To Us A King Was Born

Tonight's birthday performance against Atlanta was unreal. He stole the game from the visiting Hawks. Good God indeed.

TY-REKE!

With apologies to HP, whatta comeback!

Down 35 in the second half Evans scored the Kings last 9 points. The rookie played 44 minutes, pouring in 23 points, 8 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Wow! Fellow Memphis phenom Derrick Rose posted similar numbers, but clearly Rd. 1 of the battle between for alumni bragging rights goes to Tyreke.

Kings are playing great. Jason Thompson has been super. Hawes, Nocioni, Casspi, Udrih, Udoka, and Donte Green are all filling their roles. What a nice surprise.

Bring that beat back

Check this post from way back in the day

So Glorious Blazers

Big comeback win in Portland. The injury riddled Blazers looked over matched early, unable to slow the Suns offensive attack. Phoenix held Portland down by 9-12 points for most of the games first 38 minutes. But Portland began to get some stops midway through the third quarter and Jerryd Bayless made his official arrival on the NBA stage. Bayless and Roy combined for 31 4th quarter points to steal a victory for squad looking to regain its stride. The second year player has been itching for playing time, and now he is getting busy.

Zach Randolph, jaw breaker

There are a bunch of guys over the years who average 20-10. How many have cracked 3 jaws?

Hasheem Thabeet

Shariff Abdur Rahim

Ruben Patterson

Of Craptors, Clowns and Crowns

I know I have no good reason to be surprised, but the depth of Toronto's suckiness somehow has caught me off guard. Aside from home wins over Cleveland and Miami, TDot has yet to beat a good team. Worse still, they have lost 5 games to East leaders Boston, Orlando, and Atlanta by an average of 16+ points. In fairness Toronto has played 14 of its first 25 on the road. Still, .400 basketball is a disappointment.

Remember when there was some buzz about the Wizards contending? Somehow the return of Arenas and the acquisitions of Mike Miller, Randy Foye, and Fabricio Oberto would allow the Wiz to make a Celtic-like turn around from there miserable 19 win 08-09 campaign. Unless Washington starts developing some defensive chemistry, they will remain a laughing stock.

Speaking of them Celtics, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are both playing on an incredibly high level. The young duo have led the charge during the Celts current 9 game run. Rondo has become a floor maestro of the highest order. Scarier still, he seems to have mastered a 16 foot pull up foul line left. Perk is a friggin beast. A constant defender, he has developed a forceful post game. With Boston's superior ball movement, the C's regularly find Perk for crushing jams and easy lay ins. Wait til Baby returns. A lethal mix of young and old.

Shaq makes your team worse

2006 was the Daddy's glorious last stand

You put your team in the hole
when you can't guard the pick and roll

As bad as it gets

We're having a rough go of it here in Chicago this fall. The Olympics goes to Rio, the City is $500 million in the hole, Conventions are running to Orlando, Bears are struggling and now this.

Pop goes the Bloom

What drives the athlete, to be a star
To throw caution and their entire body and soul
to the wind?

Is it possible that the players' union
and the ones playing, leagues and owners and prospects
have settled on the exact currency that equals a kneecap
or a leg injury with the pain, anguish, golf-cart ride in front of millions and lifetime of rehab that go with the dream they are chasing?
What about the games before players go pro?
When there are no trainers, golf-carts, news reporters, or millions?

All for glory, all for pay
And we all play along
'cuz we love it that way...

Today I heard and saw two stories of players whose seasons were ended by collisions that caused traumatic physical harm -- Greg Oden and E.J. Henderson -- who, in the course of their games and struggle, suffered a cracked kneecap and a cartoonishly broken leg. Moving so fast.
And now, miles from crowds, so slow, time ticks, so slow.

Looking at stats, scores, highlights and hooplah, I sometimes forget what's at stake for the athletes who compete. Like balloons billowing with expectations and hopes from their respective cities and fans, these two men are now deflated down to their regular huge frames. Sure, they have Docs, trainers, news reporters and their friends, teammates and families with them. But they carry the burden now of pain and patience, without the game appearance, the exhilaration, hype and bright lights, as they lie there drugged up while their short windows slowly, steadily continue to close.

Championship aspirations, glory dreams
Drift by as their chances to affect outcomes
Shrink to match those of yours or mine
And then the next boy steps off the line
getting a chance to grow, to fill,
and maybe someday sell
the first one's shoes.

In walked Beas

Mr. Beasley seems to be finding himself. He has been on a tear since he jammed home a game winning put back versus Orlando. Check his numbers against Wizards, Boston, Portland.