I just watched the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Golden State Warriors. Marquee match-up? Of course not. It was a close game but I was more amazed at what I witnessed. First-year player, Brandon Jennings, put the Bucks on his back, scoring 55 points (including seven 3-pointers), 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Now I can hear all my basketball buddies yelling, “There Scott go, jumpin’ on the BrandonJennings bandwagon just cause dude scored 55 points.” (Keep in mind, Jennings is a rookie. Scored 21 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists back in his first game of the season. And of those 55 points, 29 came in one quarter, and ho-hum he broke the team record of most points in a game previously held by Lew Alcindor, a.k.a. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.) Truth of the matter is that the performance did not get me to jump on, but rather it kept me on as I read more and more stories that made me appeal to his actions off the court. (I’m also loving the fact that I have him on my fantasy team. He single-handedly locked me in for a win this week.)
Drafted 10th in the 2009 NBA draft, Jennings was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks. He stands only at about 6’1″, is paper thin, and is a lefty. His road to the NBA was a detour from the norm. Instead of going to college after high school, he opted to play overseas for a year. He struggled there as he says he played against grown men every game. He made headlines when he publicly blasted the New York Knicks for not picking him higher in the draft, showed up late to the draft in a primadonna-esque fashion, and even boasted about how much better he was than his competition. All this negativity sure made me shake my head, but once the hoopla of the draft died down, I started to read about all the positive stories coming from the Jennings camp. Like how he decided to save his rookie salary by not splurging on materialistic items. While most would immediately buy a Bentley, Ferrari, or Hummer, Brandon decided to buy a Ford Edge. Sure he pimped it out, but still. He also bought a place close to work so he could walk there. But what got me was when I read he donated $50,000 to the city of L’Aquila, Italy after it was rocked by that devastating earthquake. What teenager does that? Couple this with his on-court prowess, he’s a player I’d be happy to keep tabs on.
It’s cool that he’s bringing life and excitement to a small market team in Milwaukee much like LeBron James is doing in Cleveland. It’s good for the economy and keeps the field competitive.
Don’t get me wrong, when he faces my Lakers, my man-crush will be buried. But until then, play on player.
Probable starters: Tony Parker, Michael Finley, Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Tim Duncan.
24-second analysis: The Hornets were supposed to be the rising power in the West behind arguably the best point guard in the league, Chris Paul. But injuries and poor personnel decisions have sunk this team to the bottom of the playoff pool. Their off season trade of their center, Tyson Chandler, in exchange for Emeka Okafor will give them more offensive firepower up front, but no doubt they will miss Chandler’s defensive presence. They will compete if healthy, but it’s hard to envision them toppling any of the West’s elite teams.
Probable starters: Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Rasual Butler, Blake Griffin, Marcus Camby.
24-second analysis: Another team plagued by injuries last year, the Clippers return with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, Blake Griffin. For those unfamiliar with Griffin, he is a beast. Homeboy has no fear attacking the rim or hustling at both ends. He’s not a single-handed-franchise-changing-type-player, but surround him with a nice veteran cast, and you have a dark horse team in the making. The Clips also added depth to their bench by trading for point guard Sebastian Telfair, swingman Rasual Butler, and a wide body in Craig Smith. If Baron Davis can play up to his talent level and stay injury-free, along with Marcus Camby, the Clips are in.
Last season, Houston showed grit and toughness, taking the Lakers to seven games in the playoffs. They obtained Trevor Ariza from the world champs but he is more of a complimentary player as opposed to his counterpart, Ron Artest. The Rockets will play most of the season without their cornerstones, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Both are expected to make comebacks this year. If the Rockets can stay competitive in the West, I look for them to make a late playoff push if their leaders return.
Probable starters: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, LeBron James, Anderson Varejao, Shaquille O’Neal.
24-second analysis: Touted as the best player in the league (whatever!), Lebron James will have all eyes on him as he not only tries to redeem his team’s embarrassing loss to Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals, but also to see if this will be his last season in Cleveland, opting for free agency. The team landed Shaquille O’Neal, so expectation is high, failure not being an option. Shaq will definitely help bolster their frontline. They added depth to their bench by signing swingmen, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. The status of Delonte West is undetermined but the team is talented enough to win the East again.
Probable starters: Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Ryan Anderson, Dwight Howard.
24-second analysis: Although Orlando lost to the Lakers in the Finals last year, the team was considered a rising contender for years to come, so it came as a surprise when they opted to not resign their top playmaker, Hedo Turkoglu. That created a domino effect as they also traded their outstanding rookie, Courtney Lee, for Vince Carter. Although a little past his prime, Carter is still a potent offensive player, but Orlando will miss Turkoglu’s creativity. Still the Magic were able to retain their backup center, Marcin Gortat, who provided excellent relief for Dwight Howard. Signing Brandon Bass will help Howard defensively. Also, Coach Van Gundy is warning anyone who’ll listen to not sleep on the “throw-in” player from the Carter trade, Ryan Anderson. Coach is high on him. I look for Orlando to compete with Cleveland and Boston for the top spot in the East.
Probable starters: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins.
24-second analysis: The “win-now” gamble of a window the Celtics took by adding veteran superstars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen is closing fast. Father time is not on their side as Garnett, Allen and Paul Pierce are all nearing their mid-30′s. The front office recognized this and reacted by signing Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels to help bolster their bench and provide relief minutes for their Big 3. This team feeds off of Garnett, so he needs to be 100% healthy for the team to return to the Finals, which they are capable of. If Wallace can successfully irritate Shaq and Dwight, and stretch the opposing team’s defense with his outside shooting, the Celtics will be hard to beat. 
Probable starters: Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Al Horford.
24-second analysis: Each year, the Hawks have been rising in the East but always coming up short in the playoffs. The team remains intact but have added prolific shooting guard, Jamal Crawford. This definitely gives them more offensive firepower, but they need help from their two recent draft picks, Al Horford and Marvin Williams. Hampered by injuries, Williams still has yet to perform at the level many think he is capable of playing at.
Probable starters: Gilbert Arenas, Mike Miller, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood.
24-second analysis: Crippled with injuries to their key players, Washington returns healthy and with added firepower getting Mike Miller and Randy Foye from Minnesota. They also added veteran big man, Fabricio Oberto, to their young front court. Their leader Gilbert Arenas seems to have fully recovered from his knee injury and is eager to prove to the rest of the league he’s back. Arenas has already started his notorious trash talking, boasting that he and his team are coming back with a vengeance. Offensively, the Wizards are loaded. 
Probable starters: Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani.
24-second analysis: Toronto was very active this offseason, but made headlines when they lured Hedo Turkoglu away from the defending Eastern Conference Champion, Orlando Magic. Turkoglu really established himself with Orlando, showcasing his play-making abilities and clutch-shooting. He joins another dominant big man in Chris Bosh, and a talented, international group of players. I look for the Raptors to play a run-and-gun style, and perhaps be a dark horse in the East.
Probable starters: Derrick Rose, John Salmons, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah.
24-second analysis: Who can forget the 1st round of the playoffs last year when the young Bulls took the then-defending champion, Boston Celtics, to seven games before being ousted? Rookie of the year, Derrick Rose, really made an impression with his explosive crossovers and strength to the basket. They did lose their super-sub, Ben Gordon, to free agency, but are getting back their versatile forward, Luol Deng, and did pick up quality back-up, Jannero Pargo. Those two should make up for Gordon’s departure.
Probable starters: Mario Chalmers, Dwayne Wade, Michael Beasley, Udonis Haslem, Jermaine O’Neal.
24-second analysis: With so many teams in the East improving their roster via free agency or by getting healthy again, it’s hard to envision Miami being a major contender, especially when they’ve made no moves this summer. Dwayne Wade is a force to be reckoned with but he can’t be expected to carry the team through 82 games and the playoffs. 2nd year player, Michael Beasley needs to assert himself offensively to give Wade some help. If GM Pat Riley doesn’t make a significant trade and/or the Heat do not make the playoffs, this could be Wade’s final season in Miami.
The Sixers always play tough and give stiff competition to whomever they face in the playoffs. Their big free agent acquisition last year, Elton Brand, was a disappointment due to injury. They also lost veteran leadership with Andre Miller signing with Portland. Their thoroughbred players, Andre Igoudala and Thaddeus Young give them youth and explosiveness. If Brand can give them the low post presence they paid for, the Sixers could be a surprise once again.
Fans of the 80′s, who can forget V, the television event that captivated the nation, depicting an impending invasion by *gasp* alien lizards. Cluttered with bad acting, archaic special effects, and cheesy dialogue, V kept the nation fascinated with aliens long before Will Smith was chosen to save us on Independence Day.
“POISON, DROWNING, CLAW, OR KNIFE. SO MANY WAYS TO TAKE A LIFE.”
REASONS: One of the best, “OMG-we’re-stuck-in-the-woods-trapped-by-an-evil-force-and-can’t-escape plots.” So creepy, extremely gory, heinously hilarious. Plus, Sam Raimi directed it and Bruce Campbell starred in it.
I know I am not alone when it comes to cutting off all forms of communication when 24 comes on. Certain relatives and friends are equally “religulous,” if not more. The adventures of Jack Bauer spoiling the latest terrorist plot in 24 television hours is a personal thrill. Every year he flashes his wallet and every year it says, “Bad Mutherf*#&er” on it. (Hey Terence, notice who is also in the picture. Almeida till the end!)
A friend of mine described this show best: “It’s if J.J. Abrams (creator of Lost) did The X-Files.” I was a cult member of The X-Files so when I saw the pilot, I was a bit skeptical due to my devotion to the show, but Fringe is the real deal. There’s monsters, there’s unexplained phenomenons, there’s the FBI involvement, and there’s well placed humor. Sound familiar right? (They even paid homage to the adventures of Mulder and Scully with quaint and subtle references in a couple of episodes.) Fascinating cases and a solid cast.
Listen carefully. The Wire is THE best crime drama ever shown in the history of television. This HBO original spanned five seasons and while each one tackled different subject matters, the culmination resulted in compelling and thought-provoking episodes. The subject matter covered drug dealing, gang wars, the police, politics, ethics, retribution and redemption, all set in the streets of Baltimore, Maryland. Me trying to intricately describe it would not do justice to its creators. A mature mind and attitude are recommended for viewing. Bang-bang-shoot-em-up this is not. Best crime drama EVER. Yeah, I said it.
As an avid film buff, documentaries depicting real life tragedies on any scale are the hardest to sit through. It’s been eight years since the tragedy of 9/11. Each year upon its anniversary, you see channels dedicate the entire day to show, depict, or relive the events of that day and the effects it continues to have on the rest of the world. Films such as these are not meant to be critiqued, but rather to educate and often to commemorate those who lost their lives or sacrificed their own lives to save others.
Nine Innings From Ground Zero takes a different course. It shows how after the events of 9/11, a simple sport like baseball served as a much needed way for people to cope and for a moment, become a symbol of “United We Stand.”
The most vivid call I remember was with a gentleman who was stuck in a certain city trying to get back home. I calmly tried to explain that there were no flights going out at this time and that everyone is being rebooked on the next available flight which could take a couple of days. Understandably, he was frustrated. We were also instructed to inform passengers of the list of banned carry-on items when boarding flights. He started yelling and cursing saying, “What, do you think I’m a terrorist? I’m not a f*#!in terrorist!” I admit losing my cool a bit and shouted back, “Look sir, no one thinks you’re a terrorist and do you think you’re the only one who is being told to abide by this list? Every single passenger in the entire world is in the same situation as you!” The tension was extremely high throughout the conversation. We both eventually calmed down and even parted with a mutual understanding and camaraderie, if you will.
“WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT?”
“IT WAS THE WORST JOB THEY EVER IMAGINED…AND THE BEST TIME OF THEIR LIVES.”
