I’ve gotten a lot of reaction from my last post. People from Milwaukee have dignity; who knew? Look, irate readers, I’m from Rochester, which is sort of near Buffalo. So, I relate with everyone being Homer Simpson.

Smoove's hops reminds me of when I was young and could grab rim.

Something else has been brought to mind, though, and I think it’s something that I may have overlooked. Credit to my man in Bonnie country.

The Hawks have been phenomenal. Yet who’s noticed? Listen…it’s time to give some love.

Joe Johnson, as the Bonnie points out, continues to be enormously under appreciated. He alone gives the young Hawks a sense of direction and leadership; something they would surely be lacking without him. Really, though, without Johnson’s unparalleled poise and its resounding influence, would the minor miracle of Josh Smith’s maturity (more on that later) have happened? Hell no. Would Al Horford have become the next Mike Sweetney? Hell yes. Yet those are just the intangibles. Johnson is maintaining a sweet 20.5/5/5 line, too.

The J-Smoove story could be on Lifetime (if Lifetime recognized black people, I mean). For his career, Smith has been a frightening .269 career shooter from beyond the arc.  He has no business jacking up threes, yet in his first five years in the NBA, he’s averaged 1.2 attempts per game. This year, however, it appears Smith has recognized his limitations and has, to this point, attempted as many threes as the number of times Matt Ryan’s needed to shave this year: zero! As a result of all this time spent in the paint, he’s averaged career-highs in field goal percentage (54.1), boards (8.9), offensive boards (2.5), and he’s loads ahead of the rest of the NBA in blocks (2.8). Smith’s better judgement this year has allowed him to kick the ball out to guys like Jamal Crawford and Johnson; because of that, he’s averaging a career-best 3.9 assists. Really, it’s not a coincidence that Smith’s maturity coincides with the Hawks’ 13-5 record.

Johnson and Smith aren’t the only success stories on this team, though. It’s a well-known fact that in nine years in this league, Jamal Crawford hasn’t made that playoffs once. And it’s not because he has a fear of change; this is Crawford’s fourth regime with a new team after playing for Chicago, New York and Golden State. (The mere fact that he could survive Isiah Thomas and Don Nelson in succession without throwing himself off the Golden Gate Bridge adds to his well-deserved karma this year.) This year looks good for Crawford, though. Certainly keep an eye on this development going forward.

So, Hawks fan(s), sorry I have slighted you. But as I’ve said before, I’ve been a believer all along. (And I also think Eli Manning is unstoppable, just like that watch commercial says.)

Coming off a tough loss to the Wizards last night the Raptors really needed to come out on fire.  After a decent first quarter the team was absolutely torn to shreds by the young Hawks and gave up 146 points in the process.  The Raptors couldn’t get anything going and were down by more than 20 at the half.  The entire second half was a showcase of “junk ball” and the Raptors have now lost 5 straight with no end in sight.  It may be time for a change to shake this team up a bit.

Raptors' starters Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh get some much needed rest on the bench during an awful loss to the Hawks

The Zan for Three

Back to Back

Yes, this was the second game of a back to back and yes, the Raps were playing one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference so a victory was never really certain; but come on!  The second game of a back to back excuse is becoming older than “the dog ate my homework”.  There are plenty of people in the world that work 5-7 days a week and don’t get paid millions of dollars to do it.  Pull up your socks, drink a red bull, whatever.  You have to get yourself pumped to play one of the better teams in the conference.  The Raps need to play with more energy and grit plain and simple.  Reggie Evans where are you?

The Starting 5

For another game the starting five came out of the gate slow and couldn’t defend the other teams scorers.  Getting into a scoring fight with the Hawks isn’t a great game plan.  And playing no defence to speak of isn’t a good backup either.  Let’s not suggest that major changes are needed yet (it’s only 20 games into a new season) but maybe a change in the starting five would help shake things up a bit.  Scott Carefoot recently suggested inserting Antoine Wright into the starting lineup for Derozan.  Not a bad idea, maybe add some defence.  Raptor fans all over the place have suggested removing Calderon and putting in Jack.  With Jack’s recent play, again not a bad idea.  You could try Belinelli at the 2 for more offence?  Or if that fails check to see how Alvin Williams’ knees are feeling.  One thing is certain this team needs a bit of a wakeup call…and it should happen in the starting five.

Demar

The kid looked good tonight and I liked that he played a lot of minutes.  These kind of games look terrible on the record and may make fans claw their eyes out, but they can also really build confidence in your young players.  Derozan looked poised and confident.  He drove the net and rebounded the ball.  That’s a good thing to see from your top rookie going into a winnable game in Washington.

Zan of the Game

Not the Raptors!  Joe Johnson is maybe one of the most underrated players in the NBA.  If a team were to grab him in the off-season it would be a franchise changing move.  Almost a triple double tonight.  Could be the steal of the upcoming free agent class.

Not Zan of the Game

Sleepy heads in the starting five

The season is young and they were up past their bedtimes last night but professional ball players need to bring their A-game every night. And especially after a tough loss the night before.

And another thing

Maybe we should ask Jim Todd what the biggest difference is in coaching with the Hawks as opposed to the Raptors.  Could be some good answers there.

Calderon flashes some D on Mike Bibby

Ugh, do the Raptors play again tonight? Following an ugly loss at home to the washout Wizards, it’s on to Atlanta to face a Hawks team that has actually become really, really relevant the past couple years. For all the goods on this one, check in at the best spot for Raptors basketball on the web, The Republic. If you’re not sick and ready to kill this team yet, that is.

The Hawks come in at 12-5 (7-1 at home), though perhaps a bit vulnerable after a road loss in Detroit Sunday and a clunker at home against Orlando last Thursday. Still, I’m not getting my hopes too high right about now. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford give Atlanta one of the best young cores in the NBA, and veteran pieces like Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford just make them all-the-more dangerous. Credit to Crawford, by the way, for settling into a role where he can actually make a team better for the first time in his career — the 10-year vet is coming off the bench and contributing 16.9 points on a tidy 46.1% from the field. Johnson’s 21.0 points leads the team, though he’s been struggling of late. With that, I’m guessing he’s pretty pumped to be seeing the Raptors right about now.

As for our bad boys, 100 points each from Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani, plus about 75 from Hedo Turkoglu and Jose Calderon should be enough to get the job done. Also, can we work Sonny Weems into the rotation now that the current group has proven to be useless?

This one gets going at seven from Phillips Arena.

1. Los Angeles Lakers: The Champ is sure that the Lakers are glad that Pau Gasol’s injury hasn’t kept him out until Christmas. Sure the Suns have more road wins, but a 19 point rout  by the Lakers earns them the top spot this week, again. A good early home schedule and wins against teams like the pathetic Nets leave LA looking good early.

2. Phoenix Suns: The Pacific Division certainly looks good this year. First team to 14 wins? Impressive. With Steve Nash dishing out double digit assist nights and the team scoring in triple figures, the Suns are winning ball games.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Lights out shooting against the Top-10 Dallas Mavericks cancels out the ugly loss despite a late comeback against the Charlotte Bobcats. Undefeated when the team scores 100, the Cavaliers are slowly clicking.

4. Orlando Magic: Jason Williams is back? Ok. It seems like there’s always a Magic scorer to step up, rather it be the departed Courtney Lee or Rafer Alston, to Anthony Johnson or even JJ Redick. But I guess thats what happens when you have a team of scorers.

5. Atlanta Hawks: Looked cold in the loss to Orlando as well as Detroit. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith? Who’s the alpha dog on this team? I feel that this is a team still finding its identity, however the team is still really young.

6. Boston Celtics: Still slumping, but pulling W’s out of close games. Like the great Austin Carr once said “Championship teams win ball games,” we’ll see.

7. Dallas Mavericks: Losses to a red-hot Cleveland team and a high octane Warriors team give the Mavs a bit of trouble in the rankings this week. Erick Dampier is back in the starting lineup, is that a good thing?

8. Denver Nuggets: A loss to the Wolves?

9. Portland Trailblazers: Greg Oden thrives while the team hobbles along, losses to Memphis and Golden State do not help the Blazer cause. Hopefully things will click and guys like Outlaw and Batum can recover from injury soon.

10. Houston Rockets: And here’s the scrappy Rockets finally cracking the Champ’s top ten. No T-Mac, No Problem. Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks have carried the load just fine for the Yao-less Rockets.

Missing from Last Week:

Milwaukee Bucks: Have we seen the last of the Bucks in this list for the season? possibly. Have we seen the last of Jennings, nope.

Yeah, we’re back.

The Champ sits here in his home writing this in anticipation of tonight’s game. The Octagon is now here, good to see him. We’re still waiting on the arrival of The Franchise, and The Custodian is MIA.

The Octagon thinks Kyle Korver looks like Ashton Kutcher. Ok he has a point.

Now we see a Ashton Kutcher camera commercial, which really sucks.

We now ponder the past prospects of the Hawks drafting Chris Paul. ooooh.

That’s the Hawks uniforms: ATL? ha.

Tipoff: Still no Franchise.

The Octogan is moderately surprised when Vince Carter hits a three pointer.

Jason Williams puts up a very bad shot and misses.

Craig Sager and camo? Really? Fucking camoflague?

Josh Smith: big dunk.

The Octagon is suggesting the Magic employ a whitewash to get their hearts back into the game.

Josh Smith is talking about his maturation, not something else…

Howard’s picking up his game now.

Adam Morrison: Human Victory Cigar – the Octagon.

The Octagon points out that the longest losing streak is less games than the longest winning streak- so its easier to be really good than really bad?

Where is the Franchise? This will not go unsettled.

The Octagon thinks Anthony Johnson has breasts.

Jamal Crawford once put up 50? News to us.

Joe Johnson, the Octagon feels he's underrated.

BUCKS/THUNDER! yeah baby!

Zaza Pachulia, what a dumb foul.

Marcin Gortat should open a ski resort on his face – The Octagon

OK: If you could punch a basketball player in the face past or present who would it be?

The Champ – Tyronne Hill: to see if he could get any uglier.

The Octagon – Ben Wallace? Adam Morrison? Damon Jones?

The Franchise – Ron Artest 

Mike Bibby looks great in a chef’s hat.

Joe Johnson hits for three, we lament his leaving of the Suns.

The Franchise has finally arrived… with his sister.

Vince Carter and the Magic look to rebound in the second half.

The Octagon has been looking up basketball books on Amazon. (Hey Freelancer! put our Amazon link here)

But anyway Orlando has brought the score within four. Orlando 56 Atlanta 60

Hey Look! Dwight Howard has a type!

The Octagon is willing to take one for the blog come May.

REDDDDDICCCCCCKKKKK!!!!!

Anthony Joshnson should not be in the NBA.

Look it’s Anthony Johnson!

We hate the Fred Martin Car Guys.

So the Octagon was watching YouTube videos for the past half hour maybe?

Anywho, Orlando 80 Atlanta 71.

Where is the Hawks’ offense?

Anthony Johnson oh my lord.

OK the Magic win, the Freelancer is the best live blogger.

We really don’t have anything left to say other than: Go Herd.

Hey Look! Dwight Howard has a type!

Gewinner

LA Lakers
Kobe ist heiß und erzielt den Großteil seiner Punkte im LowPost. Als Shooting Guard! Keine guten Nachrichten für den Rest der Liga. Danke nochmal an “The Dream“. Andrew Bynum ist neben Chris Bosh der einzige Spieler der Liga mit 20/10. Kann Andrew endlich mal eine Saison durchspielen, winkt vielleicht sogar das ASG. VierViertel wünscht es ihm. Und nun ist auch noch Pau Gasol zurück. Nach seiner hartnäckigen Oberschenkel-Verletzung ist Pau fit und macht die Lakers noch gefährlicher, weil eben vielseitiger. Apropos, Lamar Odom kehrt freiwillig in die 2nd Unit zurück, sehr zur Überraschung von Phil Jackson. Auch nicht leicht zu bewerkstelligen. Und Shannon macht seine eigene Top10 in jedem Spiel, weil, man weil er einfach höher springt als alle anderen!! Die Lakers machen einen Run, auch weil RonRon eben nicht auffällt, außer durch Defense und Teamspiel. Allen Iverson, you hear me??

Atlanta Hawks
Nach Jahren in den Tiefen der Eastern Conference kann dies das Jahr der Hawks werden. Kleine Veränderungen im Team, große Veränderungen auf dem Court. Letzte Woche waren die Hawks sogar die Nummer 1 in diversen Power Rankings. Alle reiben sich die Augen. Josh Smith nimmt keine dummen Dreier mehr und spielt wirklich Defense. Jamal Crawford gibt der 2nd Unit Scoring Punch. Joe Johnson spielt mal wieder auf All-Star-Level. Und so langsam füllt sich auch die Halle endlich mit Fans. Wird der Höhenflug anhalten?

Dallas Mavericks
10-3? 5-game-winning-streak? Was hab ich verpasst? Heimlich still und leise haben sich die Mavs unter die Spitze der Western Conference geschlichen! Und das ohne Josh Howard und teilweise Shwan Marion…Nowe ist mal wieder in MVP-Form, Jason Terry rockt von der Bank und Kidd, naja Kidd ist immer irgendwie noch Jason Kidd, außer dass er in 13 Spielen nur 2 FTA hatte und mehr Assists (9.1) als Punkte (7.1) macht. Momentan scheint das Team aber einen Run zu haben und gewinnt insbesondere die knappen Spiele. Weiter so!

Verlierer
Orlando Magic
Ich weiß ich weiß. Aber ich spinne nicht! Seit Rashad Lewis von seiner Sperre zurückgekehrt ist, gabs zwar 5 Siege in Folge. Darunter ein wichtiger Sieg gegen Boston. Doch Jameer Nelson hat sich mal wieder verletzt und wird langsam als “fragile” eingestuft. Dies zwingt White Chocolate zu mehr Regular Season Minutes als geplant. Dwight Howard trifft immer noch keine Freiwürfe und Vinsanity wird zum puren Jump-Shooter, 3 FTA pro Spiel sind zu wenig. Außerdem ist die Abhängigkeit vom 3er zu groß. Momentan reichts noch um zu gewinnen, doch dies sind alles Faktoren die bis zu den Playoffs ausgeglichen werden müssen.

Lebron James
Seine Stats sind mal wieder Super. Nach schlechtem Start (0-2) läufts auch wieder rund, seitdem Shaq seine Schulter auf der Bank auskuriert. Aber kann es sein dass sich Bron zum CNN-Reporter aufgeschwungen hat? Kein Tag vergeht ohne das der King nicht zu irgendeinen “wichtigen” Thema Stellung bezieht. Erst die übertriebene und undurchdachte Jordan-Huldigung. Dann die “I could be really good” Sache mit den Cleveland Browns. Schon vor einiger Zeit kam das Thema Lebron und NFL mal auf. Vorher sollte er sich jedoch nochmal das anschauen. Verliert Lebron vielleicht das Interesse am Basketball? Hat Shaq ihm von der schönen Welt abseits des Courts mit Film und Musik erzählt? Oder wird Lebron einfach ein Opfer seines seit frühester Kindheit medial aufgeblasenen und gepushten Egos? Und jetzt scheint eine unangenehme Handgelenks-Verletzung den King auch noch auf dem Court zu behindern. Come on King, Get Focused! Play Ball!

Chris Paul & Byron Scott
Was ist hier los? Seit CP3 Verletzung gabs Siege gegen Atlanta, Phoenix und die Clippers sowie ne 1-Punkt Niederlage gegen Miami. Ist Darren Collison besser als CP3? Oder haben die Spieler einfach genug von Byron Scotts Coaching-Style gehabt? Hoffen wir mal das es letzteres war und das Talent von CP3 nicht in New Orleans verschwendet wird. Er fällt wohl noch 2 Wochen aus und dann wird man sehen ob das Hoch von Peja & Co nur ein Strohfeuer war oder ob die Hornets wirklich “competitive” sind!!

Allen Iverson
Wars das? Raus in Memphis? (Imagine That!) Und dann wollen ihn nicht einmal die next-to-worst-Knicks? Was kommt als Nächstes? Iverson in Ludwigsburg? Bei Alba?

We’ve all heard Mary Poppins sing Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, the medicine go dowwwwnnnn the medicine go down.

When Julie Andrews sang that song and floated via umbrella into all of our childhood memories, the harmful effects of sugar were not known. It was no big deal because soda pop wasn’t something that kids drank like they do today.

Kids drank milk, and God forbid water. Now, kids want to drink a soda for breakfast! Sadly enough, most parents don’t have the backbone to tell them no.

Statistics say the average American consumes 150 pounds of sugar annually. That number is jaw dropping when you sit back and think about what affects that has on the human body.

We have something that you have got to try if you are concerned with the amount of sugar you and your family are consuming. Our Yoli Truth is virtually identical to the human body to drinking water; with a few exceptions.

     1. A measly 10 calories

     2. A healthy dose of every one’s favorite Vitamin C

     3. A propietary antioxidant and absorption blend.

    4. Zero artificial sugars, which result in a very low glycemic index

    5. Simply twist, blast, shake and enjoy. 

    6. An awesome little thing called Alka-Plex….go ahead, Google it. The addition of this ingredient alone is worth double the cost of the Truth.

    7. Goji, Acai, Pomegranate, and White Tea leaf extract

Yoli Truth tastes great! My kids love it, they drink it all the time. I still do allow them a soda once in a while as a treat. But I have noticed since we started on the Yoli truth they don’t ask for soda as much.

In closing, I’d like to share this product with you at a minimum. I’d really I’d like to get to know you and see if we can see ourselves working together to build our businesses.

To learn more about Yoli and why I am in love with this company, you can visit my website @ www.theblastcapguy.com/wordpress11-22

I look forward to getting to know you soon. Dont’ hesitate to call me so we can chat.

Joe

251-382-9654 (YOLI)

The Atlanta Hawks are on somewhat of a hot streak. They currently hold the Eastern Conference’s best record with last night’s 105-90 victory over the Miami Heat at 10-2. Joe Johnson scored 30 points and Josh Smith was all over the stat sheet: 16 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Bringing in Jamal Crawford was also key to the team’s success. Michael Beasley had 21 points and 9 rebounds for the Heat.

~Signing Off~
AGE

Jamal Crawford found his perfect fit and loves playing in Atlanta. Joe Johnson rips 30 points, he’s averaging 30.3 points in his last three games. The Hawks hold the best record in the league at 10-2 after this win. Miami takes their second loss in a row and slip to 7-5. Dwyane Wade was held to a measly 15 points tonight, he’s currently averaging 28.9 points a game.  Both Horford and Josh Smith for Atlanta had double -doubles. The win marks the sixth straight for the Hawks.

In other ball news, the New Jersey Nets suffer their 12th loss tonight, they have yet to win a game all season. Their star guard, Devin Harris is still out with a groin injury. The Milwaukee Bucks moved on to 6-3 after defeating the Nets, 85-99. Jennings tallied 19 points and 8 assists, while Chris Douglas-Roberts erupted for 31 points and 10 boards for New Jersey.

Dated: Nov, 18, 2009

Have a great day ya’ll! I look forward to chatting with you soon.

http://www.theblastcapguy.com/video

There were plenty of great matchups in the league this week. We really got to see who can hang with who at the top of both conferences and what teams are for real. Let’s start week 3 off with a little P.O.W. action.

Performance of the Week

This week’s P.O.W. comes from the Thursday night match-up between the top 2 team’s in the West. The Lakers and Suns was a much-anticipated game this week. It was great to watch the Lakers dominate the entire game. They really stepped up and showed Phoenix who the best team in the West is, even without top-5 big man in the league Pau Gasol. My Performer of the Week however, does not go to Kobe or Lamar Odom or even Ron Artest. It goes to the up-and-coming big man Andrew Bynum. He played like a beast this game. Dominated the paint on both sides of the court. Bynum is finally starting to play at the caliber he is capable of playing at. I always knew Andrew had this potential inside of him and it was painful watching him play at such a low-level in previous seasons. His numbers may be a little bit inflated due to Pau Gasol’s injury so far in the season, but he is getting it done. Bynum is the main reason that the Lakers are going to repeat this year. So far, Andrew is averaging a double-double with 21 points a game and just over 11 boards. On Thursday night, he recorded 26 points and snatched a game-high 15 rebounds. If he continues at this pace, there is really no one that can stop the Lakers. Last year in the NBA Finals, Bynum only scored 6 ppg and averaged 3 rebounds per game. If he continues at this pace, there is really no one else in the West that will be starting at center in the all-star game. Congrats to A Bynum.

Play of the Week

This play made me create a new section for the blog. You probably already know what it is. If you haven’t seen Dwayne Wade’s total annihilation of Andersen Varajeo, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7H6H0Lmiyg

Now, that was an amazing play, don’t get me wrong. My favorite part about it wasn’t the actual dunk itself, however. We have seen this type of play before by the NBA’s top athletes. LeBron, Kobe, Dwight Howard, and Wade have all embarrassed other player’s before. The way that Andersen Varajeo reacted really made it awesome. A few plays later, Varajeo started a little war of words with Wade and gave him a little hip bump. After exchanging words, Varajeo got up in Wade’s face like he was going to intimidate Dwayne. Reggie Miller was doing the play-by-play for this game and all he was saying was, “HIS FEELINGS ARE HURT!! HIS FEELINGS ARE STILL HURT!!” It was just awesome to see Dwayne Wade smile at Varajeo knowing he posterized him. Even Michael Jordan, who was sitting front row, had something to say about it to Pat Riley, who he was sitting next to. I mean, we all know you got dunked on dude, you don’t need to make it a bigger scene than it already was. Just take your jersey off, hit the showers, and get on the team bus early if that ever happens again.

Stock Up, Stock Down

For Stock Up in the East, I am forced to go with the Atlanta Hawks. They went 3-0 this week with a win over the horrific Knicks (114-101), a victory over the number 1 team in the east, the Celtics (97-86), and Josh Smith led the way against the Hornets with 17 points and 17 boards in a 121-98 blowout. They have an all-start player in Joe Johnson, a great supporting cast around him, and a potential 6th man of the year coming off the bench in Jamal Crawford. This team is young and energetic. I expect them to make a run in the Eastern Conference playoffs as they did just a couple years ago, taking the Celtics to 7 games. I believe this team can keep this up for all 82 games unless an injury to one of their core players happens.

Let’s see, where to go for stock down in the east, so many to choose from. I am forced to go with the Washington Wizards on this one. They have an overall record of 2-7 and are 0-2 this week. They got murdered by the Heat, where the best player in that game was Brendan Haywood with 13 points and 11 boards (really????? when is the last time we heard his name??) and then they took a loss by 3 from the Detroit Pistons. They have Gilbert Arenas. That alone should get you 3 wins in thee weak eastern conference. It’s not like they have a bad supporting cast. I’m not sure what is going on down in the nation’s capitol. Let’s hope they can turn it around.

In the west, stock up goes to the Portland Trailblazers. With a record of 4-0 this week, there really wasn’t anyone else that I could have given it to. All 4 wins came over quality opponents. I told everyone in my preseason blog that this was the team to watch for in the west. They have the 3rd best shooting guard in the league in Brandon Roy. They are one of the youngest teams in the league. This combo makes them dangerous. Every player on this squad is hungry and gets after it game-in and game-out. Like the Hawks, I believe this team will be able to compete in 82 games this season. When it comes to playoffs however, we will see how their youth plays its part.

The Timberwolves take stock down in the west. Like the Blazers, they were the clear-cut winner, well in this case loser, for this award. They went 0-4 this week with all 4 losses coming in double digits. I don’t really see any hope for this team in the near future. They basically gave up Garnett to the C’s, a horrible trade in my opinion. Al Jefferson is a beast, but he can’t carry this team in the strong western conference. This team probably won’t win 20 games this year. No hope for the T-wolves.

Eastern Conference

Standings for the Eastern Conference after the 3rd week of action:

1. Boston Celtics (8-3) (previously 1st in the East)
2. Orlando Magic (7-3) (previously 2nd in the East)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-3) (previously 4th in the East)
4. Atlanta Hawks (8-2) (previously 5th in the East)
5. Miami Heat (7-2) (previously 3rd in the East)
6. Chicago Bulls (5-4) (previously 6th in the East)
7. Milwaukee Bucks (5-2) (previously 8th in the East)
8. Toronto Raptors (5-5) (previously 9th in the East)
9. Indiana Pacers (4-3) (previously 13th in the East)
10. Philadelphia 76ers (4-6) (previously 7th in the East)
11. Detroit Pistons (5-5) (previously 10th in the East)
12. Charlotte Bobcats (3-6) (previously 11th in the East)
13. Washington Wizards (2-7) (previously 12th in the East)
14. New York Knicks (1-9) (previously 14th in the East)
15. New Jersey Nets (0-10) (previously 15th in the East)

Western Conference

Here is how the West wraps up after 3 weeks:

1. Los Angeles Lakers (7-3) (previously 1st in the West)
2. Phoenix Suns (9-2) (previously 2nd in the West)
3. Portland Trailblazers (8-3) (previously 6th in the West)
4. Denver Nuggets (7-3) (previously 3rd in the West)
5. Dallas Mavericks (7-3) (previously 5th in the West)
6. Houston Rockets (6-4) (previously 4th in the West)
7. San Antonio Spurs (4-4) (previously 7th in the West)
8. Utah Jazz (4-6) (previously 8th in the West)
9. Oklahoma City (5-5) (previously 10th in the West)
10. Sacramento Kings (5-4) (previously 12th in the West)
11. Los Angeles Clippers (4-7) (previously 9th in the West)
12. New Orleans Hornets (3-8) (previously 11th in the West)
13. Golden State Warriors (3-6) (previously 13th in the West)
14. Memphis Grizzlies (2-8) (previously 15th in the West)
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-10) (previously 14th in the West)

That does it for this week’s wrap up of all NBA action going on around the league. Photos are courtesy of Yahoo! Sports giving me action shot after action shot to make this blog look pretty. Leave a comment, or two, if you feel like it. I’d like to see other peoples opinions of what they think. Giving shout outs this week to my boy Nicky Neidlinga the thrilla. Check out his music at www.myspace.com/3pac1

Also got to give a shout out to Joey “The Young One” Peabody. Holding it down in R-wood hardcore.

The NBA has an amazing array of talent at it’s shooting guard position. Most pull of jumpers, hit fadeaways and even take it strong to the basket. Nonetheless, they are sometimes secondary ball-handlers and facilitators of the offense. The great play at this position is critical for a team to do well through out the regular season. Now, my top 5 shooting guards n the NBA are…

1) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, #24: Along with the reigning MVP of the League, LeBron James, he is arguably the best player in the NBA. With his strength, athleticism and deadly jumpshot, Kobe Bryant is not doubt one of the most feared NBA players around. With his Hall of Fame resume, fantastic work ethic and collection of great teammates, it will be no surprise if Kobe wins his Fifth ring by the time June is over.

2)Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat, #3: In the shadow of one of the best Draft Classes in NBA history (2003), Wade was over shadowed by his star counterparts in LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony (picks 1 and 3 respectively) . Although he was not the most celebrated of the NBA draftees, Wade does has one thing the Lebron and Carmelo are anxiously feasting for: An NBA Championship.  Even though his cast is not as supportive as the 2006 Championship squad, with Dwayne Wade, healthy, the Heat can go far.

3) Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers, # 7: One of the rising superstars int the league. He is the leader of his young ball club and a solid scorer. He has the great touch on the perimeter and he can definitely take it to the basket if he needs to. He’s a perennial All-Star and one of the premier players in the league. With the solid addition of Andre Miller at the point guard position and Greg Oden finally healthy, the Trailblazers will go far with Roy leading the charge.

4)Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, #2: Another consistent all-star on an up-and-coming basketball team. Joe is an amazing scorer and facilitator on the offense. He sees the court and can set up and alley-op to his teammates or step back and drain a trey. The Hawks have a talented group of young players who have a few years of experience under their belts now. With “Joe Smooth” in the passenger seat and the great addition of scoring machine Jamal Crawford off the bench, the Hawks are going to drive themselves into the playoffs and make some noise to some unexpected teams.

5)Ray Allen, Boston Celtics, #20: The most lethal 3-point shooter in the NBA today. He is second all-time in 3-point field goals made and is on pace to surpass the current all-time leader in threes made, Reggie Miller. Even though his numbers have deflated the last fews seasons, primarily due to his unselfishness and , he is still regarded as one of the best at his position in the game. With the addition of Rasheed Wallace, Kevin  Garnett healthy, the captain (Paul Pierce) on track and Rajon Rondo becoming a star, the Celtics are sure favorites to come out the East and Win it all.

Please leave your feedback, comments and opinions…everything is accepted and don’t be shy!…Top 5 power forwards are coming soon…

15.1 puntos, 6.6 rebotes, 4.4 asistencias, 2.9 tapones, 1.6 recuperaciones e incluso un 57% en tiros de campo convierten a Josh Smith (23 años) en el jugador más completo de lo que llevamos de temporada. El alero de los Atlanta Hawks sólo le falta mejorar el tiro de larga distancia (desde dónde no se ha prodigado todavía esta temporada) y el tiro libre (dónde tiene un pobre 60%). Estos números por muy espectaculares que nos parezcan no son ni siquiera los mejores de su carrera. Hace dos temporadas promediaba dos puntos y dos rebotes más.

Smith machando en un partido de los pasados play offs ante Boston Celtics

Josh Smith es actualmente el alero titular de los emergentes Atlanta Hawks, equipo que lidera junto a la figura de Joe Johnson (recientemente premiado como jugador de la semana en la conferencia Este). El ahora alero de los Hawks se dio a conocer al mundo en el torneo Internacional del Hospitalet en el que participó con el instituto de Oak Hill, equipo que lideró acompañado de Rajon Rondo, ahora es el base titular de los Boston Celtics.

Después de eso su llegada a la liga fue inminente y además se hizo un nombre muy rápidamente. No sólo por sus números si no por sus exhibiciones aéreas, ya sean a base de tapones como a base de mates. Esas muestras de poderío en las alturas le llevaron a participar en su primer año en la NBA en el concurso de mates, que además ganó con una auténtica exhibición.

Prototipo del jugador completo, Josh Smith ha rozado en varias ocasiones el cuádruple-doble (10 o más dígitos en 4 categorías estadísticas). Ese hecho sólo lo han podido conseguir 4 jugadores en toda la historia de la NBA (Nate Thurmond en 1974, Alvin Robertson en 1986, Hakeem Olajuwon en 1990 y David Robinson en 1994). Una muestra más de su polivalencia.

A día de hoy, El alero de Atlanta lidera momentáneamente la clasificación de tapones, una categoría estadística copaba históricamente por hombres altos y que además ocupan posiciones interiores (Andrei Kirilenko, alero de Utah Jazz, ha sido el único jugador exterior en conseguir dominar una temporada esta categoría). Josh Smith lleva varias temporadas que se le resiste el título pero este año parece que ha salido decidido a ganarlo o si no por lo menos aspira a superar su record de 10 tapones en un partido. Toda una bestialidad. De hecho, el pasado 31 de Octubre entró en la historia de la liga al convertirse en el jugador más joven en superar la barrera de los 900 tapones y es que parece que al joven alero se le van a quedar pequeñas algunas categorías estadísticas.

Un poco de Josh Smith:

I can’t believe we’re already heading in to week 3 of the NBA here, and if you’ve either been following the rankings on LBS  or just watching the NBA, you know that there have been some serious surprises so far in the the season…So let’s start on these rankings.

1. Boston Celtics (7-1)-Play fantastic defense, and KG has looked great so far.  Big matchup with Hawks on ESPN Friday night.  I know I’ll be watching with a nice 12 of Labatt.

2. L.A. Lakers (6-1)- After a little mishap with Dallas, the Lakers are back, winning 5 straight.

3. Orlando Magic (5-2)- A suprising and dissapointing loss in Oklahoma city last night gave them a .500 week.

4. Pheonix Suns (7-1)- With a big jump in the rankings (from 9 to 4) the Suns beat up on the teams they were supposed to, and gave the Celtics their only loss.

Joe Johnson, named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, has led the Hawks to a strong 5-2 start.

5. Atlanta Hawks (5-2)- Had a disappointing night in Charlotte get erased by the whalloping of the Denver Nuggets the next night.  Josh Smith has looked awesome so far.

6. Miami Heat (5-1)- I can’t believe I’m putting them this high, but a nice win over the Nuggets improved them to 5-1 and Jermaine O’Neal has looked liked his old form.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)- Shaq still hasn’t exactly looked good yet, and the team has continued to struggle with a loss at home to the Bulls.  They already have more losses at home than they did all of last season…

8. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)- Dirk Nowitzki has played out of his mind as he continues to lead Dallas night after night.

9. Chicago Bulls (4-2) I should probably have put them ahead of the Cavs since they beat them and have a better record, but I’m still not completely sold on this team yet.  We’ll see this week with games against Denver and Toronto.

10. Houston Rockets (4-2)- Rounding out the top 10 is Houston, who have played quite well.  Trevor Ariza has looked fantastic, and will look to lead them to a W in a big game at Dallas on Tuesday night.

11. Portland Trailblazers (4-3)- Should be playing stronger, but this team is still incredibly talented.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)- Huge win at home vs. Magic jumps them up a couple spots.  Durant could be a top 3 player in the league in the next couple of seasons.

13. San Antonio Spurs (3-3)- Have not looked impressive at all. Maybe this team is just to old.

14. Toronto Raptors (3-4)- Chris Bosh has gained 20 lbs. of muscle and has looked great, and the team has played decent ball with wins vs. San Antonio, Detroit, and the Hornets.

15. Charlotte Bobcats (3-3)- An impressive win vs. Hawks leads them to a big game vs. Magic.  Flip Murray has been a huge pick up for them.

16. Utah Jazz (3-4)- They’ve looked decent with Deron Williams having another great year, but they barely play defense, and don’t have the offense to keep up game after game.

Hey folks,

I’m getting back in the groove!

No, I didn’t have H1N1, but my son did. I’ve been the primary care giver of the poor boy the last few days. I’ve tried to take carfe of him, but a dad’s care isn’t the same as a mothers, LOL. She had to work so he was stuck with me. But he survived, and is well on the way to recovery.

Wow, last Friday Yoli launched! I’m waiting anxiously for my Yoli Truth to arrive in the next couple days. These products are actually packaged now, the bottles, boxes, etc, all that good stuff. So now, the game is on!

Along with this official pre launch there are now several options to get into Yoli. You can now start your Yoli business for as little as approximately $60. You will not find any other company out there right now that offers the same opportunity as Yoli, let alone for this cheap.

If you want to get your business going today, you can do so here  

Our group is growing every week. These people that sign up after you, and trust me, there will be hundreds and eventually thousands of them, go into your business. This is not to say you have to do nothing to build your business. But HALF of your business will be built for you.

I look forward to getting to know you. If you want to experience our marketing system, the same one that will be available to you when you become a distributor, you can visit my Go Yoli , enter your info, and I’l be in touch soon.

Or, you can call me at

251-279-YOLI (9654) O 

251-382-3282 C

Have a great day!

Joe

joe@theblastcapguy.com

While watching the Jazz and Spurs Thursday night,  I kept hearing Doug Collins of TNT talk about giving guys a rest.  I hate this kind of talk.

Do guys really need a rest?

In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain played 48.5 minutes per game.  Yes, you read that right.

Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas broke his forearm during a weight lifting session.  Yikes…

Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks via Bleacher Report:

“I don’t know when we all of a sudden just really became a selfish team,” Johnson said. “Now everybody wants to go one-on-one. It’s me, me, me. It’s crazy, man.”

“Everybody who touches it wants to score,” Johnson said. “I really think guys on this team don’t know their roles, so it’s killing us. And it’s going to continue to kill us.”

Hawks are 4-2.  This has nothing to do with killing the team; this may get ugly.

Cheryl Miller on NBA TV said Carmelo Anthony is the second best player in the NBA.  Ummm, Miss Miller, if Kobe and LeBron are the two best, how is Carmelo 2nd best?

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

I’m on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

Die Medienwirkung, die LeBrons Auftritt in New York erzielt hat, war enorm. Sein Werdegang und die Diskussion darüber, wo er nächste Saison spielen wird, gehören zu den meist beachteten Themen rund um die NBA, die es in den letzten Jahren gegeben hat. Diszipliniert beantwortet James jegliche Frage, die mit einem möglichen Wechsel zusammenhängt und achtet darauf, bloß nichts preiszugeben. Vielleicht weiß er bereits, welchen Schritt er in der Offseason 2010 gehen wird, das sei einmal dahingestellt. Geht es ihm um die Moneten, wird er wohl in Cleveland bleiben, da die Cavs ihm den Regularien nach einfach am meisten Cash auf das Bankkonto transferieren können. Nicht, dass er ohnehin genug verdient hätte in seiner noch jungen Karriere, aber ein Faktor bildet das Geld immer. Nun hat er in einem Interview ein Statement gebracht, dass Fans aus allen NBA Städten hat aufhorchen lassen.

Das Geld sei ihm eigentlich egal, somit sei ein großer Kontrakt zweitrangig. Auf Siege käme es ihm an und es gäbe viele Spieler, mit denen er gerne in einer Mannschaft stünde. Nun sollten sich die Anhänger der Sacramento Kings nicht allzu große Hoffnungen machen, aber LeBrons Aussage sollte bei Teams wie vor allem den New York Knicks schnell begriffen und verinnerlicht werden. Sicher, Donnie Walsh hat gute Arbeit geleistet die Knicks wieder unter den Salary Cap zu bringen. Das Geld wäre also da, aber was ist mit den richtigen Mitspielern? Sechs Knicks-Akteure werden im kommenden Sommer zunächst vertragslos sein und ob es D’Antoni und Walsh gelingt David Lee, Nate Robinson und Al Harrington auch längerfristig zu binden und zufriedenzustellen ist fraglich. Darüber hinaus sollte man sich die Frage stellen, ob James überhaupt mit Harrington, Lee und Robinson zusammenspielen will.
New York mag das Mekka des Basketballs sein, aber in der NBA gibt es attraktivere Destinationen, wenn es um die Konkurrenzfähigkeit geht. ESPNs Chris Sheridan hebt zu Recht die Miami Heat hervor. Auch Dwyane Wade könnte sich via Free Agency einen neuen Club suchen, doch was passiert wenn sich Wade und James darauf verständigen zusammen in Miami anzuheuern und man es schafft Amar’e Stoudemire oder Chris Bosh davon zu überzeugen nach Florida zu kommen? Die Heat haben mit Mario Chalmers und Michael Beasley zwei sehr talentierte Spieler in ihren Reihen und zusammen mit Wade, James und Bosh oder Stoudemire wären sie in der Eastern Conference konkurrenzlos.
Damit will ich nicht sagen, dass die Heat notwendigerweise bessere Karten haben Superstars vom Markt zu greifen als die Knicks, die ihrerseits mit Danilo Gallinari und Wilson Chandler werben können, doch hoffe ich einfach für Walsh, dass er sich einen guten Plan zurecht gelegt hat.
Dieser Tage Spricht zwar kaum jemand über die New Jersey Nets, aber auch sie sollten  im Wettlauf um LeBrons Gunst nicht ausgeklammert werden. Erst gestern hat man wieder gesehen, dass sich James und Jay-Z, der bekanntlich Anteilhaber der Nets ist, nahe stehen. Mit Devin Harris, Brook Lopez und Courtney Lee sind auch die Nets nicht schlecht besetzt, obgleich die Heat meiner Einschätzung nach mehr Talent aufzubieten haben.
Bei all den Worten, die über LeBron verloren werden, muss auch erwähnt werden, dass andere überaus talentierte Spieler auf dem Transfermarkt erhältlich sein werden, darunter Joe Johnson, Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki und die zuvor erwähnten Wade, Bosh und Stoudemire.
So werden auch die Minnesota Timberwolves das nötige Kleingeld haben, um einen Spieler mit Starqualitäten in den hohen Norden der USA locken zu können. Mit Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Jonny Flynn, Ramon Sessions und möglicherweise noch Ricky Rubio warten Mitspieler, mit denen es sich lohnt auf dem Court zu stehen. Dennoch glaube ich nicht, dass LeBron James oder Dwyane Wade nach Minneapolis ziehen, da es, wenn man bloß den Standort in Betrachtung zieht, attraktivere Möglichkeiten gibt.
Wie wahrscheinlich ist es, dass nächste Saison drei NBA Superstars im gleichen Team landen? Wäre eine Kombo mit James, Wade und Bosh ein automatischer Titelanwärter?

The 2009-2010 season has been one of immense scoring, and tremendous excitement.

1. Boston Celtics: I am no fool. The Celtics are legit, at this point in time the C’s are  the best team in the league. Their offense is clicking, Rasheed Wallace looks more like a contestant for the All Star Weekend NBA 3 Point Contest, rather than the Sixth Man of the Year. Rondo got his extension, a safe move to protect young talent on an aging team. Things are working out in Boston, and as of week one, no team can touch them.

2. Orlando Magic: Just ask The Octagon, the Magic are very potent. The depth of this Magic Team is simply incredible. Their scoring recalls the glory days of the Phoenix Suns under Mike D’Antoni. Just think with J.J. (Get me a record deal!) Reddick scoring 27 points in the absence of Vince Carter, as well as Rashard Lewis’ suspension and Pietrus’ injury the Orlando Magic offense firing on all cylinders is truly scary.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: I can’t bring myself to rank the Lakers any lower than third, they are: 1. still the best team substantially in the Western Conference 2. temporarily lacking the frontcourt depth that Pau Gasol brings and 3. they are the Los Angeles Lakers, the same Lakers that have won 15 NBA titles, brought in guys like Gasol and Ron Artest, and will continue to do anything to win Kobe another ring.

4. Denver Nuggets: While predicting the Western Conference standings at the end of the season, I wasn’t too big on the Nuggets. Sure they have guys like Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith and the Birdman, and I thought their trip to the Western Conference Finals was a fluke. Then I remembered that they had Carmelo Anthony. 113 points in 117 minutes played. That alone earns them the 4 position.

5. San Antonio Spurs: Although disappointed with the loss in Chicago, I’m still big on the Spurs. Antonio McDyess is a great addition off the bench. DeJuan Blair, is making every GM in the league regret not taking him, even though I believed his talent was on par with a first round pick. Besides, the team already has a guy who can do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1DpjBEwekE

6. Cleveland Cavaliers: Ah, there they are. Forget the 0-2 start, the Cavaliers are looking better. The return of Delonte West was hailed in Cleveland, as he locked in 13 points and two assists. Mo Williams, who has also stepped up his game in the last two victories, and Daniel Gibson looks like he has his three point shot back, for now. Also, there is a real possibility that LeBron could average a triple double for the season, woah.

7. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk’s on usual pace, Terry’s looking like his sixth man self, and Marion is contributing with points and rebounds. Despite the Mavs’ opening loss, the team has turned itself around. Howard has been looking like the Josh Howard of old, and the Mavericks can be a real prescence in the West.

8. Phoenix Suns: I’ll give it to the Phoenix Suns, an undefeated record combined with Grant Hill’s efforts and Channing Frye’s resurgance, the Suns look alright. Amare has not looked like himself, despite putting up average numbers. How long can this streak last? a five game road trip against Eastern Conference teams should dictate that.

9. Miami Heat: Am I really that impressed by the Heat? No. But I cannot argue a 14.3 ppg difference in wins for their first three games. I can’t put my faith in Jermaine O’Neal, i simply just can’t. Michael Beasley should improve as a sophomore but with OJ Mayo scoring 40 points now this early in the season for Memphis, I question the Heat’s draft pick. If Dwayne Wade does not believe in this team, he could be gone by next season.

10. Atlanta Hawks: I feel that the Hawks have not improved substantially from last year. As Joe Johnson recently said coming off a loss to the Lakers “were too soft.” Josh Smith, progressing in terms of his blocks, has not even attempted a three pointer this season. I simply believe the Hawks are playing about to their potential in terms of their talent base.

Seus joelhos estavam amarrados numa bolsa de gelo. Seus pés também estavam no gelo. Sua camiseta estava suada. E isso tudo depois do jogo, enquanto ele descansava.

Artest jogou muito bem na defesa, impedindo que Joe Johnson tivesse uma noite incrível.

No primeiro quarto, o astro do Hawks, que estava sendo marcado pelo Kobe, fez 18 pontos. Depois, a partir do segundo quarto, Ron Artest começou a defendê-lo. Johnson fez apenas 9 pontos nos outros 3 quartos.

Joe Johnson acertou 7 de 8 arremessos de quadra no primeiro quarto, sendo deles 3 de 4 da linha de três pontos. Então do segundo quarto até o final do jogo, Johnson acertou apenas 1 de 8 arremessos tentados. Artest fez um trabalho muito bom defendendo ele.

“Eu ainda acho que ele teve um jogo bom”, disse Artest. “Ele começou acertando tudo, ele é um grande jogador. Mas os jogadores mais difíceis que eu já defendi foram o Kobe e o Lebron”.

Este é o motivo pelo qual o Lakers contratou Ron Artest, para ser o jogador que vai defender o melhor jogador adversário quando o Kobe não conseguir.

Artest pegou 7 rebotes (6 defensivos) e deu 3 tocos.

“Será muito difícil para os outros jogadores jogarem contra mim. Eu estou mais pesado, cerca de 1 quilo e meio, porém esse peso extra é apenas músculo. E eu me sinto mais rápido também”.

Artest também foi bem no ataque, terminando com 12 pontos e 4 assistências. Ele acertou 5 de 12 arremessos tentados, com 1 de 4 da linha de três pontos.

“O meu aproveitamento de quadra não é algo que eu fique frustrado”, disse Artest. “Eu penso que são apenas os três primeiros jogos. O que realmente importa são os jogos grandes”.

Fonte: LA Times

Great news folks….

Yoli will officially pre-launch on November 6th.

More to follow about what this means for you, the soon to be distributor.

Talk to ya soon,

Joe
www.theblastcapguy.com