Month: February 2019

Amazing this is already in motion given what the country has gone thru in these two years, but here we are with Donald Trump officially kicking off his 2020 reelection campaign with yet no word still from Robert Mueller. Perhaps, since 1968, America has never been more divided. A country which cannot govern itself coherently at the present and yet here we have Trump beginning his reelection bid in El Paso using his wall still as the impetus of his movement.

It’s truly fascinating how this person still appeals to somewhere around 35-40% of those who vote. I would never attach all that much to polls because Trump is a completely unconventional politician in completely unconventional times. It wouldn’t shock me if he somehow found himself re-elected. I can’t believe I just wrote that, but I did.

Think back to 2016 and what was the best thing Trump had going for him politically in the general election besides James Comey?

My answer would be the Democratic Party was divided between the Clinton and Bernie Sanders camps. No real unity. No real message.

They swore they would learn from this, but I’m cynical as I now see so many different candidates on the Democratic side that I literally can’t list them without using Google. On one hand, it’s good to see this many people throwing their hats into the ring. On the other hand, if you have so many different conflicting themes you probably won’t have a united simple theme at the end of the day.

Let me give an example. One day after her first speech lauding Medicare for all–Kamala Harris had to rewalk that part of her first day platform because the moderates in her own thought that was too much. Same thing with AOC and her New Green Deal. I don’t remember FDR wading around with 20 other candidates from his own party challenging him for the presidency.

Think back to the Dem convention in 2016 and the divisions which never healed in the Bernie Sanders camp. Trump currently still holds around 81% of the Republican vote. If he survives Mueller these people will stay with him. If the Dems go way too far to the left then part of the middle will go with him again.

In reality the election will probably be decided in Florida, maybe Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Think about everything which is going on in Virginia currently. How will that square with independents who are repelled by Trump, yet in reality can’t really see any difference in a progressive state like Virginia which gave Hillary Clinton her running mate in Tim Kane in 2016.

Then there’s Howard Schultz or someone else like him. Will there be an Independent candidate who can take enough away from the middle to keep Trump in office. Think Ross Perot in 1988, but only this time in reverse as it would hurt the Dem more than Trump and whoever he has on the ticket with him this time around. I think Trump will have a woman running mate this time around. I also don’t see anyone left standing in the Republican Party who could challenge him right now given the fact they’re all terrified of him politically.

Again, I would throw the polls out. They didn’t matter at the end in 2016 and with two years to go anything can happen. People vote their base beliefs or at the least the economy and how it affects them. Remember what Bill Clinton said, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Bush 41 had an approval rating of 89% following victory in Desert Storm, then lost two years later to the governor from Arkansas named Bill Clinton.

Two years is a decade in these times. The game and the rules have changed.

My advice to the Dems is get a message, keep it simple, and don’t lose yourself chasing Donald Trump down his rabbit holes. Quit following Trump on Twitter and discover exactly what it is you believe in as a party.

This is basketball history…pure and simple. This is the side of Westbrook you forget at times when he’s very humble about his place in basketball.

This is the kid who got scratched from an elite high school camp in Atlanta and his coach had to do some talking to get him in the camp. This is the player who had to wait for a spot to open up at UCLA before he got his scholarship. This side of Westbrook is the one I personally love because when you take the totality of his journey from there to here it is truly a remarkable journey in this era of NBA basketball. I love this Westbrook, the peacock Wild Thing Westbrook not as much. Westbrook also took full responsibility for the ending in Boston—which is exactly what he should have done. Good for Russell Westbrook.

Now…having written all that I’d like to see Russell Westbrook call Kevin Durant and personally invite him to Nick’s jersey ceremony and help these Oklahoma City fans get over this hurdle with Durant. It would make for a helluva chapter in my book, besides—it’s the right thing to do from a human standpoint. I would say from a personal view…patience, decency, and forgiveness are the things you really learn more at the age of fifty than thirty, but I think the Westbrook I like has all this inside of him. Yes, at times you want to strangle him, but he always pulls it back together and acts beyond his years off the court.

Keep in mind, if Paul George does end up winning the MVP then this will be the third regular season MVP in a ten year period of which Russell Westbrook played a major part in three different players winning the award. That’s something to think about. Cousy only did this with Bill Russell with each winning an award. Magic did this with himself and Kareem. Oscar did it with himself and then with Kareem in Milwaukee. Steph and Durant have neither won a regular season MVP since they’ve been together. Kyrie in regular season play was only a part of LeBron’s MVPs. Karl Malone won a regular season MVP, but Stockton never did. I hope all these fans in Oklahoma City can take a break from hating Durant and be sure and take in all of this NBA history. For a junkie like me…it’s fascinating.

Very simply–it was a historic night inside of Chesapeake Energy Arena as Russell Westbrook and Paul George both triple doubled on the same night as the Thunder beat the Portland Trailblazers by a 120-111 count.

For a small market city which has seen Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and George already in its young NBA history this was a special night not just for the win, but for the history which was attached to this game.

Russell Westbrook came into this game tied with Wilt Chamberlain with nine straight triple doubles. It was a record Wilt had held since that magical season of 1962 when Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game against the New York Knicks in a game played in Hershey, Pennsylvania. That record won’t be touched. But on this February night in Oklahoma City year 2019…Chamberlain’s record is no longer intact as Russell Westbrook tripled doubled for the tenth straight game.

1962 was the Year Wilt averaged over 50 points a game and scored 50 points or more in sixty straight games. History is stepped all over what Westbrook did tonight in Bricktown and what Harden is trying to do in Houston this season. Good for the OKC fans that they realized what they were witnessing when Westbrook pick and popped with Paul George late in the fourth period to assist PG on his eighth three point basket of the game.

Paul George…what do you say at this point other than….MVP. Since the Divine Miracle in Philly on January 19th the Thunder are 11-1 and Paul George during that stretch has been the best player in the league. Better that Harden, better than Giannis, better than anyone in the league.

I don’t worry about national narratives as this MVP race to me right now is a two man race with Giannis in third place. I do think though that for Paul George to win the MVP the Thunder need to finish in second in the West with somewhere around 56 wins.

Paul George has been the best player in the league in 2019 and he’s doing it in every manner on both ends of the floor and in the locker room. Just for fun in this one he tripled doubled along with Westbrook on a 47 point night which was efficient.

Both Schroder and Grant were DNPs tonight and Terrance Ferguson was in foul trouble early in the night. But on this night rookie Deonte Burton and vet Raymond Felton answered the call and scored 18 and 15 points respectively.

The thing I liked about tonight was the Thunder’s early focus with two non rotational players not playing and Terrance Ferguson in early foul trouble. It was a professional effort for 48 minutes with the team’s two stars putting their team on their backs as they now have the Denver Nuggets very much in their sights for the No. 2 seed.

If you’re not happy with this game then you shouldn’t be watching NBA basketball. So many good storylines for the Thunder now with one of them being Paul George trying to become the third Thunder player in eleven years attempting to win the regular season MVP award.

They should still be a 41 or 42 win team right now, but screw that for the time because the Thunder are on a roll even though Westbrook is still struggling with his shot. Paul George says relax and he’s got Russell’s back and why wouldn’t you believe him at this point.

The Thunder visit New Orleans on Thursday night and I guess Anthony Davis is going to play some even though he shouldn’t be playing.

Below is the audio from that night in Hershey where no live cameras were in the building. For a great read order Wilt–1962 by Gary Pomerantz. When you think about it that may have been America’s last year of innocence as JFK was assassinated in Dallas in ’63. It’s a great period piece read.

Just to be clear…Alicia Keyes was phenomenal as the Grammy’s host. She wasn’t the problem with me. Her music and style are elegant beyond reproach. She personifies grace and talent.

If only they would keep the rappers and that group down the street and in another building I’d be fine. I would have even been okay with Dolly Pardon trying to sing a Neil Young song.

I need to move beyond this and get Cardi B off the front page of my blog as soon as possible.

I feel somewhat stained even putting her on my usually high content cover page.

The world we live in has become so confusing. Surely…Mr. Rogers won’t be coming back as a rapper. That would put me over the top.

So…as I’m watching the Grammys there at the end they come to the Best Rap Album of the Year Award. Okay. Clearly… rap isn’t my thing for the most part, but I’m a very fair guy at the end of the day and of course I’m Michael Jackson. So former stripper Cardi B becomes the first ever woman solo performer in the 61 year history of the Grammys to win this ‘esteemed’ award. I admit…I didn’t buy the disc. I’ve seen her and you know dealt with it in my own way in a dismissive manner. I’m a First Amendment guy to the core…and at the end of the day if this is what dumbasses want to do with their time and money that’s their call. I would think they’d be better served going to a strip bar. But…whatever.

Trump as the sitting POTUS and Cardi B as a Grammy winner. I wonder if he’ll invite her to the White House?

Maybe.

Maybe Cardi and Kanye could team up to unseat Trump in the 2020 GOP presidential primaries. Maybe the groveling Lindsey Graham will become a rapper.

Don’t laugh.

I feel old. I feel like A Man Named Ove. The world has changed. Beyond recognition at times. Yet Russell Westbrook likes Taylor Swift. Nothing makes sense. Kevin Durant can’t even rap as good as I can. The world is in a crazy flux to be sure.

I better come to terms with Cardi B.

First off…rapping is not music. It’s some entirely different genre of something which emits noise. The rappers should have a ceremony all off to themselves in a different building on a different date. Rapping is chanting. Diana Ross sings. Lady Gaga sings. Roberta Flack sings. Carrie Underwood sings. Stevie Nicks sings. Aretha Franklin used to sing. Tony Bennett sings. Rappers emit noise.

Rapping is bullshit and it says so much about the overall devolvement of our culture.

And the Dolly Parton thing. I have no problem with her getting up there and singing her songs, but she doesn’t need to be ruining the Neil Young classic After the Goldrush. I was embarrassed for the Grammys right there and then. It would be like having Tobie Keith singing Stairway to Heaven.

Alicia Keys was fine. I enjoyed her dual piano medley. That was music. Alicia Keys is a musician. Rappers are not musicians.

Put the rappers somewhere off to themselves. It’s like the transition of boxing into cage fighting…if that makes any sense. Like going from the elegance of Obama to the trash of Trump.

Say what you want about Trump, but one thing is clear to me—we obviously had serious societal problems before Trump given the status of rap before 2016.

Give me pop, give me rock, give me country, give me jazz, give me hip hop, give Nora Jones…but take that f—king rap and put it in another building walled off to itself.

I know Westbrook likes Taylor Swift—that’s good. I can live with that. I have no idea what music Paul George prefers. Harden probably is a rapper, but I’ll give him a pass. Cup Cake actually used to rap and was an abysmal…virtually feeble rapper at best. Rapping is another thing he should be insecure about because even I know he sucks as a wannabe rapper. I would hope Billy Donovan is not a rapper.

No wonder we’ve become such a shallow society, just listen to this shit the younger people are listening to. I’m embarrassed for them.

Wilt agreed with me and he actually owned a bar in Harlem which had musicians who played jazz and the blues. He hated rapping. Despised it—so don’t think this is racial thing because you already know abut the Michael Jackson thing with me.

This would have been my Song of the Year. But of course you could understand the lyrics and that would be an automatic disqualification. I may not even be able to watch the Oscars this year…although on this one I think my vote be the winning ticket as in count on my for a Green Book vote. What a great movie!

Well… shit. I saw this and it made me feel sad. I love chick flicks and if this is one of those deals where there’s a heart tugging type of ending that would be good. With all this cold weather this week-end other than the Thunder game the only thing I’ve been watching are these old chick flicks my wife and I have seen over the years. Chick flick wise I’ve seen them all with my wife. She’s in Denver this week-end and she pulled out six for me to watch this week-end with the diva lab Pauli. I kid you not, we’ve watched six chick flick this week-end. They never get old. I made a top ten list at one time. It changes from time to time with me. But the top two spots have always remained pretty much the same… 1 Serendipity, and 2 Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Follow your heart, Alex. Stay in Spain and follow your heart, buddy.

These ABC matinee games are awesome. In three successive week-ends we as Thunder fans have witnessed the Divine Miracle in Philly, the Cataclysmic Choke in Boston, and then last night the Comeback in Houston. Great stuff and for an NBA old timer like myself you have no idea how much more I enjoy the games with Jeff van Gundy, Doris Burke, or Hubie Brown doing the color instead of the homer broadcasts on Fox Southwest. To date, according to Michael Cage, the Thunder have not committed a foul 55 games into the season. It wasn’t just Brian Davis.

Last night in Houston was one of those games where you enjoyed it for what it was… a great game. I think Mark Jackson as part of the ABC call had it right. He claimed and I agree that these two teams are the two teams which should be the last two standing in the West for the right to play Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. One would think Denver will eventually either be at No. 4 or No. 5 with Utah in the mix as well for one of those spots. Portland, to me, is playing above their heads just a bit so far this season.

This game was rightfully billed as a matchup of the leading MVP contender in James Harden and in Paul George someone I now have on my list as No. 2 in the MVP race. But on this night inside the Toyota Center in Houston…Paul George was the best basketball player on the floor and in the league in a setting which should put him on everybody’s top three ballot heading into the All-Star break.

James Harden was good scoring 42 points on 28 shots, but Paul George was the guy who in the end carried his team all the way back from a 26 point deficit to a clutch road win over the same team you figure the Thunder will have to beat in post season play if they want to get to Cupcake and the Warriors.

It’s hard to say this game was all that different from what we’ve been seeing from Paul George of late in that he’s been routinely spectacular on both ends of the floor. As someone with no bias whatsoever attached and who witnessed Durant’s 40-50-90 MVP season and Westbrook’s Oscar Robertson MVP season…I’d have to say this Paul George season is the one which has displayed the best overall basketball play on both ends of the floor. Not really even close from a defensive standpoint.

PG scored 45 points on a 12-22 night, but more than anything he continually is that calming balm for Sam Presti’s peacock point guard when he’s going thru one of those spurts of his when you have your hands over your eyes and refuse to watch. It’s like when you were a little kid and the know it all down the street would always remind you not to stare into the sun. That’s what it’s like for me when Westbrook goes into one of his Wild Thing trances. I pretend I’m not seeing what I’m actually seeing because at some point Paul George and Dennis Schroder will gently start taking the ball away from him on as many possessions as possible.

I think Billy Donovan, Paul George, and Dennis Schroder now realize Russell Westbrook isn’t going to change, so instead of making a big deal out of it they’re just taking the ball away from Russell unless there’s a situation where you need Westbrook at the rim…. pretty much like in the 2012 Western Conference Playoffs when the Thunder made their run to the Finals.

And lo and behold that’s exactly what Bill Donovan drew up as Westbrook scored on a late layup which turned out to be the eventual game winner. Then–Westbrook did a very nice job of defending James Harden on the ensuing Houston possession. Ball game.

Westbrook tripled doubled for the 9th straight game which ties him with Wilt Chamberlain for most trip dubs in a row.

I’ve read two Wilt books this winter, ‘Wilt-1962’ and ‘The View From Above’…and my guess is, Wilt Chamberlain would have admired Westbrook’s rebounding and passing skills, but would have told him to stop chucking stupid threes.

Beyond Paul George and Russell—the rest of the Thunder team was excellent in the second half playing great up tempo defense. Schroder, Ferguson and Grant were especially effective. To Billy Donovan’s credit, he rolled out Deonte Burton in the second half and got a +18 from him in 9:33 of play….which I thought in sense helped energize the Thunder.

On a humanitarian note, the Thunder finally and mercifully waived Alex Abrines yesterday. I’m sorry, but this had to be done. I know the millennial writers like Royce Young and Erik Horne envisioned Alex Abrines as something on a grand scale, but the kid never really looked all that enamored playing basketball in the United States. He did get better last season and to his credit I give him that. But from a human standpoint this just seems like the human way to go from an adult perspective. I wish Alex Abrines well. One of my aunts lived in Spain for awhile and it was lovely. May Alex Abrines find inner peace and enjoy playing ball in Europe. I still think he would be a great folk singer.

This was a big win for the Thunder last night for ranking purposes in the West. They have another big one on Monday night at home against overachieving Portland. If the Thunder can take care of business they’ll be in a fairly nice spot heading into the All-Star break.

I love Wilt Chamberlain. He played on two of the greatest NBA teams of all-time. The ’66-’67 Sixers and the ’72-’73 Lakers. He led the league in scoring seven times. He led the league in rebounding eight times. And as a seven foot-one center he even led the league once in assists. To see Wilt and Westbrook together would have been a hoot because when Wilt was still in his prime he could run the floor as could Bill Russell. I think both of them would have loved Westbrook as long as he quit chucking bad threes.

To this point I haven’t written anything on Anthony Davis and his demand to be traded before the trade deadline. I think now is the time for me to comment after watching last night’s debacle in New Orleans in which he played in the first three quarters then stayed on the bench the entire fourth period in a close game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Pels did eventually win the game in what was an entertaining game, but one would hope this isn’t the template in New Orleans moving forward for the rest of this season.

This isn’t fair to the fans in New Orleans or to any fans in any small markets looking forward. The NBA front office has said it will fine the Pelicans $22,000 per game for every game Davis doesn’t play moving forward till the conclusion of this season in New Orleans. This is bullshit and I can’t believe this would hold water in a civil court of law.

The New Orleans Pelicans are currently worth around $1.1 billion dollars. They are the No. 30th ranked NBA franchise by Forbes as far as franchise valuation. Anthony Davis is by far the most valuable asset of the franchise. Imagine the Thunder mishandling Russell Westbrook’s contract extension and that would be the small market comparison. By the way the OKC Thunder currently rank 18th on Forbes with a valuation of $1.25 billion dollars. Not a bad rate of return on investment capital by Clay Bennett and his ownership group.

The Pelicans by the current NBA collective bargaining agreement can resign Anthony Davis to a five year deal worth $239 million dollars. If Davis leaves he can ‘only’ sign a four year deal with any other team worth a $154 million. So, obviously, this isn’t about NBA contractual money. It’s about Davis wanting to join a super team and expanding his own brand even more per winning. His Pelicans were one the better post season stories last season as unlike the Thunder who flamed versus Utah in the first round. Davis and the Pels swept Portland in the first round before being eliminated by Golden State.

To me, this is simple, the Pelicans did the right thing by not trading Davis to the Lakers. They made the right play. What LA offered to me wasn’t enough for one of the league’s best five players. If I’m New Orleans—the play is to finish the season. Get the highest lottery place possible and then get the most they can in return to team along with Holiday and Randle.

I would not risk injury to Davis in any way. He’s been an injury prone player during his career and this is one New Orleans cannot get wrong even if they owner Gayle Benson has to file a lawsuit. Her franchise cannot misplay this hand.

Davis and his agent demanded the trade, not the other way around. Kevin Durant did not do this. He complied fully with his contractual obligation to the Thunder.

Anthony Davis, please take a seat.

It was a tale of two cities last night on NBA trade deadline night.

Literally.

The Memphis Grizzlies came to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder with the news that three of their better players had been traded earlier in the day including franchise face Marc Gasol. Fortunately for the Grizzlies they were facing the attention deficit disorder challenged Oklahoma City Thunder and somehow found themselves leading 53-51 at halftime.

It was the worst half of any NBA game I’ve witnessed so far this season. In fact I gonged it and didn’t watch the second half. For Billy Donovan’s Thunder which has now won nine of it last ten games this was rock bottom with me even though they won the game easily in the second half.

Memphis ran some hinky dink zone which a JV high school girls team might employ and the Thunder promptly fired off 28 first half three point shots despite the fact Memphis has no rim protector whatsoever. Plus, the fact the Grizzlies were despondent losing their teammates earlier in the day and they weren’t any good with them on the team before the trade deadline anyway.

I stopped, clicked over to TNT and watched what turned out to be rousing second half between the Lakers in Boston Celtics.

What a second half!

The Lakers with LeBron finally back in action and somewhat back in shape came back from 18 points down and beat the Celtics on a Rajon Rondo game winner at the buzzer.

Just a great second half of NBA hoops. This was a Lakers team which thought half of their team was possibly going to be traded earlier in the day to New Orleans for Anthony Davis. This was a Lakers team which was eviscerated earlier in the week by the Warriors. This is a Lakers team which has some work to do just to make the playoffs and played like a desperate team. Just a great game.

When I watch Boston and Oklahoma City play something is missing with both of these talented teams. I look at other coaches this year like Malone in Denver, Joerger in Sacramento, and Budenholzer in Milwaukee and I see teams having fun and playing with a chip on their collective shoulders. Young teams playing like they have a goal in mind.

I honestly don’t know what the goal is in Oklahoma City or Boston. At some point you pay and play to win a championship, right?

The season is two thirds over and neither team seems all that committed emotionally. I know its 82 games and you have to calibrate your energy, but both of these teams are young and deep with experienced point guards even though one is a peacock point guard Wild Thing. But still. Are these nice college coaches just too nice to elicit the talent out of their rosters?

Eddie Sutton used to have a great saying. It went something like this…”You know you’re watching a very good coaching job when you see a coach extract the maximum amount of juice out of a limited amount of pulp”. Much more juice needs to be extracted in Boston and Oklahoma City this basketball season from the two pleasant clean shaven college coaches.

I wonder if Sam Presti and Danny Ainge are threatened by overt strong willed head coaches who possess a strong outward personality? That’s always been my one knock on Presti…in that it appears he doesn’t want to hire the head coach who could handle his peacock point guard and take ‘his’ team at this point back to being championship relevant in the West.