The New Jersey Nets are a team with a history of such ill fortune that it's almost comical. In my recent memory, I've experienced two trips to the NBA Finals that coincided with the Lakers 3 peat dominance and the Spurs twin towers of David Robinson and Tim Duncan. I've experienced Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, Kerry Kittles, and Jason Kidd get traded away due to a change of ownership. I've experienced the year that the Nets were historically terrible, losing 18 straight games to start the season, an NBA record, and finishing the year at 12-70. Horrendous.
To top it all off, the Nets are moving to Brooklyn in two seasons. The final stage of ownership ripping the hearts out of their fanbase.
Yet true fans remain loyal to the Nets. We've been through too many downs already that it would be foolish to give up on them. We have a new, revolutionary stadium being built for us, a billionaire owner (one of the richest owners, if not THE richest, in ALL of sports), and our next J-Kidd, Deron Williams.
We have a bright future but a dim present, contrasting from the Knicks bright present, and foolish future. If anyone knows me personally, they must know that I absolutely HATE the Knicks. It's so bad that I won't touch anything that has the Knicks' shade of blue and orange.
Let me list some reasons why the Nets future is better than the Knicks:
-We have the two hardest positions to fill set for the future in Deron Williams (PG) and Brook Lopez (C), although Brook plays a little soft for his position.
-Our best player, Deron, is unselfish and posts insanely high assist numbers due to his high basketball IQ and eye behind his head a la Jason Kidd. Compare this to the Knicks' two best players who are primarily scorers and nothing else, Carmelo and Amare. These two need the ball in their hands to be effective, minimizing teamwork which is necessary to win a championship, proven by this year's Mavericks.
-The Nets have significant cap space for the foreseeable future, an ace card for franchises right now since no one knows what the new CBA will look like. We can sign free agents who will be enamored with playing in Brooklyn with an elite talent like Deron Williams while also keeping our draft picks, role players, and starters. Compare this to the Knicks, whose top two players have max contracts which extremely limits the talent that the team can buy to surround them with. As a friend of mine once said, "the Knicks are Carmelo and Amare and the rest are D-League players." Of course this was a little sarcastic, but the Knicks do sport a terrible bench.
-The Nets now have the upperhand with management. I would've given this one to the Knicks had they retained Donnie Walsh, but now, what is going to happen with them? This is the man that turned EVERYTHING around for the franchise. And now he is gone.
-Iman Shumpert. Who?
Done with my rant for now. Just had a random urge to write something.
Showing posts with label basketball diaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basketball diaries. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Random Thoughts: The Art of Pickup Basketball
Pick-up basketball (a game of 5 on 5, where players sometimes "pick up" other players to form a squad) is a setting that can be likened to a brawl, fight, or even a battle royale. Minus the punching and hurting others purposefully. It's similar to these violent clashes in that it pits your crew, versus some one else's. Your friends versus another group of friends. It's a battle for pride.
First off, you can understand who has your back. If you go to a court alone and join a team full of strangers who don't know each other, it's likely that there will be one person who hogs the ball or takes too many shots. It's possible that you get lost in the shuffle, as the players on your team would have no idea what your skillset is. But hey, that's part of the fun sometimes. Proving your worth to people on the basketball court.
In my opinion, though, the best way to play is with your friends. Everyone knows their roles, what everyone else is capable of, and best of all, that people will be supportive or will openly criticize (positively) your actions. You could miss all your shots in one game but still have confidence as your teammates will urge you to keep taking shot they know you can make.
Second, when you play with friends who know every move in your arsenal, chemistry is built. I can't tell you how many times my squad has won when the other team may have some better players, solely because our team chemistry is too much for the other team. Just as the Mavericks proved in these NBA Playoffs, a team that plays like a team will always prevail.
But lastly, the best part of any pick-up game is the outcome. The end score. When the score limit of 11, 16, or 21 is reached by one team. When some one makes that game winning shot, one of two things can take place. Either the person unleashes all the pent up emotion that built up during the game and lets out a scream (I've seen players jump into their teammates as if they won a championship..relax now), or the person simply pumps his fist, and acts like he's been there before. The second action seems to be the most common, as one unspoken rule of pick up is to be respectful..but that's not always followed.
Pick-up basketball is more than the words that I've written here. There is so much raw emotion, anger, fury, and madness that could happen on the court, especially under the summer sun. There is also calm, level-headedness, and collectivity that also could take place, and that's when the game is at its best.
First off, you can understand who has your back. If you go to a court alone and join a team full of strangers who don't know each other, it's likely that there will be one person who hogs the ball or takes too many shots. It's possible that you get lost in the shuffle, as the players on your team would have no idea what your skillset is. But hey, that's part of the fun sometimes. Proving your worth to people on the basketball court.
In my opinion, though, the best way to play is with your friends. Everyone knows their roles, what everyone else is capable of, and best of all, that people will be supportive or will openly criticize (positively) your actions. You could miss all your shots in one game but still have confidence as your teammates will urge you to keep taking shot they know you can make.
Second, when you play with friends who know every move in your arsenal, chemistry is built. I can't tell you how many times my squad has won when the other team may have some better players, solely because our team chemistry is too much for the other team. Just as the Mavericks proved in these NBA Playoffs, a team that plays like a team will always prevail.
But lastly, the best part of any pick-up game is the outcome. The end score. When the score limit of 11, 16, or 21 is reached by one team. When some one makes that game winning shot, one of two things can take place. Either the person unleashes all the pent up emotion that built up during the game and lets out a scream (I've seen players jump into their teammates as if they won a championship..relax now), or the person simply pumps his fist, and acts like he's been there before. The second action seems to be the most common, as one unspoken rule of pick up is to be respectful..but that's not always followed.
Pick-up basketball is more than the words that I've written here. There is so much raw emotion, anger, fury, and madness that could happen on the court, especially under the summer sun. There is also calm, level-headedness, and collectivity that also could take place, and that's when the game is at its best.
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