Orton Expectations

Daniel Orton - 6'10", 255 lb.
2009-2010 with Kentucky Wildcats
13.2 minutes, 3.4 points (52.7% FG, 52.4% FT), 3.3 rebounds, .4 assists, 1.4 blocks, .6 steals, 1.0 TO

Sucky stats, I know. But Daniel still managed to get selected in the first round based on potential. And I'll now put value to that potential.

Pluses for Daniel: shot blocking, unknown shooting ability, and a high level of athleticism when healthy. Forget every preconception you have about the guy coming off back-up duty as a college freshman and all the anger you have towards him for leaving for the pros early. Orton's career will not be defined by the completion of his rookie contract. He's simply not ready or currently healthy enough for that to be the case. I see him as having an eerily similar career path as Jermaine O'Neal. While under his rookie contract with the Portland Trailblazers, O'Neal struggled to stay on the floor for double-digit minutes for four entire seasons. A year later, he was able to escape Rasheed Wallace's daunting shadow (and influence) and earns 32 minutes a game with the Indiana Pacers. He then proceeds to spend the next 6 years in his playing prime as a premier All-Star post player and noted defensive swatter. Not bad for a guy who still averaged less than 4 points during the year that hypothetically could have been his senior season in college. When given the opportunity after an extended tutoring allotment, Jermaine flipped the switch. That's the best case scenario I see for Daniel Orton.

Jermaine O'Neal - 6'11", 255 lb.
2002-2003 with Indiana Pacers
37.2 minutes, 20.8 points (48.4% FG, 73.1% FT), 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.3 blocks, .9 steals, 2.3 TO

Much like O'Neal, Orton has a sick jump shot extending out to around 20 feet. He never once got to show it at UK, but I swear to you it's there. People close to the Wildcat ball club last year would tell you that Daniel was easily one of the squad's top 3 practice shooters. He has a feathery touch, just not the confidence yet to prove it in game action. Hence the disgustingly painful free throw percentage. He also has a few legitimate post moves that were only seen in literally about three play sequences in the entirety of his abbreviated college career. The majority of his adjustments, as dismissive as it is for me to say, rely exclusively in getting healthy, building his body, and getting used to NBA-sized contact. The talent and knowledge of the game are there; every player who played against Daniel daily in practice would tell you the same thing. He's a quality human being with the right combination of height and an understanding of the game, but he's been caught as the proverbial deer in the headlights over the course of the last calendar year. That's why I have such confidence in his potential ability to succeed at the highest level.

Worst case scenario is quite a bit more grim, though. While I hope Daniel finds a team where he can carve his niche and his extensive (and, as of yet, unseen) skill set can be utilized, nothing in the league is guaranteed. His knee may not heal as perfect as he (and the Orlando Magic) may hope. Or he may simply never regain the confidence to explode effectively off his knee, neutralizing his natural level of athleticism for the rest of his career. Maybe because of all the things going on in Daniel's life (the death of his mother, the lack of control shown by his father in the media, the outpouring hatred of a portion of UK fans, his plunge in NBA draft boards), he isn't able to put it all together at the right time and loses his chance at professional basketball prominence. In that case, his career ceiling falls to the disappointing level of a Keon Clark replication. Clark came out of UNLV in 1998 and was drafted by the Magic with the 13th pick. He was a highly talented big who couldn't ever seem to focus all of his attention on the court, resulting in him being relegated to a simple defender who couldn't even manage staying in the league for six seasons. His best outing came in 2002 when he put down the bong long enough to start 31 games for the Vince Carter-lead Raptors.

Keon Clark - 6'11", 221 lb.
2001-2002 with Toronto Raptors
27.0 minutes, 11.3 points (49.0% FG, 67.4% FT), 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, .7 steals, 1.7 TO

Besides health and conditioning issues, the biggest obstacle in Daniel's path to early floor time is his own teammates. The Magic probably have more front court depth than any NBA team should. Dwight Howard is the main cog with the rest of the power forward and back-up center minutes taken up by Rashard Lewis, Marcin Gortat, Ryan Anderson, and Brandon Bass. On top of that there's even fellow rookie Stanley Robinson as 12th man competition. Unless the roster is purged for Carmelo Anthony or Chris Paul in some massive trade, I don't see how Daniel manages any clock in the early going. Though that's probably not a bad thing since he definitely isn't ready at this point. On a brighter note, Patrick Ewing will definitely be a pivotal piece in getting the right habits going for Daniel's future opportunities.

Here's hoping Daniel manages to steer his way closer to Jermaine territory as an eventual franchise-type player for a regularly competing team as opposed to a journeyman plagued by off court issues ousted out of the pro ranks before his 30th birthday. Make Oklahoma and Kentucky proud, Daniel. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm willing to give you a little extra leeway in your window to accomplish that.

... and do the John Wall.

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UK NBA Team Photo

Demarcus
Cousins.

Eric
Bledsoe.

Patrick
Patterson.

John
Wall.

Daniel
Orton.

What else do ya need to know?

... and do the John Wall.

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The Canada Trip

It's all just a pre-preseason exhibition for the inexperience 2010-2011 University of Kentucky Basketball team. Don't read too much into it. Who am I kidding? Read everything into it.

Brandon Knight
Game 1: 28 minutes, 31 points (11-19 FGs, 1-5 3PT, 8-8 FTs), 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Game 2: 32 minutes, 17 points (5-13 FGs, 1-3 3PT, 6-7 FTs), 3 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, 3 TOs
Game 3: 34 minutes, 27 points (10-14 FGs, (2-7 3PT, 5-6 FTs), 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, 2 TOs
I know we're not supposed to compare him to John Wall, and I know this was just an exhibition game against mediocre competition ... but Knight scored 31 points in his very first outing and didn't have a single turnover. While he's most likely not the singular innate talent that John is, Brandon may actually turn out to be a bigger contributor at the collegiate level, as blasphemous as that may seem. His pull-up three is an unguardable weapon that I can't even begin to overstate how important it will be in certain situations. To make that move even more ridiculously potent is his willingness to forcefully take straight paths to the bucket and absorb any and all contact. The game commentator said early on that Knight is gonna "shoot a million free throws this year". And that's only barely an exaggeration. He's absolutely fearless, and that's something I never expected to see out of him in early season play. Hopefully it'll still be on full display when he visits legitimate Division 1 post bodies in the paint. He played the role of distributor when his shot wasn't falling as effortlessly in the second game, cranking out 12 assists (a few of them being jaw-droppingly threaded through for the score). His jumper, out to 25 feet, is silky and consistently reliable. He also has an astonishingly quick crossover that's impossible to react to when in control. My only complaint in the early going is that he's mostly stuck on one speed: superfast. While that may work perfectly in college ball 90% of the time, he still needs to sprinkle in a little change-of-speed in his floor game overtime. He got called for a few charges due to this exact thing, but I'd much rather have an aggressive point guard (as Knight has been) over a timid one. The raw figures: 31/7/7, 17/3/12, and 27/5/9. It was very apparent why he was once ranked the top recruit in the 2010 high school class. And just for kicks, he punched in two sick highly-contested dunks during the Canadian games to remind everyone that he's still a freak athlete regardless of if he's going to be dealing with John Wall comparisons all year. Brandon's the truth.

DeAndre Liggins
Game 1: 28 minutes, 10 points (5-6 FGs), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 TO
Game 2: 25 minutes, 11 points (4-5 FGs, 1-1 3PT, 2-2 FTs), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 3 TOs
Game 3: 30 minutes, 10 points (4-7 FGs, 2-2 FTs), 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 4 TOs
Dre will be an NBA player now. There were hopes of that with his size and lead guard potential while he was initially recruited by Billy G, but those hopes were quickly shattered when everyone saw Liggins finally hit the floor and seemingly have no idea what to do at any given moment. But now those hopes are back in full force. He's reprised his role as the go-to hustle defender, but now has made himself a deadly slashing threat. No one could stay in front of the guy. With his size, vision, and newly found finishing ability, he's a lock for the pros. In Game 1, he was easily making impressive close-range finishes while never settling or letting the defense dictate his effectiveness. He had an equally effortless second outing where he once again showed the deftness of his interior touch by way of floaters, runners, and strong lay-ups. Overall, he shot a sweet 13 of 18 from the field, including knocking down his only three. It was too easy for DeAndre. In a second half sequence in Game 3, Liggins even showed off a Kobe-like baseline fake-and-go into an outstretched reverse lay-up that had the crowd and commentators in awe. He's still highly deferential to his teammates, but now when he has a mind to attack, you'll surely find him right at the lip of the rim creating a play. Liggins also showed that he can be trusted in leading the fast break, exemplified in the second half of Game 2 when he pulled a board off a missed free throw, sped downcourt, and dropped a perfect no-look feed into the hands of Harrellson taking his last stride to the rim. He made a habit of making some amazing reads in his limited play-making opportunities. He may very well be slated as the starting small forward and the back-up point guard once the season commences. He was always under control and let every aspect of the game come to him. This was so much more than just the scrappy Liggins of last season who made his contributions by way of hustle plays that never made their way onto the stat sheets.

Darius Miller
Game 1: 35 minutes, 18 points (6-13 FGs, 4-5 3PT, 2-2 FTs), 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 4 TOs
Game 2: 32 minutes, 20 points (8-16 FGs, 2-6 3PT, 2-5 FTs), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 5 steals
Game 3: 29 minutes, 24 points (10-12 FGs, 3-4 3PT, 1-1 FTs), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 3 steals, 2 TOs
Miller came into the collegiate ranks as a shooting guard. This year? He's probably gonna see the majority of his minutes guarding against the power forward slot. And he looks the part, too. Though his game still lies almost exclusively on the perimeter, all we can hope for in potential improvement from Darius is in the confidence department. He's always had a capable, though usually flat, 3-point stroke. He's always had a sneaky blow-by ability to go with a deft midrange floater. He's always been a high quality team-first guy. This season is all about him knowing that he's a beast and bringing those facets of his game consistently and with purpose. In Game 1 he did exactly that with a ridiculous double-double, following it up with an even more aggressive 20 and 24 point contests. And you simply can't beat his 9 makes out of 15 long range attempts. Miller can't fall into the type of uninvolved lapses that he did last year, and he didn't at all in these Canadian games. This season, he's slated to be the team's Patterson-type leader who needs to be established game-in-and-game out. He simply looked like a man on a mission, always putting the ball on the floor with purpose and intent, as well as confidently stepping into his long bombs instead of reluctantly throwing up his open looks. He had a sick move in Game 2 when he received a high post pass, faced up and read the defense, jabbed right, took one strong dribble to the left, and spun back right, absorbing a reach-in foul plus the help defender's contact and finishing with a floater. Who knows if he'll be utilized in the post once Enes Kanter is filling out the middle, but Miller also showed some promise with some very strong and well-executed post-ups, converting with some smooth hook shots that we've never seen from him before. If he can keep it up this season, his name will soon enough be in NBA scouts' notebooks along with his freshmen counterparts. It almost seasons crazy to say with the UK player hierarchy as it is, but I think Darius could contribute more dominantly and meaningfully this season as a junior than Patrick Patterson did last year as a junior. I can't wait to see this version of Miller out against the best competition in the NCAA. He killed it these last three days.

Josh Harrellson
Game 1: 25 minutes, 9 points (3-5 FGs, 3-4 FTs), 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 TOs
Game 2: 23 minutes, 12 points (4-6 FGs, 4-4 FTs), 8 rebounds, 6 blocks, 1 steal, 3 TOs
Game 3: 27 minutes, 8 points (4-8 FGs), 19 rebounds, 1 block, 4 steals, 3 TOs
Though Josh will most certainly be a back-up to Kanter and define his season with bench contributions, he made the most of Kanter's Canadian absence in an offense that doesn't often utilize a big low-post body in the way Harrellson needs touches. For starters, he looks like he's in 100% better shape than last season and utilizes it by being active on screens and controlling the boards for the most part, even though he did gets abused regularly by smaller players getting into his body or around him on cuts. He scrapped for a monstrous 19 board game in the final outing and rejected 12 shots total in the three contests (albeit against shorter competition). His range was never intently utilized in the play calling, so it's still undetermined as to whether Coach will ever creatively put him in high post or perimeter situations to switch up the schemes. He scored exclusively off offensive putbacks and controlled power-dribble hook shots at the rim in all three games, never even attempting a jumper (besides a dead ball fadeaway 3 that he swished). Unfortunately, he was still plagued by missed bunnies and some unforced fumbles when he did get his scoring chances. He should have been able to put up more impressive numbers against the shorter Canadian front courts, but he was only able to make his impactful contributions in the rebounding and shot blocking departments. In Game 3, he did take advantage of some shoddy entry passes while sealing off his man to get the deflection and gather in the steals, showcasing a lightness of foot which he by no means had last year.

Jon Hood
Game 1: 26 minutes, 9 points (4-9 FGs, 1-2 3PT), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 3 TOs
Game 2: 24 minutes, 8 points (2-5 FGs, 2-4 3PT, 2-4 FTs), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 3 TOs
Game 3: 24 minutes, 8 points (3-8 FGs, 0-2 3PT, 2-6 FTs), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
I'm not sure where Hood fits in with this year's team. If Jones is fully healthy and Lamb's role is clearly understood at the start of the season, I don't see where his minutes can possibly come from. He showed purpose in his starting slot in the first game by notching a 3-pointer and punching down three open court dunks, but he still feels like the odd man out even with his newly gained assertiveness. He's obviously infinitely more confidant than what he showed in his limited freshman outing as he actually attempts ball attacks to shift the defense on his touches, which is a pivotal aspect to the effectiveness of the dribble drive offense on a possession-by-possession basis. With his still-improving stroke, hopefully he can become a dead-eye shooter for the second half of his UK career in future seasons. He knocked down a perfect baseline 3 in Game 1 and dropped two step-in 3s in Game 2. Hood had one nice fundamental heads-up move in Game 3 where he followed up his own missed 3-ball that came up short, gathering the rebound in stride, absorbing contact from a post player, and finishing the lay up smoothly despite the foul. Unfortunately, he still displayed a slight sense of anxiousness with some open court misreads and forced passes, but he definitely has stepped it up since last season. His biggest obstacle is his composure and patience in the offensive sets. Hopefully he'll clean up those mental aspects of his game as the season wears on.

Terrence Jones
Game 1: 9 minutes, 4 points (2-4 FGs, 0-2 FTs), 2 rebounds
In his pre-aggravated injury state, Jones quickly asserted his multi-faceted game. His ball handling is as good as any forward in the game is going to have and he's always unafraid to show it off. Being a lanky lefty, he makes highly creative finishes at the rim when attacking, even showing off a Rondo-esque behind-the-back fake on a fastbreak in Game 1. Unfortunately that's all we got to see of the hobbled Jones. He came down with a stress fracture in his rib that's gonna have him sitting out for about a month. It's maybe a good thing as he also had nagging ankle and shoulder issues. In his very limited appearance, you could immediately see his potential and the Lamar Odom comparisons were reinforced. He's as strong a candidate as any to flash from the perimeter to the paint and create a play with ball at any point in the drive. Now we just gotta get the boy fully recovered so he can be out on the floor discombobulating opponents' matchup schemes.

Doron Lamb
Game 1: 25 minutes, 6 points (2-9 FGs, 0-3 3PT, 2-4 FTs), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 steals, 3 TOs
Game 2: 36 minutes, 24 points (9-14 FGs, 1-3 3PT, 5-6 FTs), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 1 TO
Game 3: 31 minutes, 23 points (8-13 FGs, 3-4 3PT, 4-4 FTs), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 TO
Lamb is an action forcer. Though he had a slightly rough first outing missing 7 of his 9 shots, he's the potential third-option scorer that you will innately need during stretches with this squad. He showed that the slump was short lived as he notched 24 and 23 points in the final two contests, making seemingly every single one-handed tear drop on the run that he seemed to miss in the first game. He showed off a floor game comprised of worming his way around anyone in his path to the bucket and being able find some way, any way, to creatively get a quality shot off in congestion. He's simply a dynamic scorer in every way you can fathom. One great talent he possesses is his ability to make blindingly quick catch-and-releases when he receives a pass while flashing to the post, which allows him to get his shot up to glass with ease despite his immense height disadvantage. He had a tough time specifically with his jump shot altogether for the first two games, but his heralded reputation in that department leads me to believe that'll come along during the rest of the summer with no problem, as he did in Game 3. In all honesty, he's probably going to wind up being everything we'd hoped that Darnell Dodson was going to provide for us last season in the offensive department. He's not afraid to make things happen when the team offense gets a little stagnant, so it's not that big of a deal if he misses a string of shots here and there; it's all about forcing the defense to adapt and providing opportunities for possible second chance buckets at that point to get the team going. But beyond that, he'll get the junkyard credit as a baseline-to-baseline presser with super-quick instincts and a willingness to dig in defensively that you rarely see from such a young player. He's less of a gambler, in the way that Wall and Bledsoe went for anticipation steals, and more of a straight-up man-to-man perimeter barrier with quick feet. This two-way game will make him an invaluable asset in so many recurring situations during the course of the season. "Buckets". He gets 'em.

Stacey Poole
Game 1: 18 minutes, 4 points (2-6 FGs, 0-2 3PT), 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 TO
Game 2: 16 minutes, 4 points (2-5 FGs, 0-1 3PT, 0-1 FTs), 2 steals, 1 TO
Game 3: 13 minutes, 2 points (1-5 FGs, 0-2 3PT, 0-1 FTs), 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 TO
Poole wasn't able to show very much in his limited minutes besides being an active defender. He looked the most timid of anyone out there, afraid to make mistakes and throwing up nervous air balls on three of his long range shots. His jumper is stressful at this stage. While the results weren't always on point, he did show that he already has moves in his arsenal such as a spinning pivot in the open court and a strong perimeter jab step to start his drives in the half court. Poole will take a little more time than everyone else to get used to where he can be utilized in the offense. He shot an ugly 5 of 16 from the field, a miserable 0 of 5 from downtown, and a pained 0 of 2 from the line overall in these games. He made some painful reads over the course of the games with multiple botched entry passes, forced drives, and a general sense of panic when he had the ball in congested situations. He's probably only ready to contribute as a finisher over the course of this season, as he showcased by -ooping a Brandon Knight alley in the first half of game two. Unless he makes a marked improvement in the upcoming months, he's probably more likely to not see the floor at all.

Jarrod Polson
Game 1: 7 minutes, 4 points (2-3 FGs), 2 assists
Game 2: 10 minutes, 0 points (0-1 FGs)
Game 3: 13 minutes, 2 points (1-2 FGs), 1 block, 1 TO
The non-walk-on made use of his extended preseason cameo to show his ability to push the ball in game one. He obviously had limited usage, but he's an active guy out there who's intent on making the right decisions when he sees floor time. I doubt he ever gets into the rotation this year, but the exhibitions displayed that he's an actual ball player with hops and good decision making, not just the local white kid who lucked into a roster spot. Though he had no actual opportunities with the ball in game two, he still has the potential to carve out a niche as a contributor by the end of his career. But unfortunately, in all reality, he'll probably be recruited over every year. It sucks, but ... yeah.

... and do the John Wall.

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2 New CH Albums

Charles Hamilton - Tafietu: The Album for Interscope Executives to Understand
Tracklisting:
1. The Loser's Revenge
2. Telemundo
3. 3rd and Goal
4. Webster's
5. Free Will
6. This is Cheating
7. The Right Kind of Brownies
8. Stones on the Dancefloor
9. Laffy Taffy Outro (Anti-Hater Zone)
10. The North Pole (feat. Max B)

Charles Hamilton - Grow Wing Pains
Tracklisting:
1. Some First Single Type Sh1t
2. More C Food
3. Two Straws, One Cup
4. Home Alone
5. Twittering About Masturbation
6. Selective Deafness
7. Advice from a Sunbeam
8. SomeoneToTalkTo
9. Tax Evasion
10. Miss Stress
11. In-Flight Music
12. Coming Attractions

... and do the John Wall.

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2 New CH Mixtapes

Charles Hamilton - Segahamilton.blogspot.com
Tracklisting:
1. Flirting with My Old Sound (Settings)
2. Totally Awesome (Autosave)
3. Neverland Ranch (Edit Posts)
4. Kat Stacks for President (Comment Moderation)
5. Blogger Dashboard
6. Previous Posts (RSS Feed feat. Amen & Brook Yung)
7. Decency Policy (ODn)
8. Jamarris (Tags)
9. 9 to 5 (Layout)
10. From the Desk Of Flashbacks, Pt. 1 (Hoe)
11. My Hi (Online Outlaw)

Charles Hamilton - The Charles Hamilton Project
Tracklisting:
1. Reminder
2. Murder He Wrote
3. Hollywood
4. Wonderful Wondering
5. Speech Impaired
6. Superman
7. The Truman Show
8. Simone Outro

... and do the John Wall.

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King Pippen

The LeBron sweepstakes is over. Cool. Now all the talking heads get to scrutinize it and discuss every potential scenario under the sun simply to fill up time until the season starts in almost four months. One of the prevailing opinions I've noticed is the idea that, by choosing to pair with Dwyane Wade, LBJ has set his career ceiling at the level of Scottie Pippen. I want to formally second (or third or 2,748th) that notion.

Look at these stats: 22 PPG, 9 RPG, 6 APG. Add in 3 steals and a block. Further consider .491 FG%, .320 3P%, and .660 FT%. I wanna revisit this post at the end of the season and see if LeBron's numbers don't look eerily close to that statistical output. This line is Scottie Pippen's in the '93-'94 season during MJ's first retirement fling when the Chicago Bulls were 100% Scottie's team. While this is obviously a different scenario as Scottie's role in '93 was going in the exact opposite direction of LBJ's in '10.

LeBron's 2010 output was 30/7/9/2/1 with .503/.333/.767 percentages. Appreciate that stat line because I cannot fathom it feasibly being recreated with his new team.

Pippen proved in 1994 that he was an all-world talent regardless of His Airness, leading the Bulls to 55 wins and a Game 7 loss in the second round to the eventual Finals representatives, the Patrick Ewing-led NY Knicks. In the regular season, that was only two losses less than the previous year. But, nonetheless, Pippen couldn't seal the deal in his opportunity without MJ. It just didn't happen. That's been the story of LeBron's seven years in Cleveland. No matter who management brought in, it simply didn't pan out into a legitimate championship contender. Big Z was the constant, but then there was the rotating door of Booze, Drew Gooden, Donyell Marshall, Andy Varejao, Big Ben, Shaq, and Antawn Jamison in the post with him. Plus there was the uncertainty of Jeff McGinnis, Eric Snow, Damon Jones, Larry Hughes, Delonte West, and Mo Williams each shakily manning the lead guard position. Regardless of who was put with him, The King couldn't manage to become the man in the playoffs to overcome the field. He finished out of the playoffs, out of the playoffs, out in the Eastern Semis, swept in the Finals, out in the Eastern Semis, out in the Eastern Finals, and out in the Eastern Semis. He simply couldn't get over the hump while the likes of the Pistons squad, Tim Duncan (2x), Dwyane Wade, the Celtics trio, and Kobe Bryant (2x) all climbed to the pinnacle of NBA success during his career. LeBron got all of the attention year in and year out, but his assumed majestic acclimation to championship dominance has yet to surface in any way, shape, or form. He has yet to become the ultimate alpha dog, so this summer he chose to join an already proven one.

Dwyane Wade (not Kobe, not Durant, not James, not anyone) plays the most like Michael Jordan that anyone ever has. The ease with which he squeezes his way to the hoop, the deftness of his midrange jumper, the super-quick defensive instincts, the unreliable streakiness of his 3-point shot, the ability to force the action and create legitimate fear in his opponents ... it's all there. So make no questions about it, this team will be Dwyane Wade's team. This is the guy who made the postseason as a rookie only to take and hit the game winning shot in his debut playoff performance. This is the guy who relegated a still-dominant Shaq to the passenger's seat in only his sophomore NBA campaign. This is the guy who lead his misfit band of former all-stars to the NBA Finals in his third season and managed to pull out a scoring average of 34.7 points to resurrect his squad from a 0-2 deficit and capture a title. Those are the kind of things LeBron James was supposed to do, but the guy who spent three years perfecting his basketball intuition at Marquette beat him to it. The Heat will always be Dwyane Wade's team, no matter who else dons the jersey with him. That's just the nature of his Jordan-esque mentality and approach to the game.

So while LeBron's perhaps the single most skilled talent the game has ever seen, by joining D-Wade on his home turf, he signed up for being on Scottie Pippen duty. His numbers will significantly dip, but his undeniable talent-level will still allow him to shine on an innately dominant level, much in the way Pippen was a given for the NBA's Top 50 Players of All-Time. Unless Wade makes the conscious decision to significantly defer to LBJ, it will be obvious that Dwyane is the absolute number one option. He's not a finisher, he's a creator. His career dominance has been built upon isolation plays. Wade needs the ball in his hands to dissect the first line of defense from the triple-threat position. He needs the ball in his hands to create space for his patented step-back jumper from 20-feet and in. He needs the ball in his hands to probe the paint for a lane to create mayhem right at the rim. And while Wade is still a genuinely unselfish player who will sacrifice for the good of the team, he knows that his effectiveness comes strictly in the form of having the ball and attacking to establish himself and instill fear in his defenders. You won't see him roaming around off-ball screens (a la Rip Hamilton) or being content to spotting up in the corner for 3 (a la Ray Allen) on consecutive possessions. That's the main reason LeBron's personal shattering of statistical averages will be squelched; his usage rate will simply be lowered. Significantly.

And I went through that whole run down without even mentioning Chris Bosh. I don't know what Bosh's personal thoughts on his role currently are, but I see him becoming the forgotten man. I don't see where he even gets utilized with how the team is constituted. He's converged into glorified role player territory. So, yeah ... my main point is that LeBron has put a limit on his desire for personal dominance. We will not be looking on this Heat team down the road and talking about how the King led them to success in the same way that Duncan and KB24 are recognized. Miami has put together a contender with a legitimate 8-year window of dominance if they keep the team together, but LeBron has virtually eliminated himself from the upper echelon of individual greats. He's out of MJ territory. He's out of Kobe territory. He's out of Magic and Bird territory. He's now, until proven otherwise, in the discussion that caps off with Dr. J, Clyde Drexler, Kevin McHale, and Scottie Pippen; otherworldly, game-changing talents who will be talked about forever, but who were never able to single-handedly will their way into the elite circle of quintessential all-time winners. Just really cool sidekicks.

... and do the John Wall.

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I Weigh with Kilos

I don't quite understand why the second song was even made at all. The first was a song called "Kilo" by two coke rappers rhyming over a beat sampling "I Weigh with Kilos" by Jimmy Van & Richard Hieronymus, the remix of which featured a member of the Clipse. The second was a song called "Kilo" by four coke rappers rhyming over a beat sampling "I Weigh with Kilos" by Jimmy Van & Richard Hieronymus, two of which were the Clipse. This is stupid. Oh well.

Ghostface Killah - Kilo (Remix feat. Raekwon & Malice)
Fat Joe - Kilo (feat. Clipse & Cam'Ron)

... and do the John Wall.

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Hold On Remix

It's finally here. The "Hold On (Remix)" joint. Download it and help spread the word. I'll link up the original, too, just so any newcomers can hear where the sound came from. Charlie Hilton provided the monstrous re-production to Steven's original acoustic recording. This track is a big deal to me, so I hope you like it and support it by posting on Facebook/Twitter/whatever and making sure your fiends have heard it, too.

Chris Campbell - Hold On (feat. Steven Gilpin)
Chris Campbell - Hold On (Remix feat. brandUn DeShay, LaVish, Mike Dreams, Chris Barz, & Aaronn Ralph)

[alt. BandCamp link]

With Charlie Hilton providing the soundscape (who has produced tracks for such artists as QuESt, SHow TuFli, XV, Marky, and Frank Ramz) and verses from brandUn DeShay (who has worked with Charles Hamilton, Curren$y, Von Pea, Dom Kennedy, and TiRon), LaVish (frequent DeShay and Casey Veggies collaborator and featured Re-Up Spot artist), Mike Dreams (featured 2dopeboyz and DJ Booth artist, and writer for Refined Hype), and Chris Barz (who has worked extensively with Best Kept Secret as well as Jesse Boykins III and Tabi Bonney), the "Hold On" remix spans from Kentucky to Chicago to Los Angeles to Minnesota to Maryland to London. I'm personally happy at the fact that my III: Laptopical project that was released a grip ago is now complete. Ha.

Chris Campbell - III: Laptopical

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Chris Campbell
Charlie Hilton
brandUn DeShay
LaVish
Mike Dreams
Chris Barz

... and do the John Wall.

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No Words ...

... and do the John Wall.

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Lakers x 16

So I heard that the Los Angeles Lakers won one of those championship things or something. That's pretty nice.

This season was somehow the most emotionally insane for me. Maybe it was just by default as Ron Artest's general craziness must've transferred to me since I was so elated at his signing and completely sure that he would never have a blow-up this season. That moment-by-moment tension could have done it. Or maybe it was the 17 games apiece missed by Pau and Bynum conjoined with the constant fear of Andrew's inevitable new season-ending knee injury. Or maybe it was the fact that Kobe made less than a hundred three-pointers for only the second time in the last eight seasons (with the other being the '04 trial year). Or maybe it was the fact that we needed literally 7 game winners to drop from Kobe's dislocated/fractured/crippled/arthritic fingertips that, record-wise, would have dropped us from 1st place to out of the play-offs in the West. Or maybe it was the fact that Shannon Brown actually became a 20-minute-a-night rotation player when his only reliable basketball skill is dunking on a fastbreak. Or maybe it was because we never had a single late season stretch that you could point to and proclaim as a reason that the Lakers were the best team in the 2009-2010 season. I don't know. Regardless ... I was stressed.

The prevailing talk before the first round was whether the Lakers could possibly be considered the underdogs while facing the eighth seed in the West. While Kobe & Co. may not have exactly dominated their way through the final two weeks of the regular season, the fact that the conversation was held at all is ridiculous. Kevin Durant is nice and all, but he's the future. Kobe is the now. And while everyone was waiting for LeBron James to claim his (apparently) inevitable first championship, Kobe was putting in work. Spanning over the course of the first three series, the Black Mamba put up six games stringing together 32, 31, 30, 35, 32, and 40 points, all in winning efforts. The Thunder were supposed to be the up-and-comers with enough firepower to surprise the champs. The Jazz were supposed to be the rough-and-tumble band of misfits led by D-Will and Booze who could have been the best team in the West if not for the injury bug. The Suns were supposed to be the revamped run-and-gun, 2-time MVP-led squad that dominated the second half of the season and were poised to break into the Finals. The Lakers knocked them all out without so much as sniffing an elimination game. Of course we needed a set of miracle game-winning rebound-putbacks by Pau and Ron Ron off of Kobe misfires to achieve that feat, but I'll take it.

And then we had to face the dumb Celtics. I'll have a soft spot for Rondo due to his UK-loyalty forever, but I still hate them. All of them. Every screen is moving, every call is b*tched at, and every conceivable level of arrogance is surpassed. The perception is that the Boston trio is a band of winners, even though they have 16 seasons of missing the playoffs between them. They're old, they're fake, and they're one hit wonders. But oh well. Even though the Lakers decided to wait until the Finals to have their first series deficit at 2-3 going back to L.A. for the final two games ... we still won. That's all that matters.

This year was a big deal for Kobe and the rest of the team. We unfortunately needed this title for affirmation. It was nice that Bryant won his first title without Shaq last season, but it wasn't as sweet as it should have been because it was against the Orlando Magic. Kobe didn't directly eliminate LeBron in the Finals and Kobe didn't exact revenge against the Celtics' defense that stifled him a year prior. If the Lake Show had lost these Finals, it would have validated the detractors who claimed that L.A. won by default of Kevin Garnett's knee injury. This championship had to be had because it was figuratively worth two of them. With the win, Kobe forcibly cemented his status in the ring of the game's all-time winners. He has more hardware than Shaq and Duncan (his modern era competitors). He matched Magic. He's one under Michael. It's his most important to date. It gives him the opportunity to step onto the same plateau as anyone not on the 1960s Celtics or named Robert Horry with one more perfect season. While LeBron James is still ringlessly fighting the expectations of his career in worst-case scenario fashion, Kobe is fighting his way into the upper echelon of all-time great and creating a resume that will eventually be inarguable.

This season was my absolute favorite in my seven years of keeping up with every microcosm of the NBA. It ended in an end-all, be-all Game 7 that was perfect for every terrible reason that a sloppily-played, nerve-inducing, highly-physical game can be played. And the Lakers won. My guys. It's the reward for all of my own personal (literal) sweat and (figurative) blood that I shed during the year-long grind of fandom. I care. Probably more than I should. But this year's Laker squad made it worth it. Sucks to be a Celtics fan. We got revenge. You all are dismantling and starting over with Rondo within the next calendar year. I got a summer to just relax.

Who am I kidding? I'm already stressed out again over the draft and free agency. Here we go again ...

... and do the John Wall.

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Two Weeks Notice

brandUn DeShay's back killing it. This time over a track by the band Grizzly Bear. It's constructed in the same vein as Drake's "Little Bit" overdub of Lykke Li and Cee-Lo's "I'll Kill Her" overdub of Soko. It's a simple and perfect rendition. Grab it.

brandUn DeShay - I'm Puttin' My Two Weeks In

... and do the John Wall.

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The Drought Is Over (CH Edition)

Remember what I said about needing new music? Well CH heard me. Times six. This is crazy. So crazy that I gotta hook every single one of the joints up on here. Now, just for reference sake, these aren't new projects, per say. They're just projects he's been working on for the last couple years and either didn't get around to releasing them or just didn't quite complete them properly like he wanted. So here's the remaining five projects after Well This Isn't Awkward.

Charles Hamilton wins. That's all.

Charles Hamilton - 10 Things I Hate About Me
Here's what he had to say about it:

This was supposed to be my comeback project. Then the things I hate about me ended up being y'all problems. So "Why put this out, when Charles is able to bring law and order through his music. Charles, can you make a conceptless project?"

Basically, I had a therapist for about a month and a half, around the time I got dropped. My therapist (shouts to Dr. Ryder) said I am a very complex case, but very in my right mind. I think the version I'm giving Dalvyn (20fourhourbodega.blogspot.com) has some audio samples from my therapist's album (the connecting and healing power of music) scratched in. I know there are MAD soundbytes on it tho.

I am ALWAYS up to something (planned punch? answers here)
I can't sing (but I do it for the love of music and the theraputic response to singing)
I don't understand the value of money (so I didn't cry when I got "dropped"... #suarez)
I hate being categorized (and the Soulja Boy beef was horribly misinterpreted; I shoulda been more mature)
I jump the gun too often (and bullets don't scare me for some reason, so...)
I talk to my self a lot (and I have found...)
I watch a lot of CNN (and I feel like a pro boxer)
I'm moody (and it sometimes costs me love...)
Overall, I'm a Nerd (though geeks kick ass)
I Am More Concerned With Love Than Life (and I am living in the life after albums)

Charles Hamilton - The L Word II: Lust And Love (INcomplete)
Here's what he said about it:

All Barry White samples.

Bigger Ego, Shorter Tolerance (Beyonce)
-I felt compelled to respond to "Ego"... lol

How To Be A Better Girlfriend (Rihanna)
-Far from a rude boy... treat me like a gentleman and I won't treat you like a baby mama.

Rhythmic (Sonji)
-I pay your sister my rent... well, PAID your sister my rent... may I at LEAST have this dance? lol

someladyswebsite.com (Jessica)
-And I officially fall back from all communication with you after this song... sorry for the neglect...

Star Baby (Starrene)
-Pretty deep song, for a pretty deep female.

Superwoman (Fantasy Lady)
-I cannot remember your name. Will never forget your frame. Or the heat of the summer day we met on.

Vibration Bandaids (Karen Civil)
-The hook explains all.

Charles Hamilton - Gynophobia
Here's what he said about it:

Pronounced.... G? No... phobia. Gynophobia means fear of women. And though I've slept with enough women to be considered a G, I fear them. It's a Venus domination thing...

August Rush
being a semi-psycotic music in love

Farewell
the female in question liked to scream on me, couldn't trust me because I cheated on her, and had the sweetest accent I have ever listened to

Hello Kitty Guitar
as long as she still cares, I don't ever have to be inside of her again

London Girl
women are bizzarre

OhMyWhosThat
the most beautiful Dominican woman I have ever met, created right in front of me... and her name is

Pre(e)
...and this is about the night we met

Virgin
I am, tho...

White Girl Love
"Tell me you love me white girl..."

Barbie
a superficial lover with a heart of a super official lover... and kinda is about Nicki Minaj

Pilates
my crush on my 6th and 8th grade teacher, Imelda Lati

Charles Hamilton - Autumn Harvest
Here's what he said about it:

Autumn is a bunny.
Autumn is a bi-polar bunny.
Autumn is a musician.
Autumn is a junior high school teacher.

This is his life.

Charles Hamilton - Atlantis And A...
Here's what he said about it:

Cleveland Harlem goes to Atlanta and wonders about everything.

Who is Cleveland Harlem?

Recorded between 2008 and 2010... shouts to DJ Toomp, Sol Messiah and Groove for the production.

Also, learn a bit more about why I'm keeping my distance from this game... but still doing my music.

... and do the John Wall.

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Out of Necessity

I don't know why, but this morning I was alternating between listening to my "Recently Added" playlist and Cee-Lo's Stray Bullets mixtape and I felt like I was just waiting for something new. I needed a brand new listen-100-percent-all-the-way-through project in my life really desperately for some reason. And then I find out that my favorite non-Andre rapper out there just released a brand new sequel project to my favorite tape of his last year. Now that need is quenched.

Charles Hamilton - Well This Isn't Awkward: Winner Takes All

Trlcklisting:
1. Dr. Intricacy Presents: Cinematic Hallucinations
2. The Bachelor Finale
3. Gameday
4. Humble Beginnings
5. Media Take Out
6. The Last Slice
7. Peter Pad’s Commercial Break
8. Good Guy Goes Off
9. Repremanded
10. Conner Harrington’s Final Thought
11. In Case I Get Them Both
12. In Case I Only Get One
13. In Case I End Up Alone

... and do the John Wall.

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Wayne vs. Em

This second edition of "Favors" features two guys that I never thought would be on the same cut. Lil' Wayne and Eminem. Wayne had been practically begging in interviews for years about wanting to trade bars with the white kid, but everyone pretty much just accepted that a Weezy collabo was below Em's standards as Wayne was whoring himself out at the time to any artist whose label would cough up $75,000 for a feature, regardless of quality. Apparently, stuff changed.

2009
Drake - Forever (feat. Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, & Eminem)
Lil' Wayne - Drop the World (feat. Eminem)
2010
Eminem - No Love (feat. Lil' Wayne)

The first one was LeBron's fault. Isn't everything? Forming Voltron with Drake and Kanye, the newly minted quartet created the smash hit "Forever" for LBJ's More Than a Game movie. Everybody got free range on their verse to make their stand as the emcee who would deserve bragging rights over the other, though all were pretty much guaranteed to dominate the airwaves concurrently as much as they pleased. Eminem was easily the biggest winner as he freed himself from his Encore and Relapse ruts for the first time by double-timing his flow and coming off as aggressive as ever. Beyond that, this track was pedestal for the next two Em/Wayne tracks to take place on their respective upcoming albums.

Even though everyone pretty much pretends that Wayne's Rebirth rock album was never even released at all, it did have its one saving grace in the form of "Drop the World". With its general epicness and glorified duality between the types of spitting going on between the world class rhymers, it was the one joint thrown into the album that wasn't a forced failure at a new age genre buster. And while this effort was the resounding street single that was playing as Wayne was being ushered into his resident jailhouse, he left the world one more smash collaboration that was kept secret for a little while longer. With Eminem finally back honed in on his true sound, the album Recovery quickly formed. Guess who the sole guest rapper allowed to borrow a verse from Em's stream of consciousness was. Weezy on the Just Blaze banger "No Love" (which hilariously samples Haddaway's "What is Love").

... and do the John Wall.

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Game vs. Kanye

I got a new recurring post segment. It's called "Favors". And it has nothing to do with that guy taken before Boogie in the draft who won't really be that good. All it is is me quickly detailing the collaborative efforts back and forth between artists. Today's opening example is Kanye and Game.

2005
Game - Dreams
Kanye West - Crack Music (feat. Game)
2006
Game - Wouldn't Get Far (feat. Kanye West)

The combination of the two, verging on parody territory, was actually joked on in their music video to the song "Wouldn't Get Far". The L.A.-native who claimed Blood and was a former G-Unit start-up paired up with the early Chicago backpacker who was famous for his sped-up soul sampling beats and colorful polos. But they actually managed to find a creative medium and make dope music together.

The first incarnation was "Dreams" produced by Ye, Game's biggest hit outside of his 50-assisted singles. It brought out the heavy, introspective material in Game's lyricism that let the car bragging and gun toting take a backseat to relating a heartfelt story. Then the two jumped from Game's debut to Kanye's sophomore effort on the track "Crack Music" where Game lent his vocals to highlight the anthemic chorus. Apparently there was supposed to be a guest verse as well, but money issues got in the way at the time of the album's release. The two finally got a full collaboration out on the aforementioned "Wouldn't Get Far" where they traded musings on the rap game's video vixens. As an added bonus, they collected their promo checks by jumping on a commercial with Luda for Boost Mobile. You prolly remember that one, now.



... and do the John Wall.

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Retooling a Champion

I know it's kind of crazy to talk about the needed reconstruction of a back-to-back world champion, but I feel the need to. The Lakers are going to need to cement two glaring spots in their roster if they hope to end the 2010-2011 season with the insanely unprecedented accomplishment of Phil Jackson's fourth three-peat. And here are my hopes for those spots ...

We're losing quite a few locker room soldiers this offseason. Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, DJ Mbenga, Adam Morrison, and maybe Josh Powell are all likely to aim for a few more bucks than the Lakers are willing to pay for guaranteed back-up guys. I'm going to pencil in Derek Fisher for a return, but it's probably going to be at a reduced role for the first time if Mr. Buss' wallet has anything to say for it. The two needs that that leaves the champs with is a starting-caliber point guard as well as a wing who preferably is a knockdown shooter.

This two part checklist will have to be accomplished in tiers. We'll either have to snatch a top tier wing with the full midlevel exception and a lesser-noted PG with whatever pennies are left, or the other way around. For the wing position, the prime candidate is easily Mike Miller. And the Lakers for sure know that. The early word is they've already thrown $30 million at him and are trying to force him into an immediate agreement on it. It's easy to understand why, as Miller is probably one of the ten best long-range bombers in the league today, hitting 48% of his 3s last season with the Wizards. If he can stay healthy for the length of the season, an Artest/Miller wing combo next to Kobe Bryant is perfect for literally any individual situation. Next to Miller, I like T-Mac as a darkhorse candidate. If he's serious about wanting to win a fricking playoff series in his career, he just needs to sign with L.A. regardless of the money. If those guys happen to fall through, the 2A, 2B, and 2C options are guys like Raja Bell, Matt Barnes, and Anthony Morrow. If you can add a feared defensive specialist like Bell or Barnes in addition to Ron Ron, the Lakers can shut down any backcourt in the league. Any of these guys instantly add a far favorable stretch shooter who can get on the floor, unlike an Adam Morrison-type guy who is strictly a mop-up player. Who cares if Kobe innately hated these competitors when he matched up opposite against them?

Tier 1: Mike Miller, Tracy McGrady
Tier 2: Raja Bell, Matt Barnes, Anthony Morrow

Or L.A. could go a different direction with the MLE and offer it all to try and steal Steve Blake. Although the guy seems to be a guaranteed candidate to change teams darn near every single year, he's the kind of younger, heady veteran who could pick up the Triangle Offense pretty quickly and flourish specifically in that lead guard role. He's a tad taller at 6-3, which is what Phil prefers, and he just makes solid decisions with his 3-point shot and passing ability. He's a guy who's only averaged double figure points once in his career, but he's still a highly coveted player due to him having a seemingly perfect game to be the heir to Derek Fisher's place with the future Kobe Bryant era Lakers. The next group of potential point guards include Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour. Earl is completely deferential and as strong a defensive presence at the 1 as you will find, while Luke is the creative plug-in point who would hopefully nestle into a comfort zone since he wouldn't need to force the action as much as he previously did with Seattle and Milwaukee. After that, we might have to try to squeeze whatever is left from Gilbert Arenas' shooting partner for minimum money.

Tier 1: Steve Blake
Tier 2: Earl Watson, Luke Ridnour
Tier 3: Javaris Crittenton, anyone else

If only to fill out the league's required roster minimum, the Lakers might have to pick up their 2010 second round draft picks, Devin "Guy Who Ruined UK's Season" Ebanks and Derrick "UL Flunky" Caracter. And regardless of if we may have to look into flipping Lamar Odom for either cap relief or completely unforeseen available talent, I'm inclined to believe that the 2011 season will be another banner year for the Los Angeles Lakers. Phil Jackson wouldn't let it happen any other way.

... and do the John Wall.

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Flipher Overture

The new Stray Bullets Cee-Lo mixtape has inspired a new "Sampled" feature. He's paired up with Mickey Factz due to their beats being crafted around "Flipher Overture" by Esthero. I quite enjoy the notion of sampling her, especially since Cee-Lo was dopely featured on an original track by her called "Gone" and she was likewise on a Goodie Mob joint, "The World I Know", off the Slam soundtrack. Just saying.

Mickey Factz - Access Granted
Cee-Lo - ChamPain

... and do the John Wall.

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Way-Too-Early 2011 UK Preview

I think next year’s team is Final Four caliber. I know that’s insane to say with all of the departures from last year. 4/6ths of our all-time freshman class left for professional pastures leaving the unproven pieces of Jon Hood and Darnell Dodson to try their hand at a second year of Division 1 basketball. With our seniors (Ramon Harris and Perry Stevenson) and pseudo-senior (Patrick Patterson) also leaving, all veteran leadership is potentially left to big man senior Josh Harrellson and wing juniors Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins. Those obviously weren’t the optimal conditions to enter the summer under.

While anyone who wasn’t oblivious to the lures of being a top-5 draft pick knew that Demarcus Cousins and John Wall were guaranteed to have single year tenures, less expected Daniel Orton and Eric Bledsoe to have such high stock and bolt. Orton was supposed to effortlessly assume Jarvis Varnado’s place as the most feared big in the country. With his impeccable size and extra year amongst the college ranks, Orton could have put up monster numbers while inheriting literally all of Pat and Boogie’s frontline minutes. He could have showed everyone that he could stay out of foul trouble as well as have his face-up game utilized to prove his versatility and cement his status as one of Billy G’s proudest leftovers. Him and Bledsoe were supposed to become the nation’s elite 1-2 punch, usurping that claim from their former teammates the previous year. Bledsoe was going to slide into the pure point role and pair with Brandon Knight to cement the strongest backcourt combo along with the stupid Dukies (Kyrie Irving and Andre Dawkins). With his full year of off-guard experience, Bledsoe could have curbed his turnovers and established his elite passing skills that would so strongly compliment his otherworldly athleticism. But neither scenario will come to fruition as the pair’s raw skills and limitless potential has allowed them to be a first round pick on everyone and their mom’s draft board. So instead of bringing in some strong complimentary pieces to cement a mostly established Elite 8 roster, Coach Cal had to improvise an entire new team and managed to pull five more highly touted freshmen and an untapped Gator transfer into the fold. So here’s UK’s prospective do-over line-up.

C: Enes Kanter/Josh Harrellson
PF: Terrence Jones/Eloy Vargas
SF: Darius Miller/Darnell Dodson/Stacey Poole
SG: Doron Lamb/DeAndre Liggins/Jon Hood
PG: Brandon Knight/Jarrod Polson

The biggest difference that you need to understand right off the bat is how many more 3-point shooting options we will have this year. Doron Lamb is the perfect spot-up guard that Eric pretended to be for about 4 games, while Brandon Knight is a consistent threat to create his own long-range opportunities whenever he wants. Terrence Jones is also a more than capable shooter who will pick his spots since he has the ultimate floor-game in the mold of a player like Lamar Odom. Enes Kanter will be a surprise threat as a fast break trailer. While Coach Cal may or may not utilize his shooting specifically or regularly in the offense, you just need to know without a doubt that Enes is dead-eye from anywhere on the floor. I promise. With those four freshmen mixed in with the hopefully improving 3-point confidence of Darius and DeAndre plus Darnell as the ultimate wildcard, we should never have a game next season similar to the West Virginia brickfest. On paper, it’s impossible with this roster.

The second point of note is our reconstructed front court. The Cousins/Patterson/Orton trio has been completely reconstructed into a Kanter/Jones/Vargas trio with Harrellson on deck if Vargas doesn't adjust to the level of competition right away. As weird as it is to say, Jones could possibly be more productive than Pat was for most of the year in his power forward slot. The Dribble Drive Motion Offense is made to especially highlight two very specific skill sets. The first is a penetrating point guard who can finish with power to guarantee that the defense is drawn to the rim on any given play. Examples 1A, 1B, 1C, and 2 are Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, and Brandon Knight. The second skill set is a forward who's a shooting threat, but one who can put the ball on the floor with ease. Unfortunately, Coach Cal hasn't had a premier prospect in that mold since Shawne Williams, who was more famous for his marijuana and codeine issues than his basketball skill set. So T-Jones is in line to be that guy in the system next year. Just know that it's gonna be fun. Before Terrence committed, Coach Cal was faced with a roster where he may have had to go exclusively with line-ups composed of 4 guards and a forward. But now we have the legitimate size threat again with the frontline clocking in at 6'11"/6'9"/6'11" that may see a rotation similar to last season's.

One potential situation that won't really be an issue, but will inevitably be written about shamelessly, is the point guard position. Knight will be the only true point in the rotation as no one expects Jarrod Polson to ever hit the floor besides in Krebs-like mop-up duty. Therefore, either Brandon is going to have to catch on seamlessly and stay on the floor every single minute or we'll have to have to institute a back-up-by-committee approach. That committee could very well look Gillispie-like with Miller and Liggins attempting their hand at ball handling duties along with Lamb whenever needed. So while it may look like a possible derailing point at some instance in the season, there will never actually be a real drop off at the lead guard during regulation. Plus, with a guy as multi-faceted as Jones, there will always be a capable player to step up who can get advance the ball to where it needs to be if Knight happens to be taking a breather. So, barring an actual Knight injury, don't worry about it.

Speaking of back-ups, we'll have quite a serviceable bench mob next season. DeAndre seems the likely candidate to be the first guy pulling off his warm-up jersey every night as he could actually, if needed, fill in any position 1-4. With his will to be an energy player, general unselfishness, and vastly improved shooting confidence, I like him as one of the best 6th men in the NCAA. Vargas will most likely be the first big to substitute in at the first sight of foul trouble. While not half the athlete of Orton a year ago, Eloy is actually significantly taller and has a hint of SEC experience and a full year of JuCo dominance under his belt. Hopefully that will translate into significant production, both on the defensive end and creating his own scoring opportunities on the offensive glass. Assuming that Hood doesn't make summer strides to leapfrog him or that Poole isn't quite an immediate contributor, Darnell Dodson is probably slated as the resident 8th man. If he can improve his general decision making, Dodson's shooting will be as strong a weapon as any team has coming off their bench. That kind of surprise player every few games is what changes this squad from a very, very good team to a great team. The last bench factor would be if you have faith in Harrellson's summer progression. He could never manage to break into the rotation last year, stuck even behind Stevenson. But with his sizable frame and sweet shooting stroke, any quality floor time from him would make us as deep a team as there is out there. Our bench is full of potential X-factors everywhere on the floor. If two or so of these guys click each game while the starters are chilling, there will be very few teams that could give us a run for our money.

Some may think that any expectations of matching or surpassing last season's breakout are utterly ridiculous. I thoroughly disagree with that notion. Though none of our freshmen are as singularly talented or naturally dominant as John Wall turned out to be, this recruiting class is much more balanced and provides the pivotal shooting proficiency that we lacked for the majority of the season. No one will be asked to play out of position as Bledsoe was and no one will have to find how they can change their already established game to fit the offense as Patterson did. While we'll miss out on the locker room leadership and general experience of Pat, Perry, and Ramon, Coach Cal will find the right buttons to press with the right players to fill that void. My last surprise prediction for the upcoming season is about the potential production of our new foreign big man Enes Kanter. I think he'll garner attention for National Player of the Year. While a more appealing wing player like Harrison Barnes will probably wind up as the top pick in the 2011 Draft as teams hope he's the next Kobe/Durant-type franchise player, I have an inkling that Kanter will set himself up for that second slot. Just a hunch. I'll throw this link up again approximately a year from now and you can be sure to praise/clown me appropriately.

My 2010-2011 UK season prediction: a 4 loss regular season record, the third #1 seed, and a Final Four birth. Hold me to it.

... and do the John Wall.

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V3 to Get Ready

My man b-Rud released his monster third charm in his mixtape series last month. I'm a jerk friend for not throwing it up right away, but here it is now. While it's maybe a little heavy on the features, it's hard to argue against throwing emcees like Charles Hamilton, Dom Kennedy, Von Pea, and QuESt in the fold. brandUn is the absolute truth and solidifies his production style, spit game, and big deal potential with every release. You better get on the bandwagon yesterday.

brandUn DeShay - Volume: Three! to Get Ready

Tracklist
1. Good Morning (Ceven AM)
2. Veterens Day (feat. Charles Hamilton)
3. Livin' Life (feat. Ev4n Holt)
4. Why You Gotta Zodiac Like That
5. Right Back (feat. Dom Kennedy)
6. Awe Stars (feat. Casey Veggies)
7. Hate to Say I Told You So (feat. Von Pea)
8. ODd Party (feat. Casey Veggies & Overdoz)
9. Congrats
10. Orjazzmic
11. Wish Me Luck! (feat. Dom Kennedy)
12. LAXtasy
13. They Know (feat. QuESt)
14. Zeroes

... and do the John Wall.

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Potluck Post 6/12/10

I've been out of regular posting for a good while now. School had been tearing me up pretty bad this past semester and then I've just been outright lazy since the summer started, so here's a little catch up. Drake. John & Demarcus. Terrence Jones. Kobe. Kanye. Here we go.

I thoroughly enjoy Thank Me Later. I wrote a pretty harsh column on the notion of Drake ruining a good thing by becoming popular. And while many of those points still ring true in the contextual sense of commercial reception, I've had a personal 180 on my opinion of the dude. My roommate at school has met Drake four separate times and still holds that the kid is a genuinely nice person. What further standards can I act self-righteous enough to hold another artist to? Drake has his style and raps about what he wants to rap about. He doesn't try to hide that he intentionally makes certain kinds of records. He has the arrogant boi-1da street banger. He has the Kanye-helmed 808s-esque singing joint. He has the career(-so-far)-reflecting album closer. But he still goes out and makes music. And at this point, I'm just glad that the album doesn't feature Gudda Gudda or Lil' Twist. "Fancy" is the only cut that I'm inclined to say outright sucks, but that might be more so because of my utter distaste of all post-DMX Swizzy. So while Thank Me Later may not strike me as perfectly as Man on the Moon did a year ago, I've still spun this leak endlessly with genuine enjoyment and will be shelling out a purchase on opening week. After seeing him in concert and having a crazy good time, I have a legit investment in his career. So here's hoping that he throws a great pre-Draft party for my UK boys.

Speaking of the future greatest point guard ever ... I hope John Wall saves the Wizards. It's guaranteed that they will take him with the very first pick and though I'm inclined to believe that a Wall-Arenas backcourt wouldn't be optimal, John'll make it work. I just think Gil is kinda the one player in the entire league who wouldn't be content deferring at times to a player of Wall's magnitude for the good of the team. He's kind of annoying like that. All future Wizards decisions must be made knowing that the ball needs to be in J's hands as much as humanly possible, whenever he wants, so he can get NBA-adjusted in the first 15 or so games of the season. I don't know if they have enough talent to compete for the playoffs after their roster implosion last year, but I wouldn't be surprised if John found a way to sneak them in there. It is the East after all. And staying with the Cats ... whoever doesn't pick up Demarcus Cousins in the proceeding draft picks after J will innately regret it down the road. His body is the perfect NBA big man prototype that you can never find with an aggressive attitude mixed in. He will not only be an immediate contributer, but he'll be an all-star within three years with KG, Duncan, and the last remaining '90s bigs on their ways out. Neither Favors nor Monroe nor anyone else from this class who was not a Kentucky Wildcat will be able to compete with Cousins' career. If an NBA GM is dumb enough to skip over Boogie because of his perceived attitude problem, then they won't matter anyways because they'll be promptly fired once he hits his professional stride. That's a guarantee in my book. Quote me.

I cannot believe we got Terrence Jones. When dude came for a visit forever back for the Blue-White game, I sat at a table with him and John Wall (who was destroying way too many crab legs from Hooters) while we watched the Bulls and Spurs play on TV. That's the first time I understood why J came to Kentucky hands down (he sweats Derrick Rose like none other) and the time that I gave up on TJ committing to UK. The kid was as nice as possible and became a personal favorite of mine after admitting he was a Laker fan even though he lives in Portland, but I could just tell how insanely homesick he was just from spending a single weekend that far away from his home. He was talking about all of his other scheduled visits and he wasn't even looking at another school that wasn't plastered right on the Pacific coastline. So I had him pegged for Washington and told everyone confidently so for that day forth. Little did I know the commotion that would come due to that decision so many months later. From now on I'll just firmly entrust all my recruiting worries in Coach Cal's hands. He's infallibly great at selling his offensive system, the tradition of the school, and his professional track record. No one thought this 2010-2011 roster could possibly look so great after our mass early departures, but Coach Cal had his plan all along. Since every single potential LeBron destination is filling out its coaching position without a genuine Calipari scoping (no matter what Adrian Wojnarowski keeps making up), it's safe to say that our all-time 2011 recruiting class will remain intact as well and we will see an unprecedented level of talent funnel through my great University. It's a good time to be a Wildcat fan. There will be no violations on our books. There will only be similarly immaculate 3(or less)-loss seasons.

I have said it before and will hold to the fact that I think Kobe Bryant is the greatest basketball player of all time. The NBA Finals is currently tied 2-2, but I fully expect the Lake Show to pull it out. Kobe's skill set is so vastly superior to any player ever, plus he adds to it unrelentingly on a yearly basis. His long range prowess is what notches him above MJ in my book. Here's exhibit A. He still can be a slasher whenever it's in the game plan, but his midrange game and the billion ways he can get a quality look off is where his natural dominance has lied in the last seven or so years. But I don't need to regurgitate everything you already know about Mr. Bryant. I just wanted to remind you that he is now one of the ultimate and prolific winners in NBA history. Besides his late game heroics (having that reputation cemented with seven game winners this year) in general, he's now made his way to the Finals for the seventh time representing the Western Conference. And in case you haven't watched any professional basketball since Michael Jordan retired, the West has been the far stronger conference in each of those instances. In hopefully capturing his fifth title within the next week, how can anyone deny Kobe's resume? Do you actually remember that there was a discussion as to whether Kobe or T-Mac was the premier wing in the league only five years ago? It was a misguided argument back then that has turned into a psychotic one now. Kobe's run of playoff vengeance this year has been nothing short of brilliant and awe-inspiring. I'll be watching the next two or three games praying that he finishes off his first hand in rings finally.

Lastly, I just wanted to say that the Kanye West comeback will be epic. There's no way around it. This guy is most prolific commercially viable rap artist ever. With his new single "Power", he's continued his constantly evolving sound that never ceases to impress and push boundaries. He's completely unpredictable and no one but the G.O.O.D. Music family and certain guys like Premo know what to expect from his full-length return to rapping, A Good Ass Job. I just know it will be great. His catalogue ensures so. He literally cares what no one thinks about the next direction he takes because he knows the masses will eat it up. It's encoded in his DNA. The man is a legend. Now and for as long as he graces us with his creative genius.

... and do the John Wall.

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Return of the G

It took me half the commercial during Game 1 of the NBA Finals to decidedly realize the possibility that this was Andre 3000 singing to the world. I was not prepared for my favorite artist of any and all time to be singing a Beatles song with absolutely no warning during the intermission of my beloved Lakers' thrashing of the Boston Beanstalks. The Dungeon Family pervades your life in ways that you know not of. OutKast for life. And since there's no mp3 I can post for this, I'll tack on Sir Luscious Left Foot's latest epic sampling.

Big Boi - General Patton (feat. Big Rube)

KOBE.

... and do the John Wall.

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Stray Bullets

This is enough to get me out of my summer blogging hibernation.

Cee-Lo Green has returned sans Danger Mouse to release a solo mixtape. Free Cee-Lo literally out of nowhere? Plus it features a brand new full Goodie Mob cut that rides smoother than anything this side of Stankonia? DOWNLOAD THIS YESTERDAY! And while there's no rapping on this project from Lo, the strength of his vocals is undeniable and you need this kind of soul in your life.

Cee-Lo - Stray Bullets

1. Goldschlager
2. You Don’t Shock Me Anymore
3. Cho Cha the Cat (feat. The B-52’s)
4. Talking to Strangers
5. Little Black Book
6. I Like It
7. ChamPain
8. Night Train (by Goodie Mob)
9. The Secret
10. Sophisticated Bitch
11. I’ll Kill Her
12. Is It
13. Super Woman Theme Song
14. Night Cap Outro

... and do the John Wall.

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Cal Era, Year 2

Since I already touched on all the guys making the jump, I wanted to discuss the future. I'm of the opinion that you're never allowed to complain about guys leaving early to the pros when they're either a guaranteed first round pick or have a legit need to go pro (i.e. Kelenna Azubuike), so you should either enjoy the out-of-this-world talent that Coach Cal brings in on a yearly basis or you should change teams and root for San Jose State. Regardless of how long these guys stay, enjoy and appreciate their contribution to making UK the premier college basketball program of the 2010s.

1. Brandon Knight. No, he's not gonna effortlessly step into John Wall's shoes. Instead, he's gonna try to run a 2010-2011 UK squad that will pretty much only feature Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins in a return role. Regardless, he's the next kid in cementing Coach's historic point guard legacy. Anyone who caught his high school game against Austin Rivers' squad a few months back saw him unload seemingly every single shot in the game to notch his 48 points. But, obviously, his HS team sucked and we won't even remotely see that version of Knight against collegiate competition. What all UK fans will love is his deft jump shot. He's far superior to John and Eric with his unlimited range and pre-perfected form. In high school he took far more highly-contested, off-balance jumpers than he will in Cal's system, but the skill to make those kinds of shots under bail-out circumstances is never a bad gift to have. And while he can't quite compare with Wall's elite ability to finish at the basket with uncanny power, Knight is more than proficient at getting to wherever he wants to on the floor and forcing the hand of the defense. His decision-making on how to properly run our offense at the collegiate level will easily improve over the course of the season while also taking some getting used to from the fans, as he has a completely different floor game than John. He most likely won't be Top-2 in the National Player of the Year debates, but he will definitely have an immense impact and lead this surprise 2011 UK squad way beyond his freshman expectations.

2. Enes Kanter. This guy's our new resident beast. He's already NCAA-prepped by playing against men in his Turkish league, so simply expect him find his niche in Coach's offense the quickest of anyone and for him to be an immediate force on the backboards. There's really not a good comparison for him at this point. Some point to the throwaway Dirk parallels, but Nowitzki doesn't even remotely possess the low-post prowess and knack for rebounding that Enes exerts while over a decade his elder. Enes' jumper at his size will surprise in the same way, but that's not where he'll be utilized. With Coach Cal expected to utilize the Dribble Drive far more often this year, Enes will be a fill-in post presence and offensive rebounder who will receive much less direct entry passes than Demarcus needed to be effective. And comparatively, while Cousins had to be weened off his belief that a shot outside 7 feet was of good quality, Enes' floor game is far more-polished and multi-faceted. In essence, he's the quintessentially talent to be put on the block in the college game and I expect the national media to recognize his natural dominance far earlier in the season than when they started giving Demarcus any credit in the National Player of the Year race. This Washington decommit will prove to be the surprise of the basketball world, as he's already turned the heads of every talent scout in rising to #3 in both Scout and Rivals high school senior rankings and will only improve. He has none of the questions of character that Demarcus had, or even fellow freshman Josh Selby has, so all of his media coverage will hopefully focus on the actual basketball side of things. Thank God.

3. Doron Lamb. The shooter. Too bad he couldn't have snuck in on last year's team. Doron is a big catch for how future Coach Cal teams are to be constructed. Doron is not the killer athlete who has NBA execs drooling over his potential as the next WhoeverTheyWantHimToNeverBe, but he is a system player with a passion for defense and a jump shot to be admired. I see his pairing with Knight in the starting backcourt as a natural combination that will pay great dividends once they've clocked enough time on the floor. While the fans simply had to cross their fingers every time a three pointer was hurled up last season, this incarnation of the Wildcats will be a prolific shooting team. No longer will Darius be relied on to recreate his Arkansas game from the perimeter. Doron will gladly take on spot-up duties with his set-shot-looking jumper. He's not going to be an offensive initiator or be asked to create his own shot often, but Coach will refine his role and rely on his shooting stroke. Fans can now exhale. The 2 for 17 (or worse) 3-point nights are no more.

4. Stacey Poole. This is the power wing guy. He'll probably only get spot minutes this year behind Liggins and Miller at the small forward slot, but Stacey will be a contributing Cat before his college career is over. He's a bionafied slasher with his willingness to attack the paint and penchant for doing so effectively. Slasher prototypes usually take a little extra time to become effective collegiate scorers since the size differential from the high school level is so drastic and they are expected to still contend with the trees. Stacey's handle will need to be refined since he's used to bodying off every opposing high school wing with ease due to his natural size, but this same size and further development are the qualities that could make him a prime prospect down the road. He has an NBA frame and simply needs to fill it out, a la Azubuike, and his production will follow. He's definitely not a one-and-done threat, he's genuinely excited to be a Wildcat, and he was our sole early signing period commit. Stacey is the exact kind of player that a certain portion of the fanbase has begged for Coach to recruit, so here's hoping that he's appreciated as we watch his talent grow over the next few seasons.

There will assuredly be more legitimate pieces added to this class in either the form of Terrence Jones or another under-the-radar big, but these guys already in place will do just fine to fill in the gaps left by our NBA squad of 2009-2010. The freshmen will learn, the guys remaining will step up, and Coach Cal will coach. Try to not doom the season before the opening tip is even thrown.

... and do the John Wall.

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