitch and Borahm Lee) sounded like Big Gigantic minus the saxophone to me and by this time ESKMO (Brendan Angelides) came off like all the other DJs I had seen over the weekend.

I was very much ready for STS9 by the time night rolled around and the “Really What?” opener got the party started right. “Kamuy” and “Peoples” kept everyone moving and grooving and then came a double dose of geekdom in the form of “Crystal Instrument” and “STS9.” I love the song “Orbital” as much as the next Tribe fan but I thought they bobbled what should have been the fiercest change of the evening.

Set two featured a nice opening combo of “Be Nice” and “Abcees” but it was a raging “Hubble” that was the apex of the final stanza. The attempted segue of “8 & a Extra” into the conclusion of “Moon Socket” didn’t really come off and derailed some of the momentum that the start of the set had built. Even with things slowing down slightly a beast of an “EHM” closed things down right and the “Baraka” encore was very fitting.

The turnout for the weekend was approximated at around 2500 and even if that is lower than the band had hoped for I still think the festival overall had to be considered a success. I couldn’t get over how much STS9 had progressed since I last saw them (I’ve seen them 35 times since 5/22/99). There was just a certain maturity and poise about how they played and nothing ever felt forced or rushed. They also did a masterful job of mixing up their setlists to cover the entire breadth of their career. It seemed that both Bob Horning and the band were primed to come back next year and I know everyone that was there hopes for the same.

Finals

2011-05-31T09:18:00.001-07:00

I had family in town over the holiday weekend and will not have the time before tip-off to break down the Finals properly. To sum up my thoughts in a few sentences I’d say it looks it is Dirk Nowitzki’s year making Dallas the team of destiny. That said LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are terrible matchups for the Mavericks. Caron Butler’s (right knee) return would help but DeShawn Stevenson, Shawn Marion and possibly Jason Kidd will have their work cut out for them big time with those two. If Dallas continues to make their 3-pointers at a 38.8% clip they can certainly win the series. In the end though everyone’s worst nightmare comes true, Miami in 6.

Conference Finals

2011-05-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

Both of my pre-season Finals picks went down in flames in the second round dropping my overall record to 8-4 for the playoffs. Not that great but I can live with it as long as I go 3-0 the rest of the way.

EAST

Heat at Bulls

Chicago – Even though they were the best defensive team in the regular season I’m worried about who guards Dwyane Wade and LeBron James individually. Keith Bogans (right ankle) is tough but nowhere near quick enough to deal with Wade effectively. The same can be said about Luol Deng and his versatility but I don’t think Deng has the strength to keep James out of the lane. Look for Ronnie Brewer to spend a lot of time on both Dwyane and LeBron behind Bogans and Luol. The key for the Bulls is Carlos Boozer (right big toe) stepping up to become the 20/10 guy he was paid to be. I expect Coach Tom Thibodeau to start off with Joakim Noah on Chris Bosh and then move to Taj Gibson and Omer Asik to save Boozer for the offensive end. The biggest advantage Chicago has is their depth so Thibs has to stick with his normal rotation and hope that it eventually wears Miami down over the course of the series.

Miami – As far as individual matchups go the Heat have no one outside of Wade, James and Mario Chalmers that can even remotely stay in front of Derrick Rose. I expect Mike Bibby to give way to Chalmers very early in the first quarter and for Mario to possibly start at some point in the series. Look for Dwyane and LeBron to take turns checking Rose at the end of quarters and for whoever is having more success to be on Derrick at the end of the game. Even though Miami was the third best rebounding team in the regular season the Bulls were the best (+5.74 to +2.97). In the three games these two sides played against each other this year Chicago out rebounded the Heat by 10.7 boards a game (43.7 to 33) and the Bulls also grabbed 4.3 more offensive rebounds (11 to 6.7) too. Miami’s big men must crash the glass and maybe Udonis Haslem (left foot) returns to play a bigger role if they falter.

The pick – I expect this to be an ugly low scoring series that features plenty of defensive stops both ways. In the end the Heat are healthier and have more options in crunch time. Miami in 6.

WEST

Thunder at Mavericks

Dallas – They don’t have great individual stoppers for Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook but the Mavs do have enough to bother both. I look for Shawn Marion to start out on KD and be followed by DeShawn Stevenson. After that the pickings get slim but Corey Brewer could see time as could Caron Butler (right knee) if deemed healthy enough. Westbrook will be tougher for Dallas to handle, and while Jason Kidd is adequate to begin the game, I’d expect Stevenson and Jason Terry to check Russell for the majority of the time with Brewer seeing spot minutes as well. The Mavs are the slightly better defensive side and they certainly have more experience on this stage. I worry about how the long layoff of eight full days will affect Dallas’ 3-point shooting though. After scorching the nets to the tune of 46.2% as a team against the Lakers that number is bound to come down, just how much is the question.

Oklahoma City – The query for the Thunder is simple, who guards Dirk Nowitzki? Serge Ibaka has the length and athleticism to be the prototypical Dirk stopper but Ibaka (right knee & left ankle) hasn’t been his normal springy self lately. After Serge you are looking at Nick Collison who doesn’t have anywhere near the lateral quickness to handle Nowitzki. This leaves the matchup everyone wants to see…KD versus Dirk. While Durant doesn’t have the muscle to handle Nowitzki’s post up game he has the foot speed and the length. OKC has youth on their side but I worry about them wearing down mentally, especially Westbrook. Russ should have his way for the most part against the Mavs but he has to play smart and not forget to involve his teammates. The Thunder were the better rebounding team this season so Ibaka, Collison, Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed must exploit that by crashing the glass.

The pick – This series could easily go either way and in a contest this close coaching can make all the difference. At this point I have much more faith in Rick Carlisle than I do Scott Brooks, Dallas in 7.

Second Round

2011-04-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

I’ll take a 6-2 record in the first round for the third year in a row since the two series I missed on EVERYONE picked wrong. In retrospect both of those “upsets” shouldn’t really have surprised anyone since Atlanta won their season series with Orlando 3-1 and Memphis split with San Antonio 2-2.

EAST

Celtics at Heat

Miami – This is what LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces for, to beat teams none of them could beat on their own as the unquestioned best player. For the Moheatos to succeed they must constantly push the tempo and use their athleticism to earn easy buckets in the open court. The Heat were the third best rebounding side in the league this season and the Celtics only 20th, so Miami needs to crash the glass and exploit their advantage there. Udonis Haslem (left foot) is said to be getting close to returning but I don’t expect him to be much of a factor if he does play.

Boston – Not many people are giving the Celtics a chance in this series and I’m not sure why. Paul Pierce does as good a job as anyone on LeBron, Kevin Garnett will shut down Bosh and Wade only averaged 12.8 points on 28.1% shooting (18.2% from 3) against the Cs this season. I think this series is why GM Danny Ainge acquired Jeff Green too. Green can give PP a breather from James and allows Boston to match up with Miami’s small-ball lineup. Shaquille O’Neal (right calf) is expected back for Game 2 and while that’s not a good thing defensively Shaq does help the Celtics when their offense stagnates.

The pick – The Heat have no answers for Rajon Rondo, Boston in 6.

Hawks at Bulls

Chicago – I know they looked shaky at times against Indiana but this is the number one defensive and rebounding team from the regular season, features the likely MVP and Coach of the Year and has home court advantage throughout the playoffs. All they lack is deep post season experience and they are about to get that. Carlos Boozer (right big toe) might be hobbled this series but he only put up 10 points on 35.8% shooting in round one. Not to mention that his backup, Taj Gibson, is a much better defender. I’m also pretty confident that Coach Tom Thibodeau can devise a scheme to contain the Hawks.

Atlanta – Kirk Hinrich (right hamstring) is doubtful for Game 1 and likely won’t be right for most of the series since an MRI revealed he has a “significant strain.” This is terrible news for the A.T.L. as Hinrich is easily their best option to defend Derrick Rose. Granted no one can stay in front of Rose but Kirk was his mentor for his first two years in Chicago so Hinrich has more knowledge than most on Derrick’s tendencies. Joe Johnson averaged 13.7 points and 39.1% shooting in three games against the Bulls this season and for the Hawks to have any chance he’ll have to do much, much better than that.

The pick – Chicago in 5.

WEST

Grizzlies at Thunder

Oklahoma City – They lost their season series with the Griz 3-1 but every game was played before Kendrick Perkins arrived. The addition of Perk gives the Thunder someone with the muscle to match Marc Gasol in the middle. However I do wonder if Serge Ibaka’s length and athleticism will be enough to bother Zach Randolph. If Z-Bo is able to bully I-block-a down low look for Coach Scott Brooks to give Nick Collison lots of burn. OKC was the slightly better rebounding team during the season (6th to 9th) but defensively they were a little worse (15th to 14th).

Memphis – Believe it or not the Griz match up very well with the Thunder’s best players. Ideally they can put Shane Battier on Kevin Durant, Tony Allen on Russell Westbrook and when one of them rests Sam Young is no slouch on D either. The duo of Randolph and Gasol has to continue their dominance of the high and low post but the key for Memphis will be the play of Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo. Conley has to make Westbrook work on defense and Mayo must equal James Harden’s output off the bench. Food for thought…imagine how dangerous the Griz would be if Rudy Gay (left shoulder) was healthy.

The pick – This should be a super entertaining series featuring two young clubs cutting their teeth against each other. I really want to pick Memphis to spring the upset here but I’ll go with home court instead. OKC in 7.

Mavericks at Lakers

Los Angeles – Kobe Bryant (left ankle) and Matt Barnes’ (right knee) health is a concern as was Pau Gasol’s lackluster production (13.5 points on 41.8% shooting & 6.8 rebounds) against New Orleans, but two Lakers in particular are picking up the slack. Andrew Bynum’s defense and rebounding have been consistent since the All-Star break but now his low post offense is on the verge of becoming something special. And while you would never know it by looking at the numbers, Ron Artest was arguably LA’s best player in round one. If the Lakers focus and play their game they should be fine.

Dallas – I’m not sure what matchup problems the Mavs cause the Lakers. They don’t have a super quick point guard nor do they run a ton of pick and rolls. Then there’s the question of who defends Kobe? DeShawn Stevenson will get first crack but he only averaged 12.7 minutes against Portland. Jason Terry is too small and Jason Kidd too slow so I think Coach Rick Carlisle’s best option might be Shawn Marion. Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood must contain Gasol, Bynum and Lamar Odom for Dallas to have any chance. In fact, Dirk may have to average 30+ points just for things to be competitive.

The pick – My boys should really win this series in 5 but they haven’t shown the desire to put forth that kind of consistent effort all season long, hence LA in 7.

Year End Awards

2011-04-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Dwight Howard (Orlando)
2. Kevin Garnett (Boston)
3. Tony Allen (Memphis)

All-Defense
PG – Chris Paul (New Orleans)
SG – Tony Allen (Memphis)
SF – Kevin Garnett (Boston)
PF – Dwight Howard (Orlando)
C – Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee)

Sixth Man of the Year
1. Lamar Odom (Lakers)
2. Jason Terry (Dallas)
3. Glen Davis (Boston)

Executive of the Year
1. Donnie Walsh (New York)
2. Pat Riley (Miami)
3. Dell Demps (New Orleans)

Coach of the Year
1. Tom Thibodeau (Chicago)
2. Gregg Popovich (San Antonio)
3. George Karl (Denver)

Rookie of the Year
1. Blake Griffin (Clippers)
2. John Wall (Washington)
3. DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento)

All-Rookie
PG – John Wall (Washington)
SG – Landry Fields (New York)
SF – Blake Griffin (Clippers)
PF – Ed Davis (Toronto)
C – DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento)

Most Valuable Player
1. Derrick Rose (Chicago)
2. Dwight Howard (Orlando)
3. LeBron James (Miami)
4. Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
5. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)

All-NBA
PG – Derrick Rose (Chicago)
SG – Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
SF – LeBron James (Miami)
PF – Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Second Team
PG – Chris Paul (New Orleans)
SG – Dwyane Wade (Miami)
SF – Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City)
PF – LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland)
C – Pau Gasol (Lakers)

Third Team
PG – Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City)
SG – Manu Ginobili (San Antonio)
SF – Carmelo Anthony (Denver/New York)
PF – Zach Randolph (Memphis)
C – Amar’e Stoudemire (New York)

First Round

2011-04-15T15:28:00.001-07:00

I dropped my laptop about 2-3 feet to the floor on Sunday and the hard drive died making it impossible for me to write from home. So being that I can’t do myself justice here from work I’m just going to do a short blurb on each series with my pick. Since the guys at Geeks & Nerds should have my laptop back by Tuesday or so the annual Tap Dancing and Year End Awards will be a little late too but things should be back to normal by the second round.

EAST

Indiana at Chicago – There’s not much to say here as the Bulls finished with the best record in the league while the Pacers were eight games under .500. Maybe Indy can steal Game 3 but since Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose haven’t taken their feet off the gas yet I don’t see them starting now. Chicago in 4.

Philadelphia at Miami – The Sixers do play hard but the open court style they excel at plays right into the Heat’s hands. If Lou Williams (right hamstring) being iffy isn’t bad enough take a gander at Dwyane Wade’s numbers against Philly this season: 30.7 points, 8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.3 blocks. Miami in 4.

Atlanta at Orlando – The Hawks won the season series 3-1 but finished the year losing six straight and looked extremely bad in doing so. This sounds crazy to say but for Atlanta to have a chance they need Jason Collins’ (left ankle) defense to frustrate Dwight Howard. Otherwise I don’t see much being different from last year’s playoff sweep. Magic in 5.

New York at Boston – I know people are all excited about this match up but I frankly don’t see it. The Knicks were 26th in defensive field goal percentage and the Celtics 3rd. I understand that Boston has been in a 15-12 funk since trading away Kendrick Perkins but I’m not willing to write them off just yet. Celtics in 5.

WEST

Portland at Dallas – Many people are predicting an upset here, and while the Blazers certainly have a shot, this team has yet to get over the hump in the first round. I know it has to start sometime but these Mavs are just too experienced and play better defense taboot. Dallas in 7.

Memphis at San Antonio – The Griz tanked down the stretch seemingly wanting to face the Spurs, and if Manu Ginobili (right elbow) can’t go or is limited Memphis coach Lionel Hollins will look like a genius. I do give Memphis a punchers chance at the upset here but it’s hard to see SA losing in the first round. Spurs in 6.

New Orleans at Los Angeles – Apparently Andrew Bynum (right knee) is good to go for Game 1 but I wouldn’t mind him sitting out until Game 2 on Wednesday just to be safe. Regardless the Hornets don’t have the size or athleticism to scare the Lakers. LA in 4.

Denver at Oklahoma City – I think this will be the most entertaining series of round one. It really could go either way as both of these sides have been much improved post-trade. I think it will come down to two things; Ty Lawson’s (left ankle) health and Kevin Durant’s greatness. If Lawson isn’t his normal speedy self the Nugs are in big trouble. In a series this close the difference is usually the best player on the court and that means KD has to be clutch in key moments. Thunder in 7.

Da Umph

2011-03-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

3/11/11 – Umphrey’s McGee – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom (17th show)
I: The Floor, Turn & Dub, Intentions Clear > Professor Wormbog, Rocker Part 2, JaJunk
II: All in Time > Pay the Snucka, Comfortably Numb, The Triple Wide > All in Time, Made to Measure, Go to Hell, August > Dear Lord > August, Mood for a Day > Pay the Snucka > Bulls on Parade > Pay the Snucka
E: Booth Love, The National Anthem

I have to admit that I was a little worn out for this one as six shows in seven days can be a little rough on an old man. So while I wasn’t shedding any tears about not being packed in like a sardine I was a little surprised at the lack of turnout on a Friday night in Portland for the Umph. Even though I am not the most hardcore Umphrey’s fan I know one thing to be true…

Umphrey’s. Always. Destroys. Portland.

I settled into a spot far back in the all age’s side of the Crystal as the boys took the stage to the theme from Knight Rider. The show first took off with a fantastic “Turn and Dub” that warmed the crowd up and made me oh so happy that I had plenty of room to boogie. “Intentions Clear” was hands down the highlight of the first set and featured a long multi-tiered jam that built on the vibe of “Dub” but went even further out there before splashing down into “Professor Wormbog.” A fierce “JaJunk” closed down the set but the best was yet to come.

When the volume went down on Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” the band decided to keep playing along to the jam for about a minute before dropping on a dime into a raging “All in Time.” About half way through the song guitarist Jake Cinninger led the band into a few verses of Archie Bell and the Drells’ “Tighten Up” which turned out to be just the first of many fun teases on the night.

“Tighten Up” gave way to a slight Tears for Fears “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” tease before sliding into “Pay the Snucka.” After the vocal portion of “Snucka” we got some Howard Jones “Things Can Only Get Better” whoa-whoa-whoa’s prior to the “Snucka” refrain before Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” shocked everyone in attendance. Keyboard player Joel Cummins and guitarist Brendan Bayliss switched off on the lyrics with Bayliss especially nailing his parts.

“The Triple Wide” was a straight up disco dance party that had the entire crowd getting down like nobody’s business. Then out of nowhere Cinninger started up theNEWDEAL’s “Glide” and it was really on. After about two minutes of building to an epic peak the boys exploded back into “All in Time” and the place went bananas.

I really enjoyed how the groovy swing of “Made to Measure” gave way to the uber-rocking instrumental “Go to Hell.” The closing stanza of the night started out with Jake playing Yes’ “Mood for a Day” and then “Snucka” started back up. But the capper to evening was one verse of Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” sandwiched in between “Snucka” that raised the energy in the room yet another notch. They played Radiohead’s “The National Anthem” right up until 12:59 and there wasn’t one unsatisfied person walking out of the Ballroom to my ears.

This night was more about fun and energy than epic jams but upon re-listen this show holds up very well. I think my buddy Chip summed it up perfectly when comparing the Crystal to the two that followed at the Fillmore when he said, “Friends + space + raging show = good times.”

MGB Anyone?

2011-03-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

3/5/11 – Mike Gordon – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre (3rd show)
I: Horizon Line, Middle of the Road, Traveled Too Far, Willow Tree, Sailin’ Shoes, Be Good and You’ll Be Lonely, Babylon Baby^
II: Funky Bitch, Andelmans’ Yard, The Grid, Cruel World, Crumbling Bones, Pretend > She Said She Said, What Things Seem, Dig Further Down
E: Mound^
^ first time played

This was my third time seeing the Mike Gordon Band (MGB) and to say they have improved by leaps and bounds since Rothbury 2008 would be a supreme understatement. This band hardly even resembles the one I saw in Portland just four short months ago.

The MGB reminds me of a young basketball team just starting to realize their potential, the Oklahoma City Thunder if you will. Much like Kevin Durant Mike is the obvious leader but he is also very unselfish in trying to get his teammates involved, and this attitude is where MGB truly excels right now.

You can almost see and feel their chemistry and confidence as a unit growing by the minute as they continually try and push the limits to discover new ground. They are having far too much fun for it to seem like work either as all the smiles and supportive body language on stage would suggest.

When you combine all their talents with the ambition to take things into perpetually new directions and the collective attitude to make it work you just can’t shake the feeling that this is a band on the verge of doing big things in the jam world. I only wish the people of Eugene would have realized this sooner as the place was nearly empty to start the show.

With the energy of the room severely lacking right off the bat the show didn’t really take off until “Traveled Too Far.” “TTF” featured an extended grooving intro and when the lyrics ended the crowd was ready to get down and Scott Murawski’s guitar work did not disappoint taking us all on an extended journey.

The next highlight was Little Feat’s “Sailin’ Shoes” that started with a swanky Mike bass solo that disguised what was coming. Once people realized what tune was being the played the energy in the room went up a few notches. The set closing debut of “Babylon Baby” was expertly played and featured some more stellar shredding from Murawski.

Son Seals’ “Funky Bitch” got the second set started with an adrenalin boost and gave those looking for their phix something to smile about. I have to say the quirky little reggae ditty “The Grid” caught me by surprise but turned out to be very enjoyable.

The Beatles’ “She Said, She Said” was rocking right from the jump and the jam went way out there creating a swirling mass of dancing bodies before crashing back into the lyrical finish. “What Things Seem” was a welcome interlude that featured a nice breakdown from keyboardist Tom Cleary and a muscular “Dig Further Down” closed the show out on a high note.

Prior to the encore Mike directed a stretch where the entire crowd (literally) had both arms spread as far apart as possible then he asked drummer Todd Isler for some “help.” As Isler started the familiar drum beat to “Mound” Mike was taking his arms over his head leading the crowd in a unified clap. I really dug how the intro to “Mound” was extended before dropping into the real nastiness. It goes without saying that this was a crowd pleaser.

By the time the house lights came on the McDonald was practically full both upstairs and down. This is a good thing if Eugene really expects Phish to play the brand spanking new Matt Knight Arena in the future.

The music MGB is creating right now is much more compelling than most “new” things happening in the jam scene today. This is why I recommend to all readers of this site to get out there and support Mike, you won’t be disappointed.

Trade Spectacular!

2011-02-28T11:48:00.001-08:00

New York Gets: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Corey Brewer, Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman

Denver Gets: Ray Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Kosta Koufos, 2014 first round pick (New York), 2012 & 2013 second round picks (Golden State), the right to exchange first round picks in 2016 (New York) and $3 million (New York)

Minnesota Gets: Anthony Randolph, Eddy Curry, 2015 second round pick (Denver) and $3 million (New York)

For the Knicks…

In a merciful end to the most annoying story of the season, Owner James Dolan finally got his man. While many are saying NY gave up too much I’m not in that camp. Sure they could have gambled and hoped that Anthony opted out of his contract after the season but something tells me Melo wanted his $65 million extension and would have signed it with New Jersey or Denver rather than leaving it on the table. So kudos to Dolan, President Donnie Walsh, Coach Mike D’Antoni, Isiah Thomas or whoever was actually calling the shots on this one.

In Anthony the Knicks get an elite scoring machine to pair with Amar’e Stoudemire to form one of the fiercest forward tandems on the offensive end in the entire league. Since neither of them defends or rebounds that well D’Antoni will have his work cut out for him there if the Knicks are to truly contend.

Seemingly lost in the shuffle of this deal is Billups who is an upgrade over the departed Felton running the point. “Mr. Big Shot” should get plenty of open looks off double teams while being able to keep his forwards happy at the same time. Brewer was surprisingly bought out and I don’t see the rest of the players NY acquired contributing very much other than spot minutes here and there thanks to D’Antoni’s ultra-short rotation. That said Williams provides beef down low, Carter veteran leadership and Balkman hustle.

For the Nuggets…

All things considered rookie VP Masai Ujiri comported himself very well after Anthony forced his hand. Ujiri shaved $13 million off Denver’s payroll getting them under the luxury tax line, got two SFs to replace Melo, a much younger and cheaper PG to replace Billups and two young big men with differing skill sets. Not to mention three (or four) draft picks and cash.

Gallinari and Chandler already formed a nice forward tandem in NY and will continue to do so for the Nugs. Chandler brings a lot of energy as a sixth man and can even play PF in small ball lineups. Wilson is a restricted free agent (RFA) after the season though, so Denver could possibly lose him. I’ve always thought Gallo was pretty overrated but if he gets in better shape and learns to put the ball on the floor more he could be a player.

Felton has already made noise about not wanting to come off the bench behind Ty Lawson but if Coach George Karl can diffuse that situation the Nugs will have a potent PG duo. I don’t expect either to play much but Mozgov is a lumbering banger type whereas Koufos likes to float on the perimeter and shoot mid-range jumpers.

At first I thought Denver was out of the playoff hunt sans Melo and Chauncey but the more I look at it they are now ten deep and should be much more of an up tempo side using the mile high altitude to their advantage. If they can hold their own on D and the boards a low playoff seed is certainly within reach. They will likely be one and done if they get there but it wouldn’t shock me if they were able to put a scare into their first round opponent.

For the Timberwolves…

President David Kahn offered up his salary cap space to absorb and buyout Curry’s contract to basically steal the ultra-talented youngster Randolph. Anthony is a bit of a knuckle head but at 6’11 he can grab a rebound and handle the ball well enough to lead the break. He also uses his length and athleticism to block shots from the weak side but is not a good decision maker on the offensive end, both passing and shooting the ball. He is certainly worth a look on such a bad squad though.

Winner – New York

New Jersey Gets: Deron Williams

Utah Gets: Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, 2011 first round pick (New Jersey), 2012 first round pick (Golden State, top 7 protected) and $3 million

For the Nets…

President Billy King gave up a ton of assets to possibly only rent arguably the best PG in game for a season and a half. I’m sure Owner Mikhail Prokhorov and part owner Jay-Z think they can convince D-Will that Brooklyn is the place for him but if he bolts after next season this trade will look extremely bad for NJ. The Nyets are too far out of the playoff chase this year but are set to have major salary cap space this summer. Deron and Brook Lopez are a nice foundation but for NJ to really make some noise they will need to sign a true #2 option like maybe David West or Zach Randolph.

For the Jazz…

While some say he should have waited to see how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement affected the landscape I like how proactive Director Kevin O’Connor was in making this move. He didn’t wait for the media circus to arrive and got a boatload in return for his franchise player. Harris is obviously not the same caliber of player as Williams is but Devin isn’t chopped liver either. I actually think Harris might excel now that he’s out from under Avery Johnson’s thumb.

I’m not really sold on Favors yet but he’s only 19 and has obvious potential especially on defense. He’s already a capable rebounder but his offense has a long, long way to go. The main thing I like about this deal for Utah is the draft picks. Since I don’t expect them to be playoff contenders this season or next they will likely have two lottery picks in both 2011 and 2012. So if O’Connor does his job scouting and spending his salary cap space in the summer of ’12 the Jazz could be right back in mix rather quickly.

Winner – New Jersey

Boston Gets: Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, 2012 first round pick (Clippers, top 10 protected) and cash

Oklahoma City Gets: Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson

For the Celtics…

To me this was hands down the biggest surprise of deadline day. I just don’t understand why GM Danny Ainge would shake up the best team in the East? Boston was a lock to make the Finals (barring injury) in my opinion but I guess losing Marquis Daniels (leaving the Cs without a backup SF) put these events into motion.

Green certainly makes Boston younger, more athletic and versatile but how much is he really going to play? Is Coach Doc Rivers going to sit Ray Allen, Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett in favor of Green? I think not. I’ve never really been a big fan of Jeff’s game either. He does a lot of things ok but isn’t great at anything. He’s like a shorter version of Lamar Odom with a better outside shot but minus the handle.

I understand that Boston was going to struggle to resign Perk this summer (Green is about to be a RFA himself) but trading your starting center for a sixth man? Beyond counting on Shaquille O’Neal (right Achilles), Jermaine O’Neal (left knee) and Krstic to contain the likes of Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol /Andrew Bynum how do you replicate the outstanding chemistry Rajon Rondo, Allen, PP, KG and Perk had? You don’t, it’s that simple, and the chemistry that group shared on both offense and defense is what made the Celtics so great the past three and a half seasons. Now they have to integrate a new starter AND a completely revamped rotation with only 25 games to go before the playoffs. All the while maintaining their calling card tough defense and equal opportunity offense.

Krstic has never been the same since he tore his left ACL back in 2006 and even before that he was never a defender or rebounder. He tends to shy away from contact down low and prefers to float around and shoot mid-range jumpers. He will not be able to shut down/frustrate Howard like Perk could in a 7-game series. I doubt Boston finishes with the best record in the East now or can beat the Lakers if they meet in the Finals. But hey, at least they will have a ton of salary cap space and the Clippers pick in the summer of 2012.

For the Thunder…

GM Sam Presti finally made his move and it sent a clear message to the rest of the West that OKC’s time is now. In Perkins they get a legitimate anchor for their defense that has many big games under his belt. Additionally Coach Scott Brooks can now play Serge Ibaka at his more natural PF position. The tandem of Perk and Ibaka is tailor made to shut down the Laker big man duo of Bynum and Gasol. Serge has the length and athleticism to stay with Pau and Perk the muscle to deal with Drew. Just a great move by Presti (as long as Kendrick can get healthy).

Robinson is an energizer off the bench that likes to shoot…a lot. Nate really doesn’t bring much else to the table and with his questionable shot selection and lack of defensive effort I don’t really see him taking regular minutes away from Thabo Sefolosha, James Harden or Eric Maynor.

Winner – Oklahoma City

Charlotte Gets: Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks, 2011 first round pick (New Orleans, top 7 protected), 2013 first round pick (Portland) and cash

Portland Gets: Gerald Wallace

For the Bobcats…

Even though Charlotte is on the fringe of the playoff chase in the East this trade was all about dumping Wallace’s contract and getting some rebuilding assets in return. I find it refreshing when I hear Owner Michael Jordan say “We don’t want to be the seventh or eighth seed.” Being in the middle is never good in the NBA, especially when you are a small market team that is flirting with the luxury tax.

None of the guys the Cats received are impact players but Gerald was not worth two first round picks so score one for GM Rod Higgins. Przybilla (right knee) can barely move anymore much less run or jump, Cunningham might find minutes as a fourth big man and Marks has been waived.

For the Trail Blazers…

I have to say I’m a bit disappointed with new GM Rich Cho’s first move. Gerald is certainly the best player in the deal but I’m not sure why Portland needed him so badly? He makes them better but only marginally so and certainly not enough for them to beat one of the top four sides in the West in a playoff series. So dumping two firsts for him and taking on the additional $22 million in salary he is still owed is questionable at best for a bench player.

Wallace can play both forward spots for the Blazers off the pine but he is on the downside of his career and struggles to defend PFs as a small ball four. The big take away for me is it now seems like Portland is stuck in the middle and doesn’t quite realize it yet. As I see it they would have been better off unloading salary, keeping the picks and taking a few small steps backwards before trying to climb the mountain again.

Winner – Charlotte

Clippers Get: Mo Williams and Jamario Moon

Cleveland Gets: Baron Davis and a 2011 first round pick (Clippers)

For Los Angeles…

This deal was all about GM Neil Olshey getting out from under Davis’ massive contract and turning the keys of the franchise over to Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. Williams is a quality mid-range shooter who should be reinvigorated by the change of scenery. Mo combined with Gordon gives the Clips two guys that will make the opposition pay for doubling Griffin. Moon may contribute a little but I doubt he will be resigned in the off season.

For the Cavaliers…

Give Owner Dan Gilbert credit since he was willing to spend $12 million (the difference in total dollars between Davis and Williams contracts) on an unprotected lottery pick in what’s supposed to be a pretty weak draft. On pure talent B Diddy is an upgrade over Mo but only if Baron is motivated. Call me crazy but I don’t see Davis being very motivated in a cold weather city on the worst team in the NBA. There is no way Coach Byron Scott puts up with him being an out of shape malcontent either. I don’t see this ending well for Baron. In fact he is officially on the Stephon Marbury/Steve Francis/ Allen Iverson express train to playing overseas.

Winner – Clippers

New Orleans Gets: Carl Landry

Sacramento Gets: Marcus Thornton and cash

For the Hornets…

I really like this move for NO as Landry is exactly what they needed behind Emeka Okafor and David West. Coach Monty Williams no longer needs to rely on the likes of Aaron Gray, D.J. Mbenga, Jason Smith or David Andersen if West or Mek gets hurt. Landry flourished as a sixth man in Houston and returning to that role in a contract year with Chris Paul as his PG surely has Carl excited to play and produce. I think this trade locks the Hornets into the Western playoffs but still isn’t enough for them to win a series.

For the Kings…

Since there was no way Landry was resigning with Sacto this summer President Geoff Petrie made a wise move parlaying Carl into something of value. With Tyreke Evans (left foot) out indefinitely the Kings really needed some scoring at the SG position and Thornton brings that to table in spades while only making $761,195 (which is important since the Maloof’s (owners) are losing money hand over fist).

Winner – New Orleans

Washington Gets: Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans, Jordan Crawford and a 2011 first round pick (Atlanta)

Atlanta Gets: Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong

For the Wizards…

This deal was all about President Ernie Grunfeld acquiring assets. Hinrich really isn’t worth two first round picks (including Crawford) and with Bibby accepting a buyout of the last year of his contract ($6.2 million) Washington ends up saving $8 million (Kirk’s contract) off next season’s salary cap figure. Evans is a solid role player but I don’t see the Wiz resigning him this summer.

Crawford is an intriguing rookie with good length and athleticism for a SG. He has a scorer’s mentality and can put points on the board in bunches when he gets on a roll. He’s a lot like the guy he’ll be backing up, Nick Young, and if Young isn’t resigned in the off season Jordan can step right in and replace him.

For the Hawks…

I know Director Rick Sund probably thinks that Hinrich is a major upgrade over Bibby but I’m skeptical. While it would be nearly impossible to be worse than Bibby on defense I don’t think Kirk is quite the shooter/floor space that Mike is. Also the Atlanta starting five of Bibby, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Al Horford had been together for three seasons so replicating that chemistry is going to be tough. The main benefit to adding Hinrich should be saving JJ from always having to guard the other team’s quickest guard.

Hilton Armstrong is as stiff as they come and is unlikely to play more than garbage time/emergency minutes.

Winner – Washington

Phoenix Gets: Aaron Brooks

Houston Gets: Goran Dragic and a 2011 first round pick (Phoenix, lottery protected otherwise Orlando)

For the Suns…

This was a very opportunistic move by President Lon Babby snagging the out of favor and unhappy Brooks for a lesser player in Dragic. You could question the inclusion of the draft pick but if Brooks gets his head screwed on straight and rediscovers his shooting stroke he is worth more than a mid to late first rounder. Aaron should be perfect as a change of pace guard behind Steve Nash as well as providing some instant offense for Phoenix’s anemic bench.

For the Rockets…

From the second he walked off the court straight to the locker after being subbed out on 2/5 Brooks had to go. GM Daryl Morey did well to get a first round pick for him but Dragic really struggles with his decision making, which is not good for a PG. Goran also fancies himself as somewhat of a scoring PG but the problem there is he can’t shoot. At the very least Dragic will happily accept his role as Kyle Lowry’s backup.

Winner – Phoenix

Oklahoma City Gets: Nazr Mohammed

Charlotte Gets: D.J. White and Morris Peterson

For the Thunder…

Presti does it again here by snagging a legitimate backup center for two guys that weren’t even active on most nights, much less playing. OKC now possesses a big man rotation of Perk/Ibaka/Nazr/Nick Collison which is very stout. Again this move was made with the playoffs in mind and should pay dividends before then too since Perkins (left knee) is out 2-3 weeks.

For the Bobcats…

I’ve always liked D.J. White’s game because he’s a tough no nonsense guy who rarely makes mistakes. He’ll play his role as a banger that hits the boards and makes open shots without complaint. I hope Coach Paul Silas plays him enough to develop his skills to where he’s a steady rotation player. Peterson is on his way out of the league and has been waived.

Winner – Oklahoma City

Memphis Gets: Shane Battier and Ishmael Smith

Houston Gets: Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll, 2013 first round pick (Memphis, lottery protected) and $3 million

For the Grizzlies…

When Rudy Gay hurt his left shoulder that left Memphis with a huge hole at SF that Battier should fill nicely. Even when Rudy comes back Shane can slide into a sixth man/defensive stopper roll without missing a beat. This move should keep the Griz in the playoff chase in the short term and might clinch them a low seed when back to full strength.

Smith is a water bug type PG that is lightning quick. He needs some work on his decision making but I prefer his upside compared to that of Greivis Vasquez.

For the Rockets…

With Battier no longer in their long term plans and with a gaping hole in the middle Morey decided to take a flyer on Thabeet. Hasheem’s offense is painful to watch but in Houston all he’ll have to do is defend, block shots and rebound. Coach Rick Adelman along with his fellow teammates will have to be very patient with him but Thabeet could be a Mark Eaton type player if he pans out.

Carroll is a tweener energy guy who I don’t expect to play much. In fact his third year option may not even be picked up. Yet another first round pick adds to Morey’s treasure trove of assets but if he can’t parlay them into a star player soon I fear “Dork Elvis” will be looking for work in the near future.

Winner – Memphis

Toronto Gets: James Johnson

Chicago Gets: 2012 first round pick (Miami, lottery protected)

For the Raptors…

Johnson is an uber-athlete that really has no clue how to play. The good news for him is that Toronto is so bad they can afford to play him a lot of minutes to see if he can develop. I also can’t imagine that one of the last picks in this year’s draft would have more upside than James does. Since Johnson is starting already he gives the Raptors three big time athletes when paired with DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson. Even if they aren’t very good at least they are entertaining to watch.

For the Bulls…

This pick was supposed to be the final piece that GM Gar Foreman needed to upgrade Chicago’s hole at SG. Well he couldn’t parlay it into O.J. Mayo, Courtney Lee or Anthony Parker and I doubt a pick that low contributes to the Bulls any time soon.

Winner –Toronto

New Jersey Gets: Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric

Golden State Gets: Troy Murphy and a 2012 second round pick (New Jersey)

For the Nets…

They get to look at the 8^th pick from the 2007 for a second round pick. Not bad considering Wright has shown occasional flashes when he’s been healthy enough to play. And if D-Will can’t get anything out of Brandan he’s probably not worth making a qualifying offer to (he’s about to be a RFA). Even though Gadzuric is unlikely to be resigned this summer he is an upgrade over Johan Petro at backup center behind Lopez.

For the Warriors…

If they planned on keeping Murphy this would be an absolute home run for them but for some reason they plan on buying him out. What that means is GS basically traded Jason Richardson for a second round pick.

Winner – New Jersey

Cleveland Gets: Semih Erden and Luke Harangody

Boston Gets: 2013 second round pick (Minnesota)

For the Cavaliers…

This was a very solid move by GM Chris Grant picking up a useful big man in Erden for a second round pick. Semih will need surgery on his left shoulder in the off season but he plays hard, knows his role and doesn’t try to do things he can’t. He should be in the league a long time as defensive minded backup center with a decent touch around the rim.

I don’t think Harangody is an NBA player but he should get a chance to prove me wrong in Cleveland.

For the Celtics…

I flat out don’t get this one for Boston? Dumping Erden when Shaq and JO are hurt leaving Krstic as their only true center makes no sense to me. I can’t say I understand any of what Ainge was up to at the trade deadline.

Winner – Cleveland

Sacramento Gets: Marquis Daniels and cash

Boston Gets: 2017 second round pick (Sacramento, 31-55 protected)

For the Kings…

If you can believe this Sacto actually needed to take on Daniels in order to reach the minimum team salary as required by the NBA. Yes, they were actually below the salary floor by a little over a million dollars before this trade. I’m sure the Maloof’s can’t get to Anaheim fast enough right now.

For the Celtics…

Since Marquis (spinal cord) is likely done for the season and has an expiring contract Ainge did Petrie a favor.

Winner – Sacramento

Mid-Season Report

2011-01-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

With Indiana having finally played their 41st game on 1/23 it’s time for the eighth annual MSR. In the East five teams are eliminated as opposed to only three in the West (sorry Clippers) with seeding in question up and down the standings in both conferences. I’d say this season has lived up to its lofty expectations thus far.

OPFG% = opponent field goal percentage
RBDF = rebound differential
3P% = 3-point field goal percentage
* = teams I had making the playoffs in October

EAST

1. *Boston Celtics (34-10) – They have survived injuries to Kevin Garnett (right calf), Rajon Rondo (left ankle), Shaquille O’Neal (right hip), Delonte West (right wrist) and Jermaine O’Neal (left knee) without missing a beat. While the Cs defense is still stout (5th in OPFG%) it’s their league best shooting (50.3% as a team) that has been carrying them. They are the side to beat at the half way point as I see it.

2. *Miami Heat (31-13) – They flat out overwhelm teams with their talent, athleticism and speed on most nights but they do play some serious defense (2nd in OPFG%) too. Mike Miller (right thumb) is back in the rotation and Mario Chalmers has replaced Carlos Arroyo as the starting PG but if Udonis Haslem (left foot) isn’t ready by playoff time I just don’t think Chris Bosh will have the help up front to get the job done.

3. *Chicago Bulls (31-14) – They are first in OPFG% (42.3%) and second in RBDF while missing Joakim Noah (right thumb) for 21 games and Carlos Boozer (right pinkie) for 18. The combination of Derrick Rose’s greatness and Tom Thibodeau’s coaching is proving to be a very tough combination to beat. If VP John Paxson can acquire a SG (Stephen Jackson/O.J. Mayo) they could legitimately win the East.

4. *Atlanta Hawks (29-16) – As long as Al Horford (right ankle) returns soon and Marvin Williams’ back injury doesn’t linger they are the club none of the other top four want to see in a 7-game series. They still know how to use their athleticism on defense in big games but if they are to really be considered a legit threat Director Rick Sund has to upgrade the PG position (apologies to Mike Bibby & Jeff Teague).

5. *Orlando Magic (29-16) – They went 13-3 from 12/23 to 1/22 after trading for Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas and shot 41.4% from three over that same stretch. The defense (7th in OPFG%) and rebounding (4th in RBDF) is still there too. With Dwight Howard you can never count this group out but shaky PG play and lack of big man depth will likely be their downfall.

6. *New York Knicks (23-21) – They have had almost perfect health outside of Danilo Gallinari (left knee) so I’d say this is about their ceiling. They don’t rebound enough (28th in RBDF) to be taken seriously but a first round playoff exit will be a step in the right direction. And for the record, I don’t think trading for or signing Carmelo Anthony and pairing him with Amar’e Stoudemire is a recipe for success.

7. Philadelphia 76ers (19-25) – If you are Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider or President Peter Luukko I guess you are happy with the job Coach Doug Collins has done. The Sixers are 10th in OPFG%, play hard every night and are no longer a punch line. But should Philly fans really feel like the 7th seed is progress? I sure don’t and not playing Marreese Speights and Evan Turner more is very short sighted.

8. Charlotte Bobcats (18-25) – They are 9-6 since replacing Larry Brown with Paul Silas as coach and are certainly more entertaining to watch too. I doubt they can stay this high with Tyrus Thomas (left knee) set to miss about eight weeks, GM Rod Higgins shopping everyone on their roster and no LB to pull a late season miracle. The last two seeds in the East are a crapshoot though and they are in that mix.

*Indiana Pacers (16-25) – I’ve been a long time defender of Coach Jim O’Brien but those days are over. It took him 32 games to figure out that Tyler Hansbrough was better than Josh McRoberts. He’s also rotating Mike Dunleavy and Brandon Rush as starting SG and still refuses to play Darren Collison big minutes, These guys have more than enough talent to make the playoffs but do they have the coaching?

*Milwaukee Bucks (16-26) – Ersan Ilyasova and Keyon Dooling are the only two Bucks to appear in every game so far. While injuries certainly have played a major part in Milwaukee’s struggles I think GM John Hammond may have damaged their chemistry with the addition of ball hogs like Corey Maggette, Drew Gooden and Earl Boykins. I still expect them to make a big time run when they get healthy though.

Detroit Pistons (17-28) – President Joe Dumars is surely to blame for this mess right now but he’s not really being allowed to fix things with the ownership situation in limbo. I’m sure Joe would love to buyout team cancer Richard Hamilton and see what he could get for Tayshaun Prince’s expiring contract. Sadly for Dumars and Coach John Kuester the new owner will probably fire both of them almost immediately.

Washington Wizards (13-31) – I give Coach Flip Saunders credit for playing young guys like Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee, Nick Young and John Wall (when healthy) big minutes when they haven’t earned them. With the team going nowhere fast it makes tons of sense to get the youngsters experience. Wall being so injury prone so early does worry me a little but they did manage to get rid of Gilbert Arenas.

Toronto Raptors (13-32) – They are last in OPFG% (48.3%) and 3P% (32.1%) which is not a winning combination. They have missed Leandro Barbosa (right hamstring) and Sonny Weems (back) but neither of them is a major difference maker. And for as good as Andrea Bargnani has been Linas Kleiza has been equal parts a disappointment. Methinks GM Bryan Colangelo should freshen up his resume.

New Jersey Nets (13-32) – Now that they won’t be mortgaging their future so Carmelo Anthony can sell tickets to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn they can refocus on the task at hand. First Coach Avery Johnson must help Brook Lopez regain his confidence. Next Derrick Favors needs to play way more than he deserves. Last would be President Billy King finding a new home for Troy Murphy or buying him out.

Cleveland Cavaliers (8-37) – Losing Anderson Varejao (right ankle) for the season was a killer blow to their defense (29th in OPFG%) and overall morale. Then throw in Mo Williams (left hip) being out indefinitely and the Cavs are down arguably their two best players. The cupboard is pretty bare with assets for both GM Chris Grant to trade AND for Coach Byron Scott to develop. What a mess.

WEST

1. *San Antonio Spurs (38-7) – They are 3rd in 3P% and outside of Matt Bonner (right knee) and rookie James Anderson (right foot) they haven’t had any injuries to speak of. What concerns me about the Spurs is they are only 12th in OPFG% and I don’t think the way they currently play is conducive to playoff style basketball. I also see them coming back to the pack a little over the second half of the season.

2. *Los Angeles Lakers (33-13) – They are 3rd in OPFG% and RBDF against the easiest schedule so those stats and their record probably need to be taken with a grain of salt. That said I’ve been noticing a little more focus recently especially on defense and sharing the ball. Being without Matt Barnes (right knee) until early March hurts but if Kobe Bryant continues to play the role of facilitator they should be fine.

3. *Dallas Mavericks (29-15) – They struggled while Dirk Nowitzki (right knee) missed nine games and they also lost Caron Butler (right knee) for the season on top of Roddy Beaubois (left foot) not playing yet. All things considered they have to like their position but if they want to be taken seriously they need to rebound better (22nd in RBDF). It will be interesting to see what if anything Peja Stojakovic has left too.

4. *Oklahoma City Thunder (28-16) – They are 23rd in OPFG%, 29th in 3P% and Russell Westbrook actually has a higher PER than Kevin Durant yet they are still winning. They no longer sneak up on people and their effort on defense isn’t anywhere near what it used to be. I know GM San Presti is not about to panic but this club’s ceiling is probably the second round unless he makes a move.

5. New Orleans Hornets (30-16) – I’ve been waiting for them to falter for a while now and have finally accepted that they are for real. Coach Monty Williams has them playing serious defense (4th in OPFG%) and Chris Paul directs the slowest paced offense in the league. They grind you down possession by possession on both ends of the floor but if David West or Emeka Okafor gets hurt they are in big trouble.

6. *Utah Jazz (27-18) – The main problem I see with them, other than being 24th in RBDF, is that Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap duplicate each other’s talents and weaknesses. With Memo Okur back I’d like to see Coach Jerry Sloan move Millsap back to the bench, Al over to PF and start Okur in the middle. I think this would balance out both the bench and the starting lineup while giving Deron Williams more help.

7. Denver Nuggets (26-18) – The Carmelo Anthony trade speculation isn’t going away and if you look closely enough you can see it is starting to wear on the team. They are 23rd in RBDF but Kenyon Martin (left knee) and Chris Andersen (right knee) appearing in more than 29 games combined would certainly improve that. Even if Melo stays I don’t see this group being more than one and done in the playoffs.

8. *Portland Trail Blazers (25-21) – They might have the worst doctors/surgeons/training staff in the entire NBA but even with all the injuries they are still a pretty good side. You have to give Coach Nate McMillan credit for keeping their heads right and to LaMarcus Aldridge for really stepping up his low post game. They should make the playoffs but GM Rich Cho has some tough personnel decisions upcoming.

Memphis Grizzlies (22-23) – They have performed much better than I thought they would under the “circumstances.” O.J. Mayo has been benched and is pouting, Zach Randolph hasn’t killed Mike Conley for his 5-year $45 million extension yet and Rudy Gay has a career high PER after his monster extension. If they can all stay on the same page these guys have a punchers chance at the post season.

Phoenix Suns (20-23) – They are last in RBDF and 28th in OPFG% so you know I don’t fancy their outlook. The truth of the matter is they probably need to consider blowing things up and starting over by trading Steve Nash. I don’t know what else to say besides congratulations to Owner Robert Sarver. I hope the savings was worth systematically dismantling the most entertaining team of the past decade.

*Houston Rockets (21-25) – They are hands down the most disappointing squad in the league and it’s not even close. I know Yao Ming (left ankle) is lost for the season and Aaron Brooks (left ankle) missed 24 games but this bunch has no clue how to win a close game. They also don’t play the type of defense (25th in OPFG%) that such a deep team should. I’d like to say they can still turn it around but I doubt it.

Golden State Warriors (19-25) – They are certainly better than I thought they would be but not by much. It’s kind of hard to believe that a side with David Lee and Andris Biedrins can be 29th in RBDF. Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and Dorell Wright have all been superb on some level but there is more to the game than offense. New Owner Joe Lacob has to clean house in the front office this summer and start fresh.

*Los Angeles Clippers (17-27) – Imagine if Baron Davis had showed up in shape (both physically and mentally) and Chris Kaman (left ankle) had appeared in more than 10 games. You combine those two with Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon and I wouldn’t look as stupid for picking them as a playoff team. Now that Gordon (right wrist) is out 3 to 4 weeks and with 24 road games left I can’t see them making a push.

Sacramento Kings (10-33) – The Maloof’s must be short on money or something since Coach Paul Westphal hasn’t been fired yet. They actually have a decent starting five of Beno Udrih (career high PER), Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins but they play no defense (26th in OPFG%) and don’t share the ball (28th in assists per game as a team) on offense.

Minnesota Timberwolves (10-34) – Believe it or not but they actually play at the fastest pace of any team in the Association. And thanks to the Kevin Love/Michael Beasley/Darko Milicic front line they are actually somewhat entertaining to watch. With that out of the way it’s hard to fathom just how little talent they have up and down their roster after so many years of high draft picks. “KAAAHHHNNN!!!”

Mid-Season Awards

Defensive Player – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Sixth Man – Lamar Odom (Lakers)

Coach – Gregg Popovich (San Antonio)

Rookie – Blake Griffin (Clippers)

MVP – Derrick Rose (Chicago)

All NBA

PG – Derrick Rose (Chicago)
SG – Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
SF – LeBron James (Miami)
PF – Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

My Year in Music 2010

2011-01-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

I don’t know what happened but this is certainly the year that I became an old man. You could have a had a great year in music seeing just the shows I skipped that I easily would have made it to only a few short years ago.

Friday/Saturday Non-Eugene

Greyboy Allstars

Sound Tribe Sector 9

ALO & Galactic

New Monsoon (x2)

Toubab Krewe

The Black Crowes

Garage A Trois

Weeknight Eugene

Signal Path

Greensky Bluegrass

Yonder Mountain String Band

Trampled By Turtles

Widespread Panic

Toubab Krewe & Railroad Earth

Emmitt Nershi Band

I don’t know what that says about me at this point other than convenience is king and I may be losing my steam a little. Alright, on to less depressing topics.

Raw Statistics

Phish Shows – 15

Other Shows – 20

Studio Albums

5) Mike Gordon – “Moss”

“The Green Sparrow” was my album of the year in 2008 and while “Moss” isn’t quite on that level it’s still a high quality effort from Phish’s bassist. Mike described the feel he was going for on this album as “The state where you’re in between being awake and sleeping.” When put in that context he certainly nailed it and I think any phan of Cactus will certainly enjoy this group of players’ second offering.

4) The Black Crowes – “Croweology”

This double album of all acoustic material has taken some flak for being a greatest hits compilation. While it’s true that no “new” songs are included that doesn’t mean the Crowes aren’t innovating on some level. Reinterpreting songs from throughout their career acoustically with such quality is a feat not many bands could pull off. You don’t have to be a hardcore Amorican to appreciate their talent.

3) Toubab Krewe – “TK2”

On their long awaited follow up to 2005’s self-titled debut the boys from Asheville, NC continue to refine their unique sound. On “TK2” they take a few more chances and get out of their comfort zone a little more but they always keep a foot (or at least a toe) planted in their West African/jam roots. If you are a person that yearns for something different and original, look no further.

2) Soulive – “Rubber Soulive”

I got so impatient waiting on the official release of this album in the USA that I ordered my copy from Japan. Since I’m not a huge Beatles fan I had no preconceived notions of what this album should sound like and needless to say I was blown away. Whether it’s Eric Krasno’s guitar or Neal Evans’ keys supplying the vocals you can’t help but sing along and bob your head to the bouncy grooves.

1) U-Melt – “Perfect World”

I admit that it’s a touch weird to be handing album of the year to a band that has since called it quits (11/26/10 was their final show). I’m not sure how these guys didn’t become bigger in the Northeast but in the end they couldn’t survive guitarist Rob Salzer’s departure, but I digress. None of that changes the fact that their third release is a masterpiece of quirky jam-rock sprinkled with a touch of electronica.

Official Live Releases

5) Skerik’s Syncopated Taint Septet – “Live at the Triple Door” – CD with highlights from September 2003

Unless you really follow releases from jambands closely this one probably flew under your radar. While you do get your normal dose of ST7 it’s the variety that elevates this disc. Guest vocalist Om Johari is my favorite on a cover of Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddamn.” But you also have a string quartet sitting in on four of the seven tracks. The only complaint I have is I wish it was longer than 42 minutes.

4) Phish – “Coral Sky” – 2 DVDs of 11/2/96

This was my eighth Phish show and first after fixing my broken down VW Scirocco. The video from this release is culled from the Amphitheater’s in house feed but you do have your choice of 5.1 Dolby Digital or PCM sound. The highlight of the DVD is the 38-minute set two opening combo of The Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless” into “Run Like an Antelope” with Karl Perazzo on percussion. It’s a must see.

3) Dave Matthews Band – “Europe 2009” – 1 DVD of 6/26/09 (with bonus video from 6/25/09) & 3 CDs of 7/5/09

I know this choice is one that will inspire many flames of my worthiness online but sometimes Dave deserves credit. This release is certainly aimed at hardcore fans but I think it’s also a good starting point for a newbie. While the DVD is good it’s the CDs from Lucca, Italy that carries the water. The coffee table book that accompanies the music with photos from all eleven stops on the tour is also very nice.

2) Grateful Dead – “Crimson, White & Indigo” – 1 DVD & 3 CDs of 7/7/89

This release documents the last ever concert held at the now demolished John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. You’ve got a multi-camera shoot, 5.1 Dolby Digital (DVD) and HDCD so quality is not a question. The Dead’s playing is also top notch with the highlight being a 25 minute “Let it Grow > Blow Away.” If you are a fan of late keyboardist Brent Mydland the “Blow Away” is absolutely can’t miss stuff.

1) Phish – “Alpine Valley 2010” – 2 DVDs & 2 CDs of 8/14/10 (with bonus video from 8/15/10)

I never thought it would be possible that arguably the best show of the summer would be released on DVD just four short months after the performance. Well, we’ve a got a 7-camera widescreen HD video shoot that was recorded using 57 channels of digital multitrack mixed and mastered to 5.1 Dolby Digital and PCM. I’ll have more on this later but if you want to know what Phish 3.0 is all about, buy this.

Top 5 Non-Phish Shows

5) 2/12/10 – The Bridge – Eugene, OR – Luckey’s Bar (7^th show)

I: Good Rhythm, New Mistake, Brother Don’t, Big Chief, In Dreams, Angelina, Dream in Blue > Bad Locomotive, Drop the Beat

II: Pick a Boogie, Way Down in the Hole > Station Blues, The Ballad of Clear Rock, Chavez, Coming Home, Get Out of My Life Woman*, Spanish Moon*

* with Ruins of Ooah

This was the second night of The Bridge’s Four Friday’s in February Eugene residency. Usually a venue being crowded, hot and small is not a recipe for a good time. But sometimes the music is so good that you forget about your surroundings. “Good Rhythm,” “New Mistake” and “Brother Don’t” provided just that kind of mental escape to where your eyes are closed and your limbs are flailing regardless of the people packed in around you. The first set also closed in style with a ripping “Bad Locomotive” and a funkified “Drop the Beat.”

After such a hot set one I wasn’t expecting much in the second frame but “Pick a Boogie” threw that notion right out the window. What came next was probably the highlight of the entire Bridge run for me. Fans of the HBO show “The Wire” will recognize Tom Waits’ “Way Down in the Hole” but for my money guitarist Chris Jacobs pulls this off as good as, if not better than, anyone. The segue into the new tune “Station Blues” was nice and “Clear Rock” was a treat with mandolin player Kenny Liner beat boxing underneath it.

4) 12/3/10 – The Black Crowes – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (16^th show)

Acoustic: Soul Singing, Hotel Illness, Garden Gate, No Expectations, Thorn in My Pride, Whoa Mule, So Many Times, Nonfiction, Jealous Again, She Talks to Angels, My Morning Song

Electric: Good Friday, Peace Anyway, Evergreen, Ballad in Urgency > Wiser Time, Oh! Sweet Nuthin’, Sting Me, Twice as Hard, Hard to Handle, Remedy

E: Feathers, Thick N’ Thin

I was 17^th row dead center for my last Crowes show before their indefinite hiatus. My expectations were high which is always dangerous and after “Hotel Illness” “Garden Gate” they may have ratcheted up a few more notches. “Thorn” was the next highlight for me with the acoustic take adding just the right flavor to it. “Nonfiction” seemed like it was born to be an acoustic number and “Angles” goes without saying. “Morning Song” acoustic loses a little bit of its muscle but it was still a rousing closer.

As the second set started the place was still packed to the gills with yuppies seeing their only show of the year. I only mention this because they stand stiff as boards and do not move or take kindly to being bumped into. I didn’t mind as much since you can’t really rock out to the acoustic stuff but plugged in is a different story entirely. So I abandoned ship (and Mark) midway through the predictable yet still quality “Good Friday” opener and found an entire open row to boogie in. I was using all the space available during “Peace Anyway” and “Evergreen” with said yuppies all staring at me like I was a tour wook that hadn’t showered in a month just because I was shaking my ass.

“Ballad > Wiser” was the highlight of the night with Luther Dickinson’s psychedelic guitar solo stealing the show (much to the chagrin of original guitarist Rich Robinson it seemed). Rich got his chance next singing The Velvet Underground’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” and did an outstanding job with the vocals. The show pretty much petered out for me after that with a run of greatest hits material. (Meant to satisfy the yuppies in attendance I’m sure.) Although “Feathers” was expertly played and much appreciated (by me anyway).

3) 10/9/10 – theNEWDEAL – Denver, CO – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom (1^stshow)

Jam > Moonscraper > Chords > Glide > Octobong, Jam > Technobeam

It only took me roughly 10 years to finally see tND for the first time but they certainly made it worth my while. Arriving from the Fourmile Canyon Revival during “Chords” I was immediately the oldest person in the room but that did not stop me from getting down like a youngster. “Glide” was fierce with bassist Dan Kurtz shaking the room but it was “Octobong” that stole the show. There’s nothing better than when drummer Darren Shearer slows things down, counts off the crowd and then the band explodes into a raging hook. ”Octobong” personified that as did the closing “Technobeam.” The Pacific Northwest needs some New Deal…who’s with me!

2) 11/8/10 – Mike Gordon – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater (2^nd show)

I: Andelmans’ Yard, Walls of Time, Sugar Shack, Spiral, Can’t Stand Still > Field > Midnight, La La La, Idea

II: Ain’t Love Funny > Kryermaten > Ain’t Love Funny, Jaded, Cities, Suskind Hotel > River Niger, She Said She Said, Middle of the Road, Dig Further Down

E: Taking it to the Streets

By the time I got in to the sold out Aladdin the floor was completely packed so I headed upstairs and luckily the balcony had plenty of space. I staked out a spot right in the middle since I was solo and in only a few moments Mike and his boys were on stage. “Andelmans’” got the party started right and Scott Murawski’s guitar solo on “Sugar Shack” took it to the next level. I’m not sure if the spaciness of “Spiral” kept the momentum going or not but I sure enjoyed it. Whatever flow might have been lost was brought right back with “Can’t Stand Still” segueing into Max Creek’s “Field.” The “Idea” I had been waiting all summer for Phish to play came next and closed the set out in style.

After a set break that saw me have to take a seat outside to get some fresh air I was back up in the balcony ready to rock and the MGB did not disappoint. The opener of J.J. Cale’s “Ain’t Love Funny” was a little suspect but things took off in a big way with a sick “Jaded.” The funk had the whole place bouncing and when The Talking Heads’ “Cities” dropped the place about erupted. This wasn’t a Phishy “Cities” at all though. It was sped up with Murawski nailing the vocals (“Home of Elvis that big fat mother fucker.”) and a nice solo on the keys by Tom Cleary.

The meat of the set was still to come with the Mike/Trey original “Suskind” setting the place ablaze but it was percussionist Craig Myers’ “River Niger” that blew the roof off. The combination of Myers on kora and the swirling hallucinatory lights had the whole place moving as one. They then pulled off The Beatles’ “She Said” with aplomb and closed with a massive “Dig Further Down.” Cleary on vocals for The Doobie Brothers’ “Streets” was almost unnecessary and I walked out pretty much blown away by the quality of Mike’s band. At this point I’d certainly see them over Trey’s band…oh yes I did!

1) 5/21/10 – Soulive – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge (3^rd show)

setlist unknown

It’s tough for me to give this show its full due without the setlist or a copy of the show (I saw you there taper, why aren’t you sharing?) but I’ll do my best. The Doug Fir is an awesome venue for a mid-sized band and even sold out we still had space to dance, and boy-oh-boy did we ever cut a rug. The first half of the show consisted of Soulive originals highlighted by a third song “Rudy’s Way” that I never thought I would hear live. I really can’t explain how raging, grooving, whatever both the band and the crowd were throughout.

The second section of the show featured Beatles’ tunes off of “Rubber Soulive” and much to our surprise it was unbelievably awesome. They just didn’t play the songs but they jammed the hell out of them and with those in attendance singing the lyrics it was just magic…it really was. They closed the night with a few more originals and encored with an extended “Do it Again” with drummer Alan Evans belting out the vocals. When the music finally stopped no one wanted the show to end. Especially us with a 20-minute walk in the pouring rain staring us the face but that’s neither here nor there.

Top 5 Phish Shows

5) 8/12/10 – Noblesville, IN – Verizon Wireless Music Center (112^th show)

I: Runaway Jim, Punch You in the Eye, Roggae, Cars Trucks Buses, Sample in a Jar, NICU, Horn, Sugar Shack, Wolfman’s Brother, Time Turns Elastic

II: Drowned > Gotta Jibboo > Bathtub Gin, My Friend My Friend, Buffalo Bill, Twist, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Split Open and Melt > Dog Faced Boy, Harry Hood, Golgi Apparatus

E: Fee* > NO2 > Kung > Fire

* last played with megaphone 2/25/97

The choice of this gig might be somewhat controversial but for my money it was the most underrated show of the 15 I saw and if I don’t mention it no one else will. It was a super hot day but our driver Jim took care of us and ended up seeing the show for his trouble! The “Jim” “PYITE” combo got the show stated right but “CTB” was the first major highlight of set one. “Wolfman’s” was also nice and I may have been the only person in Indiana that enjoyed the “TTE” closer.

I know personal experience isn’t supposed to play a part in the quality of a show but I’m old enough that it does. And since we had an entire row in the pavilion to ourselves for most of the first and all of the second set that makes a difference in enjoyment level.

The opening 35 minutes of “Drowned > Jibboo > Gin” let you know that set number two was going to be something to be reckoned with. Instead of a ballad to slow things down the boys chose a double dose of bust outs in “MFMF” and “Buffalo Bill” before dropping a nasty “Twist.” The highlight was yet to come with a massive “Melt” that delivered big time. “Dog Faced Boy” was another bust out/breather and the one-two punch of “Hood” “Golgi” punctuated a high quality phrame of Phish.

The icing on the cake was obviously the four song encore that featured enough antics and rarities to make even the most jaded vet smile. No matter what you’ve heard about this night the second set and encore are worth the price of a download.

4) 8/10/10 – Telluride, CO – Town Park (111^th show)

I: The Squirming Coil, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Ya Mar, Timber (Jerry), Let Me Lie, The Divided Sky, Walk Away, Roses are Free > Limb by Limb, Bouncing Around the Room, Run Like an Antelope

II: Party Time, Mike’s Song > Crosseyed and Painless > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Destiny Unbound, Carini > Free, Heavy Things, You Enjoy Myself

E: Shine a Light

This is yet another show that the Phish literary does not fully appreciate and will certainly rip me for. As I see it a show doesn’t need to have a transcendent jam to be considered good. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a dance party and get down with everyone around you and that is where this night truly excels.

The show opened with a non-stop phun phest of “Coil,” Stealing Time,” “Ya Mar” and “Timber” with each tune building on the momentum of the prior. The “DSky” was really something special with the pause for effect happening as the sun went down over the mountains. Words really cannot describe the beauty that was Town Park, especially at sunset. Ween’s “Roses” was the next highlight that got the crowd going and “Antelope” closed things out in style like it always does.

The second set was what made this show for me though. I’ve heard “Party Time” three times and every time the set that has followed has been…well…party time. “Mike’s > C+P > H2 > Groove” speaks for itself and was a 26-minute throw down boogie-fest. Following that with “Destiny” was a perfect choice and “Carini > Free” brought the weirdness. “YEM” closer and The Rolling Stones’ “Shine a Light” encore was really the only way to cap this picturesque run.

Overall this is probably a show that you had to be at to appreciate the way I do. We had good people around us, plenty of space, good weather and Phish coming at us from all angles with a precise rock and roll dance-a-thon. Our after party was epic as well but unfortunately that is not fit for print.

3) 10/30/10 – Atlantic City, NJ – Boardwalk Hall (120^th show)

I: Kill Devil Falls, Cavern, Foam, Guelah Papyrus, Chalk Dust Torture > Whole Lotta Love* > Chalk Dust Torture, Ha Ha Ha, Walk Away, Wolfman’s Brother > Undermind, Bathtub Gin, The Squirming Coil

II: Tube, Possum, Tweezer > Heartbreaker^ > Tweezer > Ramble On** > Thank You^ > Tweezer > Stairway to Heaven^, Halley's Comet > Also Sprach Zarathustra > David Bowie, Show of Life, Backwards Down the Number Line, Good Times Bad Times

E: Sleeping Monkey, Tweezer Reprise

* last played 3/1/91

** last played 8/12/98

^ first time played

We had absolutely great seats for this show; straight on, four rows off the floor and right on the end of the aisle. “KDF” was a solid opener and I’ll never complain about an early first set “Foam.” The madness of the show really started when “Chalk Dust” segued into Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” With rumors swirling that Zeppelin was going to be the Halloween costume Phish ended that speculation and put the joke on us when they playfully dropped “Ha Ha Ha” next.

The highlight of the first frame was definitely “Wolfman’s > Undermind” with “Wolfman’s” bringing some thick funk and a vocal jam before moving into a great “Undermind.” But the boys weren’t done as evidenced by the huge “Gin” that came next. “Coil” is a gorgeous closer that always seems to set the stage for good things to come.

“Tube” has got to be one of my all time favorite openers just for the way it juices up the crowd and gets the energy phlowing. “Tweezer” started out innocuous enough but when the opening licks of Zep’s “Heartbreaker” started the crowd literally erupted. Rolling in and out of “Tweezer” by getting the Led out with “Ramble On,” “Thank You” and of course “Stairway” took the energy in the building up to 11. Outside of the Hampton comeback show this was the most energy exchanged between crowd and band I’ve experienced in the 3.0 era. The place was literally cracklin’.

A short but sweet “Halley’s” kept the energy high but it Deodato’s “2001” that took it up even another level. With the swirling lights and extended space-phunk segments in between peaks this “2001” is a certain keeper. The end of “2001” splashed down into the opening hi-hat intro of “Bowie” and the boys also took this version for a ride. After some down time another Zep cover closed things out appropriately as Phish always tears apart “GTBT.”

People were still buzzing non-stop as they spilled out of Boardwalk Hall not able to contain their excitement for what would be in store for us on All Hallow’s Eve. (Side note: 10/31 probably makes my Top 5 if not for an unforeseen calamity that beset us not allowing for full enjoyment of the show in the moment.)

1b) 8/6/10 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre (108^th show)

I: Chalk Dust Torture, Guyute, Ocelot, It’s Ice, Cities, The Moma Dance, Bathtub Gin, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan

II: Rock and Roll > Ghost > Mike’s Song > Simple, Backwards Down the Number Line, Show of Life, Seven Below > Weekapaug Groove, You Enjoy Myself

E: Good Times Bad Times

After a brilliant day chilling in the hills of Berkeley we ended up a lot closer to the stage then we ever thought we would on an angle that allowed us to view both the crowd and the stage simultaneously. Classic opener “Chalk Dust” got the night rolling and “Ocelot” was taken for a meandering Grateful Dead style jaunt. “Ice” is really where things got cooking for me as the boys nailed the intricate composition hitting all the changes with force.

The highlight of the night came next with the best version of “Cities” I have witnessed firsthand since the epic masterpiece dropped on 8/10/97. As the band entered liquid-phunk territory the crowd let out a giant roar of approval and almost immediately the phab phour rode that wave of energy into an even deeper groove. That in turn made the phans go even more wild and the band continued to take the groove to another plane. It was one of those moments where the crowd was playing the band and everyone there was getting down like they were alone in their living room.

It didn’t stop there though as Trey leaned in to Mike and they exploded into some more uber-phunk with “Moma.” The extended groove-o-rama that was “Cities” “Moma” took us through the dusk hours in complete style. “Gin” was solid but an absolutely ripping version of “Stealing Time” (probably the best I’ve seen) closed the set on the highest of notes.

With a first set like that you never know what the second will bring but Phish managed to keep the momentum rolling with a 15-minute version of The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” (which I called at set break). The band slid into “Ghost” next and the place went nuts again practically begging the band to bring the cow phunk. The next highlight came with a near 16-minute “Simple” that contained a jam that can only be described as sublime psychedelia.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed when Trey decided to chop off “Seven Below” after only three minutes and the truncated “Groove” seemed like the end of the set. But the boys had more in store slapping us upside the head one last time with an awesome “YEM” dance party. They destroyed “GTBT” and sent the crowd out in to the summer night completely satisfied.

1a) 8/14/10 – East Troy, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre (114^th show)

I: Tube, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Funky Bitch, Reba, Fuck Your Face, Alaska, Back on the Train, Taste, When the Circus Comes to Town, Lawn Boy, Sparkle, Gumbo, Run Like an Antelope

II: The Sloth, Down with Disease > What’s the Use > Scent of a Mule, Mike’s Song > Dirt, Sneaking Sally Through the Alley > Weekapaug Groove, Bug

E: Quinn the Eskimo

We had great seats for this show, the kind where you are close enough to have a good view of the stage but also far away enough to enjoy the lights as well. The only complaint I could have was that it was hot, real hot, the kind of oppressive heat where sweat was literally pouring off me. I think it had to be our location because nary a breeze ever touched our faces all night and my shirt was completely soaked through when all was said and done.

The show could not have opened any better for me with “Tube,” “Oh Kee Pah > Suzy” and Son Seals’ “Funky B.” It was one after the other high energy let’s rawk numbers that had the place in a total uproar. After a mellifluous “Reba” I got the song I had been chasing all summer in “Fuck Your Face.” Trey really shredded Mike’s short and quirky tune from the early 80’s making it everything I hoped it could be. I wanted better than “Alaska” next but the combo of “Train” “Taste” was able to distract me from my slight disappointment.

We headed to the bathroom during Los Lobos’ “Circus” figuring “Antelope” was next but the set kept rolling in a never ending fashion. We took in the next two songs by the concession stands closest to our seats since we needed a bit of fresh air. We made our way back to the seats as “Gumbo” started and enjoyed the firey “Antelope” closer quite a bit. Looking back on this set the sheer length should have been a tip off to the DVD but who really thinks like that during a show?

Set two got off to rousing start with a “Sloth” that amped the crowd up for the main course of the evening. “Disease > Use” might be the best jam I saw all year and the 23+ minutes seemed to go by in a flash. The jam out of “DwD” flowed so smoothly into “WtU” that no one saw it coming at the time, yet everyone exploded to the opening lick of “Use.” From there we had a rare “Mule” and a “Mike’s” that kept the momentum rolling along. “Dirt” kind of killed some of that for me but Robert Palmer’s “Sally > Groove” took it right back up.

Bob Dylan’s “Quinn” was a great choice to cap such an epic evening and I have to believe that Kenny and Larisa were happy they decided to leave the next day rather than skipping this one. If you replace “Dirt” and “Bug” with some more upbeat choices we could be talking best show ever material. As is the best of 2010 will have to do.

> No new bands really caught my ear this year but with the dissolution of U-Melt I’m pleading with everyone to get out there and support The Heavy Pets when they come to your town. It would be a real shame if a group of guys with that much talent and so many good songs don’t make it semi-big.

Orlando Goes All In

2010-12-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

Orlando Gets: Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, Earl Clark & a $6.3 million trade exception

Phoenix Gets: Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a 2011 first round pick & cash (both Orlando)

Washington Gets: Rashard Lewis

For the Magic…

First things first, credit has to go President Otis Smith for shaking up a team that had lost 6 of 7 games prior to the trade and was highly unlikely to beat Boston in the playoffs. The main reason a change was necessary is because Orlando couldn’t score anymore. They had dropped from 2nd in offensive efficiency (the number of points a team scores per 100 possessions) last year all the way to 14th this season. That may not seem like a lot but they scored 109.5 points per 100 possessions then and are only scoring 104.2 now. Five points a game is huge over the course of the season.

Well the good news for Magic fans is those offensive woes should be cured after about a month or so of growing pains while the players get used to each other and a new system. Richardson highlights the deal for Orlando and should be a major upgrade over Carter. J-Rich is shooting 40.9% from three and VC only 34.6%. Jason is four years younger than Vince, a better teammate and Richardson is also playing for a new contract. This portion of the trade is a home run for the Magic.

Bringing Turkoglu back is a little more risky given his onerous contract (3 years, $34 million left) but Hedo is shooting 41.3% from three and the departed Lewis was only making 36.7% from distance. (Sensing a trend yet?) Turkoglu has been downright awful since he left Orlando via free agency two seasons ago but he flourished as a secondary ball handler/creator and crunch time closer last time around. So it’s probably worth the gamble that a return to his comfort zone will help him regain some of his form.

Taking on Gilbert Arenas is far and away the biggest risk of the deal for Smith. For starters Otis added on $26 million in extra salary which has got to be a tough pill for Owner Rich DeVos to swallow. However it does make sense given the recent reports that Dwight Howard will opt of his contract after the ’11-12 season if the Magic aren’t contenders. As for on the court at this point in his career Arenas is probably best suited to be a sixth man/instant offense type. The issue there is that he is shooting 38.3% from the field and 31.8% from three. Obviously for him to be valuable in that role he has to find his wayward jumper and learn to score a little bit more efficiently. The question of whether Gil can fit in and actually be a team player with a change of scenery will also be answered very quickly.

The other risks for Orlando are a lack of big man depth and questions on the defensive end. Coach Stan Van Gundy certainly has his work cut out for him keeping the Magic’s defense in the top ten since none of J-Rich, Hedo or GA is known for their D (and that’s being kind). With the departure of Gortat backing up Howard now is the decrepit Malik Allen and the out until mid-February Daniel Orton (left knee). Word on the street is that Smith is already looking for a veteran big man and I think they’ll need one before too long.

Earl Clark is long, athletic and versatile. The problem is he has no clue how to play and seems to lack the consistent focus needed when he actually sees the court.

For the Suns…

This was the first big move for team President and ex-agent Lon Babby and I have to say he accomplished quite a few things Phoenix needed. He got out from under Turkoglu’s contract and parlayed it into the big man they desperately needed. He also dumped a complete draft bust and got another first round pick in return. Lastly he added some defense and rebounding to the worst defending and second worst rebounding club in the league.

Marcin Gortat is the headliner of this trade for the Suns. The “Polish Hammer” has long been considered the best backup center in the NBA and now he’ll finally get a chance to play more than 13.3 minutes per game (his career average). Marcin rebounds, blocks shots, hustles and can finish around the rim with authority and touch. He and Robin Lopez should create a pretty formidable duo in the middle. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if Gortat is eventually named the starter over Lopez.

Pietrus’ $5.3 million player option for next season is what keeps this trade from being a grand slam for Phoenix. While Mickael is yet another swing player added to the Suns stable his main skill is as a perimeter defender, which is something they badly need. As an added bonus Pietrus becomes the best 3-point shooter on the roster at 39.1%.

Did you ever think that Vince Carter would be the throw in to a transaction of this magnitude? Well I’m here to tell you he is. Carter is currently sporting the lowest PER of his career (16.84) AND it’s a virtual contract year for him since only $4 million of his $18 is guaranteed next season. That’s why I think whatever Steve Nash can coax from Vince is gravy because VC is surely going to be released after the season.

With the six, seven and eight seeds up for grabs in the West this deal could be enough to vault Phoenix solidly into the playoffs if Gortat can live up to all his promise.

For the Wizards…

This move is easy to sum up for President Ernie Grunfeld…he finally found someone to take Arenas off his hands. Rashard has one year less on his contract than Gilbert which ends up saving Owner Ted Leonsis $16.5 million. Lewis should step right in and start at SF for Washington but I wouldn’t expect big things from him at all. In theory R-Lew should be a nice floor spacer for John Wall, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee but in practice Rashard is shooting 41.9% from the floor (lowest since his rookie year) and has a career low PER of 11.50. But hey, at least Agent Zero is gone.

Winner – Orlando

The Open of Trading Season!

2010-12-15T15:07:00.000-08:00

Lakers Get: Joe Smith, Sergei Lishouk, a 2011 second round pick (Golden State), a 2012 second round pick (Chicago) & a $5.48 million trade exception

New Jersey Gets: Sasha Vujacic, a 2011 first round pick (Lakers, 1-18 protected) & a 2012 first round pick (Houston, lottery protected)

Houston Gets: Terrence Williams & a 2011 second round pick (Sacramento, 31-55 protected)

Sacramento Gets: Jermaine Taylor & cash (Houston)

For Los Angeles…

This was a great move by GM Mitch Kupchak on multiple levels. He parlayed a useless/redundant “Machine” into the extra veteran big man the team desperately needed. While Joe Smith’s best days are LONG behind him hopefully the combination of he and Theo Ratliff can remain healthy enough to give the Lakers a defensive minded veteran fourth big man when called upon.

The second part of this trade for LA is purely financial. Including luxury tax payments they save $8.7 million by unloading Vujacic, and you know that makes Owner Jerry Buss smile. Kupchak also relieved the financial burden of having to pay a low first round pick guaranteed money for at least two years while the club will still be way over the tax line. Mitch acquiring two more second round picks gives the Lakers five second round picks over the next three years that aren’t their own. I doubt you’ll see them use the trade exception that was created since New Jersey was under cap, but it’s also a nice chip to have if/when you need it.

Sergei Lishouk is a 28-year old Ukrainian big man (6’11) who currently plays for Valencia in the Spanish ACB. Apparently he’s a defensive minded banger type. We’ll see if he comes over when his contract expires after next season.

For the Nets…

President Billy King is obviously stockpiling assets and now has five first round picks over the next two years to go along with his treasure trove of salary cap space. With Devin Harris (left shoulder) banged up, Anthony Morrow (right hamstring) out 2-3 weeks and Williams gone Sasha is going to see consistent minutes right away. And being that “The Machine” is in a contract year what he does with that playing time will determine his NBA future.

For the Rockets…

Terrence Williams in an extremely talented and athletic player but a complete knucklehead that had obviously worn out his welcome with former coach Avery Johnson. This a calculated risk by GM Daryl Morey because Williams has looked good in the past averaging 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists over the final two months of last season and 28 points, 11.3 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 1.3 steals in a recent 3-game D-League “punishment” stint. Even if he wears out his welcome Morey can always flip Terrence combined with one of his many other assets.

For the Kings…

Jermaine Taylor is an athletic SG that loves to score/shoot. He never really got a chance to play in Houston but should finally get his opportunity in Sacramento. This move cost President Geoff Petrie nothing at all since the Rockets will pay Taylor’s salary plus some more and the Kings are highly unlikely to have one of the five best records in the league this season.

Winner – Lakers

Quarter Pole Review

2010-12-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

As hard as it is to believe this early I think the playoff field in the East might already be set (barring injuries of course). And while the West seems to have separated into haves and have nots as well, I think you’ll see at least two teams fade and rise still.

Without further ado I give you the seventh annual QPR…

OPFG% = opponent field goal percentage
RBDF = rebound differential
3P% = 3-point field goal percentage

ATLANTIC

Boston Celtics (17-4) – Kendrick Perkins (right knee) hasn’t played at all, Delonte West (right wrist) has appeared in only 5 games and Jermaine O’Neal (left knee) 7 yet they are off to a fast start once again. As has been the case the past two seasons I expect them to slow down around Christmas but they will certainly be there at the end.

New York Knicks (14-9) – These boys still don’t defend (26th in OPFG%) or rebound (21st in RBDF) but they do finally trot out a competent starting five. Things should only get better too when Kelenna Azubuike returns and Ronny Turiaf gets healthy (left knees on both). With as weak as the East is this is a playoff team.

Toronto Raptors (8-14) – They are the biggest surprise to me thus far since they stink on defense (28th in OPFG%), can’t shoot from deep (28th in 3P%) and lost their only rebounder (Reggie Evans) for eight weeks to a broken right foot. The Raps are the perfect example of how far being able to score consistently can take you in the East.

Philadelphia 76ers (7-14) – Coach Doug Collins is still searching for a set rotation and I’m not sure he’ll find one any time soon. I’ve been saying this for years but Andre Iguodala needs to be traded so the franchise can finally move on. He makes too much money to produce so little on such a bad squad.

New Jersey Nets (6-16) – So far this crew has been defined more by their malcontents (Troy Murphy & Terrence Williams) than their play on the court. That said the Nets do have some decent pieces in place but Brook Lopez just isn’t the same guy after a bout of mononucleosis took away some of his bulk this past summer.

CENTRAL

Chicago Bulls (12-8) – Carlos Boozer (right pinky finger) has only appeared in only five games so far but the Bulls have been very impressive nonetheless. Derrick Rose is a flat out star, Joakim Noah is a great at his role and Luol Deng is finally playing with some confidence. Look out for these boys come playoff time.

Indiana Pacers (10-10) – Would you believe that Indy, of all teams, is 1st in OPFG%? Well they are and besides their stellar D these guys get by on balance and chemistry. Everyone who gets regular minutes for them knows his role and contributes. I’d go as far as to give them a very solid shot at a post season berth (barring injuries).

Milwaukee Bucks (8-13) – They are dead last in field goal shooting (40.4%) & 3P% and are easily the most disappointing side to me thus far. Sure Carlos Delfino (concussion) has missed 14 games and Chris Douglas-Roberts (right eye) 15 but that’s no excuse. They have more than enough talent to turn things around but time’s a wastin’!

Cleveland Cavaliers (7-15) – These guys have been in a complete free fall since LeBron James returned home and beat them by 28. They are 27th in both OPFG% and RBDF and quite frankly seem to have quit on the season already. I expect GM Chris Grant to be extremely active at the trade deadline with no one on the roster being untouchable.

Detroit Pistons (7-16) – Yet another team in the East that doesn’t defend (23rd in OPFG%), rebound (28th in RBDF) or get along. Coach John Kuester and President Joe Dumars (Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva & Chris Wilcox might be the worst free agent haul ever) are lucky the franchise is for sale otherwise they both might be fired by now.

SOUTHEAST

Orlando Magic (15-6) – Coach Stan Van Gundy has them defending (8th in OPFG%) and Dwight Howard has them rebounding (2nd in RBDF) but they aren’t shooing 3s at their normal clip (16th in 3P%). Unfortunately what this club does in the regular season doesn’t matter since their success will be based on if they can beat Boston in the playoffs.

Miami Heat (15-8) – Even though they are 2nd in OPFG% the questions continue to be do they have enough big bodies to compete with quality clubs and will the offense ever gel? Without Udonis Haslem (left foot) the answer to the prior is no, and unless LeBron and Dwyane Wade figure out how to share the ball the later will be a negatory also.

Atlanta Hawks (15-8) – In theory losing Joe Johnson (right elbow) for 4 to 6 weeks should be a bad thing but unless your name is Rick Sund (the guy who gave JJ $123 million) I’m not sure it is. Jamal Crawford can pick up JJ’s shooting/scoring, Al Horford should get more touches in the low post and their overall ball movement should improve.

Charlotte Bobcats (8-13) – They are far and away the most painfully boring unit to watch in the entire NBA. They really miss Raymond Felton running the point and their big men are atrocious (although they are 3rd in RBDF somehow). They will hang around the outskirts of the playoff picture mainly because the East is so bad.

Washington Wizards (6-15) – This has to sound like a broken record by now but they don’t defend or rebound either (29th in both OPFG% & RBDF). Rookie John Wall is very exciting with the ball in his hands but outside of him and Kirk Hinrich the Wiz don’t have a single rotation player with even a decent basketball IQ.

SOUTHWEST

San Antonio Spurs (18-3) – While it’s not really a surprise to see this crew atop the West, how they got here certainly is. Tim Duncan is fourth on his own team in scoring, they are 18th in OPFG% and first in 3P%. Only time will tell if the Bizarro Spurs can keep this up but give Coach Gregg Popovich credit for completely changing his style.

Dallas Mavericks (17-4) – These guys are defending at a very high level (4th in OPFG%) and always seem to pull out close games. It will be interesting to see how they integrate speedster Roddy Beaubois (left foot) into the lineup when he comes back and if President Donnie Nelson makes a big splash at the trade deadline or not.

New Orleans Hornets (14-7) – Thanks to Chris Paul’s brilliance this bunch has performed much better than I thought they would right out of the gate but I’m still not sold on their front court depth. With the franchise now being sold to the league I’m also concerned about how that distraction will affect them over the long run.

Memphis Grizzlies (9-14) – The Griz aren’t rebounding like they did last season (26th in RBDF) and I think Marc Gasol’s left ankle has a lot to do with it. They also aren’t getting the same type of production out of O.J. Mayo but Mike Conley and Rudy Gay have both been pleasant surprises.

Houston Rockets (8-13) – Yao Ming and Aaron Brooks (left ankles) have each missed 16 games and they can’t buy a break in close contests. This team might almost have too much talent but they have to start defending better (20th in OPFG%) and playing smarter. If they can do those things and get healthy they still have a run in them.

NORTHWEST

Utah Jazz (16-7) – Deron Williams has been dominant as Paul Millsap gets used to playing big minutes consistently and Al Jefferson assimilates into a new system. The Jazz also play stellar defense (3rd in OPFG%) but I’m worried about their lack of depth at the swing positions and outside shooting until Memo Okur (left Achilles’) returns.

Oklahoma City Thunder (15-8) – They aren’t defending like they did a season ago (22nd in OPFG%) and are a terrible 3-point shooting unit (29th in 3P%). Kevin Durant (left knee) has missed four games and is shooting career lows from the field and three. They obviously have time to right the ship but they aren’t sneaking up on people anymore.

Denver Nuggets (13-8) – Kenyon Martin (left knee) hasn’t even suited up and Chris Andersen (right knee) has missed 16 games yet somehow the Nugs are still in the playoff chase. Kudos must go to Coach George Karl for holding this motley crew together but I’ll be skeptical of their chances until they say Carmelo Anthony isn’t being dealt.

Portland Trail Blazers (10-11) – With Joel Przybilla now back losing Greg Oden (left knee) for the season isn’t a death knell by any means. HOWEVER Brandon Roy (left knee) apparently being hobbled for good is a mountain the Blazers just can’t climb. Even if they do manage to make the playoffs they aren’t going anywhere with a gimpy B Roy.

Minnesota Timberwolves (5-17) – Kevin Love has been ridiculously good, Michael Beasley leads them in scoring and Darko Milicic has finally shown a consistent pulse. With Jonny Flynn (left hip) and Martell Webster (back) about to return the Wolves might actually resemble a real live NBA team in the not too distant future.

PACIFIC

Los Angeles Lakers (16-6) – Andrew Bynum (right knee) hasn’t played yet, Kobe Bryant (right knee) isn’t himself (although he won’t admit it), Pau Gasol (left hamstring) has slowed recently and their laissez-faire attitude has already set in. Even with all that the Lakers are a great side statistically and will be right there at the end.

Phoenix Suns (11-11) – They are dead last in both OPFG% & RBDF, lost starting center Robin Lopez (left knee) for 13 games and counting but still somehow manage to stay in the Western mix. Even with all of Steve Nash’s considerable greatness I just don’t see how this group makes the playoffs without a major trade.

Golden State Warriors (8-14) – While losing David Lee (left elbow) for eight games certainly hurt these guys play basically the same way they did under former Coach Don Nelson. Sure Monta Ellis has looked good and Dorell Wright has been a major surprise but post season bound they are not.

Sacramento Kings (5-15) – They are 29th in field goal percentage & 25th in OPFG%, Tyreke Evans has plantar fasciitis in his left foot and rookie DeMarcus Cousins has already been thrown out of practice. Since this squad can’t shoot or defend and has poor chemistry I think Paul Westphal might be the first coach fired this season.

Los Angeles Clippers (5-18) – Baron Davis has missed 14 games, Randy Foye 16 (left hamstrings on both) and Chris Kaman (left ankle) 13. The silver lining for Clipper Nation is the core of Eric Bledsoe, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan (average age 20.8) has a very bright future.

Quarter Pole Awards

Defensive Player – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Sixth Man – Jason Terry (Dallas)

Coach – George Karl (Denver)

Rookie – Blake Griffin (Clippers)

MVP – Chris Paul (New Orleans)

All NBA

PG – Chris Paul (New Orleans)
SG – Manu Ginobili (San Antonio)
SF – Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
PF – Pau Gasol (Lakers)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Quick Thoughts on Opening Night

2010-10-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

> Miami’s offense definitely looked very rough but that will certainly improve with time. What should concern Heat fans, outside of their extremely poor big man rotation, is that when things got tight the offense devolved into the LeBron James Cavaliers version 2.0. Meaning there was lots of standing around while Bron held the ball or jacked up jumpers.

> Boston’s defense on the other hand looked air tight as always. You add Delonte West (suspended) and Kendrick Perkins (right knee) to this roster and they almost have too much talent. Obviously I feel very good about my pick of the Celtics to win the East.

Oh yeah, Kevin Garnett will absolutely eat Chris Bosh alive in a seven-game series. I’d bet money on this in Vegas right now if I could.

> Portland looked as good or better than I thought they would. Wesley Matthews seems to be fitting in nicely, Rudy Fernandez looked like his old self and rookie PG Armon Johnson might be a real find as the 34th pick. Once they get Joel Przybilla (right knee) and Greg Oden (left knee) back to solidify their big man depth, look out. Also keep in mind that the Blazers don’t really need a healthy Oden to be good. Marcus Camby and the “Vanilla Gorilla” is a center tandem that most teams in the league would kill for.

> As for Phoenix, you don’t want to make too much out of one game, but YUCK!

> Houston was exactly who I thought they were; ridiculously deep, talented and two completely different sides with Yao Ming and without. Coach Rick Adelman has to be smarter about how he uses Yao’s 24 minutes. Mainly, he needs to be on the floor for the last 4-5 minutes of the game.

> It’s obvious that with Kobe Bryant only at 65-75% and no Andrew Bynum (right knees on both) that the Lakers are just a really good squad, not a great one. The dirty little secret in LA has been, and will continue to be, that when Bynum doesn’t play the Laker D is nowhere near as good. That said the new additions paid immediate dividends.

I loved Matt Barnes’ hustle, tenacity (four of his five rebounds were on the offensive end) and how he played within himself and the offense. But Steve Blake was the real story making three huge 3-pointers. Two in the last minute of the 3rd quarter that cut a nine point lead to five, and of course the game winner with 18 seconds left. But most importantly Blake played the entire 4th quarter. One can only hope that coach Phil Jackson keeps this rotation and that we’ve seen the last of Derek Fisher as a regular season closer.

(And just for the record Blake (+13) and Barnes (+12) recorded the two highest +/- ratings for the game. Awwwww yeah…)

Preview Post Scripts

2010-10-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

With all the bragging about my prognostication skills and kvetching over the new labor agreement I feel like I missed making a few points.

> There are a whopping 12 good teams in the West and a hefty 9 bad teams in the East. Seriously.

> I feel pretty solid about 7 of my picks in the West and 6 in the East but the Clipper and Indiana picks give me pause.

> I don’t expect you’ll see the Lakers and Boston show a lot of interest in the regular season because they both know they can win on the road come playoff time.

> While my “official” pick to win it all is LA, as a Laker fan the Celtics really, really worry me in a seven-game series.

(But if you think I’m picking Boston over LA as NBA Champions you got another thing coming.)

Western Conference Preview

2010-10-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

While I am normally the biggest NBA cheerleader you’ll ever have the misfortune of engaging in a conversation, I can’t stop myself from taking a doom and gloom approach this year. Even with the Association sitting on the precipice of one of the greatest seasons in recent memory, if not all time, I just can’t shake the feeling that the owners and the NBPA (players union) will royally screw it all up come June 30th.

I know common sense says there is no way either side would risk all of this good will and popularity for another work stoppage, but when Commissioner David Stern is trying to get out ahead of the story on October 22nd anything is possible. Among the gems that “Easy Dave” put out there are that the league wants to reduce player’s salaries by one-third ($750-800 million) because of the “diseconimic situation” they find themselves in (league projects to lose $340-350 million this season).

The biggest bomb Stern dropped though was that contraction (reducing the total number of teams in the NBA) is on the table. Executive Director of the NBPA Billy Hunter confirmed that contraction is indeed an option and that the All-Star break is the unofficial deadline to know whether there will be a work stoppage or not (the Commish agrees).

Hopefully cooler heads will eventually prevail but even if they can avoid a strike/lockout scenario it will undoubtedly get ugly in the press. This is still bad in my opinion since the NBA always seems to be treated more harshly by the media than other leagues when controversies arise.

I wish I could be more optimistic, but being such a close follower of the NBA I know where this going. A prolonged lockout with many games lost and the owners eventually getting 80-90% of what they were asking for in the first place. Then the backlash from the writers will be “If this was going to be the deal, what took the players so long to agree?”

Here’s to hoping I’m wrong, on to business…

1. Los Angeles Lakers – My boys had an underrated summer adding serious upgrades at three backup positions with Matt Barnes (Luke Walton), Steve Blake (Jordan Farmar) and Theo Ratliff (D.J. Mbenga). That said I think you are going to see LA start out very slowly while the right knees of Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum heal. And even when they are 100% back I don’t see the Lakers taking the regular season all that seriously.

Eyes On – Ron Artest. He has lost weight & is very fit, clearly understands the triangle better and generally played great in the preseason.

Now or Never – Sasha Vujacic. His best season was his last contract year (’07-08), so here’s to hoping for a repeat performance. Even if he stinks again the guy is engaged to Maria Sharapova.

2. Portland Trail Blazers –I like the Blazers more than most other pundits because they were racked with injuries last season, still won 50 games and were looking poised to make a run in the playoffs until Brandon Roy hurt his right knee. Obviously they need to be healthy to finish this high, but they are still young, deep and talented. Besides injuries the only other thing I see derailing this squad is poor chemistry, which is very possible.

Eyes On – Nicolas Batum. He entered the league as strictly a defender/spot up shooter, but I think the French youngster is ready to display much more of a well rounded game this season.

Now or Never – Dante Cunningham. With Greg Oden (left knee) and Joel Przybilla (right knee) out indefinitely Dante will see tons of minutes at both backup PF and center.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – This is everyone’s favorite club as the season starts and I can’t say that I disagree. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook look ready to take the next step into super-stardom and this team’s chemistry makes them a joy to watch. I do worry about the quality of their big man depth, but as long as they continue to defend, rebound and play hard they will be very good in the regular season.

Eyes On – Serge Ibaka. This long, athletic, jumping jack from Congo really broke out in the playoffs. His continued development could take OKC to another level.

Now or Never – Jeff Green. I’ve always thought he was more of a first forward off the bench/sixth man type than a starter. GM Sam Presti has a very tough decision on his hands as Green is about to be a restricted free agent.

4. San Antonio Spurs – This might be a little too high for this aging crew, but Tony Parker missed 26 games last season and this is his contract year, so I expect a bounce-back campaign from TP. I also like that coach Gregg Popovich is starting Manu Ginobili, moving Tim Duncan to center and starting DeJuan Blair at PF. A more balanced starting unit combined with some youth off the bench will serve them well.

Eyes On – Tiago Splitter. Assuming the rookie big man from Brazil gets over his right calf injury he could make a huge difference in SA.

Now or Never – Richard Jefferson. I guess a career low PER of 13.18 and shooting 31.6% from three earns you four-years $38.8 million. RJ needs to do something to show he’s still worth that kind of coin.

5. Dallas Mavericks – Even though the Mavs are very deep and versatile once again I’m a little more down on their prospects than most experts are. The reason being I’m not sure their defense will be up to snuff with the age of some of their main players. Jason Kidd is 37, Jason Terry 33 and Dirk Nowitzki & Shawn Marion are 32. That said Dallas has a knack for winning close games and enough depth to still be dangerous.

Eyes On – Roddy Beaubois. There’s talk of him starting at SG once his broken left foot heals. I think this would be a great idea since Big D desperately needs his athleticism.

Now or Never – Caron Butler & Tyson Chandler. Both guys enter their contract years coming off their second worst PER’s ever (13.77 & 12.58 respectively).

6. Houston Rockets – If Yao Ming wasn’t going to be limited to 24 minutes a night while recovering from left foot surgery I’d have this bunch much, much higher. They are two, and almost three, deep at every position and possess great chemistry. What worries me is their shaky team defense and lack of a prime time go-to-guy. Regardless, it would not surprise me to see the Rockets finish as high as second if everything goes right for them.

Eyes On – Luis Scola. The tear he’s been on since Carl Landry was traded (2/20/10) continued right through the World Championships and I don’t see it stopping now.

Now or Never – Kevin Martin. He’s the second highest paid player on a team with a genuine need for a go-to scorer in the clutch.

7. Utah Jazz – I’m not totally sold on the Jazz because their depth is suspect at every position but most glaringly with their bigs. Since Memo Okur is out indefinitely (left Achilles’) they are left with Kyrylo Fesenko and Francisco Elson as front court backups. I also think their defense and 3-point shooting will take a step backwards this season. But any team with Deron Williams that is coached by Jerry Sloan is making the playoffs.

Eyes On – Al Jefferson. He’s never been in a winning situation, had a good coach or a decent PG. Now he has all three and is still only 25 years old.

Now or Never – Andrei Kirilenko. He’s the sixth highest paid player in the NBA at $17.8 million entering his contract year. Obviously he’ll never see that type of money again, but he could still prove himself to be an effective player if he wants to.

8. Los Angeles Clippers – I know I said “never again” after picking them to make the playoffs last year, but I just like the makeup of this group on paper too much. There are worries though; like PG depth, 3-point shooting and coach Vinny Del Negro’s temper. But their front court is very deep, they should be much improved on the boards and VDN is a solid defensive coach. That said I’ll probably regret this pick in a week.

Eyes On – Blake Griffin. This makes the third rookie I’ve mentioned in my previews, but trust me; this kid is going to be a stud.

Now or Never – Baron Davis. If he is mentally engaged, running the offense like a top flight PG should and playing smart (i.e. no stupid 3’s) the Clips will surprise.

9. Phoenix Suns – I picked the Suns to finish ninth last year and they burned me. Since I don’t really like their roster on paper picking them this high is strictly out of respect to Steve Nash. Owner Robert Sarver has managed to surround Nash with about seven guys that do roughly the same things. I guess their plan is to play small ball 100% of the time. That should be entertaining to watch, but I don’t see it being enough in the West.

Eyes On – Robin Lopez. When he was named starter last season Phoenix took off. They really need his muscle, rebounding and post defense since he is the only big man that provides them with those things.

Now or Never – Hedo Turkoglu. Coming off his lowest PER (13.33) since his rookie season and still having four-years $44 million left on his contract he must produce immediately.

10. Memphis Grizzlies – The main things this crew has going for them are continuity, rebounding and low post scoring. I question whether they can really maintain the solid chemistry they had last season though. With three starters bucking for new contracts (the two below and Marc Gasol) it remains to be seen how those guys will react to Rudy Gay being completely overpaid (five-years $81 million) while ownership stonewalls them.

Eyes On – Zach Randolph. I have a hard time believing Z-Bo is going to duplicate his performance from a year ago, both on and off the court.

Now or Never – Mike Conley. He’ll be a restricted free agent after the season and hasn’t really ever shown much to begin with.

11. New Orleans Hornets – You know that it pains me greatly to have a Chris Paul led team this low. If the sale of the franchise from the notorious cheapskate George Shinn to the deep-pocketed Gary Chouest had taken place things might be different. But now not only is the franchise in limbo, but so is the best player’s (CP3) desire to be there. I’m not even mentioning their comical lack of depth, questionable defense or poor rebounding.

Eyes On – Peja Stojakovic. I’m interested to see how hard he tries now that he’s a bench player with an expiring contract.

Now or Never – Marco Belinelli. He can’t ask for more than being handed the starting SG job as he’s about to enter restricted free agency.

12. Denver Nuggets – You can’t talk about the Nugs without mentioning the uncertainty surrounding Carmelo Anthony’s eventual trade. Then factor in that Kenyon Martin (left knee), Chris Andersen (right knee) and Al Harrington (left foot) all won’t be 100% to start the season and I don’t envy coach George Karl. If Anthony is not traded this pick will look silly when Denver makes the playoffs, but from what I hear it’s when, not if.

Eyes On – Vice President Masai Ujiri. What he receives in return for Melo will define his legacy as a personnel man.

Now or Never – J.R. Smith. If he is more than an athletic head case that can shoot 3’s his contract year would be a good time to show it.

13. Sacramento Kings – They have the lowest payroll in the NBA and the Commissioner just said “My optimism on there being a new building [in Sacramento] has faded completely.” (Contraction anyone?) There is some hope for the Kings as they have two promising young building blocks in Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins. I just don’t think they have enough at the SG/SF positions to consistently score enough points to win.

Eyes On – Omri Casspi. The young Israeli has a nice touch from deep, always plays hard and isn’t afraid to mix it up with anyone. Should excel as a sixth man.

Now or Never – Samuel Dalembert. He has no more excuses not to produce coming off a career high PER (16.84) as he enters his contract year.

14. Minnesota Timberwolves – You really have to wonder what President David Kahn’s plan is here? His moves tend to have no rhyme or reason and leave absolutely no hint of what the long term direction of the franchise is. He did however improve his club’s overall depth from putrid to mediocre, so I guess that’s something. I’m going out on a limb and predicting the Wolves won’t be the worst team in the league.

Eyes On – Kevin Love. With the departure of Al Jefferson Love is the only legitimate PF on the roster. He should blossom as the unquestioned best player on the team now.

Now or Never – Corey Brewer. Even though he has improved ever so slightly over the course of his three seasons he’ll have to make an enormous jump in productivity to earn even a mid-level contract as a restricted free agent.

15. Golden State Warriors – The good news is that owner Chris Cohan finally sold the team and that the new owners fired coach Don Nelson. The bad news is that this group is still built to play Nellie-ball and will be coached by a Nellie disciple in Keith Smart. I just don’t see this bunch playing any type of defense at all but their rebounding should be slightly improved. They will definitely score points and be entertaining to watch though.

Eyes On – Dorell Wright. He’s been in the Association for six years and is still only 24. He should earn oodles of minutes as the sole defensive stopper on a squad in clear need of one.

Now or Never – David Lee. After signing a six-year $80 million contract he has to prove he is more than an energy/rebounding guy whose stats were inflated by the Knicks’ system.

Final Four – Lakers, San Antonio, Houston, Portland

Western Finals – Lakers, Portland

NBA Finals – Boston, Lakers

NBA Champion – Lakers

Eastern Conference Preview

2010-10-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

I usually save my bragging about my past successes in predicting the NBA for my West preview, but this year I have another topic to tackle there. So the rundown goes like this…

In three of the past four seasons I have picked the eventual champion in October.

In five of the past six seasons I have picked at least one of the Finals teams in October.

Last year I had three of the final four teams, both Finals teams and the champ in October.

With that out of the way, on to business…

1. Miami Heat – Over the course of the year this team will just have too much talent for the opposition on most nights. Coach Erik Spoelstra has to use the regular season to develop a reliable ball movment offense because come playoff time a bunch of fast breaks mixed with some half court isolations won’t cut it. Whether or not these guys can consistently defend at a high enough level is probably the biggest question they face.

Eyes On – President Pat Riley. If things are going bad, or even if they aren’t, will Riles be able to resist the urge to stab yet another protégé in the back and return to coaching?

Now or Never – Joel Anthony. After singing a 5-year $18 million contract this career 2.6 scorer and 3.2 rebounder per game will start at center. He better be able to defend for that much coin.

2. Orlando Magic – Not much changed in the Magic Kingdom over the off season except newcomers Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson. While Duhon is an upgrade over Jason Williams I’m not so sure Q-Rich is over Matt Barnes. This bunch is still very deep, will play excellent defense and use their post up game to create open 3-pointers for their plethora of shooters. That’s a very tough formula to beat in the regular season.

Eyes On – Dwight Howard. He worked with Hakeem Olajuwon in the summer on low post/counter moves and has vowed to be “more serious” and “more of a leader” this season.

Now or Never – Vince Carter. This is a virtual contract year for him since his $18 million for next season is a team option. If he ever wants to see money like that again he’ll have to do better than a 17.11 PER.

3. Boston Celtics – I really like what GM Danny Ainge did in addressing the C’s weaknesses this summer by shoring up their backup PG position and increasing their big man depth. That said I do have concerns about Lawrence Frank replacing defensive guru Tom Thibodeau as lead assistant. As long as coach Doc Rivers can keep everyone relatively fresh/healthy for the playoffs I think it’s very premature to write this group off.

Eyes On – Rajon Rondo. He says he’s excited to play alongside four future Hall of Famers, but will he really put aside his ego in the prime of his career?

Now or Never – Delonte West. He signed a 1-year deal for the veteran’s minimum on a team that needs exactly what he does off the bench. Can he stay out of trouble though?

4. Chicago Bulls – It’s going to take some time for them to gel with a new coach, a whopping TEN new players and they won’t have Carlos Boozer (right hand) until sometime in December. When healthy and used to each other these guys should play great defense & rebound, have a true low post scoring option and improve their 3-point shooting. I really like the makeup of this team and think they can be very dangerous in the playoffs.

Eyes On – Coach Tom Thibodeau. While his defensive acumen can never be questioned there have been many whispers about Thib not relating to players or understanding rotations.

Now or Never – Luol Deng. With 4-years $51 million left on his contract it’s hard to believe his best PER is 18.79 (’06-07). If he can’t produce as a third option on this squad he never will.

5. Milwaukee Bucks – How far the Deer go this season depends largely on how well Andrew Bogut’s right hand, wrist and elbow have healed. If he returns to anywhere near 20.81 PER form the Bucks will be very tough. Even without Bogut they are very deep, have more than enough scoring and should be improved on the boards as well. With Scott Skiles as coach you know they will always play hard and work on defense.

Eyes On – Brandon Jennings. After a rookie season where he proved everyone wrong will he be able to keep all of the egos on this club happy and still “get his?”

Now or Never – John Salmons & Corey Maggette. This is the best chance either of these two me-first gunners has had to win. Can they play team ball for once in their careers? Do they even know how?

6. Atlanta Hawks – Other than switching coaches not much has changed in the A.T.L., unless you are expecting a big year from Josh Powell at backup PF. They will have the same starting five and same second five (with the exception of Powell) as last season. It would not surprise me at all if they missed the playoffs, but with the East being so awful behind them they are probably safe for one more year.

Eyes On – Coach Larry Drew. A rookie coach, a combustible mix of players and high expectations…what could possibly go wrong?

Now or Never – Joe Johnson. Since he got paid like a franchise player this off season (6-years $123 million) it’s time for him to play like one or take the criticism like a man if he doesn’t.

7. Indiana Pacers – I think a healthy Pacer club has a little bit more on both offense and defense to separate them from the pack below. Even if they don’t make the playoffs Indiana will have massive salary cap room next summer and both President Larry Bird & coach Jim O’Brien are in the final years of their contracts. So if this bunch turns out to be a mess (again) ownership can start completely from scratch.

Eyes On – Darren Collison. After an All-Rookie First Team season he gets to be the unquestioned starter and run his own team in a system tailor made for him.

Now or Never – Mike Dunleavy Jr. He enters his contract year coming off two seasons in which a troublesome right knee limited him to 85 games combined.

8. New York Knicks – Make no mistake, this squad’s ceiling is that of a regular season team that gets by on being unconventional and difficult to prepare for on short notice. They still won’t play any defense or rebound, but they should be able to outscore the dregs below them pretty regularly. Then again, they could easily be just another entertaining Mike D’Antoni sideshow with no substance at all.

Eyes On – Raymond Felton. He was a bad fit in Larry Brown’s slow-down grind-it-out offense. He should flourish with some freedom surrounded by shooters and a finisher.

Now or Never – Amar’e Stoudemire. He wanted to be paid like “the man” and now he is to the tune of 5-years $100 million. The question is can he remain a top producer without Steve Nash’s help?

9. Philadelphia 76ers – The Sixers have some talent but the skill sets of their talented guys don’t mesh with one another, and I’m still not sure they even like playing together. New coach Doug Collins is supposed to fix all that but he has never lasted more than three seasons anywhere and his teams usually peak in year two. Philly could make the playoffs if Collins can get everyone on the same page, but I’m not willing to bet on it.

Eyes On – Jrue Holiday. The only weaknesses I see in his game are basketball IQ & turnovers, and since those are related he could really blow up if he improves in either area.

Now or Never – Thaddeus Young. Since he arrived in the NBA his PER has dropped from 16.54 to 15.40 to 14.08. I would think as he enters restricted free agency he’d like to reverse that trend.

10. Charlotte Bobcats – You always know that a Larry Brown coached team will play tough defense and do their best to ugly up the game. I can’t say that I blame LB this time around since the talent at his disposal is seriously lacking. This group goes as far as Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace take them. If one of them gets hurt though things could turn fast since their overall depth, big man and point guard rotations are all suspect.

Eyes On – Tyrus Thomas. He really started to come on late last season and was rewarded with a 5-year $40 million contract. He should get plenty of opportunities to prove himself as a sixth man this year.

Now or Never – D.J. Augustin. With Ray Felton gone and the Shaun Livingston/Sherron Collins duo backing him up D.J. should see all the minutes he can handle.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers – In many ways this bunch really fits with new coach Byron Scott’s style. The Cavs feature a lot of good players but none are great. They also have a lot of scrappy defender types. B Scott has a way of getting the most out of these types of guys/teams, which is why I’m a little higher on Cleveland than most. Don’t get me wrong though, even in the East they are no better than a long shot for the playoffs.

Eyes On – Ramon Sessions. After escaping from the purgatory that is Minnesota he should flourish once again in a system that better suits his skills.

Now or Never – J.J. Hickson. This is the guy that former GM Danny Ferry would never part with in big trades. Now without a real #1 scoring option it’s time for J.J. to prove him right.

12. New Jersey Nets – The Nyets have a new owner, GM, coach, arena and return only four players from last season’s debacle. Since they were barely coached at all last season Avery Johnson is a huge upgrade in that department. Their starting five doesn’t look that bad on paper (assuming Troy Murphy’s back injury isn’t serious) but their bench is horrible. If Avery can get them to defend and rebound I think NJ will be much improved.

Eyes On – Terrence Williams. He looked like just another athletic super-freak without a clue until he averaged 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists over the final two months of the season.

Now or Never – Travis Outlaw. He signed a 5-year $35 million contract this summer and will finally be the unquestioned starter at his natural position.

13. Detroit Pistons – This is another club that is poorly constructed with duplication of talents at many positions coupled with gaping holes at other spots. It’s quite obvious to me that John Hammond (current Bucks GM) was the brains behind this outfit and not Joe Dumars since you can trace Detroit’s downfall back to when Hammond left in April of ’08. The Pistons will score points but John Kuester doesn’t coach defense as I see it.

Eyes On – Tayshaun Prince. If he proves that his back is 100% healed the combination of his ability and $11 million expiring contract will be very valuable around the league.

Now or Never – Ben Gordon. I know he had a bum left ankle last year, but with 4-years $48 million left on his deal he needs to start producing.

14. Washington Wizards – The Wiz are obviously rebuilding under new ownership and if they can find a taker for Gilbert Arenas they will have a considerable amount of room under the salary cap immediately. That said I’m not sure I’m buying coach Flip Saunders’ plan to go with a three PG/two PF starting lineup. They will undoubtedly be entertaining and get up and down the floor but they won’t stop anybody or rebound.

Eyes On – John Wall. I normally never comment on rookies coming into the Association since I don’t watch any college ball, but this guy is the real deal, and was already named captain by his teammates.

Now or Never – Yi Jianlian. He’s never shown more than flashes, but those flashes have been pretty darn good. He must become consistent if he wants to get paid as a restricted free agent this off season.

15. Toronto Raptors – I’ve always been a fan of GM Bryan Colangelo’s but the job he has done in Canada has been abysmal. He keeps trying to build this Euro-style squad where everyone on the floor can shoot. The problem is that the Raps play in the NBA and not the Euroleague, which means you need some defenders and rebounders. I think both he and coach Jay Triano are on their last legs unless something miraculous happens.

Eyes On – Linas Kleiza. After a year in Europe “The Menace” is back. Look for him to have a breakout season as a scorer with this sorry crew.

Now or Never – Andrea Bargnani. With Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu gone Il Mago becomes the #1 scoring option pretty much by default. While Bargnani’s contract (5-years $50 million left) says he’s ready, his career shooting mark of 43.9% says otherwise.

Final Four – Miami, Chicago, Boston, Orlando

Eastern Finals – Miami, Boston

Congratulations Team USA!

2010-09-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Since the World Championship gold medal game was played during the second half of opening weekend NFL games I doubt anyone actually watched it. The game was competitive for about a half then Team USA pulled away as was their pattern throughout the tournament when challenged by a tough opponent.

Kevin Durant was sublime from start to finish averaging 22.8 points (3rd overall), 6.1 rebounds, 55.6% shooting from the field, 45.6% from three and 91.2% from the line. There aren’t really enough superlatives to describe how well he played. He scored within the flow of the offense and made a bunch of huge momentum busting shots when the other team was about to go on a run.

Kudos also need to go out to Lamar Odom, who was easily was the USA’s most underrated player. He averaged 7.7 rebounds (5th overall) and was outmatched size and strength wise almost every game, but still managed to be effective in his role as starting center.

As good as KD was I’m not sure we win the gold medal without Russell Westbrook’s energy and athleticism. Every time he checked into a game he made things happen immediately and swung the momentum in our direction. He was flat out the most athletic player in the entire tourney, and no foreign team had anyone to even remotely match up with him.

The main reason I’m writing this blog though is that what this team accomplished is flying largely under the radar…and I’m not sure why? In the final game we beat a team with two legit NBA scorers in Hedo Turkoglu (Suns) & Ersan Ilyasova (Bucks) AND two NBA 7-footers in Omer Asik (Bulls) & Semih Erden (Celtics) AND we did it on their home court in front of a raucous pro-Turkey crowd. I know it’s not the Olympics, but our big men were Odom, Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler…that’s it…and we still won. We somehow managed to overcome no consistent scoring threat other than Durant as well.

All I’m saying is this group of players and Coach Mike Krzyzewski deserve a lot more credit than they are receiving for bringing home our first World Championship gold since 1994. However no one deserves more recognition for America’s current success than Executive Director Jerry Colangelo. He has systematically changed the entire culture of USA basketball; just look at the list of accomplishments since he took over in 2005.

> The USA men’s national teams have compiled a 49-1 record in international play and have now won 36 consecutive games.

> The USA men’s national teams, current defending Olympic and World champions, are 35-1 in FIBA or FIBA Americas competitions and 14-0 in exhibition play since 2006.

> The American men for the first time in international basketball history are currently the reigning champs in every age level competition, including the FIBA U19 & FIBA U17 world championships, and the FIBA Americas U18 & FIBA Americas U16 championships.

USA Basketball Men's National Team Finish / Record
2010 FIBA World Championship Team 1st / 9-0
2008 Olympic Team 1st / 8-0
2007 FIBA Americas Championship Team 1st / 10-0

USA Basketball Men's Junior National Teams Finish / Record
2010 FIBA U17 World Championship Team 1st / 8-0
2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship Team 1st / 5-0
2009 FIBA U19 World Championship Team 1st / 9-0
2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship Team 1st / 5-0

I know most people think “That’s how it’s supposed to be,” but those people also forget that not too long ago it was nowhere near that good. Since basketball is now clearly the second most popular sport behind soccer world wide it’s time to start appreciating our complete and utter dominance at all levels. Because the reality is it won’t last forever.

USA-Lithuania Preview

2010-09-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

Back on 8/21 Team USA beat Lithuania 77-61 in a friendly played in Madrid. What was most noteworthy about the game, besides it being Rajon Rondo’s last with the team, was that America only scored seven points in the first quarter…and looked terrible doing it. We recovered OK and beat Spain the next day, but the Lithuania game set off alarm bells inside the national team and had a lot of people worried.

Fast Forward to Saturday (9 AM Pacific on ESPN Classic) and Lithuania is rolling after an upset of Argentina. Linas Kleiza (current Raptor) is their #1 scoring option at 19.1 points per game (6th overall in the tournament). Fortunately Team USA has plenty of guys that know how to defend him starting with Andre Iguodala. Robertas Javtokas is their center and next best player. He was drafted by the Spurs in 2001 and was on his way to the NBA before a horrible motorcycle crash in 2002 robbed him of his once impressive athleticism. Renaldas Seibutis (former Mav) is the only other guy I’m even remotely familiar with but he’s a bench player for them these days.

I have to say I was expecting to be facing Argentina here and am not all that worried about Lithuania. Coach Mike Krzyzewski will certainly use the lackluster friendly performance to keep the team sharp. Then you combine that with it being the semifinals and I think you’ll see the red, white and blue ready to play from the opening tip.

Kevin Durant has to keep it going and be as selfish as possible when the game slows down and Chauncey Billups continuing to be hot from long range would be huge. Our bench has devolved into Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon only, so Rudy Gay and/or Kevin Love returning to form would be nice too. I think Team USA wins easily as long as they defend the 3-point line, play smart half court offense and gang rebound.

USA-Russia Preview

2010-09-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

With Spain getting ousted today the World Championships have truly begun in earnest. At this point I don’t really think Team USA needs a wake up call, but if they do, that was certainly it. Make no mistake about it; this Russian team coached by American expatriate David Blatt can beat us if we don’t play a smart and intense brand of ball.

After watching the New Zealand game what worries me most is Russia’s size. Starting center Sasha Kaun (future Cav) is 6’11 and his backup Timofey Mozgov (current Knick) is 7’1. Combined those two have averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds in the tournament. Then there is starting PF Andrey Vorontsevich (6’9) who is a bruiser with enough skill to hit a 3-point shot. Quite frankly the USA can’t match their size and toughness unless Coach Mike Krzyzewski radically alters his rotation (which isn’t happening), and even then I doubt we’d have enough beef to contain them.

The Russians like to utilize their size to play more of a power game than most other European squads, but they do have some perimeter people to worry about too. The first is swingman Sergey Monya (former Blazer). Andre Iguodala’s sole responsibility will be to shut Monya down, which really Iggy should have no problem doing. The next player is PG Anton Ponkrashov. He’s not a great athlete but is one of those pesky Euro PG’s that knows how to play (high BBIQ) and can hit open 3-pointers. It’s imperative that whoever defends Ponkrashov stays in front of him and does not gamble.

For Team USA to be successful they need to get something…anything…from Tyson Chandler. While not very burly the human foul/complaint machine MUST earn his keep by providing solid minutes defending either Kaun or Mozgov. The next area the team needs to focus on is two-fold. First they can not fall behind early, and second they need to be patient on offense and not turn the ball over. The last thing America needs is for Kevin Durant to go off, and I mean big time. Luis Scola just dropped 37 on Brazil and Linas Kleiza 30 on China. It’s time for the cream to rise to the top and that means you KD.

Yes, I just called Durant out and demanded no less than 30 from him.

I expect this game to be far tighter than most experts do. In fact I’m predicting a nail biter that goes down to the last possession with the Durantula making a three to win it. If we do lose try and remember that Russia is playing without their three best players (Andrei Kirilenko, J.R. Holden & Viktor Khryapa) too, so no griping about our B-Team losing to theirs.

OK?

Good.

World Championship Update

2010-09-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

It’s time to switch gears from Phish back to basketball and get ready for what should be an exciting NBA season. I was still on tour when Team USA started up their training but I have managed to watch all three World Championship games thus far plus a few of the friendlies leading up to the tournament.

Here’s my take on the state of affairs…

This team plays hard and really hustles. It’s not above them if they have to out work the opposition to get the win. This attitude has led them to be able to pretty much out-athletic everyone they face and is the main reason I like watching them play.

USA has the best #1 scoring option in entire tournament in Kevin Durant as well as the best #2 option in Derrick Rose. Chauncey Billups plays the Jason Kidd veteran leader role and Andre Iguodala is the team’s defensive stopper. The bench has also been good with Rudy Gay providing instant offense, Russell Westbrook energy and insane athleticism, Eric Gordon shooting and Kevin Love rebounding.

Now to the bad; we are really, really small across the front line as Tiago Splitter showed in the Brazil game. Lamar Odom is NOT a staring center in ANY league. He just doesn’t have the beef to bang with the big boys possession after possession. Tyson Chandler flat out plays like he has no clue what a foul is and can’t make a shot from anywhere on the court. Which leaves Love as our best option to defend big men, and the fact that I even typed that says a lot.

We also are inconsistent from the 3-point line (as usual), but our biggest problem by far is turnovers. This team needs to embrace the old John Wooden axiom of “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” This especially applies to Iguodala, Rose and Gordon. This version of Team USA also takes far too many quick/bad shots early in the shot clock. There’s nothing wrong with pushing the ball, backing it out and running some half court offense.

If we can keep our turnovers down and not get killed in the paint we will be in every game regardless of our shooting/offense. But make no mistake; we will be tested in the knockout round and probably more than once if we make it to the gold medal game.

And just for the record, Splitter and Ricky Rubio (Spain) are NBA ready right now.

Alpine Valley 2

2010-08-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

After sitting around the house all day basically waiting until it was time to go the weather on the lot was the best we had all tour long. It was almost Oregon-like since it was sunny and cool with a breeze. It was kind of strange to walk into a show completely satisfied and not caring what I heard or how it was played, but that was me on the final night of tour. To top it off we had 12th row seats (thanks Kenny) just to the right of Mike.

“Tweezer” was a great way to kick things off but the first real highlight of the set was my first ever “On Your Way Down.” This was obviously Phish’s tribute to Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward who had passed three days prior. The rest of the set one was pretty standard fare but I was still having a great time being so close to finish things off.

The second frame started with a bang in “Ghost” and that slid ever so nicely into “Theme.” Then out of nowhere came my final big treat of tour with my first “Big Black Furry Creature from Mars” in history. This one was not only unexpected but made up for the time I skipped 7/15/03 (one of my biggest Phish regrets). A mid-set “YEM” was also a welcome a surprise and “YEM > Piper > 2001” speaks for itself. The show kind of slowed down for me after that and we started walking up the hill when “Character Zero” ended.

We took in the four song encore from the top of the hill reminiscing about what a great run of shows we had just witnessed. Although some nights do stand out (AV1, Greek2 & Telluride2) what was most notable about this tour was how high the overall quality was from night to night. There was not a single show of the nine I saw that I would say was below average. Every night was good or great with Fishman being by far the most improved player. This bodes well for the upcoming Every-Ticket-Is-Impossible-To-Get-Fall-Tour. See you in Broomfield and Atlantic City…hopefully.

Alpine Valley 1

2010-08-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Our flight from Zionsville, IN to Kenosha, WI took all of 37 minutes and included a very nice view of downtown Chicago while we were out over Lake Michigan. My sincere apologies to anyone who made the six hour drive or had to sit in traffic. We actually spent more time driving from Kenosha to Lake Geneva than we did in the air, but once we arrived our house was oh so nice. Our back porch faced the 15th tee of the Geneva National golf course and it was generally so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Another bonus to this place was the short almost all back roads (until the highway) route to the venue.

The show itself started out on fire with “Tube,” “Oh Kee Pah > Suzy” and “Funky Bitch.” right off the bat. I couldn’t think of a better way to start a show and the momentum that started there carried on throughout the rest of the night. The next highlight for me was the song I had been chasing all tour long, my first ever “Fuck Your Face.” Trey absolutely shredded this short but powerful version and it was at this point that whatever Phish played the rest of the way was gravy for me.

We took off for the bathrooms when “Circus” started and figured “Antelope” would come next and the set would be over, but we were ever so wrong. We hung back and got some fresh air (because our seats were in a no fresh air/breeze zone) while the set amazingly continued to roll on. We made the short walk back to our seats when “Sparkle” ended and enjoyed the “Gumbo” “Antelope” closing combo totally refreshed.

The second set kicked off as strong as or stronger than the first. My first “Sloth” since 12/30/99 got everyone juiced up and ready to roll, but it was the 23+ minute combo of “DwD > What’s the Use” that took cake for jam of the show. But it didn’t stop there as the now rare “Mule” was dropped next and followed by a blistering “Mike’s.” My only real beef with this show was killing all the momentum that been building by transitioning into “Dirt.” Things picked back up again with a nicely played “Sally” and when “Bug” closed things out I knew a huge encore was is store.

My second “Quinn” of the run was a little disappointing since it made the Telluride version less special, but for those not in attendance at Telluride it was a fine way to end the evening. While making the trudge up the massive hill out to the parking lot all the talk was about how this was the show of the summer, and you’ll get no arguments from me.

Deer Creek 2

2010-08-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

After a very late night that saw me drift off around 4:45 AM I slept until noon the next day but that still left me six hours to pre-game before we left. Our driver Jim showed up right at 6 PM, but we didn’t get our act together until almost 6:30. Thankfully Jim knew a back way to the VIP lot and we got there in no time. Without an extra ticket on hand Jim decided to take in the show from lot right behind the lawn fence.

As we walked down to our seats I was shocked by how close we were getting and when we ended up sixth row right in front of Fishman I was really psyched. Kenny once again called the opening “Chalkdust” (two shows in a row) and the run of “Guelah,” “Axilla I” and “IDK” had a very old school vibe to it. I was jumping for joy when I heard what I thought were the opening notes of “Pebbles and Marbles,” but alas the song turned out to be the first 3.0 version of “Walls of the Cave.” “WOTC” was never one of favorite tunes but this version was slowed down a little and historic so I enjoyed it. After another great “Ocelot” (maybe the MVP tune of tour) the real treat of the set came in “Curtis Lowe.” A debut to my ears and expertly played I couldn’t have been happier to be so close.

The second set started kind of slowly even though “Halley’s > Light > 46 Days > Maze” looks pretty sick on paper. The set really took off for us with our first “Meatstick” since 4/17/04. Teri knew the dance and tried to teach everyone around us before the smooth transition into “Mango” happened. The double “Contact” “Slave” encore was the next highlight for me in what was turned out to be a good but not great second set.

We walked the long way back to the car so Kenny and Larisa could see what Deer Creek’s shakedown street was really about. Once we got back to the hotel things got even more weird with a crew of straight up freaks (not the good kind) taking over the hotel’s many patios, pool and hot tub.

Deer Creek 1

2010-08-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

After a quick stop over in Pueblo, CO to take on 650 gallons of fuel we made it to Zionsville, IN in just over two-and-a-half hours from Telluride. We were greeted with sweltering 90+ temperatures and a ridiculous amount of humidity, which was a far cry from the cool of Berkeley and Telluride.

Kenny called the “Run Jim” opener and our first “PYITE” of the tour got the party started. “Roggae” was nice but not on the level of 12/28/09’s version and “CTB” was the easy highlight of the first set for me. Unlike most others in attendance I was actually happy to hear “TTE” close things out.

The second set really took off with an excellent “Drowned” and we had plenty of space to dance in the pavilion on Fish side. Good thing too since we went crazy during the always welcome rarity “MFMF” and when it was followed by an even bigger bust out in “Buffalo Bill” (my first since 12/18/99) all hell broke loose. The energy after those two ratcheted up the intensity during a sick “Twist.” The final highlight of second set for me was a raging “Melt” that splashed down into another uber rarity “Dog Faced Boy.”

I should have known the boys were having a good time when “Golgi” followed “Hood” to end set two, but the encore really took the cake. “Fee > NO2 > Kung > Fire” was an unreal way to close things out. (My first “Fee” since 2/14/03 and first “Kung” since 11/16/96.) The overall highlight of evening had to be our 60+ year old driver Jim taking one of our extra lawn tickets and rocking it out black pants, dress shoes and a white button up shirt all night long.

Telluride 2

2010-08-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

We planned our day much smarter the second time around stopping in Mountain Village for some pizza and Smugglers Brewpub for a Sky Hop before walking into the grounds around 7:15 PM. We had a blanket this time and settled in on Page side. Even though we were pretty far back we had a great view of the stage and plenty of room to boogie.

I loved the “Coil” “Stealing Time” opening combo and my first “Timber” since 8/11/04 was a big treat. The set really took off with a ripping “Divided Sky” followed by the rarity combo of “Walk Away” and “Roses.” This set allowed me to take a of lot pictures of the scenic beauty, not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing though.

When you hear the rumble of “Party Time” start up you know you are in for some good times, and the following “Mike’s > C+P > H2 > Groove” certainly qualifies. After that five song combo I was expecting a down tune but instead was treated to “Destiny” for only my second time ever and this version far surpassed the 8/7/09 botch-fest. I have to admit when “Carini” was rocking out I was hoping for a segue into “Fuck Your Face” but alas I got “Free” instead, which was nice in its own right. Teri and Larisa started moving toward the front during “YEM” and were treated to an up close “Shine a Light,” which Teri had been hoping to hear since we left Eugene.

Telluride was a great place to see a show and I certainly hope Phish returns there, but the vibe was a little too “Colorado” for me. With the abundance of locals the snobby hippie level was a touch too high for my liking. I still had a great time though as the weather and resort were both top notch. I’m just not a fan of the entitled Colorado hippie.

Telluride 1

2010-08-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our flight from Oakland to Telluride got us to the mountains and sunshine of Colorado in a little less than two hours. After moving on from how much warmer Telluride was than Berkeley we were whisked away to Capella in around 20 minutes. We were sitting on our deck for about 10 minutes or so when we saw the Phish tour buses role by our spot. This makes the second time Kenny has picked the exact place Phish is staying (Hampton being the other). The only real problem we encountered all day was a half an hour wait for the gondola from Mountain Village to Telluride proper, but other than that it was smooth sailing.

We got into the show around 6 and Teri was finally back to a more normal stress level since she had her bracelet on. The boys didn’t come on stage until about 7:25 but there was massive amounts of space for everyone, in fact I’d bet they could have fit 3-4 thousand more people on that field. Town Park is obviously very picturesque and for the record I saw THREE extra tickets within minutes of getting off the gondola. Now I don’t know what they were selling for, but make no mistake there were plenty of extra tickets to be had here.

As for the show it really got jump started with “Camel Walk” (my first since 4/16/04) and the ever expanding “Ocelot” continued the momentum until a splash down in my first “Light Up” since 12/30/99. Maybe the “Light Up” wasn’t on the same level as 7/1/10’s, but it was certainly no slouch either. The rest of the first set closed very strong with “Stash,” “Cavern,” “Wedge,” “Possum” and “Julius.” There really was no let up at all.

The second frame was an all out transition fest that started with a ripping “Sand.” From there it went “Number Line > Tweezer > Boogie On > Piper > Mist.” The real nastiness happened during the “Tweezer > Boogie On > Piper” section with “Piper” really taking the cake. From there “Bowie” was very solid and of course my first ever “Quinn” was the biggest treat of all. We started walking out during “Reprise” to avoid some of the gondola line and that worked out great.

I went to bed early and woke to oxygen therapy followed by a deep tissue massage. So needless to say I am ready to cut loose tonight.

Greek 3

2010-08-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I was lazy in writing about the Greek, but I woke up at 11 the day after and we had a driver waiting on us at 11:30 to take us on a tour on San Francisco. I got up, ate, showered and was out the door at 11:40. Then when we got back it was time to pack, so forgive me.

Overall the third night of the Greek was better than the first, but not quite as strong as night two. The first set was a little short which led to a disjointed feel. Our fist “Foam” since Hampton was a big treat for us followed by our first electric “Sleep Again” and Page belting out “Army of One.” The meat of set number one came with “46 Days > Tube.” “46” got way out there until splashing down into short but rocking “Tube.”

The second stanza featured an absolutely sick “Light” that went in many directions before spacing out into “20 Years.” It was only my second “20” but this one did what I had been hoping even though it still packs a lot of undiscovered potential. “Theme” was sublime and “2001,” although short, was got the dance party started like only it can. I couldn’t think of a better encore than “Lizards” “First Tube” and in my book this encore lifted the show considerably in terms of overall ranking.

In the end the Greek was an outstanding place to see a show with plenty of room and no security to speak of. But really, I’m not so sure I’m that excited for Phish to return there. The waiting to get in all day long so they can open the doors an hour prior to start time is flat out asinine. There’s a reason no other venues imitate this practice. And the lack of port-a-johns, while not unique to the Greek, is also fairly ridiculous. Improve those two things and I might be ok with a return, but I still don’t prefer the Greek over Shoreline.

Greek 2

2010-08-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes venue policies dictate that you have to break the rules to enjoy yourself. It is in this spirit that I apologize to anyone I cut in front of in the line to get in or who saw me relieving myself on the path to the port-o-lets. I’m not proud of it, and I didn’t set out to do it, but c’mon, standing in line all day just to get in or a half hour wait to take a leak? I don’t think so.

On this night we were far Page side but closer down and really only had an obstructed view of the Chairman’s face. The day was not near as hot as Thursday which was good and bad since it got colder much quicker too.

“Chalkdust” is always a welcome opener and the boys did this one right but the first set did not take off for me until “It’s Ice.” From there are hell broke loose with the best “Cities” since 8/10/97. The funk was thick and the crowd was almost playing the band. “Moma” kept the groove going and “Gin” “Stealing Time” closed out a proper first set in style.

The second set was where the real business was done as the gauntlet was thrown down immediately with a 15 minute “Rock and Roll” that slid ever so nicely into “Ghost.” Rather than talk about how great each individual song was I’ll just say that the ONLY song that didn’t fully realize its potential was “Seven Below” which was totally chopped to start “Weekapaug.” The rest of this set rivals any other set of the 3.0 era. Seriously, download it now.

The third installment of the journey of the magic guitar awaits…

Greek 1

2010-08-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

This story has to begin with our driver managing to get lost on the .7 mile drive from our condo on Panoramic Way to the Greek. What should have been a 15 minute walk turned into an hour long drive that showcased all of Berkeley’s cross town rush hour traffic not once, but twice. The moral to the story is to tell dispatch you are going to the HEARST Greek Theatre…or just walk.

Thankfully Brain, Angel, Sparky and Keezer managed to save us spots about mid-way up Page side; Just the absolute perfect viewpoint. As we sat in the hot sun waiting for the early start time I vacillated between giving thanks in my head for having the good fortune to be here and the sheer excitement of seeing my first show since Miami seven long months ago.

The show itself got off to a fine start with “Possum,” “Wolfman’s,” “Divided Sky” and “Funky Bitch” each keeping the flow going while building the momentum. The “Bitch” was especially explosive and “Kill Devil Falls” had a nice little sleeper of a jam. The rest of the first set kind of fizzled for me but it really didn’t matter as we had tons of space and the band was obviously having fun.

The crowd was so laid back and into it the boys could have literally played anything in the cool Berkeley night as long as it included a big jam. You could feel that the crowd was just waiting to explode and the near 16 minute “Disease” opener definitely delivered the goods on multiple levels. The “Free” that followed ratcheted up the intensity another level and had everyone shaking their asses with reckless abandon.

The next highlight was a scorching “Maze” but the real goods were delivered during the closing “Tweezer” “Fluffhead” combo. The place was in an absolute frenzy during both and even though it looked crowded I think that most people had enough room to get their groove on. Walking out of the show I was completely satisfied considering this was a tour opener. Judging by how their playing improved over the course of the night I’m really looking forward to tonight.

But for now, breakfast is ready. Until tomorrow…

Final Recap & Awards

2010-07-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

> Even though I went 7-0 on my picks I was kind of disappointed in the final match because the quality of play was no where near what I thought it would be. Give the Dutch credit for their game plan though. Oranje coach Bert Van Marwijk knew his side had to ugly the game up to have a chance, and they did just that to the tune of NINE yellow cards (14 total, smashing the old record of 6 in a Final).

The only problem was that Holland botched their opportunities to score; especially Arjen Robben who I bet has not been sleeping well lately. Wesley Sneijder did not have his best match and Robin Van Persie was practically nonexistent. The Dutch had their chances but with those three off their top form it was too much to overcome.

In winning their first World Cup Spain scored only eight goals total (11 was the previous low), won all their games in the knockout round 1-0 and were the first team to win it all after losing their first round robin match. Which just goes to show that with all their talent on offense it was their trio in the middle on defense (goalie Iker Casillas/central defenders Gerard Piqué & Carles Puyol) that carried them.

> Awards…..

Golden Ball (best player) – Diego Forlán (Uruguay). He certainly would have received my vote for his ability to control the dreaded Jabulani ball and make it swerve in just the right way.

Golden Boot (top scorer) – Thomas Müller (Germany). He won the boot based on a tiebreaker (most assists), but that shouldn’t diminish his accomplishment since he missed a game due to a dubious second yellow card in the Quarterfinals.

Golden Glove (best goalie) – Casillas. “The Saint,” as he is known, was flat out stellar. You had to beat him outright because anything 50-50 and he was making the save.

Best Young Player – Müller. This is the only award I have a problem with. For my money his teammate Mesut Özil was more deserving, but I guess if you win the boot and are 21 or younger it has to go this way.

LeBron James and his “Decision”

2010-07-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

There are so many angles to this story that I almost don’t know where to begin, but “The Decision” seems like the right place to jump off on this epic post.

The hour+ long TV show was a complete and utter train wreck. How Bron’s people thought that was a good idea is just beyond me. And ESPN has to take at least 50% of the blame for their “production.” It was so bad on so many levels it’s not hyperbole to consider it the worst idea in the history of sports.

For starters LeBron came off really, really bad on TV. He looked extremely nervous and did not seem to be enjoying his moment at all. This was very strange to me considering he created that circus. Not only did James come off bad but so did all the ESPN talking heads save for maybe Jon Barry. The rest fell into three categories; kissing LBJ’s butt (Michael Wilbon), nervous to say the wrong thing (Jim Gray) or combo of the two (Stuart Scott).

Then there was the setting, a Boys and Girls club in Greenwich, CT? The audience was made up of kids that looked scared silly and had no clue how to react when he said “In this fall, I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.” It was just hushed silence after that. Again, I think that was another aspect that wasn’t fully considered when LBJ and his “team” at LRMR hatched this scheme.

I say scheme because there is no way in the world that Bron woke up on the morning of 7/8 and changed his mind to the Heat. I’d say once Cleveland’s season was over and Dwyane Wade told James and Chris Bosh that Pat Riley was going to be able to clear enough salary cap space for all three of them to come to Miami it was a done deal. So it’s clear to me that LBJ, Wade and Bosh were playing front offices and the media alike for well over a month…and they thoroughly enjoyed it too.

So give the three of them credit for taking less than the maximum amount of money and making this happen, but many, many old timers are saying James took the easy way out. Just listen to what former NBA player and current Orlando GM Otis Smith had to say. “I was surprised that he went [to Miami]. I thought he was, I guess, more of a competitor. The great ones do and usually stay in one location. This is a new era. It's a little different than my time.” And my man Otis is not alone in feeling that way at all.

Smith’s comment about it being different than his time is something I’ve been wrestling with in my head for the past three days. Maybe I’m just too old to get it and the younger generation loves every minute of this synergy between the sports and entertainment worlds. I mean he did have several Vitamin Water commercials, a cooler of Vitamin Water in the camera picture and a single XXX for him to drink by his side.

So I can see what LeBron is trying to do but at this point I’m really not sure he’s smart enough to pull off his stated goal of being a global icon. He’s certainly getting bad advice from his high school boyz and one has to wonder if James has ever heard the word “no” in his entire lifetime. There’s other examples of his immaturity too, like when he skipped shaking hands and his post game press conference after losing to the Magic in the 2009 playoffs. But more than anything Bron is just flat out not well spoken. He stumbles over words, uses them in the wrong context and still says “axe” rather than ask for Pete's sake. My point is a global icon would do much better than that.

Then you factor in that LBJ did not call any of the six teams prior to “The Decision” to inform them of his choice and you have yet another example of poor advice, lack of forethought or just flat out ignorance. Maybe it wasn’t necessary for him to inform all six teams, but at the very least he owed Cleveland Owner Dan Gilbert a call, if for nothing else than the sheer amount of enabling Gilbert has done for James over the years.

I understand wanting to control leaks, but Stephen A. Smith of Fox Sports broke this exact story on 6/28 so it was already out there. That said Gilbert’s open letter to fans was a mistake as was his subsequent phone interview with The Associated Press where he said things like “He quit. Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar.” And “He has gotten a free pass. People have covered up for him for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is.”

Now Gilbert didn’t have to say any of that stuff and obviously let his emotions get the best of him, but is he right? I believe so. Not only did Bron quit but the Cavalier organization also did everything LBJ ever asked them to do and then some. Gilbert’s biggest mistake was making Bron larger than the franchise. Players should never semi-run the team and/or make decisions. That’s what Gilbert really regrets more than anything, but if he just sat back most of everything he said would have been said in media sooner or later. All he really accomplished with his tirades was making himself look bad while giving James an out to look better.

But luckily for Gilbert’s reputation LeBron hurt his own “brand” on multiple levels. For one he’s going to be hated for the first time in his career. Second the Heat will now take over for the Lakers as the most despised team by casual fans for being a Yankees-like super-team. (He also made Kobe Bryant look good in all this, which is something Kobe never quite figured out how to do for himself.)

Overall it was James’ choice to make, and I don’t begrudge him for it one bit. He was a *free* agent after all so this whole thing about him owing cities or owners anything is just nonsense. HOWEVER, and I think everyone agrees on this point, how he handled it was completely misguided. He should have met with the teams, decided, issued a press release after informing said teams and then had someone like Stuart Scott do a “soft” interview after the fact where he got no hard questions at all. It would have been that simple.

That said I think deep down LBJ wants to be a reality star crossed with a Jay-Z type mogul crossed with a great basketball player. It’s a new model for sure, and while Bron unleashed might not be good for his “brand” or legacy, it’s definitely entertaining in an almost Dennis Rodman kind of way. (If you saw the “Welcoming Celebration” you know what I’m talking about.) He’s either going to be a ground breaking trend setter or a Tracy McGrady could have been.

While it’s obvious that Miami was the worst possible choice for his legacy I also think he missed out on a better opportunity on the court as well. If he had chosen Chicago he’d be paired with a young PG (Derrick Rose) and C (Joakim Noah), a PF in Carlos Boozer that knows how to play off him and a nice trade chip in Luol Deng. Imagine if the Bulls say parlayed Deng and James Johnson into Marcin Gortat and J.J. Redick (not that far fetched)? Rose/Redick/James/Boozer/Noah with Taj Gibson and Gortat off the bench…all Chicago would need is a low priced shooter and a backup PG. Then you are looking at a balanced team that can win right now as well as years from now.

As the Heat are currently constituted I can’t see them winning the title this year, they just have too many holes and don’t have a Rajon Rondo or Kendrick Perkins in the pipeline (apologies to Mario Chalmers & Joel Anthony). Looking at the rest of the Miami roster they are set at SG, SF and PF but need starters at the two hardest positions to fill in the NBA....PG and C (which is why I thought the Bulls were the better choice).

It's a pipe dream to think they are going to be able find the 5 guys needed to get the roster to 13 and contend immediately, and that’s assuming all three second round picks (Dexter Pittman, Jarvis Varnado and Da’Sean Butler) pan out and make the team. After “Miami Thrice” all took either $14 (Wade) or $14.5 (James & Bosh) million the Heat have about $8.1 million is cap space left (that includes Chalmers and the cap holds for Anthony and the second rounders).

They are widely expected to sign Mike Miller next leaving them with about $4 million for the final four roster spots. While Miller is a good fit as 6th man he’s not the guy I’d have dropped that money on. I’d have focused on the best big men available as a priority because shooters are easier to find on the cheap. (And for the record Derek Fisher is not signing there as he is using them for leverage purposes only.)

As for on the court the “Miami Thrice” are going to have to play heavy, heavy minutes all season long because the drop off after them will be STEEP. Also, of the three only LeBron is truly durable. Both Chris and Dwyane are semi-fragile, and if any of them get hurt for a stretch then suddenly their lack of depth will be glaring. They will also be consistently facing sold out riled up crowds and opposing teams that have had the Miami game circled for weeks. This is going to make for some tough sledding for a thin team trying to develop chemistry on the fly.

The days of Bron-Bron wowing the crowd by scoring 30 a game are done. So is his stranglehold on the MVP trophy. For the Heat to win Wade has to be Jordan, James Pippen and Bosh Horace Grant. The reason I say that is because while Wade is a true superstar he doesn't do as much as LBJ does overall. So LeBron has to be a defender/passer/rebounder and D Wade the primary scorer. And while I think CB4 (is it CB1 now?) might be the most overrated “star” in the NBA (3-8 career playoff record), as a 3rd banana playing off those two he will be extremely tough.

Generally speaking in terms of tactics they are going to need lot of shooters. Otherwise they will see zone after zone after zone daring Wade and Bron to beat them from the outside. They will also need some defensive minded guys and multiple big bodies.

As far as how Miami matches up with individual teams they aren’t beating the Lakers unless Bosh gets some major help up front. You have Kobe/Dwyane, Ron Artest/James and then Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom/Bosh. Sorry Heat fans, but its not gonna happen…at least this season anyway.

As for the East you can’t consider them the favorites just yet either.

Boston – Kevin Garnett can contain CB1 just like he does with Gasol and Odom. Paul Pierce does a decent job on LBJ. Ray Allen can’t guard Wade but Dwyane will have to work/run on defense chasing Ray. So who stops Rondo for Miami?

Orlando – The only teams that have beaten the Magic in playoffs have had guys that can single cover Dwight Howard. The Heat have no one to guard Howard at all, and until they do, it ain’t happening.

Chicago – Miami has no one to contain Rose and Noah/Boozer/Gibson is a very tough and athletic front court for Bosh to deal with. (Sidebar: If you are a Heat fan that is excited about the prospect of D Fish just remember he’ll have to check Rondo & Rose in the playoffs…good luck with that.)

Atlanta – They aren’t really a serious threat to beat Miami, but if they can acquire Shaquille O’Neal (allowing Al Horford to be a PF, Josh Smith a SF & Marvin Williams to go to the bench) they won’t be pushed over.

Milwaukee – Don't laugh, they are going to be very deep and versatile. I don’t think they’re better than that Heat mind you, but this is yet another tough/dangerous opponent in their same conference.

You have to keep in mind that Riley gave up first round picks in 2011, 2013 and 2015 in the sign and trades with Toronto and Cleveland. Also a factor is the upcoming new Collective Bargaining Agreement where it’s possible that a hard cap salary cap with no exceptions might be instituted. If that happens Miami just mortgaged their future to make money and not win ringS.

Bottom line though is the Heat are Wade’s team and he'll always have won one as “the man”....something Bron won’t EVER have on his resume. I think James is probably ok with that fact as I believe he’ll be happier playing a complementary Pippen type role in Miami than he was being “the man” in Cleveland. In the end I think this team will be the best in the league within three years and be competing for championships from that point forward until one of the “Miami Thrice” is gone.

Final

2010-07-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Before the World Cup I filled out two separate brackets and in both I had Spain-Holland as the Final. In the one I filled out prior to the Cup I picked the Dutch. In the other, filled out after the Cup started, I picked the Spanish. So if you’ve been betting on my picks (6-0 so far) proceed with caution.

This match features the second and third best teams per the SPI Rankings as well as the two players vying for the Golden Boot (top goal scorer) in David Villa and Wesley Sneijder. Both sides play a similar style of possession based on quick & accurate passes, feature great midfielders & forwards and will have all their players available.

This is a very tough call for me since Spain and Holland are my two favorite countries to visit and the teams I root for once the USA is eliminated. I think the difference will be Iker Casillas in goal and the combo of Gerard Piqué and Carles Puyol in central defense. I’m expecting a classic match with La Furia Roja coming out on top 3-2 in extra time.

Semifinals

2010-07-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

I’ll try to keep things rolling and build on my 4-0 record in the Quarterfinals. As always, SPI rank precedes…

8. Uruguay v 4. Holland – After a miracle finish in the Quarters against Ghana, La Celeste will be without striker Luis Suárez (red card) and defender Jorge Fucile (yellow cards); while defender and captain Diego Lugano (knee) is questionable. The Dutch have concerns of their own with midfielder Nigel De Jong and defender Gregory Van Der Wiel both missing the match dues to yellows.

While Holland’s defense can be questionable at times I think the loss of Suárez will make Diego Forlán’s job too hard for Uruguay. And if Lugano can’t go I see Wesley Sneijder, Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt running wild up top; Oranje 3-1.

2. Germany v 3. Spain – This should be a great match considering each side really doesn’t have a glaring weakness. You’ve got the offensive firepower of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, David Villa and Xabi Alonso versus Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Özil. Both teams do have a concern up top though with strikers Thomas Müller (yellows) out for Die Mannschaft and Fernando Torres looking lost on the pitch for La Furia Roja. Spanish manager Vicente Del Bosque has Cesc Fábregas waiting in the wings while the choice is much less certain for German coach Joachim Löw.

So with all that offense out there it’s bound to come down to which side can defend better. Philipp Lahm and Jerome Boateng are going to be severely tested by Spain’s ability to link up passes and find open spaces. While Gerard Piqué and Carles Puyol must mark up and stay home on Germany’s many finishers. I’m giving the Spaniards the slight advantage because of captain and best goalie in the world Iker Casillas; La Furia Roja 2-1 in extra time.

FIFA, USA & Quarters

2010-06-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

> Before I get to the USA I have to comment on FIFA President Sepp Blatter. For some reason Blatter saw fit to apologize to both England and Mexico after the referees cost them good goals.

Excuse me?

Where was that when we were screwed not once, but twice? For us it was FIFA enjoys the human element and will not comment on blown calls. Now Sepp says “It would be nonsense to not reopen the file of technology.” Apparently when a blown call affects the English things have to change.

But as with all things FIFA they aren’t really going to address the problem. Their plan is to institute “goal-line technology” which would only deal with situations where the ball does or does not cross the goal line. To me that’s not even close to as big of a problem as on/off sides is. But Sepp doesn’t think so and said “With calls like in the Mexico game, we don't need technology.”

Oh really?

So the plan is to have replay for a scenario that rarely occurs and ignore the situation that happens all the time? Um…ok…if you say so. The solution to this dilemma is so simple I can’t even believe it’s never been broached. Just adopt the NHL model and replay every single solitary goal.

When a goal is scored in soccer there is always at least a minute break in the action while the players celebrate and the ball is placed back at midfield. In that minute 90% of replays could be done with no interruption at all since most goals are obviously good.

For the 10% that require a further look soccer already has the perfect system in place…its called injury time. If you need 10 minutes to look at the replay to determine off sides, hand ball or foul/non-foul just add 10 minutes of injury time. And while a 10 minute delay would certainly disrupt the flow of the game, no one is going to complain as long as the correct call is made.

So there you have it Mr. Blatter, I’ve solved your problem and all it will require is an extra ref or two upstairs to review the replays. No extra cameras, micro chipped balls or infrared beams. Just common sense, which I guess is in short supply at FIFA headquarters in Switzerland.

> As for the USA-Ghana match we looked tired right from the start and were out hustled for the majority of the first half. We were semi-sharp right up until we conceded another early goal (5th minute). After that tally we looked shell-shocked until about the final 8 minutes of the first half where we started to turn it on again.

In the second half we looked like our normal back to the wall selves, being aggressive and making plays all over the pitch. Then after we equalized in the 62nd minute we started to coast again and it looked for all the world to me like we were just playing for extra time.

Then when we gave up the early goal to Asamoah Gyan in extra time (a tremendous strike in the 93rd minute) we just flat out didn’t have the legs to come back again. And therein lied the problem with this team; playing from behind all the time wears you out in a tournament setting. Some of that is obviously on the refs, such as Clint Dempsey’s disallowed goal in the 21st minute against Algeria. If that one is called good (like it should have been) we can sit back and play defense the rest of the match. But against Slovenia we had no excuse, and in both instances we had to push and push to get a result and it left us dead-legged against Ghana.

I’ve generally been very complementary of Yank manager Bob Bradley, but against the Black Stars he made a major mistake starting Ricardo Clark. Clark was mostly responsible for the first goal giving the ball away at midfield and starting a counterattack. However keeper Tim Howard was also inexplicably caught out of position and definitely should have made that save.

There has been a lot of talk about how we got zero goals from our forwards, which leads me to the other big mistake Bradley made; sticking with Robbie Findley as a starter for every match he was available. Findley’s finishing touch is non-existent and Edson Buddle or Herculez Gomez offered a little more finishing polish. Big picture wise I think Jozy Altidore played very well (he set up 2 of our 5 goals) but he just had no help up top. This is where we REALLY missed Charlie Davies (car accident). Davies has Findley’s speed and a better finishing touch than Altidore. (Oh well, I guess I could mention Giuseppe Rossi here too, but I won’t).

The bottom line is we should have won that match. No ifs ands or buts about it. We dropped from 13th to 19th in the SPI and blew a golden opportunity to make it to the semifinals. But the biggest shame of all is that the team had a chance to hold the entire country’s collective attention for another six to ten days and let it slip right through their fingers.

> As for the future of USA soccer on the road to the “Brazil Invitational” in 2014 we are in decent shape but do have some questions. First is manager. If Bradley wants to be back, I’m fine with that, but I also wouldn’t mind a big international name like Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany) or Ruud Gullit (Holland). In fact we might benefit from a foreign voice/view.

The biggest unknown has to be defense where our three best players (Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo & Jay DeMerit) will all be 35…or too old for the World Cup. Oguchi Onyewu and Clarence Goodson will be 32, which is borderline. That leaves the Jonathan’s (Spector, 28 & Bornstein, 29) as the only two guys from this roster who will be in their prime in 2014…uh-oh.

We will be fine in the midfield as Michael Bradley (27), Maurice Edu (28), Dempsey (31) and Landon Donovan (32) should all be ok for 2014. Even better is that Benny Feilhaber (29), Stuart Holden (29) and José Torres (26) will still be in the mix too.

Forward is a different story though. While Altidore (24) will certainly be back his running mate will still be a question. Findley (29) and Davies (28) will have their chances but Robbie has to improve a lot and Charlie may never regain his form. Who knows, maybe Freddy Adu (25) will be ready by then. As for goalie Tim Howard’s (35) spot is secure if he still wants it at that point.

> Quarterfinals…(SPI rank precedes)

4. Holland v 1. Brazil – I’m not sure the Dutch defense is stout enough to contain Kaka and company for a full 90, but I’m going with an upset here; Oranje 2-1 in extra time.

6. Uruguay v 30. Ghana – Diego Forlan and La Celeste show the USA how it’s done sending the Black Stars home 2-0.

2. Argentina v 5. Germany – There is bad blood between these two sides, and some serious cumulative talent as well, which should make for a very entertaining and intense match. I think the difference will be the defense of Die Mannschaft; Germany 2-1.

18. Paraguay v 3. Spain – David Villa and company will be too much for Paraguay to handle; La Furia Roja 3-0.

Algeria, Ghana & Draw

2010-06-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

> What was most impressive about the USA’s 1-0 victory over Algeria was that we never gave up. Even though we flubbed multiple chances to score, and had another good goal stolen from us, we played until the very end and it paid off. The sheer emotional release when Landon Donovan scored in the 90+1 minute is something I’ll never forget as long as I live. Overall I’d say we were the best side in Group C and that we deserved to sit atop the final table. For the record this is the first time since 1930, and only the second time overall, that the Yanks have won their group.

The most encouraging thing to me thus far has been how well our stars have played. Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley (MB), Clint Dempsey and Donovan are all in top form right now. This has made our offense very dangerous as we are creating loads of scoring chances every game. And being that we are not converting them at a high rate I think we are due to explode for a 3 or 4 goal game here soon.

Carlos Bocanegra and Jay DeMerit were huge in the back against the Desert Foxes. After a little bit of a shaky start they closed the middle down into an impenetrable brick wall. Tim Howard has also been good for us, albeit not great or fantastic since the England match. He’s made some good quality saves, but nothing miraculous...yet.

> We will have plenty of motivation for our second round tilt against Ghana (6/26 at 11:30 AM Pacific on ABC) since they knocked us out in the third game of the group stage in 2006. That particular match sticks in the USA’s craw because of what else, a referee’s decision. German ref Markus Merk made a horrendous call on Oguchi Onyewu in the box (it was a total dive), which led to a penalty kick for Ghana in first half injury time (45+2). Needless to say we lost 2-1 and were eliminated.

The Black Stars are a very fast side that likes to get up and down the pitch. Our defense will be tested for sure, but we will also be able to stay home more and keep our shape better since we won’t have to push forward constantly like we did against Algeria. Still our boys on the back line will have to mark up and communicate so they don’t get caught out of position on a quick counterattack. We will certainly have our chances to score as long as we are aggressive, but two things do worry me.

First, Ghana is the only African team left in the tournament, meaning all the “neutrals” will be rooting for them. I know the US contingent of fans is one of the biggest that traveled to South Africa but I don’t think their lungs can compete with the home continent factor. With only two off days between the end of the first and beginning of the second round my next concern is fatigue. We are generally considered to be one of the more fit sides around but we looked to be tiring considerably at the end of the last game (good thing Algeria was EXHAUSTED).

> After putting up a clean sheet against Les Fennecs (first time in 10 matches…sorry Guch) I’d say ¾ of our defense has to be set in stone; Boca and DeMerit in the middle with Steve Cherundolo on the right. The only question, as always with Team USA, is who plays left back? Jonathan Bornstein was ok and didn’t kill us last game, but he scares me big time against a side as quick as the Black Stars. I’d prefer Bob Bradley (BB) started DaMarcus Beasley instead. While Beas really isn’t a “true” defender he is faster and more dangerous going forward than Bornstein is. Probably wishful thinking on my part here as I’m sure BB will give Jonathan the call.

Who should take the spot up top running with Jozy is still really unclear in my mind, even at this point of the tournament. Herculez Gomez looked good in the first half against Algeria but was supposedly “knackered” after 45 minutes. Edson Buddle also did well looking dangerous in his 26 minutes and Robbie Findley will be available to play once again. Gomez and Buddle are goal poachers of the highest order and Findley has some serious jets, but to me all three guys have the same problem, they don’t make the right play under pressure in tight spaces. So I’ll leave it to BB to pick between Herculez/Edson to start and I still prefer Robbie coming in as a late substitute.

The midfield is set in my mind with Maurice Edu solidifying his spot as the “other guy” along side MB, Dempsey and Donovan. If needed I’d continue to use Benny Feilhaber as the main sub and possibly consider Stuart Holden for that role as well.

> The soccer gods haven’t been kind to the Yanks on the field costing us two perfectly good goals. But as far as the draw goes, we have been very fortunate both in the group stage and now in the knockout round. Our quadrant of the tournament is set up so that we will not be huge underdogs no matter who we play.

SPI Rank
7. Uruguay
13. USA
17. South Korea
33. Ghana

What this means is that to win the Cup we potentially only have to win two games as massive underdogs. In my mind the semifinals are a real possibility at this point, and as proud as I currently am of our boys, I will be extremely disappointed if we don’t beat the Black Stars. If we are lucky enough to make it to the semis we will face one of…

SPI Rank
1. Brazil
4. Holland
9. Chile
49. Slovakia

…and we are good enough to beat any side on a given day!

Slovenia, Algeria & Overall

2010-06-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

> Team USA’s game against Slovenia got off to an awful start, which honestly, is almost to be expected for the Yanks at this point. And unfortunately Oguchi Onyewu’s fingerprints were all over both goals. On Valter Birsa’s strike in the 13th minute Guch was actually backpedaling as Birsa moved into space right in front of him. Why Guch didn’t charge him and close down some of the open space is beyond me.

Guch’s mistake on the second goal was even more inexcusable. With the rest of the defense in a perfect line Guch was caught a step out of position on the Green Dragon’s counterattack thus making Zlatan Ljubijankic onsides rather than off.

US keeper Tim Howard was caught totally flat footed and off his line on the first goal…really nothing he could do. On the second score I believe Howard could have done better and come up with one of those miraculous saves he has spoiled us all with.

> The second half comeback was great, some of the most riveting soccer I have seen in my days of watching the good ole USA. The most encouraging thing to me was that our stars played well. Landon Donovan was all over the pitch and his service on set pieces was excellent. Michael Bradley (MB) played one of the best matches I’ve ever seen him play. He defended, he came forward and of course he scored. And finally Jozy Altidore mixed playing physical and holding the ball with being a dangerous scoring threat. His knock down header to set up Bradley was sublime.

While there’s no doubt the players worked their tails off, much of the credit has to go to coach Bob Bradley (BB) because the subs he made in the second half all paid off. Starting Jose Torres in the midfield was obviously a mistake (which is why I don’t coach soccer) and Robbie Findley just flat out doesn’t have the instincts needed to consistently make the right plays at this level (tends to hold the ball too long).

After some early jitters Maurice Edu looked very good both defending and coming forward. He seems to have a good chemistry with MB about how to work as a tandem in the middle. Benny Feilhaber (not a fan) didn’t do anything that killed us, so I take that as a positive. Even late sub Herculez Gomez made a difference as his diagonal run across the box opened up the space MB needed to tie the game.

> Now on to referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali. When I first heard his name during the pre-match I thought to myself “That has got to be the first African ref I’ve ever heard of, and from Mali of all places, wow.” I’ll get to the non-goal in a second, but lost in the shuffle is the yellow card he gave Findley for getting hit in the face with the ball. So not only is Robbie suspended for the next match but the whistle blew while the ball was loose on the ground in the 6-yard box. So prior to the horrendous call he made a terrible call that cost us a player and possibly the equalizer (score would have been 1-1).

I’ve watched the slow-motion replay of what happened in the 85th minute about 50 times at least and here’s what I see. Carlos Bocanegra getting straight up taken down (which is a penalty kick). MB unable to move because he’s being bear hugged. Not a single US player even close to being offside and a good, clean, fair game winner by Edu. The best explanation I’ve heard is that Coulibaly felt he shouldn’t have called the foul on Altidore that led to the free kick. So in an NBA-style “make up call” he decided to blow the whistle and make things right in his own mind. In real time you can actually see him blow his whistle almost at the kick of the ball and he also does not point, gesture, whatever as to what he is calling on the spot.

> Yes we were robbed, but it’s time to get over that, move on and focus on advancing to the second round. Our mental approach to the Algeria match (6/23 at 7 AM Pacific on ESPN) can’t be one that lets Coulibaly beat us twice. Instead we have to focus on starting the game better and not conceding the first goal so quickly (for a change). The Desert Foxes have a lot of quickness along the flanks and like to play a wide open style, so we will certainly get our chances.

> Determining the staring 11 for the final match of group play is where BB will really earn his money. As much as I love the guy for all he’s done for USA soccer Guch has to be dropped. He’s been at least partly responsible for all three goals and the World Cup is not the time to be patient while he plays himself back into shape. As far as I see it BB has 3 choices; Replace Guch with Clarence Goodson and be done with it. Move Boca into the middle and play DeMarcus Beasley on the left (do not mention the name Jonathan Bornstein to me). Or gamble and possibly give Edu a try in the middle next to Jay DeMerit. If I’m BB I’m not willing to risk advancing on Guch’s match fitness.

Being without Findley for a game really doesn’t bother me. I’d much rather have a more seasoned player running up top with Jozy. My first choice would be Gomez followed by Edson Buddle. Herculez is just too opportunistic and crafty to leave on the bench all game long when we are going to need goals. It’s also possible that BB moves Clint Dempsey up top along side Altidore freeing up another midfield spot.

The “other” midfielder to play with MB, Donovan and Dempsey has been tricky to say the least. I’d like to see Edu in there and if Clint moves up top maybe give Stuart Holden a try as well. After his fine halftime substitutions against Slovenia I trust that BB knows what his squad needs where to beat Algeria way more than I do.

> The Yanks can advance to the knockout stage three ways; Beat the Desert Foxes outright. Tie Algeria and England loses. Tie Les Fennecs and England ties but does not outscore us by 2+ goals.

Big picture alert: If you would have told me before the Cup that if we beat Algeria we advance AND possibly win our group I’d have taken it in a HEARTBEAT. Any member of Sam’s Army would have said the same, and if we play like we did in the second half of the Slovenia match we should be just fine.

> From 6/22-25 is where the real business starts and ends. Four teams per day will move on to the second round and four teams will head home. Brazil still looks like the side to beat. Spain may not be scoring a lot but they are very dangerous. Holland is kind of flying under the radar, which is probably good for them. South America has been the real story though with Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Chile all leading their groups (5 of the 8 groups overall).

> Any red-blooded American has to love what is happening to France right now. First manager Raymond Domenech kicks star striker Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) off the team for a heated exchange between the two at halftime of France's loss to Mexico. Then the whole squad decides not to train on Sunday to show their displeasure with Domenech’s decision. Needless to say Les Bleus are the laughing stock of the international soccer world right now…and rightly so.

Somewhere Irish eyes are smiling…

England, Slovenia & Early Impressions

2010-06-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

> My general feeling about Team USA was that they played well against England. We had our chances to win…and lose for that matter…but we played hard and smart all match long. So overall I was very happy with the result.

As for the “Hand of Clod” goal net minder Robert Green let slip past him, yes it was weak, soft, whatever. That said a goal keeping gaffe was not to be unexpected since Three Lions manager Fabio Capello had trouble deciding on a starting goalie in the first place. Most managers like to keep their starting lineups secret until right before kick off, but usually goalie is one of the known positions rather than one of the unknowns.

> The Slovenia game on 6/18 at 7 AM Pacific (ESPN) is a virtual do-or-die for the USA since the Green Dragons sit atop Group C after beating Algeria. If Slovenia wins they are guaranteed a spot in the knockout round and we are probably eliminated (unless England chokes). So it’s imperative that we not have a mental let down against the highly organized defense and dangerous counterattack the Slovenians possess.

If this match wasn’t already big enough for both sides Slovenia midfielder Andrej Komac decided to ratchet things up a notch or two with these quotes.

“We are going to win this match. We are playing our style of football, and we'll continue with that, and we can beat the US with that style.”

Not exactly incendiary comments, but not proper remarks for international soccer either. As you can imagine some of USA’s leaders took exception to what Komac had to say.

Tim Howard…

“I think talk is cheap. He's got to stand toe to toe. And they've got to stand toe to toe with us for 90 minutes. And if he's still standing, then I'll take my hat off to him. But a lot of boxers talk, too, and they're looking up at the lights. And the next thing they know, they're trying to figure out how they got there. That means nothing to us. We know that they're probably feeling confident after getting the three points, and rightfully so.”

Oguchi Onyewu…

“It's definitely a premature comment to make. I don't think a US player would make a comment like that.”

At this level giving your opponent extra motivation is not wise, which I’m sure is something Green Dragon manager Matjaz Kek has explained to the rest of his team by now.

As for the lineup Team USA should use I’d go with the exact same defense. Other than Guch being caught out of position on Steven Gerrard’s goal, the unit of Carlos Bocanegra, Jay DeMerit, Steve Cherundolo and Guch performed about as good as could be hoped for against England. They aren’t likely to be tested near as much versus Slovenia, but they must be mindful not to get caught out of position when the Green Dragons counterattack.

Since Slovenia is likely to pack in their defense and force us to take chances to score I’d like to see Jose Torres get the start over Ricardo Clark. I may still be a little upset at Clark for getting burnt like toast on Gerrard’s goal, but I really think Torres’ creative passing ability will be useful to get us the three points we need here.

Up front I’d like to see Edson Buddle paired with Jozy Altidore, at least to start with. I know Robbie Findley is very dangerous, but I don’t think he’ll see the space he needs to make things happen. Not to mention that a poor decision by Robbie (he had a few against England) could lead to a counterattack. Buddle is more of a target man like Jozy which I think we’ll need in a slow down type of game. I still want Findley to play, just as a substitute around the 60th-70th minute when his speed could catch a tired player off guard.

Howard’s ribs should be fine for the game….

“It's a really bad kick, and so in the next few days, if I have to go full stretch, which hopefully I don't, and end up landing on it too hard, then it might set me back. But we've got plenty of padding and plenty of ideas on how to stop that. I won't be stupid with it; at least I don't think I will be. It's sore. I believe in, as I said before, in adrenaline being the great equalizer. You can't account for that. You get on the field and your mind is focused on the game. It takes away from the pain and listen, we've got plenty of pain meds and injections and all that type of stuff, which will help keep my mind of it, as well. I'm kind of looking forward to those injections.”

If we can get three points out of this match we are in very good shape going forward. Even with another draw all hope won’t be lost. Keep in mind that style points do not play a factor in the final results at the World Cup.

> The dreaded Jabulani ball hasn’t really swerved to fool keepers like the designers had hoped. What I have seen is that long balls tend to sail and always explode away from players off the first bounce.

> With the first round of games complete for each group the best two sides I have seen so far are Germany and Brazil. What has been surprising to me is just how evenly matched most teams are, which I think is what you’d like to see at this level. Most games are decided by which side commits a crucial mistake.

USA World Cup Preview

2010-06-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

As long time readers know once every four years the NBA-Jam blog steps out of its comfort zone to cover the World Cup. Now I’m not a soccer expert by any means. I never played the game and I don’t watch it a lot. However, I do follow our National Team VERY closely and consider myself a member of Sam’s Army. World Cup qualifying for Team USA ran from 6/15/08 to 10/14/09 and included 18 games. Of those 18 I only missed about one and a half, so I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the red, white and blue.

US soccer normally consists of a strong goalie, solid defense, shaky midfield play and no goal scoring. Well this version almost comes from the Bizarro World. Yes we still have a strong goalie, but our defense is very shaky, our midfield is solid and we actually have a bunch of guys that can put the biscuit in the basket for once.

ROSTER

(Club teams in parenthesis)

Goalies

Tim Howard (Everton, England) – Super athletic and smart he makes up for a lot of the mistakes that our back line commits. Without him we are toast.

Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England) & Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England) – It’s not like these guys are bad, but if they are playing we are in trouble.

Defenders

Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France) – Our Captain can play central defense if need be, but his best position for the team in this tournament is left back.

Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA) – Turnover prone and weak with ball. The only way he should see the field is if we have multiple injuries.

Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany) – Never been a big fan of his, but with the way the rest of our D has performed lately he almost has to play right back.

Jay DeMerit (Watford, England) – He’s solid overall but his form hasn’t been up to snuff in the run up to the Cup friendly’s.

Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway) – He has come out of nowhere in terms of the National Team. He’s very tall which is key on set pieces. I’d start him in the middle.

Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy) – Guch is one of our best players…when healthy. The problem is I don’t think he is. He hasn’t played a full 90 minutes since he ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee on 10/14/09. If fit he is a no brainer to start along side Goodson in the middle.

Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England) – Much like DeMerit he’s pretty solid but the problem is he hasn’t even been as good as Jay lately.

Midfielders

DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland) – One of my all time faves, he’s likely relegated to a situational substitute role in his third World Cup.

Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany) – The coach’s son is an integral piece to our midfield game. He can possess the ball in traffic, makes smart passes and is a heck of a tenacious defender.

Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany) – To my eyes he disappears a lot and almost avoids the ball. His main role is defense and he will likely start against England.

Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England) – Has a tendency to run hot and cold, but when he’s locked in he’s super creative and very dangerous in scoring situations.

Landon Donovan (Los Angeles) – In great form right now. Can run all day, hustles all over the place and is our best passer with ease. Has a lot to prove after his 2006 debacle.

Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland) – I like him but I’m not sure he’s good enough to earn minutes with all the depth at his position.

Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark) – He’s weak with ball and I’m not really sure what he does well on the International level. Should not see the light of day.

Stuart Holden (Bolton, England) – He’s really coming into his own. Smart with ball and doesn’t make many mistakes. A possible starter or reserve.

Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico) – He always makes things happen with his hustle and creative passing. Is much stronger with the ball than he used to be. I’d start him, but if we are behind in the second half he HAS to play as a sub.

Forwards

Jozy Altidore (Hull, England) – Sprained his right ankle in training but *should* be fine by 6/12. Has the strength to hold the ball in tight spots, the speed to break away and a nice finishing touch. Our best striker and he’s only 20 years old.

Edson Buddle (Los Angeles) – This guy leads the MLS in goals scored and tallied two against Australia in our final tune up. Scorching hot right now.

Robbie Findley (Salt Lake) – Was a little surprised he made the team at first but his blinding speed is something we need. He has the athleticism to get himself into space but his first touch is lacking something fierce. He’s both dangerous and a questionable decision maker at the same time due to his lack of top level international experience.

Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico) – He led the Mexican league in goals scored this season (the first American to do so in a top foreign league) and had one in the Czech Republic game and one more against Australia. Another guy who’s on fire right now.

STARTING 11

Coach Bob Bradley (BB) likes to use the 4-4-2 formation and outside of the defense has only two tough decisions to make. Obviously Howard, Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan and Altidore are locks. The question comes down to Clark/Holden/Torres for the last midfield spot and Buddle/Findley/Gomez up top with Jozy. (Never would have thought we'd have so many strikers playing well at the same time.)

Right now I’d go with Buddle & Altidore up front saving Findley’s speed and Gomez’s knack for being in the right place at the right time as subs. I’d go with Torres in the midfield without hesitation because of his ability to make things happen. But something tells me BB doesn’t share my view and we’re likely to see Clark or Holden instead because they are more steady and defensive oriented.

Saying our defense is in disarray right now might be kind. Bocanegra is the only definite starter, but where he plays is still up in the air. Goodson is short on big time experience but his form is the best of the rest outside of maybe Cherundolo at the moment. If just one of either Spector or DeMerit could get out of their own way right now I’d feel a lot better. But as is I almost prefer having a less than 100% Guch out there instead of those two. I honestly have no idea who BB will play, but I’d go with Boca/Goodson/Guch/Dolo if forced to choose.

GROUP C

(SPI rank in front of country, USA is #15)

3. England – This is the game everyone is talking about since the last time we played these guys in the World Cup (1950) we beat them 1-0 in what has since become known as the “Miracle on Grass.” Our D is going to be severely tested by the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. But there is a MASSIVE amount of pressure on these guys back home and while they have loads of talent their chemistry isn’t the best.

34. Slovenia – Everything I read about this squad says they are a disciplined team that packs in their defense and looks to counter attack. Exactly the type of team we usually struggle against.

65. Algeria – They will be without their best player, Mourad Meghni, due to patella tendonitis in his left knee. Like a lot of African teams they are up and down. They are just as likely to score a flurry of goals as they are to give up a bunch in a hurry.

PREDICTIONS

6/12 – Since we tend to play well as underdogs and never give up when behind something tells me we will get a result against the Brits. While I’m not ruling out an outright upset I see us getting a late equalizer and a draw here.

6/18 – Coming off the high of the previous game I see us slipping up and Slovenia getting a 1-0 win.

6/23 – Needing a win and a lot of goals to advance out of the group I think we get it done against Algeria 3-0.

If we don’t move on to the knock out stage I will be extremely disappointed. With the group we are in we should have no problem finishing second to England. If we do move on our likely opponent in the second round will be Germany, who we still owe from 2002 when we outplayed them and lost 1-0 in the Quarterfinals. From there who knows, but it wouldn’t shock me if we made it to the Quarters again or even…gasp…the Semis. Any more than that is probably asking too much, but hey, that’s why they play the games!

Finals

2010-06-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

While my 10-4 record in the playoffs might not be the best, the fact that I picked Lakers-Celtics back in October has me feeling pretty good about my prognostication skills for this season all things considered.

Before I move on there are some relevant numbers I need to pass on from the NBA’s most storied rivalry. This will be the 12th time these two franchises have met with all the chips on the table. Unfortunately Boston’s record is 9-2 in the previous 11. (Jerry West and Elgin Baylor just cursed my name for bringing that up.) This is also the first time in 23 years that the preceding two NBA Champions will be playing each other in the Finals.

Now, on to business…

Los Angeles – The number one thing the Lakers have to do to be successful is slow down/limit Rajon Rondo’s penetration. I know Derek Fisher is a convenient punching bag, but the guy has faced Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams and Steve Nash in succession this post season and only needed help with Westbrook. Since Rondo (back) is not 100% it’s possible, albeit unlikely, that Fish can handle him on his own. If Fisher is getting eaten alive I expect Sasha Vujacic and Shannon Brown will get their chances as well before Kobe Bryant has to take over. I didn’t forget to mention Jordan Farmar, who is shooting 45% from three in the playoffs and is just generally playing well, because his olé style D will not slow Rajon down in the least.

The next key for LA is how Pau Gasol plays. In the 2008 Finals he was straight up manhandled by Kevin Garnett from the opening tip. KG got physical with Gasol, pushing him off his spots and incessantly woofing him, and Pau shrunk up like turtle going back into his shell. Hence the origin of his unflattering nickname…GaSOFT. Well fast forward to 2010 and Garnett (right knee) can’t move laterally like he used to. Gasol must take advantage of this by facing KG up in the mid-post area and putting the ball on the floor to get by him. The Big Mouth…err…Ticket also can’t “second jump” anymore. What this means is that Pau and the rest of the Laker bigs need to play some volleyball on the offensive glass.

If Andrew Bynum (right knee) were healthy I don’t think this would be much of a series. As is Drew can still make a difference by playing tough, being a threat offensively, hitting the boards and being an active last line of defense. It would also be nice if he could draw a technical foul on Kendrick Perkins (leading to Perk being suspended for one game).

Boston – The problem for the Celtics is simple…who guards Kobe Bryant? Ray Allen, Michael Finley and Marquis Daniels have no chance because Kobe is playing his best ball since he broke his right index finger on 12/11. The best option for Boston is probably Tony Allen, but Allen (right ankle) is not healthy which makes that a dicey proposition at best. This leaves Paul Pierce, who only averaged 13.5 points a game on 34.5% shooting when guarding LeBron James in the second round. Something tells me that double duty probably isn’t wise for the aging PP if the C’s are to win. Kobe’s just such a willing passer these days, trusting his teammates more than ever, and when his jumper is falling there’s really nothing anyone can do. It will take all of assistant coach Tom Thibodeau’s genius to slow the Mamba down.

The biggest change for either team since 2008 has to be the addition of Ron Artest. You can pretty much guarantee Ronnie’s offense will be up and down all series and that he’ll have one terrible game and one great game along the way. Where Artest will be VERY consistent though is in his defending of Pierce. I expect Ron to be in Paul’s shorts…almost literally…from the opening tip to the final whistle every single game. The question then becomes how does PP deal with it? Something tells me these two are headed for a scuffle, or at the very least a shoving match. And if they both get thrown out and/or suspended…advantage Lakers. With the job Ron-Ron did on the league’s leading scorer (held Kevin Durant to 35% from the field and 20.6% from three down from his season averages of 47.6% & 36.5% respectively) I’d be very worried if I was a Boston fan.

Another concern for the Celtics has to be their reserve big men. Rasheed Wallace (back) isn’t right and Glen Davis is just too short. If LA has done one thing consistently well this post season it’s punish smaller/weaker players down low. So while Big Baby might out hustle them at times, he has no chance to defend Drew or Pau on the low block. Likewise, Sheed and Baby are too slow to contend with Lamar Odom off the dribble. That said whoever wins the individual Wallace-Odom battle nightly could swing the series.

The pick – The Lakers haven’t lost at home all playoffs and have closed out their last five series’ (Denver, Orlando, Oklahoma City, Utah, Phoenix) on the road. Boston finished the season tied for the second best road record (26-15) in the league but only went 24-17 (tied for 15th) at home. Something has to give here.

The C’s have a penchant for giving up big leads in the 4th quarter and will almost certainly get blown out of one game. On the other hand LA has a tendency to hang around all game (as long as their bench doesn’t blow it) and pull out wins at the end. If I live in Beantown I'm concerned about my boys being able to consistently score enough points to stay in games.

Contrary to popular belief this series is going to be ugly and defensive oriented on both sides. Don’t let the Suns series fool you; the Lakers know how to play some serious defense. During the regular season LA was 5th (44.6%) in defensive field goal percentage and Boston was 10th (45.1%). During the playoffs the Lakers are 2nd (43.7%) and the Celtics 3rd (43.8%). The biggest statistical differences I could find were rebounding and turnovers. LA was 7th in rebounding and 6th in turnovers committed during the season and Boston was 25th and 21st respectively. In a series that figures to be this close an extra offensive rebound or unforced turnover could make all the difference.

This Laker group is completely prepared for the Celtics physical and intimidating style and LA has no problem playing slow down grind it out ball either. Also not to be overlooked is the revenge factor for the Lakers. Boston wanted it more last time around and that will not happen again. LA in 7.

Conference Finals & Bron Bron

2010-05-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

My record after two rounds is a steaming pile of 8-4…by far my worst ever. Normally I’d be pretty mad about that, but since I picked three of the final four teams (only missed on San Antonio) correctly back in October I’m actually pretty pleased.

Before moving on to the previews I have to comment on where I think LeBron James will be playing next season. I’m going to rank the teams in terms of which I think has the greatest dynasty potential for the King.

1. Chicago – Could do a sign and trade for Bron using Luol Deng and then use their cap space to sign a big man (Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer). Then pair those two up with the Derrick Rose/Joakim Noah duo and a new coach…LOOK OUT!

2. New Jersey – Assuming they get the #1 pick, draft John Wall and then trade Devin Harris for a “stretch PF.” Their core could be Wall, Courtney Lee, James, new player X and Brook Lopez. Combine that with a new deep-pocketed owner, coach and arena (not to mention Jay-Z) and I don’t think this scenario is as far fetched as many.

3. Clippers – LeBron is the missing piece in the Baron Davis/Eric Gordon/Blake Griffin/Chris Kaman puzzle. He’d get to choose his coach here too, and possibly GM as well, but playing for owner Donald Sterling is probably a long shot.

4. Dallas – This would have to be a sign and trade only, but the Mavericks have the pieces (talent & cap relief) to get it done, an owner/GM combo that isn’t afraid to take chances and the allure of playing a few home games in the new Cowboys stadium. The core would look something like: Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, James, Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood. The downside for LeBron here is that he’d only have a few years before that core was too old to compete.

5. Miami – They can add Bron to Dwyane Wade, one of Bosh/Stoudemire/Boozer and then trade Michael Beasley for a PG or a center. I have them raked so low because after that they’d have to fill out the rest of their roster with minimum salaried players.

6. New York – The plan here would be to sign James, Wade or Joe Johnson, one of Bosh/Stoudemire/Boozer AND get them ALL to take slightly less than the maximum contract. I guess that’s not too off the wall, and they would still have some youngsters with promise in Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Toney Douglas, but Chandler and Gallo both play LeBron’s position. Sorry Knick fans, I just don’t see it happening.

7. Cleveland – If you saw his press conference after the Game 6 loss to the Celtics you know he’s not coming back here.

EAST

Celtics at Magic

Orlando – The Magic have been so good in the post season that they haven’t even been tested yet. Well, that’s about to change. Jameer Nelson has been playing out of his head in the playoffs (27.46 PER) and he will make a big statement if can keep it up against Rajon Rondo’s defense. Dwight Howard must step up and make his struggles against Kendrick Perkins a thing of the past. I also wonder if Rashard Lewis is going to be able to produce against Kevin Garnett. Luckily for Orlando their bench is very stout.

Boston – The aging Celtics obviously aren’t ready to roll over just yet. Other than KG’s resurgence the biggest difference for Boston in the post season has been their improved rebounding. Their rebound differential went from –1.47 in the regular season to +1.72 in the playoffs. They must keep that up to have any chance. The C’s also have to defend the 3-point line which they should be capable of since they can single cover Howard with Perkins. Boston isn’t as deep as the Magic are but their bench has been timely good.

The pick – I expect all these games to be close and decided by who performs better under crunch time pressure. With guys like Vince Carter, R-Lew and Dwight that worries me about Orlando. This series is basically a coin flip in my mind, but my gut tells me that the Celts have the individual match up edge. Since I picked Boston back in October I’m going against all the incredible statistics that the Magic have on their side. Celtics in 6.

WEST

Suns at Lakers

Los Angeles – Not only do the Lakers have a big size advantage up front again, but LA was the better defensive (5th to 12th) and rebounding (7th to 14th) team in the regular season as well. The key for LA will be shutting down Jason Richardson. Taking away the Suns third scorer should not be a problem for either Ron Artest or Kobe Bryant. The Lakers must be sure to keep the pace slow, pound the ball inside and hit the glass hard and they should be fine.

Phoenix – First things first, I expect the Steve Nash/Amar’e Stoudemire pick & roll combo to give LA all kinds of problems. That said the Suns need to play fast and shoot 3’s in transition because the Laker half court D is just too good to beat consistently over the course of a series. Robin Lopez (back) returning to join Goran Dragic, Leandro Barbosa, Jared Dudley, Louis Amundson and Channing Frye will give Phoenix even more of an advantage off the bench.

The pick – Look for LA to come out on fire in Game 1 after six days of rest. I also expect the Laker bench to blow at least one game. Phoenix is a stellar 36-9 since 1/28, but I think people are making too big a deal out of their defense. Yes their D is improved, but it’s not an upper echelon unit by any means. Something tells me this series may not be as close an everyone says. Then again, these are the lackadaisical Lakers. LA in 7.

Second Round

2010-05-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

I ended up going 6-2 in the first round for the second year in a row. Evidently I’m not as clairvoyant as I used to be but I’ll take whatever I can get at this point. I originally had Utah beating Denver in six but I ended up out thinking myself when Andrei Kirilenko was declared out for the series. Obviously Dallas turned out to be strictly a regular season team only so I will take the pipe there.

EAST

Celtics at Cavaliers

Cleveland – The big question on the minds of all Cavs fans is how is LeBron James’ right elbow doing? While I think he was being a little overly dramatic against Chicago, I do expect Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace to come down hard multiple times on Bron’s elbow when fouling him. You know, just to make sure it’s really OK. As for the series itself I think Cleveland is in for more of a test than most do, but in the end their superior depth will wear the Celts down.

Boston – I expect coach Doc Rivers and his crew to try to ugly things up and turn this series into a “classic” mid-90’s affair. Aside from that I think Doc would be wise to let Bron run wild, have KG shut down Antawn Jamison and dare the rest of the Cavs to beat them. Since the C’s were only 25th in rebounding during the regular season they must hit the boards big time because Cleveland was the best rebounding team in the league. I’ll give Boston an outside chance if they can get enough critical breaks to go their way.

The pick – Cavs in 6.

Hawks at Magic

Orlando – With seven full days off in between series’ the Magic should be well rested for the second round. Dwight “Foul On You” Howard could really dominate the undersized Hawks if he is able to stay on the court for longer than 26.5 minutes per game. Jameer Nelson should also have his way with Atlanta since they have no one (outside of rarely used rookie Jeff Teague) that has the quickness to stay in front of him. Orlando is just too deep, too good defensively and too good rebounding the ball to be challenged here.

Atlanta – For the Hawks to have any chance they must push the pace of the games and try to frustrate Howard. You’d think with all their athletes that Atlanta would play fast, but they were actually the fourth slowest team in terms of pace this season. Al Horford has to draw Dwight away from the basket by making mid-range jumpers and Zaza Pachulia needs to try to and agitate Howard by being extra physical with him. If this current group of Hawks doesn’t want this be their last stand they’ll need to play hard every single night.

The pick – Magic in 5.

WEST

Jazz at Lakers

Los Angeles – First things first, Deron Williams is going to have his way with anybody coach Phil Jackson puts on him, including Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest. After that, and possibly Paul Millsap’s energy off the bench, I fail to see where Utah has any more individual advantages. It would behoove LA to end this series quickly since Kobe (right knee/left ankle/right index finger), Artest (left shoulder/left thumb), Lamar Odom (right knee/left shoulder) and Andrew Bynum (right knee) are all hurt. The Laker D was absolutely stifling in the first round (OKC shot 39.1%) and as long as they keep that up they will be fine.

Utah – I think D-Will (left elbow) should be healthy enough, but the news that Kirilenko (left calf) won’t be back until Game 3 is not good for the Jazz. It’s not that Wesley Matthews and C.J. Miles aren’t suited to defend Bryant, it’s just that AK-47’s length always gives Kobe problems. Utah’s biggest issue is that without Memo Okur (left Achilles) they have to rely on the inexperienced tandem of Kyrylo Fesekno/Kosta Koufos and the undersized duo of Carlos Boozer/Millsap to defend LA’s length inside. I don’t see that going well for them over the course of the series.

The pick – Lakers in 7.

Spurs at Suns

Phoenix – While they could really use Robin Lopez’s (bulging disc) size/bulk to defend Tim Duncan nothing else will matter if Steve Nash (right hip) isn’t healthy. Nash looked awful in Game 6 against Portland and he probably won’t be 100% the rest of the way. For the Suns to win Amar’e Stoudemire is going to have to abuse Tim Duncan, Jason Richardson needs to stay hot (52.7% FG & 51.2% 3FG in round one) and Phoenix must keep the tempo high at all times to take advantage of their superior depth.

San Antonio – I expect coach Gregg Popovich to come up with a scheme that both cools J-Rich down and beats Nash up, but I’m not sure how they will contain Amar’e (32.7 points, 11.3 rebounds & 56.3% shooting versus SA this season). Manu Ginobili hasn’t been the same since he broke his nose, Duncan is getting creakier by the minute and I don’t think Tony Parker likes his sixth man role. All that said I see the Spurs being able to control the tempo, win the rebounding battle and Pop making all the right adjustments.

The pick – Spurs in 6.

First Round

2010-04-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

EAST

Bulls at Cavaliers

Cleveland – Since Shaquille O’Neal (right thumb) and Antawn Jamison have only played in three games together coach Mike Brown has the luxury of being able to experiment with different combinations of players here. The Cavs may look out of sync at times since LeBron James hasn’t played in 10 days, but their depth, defense, passion and size will be enough to carry them past any continuity hiccups.

Chicago – Even with all their injuries and internal turmoil the Bulls still managed to scrape their way in to the post season. They play good defense, never give up and are a touch feisty which is actually a good combination for a heavy underdog. Derrick Rose will do all he can to keep them competitive but it won’t be near enough to win more than one game.

The pick – Cavs in 4.

Bucks at Hawks

Atlanta – The Hawks have looked a touch sluggish to me lately and I think it’s possible that they may have peaked a little too early this year. That said this group of players has tons of playoff experience together and that can’t be discounted. While their defensive numbers aren’t that great these guys always seem to ramp up their intensity in big games, and when they do that their athleticism can overwhelm the opposition.

Milwaukee –It’s really a shame that Andrew Bogut (right elbow/hand/wrist) won’t be able to play in this series. If he wasn’t hurt I could see an upset in the making here. As is the Bucks play hard and are a good defensive team, but I just don’t see a match up they can exploit. Sure Brandon Jennings can blow by Mike Bibby at will, but when Jennings tries to take over good things usually don’t follow.

The pick – Hawks in 5.

Heat at Celtics

Boston – These aging vets were only 9-9 over the final month of the season, are 25th in rebound differential and 10th in defensive field goal percentage (not good for them). Something tells me they will be able ratchet up their defense a few notches, but these guys also seem to run out of gas in the 4th quarter a lot. I think you’ll see them let Dwyane Wade “get his” and try to shut everyone else down.

Miami – The Heat closed the season on a 13-3 tear and are 2nd in opponent’s shooting percentage. They are well coached and everyone knows/accepts their role. To win they must out work Boston on the boards and keep the games close so Wade can finish them off at the end. I would not be surprised in the least to see them win this series, but in the end I don’t think they have enough balance to get it done.

The pick – Celts in 6.

Bobcats at Magic

Orlando – They closed the season 12-3, have the best point differential in the league, are the best defensive team percentage wise and are 4th in rebound differential. Oh yeah, they are super deep, well coached, can shoot the 3-ball and have a dominant big man. Not much bad to say about them other than they forget to get Dwight Howard the ball some times.

Charlotte – I expect coach Larry Brown to ugly this series up as much as possible. Look for Theo Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed and Tyson Chandler (if healthy, left hip/elbow) to try and use all their fouls every game on Howard. I give the Cats a punchers chance but only if Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace play out of their heads for four games. In other words, it’s not likely.

The pick – Magic in 5.

WEST

Jazz at Nuggets

Denver – The Nugs finished the season 9-8 and did not look good at all in doing so. The main reason why was that Kenyon Martin (left knee) was out. Denver has nothing up front after K-Mart, Nene and Chris Andersen. To make matters worse coach George Karl (neck/throat cancer) won’t be coaching at all in this round. It’s going to be difficult for the Nuggets to win this series without a healthy Martin (and I don’t see him being healthy) and no Karl, but having home court should help a lot.

Utah – The entire Jazz starting front court is hurt and their status is in various levels of doubt. Andrei Kirilenko (left calf) is out for sure, Carlos Boozer (right oblique) probably won’t be right all series and Memo Okur (left Achilles) is hobbled. For Utah to prevail Paul Millsap must step up and Deron Williams is going have to flirt with a triple double every night. If my experience as a prognosticator has taught me anything it’s to always pick the healthier team in the post season.

The pick – Nugs in 7.

Thunder at Lakers

Los Angeles –LA closed the season 9-7 due to a rash of injuries. Andrew Bynum (left Achilles) is coming back, Jordan Farmar (left hamstring) is probable but Sasha Vujacic (left ankle) is doubtful. The biggest worry has to be Kobe Bryant though. Yes he’s playing with a broken right index finger, but something else has to be going on with him as his touch has completely left him recently. The Lakers are in for a battle here, but if they pound the ball in to Bynum (assuming he’s healthy) and Pau Gasol they should be ok. If the ball doesn’t move side to side on offense though they will be in BIG trouble.

Oklahoma City – The Thunder scare me big time as a Laker fan. They are healthier, younger, deeper and more athletic than LA is. They also play similar defense (6th to 5th) and rebound slightly better (6th to 7th). I expect Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to go off but OKC is a little small up front to deal the Lakers size. Nenad Krstic (right knee) is banged up and Jeff Green is too short/light to deal with Gasol or Bynum. Bench players Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka might see a lot of minutes here. If the Thunder can deal with big game pressure they will win this series.

The pick – Lakers in 7.

Spurs at Mavericks

Dallas – I really like the Mavs depth and athleticism and expect them to use both to their advantage here. Where Dallas has to tighten things up is on the boards. The Spurs are the far superior rebounding team (24th to 3rd) so Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Erik Dampier and Brendan Haywood all need to focus on hitting the glass as a unit. Familiarity breeds contempt, and this series is sure to get testy, but if the Mavs can maintain their cool I like their chances.

San Antonio – Tony Parker (right hand) has only been back for six pretty inconsistent games and George Hill (right ankle) is very gimpy. After those two it’s literally D-Leaguers on the PG depth chart for SA. For the Spurs to win this series Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan will have to be great together four times. In the past that wouldn’t be very much to ask, but these days both look very creaky at times, especially Duncan.

The pick – Mavs in 7.

Trail Blazers at Suns

Phoenix – The Suns closed the season on a 14-2 tear are were the hottest team in the West over the second half of the season. What makes this Phoenix team different is they aren’t terrible defensively (12th in defensive field goal percentage) while still scoring like crazy. As long as the Suns keep the tempo high they should be fine. Starting center Robin Lopez (back) missing this round shouldn’t hurt them too much either.

Portland – Sorry Blazer fans but not having Brandon Roy (right knee) is going to be too much to overcome here. That said I’ll give Portland a punchers chance if they are able to really ugly up the games and keep Phoenix under 100 points consistently. Rudy Fernandez snapping out of his season long funk would be big, as would Andre Miller abusing Steve Nash in the low post or LaMarcus Aldridge starting to earn his fat paycheck by performing well in big games.

The pick – Suns in 5.

Tap Dancing & Year End Awards

2010-04-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

By my standards this was a very poor season of predictions. In fact, I think it was my worst since I started this blog. While the two best teams in the Association are certainly from the East, every playoff team in the West won at least 50 games for only the second time in league history (’07-08). Not to mention that only the top four seeds in the East would even make the playoffs in the West, and the fourth seed (Boston) just barely.

EAST

I had in…

5. Washington Wizards – The easy way out to is to blame Gilbert Arenas’ actions and the season long distraction they caused. While that no doubt was a significant part of Washington’s suckitude, the reality is this team wasn’t that good even when healthy/intact. They didn’t seem to listen to coach Flip Saunders right from the start and their average of 18.98 assists per game (27th overall) suggests they didn’t really like playing together either.

6. Philadelphia 76ers – Coach Eddie Jordan never employed any type of defensive scheme, never settled on a sensible rotation and rarely if ever actually ran his beloved Princeton offense. With that out of the way this club is in need of a major shake up that has to start with unloading Andre Iguodala. Addition by subtraction, whatever, it needs to be done if for no other reason than to get rid of Iggy’s poor attitude and huge contract. The Sixers also will have three expiring contracts next season in Samuel Dalembert, Jason Kapono and Willie Green. That should be enough to bring in a much-needed infusion of new blood to go with the Philly core of Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams and Marreese Speights (possibly Jason Smith & Jodie Meeks too).

8. Toronto Raptors – Even though Chris Bosh (left ankle/right side of face) missed 12 games and Hedo Turkoglu (free agent) had his worst season since his rookie year what really did T-Dot in was their lack of defense. The Raps defense was the worst in the league on a points per possession basis allowing 110.2 points per 100 possessions. To me the blame for that falls squarely on coach Jay Triano. He had no defensive system to my eyes and failed miserably at motivating his troops to play hard on that end. After four full seasons on the job I think GM Bryan Colangelo is officially on the clock, especially if Bosh leaves town.

I had out…

10. Miami Heat – First things first. When I made my call on the Heat back in October Carlos Arroyo (free agent) wasn’t even on their roster. He ended up starting 35 games so that makes a difference. I also didn’t count on Jermaine O’Neal having his best season since ’06-07, but I probably should have since it was his contract year. Miami also went 10-2 in games JO missed, which was unexpected. Dwyane Wade continued to defy the injury odds by only missing five games. But the main reason I was wrong on Miami was that they improved their defense from tied for 12th in opponent’s field goal percentage last year to 2nd overall this season.

12. Charlotte Bobcats – Oh how coach Larry Brown must love to stick it to me by making the playoffs. Congrats buddy, you’ve succeeded in making the Cats a mediocre, boring to watch, capped out mess for years to come. The real credit needs to go to GM Rod Higgins though for acquiring Stephen Jackson for nothing of consequence on November 16th. That deal swung Charlotte’s season in the right direction and Higgins also managed to grab contributors Tyrus Thomas, Theo Ratliff and Larry Hughes off the scrap heap. Not sure that Thomas is really worth a first round pick, but he still helped them nonetheless.

13. Milwaukee Bucks – When evaluating the Bucks in October I actually thought they could be good if they stayed healthy. Thing is, they didn’t, and they still turned out better than even my most optimistic forecast. Michael Redd (left knee) missed 64 games and Andrew Bogut (right elbow/hand/wrist) missed 13. GM John Hammond deserves some of the credit for replacing Redd with John Salmons (trade) and Jerry Stackhouse (free agent) while not losing any core players. But it’s really coach Scott Skiles who earned the lion’s share of the kudos. The way he brought rookie PG Brandon Jennings along was really out of character for him, but it worked big time. Skiles also got the most out of guys like Bogut, Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova and Luke Ridnour. Hence, they made the playoffs.

WEST

I had in…

7. New Orleans Hornets – Chris Paul (left knee) missed 37 games. Case closed.

8. Los Angeles Clippers – Prized rookie big man Blake Griffin (left knee) didn’t play at all, which probably led to coach/GM Mike Dunleavy Sr. finally getting the axe. I could break this down more, but really, at this point I should know much better than to pick the Clips in any type of 50-50 situation.

I had out…

9. Phoenix Suns – I’ve written this before but I had them in the eighth spot originally and decided to switch them down one at the last minute. The main reason was because I didn’t like their frontcourt depth at all. Well Robin Lopez, Channing Frye and Louis Amundson proved me wrong in a big way. I also didn’t think they could sustain any injuries. Well thanks to Goran Dragic’s improved play they didn’t miss Leandro Barbosa (right wrist) at all when he went down for 38 games. Other than Barbosa and Lopez (back) no one else missed any significant time, which is really par for the course these days with the Suns training staff. Lesson learned.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder – I thought they were still a year away but coach Scott Brooks got his club to buy into a defensive system and the Thunder went from 27th in defensive field goal percentage last year to 6th this season. Kevin Durant is obviously a superstar in the making and Russell Westbrook is well on his way to becoming a true #2 guy. The rest of the team is filled out with high character role players. You have to love the job GM Sam Presti has done here. It’s hard to find fault with a single move he’s made other than hiring P.J. Carlesimo to be his first coach. In three years Presti has blown up his entire roster and put together this young nucleus: Durant, Westbrook, Jeff Green Serge Ibaka, Nenad Krstic, Thabo Sefolosha, James Harden and Eric Maynor. Anyone who thinks you can’t turn things around quickly in the NBA needs to recognize.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Dwight Howard (Orlando)
2. Gerald Wallace (Charlotte)
3. Josh Smith (Atlanta)

All-Defense

PG – Rajon Rondo (Boston)
SG – Thabo Sefolosha (Oklahoma City)
SF – Gerald Wallace (Charlotte)
PF – Josh Smith (Atlanta)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Jamal Crawford (Atlanta)
2. Jason Terry (Dallas)
3. Anderson Varejao (Cleveland)

Executive of the Year

1. John Hammond (Milwaukee)
2. Donnie Nelson (Dallas)
3. Rod Higgins (Charlotte)

Coach of the Year

1. Scott Brooks (Oklahoma City)
2. Scott Skiles (Milwaukee)
3. Erik Spoelstra (Miami)

Rookie of the Year

1. Tyreke Evans (Sacramento)
2. Stephen Curry (Golden State)
3. Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee)

All-Rookie Team

PG – Darren Collison (New Orleans)
SG – Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee)
SF – Stephen Curry (Golden State)
PF – Marcus Thornton (New Orleans)
C – Tyreke Evans (Sacramento)

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James (Cleveland)
2. Dwight Howard (Orlando)
3. Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City)
4. Dwyane Wade (Miami)
5. Kobe Bryant (Lakers)

All-NBA

PG – Dwyane Wade (Miami)
SG – Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
SF – Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City)
PF – LeBron James (Cleveland)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)

Second Team

PG – Steve Nash (Phoenix)
SG – Deron Williams (Utah)
SF – Carmelo Anthony (Denver)
PF – Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
C – Tim Duncan (San Antonio)

Third Team

PG – Rajon Rondo (Boston)
SG – Brandon Roy (Portland)
SF – Chris Bosh (Toronto)
PF – Amar’e Stoudemire (Phoenix)
C – Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee)

Rookie Report

2010-03-13T14:30:00.000-08:00

First off my apologies for the lack of a ‘Trade Spectacular’ this year. My back has been acting up and sitting in front of a computer in my spare time was not the prudent course of action. With that said it’s time for the second annual ‘Rookie Report.’

Taj Gibson (Chicago) – Good rebounder with a high basketball IQ (BBIQ). Nice all around player that can defend either forward position and is a good teammate. Will likely have a long career as a role player.

James Johnson (Chicago) – Very athletic but doesn’t excel in any one area. Low BBIQ and really needs to develop his game to last in the NBA.

Rodrigue Beaubois (Dallas) – Lightning quick, athletic and long. Can get to the basket at will, is a decent outside shooter and very able defender. He’ll be a star if he improves his jump shot and learns how to pick his spots while running a team at the same time.

Ty Lawson (Denver) – Already one of the fastest players with the ball in the NBA. Can penetrate at will, excels at finding the open man and can also finish at the rim. Jumper is a little suspect and he’s a bit of a gambler on defense, but a keeper nonetheless.

Austin Daye (Detroit) – Lots of skill and potential but needs to seriously bulk up and play hard more consistently. A long-term project at best right now.

Jonas Jerebko (Detroit) – Love this guy. He’s a true hustler that doesn’t need the ball and enjoys doing the little things. High BBIQ, can defend both forward positions, unselfish and knows his role. Needs to work on his handle and jumper, but could play on my team any day.

Stephen Curry (Golden State) – Great stroke and first step off the dribble. Excellent passer, knows how to run a team and is a good rebounder for his size. Has no interest in defense, needs to bulk up and I’m worried about the bad habits he’s picking up under coach Don Nelson.

David Anderson (Houston) – The big man from down under can shoot it from mid-range out to 3-point land. He’s active and a decent rebounder but doesn’t defend or get physical in the paint.

Chase Budinger (Houston) – Sneaky athletic with a good jumper. Can finish in transition or blow by his man off the dribble. Plays hard and smart but needs to learn better defensive technique. Should have been drafted much higher than #44. Might be the second coming of Rex Chapman.

Tyler Hansbrough (Indiana) – A hustler who is not afraid to mix it up down low and can rebound some. Struggles to finish at the rim or stay in front of his man on defense due to lack of athleticism. Not much of a jump shot and seems injury prone.

Hasheem Thabeet (Memphis) – Slow and lumbering big man with a very mechanical offensive game (and that’s being kind). Good shot blocker and possibly rebounder in the future, but his “upside” doesn’t impress me.

Sam Young (Memphis) – Athletic swingman that plays with toughness and energy. Not very skilled offensively but could be a useful role player.

Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee) – Super quick off the dribble and can finish at the rim or rain a deep 3-pointer. Obviously has scoring instincts first, but I’ve been impressed with his development as a floor general within this season. Not a good defender but this kid really wants to be great and prove people wrong, and I think he’ll put in the work to do so.

Jonny Flynn (Minnesota) – Smart player and a good leader/competitor, but I’m not sure he does any one thing at an NBA level. Has the quickness to penetrate but can’t finish at the rim and struggles to find his teammates. Inconsistent shooter and not much of a defender. Not sold on him at all.

Wayne Ellington (Minnesota) – Has a sweet stroke with deep range. Could carve out a role as a designated shooter type if he gets in better shape and works on his D.

Terrence Williams (New Jersey) – An uber-athlete that doesn’t seem to be a good teammate. Doesn’t really know how to play on offense or defense. Has the talent to be an NBA player if he ever “gets it.”

Darren Collison (New Orleans) – Very quick and aggressive with the ball in transition and half court. Looks to score first sometimes but never forgets to keep his teammates involved. Must learn to play at different speeds and improve consistency on jumper.

Marcus Thornton (New Orleans) – The steal of the draft at #43 he is the modern day Microwave. Short and stocky he is fearless with deep range on his J. Has a sneaky explosive first step that he uses when defenders crowd him. Won’t ever be anything but a scorer, but you could do much worse than him as your sixth man.

James Harden (Oklahoma City) – Unselfish player with a high BBIQ. Can shoot it from mid-range out to deep and put it on the floor to get to the rim. Since he’s not super-athletic he uses change of pace to get by people. Kind of a poor man’s Brandon Roy.

Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City) – Long and athletic big man from Congo could be an elite defender in time. Already a good shot blocker and decent rebounder. Possesses good hands and knows his role but very raw on offense.

Eric Maynor (Oklahoma City) – Very steady true PG that knows how to run a team. Good defender but not much game on offense. A career backup.

Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia) – Great size, strength, quickness and athleticism for a 19-year old. Can shoot from deep, penetrate when he needs to and has excellent defensive potential. Has all the tools to be a star someday but I don’t get the sense that he has a high BBIQ.

Earl Clark (Phoenix) – Another athletic freak with absolutely no clue how to play. What’s worse is he seems to lack the desire to compete at a high level mentally. Another Rick Pitino NBA bust in the making.

Dante Cunningham (Portland) – A smart player that knows and accepts his role. Doesn’t excel at anything but plays hard, defends, makes open shots and does the little things needed to win.

Jon Brockman (Sacramento) – An undersized bruising PF who makes his living hustling, rebounding, setting picks and taking hard fouls. Doubt he’s really an NBA player but I had to mention him because of his nickname “Brock Ness Monster.”

Omri Casspi (Sacramento) – Tough, smart player with a nice all around game. A glue guy that hustles, makes open shots and can defend. Needs to work on his handle and improve the consistency of his stroke, especially from deep. Has the length, athleticism and demeanor to be a future defensive stopper.

Tyreke Evans (Sacramento) – Built like a football player with enough athleticism and length to be unguardable when he gets it going. Almost unstoppable off the dribble already he would really benefit from improving his jumper. Can create for others but would rather “get his” at this point. Good rebounder for his position and has all the tools to be a good defender as well. Biggest issue with him going forward is that he’s not the best teammate.

DeJuan Blair (San Antonio) – Fantastic rebounder who does it all by positioning and work ethic. While he lacks any form of athletic ability he does have long arms and good hands. Even with those attributes he struggles to finish at the rim and has no chance to defend quicker players. Undersized fat guys usually don’t have a long shelf life in the NBA.

DeMar DeRozan (Toronto) – Very long and extremely athletic he’s another “upside” guy. The difference with him compared to others is that he understands how to play. He doesn’t force things he can’t do and is willing to play a role. Needs to work on his 3-point shooting and handle. Can also be a lock-down defender if he wants to.

Wesley Matthews (Utah) – Very steady low mistake guy. Plays tough defense, makes open shots and has 3-point range. Doesn’t try to be something he’s not. Reminds me of a slightly less talented version of Courtney Lee.

My Year in Music 2009

2010-02-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

This is the first time since I’ve started recapping my year in music (2006, 2007, 2008) that Phish was back. So I’ve got to change things up a bit since a club show, no matter how good, really doesn’t compare to Phish show.

Raw Statistics

Phish Shows – 21
Other Shows – 13

Studio Albums

5) Garage A Trois – “Power Patriot”

I have to admit I was a little worried how GAT would sound with Marco Benevento’s keyboard weirdness replacing Charlie Hunter’s guitar wizardry. But from the opening notes of the album Benevento makes his presence known without overpowering the music. GAT certainly sounds different with no guitar but Stanton Moore, Skerik and Mike Dillon can still hold down a fierce groove. If you are looking for some peppy offbeat jazz that can get groovy and spacey alike, look no further.

4) Medeski Martin & Wood – “Radiolarians II”

I know the general consensus is that “Radiolarians III” is the best of the Radiolarian Series, but I beg to differ. While “III” certainly does have some good tunes it’s not as solid from start to finish as “II” is. To me “II” is MMW’s best work since 2000’s “The Dropper.” On “II” MMW was able to once again strike that perfect balance between abstract spacey-ness, groove and piano trio. Overall “II” and “III” are probably must haves for any MMW fan.

3) Soulive – “Up Here”

After 2007’s “No Place Like Soul” I was more than a little worried about Soulive’s direction. But with “Up Here” Soulive returns to their roots as the rocking funk/soul trio we all know and love. Joining the core trio on “Up Here” are The Shady Horns (Ryan Zoidis & Sam Kininger) and trust me these two make a big difference. This album has a little bit of everything but mostly its just good old-fashioned Soulive kicking it like only they can.

2) Phish – “Joy” and “Party Time”

Phish returned to the recording world with a double album that displayed both their newfound maturity and the once lost love of their own craft. While some phans might think the album is too generic with no jams, I for one really like “Joy.” After all it is a studio album, and when looked at through that lens I’m not sure how one couldn’t appreciate it. Other than the quirky little ditty “I Been Around” there’s not a bad song on the disc.

“Party Time” is the companion disc to “Joy,” and while “Party Time” is not quite as polished from start to finish, it still packs many highlights. Page McConnell’s “If I Told You” chief among them. With outtakes ranging from 1998 to 2009 you have to almost be amazed at what Phish leaves on the cutting room floor. In fact, “Party Time” has seen many more plays than “Joy” in my house. (Random sidebar: I hope I’m in attendance for the Phish debut of “The Birdwatcher.”)

1) The Black Crowes – “Before the Frost…Until the Freeze”

This double release tour de force is hands down the best studio album of the year, and it’s not even close. This is the Crowes returning to the glory days of 1992’s “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion” and 1994’s “Amorica.” Just like Phish, the Crowes are in a much better place after returning from their breakup and they likely delivered their version of the classic Grateful Dead duo of “American Beauty/Workingman’s Dead” here. Yes, I’m serious.

This double disc was recorded in front of a live audience at Levon Helm’s Woodstock, NY studio dubbed The Barn. With Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall now firmly entrenched as full time members of the band, and guests Larry Campbell (banjo, fiddle & pedal steel) and Joe Magistro (percussion), you can really feel the down home comfortable vibe they had going on.

Rather than give you all the highlights, I’ll just say go buy or download it instead. You’ll thank me later.

Official Live Releases

I only bought seven non-download releases this year, so I’m going to shorten up the list to my top three.

3) theNEWDEAL – “live: TORONTO 7.16.09” – CD with highlights from 7/16/09

Released in late December this bad boy slides in right under the wire. Recorded in their hometown of Toronto “7.16.09” finds tND in a very playful and relaxed mood. The songs list is pretty standard with “Gnome,” “Deep Sun,” and “Gone Gone Gone” all checking in, but as with all tND shows the jams define this disc. This one is perfect for late night when your party needs a boost of energy.

2) New Monsoon – “Live” – 2 CD compilation of 9/17,19-20/08

With new members Sean Hutchinson and Marshall Harrell on the road for over a year these shows where the end of an extended period of transition for the band before they took a well-earned break. These discs are the perfect prescription to get any Monsooniac though this period of time where the Bay Area quintet isn’t gigging very much. The first disc focuses more on songs with only “Naked Truth” and “Rattlesnake Ride” stretching out. The second disc is where their jamming steps to the forefront. Overall NM is a tight well-oiled rock and roll machine here, and of special note is that the 9/20 show was in Houston just days after hurricane Ike hit.

1) Phish – “The Clifford Ball” – 7 DVD’s of complete 8/16-17/96 (including sound check & flatbed jam)

I’m not sure what more I can say about this historic moment that hasn’t already been said? This was Phish’s first multi-day campout festival in the middle of nowhere, seven more would follow. These were my fifth and sixth Phish shows respectively and I went all the way up to Plattsburgh, NY by myself (what a noob I was). Anyway, its all here in surround sound and the multi-camera shoot doesn’t miss anything. Oh yeah, and the band was on fire for six sets making this a must have for any phan.

Top 4 Non-Phish Shows

4) 10/23/09 – Umphrey’s McGee – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre (15th show)
I: Cemetery Walk, Rocker (part II), Great American > Andy’s Last Beer, Words, Tribute to the Spinal Shaft
II: Ocean Billy, Pay the Snucka, The Song Remains the Same, Cemetery Walk II, Syncopated Strangers, Partyin’ Peeps, Hangover > Pay the Snucka
E: Mulche’s Odyssey

This was the first Umphrey’s show in Eugene since 5/11/05 and the turnout was still good. In fact I think the band was pretty surprised not only by the amount of people but at how rowdy and into it they were. The first set started out a little slow with “Cemetery Walk” but got rolling with “Rocker.” “Great American” was sublime and the transition into “Andy’s Last Beer” was flawless. “Words” kept things rolling and the closing “Spinal Shaft” stretched out to almost 23 minutes and was certainly a highlight of the evening.

The second set really got started for me with Led Zeppelin’s “Song Remains the Same.” Man, does the Umph ever pull this one off nicely. But the meat of the show came next with the one-two punch of “Cemetery Walk II” and “Syncopated Strangers,” with “Walk II” being another highlight. I guarantee that “Peeps” was played as a shout out to the crowd and “Hangover” slid ever so smoothly back into “Snucka.” “Mulche’s” was really just icing on the cake and I doubt it will be another four years before UM returns to Eugene.

3) 4/17/09 – Yonder Mountain String Band – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre (5th show)
I: Rambling Boy, River, Only a Northern Song, Ain’t No Way of Knowing, A Father’s Arms, Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Peace of Mind > Girlfriend is Better, Fingerprint > Boatman > Peace of Mind
II: Blue Collar Blues, Kentucky Mandolin, Nothin’ But Nothin’, Rain Still Falls, Big Mon, Out of the Blue, Just the Same, Traffic Jam > One Love, Granny Woncha Smoke Some > Traffic Jam
E: Tear Down the Grand Ol’ Opry, Country Boy Rock & Roll
with Sam Bush on fiddle, mandolin & vocals entire show

There was a wild energy in the room for this one right off the bat. For starters Jeff Austin is a personal friend of the production manager at the McDonald. Next Sam Bush’s sister lives in Lane County. The place ran out of beer, they played past curfew and two girls got in a fight on the front row. We’re talking some serious electricity in the air.

As for the music all five musicians were obviously having a blast and the Yonder guys were clearly psyched to be sharing the stage with one of their idols. The highlights for me were the end of each set. “Peace of Mind” into the Talking Heads “Girlfriend is Better” was just sick. And “Boatman” back into “Peace of Mind” closed set one out nicely. But it was the “Traffic Jam” that was absolutely fierce. Bob Marley’s “One Love” and John Hartford’s “Granny” got a little shticky, but “Traffic Jam” brought it home in epic style.

2) 12/29/09 – The Heavy Pets – Miami, FL – Tobacco Road (2nd show)
This Side Up, Black Ice > Madagascar, Help Me Help You, Song for John, Xylophone > So Thank You Music, Grace Blix, Waiting for a Sign, Eleanor B Roosevelt, Played Again, Jackie Bones
E: Drenched

In my advanced years I can’t rage late night shows every night like I used to, nor do I really feel the need especially after a Phish show. But the chance to catch my second Pets show (the first being 7/29 before Red Rocks) on their home turf was too good to pass up. We got there around 12:30 during “This Side Up” and the place was small, packed and stuffy hot. It took forever to get a beer (thanks Bill) but once “Black Ice” started it was all good. “Ice” shredded like it always does and faded into an excellently played “Madagascar.”

But the jams were really just getting started. “HMHY” was 20 minutes of sickness. “Song for John” was the only down tempo song I remember and “Xylophone” was really just a massive build up before the drop into a 35 minute “STYM.” I mean, if you are a Pets novice or a doubter I challenge you to listen to this “STYM” and not come away impressed. The jam had one of everything and two of the better sellers.

“Grace Blix” was a perfect way for everyone to get their heads back about themselves before the Pets started up an absolutely ripping 17 minute “Waiting for a Sign.” By this time Teri was riding the rail, singing along and making eye contact with her new young heroes. After “Sign” it was like 2:30 and our old assess were done. We heard “Elber” outside waiting for our cab and were bummed we missed the closing “Jackie Bones.”

Overall though this was exactly what a young band playing a late night after Phish should have done. They jammed the shit out of everything they played and kept the place boogying like there was no tomorrow. There wasn’t a single person that left this show thinking anything less than “These guys are going places.”

1) 3/5/09 – the Disco Biscuits – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa (17th show)
I: The Overture > Caves of the East, Nughuffer > The Great Abyss > Spacebirdmatingcall > Nughuffer
II: Mirrors^, The Very Moon > Voices Insane > I-Man > Crickets > I-Man > Orch Theme > I-Man
E: Hope > The Overture
^ 1st time played

We got into the NorVa during “Caves of the East.” The place was packed and sweaty, but there were some places to boogie if you searched hard enough. After a brief hello from bassist Marc Brownstein the boys started up a “Nughuffer.” The story didn't have much to it, but at the 5:13 mark they drop into some serious Bisco madness that doesn’t let up until the end of the set. The rest of “Nughuffer” just builds into a sick “Great Abyss” which went on for almost 23 minutes.

At this point Teri and I were in the upstairs bar, drinks in hand, dancing our asses off. “Spacebird” is always nice to hear and took the dance party into a somewhat more ambient direction. The segue back into “Nughuffer” was seamless and we were left amazed after only about an hour of music. Overall this was about all I could ask for in a first set after only being on the East Coast for a few hours.

Set number two opened up with a brand new Brownie tune called “Mirrors.” It had an island feel to it and was well received by the hardcore’s in attendance. From there stuff got crazy again with “Very Moon > Voices Insane > I-Man > Crickets > I-Man.” I stop it there only because we left somewhere around the “Crickets > I-Man” section. Hey, it was already one o’clock in the morning, we had an hour long cab ride staring us in the face and some pretty pressing business the next day.

Top 10

I managed to see shows on every tour this year except for fall. I purposely didn’t review any Phish shows after Hampton saving my thunder for this piece. Keep in mind this is one man's opinion on the shows he saw, nothing more.

10) 3/8/09 – Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum (88th show)
I: Sanity*, Wilson, Foam, Bathtub Gin, Undermind^, AC/DC Bag, My Friend My Friend, Scent of a Mule, All of These Dreams, Maze, She Thinks I Still Care^, Army of One, Tube, Cars Trucks Buses, Free, Frankenstein
II: Down with Disease > Seven Below, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Twist > Also Sprach Zarathustra, The Moma Dance, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Slave to the Traffic Light
E: Contact, Bug, Tweezer Reprise
* last played 11/27/98
^ 1st time played

I’d be remiss if a Hampton show didn’t make the top ten. You can check out my full Reunion Rundown here.

9) 6/21/09 – East Troy, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre (92nd show)
I: Brother, Wolfman's Brother, Funky Bitch, The Divided Sky, Joy, Back on the Train, Taste, Poor Heart, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, Time Turns Elastic
II: Crosseyed and Painless > Down with Disease > Bug > Piper > Wading in the Velvet Sea, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Slave to the Traffic Light
E: Grind, Frankenstein

This show got off to an auspicious start when one by one all of the band member’s children got into a tub at the front of the stage. It was a nice homage to Father’s Day and made Kenny look like a genius as he called the “Brother” opener walking into the venue. It was also very nice to be sixth row Page side for this gag. The rest of the first set was pretty standard save for a ripping version of Son Seals’ “Funky Bitch,” my second “TMWSIY > Avenu > TMWSIY” and my first “TTE.”

Set number two is really what made this show though. The first 3.0 version of the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless” came out of nowhere and melted into some ambient weirdness before sliding perfectly into “DwD.” This one-two punch clocked in at nearly half an hour of total sickness. After a “Bug” interlude the boys took “Piper” way out there and crafted a version of the song that I thoroughly enjoyed (for a change). Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On” was fun and the “Slave” was expertly played for a perfect capper to the night.

8) 8/8/09 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre (99th show)
I: The Mango Song, Chalkdust Torture, Middle of the Road^, Tweezer, Driver, Twenty Years Later, Ya Mar, It's Ice, Wolfman's Brother, Character Zero, Run Like an Antelope
II: Rock and Roll > Makisupa Policeman, Alaska, The Wedge, You Enjoy Myself, Backwards Down the Number Line > Piper, Grind
E: Good Times Bad Times, Tweezer Reprise
^ 1st time played

I have to start out with a disclaimer that I may have this show too low, but it was the final night of our seven-show run and we were both very worn out for this one. My first “Mango” since 1999 was a nice way to start things off and “Chalkdust” always keeps the momentum rolling. Leo Kottke’s “Middle of the Road” was debuted next and really grew on me in subsequent listenings. The band’s second ever take on “Twenty Years” was nice to hear as was the always welcome “It’s Ice.”

The second set once again provided the meat of the show with the Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” gracing us with 23 minutes of fierce jamming. “YEM” was the next highlight and packed a little something extra under the stars of the Gorge. The real sleeper portion of the show was the closing 20-minute duo of “BDTNL > Piper.” While it may not look good on paper when you hear it you’ll understand. Led Zeppelin’s “GTBT” was a rockin’ way to close out an awesome weekend of shows.

7) 8/1/09 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre (95th show)
I: AC/DC Bag, The Curtain With, Mound, Gotta Jibboo, Guyute, Punch You in the Eye, Tube, Alaska, Run Like an Antelope
II: Rock and Roll > Down with Disease > Free, Esther*, Dirt, Harry Hood
E: Sleeping Monkey, First Tube
* last played 9/30/2000

The third night of Red Rocks had a lot to live up to after the previous night’s disgusting second set, but Phish kept the momentum rolling like only they can. The first “Curtain With” since the horrendously botched version that ended Coventry was performed with verve. The first “Mound” since the original comeback show (12/31/02) was an excellent treat and let everyone know the boys meant business. My first 3.0 “Jibboo” got the dance party started and “Guyute,” “PYITE,” “Tube” kept the momentum rolling. The set closing “Antelope” did not disappoint either making this the best first set of the entire Red Rocks run.

The second set was no slouch either but when compared to the night before it doesn’t quite measure up. That said the “R&R > DwD > Free” was 37+ minutes of risk taking improvisational madness. The return of “Esther” was not only a surprise but expertly played as well. “Dirt” was the only breather of the set before a majestic “Hood” closed out this fine summer evening in the mountains. All of our friends and the people around us thought the second set was a little short but a raging “First Tube” encore succeeded in quelling those mild concerns.

6) 6/19/09 – Noblesville, IN – Verizon Wireless Music Center (90th show)
I: Backwards Down the Number Line, AC/DC Bag, Limb by Limb, The Moma Dance, Water in the Sky, Split Open and Melt, Lawn Boy, The Wedge, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, The Connection^, Ocelot, Fluffhead
II: A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing > Drowned > Twist, Let Me Lie, Tweezer > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Suzy Greenberg, Possum
E: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise
^ 1st time played

Back at Deer Creek for the first time since 8/11/97 I was psyched up and ready for a good time. I actually thought the first set started off a little slowly. “Moma” got things rolling and “Melt” took them to the next level with a nice jam. But it was the closing quintet of tunes that really made this first set something special. Four of the final five songs were 3.0 debuts for me, but none more special than the concert debut of “The Connection.” I’m one of the rare few that actually likes this song and is willing to dance to it. I ran to the bathroom when “Fluffhead” started which turned out to be a great move.

At set break there was a tremendous thunderstorm with all the trimmings; sheets of thick rain, loud thunder and crazy-ass lightning. It was so bad that Page came out and announced that the second set would be delayed until 11 PM and that the lawn needed to be cleared immediately. Good thing too, because as crazy as the storm was it got much worse with lightning flying all over the sky. At this point we were oh so glad to be under the pavilion as the lawn people had to go back to their cars.

When the show started back up again there was a wild energy in the crowd; like anything could and would happen next. Well it did with the fifth ever and last of the year “Ocean Sing” opening the set up in grand style. “ASIHTOS” went way out there into some serious psychedelic spaces before transitioning into The Who’s “Drowned.” “Drowned” is not normally a cover I look forward to but this version was different, way different. What made it special was Trey Anastasio’s energy. Big Red was jumping up and down just chomping at the bit to rip the jam section and when the band got there he took over big time. After a seriously energetic “Drowned” splashed down into “Twist” the opening triumvirate was complete. Wow.

After a half hour of intense and energetic jamming “Let Me Lie” was a needed break. But then the boys dove right back in with a muscular “Tweezer” that got the crowd revved up again and threw them into a frenzy when it morphed into “2001.” “Suzy” and “Possum” were just icing on the cake at this point and when “Tweeprise” dropped the lightning was back just in time for the end of the show.

5) 12/31/09 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena (106th show)
I: AC/DC Bag, 46 Days, Water in the Sky, Bathtub Gin, Punch You in the Eye, The Moma Dance, Guyute, Swept Away* > Steep*, Demand** > Seven Below, Lawn Boy, Julius
II: Rock and Roll > Piper, Simple, Theme from the Bottom, Shine a Light, Ghost > NO2***, Suzy Greenberg
III: Party Time > Auld Lang Syne > Down with Disease, Fluffhead, Joy, The Squirming Coil, You Enjoy Myself
E: Blue Moon^, Loving Cup
* last played 7/1/00
** last played 11/14/96
*** last played 7/13/99
^ 1st time played

Another disclaimer is probably need here as I had waaaaay too much fun on New Year’s Eve. So this show could either be too high or too low but after several re-listens it certainly deserves to be in the Top 10. The first set gradually built the momentum until “Gin” dropped and all hell broke loose. After that it was high energy romps through “PYITE,” “Moma” and “Guyute.” I remember back in ’96 when I was sick of hearing “Swept > Steep” every other night, but it was truly a pleasant surprise on this evening. What came next was an even bigger shock with “Demand” appearing out of the ether. (Side note: I’ve now seen the last two renderings of “Demand.”) The segue into “7 Below” was just what I needed and my first 3.0 “Julius” closed the set out on an energetic note.

Set number two featured yet another standout version of “R&R” to kick things off and the jam dropped into a raging “Piper.” This one-two punch could not have played to the energy in the arena any better. “Simple” and “Theme” kept the momentum going and the Rolling Stones’ “Shine a Light” was the absolute perfect choice for a mid-set down tempo number. The “Ghost” that came next was swamp-funk thick and took the dance party to the next level. As “Ghost” started to drone to an end my personal biggest bust out of the show happened with my first ever “NO2.” It wasn’t really a musical highlight just very nice to finally hear. The “Suzy” that closed the set felt rushed to me, but that is picking nits.

Me and everyone else called the “Party Time > Auld Lang Syne > DwD” kick off to set three, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. The balloons drop, you kiss your lady and then you hear Mike Gordon drop thump, thump/thump-thump-thump-thump/thump, thump and it’s ON. While this “DwD” doesn’t measure up to some of the other monsters from 2009 I’m not complaining at all. The New Year’s gag was pulled off with aplomb, but from behind the stage (where you could see what was really going on) it wasn’t quite the same.

The rest of the set was filled with heavy hitters to close out the year that Phish returned to take over the world again. “Joy” was poignant and “YEM” was particularly well played and the Stones “Loving Cup” sent us off into the warm Miami night with smiles on our faces.

4) 7/31/09 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre (94th show)
I: Runaway Jim, Chalkdust Torture, Bathtub Gin, Time Turns Elastic, Lawn Boy, Water in the Sky, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Split Open and Melt
II: Drowned > Crosseyed and Painless > Joy, Tweezer, Backwards Down the Number Line, Fluffhead > Piper > A Day in the Life
E: Suzy Greenberg, Tweezer Reprise

This show got off to a well played but uneven start in my mind with things not really taking off until a nasty “Stealing Time.” The “Melt” that came after that was otherworldly though. I have to set the scene first. Clouds had been moving in all set and what had been a drizzling rain at first was working its way into a full on downpour. When “Melt” started the rain was picking up and as “Melt” started to get more intense so did the rain. It was one of those times where Phish was seemingly at one with nature, or better yet, controlling nature with their playing. As the psychedelic fury of “Melt” built up the rain kept coming down harder and harder pushing the boys to whole new plain. It certainly holds up on CD too, but if you were there this is one of those moments that you travel all over the place for.

By the time the second set started the rain was gone and the sky was clear, but the playing was just as intense. “Drowned” got things started again but this rain-themed version isn’t quite on the same level as Deer Creek’s. That said the transition into “C&P” was 100% flawless. I thought so at the time and upon re-listen it’s almost better. When Jon Fishman bellowed “Lost my SHIT trying to act casual” it seemed to fit the mood of the entire venue. Feeding off that energy the band took “C&P” into the stratosphere before giving everyone a breather with “Joy.” Normally that 29 minute opening section would be enough to carry a show, but this Red Rocks, this is the edge!

The “Tweezer” that came next brought some serious funk and a middle jammed out section that can only be described as crack-like. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve re-listened to this version. Anyway, the next highlight was “Fluffhead” which featured a pretty serious tease of “Dave’s Energy Guide” in the closing peak. Instead of bringing this “Fluff” to a normal close the boys faded the ending into “Piper.” While I heard better versions of “Piper” in 2009 this one was unique because it ended with piano solo by Page that led perfectly into the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.” What a glorious way to close this epic night, but it wasn’t done yet. In the “Suzy” encore Trey managed to tease both “Drowned” and “C&P” getting huge cheers from the appreciative crowd.

3) 11/1/09 – Indio, CA – Empire Polo Club (102nd show)
I: Water in the Sky, Back on the Train, Brian and Robert, Invisible^, Strange Design, Mountains in the Mist, The Curtain With, Army of One, Sleep Again^, My Sweet One, Let Me Lie, Bouncing Around the Room, Train Song, Wilson, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters
E: Driver, Talk, Secret Smile
II: AC/DC Bag, Rift, Gotta Jibboo, Heavy Things, Reba, The Wedge, Guelah Papyrus, Undermind, Sparkle, Split Open and Melt
III: Tweezer > Maze, Free, Sugar Shack, Limb by Limb, Theme from the Bottom, Mike's Song > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Light > Slave to the Traffic Light
E: Grind, Esther, Tweezer Reprise
^ 1st time played

We were more prepared for the heat than we were the day before as we walked over to the stage just before noon, but still, it was HOT. We settled in to a spot just off center Fish side and got ready for…well we didn’t really know what to expect. What followed was arguably the biggest treat of the entire weekend.

I was already parked when Trey asked the crowd to sit after “Train” so my view improved dramatically with everyone seated. The first highlight for me was the Phish debut of Mike’s “Invisible.” The acoustic setting certainly did this tune justice. I’m never going to complain about “Strange Design” and this one did not disappoint. “Mist” was another song that really flourished acoustically.

Mike then asked the crowd if they were “Sitting because they had to or because they wanted to?” I figured something good was coming and I couldn’t resist jumping to my feet when “Curtain” started. The “With” portion was sublime, just perfectly executed. I always like when Page channels his inner Elton John and “Army of One” is the perfect vehicle for that. I was really psyched to hear the debut of Trey’s “Sleep Again,” just wished I heard the electric version they dropped in Philly.

“MSO” gave the bluegrass fans their fix and “Train Song” delivered like it should when played acoustic. The combo of “Wilson” and “McGrupp” brought the set to a close in style. I never thought “Wilson” would be an acoustic pick but “McGrupp?” I almost jumped out of my sandals while standing up to boogie, and my-oh-my did they ever nail this Gamehendge classic. I was totally satisfied after that and did not expect an encore, but I certainly wasn’t upset when they came back out. Only the second “Talk” since ’98 and my first in 87 shows was very nice to hear and “Secret Smile” closed things out on a poignant note.

The second set opened with a nice “AC/DC Bag,” “Rift” one-two punch. “Jibboo” really got the dance party started in earnest though. “Reba” and “Guelah” were both flubbed a little but I’m not complaining. My third “Undermind” was nice to hear and the closing “Melt” took things way out there in a good way. Calling this the weakest set of the day is by no means meant to be a slight in any way. It just happens that this set was sandwiched in between some seriously decadent Phish.

When the boys open a set with “Tweezer > Maze” you know they mean business. “Tweezer” rocked out with a steady groove before dissolving into a frenetic “Maze.” This 25+ minutes of madness didn’t let up when “Free” appeared next as the rest tune. Mike’s bass bombs were shaking the field and everyone’s ass was moving. My favorite version of “Sugar Shack” stepped up next before the real fireworks began.

Starting with “Mike’s” Phish laid the blueprint for how to end a festival on the right note(s). After a rocking “Mike’s” you could almost hear “H2” coming but the boys pulled a fast one and dropped into the super-funk of “2001.” Something about the night air and “2001” just seems to fit as Kuroda’s lights did their thing to the festival grounds. The transition into “Light” wasn’t stellar but the jam out of the composed section was. “Light” went way, way out there into the ambient darkness before oozing into “Slave.” The perfect big show closer came through once again and the missing “Weekapaug” was not on my mind in the least after this 42+ minutes of sickness.

After such a strong set I figured the encore would be mailed in, but to my surprise the boys decided to throw “Esther” in for good measure. In my opinion this was hands down the best set of electric Phish at Festival 8. In fact, as soon as “2001” came out of “Mike’s” I thought to myself; “It doesn’t matter what they play from here on in, this set takes the cake.” We were exhausted and emotionally drained on the walk back to the RV, but oh so satisfied as well.

2) 8/7/09 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre (98th show)
I: Down with Disease, Ocelot, Pebbles and Marbles, Possum, Sleep, Destiny Unbound, Stash, Sneaking Sally Through the Alley, Cavern
II: The Moma Dance, Light > Taste, Fluffhead, Joy, Bathtub Gin, Harry Hood
E: Slave to the Traffic Light

After an afternoon that consisted of bouncing around the campground to see friends, some serious partying and a couple hour nap I was ready to go. We managed to get ourselves about 20-30 rows back on Page side as we waited while the sun was setting. This show did not get off to positive start for me as I had just heard “DwD” at Shoreline the show before. Although this “DwD” stuck to the shallows I was still a little surprised to hear it again so soon.

All was forgotten when a Grateful Dead-esque “Ocelot” dropped next. Then came the first 3.0 “P&M” that I had been waiting on. It wasn’t the best version ever but I was still super happy to hear it. “Possum” kept the momentum rolling and “Sleep” was a great change of pace song. From here the set got just disgusting though.

My first ever “Destiny” was a bittersweet experience unfortunately. On one hand I was oh so happy to finally hear it but Trey was either trying something different or just flat out missed the opening guitar riff. Nonetheless, I’ll take it and smile. After another standout version of “Stash” that stretched almost 14 minutes the best jam of my year happened. Allen Toussaint’s “Sneaking Sally” was 18+ minutes of risk taking tight rope walking mastery that included the boys going in and out of a YEM-style vocal jam. But it was jam after the vocal jam where the real magic happened. This jam moved through three distinct sections with the middle section being my favorite. This one must be heard to be believed.

Oh, but the night was far from over. “Moma” was the perfect opener to shake the cobwebs loose and reignite the party, but it was my first ever “Light” where the second set really started to shape up. “Light” did all that I hoped it could it do and more in only its third ever appearance. The jam took over the night sky soaring out to the stars before sliding into “Taste.” “Taste” almost felt the like end of the “Light” jam extended.

Anyway, “Fluffhead” filled the composed song slot and “Joy” the ballad spot before things got down and dirty again. The “Gin” that came next clocked in at 18 minutes but its greatness cannot be measured in time. Phish took it way out there in a rocking/grooving way before ending it with some ambient weirdness. I’d put the “Sally” and “Gin” from this show up against any two jams from the same show in 2009. Yes, they were that good.

The 16+ minute “Hood” that came next could have only been played at the Gorge. The boys took their time and built things up slowly into an epic peak under the Washington high desert night sky. To me the “Slave” encore was the band understanding what an epic show they had just thrown down and wanting to close it off in a way that befit such a monumental evening. And “Slave” did just that like it always does.

1) 12/30/09 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena (105th show)
I: Soul Shakedown Party, Runaway Jim, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Dixie Cannonball^, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Corrina, What's the Use, Tela*, Gone^, Rocky Top, Chalkdust Torture, David Bowie
II: Sand, The Curtain With, Lifeboy, Back on the Train > Wading in the Velvet Sea, Love You**, Free, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Run Like an Antelope
E: Frankenstein
^ 1st time played
* last played 11/24/98
** with Rich on vacuum

Thanks to mail order we were fifth row Page side for the second night in a row, and what a show to be that close for. Once we heard the opening notes of Bob Marley’s “Soul Shakedown Party” we knew it was a harbinger of good things to come, but we had no clue on what level. “Jim” was a placeholder until the next 3.0 debut hit. Page absolutely tore up ZZ Top’s “Jesus,” both vocally and on the keys. Mike got his turn next on the debut of Hank Williams’ “Dixie Cannonball.” A short but ripping “Stealing Time” followed that then came the high point of 2009 Phish for me.

Taj Mahal’s “Corrina” came completely out of left field and caught me totally off guard. Phish nailed one of my all-time favorite covers that I hadn’t heard since Big Cypress (1999). Then “What’s the Use” continued the left field portion of the show with Trey spacing out the beginning before dropping the anvil heavy distorted guitar riff. Maybe “Use” wasn’t as practiced as the rest, but I didn’t hear anyone complaining.

Then my Holy Grail, “Tela,” happened next. I knew from the first note what it was and almost squeezed the air out of Teri I hugged her so hard. It had been an astounding 94 shows for me since I last heard the dulcet tones of the Chairman’s voice on “Tela.” And oh what a version. After not having been played at all since ’98 the boys completely nailed this Gamehendge rarity.

Not that I was blown away musically like with the “Sally” from the Gorge, but the one-two-three punch of “Corrina,” “What’s the Use,” “Tela” was the happiest I was at a Phish concert all year. It was the total rapture of an out of body floating experience that I travel all over for.

The Phab Phour was not done yet, not by a long shot. The debut of “Gone” was followed by only the second “Rocky Top” since ’00. With the left field portion of the show over the boys ripped into a fierce version of “Chalkdust.” It was so strong that it got me thinking that maybe this classic opener should be played as a closer a little more often. A spot on “Bowie” closed out the best first set of 2009 in my opinion.

The second set opened with only the second “Sand” of 2009 and got the dance party started immediately. It looked to me like Page called the next tune and he made a good choice. After a blast off to open the set the composed wonderment of “With” was a nice chance of pace. “Lifeboy” was another break out treat but it was the “Train” that followed where Phish really took the bull by the horns. “Train” was 17+ minutes Phish taking chances and succeeding wildly. This “Train” started out rocking in a bluesy way, then went into some spacey weirdness and came out on the other side rocking even harder before it trailed off into “Wading.”

Next up was the antics of Fish letting Rich take his vacuum solo during Syd Barrett’s “Love You” and then handing Rich his Electrolux at the conclusion of the song. After the frivolities were over a short but rocking “Free” reignited the arena. Then Mike started the bass bumps from “Boogie On” and the party was in full swing once again. Mr. Gordon just killed this tune taking the first solo before handing it off to Trey. Mr. Anastasio then took the reins and steered the band into the opening licks of “Antelope.” This weird transition led to some more fun as Trey teased “Boogie On” multiple time during “Antelope” creating the song “Boogie like a Reggae Antelope” or whatever combo you prefer.

The encore of Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” was a perfect capper to a night that featured TEN songs that had yet to be played in 2009. For a setlist geek like me this was nirvana, but I can understand if this type of show isn’t your cup of tea. The thing about this magical night though is there was plenty of jam and musical exploration to go around too.

The recipient of this year’s coveted NBA-Jam band on the rise award is Kalamazoo, Michigan’s own Greensky Bluegrass.