connecting*the*dots

Go Jersey!

Post-game update: (81-77 L) The Nets don’t have a shot in this series if they don’t change up a few areas of their game:

• Grab defensive rebounds
  The Cavs had 17 offensive boards by the third quarter. Gooden (6 ORB)and Ilgauskas (8 ORB) must be boxed out.
• Take the ball to the rim and quit bitching
  Vince Carter can’t play a strong game on the road for his life. Sasha Pavlovic is a good player, but Carter should be able to dominate him off the dribble, taking him to the hoop All Day. Instead, he settled for pull up jumpers and/or spent forever dribbling himself out of control. And when he didn’t get a call, he dropped into prima donna mode and allowed breaks to develop the other direction.

I’m not panicked, though. Losing by four, on the road, as poorly as the Nets played and shot, there’s only room for improvement.

Shot by blitzcat

The man seems to have the golden touch on draft night; first with Michael Jordan, then working a deal to land Richard Jefferson and most recently finding Nenad Kristic on the other side of the planet.

Rod wouldn’t select a Yinka Dare or Rex Walters with a first-round pick.

I have to be honest, I missed out on much of the college basketball season last year, so while I’m familiar with Williams and Boone to a degree — I’ve caught them here and there while following my Syracuse squad — I don’t have too much to go on regarding the particulars of their games over a long stretch of time.

Not that such details would stop me from giving my opinion:

Marcus Williams is the real-deal point guard — a court visionary (not many college PG’s average better than 8 dimes per) and steps-up big time in clutch situations. Unfortunately, he’s also (reportedly) out-of-shape, under-motivated and (legitimately) guilty of participating in the theft and sale of four laptops on the UConn campus his junior year.

His own mother had to move across country to live with him to get his shit straight.

If he can get his head out of his ass, and take his career responsibilities seriously, he’s projected as a top-notch guard in the NBA. With JKidd as a mentor, well, he’s in a perfect position to succeed, as he has the opportunity for big-time minutes next year. I’m betting he’s worth the gamble.

Josh Boone was probably the best PF available at #23, and the Nets are desperate for size and shot-blocking, so he’ll get some run as a rookie.

I’m just hoping he doesn’t turn out to be another Jason Collins.

It’s reported that he has decent hands, can finish around the basket, rebounds well and is a shot blocker, but he also has a reputation for being soft, a poor free throw shooter and has no offensive game — very much like Collins. Thankfully he’ll have Kidd and Williams getting him the ball in a position to finish, so as long as his hands are good and he can finish over another big, his limited offensive skills shouldn’t be too much of a burden.

IMHO, Hassan Adams is a great pick for a late second round selection. He’s an energy guy, can score in bunches, rebounds well for his size; he actually reminds me of Stevie Thompson, the 6 foot 2 inch G/F from Syracuse back in the late eighties. He may not have a specific position on the floor, but he can ball and Lawrence Frank likes to go to a small line-up from time to time. Between him and Antoine Wright, the Nets look to have a nice, athletic 2nd team rotation (later, Zoran). Hopefully he can bring an on-court attitude the Nets have missed since the departure of Kenyon Martin.

Man, we’re only a week beyond the end of the NBA season, and I’m already jonesin’ for the start of next year.

Uncle Cliffy… couldn’t you have just waited a month or so?

Nets’ Robinson suspended for violating drug policy

Another violation of the NBA’s drug policy will prevent Clifford Robinson from playing in the remainder of the New Jersey Nets’ playoff series against the Miami Heat.

The league announced on Friday that the veteran forward has been suspended five games for violating the terms of the anti-drug program.

The suspension will begin Friday with Game Three of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Nets and Heat. The best-of-seven series is tied at one game apiece.

Robinson was suspended five games for violating the league’s anti-drug policy in February 2005 as a member of the Golden State Warriors. Later in the month, he was traded to the Nets for a pair of second-round picks.

Although he is 39, the 6-10 Robinson remains a solid post defender and still can score a bit.

The Nets need all the help they can get in the interior against the Heat, who have Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning in the middle and Udonis Haslem at power forward.

In New Jersey’s eight playoff games, Robinson averaged 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 24.8 minutes. He was shooting just 33 percent from the field (13-of-39), including 6-of-19 from 3-point range.

The absence of Robinson should mean more minutes for shooting forward Lamond Murray and power forward John Thomas off the bench.

Robinson started 13 of 80 games this season and averaged 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 23.3 minutes. He shot 43 percent from the field, including 34 percent from the arc.

In his 17-year NBA career, Robinson has played in 1,330 games and averaged more than 14 points and four rebounds. He won the Sixth Man Award in 1993, was an All-Star in 1994 and a member of the All-Defensive Second Team in 2000 and 2002.

Artist: T-K.A.S.H.
Song: Made In America

==========

[The Last Poets - updated by Ethan]

I love niggas, because niggas are me. And I should only love that which is me. I love that you niggas go through changes, love that you niggas act, love that you niggas make some plays and shoot the shit. But there’s one thing about niggas that I don’t love. Niggas are scared of revolution.

[T-K.A.S.H.]

There’s a war going on at home
It’s like Baghdad
In American cities where all the blacks at
Little kids that pack straps and backpacks
Who clap cats for scratch snacks and gas masks
Hard times
Niggas are on the grind
All of the time
Faith in Allah small as a dime
A cup of noodles for breakfast
A cup of noodles for lunch and
A cup of noodles for dinner
Every day is the Winter
Every day is December
Cause evin in the middle of Summer
The streets shudder from the poverty blizzard
Rocket propelled grenades
Landmines and letterbombs
Open up your envelops
With thoughts of them shuttin off
Your water and your lights
And your foods and your rights
All you got in your life
Is little dude and your wife
So you move in the white
With the crew in the night
But you’re nervous:
The block drafted you into the service
The curse

You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga

Wakin’ up is the beginning of a day that’s fucked
Spoons and forks and napkins and plates and cups
Everything but a meal
I bang with my steel
And feel hunger pains in me still
I hit the front line with my ammo and my canteen
Basketball and tennis shoes as a sand screen
Shootin’ jumpers as the boys in blue pass me
Casually
I pass cream to the crack fiends
The other day a first Lieutenant was moded
Started up the car and it exploded
But didn’t nobody notice
I’m knowin’ how it goes
When if the the nigga with the purple heart of courage ain’t the oldest
It’s cold shit
But if I let little man push
Little man could go and create a plan to ambush
Double jeopardy
Brothers reppin’ me
And tellin’ me they lovin’ and respectin’ me
Could be the death of me

You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
God in heaven could you tell me why you never chose me
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
Times I asked you to provide or we wasn’t goin’ to eat
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
Why was everything that you was supposed to do on me
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
Since I’m not in heaven it’s only one other place I can be

Now shit’s hard, when you’re up in rank this far
I hit bars and I mix and mingle with stars
You flip cars with overtime you get scarred
And with your broad you begin to whisper “discharge”
Traumatized by the lies of the turncoats
Who walk enemy ground to go and burn smoke
Five dead single shot glock nine to the head
And you like, “Fuck em’”
Them niggas have to learn though
But things deepen
Your enemy’s peepin’
The rate you’re gain’ weight got your thinergies creepin’
They see you’re not sleepin’
So they got reason
To send a soldier in your circle
And manipulate the treason
A psychological Hurricane Katrina
And ain’t nobody comin’ to help
Fuck FEMA
I slowly turn the gun to myself and squeeze it
And Mohhamed Era Su Allayet (?)
I couldn’t see it
The grievous

I didn’t create this shit, I was born into it. Like I didn’t create the projects, I didn’t create homelessness, I didn’t create poverty, I didn’t create unemployment, I didn’t create this poor educational system, I was pushed into it, and now you want to blame me for not rising above it? Shit, I may not be that strong!

You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga
You ain’t a made nigga, you just afraid nigga

(via Navaho Gunleg)

Photo by stickerbandit

Can anyone point me to a few good spots in town to get some run? I only have a few requirements:

• More 35+ year-old players than 18+ year-old pogosticks (I need time to get back to that degree of comp)
• A decently maintained court (nightlights are a bonus)
• Enough people consistently around in the mid/late afternoon to get in a decent run

All suggestions are greatly appreciated.

title: Dunk
created: fall 1990
media: Rapidograph illustration
dimensions: 18″ x 24″

(via Boing Boing)

What happens when Malcolm Gladwell and The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, are on a two on none break?

Simmons: When I started reading you back in the mid-’90s, I remember being discouraged because you made writing seem so easy — technically, you were almost flawless, and since I knew I couldn’t write that well, you were one of those visible writers who made me feel like I was going to be bartending my whole life. You never waste a word. You come up with cool arguments and angles for your pieces, then you systematically prove/dismantle those same arguments and angles, and you do it in an entertaining, thoughtful, logical way. You never allow your biases to get in the way. You’re better at writing than me in every way. Basically, I hate you.

So I always thought to myself, “Well, maybe he kicks my ass as a writer, but I guarantee he’s a huge dork who knows nothing about sports and couldn’t talk to a girl to save his life.” Then we went out for drinks in New York City in December, argued about basketball and football for three hours, and then some smoking-hot bartender started hitting on you at the end of the night. She was giving off that same vibe that the 25 girls give the “Bachelor” during the first episode when he has, like, only four or five minutes to meet everyone, so everyone has to hit on him at warp speed. Now I have decided that you need to die.

A finger roll.

(via gladwell.com)

The funny thing about running into the posting wall, is that it almost always comes out of the blue, often at the most random of times. Well, unlike past years, in 2005 I hit the wall at the most appropriate time of the year.

So, in order to get back up on the blogging horse, I’m now going to confront what annoyed me the most over the past week or so by presenting you a better late than never (maybe), hodge-podge list of the best stuff I personally experienced in 2005:

Going freelance
Yeah, I know you can’t buy this or go see it, but it was somewhat of a life-changing moment for me. And while I’ve gone back and forth between full-time and freelance gigs over the years, unless the perfect full-time opportunity to build smart experiences and flex skills with like-minded people arises, this time I just might not go back.

Beginning to blog full-time
While I’m still a bit of a beat-down blogger, I’m pretty amped that I’ve been writing consistently since last April. Because my last job consumed so much of my time and energy, my posts were few and far between in 2004 and without writing, sketching, or being creative on some level for me and me alone, I begin to lose it. Maybe I won’t post as much this year, but when I do, they’ll be accompanied by original creative output (illustrations, music, podcasts, etc.).

Working with Media Matters
Admittedly, before I took the gig to collaborate on the redesign of the Media Matters site, I had never heard of David Brock. So as I researched Brock and Media Matters the week prior to starting the job, I became fascinated with his story, especially how the concept of his book literally became a functional venture (the Media Matters for America non-profit) to clean up the media. Does the released information architecture of the site exactly reflect my vision for a forward-thinking domain? Not quite, but it’s getting there, and man, does our media need a real-time ecosystem of accountability.

Picking up my father’s habit of watching the 11 o’clock news
My father is religous in catching the local 11 o’clock news. Aside from catching the weather for the following day (ever notice how the weather is placed at the end of the newscast?), it provides him daily insight into the local news that he feels he needs. Well, I’m now picking up his tradition by religiously catching The Daily Show. Yes, with the amount of in-depth news I catch on my aggregator, I need Jon Stewart’s take on our twisted planet to close out my day-to-day.

Returning to The Chuck Nevitt Invitational
In 1999, the innaugural CNI season, my handicapped parkin’ squad ended up tying for first place. Thanks to Carver High, an invite was extended to me six years after I released my entire fantasy baseball squad due to the real-life threat of a strike (I thought they’d never get over that one). I’m only a few healed players away from having the trophy living in my den for the next year, so Bonzi, Emeka, hurry up and get healthy!

Becoming active by donating to causes I believe in
Historically, I’ve backed organiations by talking them up and defending their practices within mixed crowds. Similar to how I viewed my ability to become a Big Brother (not responsible enough), I also thought that one needed to be rich to financially support an organization. Well, after giving a few hundred dollars to EFF and TerraPass, I’ve come to realize that one doesn’t have to be wealthy to contribute. This year, I’m looking to expand my philanthropic range, so I guess I’ll just have to kill a few magazine subscriptions and keep my heat down at night.

Really Simple Syndication: For real
I’ve been using feeds for years, but not to the degree I used them this past year. Bloglines has become my primary source of information and news from around the world. Out of my 130+ subscriptions, less than ten would be considered mainstream media, so for the first time in my life my perspective is being primarily influenced by people like me. This is a post all in it’s own.

Moving to Greensboro, North Carolina
As I posted before I left JC to come to Greensboro, I’ve a bunch of mixed feelings. On one hand, going from a long-distance relationship to living with Angela has been great. Just as cool has been seeing my brother much more than once every six months. Greensboro is a laid back town, larger in scale than my one-time home of Williamstown, but similar in vibe; small enough to get away from the hustle and bustle, but large enough to ensure that your girlfriend isn’t one degree away from your doctor, dentist, shrink, yoga instructor, etc. On the other hand, it’s not New York City.

Well, that’s that. This post isn’t chock full of top movies or albums, but hey, those types of posts probably annoy you just as much as they annoy me. If 2005 was my year of change, then I’m thinking that 2006 will be the year of transparency across the board. The internet has far too many dedicated, passionate people and easily accessible, open hooks to not dig into rich domains (such as government) to create open, honest conversations.

Transparency and accountability in 2006.

The Onion is too good!

Dear Rod,

Remember when I asked you for a Nets squad that could in the very least compete with other NBA teams a few years back? You responded by delivering us K-Mart, J-Kidd, RJ and a healthy Kerry Kittles. Well, I don’t think I ever properly thanked you for that one. Thank you. It was huge. Watching Nets’ playoff basketball was a dream of mine for years and contending for two championships was, well, an experience beyond my wildest expectations.

Now, please don’t take the rest of this the wrong way. You’re obviously still the Man; the Mac Daddy, Pimp Extraordinaire; a true Thug. The last thing I’d ever do is tell you how to do your job. I mean, you did draft the greatest basketball player to ever play the game after two Rod-wanna-be GM’s passed him up. Over the course of your career, you’ve earned the right to be provided with the benefit of doubt for any move… and then some. Here’s my dilemma: I’m not privy to your eyes and ears.

All media reports indicated that Shareef’s knee scarring was present since high school and that it’s never been an issue during his career. You were about to sign him to a relatively cheap contract, locking him up for six years, until his 34th birthday. Couldn’t we have just rolled the dice and bet on his ROI to ring true within the next two years? I mean, J-Kidd isn’t getting any younger. By the time an arthritic condition might set in, we’d be in rebuilding mode anyway… right? See, this is me — an interactive strategist — trying to play Rod without all of the available information. It is blasphemy. But you do get my point, right? The window is closing on this J-Kidd led squad. The future is now.

So we now have Wright replacing Buford as the backup swing-man, McInnis replacing Best as the backup scoring point and Jackson replacing Smith as the backup… big scrub. Each of these moves has improved the team, but we still don’t have a back-to-the-basket PF. Remember the playoffs, when Miami doubled Vince and our offense completely shut down? Sorry, man, of course you remember. And sure, I realize that RJ wasn’t at 100% either, so maybe the results would be different this time around. But with all due respect, I don’t believe that for a minute.

So here I kneel, praying to Rod that you’ll listen to me once more. Would I take a Brian Grant signing? Sure. But he doesn’t bring anything to the table on the offensive end. Here’s my armchair GM suggestion: VC for Okafor and a few contracts. Vince wows the crowds every night in NC (with Sean Mays and Raymond Felton in tow) and we get a young, solid post-up player with great rebounding and shot blocking skills. Then, as only you could do, sign Michael Finley off waivers as our starting 2.

J-Kidd, Finley, RJ, Okafur and Nenad. Not to0 shabby.

Again, it’s your world, Rod, I’m just a squirrel trying to get a nut. My honor code is Rod, family and friends — in that order. So you go do what it is that you do so well: hustle a GM into thinking that he’s the Man and rip out his heart in the process. You do you. I’m just going to kick back and watch the story unfold with amazement.

Amen.

According to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the Nets are on the verge of landing Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and they may be able to pull it off without sending a first-round pick to Portland. If Rod Thorn and Bruce Ratner pull this off, I’m man enough to admit I made a huge mistake creating voodoo dolls of the two of them after they got rid of Kenyon Martin. Why was I so upset? You have to know the pain of a 25-year long Nets fan to even begin to understand.

K-Mart was the heart of the Nets team that made the finals two-years straight. The team was terrible for years prior to him joining the squad. Terrible can’t even begin to describe the team; they had no heart, no sense of pride, with players walking onto the court with “Trade Me” and “All Alone” scribbled onto their sneakers. K-Mart changed that attitude by just stepping on the court. As an athletic rookie with extremely raw skills, he was too loud with too much bravado for most to stomach, but Martin knew what he brought to the team and wouldn’t allow his team to be treated like a bunch of punks by the opposition. When Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson joined the team the following year, the Nets turned the corner for good and became a top-tier club; finally, a winning team, fun at that, to root for.

Last year, during Martin’s free-agent dealings, the Denver Nuggets swept in and out-bid Bruce Ratner for his services, resulting in a sign-and-trade. I went absolutely bonkers, renouncing my season tickets and dipping my game-watching from every game to 75% or so (for those of you that don’t know me, that’s significant). K-Mart’s game is strong, but it was his heart that I instantly missed.

While I still appreciate Martin from afar, I have to admit I was absolutely reactionary about the decision to trade him. The deal landed the Nets three first-round draft picks; two of which transformed into Vince Carter through the trade with the Toronto Raptors. Now, if Chad Ford is right, Thorn and Ratner might land Shareef Abdur-Rahim for nothing in return aside from a $5 million trade exception they landed in the Kerry Kittles trade. That’s ridiculous management. In essence, the Nets added Vince Carter and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, replacing Kerry Kittles and Kenyon Martin… in one year.

Abdur-Rahim has been called soft in the past, but he’s a career 20 ppg/8 rb player. If that’s soft, I’ll take it. And if he doesn’t want to take the big shot, the starting line-up for the Nets is stocked with All-Star talent, I’m sure Jefferson, Carter or Kidd will step up. The soft label is probably due to his defensive game (or lack thereof), but from where I’m sitting he can’t be any softer than Jason "Pillsbury Man" Collins, a 7′ 1" man who can’t average 6 boards in 30 minutes per game, thinks that a charge call is classic defensive intensity and rotates about as fast as a tire with the car in park.

I’ve watched SAR enough times to know that he can bury a team all by himself. He has crafty, juke post moves reminiscent of Hakeem Olajuwon and is consistent with his jumper out to 20 feet. He’s versatile enough to play both SF and PF and makes his free throws at an 80% + clip. SAR is the opposite of K-Mart: quiet, reserved, a stat-filler and, yes, a poor defender who sometimes fades away on the defensive side of the ball. The gamble on him in minimal because the Nets are well coached and in a solid defensive structure; something Abdur-Rahim has never had the pleasure of working within. And since the Nets already have the swagger and filled with star power, his role is more defined.

Martin was the beginning of establishing this legacy, all Shareef has to do is play hard and produce. If he does, there just might be an annual trip to The Swamp planned for sometime in late June.

Salaam, SAR.

My buddy sent me these shots from a friend of his. Nash & Nowitzki… I have feeling these two will be throwing ‘em back once again, real soon. The MVP is now only one game away from the summer months and pouring a tall one for his Euro-buddy.

I love that athletes look just as dumb as us after 10 to 15 Budweisers.

UPDATE: More brilliant drunkenness

Linda and I hopped on the Q Saturday afternoon and rolled down to Coney Island to catch the yearly spectacle "Mermaid Parade." When we got there, we realized that we came a bit too late as the streets were packed with spectators and mermaids were hustling to get into position. We did the best we could and shoved our way to the front of the rows of people stacked six deep and waited for the show to begin.

Now here’s something I didn’t know about mermaids; apparently they like to drive vintage hot rods and burn massive amounts of rubber. One mer-dude peeled out right in front of five cops and got them all choking on melted rubber fumes. I laughed really hard, which had people looking at me funny, because ever since 9/11, it seems that no one can make fun of cops in NYC. I still thought it was a Kodak moment. Sue me.

The next thing I learned was that drunken mermaids like to show off their boobs. Actually, all of the mermaids seemed to enjoy it. It made me smile. Linda didn’t say anything, but I think she thought I was a perv. I just found the whole spectacle amusing.

We ended up walking around for hours, stopping once to eat and once for me to lose five bucks on a basketball shooting game (it was rigged, I swear). At the end of the day, after spending an hour watching people on the boardwalk we dragged our tired, burnt asses to the train and went home.

Brooklyn rules!