When I first began liking basketball, the NBA was full of watchable and marketable stars and teams: it was the end of Larry and Magic, and MJ was unstoppable. You had dynamic duos like Mike and Scottie, Clyde and Hakeem, Stockton and Malone, GP and Rain Man, Shaq and Lil' Penny, or my personal favorite, Chuck and Thunder Dan (I realize Mayor KJ was probably better than Dan Majerle, but c'mon, he's my favorite basketball player of all-time). Then you had other stars like Ewing, Reggie, David Robinson, Mitch Richmond, LJ, an old Dominique, a young Grant Hill, and of course, Shawn Bradley. Throw that in with NBC's awesome coverage and theme song, and mid to late 90's NBA basketball is one of my fondest childhood memories.
But then came an influx of unlikable and overpayed players mixed with NBC losing coverage, Michael leaving and even worse allowing his corpse to come back and play for the Wizzards, social media coming alive and revealing way too much about the lives of these used-to-be revered stars, the arrogant Lakers or monotonous Spurs winning every year, and me always seeming to go to summer camp in the middle of the finals. These all seemed to make my NBA excitement go dormant for nearly a decade and I turned to college basketball for most of my b-ball enjoyment.
Now things seem to be changing again. The one-and-done is ruining college basketball, NCAA corruption is not helping any college sports right now, many of the players I loved watching over the years in March Madness now play in the NBA, salaries have lowered, players I didn't like too much are retiring, the league is getting heavy at the top (many contenders) and not so heavy on the bottom (many tankers)--which makes the playoffs much more unpredictable and entertaining, and NBA stars are likable, or at least extremely watchable, again. Likable = Durant, Paul, Harden, Irving, and Curry; watchable = Lebron, Griffin, Westbrook, Rose; others = Dwight Howard (annoying) and Tony Parker (the ultimate "how is he so good?" guy). So I'm officially leaving college for the NBA this year. It's won my heart back. I'm actually so excited for this year, I was tempted for the first time ever to purchase NBA League Pass, but I like my wife a little too much to put her through that.
So to kick off this year, I've been getting ready looking at rosters and thinking of scenarios. I wanted to put together a post about some of my predictions and see how well I do next June. In a soon to come post, I'll give a brief prediction for each team, but first, with ESPN's #NBARank becoming a big thing now, I thought I would give my top 30 players right now (with their 2013's advanced stats).
1. Lebron (26.8 PPG, 31.6 PER, 19.3 total win shares (WS))
2. Durant (28.1 PPG, 28.3 PER, 18.9 WS)
3. CP3 (16.9 PPG, 26.4 PER, 13.9 WS)
4. D Rose (2012 stats in only 39 games played: 22.3 PPG 23.0 PER, 6 WS)
5. Kobe (27.3 PPG 23.0 PER, 10.9 WS)
6. Tony Parker (20.3 PPG, 23.0 PER, 9.3 WS)
7. Harden (25.9 PPG, 23.0 PER, 12.8 WS, Best Beard Award)
8. Westbrook (23.2 PPG, 23.9 PER, 11.6 WS)
9. D Wade (21.2 PPG, 24.0 PER, 9.6 WS)
10. Steph Curry (22.9 PPG, 21.3 PER, 11.2 WS)
11. Carmelo (28.7 PPG, 24.8 PER, 9.5 WS)
12. Duncan (17.8 PPG, 24.4 PER, 8.3 WS)
13. Dwight (17.1 PPG, 19.4 PER, 7.6 WS)
14. Kevin Love (2012: 24.0 PPG, 25.4 PER, 10 WS)
15. Blake Griffin (18.0 PPG, 22.4 PER, 10.6 WS)
16. Kyrie (22.5 PPG, 21.4 PER, 5.3 WS)
17. Rondo (13.7 PPG, 18.1 PER, 3.2 WS)
18. D Will (18.9 PPG, 20.3 PER, 10.9 WS)
19. Dirk (17.3 PPG, 19.8 PER, 5 WS)
20. Bosh (16.6 PPG, 20.0 PER, 9 WS)
21. Gasol - not Pau (14.1 PPG, 19.5 PER, 11.5 WS)
22. P George (17.4 PPG, 16.8 PER, 9 WS)
23. Horford (17.3 PPG, 19.8 PER, 8.8 WS)
24. John Wall (18.5 PPG, 20.8 PER, 4.5 WS)
25. The Truth (18.6 PPG, 19.1 PER, 7.2 WS)
26. Aldridge (21.1 PPG, 20.4 PER, 7.2 WS)
27. Z-Bo (15.4 PPG, 17.9 PER, 7.9 WS)
28. D Lee (18.5 PPG, 19.2 PER, 9.1 WS)
29. Brook Lopez (19.4 PPG, 24.7 PER, 9.0 WS -- I know, a little low for those efficiency numbers on a 4-seeded playoff team, but you also have to add horrible defense, guard-like rebounding numbers and "the dumbest sounding former Stanford student" award)
30. Roy Hibbert (11.9 PPG, 17.3 PER, 6.1 WS, and Miami kryptonite)
*A few notes: If you could combine Lopez's offense with Hibbert's defense, I think you get a top 10 player easy. NBArank was really hatin' on Paul Pierce and David Lee with rankings in the 40 and 50's after really good years on playoff teams; I like them much better I guess. I think Dirk is in for another big comeback year this year. And I think Anthony Davis easily makes this list after this season.
Some quick predictions for player awards and all-NBA:
MVP - KD! I think he finally wins it due to some voters getting sick of voting for Lebron year after year and because Durant will have to average like 35 and carry his laughable roster until Russell comes back.
Defensive player of the year - Lebron (voters will make up for no MVP here)
Most Improved - Derrick Favors
Sixth Man - Iggy, but he may start, so really I don't know . . .
Rookie of the year - I wanted to go with Kentavious Caldwell Pope because his name is so cool and I think he'll get quality minutes for Detroit, but I can't. My more educated guess is Oladipo.
All NBA
First
Lebron, KD, Dwight, CP, and DRose
Second
PG, Dirk, Marc Gasol, Curry, Harden
Third
Horford, Carmelo, Anthony Davis, Tony Parker, DWade
Well, we'll see how these pan out. Hope you come back next time for team and playoff predictions.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Avett Dennen
With their recent new album releases, here's a look at my top ten favorite Avett Brothers and Brett Dennen songs, not including any from the new albums of course.
Let's start with the Avett Brothers, who released Magpie and the Dandelion on October 15. It's a good album, but not great like some of their others. I'd give it a 7.5/10 overall. Better than most stuff put out by popular musicians these days, but too short and too many slow songs without any tracks that significantly move me (at least yet). I also recently saw them live in San Francisco, and although I wish we could have had better seats and it would have been less cold, they were awesome live. There are few bands that can match their talent, emotion and energy in my opinion. Briefly, here's a list of my favorite tunes of theirs - only 2 of which were played in their approximate 25 song set list at the concert. They obviously have written and recorded a lot of songs beloved by their fans, so these are just ones most meaningful to me. Go check out all their music and you will be energized and enlightened.
10. Ill With Want, from I And Love And You
9. Murder in the City, from The Second Gleam
8. Shame, from Emotionalism
7. The Weight of Lies, from Emotionalism
6. A Father's First Spring, from The Carpenter
5. The Once and Future Carpenter, from The Carpenter
4. I and Love and You, from I And Love And You
3. Salvation Song, from Mignonette
2. The Perfect Space, from I And Love And You
1. If It's The Beaches, from The Gleam
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Now for Mr. Brett Dennen, who released Smoke and Mirrors on October 22. I'm still waiting on this CD to come in the mail, so can't really review it. From the few songs I've heard, I think it will be similar to his last two albums with more of the upbeat singer-songwriter pop feel and splashes of rock, soul, country, and reggae mixed in to different tracks. His recent sound is still great, but very different from his soft and simple, first self-titled album. But my favorites come from old and new Brett. Here they are!
10. Because You Are a Woman, from So Much More
9. Sydney (I'll Come Running), from Loverboy
8. Wrong About Me, from Hope for the Hopeless
7. Frozen in Slow Motion, from Loverboy
6. Oh the Glorious, from Brett Dennen
5. There Is So Much More, from So Much More
4. So Far From Me, from Hope for the Hopeless
3. San Francisco, from Hope for the Hopeless
2. Ain't No Reason, from So Much More
1. Heaven, from Hope for the Hopeless
Let's start with the Avett Brothers, who released Magpie and the Dandelion on October 15. It's a good album, but not great like some of their others. I'd give it a 7.5/10 overall. Better than most stuff put out by popular musicians these days, but too short and too many slow songs without any tracks that significantly move me (at least yet). I also recently saw them live in San Francisco, and although I wish we could have had better seats and it would have been less cold, they were awesome live. There are few bands that can match their talent, emotion and energy in my opinion. Briefly, here's a list of my favorite tunes of theirs - only 2 of which were played in their approximate 25 song set list at the concert. They obviously have written and recorded a lot of songs beloved by their fans, so these are just ones most meaningful to me. Go check out all their music and you will be energized and enlightened.
10. Ill With Want, from I And Love And You
9. Murder in the City, from The Second Gleam
8. Shame, from Emotionalism
7. The Weight of Lies, from Emotionalism
6. A Father's First Spring, from The Carpenter
5. The Once and Future Carpenter, from The Carpenter
4. I and Love and You, from I And Love And You
3. Salvation Song, from Mignonette
2. The Perfect Space, from I And Love And You
1. If It's The Beaches, from The Gleam
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Now for Mr. Brett Dennen, who released Smoke and Mirrors on October 22. I'm still waiting on this CD to come in the mail, so can't really review it. From the few songs I've heard, I think it will be similar to his last two albums with more of the upbeat singer-songwriter pop feel and splashes of rock, soul, country, and reggae mixed in to different tracks. His recent sound is still great, but very different from his soft and simple, first self-titled album. But my favorites come from old and new Brett. Here they are!
10. Because You Are a Woman, from So Much More
9. Sydney (I'll Come Running), from Loverboy
8. Wrong About Me, from Hope for the Hopeless
7. Frozen in Slow Motion, from Loverboy
6. Oh the Glorious, from Brett Dennen
5. There Is So Much More, from So Much More
4. So Far From Me, from Hope for the Hopeless
3. San Francisco, from Hope for the Hopeless
2. Ain't No Reason, from So Much More
1. Heaven, from Hope for the Hopeless
Saturday, October 5, 2013
The used-to-be-not-so famous Amos
To celebrate the soon-to-be released albums of 3 of my favorite artists the following 3 Tuesdays, I wanted to share my top ten songs by each of them and hopefully better introduce some of the most talented and soulful musicians of our day. This week, we will focus on Amos Lee, whose album, Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, comes out the soonest on October the 8th. By the way, you should stream it on amazon.com. You only got a few more days to do so. Listen to it 2 or 3 times; it really grows on you. At first, I thought it may be like his 2nd and 3rd albums: good but not great, but after listening to it again (and a 3rd and 4th time), I decided it competes with his 1st and 4th full-length albums, which are nothing short of greatness. Here are my top 10 songs among the first 4 albums from good ol' Ryan Anthony Massaro (aka Amos Lee).
10. Street Corner Preacher, from Last Days at the Lodge - This song has a simple, melodic hook to go along with a story about one of Amos's most complex and best lyrical characters.
9. What's Been Going On, from Last Days at the Lodge - He starts and ends this sad song with a great Amos line, "No one says a word to me. They're concerned with my jealousy. I guess that's how its got to be, from now on."
8. Supply & Demand, from Supply And Demand - Probably the best song from his 2nd album beating out Southern Girl and 2 other good songs about philosophies of life and people, Freedom and Shout Out Loud.
7. Learned a Lot, from Mission Bell - I am sure we all know too well about learning a lot "broken down on our bedroom floor."
6. Truth, from Last Days at the Lodge - It's not often a song by a non-comedic artist makes you laugh for good reasons, but this song still makes me snicker when I hear it. Very clever song-writing and story.
5. Give It Up, from Amos Lee - A fun song to teach a good lesson: some want so-called freedom, but there are some people/things we should "give it up" for such as love, family, God and truth. Plus, is there a cooler sounding way to say, "We live in a world full of confusion."?
4. Violin, from Mission Bell - Until I actually looked at the song's title after a few listens, I thought it was "Vile Land" instead of violin. I still think it might be a play on words; it makes sense with the song. This seems to be one of Lee's most heart-felt, personal, and sincerely written tunes. It's great at the end of any tough day.
3. Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight, from Amos Lee - Maybe the most classic Amos track and definitely one of his early ones that got me hooked.
2. Flower, from Mission Bell - There are so many things I like about "Flower". Content and sound alone and it may be my favorite of his, but it didn't quite have the significance of number one to me.
1. Arms Of A Woman, from Amos Lee - For most people and especially music lovers, usually our all-time favorite songs can take us right back to a particular moment or period of our lives, and this song does that for me more than any other Amos tune. In my opinion, it is the best long-distance love song ever written. My wife and I dated long distance before we got married, and I fell in love with this song then. I can remember going for a run by myself while listening to it early on in our long distance relationship. When I listen to it now, I can go right back to the exact spot (an overpass in Provo) when I realized the applicability of what I was hearing to how I was feeling. It helped me realize how much I liked and missed Angela at the time. And I'd say things worked out pretty well for us; now I can sing "I am at ease in the arms of a woman, and now most of my days are spent with her." Thank you, Amos, for the help.
Well, you should support Amos and purchase some of his music if you've enjoyed anything you've heard today. You won't regret it. If not, thanks for reading and tune in next week as we celebrate The Avett Brothers.
10. Street Corner Preacher, from Last Days at the Lodge - This song has a simple, melodic hook to go along with a story about one of Amos's most complex and best lyrical characters.
9. What's Been Going On, from Last Days at the Lodge - He starts and ends this sad song with a great Amos line, "No one says a word to me. They're concerned with my jealousy. I guess that's how its got to be, from now on."
8. Supply & Demand, from Supply And Demand - Probably the best song from his 2nd album beating out Southern Girl and 2 other good songs about philosophies of life and people, Freedom and Shout Out Loud.
7. Learned a Lot, from Mission Bell - I am sure we all know too well about learning a lot "broken down on our bedroom floor."
6. Truth, from Last Days at the Lodge - It's not often a song by a non-comedic artist makes you laugh for good reasons, but this song still makes me snicker when I hear it. Very clever song-writing and story.
5. Give It Up, from Amos Lee - A fun song to teach a good lesson: some want so-called freedom, but there are some people/things we should "give it up" for such as love, family, God and truth. Plus, is there a cooler sounding way to say, "We live in a world full of confusion."?
4. Violin, from Mission Bell - Until I actually looked at the song's title after a few listens, I thought it was "Vile Land" instead of violin. I still think it might be a play on words; it makes sense with the song. This seems to be one of Lee's most heart-felt, personal, and sincerely written tunes. It's great at the end of any tough day.
3. Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight, from Amos Lee - Maybe the most classic Amos track and definitely one of his early ones that got me hooked.
2. Flower, from Mission Bell - There are so many things I like about "Flower". Content and sound alone and it may be my favorite of his, but it didn't quite have the significance of number one to me.
1. Arms Of A Woman, from Amos Lee - For most people and especially music lovers, usually our all-time favorite songs can take us right back to a particular moment or period of our lives, and this song does that for me more than any other Amos tune. In my opinion, it is the best long-distance love song ever written. My wife and I dated long distance before we got married, and I fell in love with this song then. I can remember going for a run by myself while listening to it early on in our long distance relationship. When I listen to it now, I can go right back to the exact spot (an overpass in Provo) when I realized the applicability of what I was hearing to how I was feeling. It helped me realize how much I liked and missed Angela at the time. And I'd say things worked out pretty well for us; now I can sing "I am at ease in the arms of a woman, and now most of my days are spent with her." Thank you, Amos, for the help.
Well, you should support Amos and purchase some of his music if you've enjoyed anything you've heard today. You won't regret it. If not, thanks for reading and tune in next week as we celebrate The Avett Brothers.
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