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 Yesterday I answered some questions from Brian, sent out some questions to The GM, TUP, Brian and SML and....now I've rec'd back some more questions. It's amazing how that all came full circle back to me. First a recap of what we are doing here:
Every once in awhile the good folks around the BlogsByFans Network get together
to have a party some fun. This is one of those instances. I'll
let our fearless leader, Brian, give
his description of what this is all
about.
The first week or so of November is truly a magical time of year for
every die-hard NBA fan. Everyone's team has a shot, every cup is half-full, and
95% of the country hasn't completely forgotten about our beloved sport,
yet.
With this in mind, we're going to try to educate ourselves here at
the Blogs By Fans Network, as well you loyal readers. Participating NBA bloggers
will be:
One of the huge benefits of a network like this, and reading
blogs written by guys who know way too much about their teams, is you can get
insight into teams you'll never get from the mainstream media. The idea of this
round table is to glean a few pieces of vital info about the teams we all cover.
Hopefully, we'll dig a little deeper and give you a few subtle things to keep an
eye on as the season wears on. The other purpose is to provide a proper forum
for Eddy Curry fat jokes, Shavlik Randolph homophobe jokes, Scott Skiles stick
in the rectum jokes and all other forms of trash talking.
I'm going to
fire the opening shot, with a couple of questions to each of the other guys,
they'll respond on their blogs, post questions to everyone else, and we'll
bounce it back and forth for a couple of days. Chime in in the comments sections
if there are questions you'd like to ask/answer. So, for your enjoyment, here are the answers to the questions that America has.
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First on the docket, TUP:
 1.
Tyrus Thomas does some amazing things on the basketball court- look no
further than his game against Philadelphia earlier this year as an
example. How good can he be? Could be develop into a Shawn Marion type
of all around beast, or does he lack the basketball IQ to ever reach
that level?
The
sky is the limit with Thomas. He can be as good as he wants to be. He
is chock full of talent. Any other cliches you'd like? We've heard them
all by now and to be honest with you......we still don't have any
answers.
Here is what we know about Thomas.....he can jump and
he can jump high. He plays with energy sometimes but he really doesn't
have the stamina, or the concentration, to play 35 minutes a game. His
jump shot is god awful, as is his focus.
I didn't know much
about Thomas when the Bulls drafted him and I was kind of upset the
traded LaMarcus Aldridge to get him. I thought Aldridge was on the
'slim side', but he had a low post game and I thought he could turn
into Marcus Camby...at worst. Funny thing is, he's tearing it up for
the Trail Blazers now and he's become exactly what the Bulls
needed....a low post option. I'm going to do a whole post on this in
the future.
Still, I had an open mind about Thomas. I heard he
was an athletic freak and I envisioned him flying around the basketball
floor skying for rebounds and throwing down dunks left and right. That
has happened, but not nearly enough. He needs to get out there and play
with Hinrich, but the problem is, neither of them can stay on the floor
right now.
So, how good could he be? I'm thinking he's more
Amare than Marion....if he could get there, but in reality he's very
Tyson Chandler-like in the sense that the Bulls aren't using him
correctly. The Bulls need to start running some pick and rolls with
Thomas, they need to start involving him in the game. Right now he's
not even option D in the offense and with Ben Wallace on the floor most
of the time, that's sad. The Bulls need to use Thomas' strengths,
running/dunking/jumping, to make him and the Bulls more successful.
Until that happens, he's Stromile Swift II. When/If that happens, he'll
be a 35 mpg force to be reckoned with.
2. You already have writers on your site named Jack Cobra, Bruce Paine, and Buck Rampage. Who’s next, Lance Uppercut?
We'll have Lance Armstrong writing on here before we have Lance Uppercut, that guy is a real prick.
Next up....SML:
 1. If Isiah Thomas offered you Eddy Curry back, in exchange for Joe Kim Noah and Tyrus Thomas, would you accept that trade?
I
would trade him for Noah or Thomas and Nocioni but not for Noah and
Thomas. Curry is a liability on defense and when it comes to
rebounding, so the Bulls would need someone to back him up after he put
in his 29 mpg. With Ben Wallace looking more and more like a washed up
joker, the Bulls would need one of the youngsters around to do the job
and cover Curry on defense.
That being said, Curry can score in
the post and that is what the Bulls need. In his last year here it
looked like the Bulls were building into a team to be reckoned with
when he was on the floor with Tyson Chandler. Unfortunately, that all
fell apart because....that would take too long to answer.
Sometimes
players need to be in an environment that is more fitting with their
personality. Curry is a laid back dude and that fits in well with the
Knicks....that doesn't fit in well with the Bulls who need fire and
energy not only in games, but in practice. Either way, he was on his
way out of town once Skiles proved to be successful. So, even if the
Bulls were able to get Curry back...I don't think he'd cut it with
Skiles there. He's much better off in New York.
2. Do you believe that Scott Skiles and John Paxson have the Bulls on the right track?
Christ,
you have to ask me this after the Bulls got off to their 0-4 start.
Here is what I think. I came very, very close to not being a Bulls fan
anymore back when Tim Floyd was the coach. I was sitting around at home
one night watching them get blown out by the Nets. Players were walking
up and down the court, not running the sets on offense...they were
getting their ass kicked in every way possible. While watching that I
nearly threw the remote at the TV and then I walked in to the living
room and told my Dad that I thought I was about to give up on being a
Bulls fan. After living through the Michael Jordan Era and everything
that came with that Genesis/Climax/Exit, it was a scary thought. Some
of my best memories growing up involved being a Bulls fan. It was just
that I was at the point where I was so embarrassed that I couldn't take
it anymore....
Then John Paxson came into town and cleaned
house. He got rid of players who were lacking effort and desire. He
hired Skiles and they became a team with a defensive identity. They
grinded out games. They became a team that I could root for again. For
that, I'm very appreciative.
Still, Paxson needed to make the
trade for KG and I think that's going to burn the Bulls this season.
Are they on the right track? If you consider a successful team that I
can be proud of being successful, then yes they are.
 3. Name your three favorite Jay-Z songs.
Amazingly...this
was the toughest question to answer and I feel the need to explain
something. I'm a 28 year old caucasian male living in Indiana. If you
saw me walking in the mall you'd probably think that I'd listen to some
band that normal white dudes listen to. When I tell my friends that
Jay-Z is my favorite artist, they don't believe me. When I'm bouncing
to his album in my truck with The Lovely Dentist riding shotgun, she
laughs at me. I grew up in a rough neighborhood but it was nothing like
Brooklyn. I had to work hard to get out of that neighborhood, but I
wasn't slinging rock or joining gangs. It's not like Jay-Z's music is
familiar to me or what my life is/was like. That's not why I like it.
Now excuse me because I'm not a music aficionado, so I'm going to keep
it simple.
I like it because the music because it sounds good.
I like it because it sounds smooth. I like the beats. I like that he
doesn't have to push or scream his way through a song to get his point
across. I like that he's laid back, yet intimidating. I like that he'll
hit you with a bunch of jabs and then an uppercut to knock you out.
Jigga knows what he's doing. He's not letting the game play him, he's
playing the game. He has the hottest chick in the game, yet he doesn't
have to brag about it too much. He is the definition of smooth, and I
like that whether it's Omar Vizquel fielding a ground ball in the hole,
a Kenny Anderson cross over, or a nice Benz....
All of that
being said, here are the five Jay-Z songs that stuck in my mind when I
was looking through his song playlist this morning. It also needs to be
noted that I just bought his new album, American Gangster, last night
and was only able to listen to it once. There are some hot tracks on
it, so some of those may get on this list someday.
Big Pimpin' - Self explanatory
Can't Knock the Hustle
- Definition of jab, jab, jab...uppercut. Jay busting out the rhymes
with Mary J. Blige singing the hook. This song blows my mind every
single time I hear it.
Excuse Me Miss - Fun song with Pharrell
Frontin' - Another song with Pharrell...... HOVA's go-to guy.
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) - If this song doesn't get you moving, you have no pulse.
Finally, questions from The GM:
The
GM didn't come up with any questions for me about the Bulls. I fully
believe this is because Michael Jordan ruined his childhood and he's
still not over it. Then again, maybe it's because the best known
franchise player for his favorite team is a one dimensional player who
didn't make his teammates better and could never win a title. For whatever reason, no questions
from him. |
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Low blow...man down...point reduction.
I didn't send any questions your way because between you and Rickhouse all the Bulls questions were covered.
and FYI: The Reds sweep of the A's in the World Series ruined my childhood! Also, Barry's -11 yard performance in the playoffs against Green Bay didn't help it any either.
I hear you selling it, but I'm not buying it. too late now.
nice jay-z pics. i'd go with:
girls, girls, girls (hilarious song)
feelin' it (laid back, killer hook)
guess who's back (best jay line of all time: "i'm in the drop with the A/C on, that's why the streets embrace me dog, I'M SO COOL!")
oh my god (too much energy for his own good)
i could list ten more...
He gave me three to list originally...it was tough to limit it at 5. girls, girls, girls, girls is a great track too.
The Grifter is my boy: Feeling It gets #1 on my list (9-6 and forever...). Then comes the Primo remix of So Ghetto. Then third is Big Pimpin.
Also, for the sheer props of it all - Hey ya'll, can I get open?
There are so many classics though...
Best Jay-Z ...
Linkin Park and Jay-Z, "Collision Course"....
the whole album.
It opens with a mix of "Dirt off your shoulders/Lying from you" and closes with "Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer." And everything in between rocks too. The best of rap combines with the best of modern rock.