NBA MVP '09-'10

1) Lebron James



Who else? He won MVP last year and this year, his shooting percentages and assists are up. His team has the best record in the league despite injuries to Mo Williams & Delonte West. His on-ball defense continues to improve and aside from Josh Smith, he is the best chasedown blocker in the league. He has improved his 3 PT% and is becoming elite among superstars in that area. He almost has no weaknesses. In short, the Cavs success as a team depends on Lebron. Plug any other single player in the league on the team and they wouldn't be as effective. He gets the most from his teammates and is now in his prime. Take him off the Cavs team and the team probably wouldn't even sniff 35 wins. Most Valuable Player. MVP. Value. This was cemented in early February when the Cavs went on a 13-game winning streak, mostly without their second best player, Mo Williams. Statistically, I don't think we've seen a season as the one Lebron is having since maybe '01 Shaq or '92 MJ. Gaudy stats. Best record in the league. This is why it was so easy to put him at #1. Follow his career as he begins to impose his will. He is already a complete player.

2) Kevin Durant



Sharpshooting smooth scorer, leading that OKC team to a decent record and improving on rebounding and defense. He should challenge for MVP for years to come and outright win a couple scoring titles. Insane wingspan and will get better around the baseline as he gets stronger. He's clearly a rising star being only 21 years old. At the time of this portion of typing (2/24), he's had 33 games of scoring 25+ points. Let's just say that I can count on only one dick how many players have done that. I'm not sure any other player compares to him in the league today (maybe a more athletic dirk? but even Dirk was not this good at 21). Actually, as the season neared an end, Durant just kept looking like a stronger #2 candidate. Sure, he has a triple double threat PG in Russell Westbrook, but he can still be inconsistent and TO prone. Durant is just a beast. Look no further than the +/- ratio.

3) Dirk Nowitzki



Ze big German. Again, very valuable for his team. Even though his rebounding is down, he's helping the Mavs win close games down the stretch, but he is the best shooting big man of this era and you know what you are getting out of him. It also helps that he's been posting up and using his size more the last couple seasons.

4) Kobe Bryant



The Black Mamba. He's such a polarizing player, pitting homers vs. hater batallions, armed to the gills. This is what makes it somewhat difficult to stay on topic as I can make an entire blogspot on this. Moving on, Kobe missed a few games. He had an ugly ass January. Let's not lose sight of that. He was shooting terribly, yet shooting high volumes and almost becoming a liability on the court. I had difficulty placing him here. His team was winning without him and moving the ball well, but do I hold that against him entirely? Like I said, this was tough for me to place. I really wanted to put the next player on this list. You could argue both ways really, but Kobe's 5/8 game winners with less than 24 seconds put him over the top in my rankings. Kobe misses a lot of shots in the final two minutes as well though. Look at the full picture here and not buy into hype. He's been shooting poorly overall on national TV this season. I don't know what it is, but this season is not his year.

5) Dwight Howard



Dwight Howard still has a tendency to disappear late in games. He needs to demand the ball and carry the team more, or at least set high picks that his guards can penetrate, finish or dish (VC). I have him much higher for Defensive Player of the Year award. He means a ton to his team though. He's even starting to hit free throws in crucial moments.

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Players not making the Top 5 cut, but getting close and worthy of mention: Bosh, Nash, Duncan, Wade, Anthony. I don't like to nitpick elite players, but that's what must be done. I much prefer to talk about underrated players, trust me. These are all franchise players.

6) Carmelo Anthony



Carmelo missed some games and Billups and Kenyon Martin really stepped up in his absence and continued to win games. For that reason, I don't have Carmelo in my top 5. He's a great scorer and improving on D. Maybe I'm holding his supporting cast against him, but Denver does have one of the nicest frontlines in the league and one of the best PG's in Chauncey Billups (who gets criminally overlooked even after a Finals MVP).

Some will say I'm just ranking Melo too low and using the rest of his team against him, but that's that. Melo can score in a lot of different ways, but Billups averaged something like 22+ points, 6.5 assists and 1.2 steals while Melo was out. Impressive. If I put Melo in the top 5, I'd have to put Billups in the top 10. Billups is one of only a small handful of PG's that can score, pass and defend. I'm also inclined to think that Nene would be so much better if he had a killer instinct about him, since he plays so efficiently. Anyway, I feel like ranking Melo higher. I really do. I mean he is clutch in the final possession of the game. He may not get it at the buzzer, but he is money in the last couple seconds. Billups has been to seven straight conference finals and yes, he's had players around him, but it's worth mentioning. I'm somewhat of a big Billups fan as far as his style of play. I guess favorite players past and present can be a whole different post.


7) Steve Nash



Nash has two MVP's (you can argue if the 2nd was really appropriate, but that's a different post). That means he has a template. I know D-Will is putting up similar numbers, but I tend to think Nash is just slightly more effective from a team standpoint on the offensive end. Nash is having a resurgent year with a couple revolving cast of new teammates. He's averaging 18.3 points, 11.1 assists and all his %'s are above his career average. In fact, he is leading all PG's in assists and FG%. He is the grease in the chains and the one who gets that team going and if you think about it, one of the best pure shooting guards of this era. I mean, he's 6 feet tall and has averaged several seasons shooting above 50%. You do not want to leave him open for a set shot. Being a Laker fan, I know the times he's killed them in the '06-'07 playoffs. Let's be real here, we're not talking about someone who has blazing speeds and can jump out of the gym. I realize he might be the worst defender on this list, but what he does offensively and for his team is hard to overshadow. Nash has less talent around him than Dirk but is still putting up stellar stats so I stand by this ranking. He's just an effective basketball player and the best PG of the era alongside Jason Kidd.

8) Chris Bosh



Contract year explains this one. His stats are some of the most impressive on the list, but his team may barely win 50 games. I'm not a fan of the unspoken of '50 win' rule but if we're gonna follow it, we have to apply to all players. If Bosh found a killer instinct, he would be oh, so much better. He also kind o tailed off at the end of the season. I could have switched Nash & Bosh, but for now this is how I feel.

9) Dwyane Wade



Wade had a down year, battling through some injuries. He's probably frustrated dealing with a weak supporting cast. He's honestly one of my favorite players to watch. He makes a ton of circus shots, drives it relentlessly and is big towards end of games. He also has a nasty crossover dribble. He just has to do so much for the team: lead in points, assists, steals, etc.

10) Tim Duncan



Duncan had a few too many DNP's. Even though Duncan is putting up big numbers, I have to fault the team wins once again. As I said, I've never been a fan of the rule, but it has to be taken into account. Richard Jefferson hasn't exactly been fitting into the offense too well. His team has just not been playing that well, which is a factor, albeit a minor one. Parker has missed games, but it is what it is. Manu is showing the most heart on that team. In normal years, Duncan would be #4 or #5 quite easily. Expect consistency from the Big Fundamental, but it's fair to criticize this season, or just plainly analyze.

Honorable Mentions: Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Joe Johnson, Pau Gasol, Carlos Boozer

NOTE: #5-8 was REALLY close.

Criteria:
1) Consistency
2) Record: Again, not a fan of the rule. D-Wade had a great season last year and was snubbed of 1st-team all defense and his rankings in MVP were low as well.
3) Injury free: Otherwise guys like CP3 would be in the top eight.

This is tough, probably tougher than ranking albums but not as tough as ranking my favorite wrestlers :) Sooo, that was this year. If we're talking decade list, of course Duncan would be ranked way higher. I don't go by name recognition. At least I try not to. The hardest decision was really Kobe/Nash as it could have gone Nash/Kobe. Overall, it was all fairly close and I won't subscribe to the idea that I'm an "expert". I'm a fan and not a homer. I like to discuss team trends, upcoming players, etc. You can argue this a multiple number of ways, based on what you think is "valuable". In the end, I feel pretty confident with the #1 pick.

One thing I've learned over the years debating sports, politics and whatever in general is that it's impossible to be truly unequivocally unbiased. We all have latent opinions, but hopefully this list at least made sense. I'm open to feedback. I think the most controversial picks will be Nash & Melo. You can argue it different ways and convince, but I did put some time in to research this. As I said, I'm not big on plastering stats all over the place. From the beginning of this blog to the end was a little over a month, so don't punish me on stats if they aren't updated. I know how to look them up, thanks.

I will try to make this a bit more interesting in the future, but I don't want to sound cheesy in the process. I'm not here to be a journalist. Fuck that shit. Actually, that's only a 2/3 expletive ratio. Let's go 2/2 and be even less creative. Fuck shit. Motto of the day.

Such Hawks, Such Hounds - Review

So I finally ordered this thing. It was on my radar for a while, I would say back to early-mid 2008ish when I first caught wind of it on the QOTSA message board. I was interested from the get-go, saw the trailer in late 2008, looked for it early, waited for a DVD. Then I just kind of forgot about it for months. I was reminded of it via twitter of all places so I didn't waste any time ordering it.

On with the review then...

It started off with some music from Blue Cheer & Black Sabbath. Perfect, especially good call on Blue Cheer, who basically played heavy bluesy music.

Desert rock. Stoner rock. Riff rock. Fuzz rock. Whatever you want to call it, it's a subculture of music adored by many. I like the way this documentary was able to trace the roots of Kyuss back to 'Across the River' & bands like 'Fatso Jetson', who were there on the scene but often times don't get their credit. Kyuss blew up as we all know if you're familiar with that scene. Unida was highlighted and there were some good interviews with various producers.

Another thing I liked about the movie was the interview about 'Man's Ruin' Records, which was a great record label that really put the genre on the map. It discussed the trends of music: metal/punk crossover, Metallica to DRI, Anthrax, Corrosion of Conformity, Black Flag, etc.

As I was watching, they interviewed a bearded typical metal dude...and well, he was J. Bennett (journalist). I immediately knew him from Decibel mag, so that was cool to see. He must write for other outlets cuz he usually does a humorous comic strip and random stuff from Decibel, haha. He does plenty of great HOF interviews as well, but I remember him for the funnies. That was cool to see cuz I had no idea they contacted him for an interview and no idea what he looked like. Though in a typical metal crowd, I doubt he would stand out much.

They spent time on High on Fire/OM and of course Matt Pike, Al Cisneros and Wino. It was good to hear all that history there. I also learned that for the Sleep album, 'Jersualem', the band spent around 75 grand on guitars and custom amps. Insanity! I mean, these type of bands were barely breaking even with limited touring and advertising. For them to put that much money into creating that sound is extraordinary. Oh and it shines through. That album will make your damn amp bleed black tar and smell like sweet pine. It sounds like amps stacked hundreds of feet high and ten Iommi guitars layered on top of each other. Riff rock indeed.

The documentary also covered influences like Lovecraft and stuff like that. There were interviews with Dead Meadow, Bardo Pond and Nebula. Those are all bands I like. There was also a reference to "scene record labels". I think the guy from Bardo Pond brought it up, saying how commercialized record label screenings have become. I thought that was a great way to put it, like they are screening for potential money and not really talent or any DIY ethics. Again, this is not something I was surprised at. One thing I was surprised with was the Sunn O))) interviews but I guess that O'Malley connection has a lot to do with it. I just don't view Sunn O))) in that realm. They are drone with psychedelic overtones.

Overall, this is a great introduction to stoner rock music or for people like me, who are used to it. Plus, it mentioned Saint Vitus a couple times. I guess the only nitpicky gripe I can come up with was a lack of an Aaron Turner interview. Maybe he just wasn't down for it, I don't know. It's not so much about ISIS music, but I would have liked him to discuss his artwork. That or John O'Baizley. That said, this was a fantastic documentary. The director let the music and interviews speak for themselves and didn't add any lame ass cheesy color-me-bad rainbow interludes in between. Basically, the director did his homework and presented a superb documentary. All in all, this made me wish I still toked up. But alas, it isn't just limited for those that do. It also got me excited for the upcoming 'High on Fire' record. 'Death Is This Communion' blew me away in 2007.

"The desert is for the newlywed or the nearly dead."

More NBA Ramblings: Coach of the Year, Underrated/Overrated Teams, etc

the all-star game allows for a moment to reflect. personally, i'm not really into the all-star game itself. i enjoy seeing it, but take it with a grain of salt. there is such a serious lack of defense that it makes american border control look like scaling the great wall of china...with a peg leg.

Coach of the Year:
first off, i do not buy into 'best-worst record' type stuff. i still can't believe mike brown won last year.

1) rick adelman: he's never made the conference finals, but why punish him for that? he is the epitome of consistency through turmoil. houston pushed LA to the brink last season in the playoffs without yao ming at the end. no yao ming, t-mac, artest this season and he somehow has them playing over .500. adelman maximizes talent and regularly has good rotation in his lineup. his teams are motivated and play good D.

2) nate mcmillian: almost for the same reason as above (though portland's GM gets credit for drafting so well the past few seasons).

3) mike woodson: atlanta is streaking right now and there seems to have been a 'mental' change. i always said atlanta was one of the biggest underachievers in the league when you look at the talent on paper. this team should push a conference finals, but it's all about matchups.

Worst Coaches:
1) don nelson: if you do fantasy b-ball, you know what i'm talking about. it goes beyond that though. this guy will set anthony randolph when he is playing good. he tinkers with the lineup way too much, wants to set the tempo with 'small ball' and just plain sucks at adjusting. anthony morrow, tolliver, biedrins...all their PT have been messed with and it's no wonder this team can't get in a rhythm and stephen jackson demanded a trade. he was once a decent coach but he has lost it, period.

2) jim o'brien: too many lineup changes. he doesn't seem to instill much motivation or consistency from his team. oh and he inexplicably benched tj ford for no apparent reason.

3) scott skiles: i guess you can say his team is disciplined, but i don't like the way he benches his star players because of missed defensive assignments in games. he will sit them after the first few minutes for the rest of the quarter and practically blow the game.

Underrated Teams:
1) atlanta hawks: i have to go back to mike woodson here. then you have the addition of jamal crawford. we know atlanta can score in bunches, but when mike bibby is playing well, the team is very hard to beat. i still want to see joe johnson take over the end of games. these are issues to address: keep the turnovers low (ie: play 'smart'), and get bibby involving his teammates early. this team has the ability to move the ball well and they need to utilize it because they have pretty good interior defense.

2) denver nuggets: is it just me or are people sleeping on them already? i mean, they did make the WCF last season with LA. as much as people will say melo is an MVP candidate, look at billups and kenyon martin's numbers during melo's injuries. billups is playing like a legit all-star and martin is cleaning up the boards and finishing around the rim with hustle plays. if they keep the mistakes low and maximize their chemistry, this team is very dangerous. JR smith is a streaky shooter but lethal when hot.

3) chicago bulls (just when we thought we could write them off): they've had some major adjusting. major lineup changes and it took them a while to get used to not having ben gordon. they relied on him a lot for their offense. if they keep the ball moving, they can make the playoffs and maybe pull off a 1st round upset (how exciting was last season's series with boston?). d-rose needs to become even more consistent and especially move better without the ball. moving salmons to the bench and starting hinrich seems to have helped.

Overrated Teams (per rating)/Disappointments:
1) orlando magic - just not what they were last season. there seems to be chemistry issues with adding VC. dwight howard still has moments where he disappears completely in the 4th. he doesn't have a great post game and doesn't use his physical size to get deep post position often enough.

2) san antonio spurs (disappointment): richard jefferson just isn't meshing right now and seems to be attacking the rim less this season. they have time to fix it, but it's a concern give the aging spurs.

Biggest Surprise:
oklahoma city thunder: durant is a scoring beast, but now he's improving other aspects of his game. they are young and hungry and westbrook is also an up and coming PG. if green gets more consistent, this team will be scary for seasons to come.

Verdict Still Out:
1) LA lakers. kobe is just taking too many shots, he needs to involve his teammates early especially when you have guys like gasol/bynum on your team. get his, but c'mon, let's go for wins here. it's good to see farmar picking up his game and against speedy guards, fisher is becoming a defensive liability, especially if bynum is going to rotate so late in the paint. it would also help if gasol wouldn't leave his man when he is under the hoop (have love for gasol, but that is getting annoying).

2) boston celtics: major problems rebounding and their defense hasn't been the same. you can attribute some of this to KG's injuries. this is a huge concern because KG doesn't seem as explosive as he once was and the knee injury seems to be lingering. KG is the emotional leader of that team and his influence cannot be overlooked. there is no way boston makes it to the finals without KG, period.

NOTE: i use stats but i'm not going to plaster it all over the place. they can be helpful and misleading at the same time, so keep that in mind. feel free to disagree and i won't capitalize words to get my point across.