Basketball unlike any other sport, compares its top superstar players to those of the past. I will not get into every head-to-head comparison, but instead I will just state the biggest one. Anybody vs. Jordan. First it was Harold Miner vs. Jordan, then J.R./Isaiah Rider vs. Jordan, Penny Hardaway vs. Jordan, Grant Hill vs. Jordan, then the big two, Kobe vs. Lebron vs. Jordan vs. Kobe.
I would say Kobe is much more like Jordan in terms of style of play, where as Lebron is a more physical player. The former two being more calculated strategy-wise. But, we have all this hoopla over Lebron James being THE GREATEST CLOSER OF ALL-TIME. This is the most laughable thing I’ve ever heard when it comes to basketball. He is not 1/10 the closer of Jordan or ½ the closer of Kobe. Jordan could beat you without even touching the ball, and Kobe towards the end of the game will hit damn near every shot no matter how impossible, and will involve his teammates. Lebron can miss a bunch of free throws, have 3 turnovers, and completely neglect his teammates but when he makes the game winner, he is the hero instead of the goat (not greatest of all time kind of goat) that kept his team from winning by 10. Now a win is a win but that attitude will not win Championships.
I also am no longer willing to hear the statements of “He has no one to play with.” Bullshit, the team won 66 games. You don’t win that much because one player got all 66 wins. Sure Lebron is the leader of the team, and can be attributed to many of those wins, but T-Mac, Vince Carter, A.I., Kobe, Jordan, or anybody can not win 66 games by their lonesome.
There is no question that Lebron is top 5 in this league, I will not argue that, but it is up for debate the position in that top 5.
His 4th Quarter game is terrible. He will not pass the ball when behind, he will turn it over, miss free throws by the bunch. But if he makes the last shot to win the game, it is a beautiful canvas of art that the Prince gave us. I, for once agree with Skip Baylass just on the Prince James title.
I watched game 2 when Hedo Turkoglu hit the shot with 1.0 seconds left (Hedo is the better closer, by the way) and Lebron got the inbounds, and hit the game winning 3-point fade away. What you don’t read is the stat sheet 2-6 FG’s, 2-2 FT’s, 7pts., 1 Assist, 1 rebound, 3 turnovers. How’s is that closing?
Game 3 he went 3-8 FG’s 7-12 FT’s for 14 points, 1 steal, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover. Not too bad but his team lost.
In Game 4, he went 4-11fg’s 7-10 FT’s 17pts. 5 Reb. 2 Assists, 7 Turnovers and missed 3 shots that would have tied the game in OT.
On the other hand, Lebron had a great game 5 with a very good 4th quarter but he has had 4 of 5 bad 4th quarters that is not an elite closer.
I also figured out his game. He just drives the ball to the paint and throws up a layup and gets the foul pretty much 100% of the time because he’s Lebron. Kobe doesn’t get those calls as much as LBJ does and neither did Jordan. In the playoffs Lebron shoots 14 free throws a game, where as Kobe shoots 9. Kobe also shoots over half of his free throws when his team is winning and they are intentional fouls. Lebron shoots 75% of his free throws in the fourth quarter. Never intentional fouls because he is not the player the Cavs want to shoot them. If he were, he would always leave the other team in the game. Also Kobe makes 9/10 free throws, while Bron makes 6.5-7.5/10. That is all the difference between winning and losing many games.
So when someone tells you, you cannot guard Lebron James I can’t lie, it is true. But it is not true because he hits every shot, or is a master strategist like MJ or Kobe who gets in your heard. You will not be able to stop Lebron for 1 reason, whenever he drives to the hoop he will get the call regardless i.e. Howard’s 6th foul in Game 5. Until Lebron doesn’t miss half his free throws or have 3 turnovers in the 4th he is not the greatest closer ever, today, or even best player in the league for that matter.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Review of Relapse (Is he cured or is he bound to fall off the wagon)
Eminem has come off his 4 year hiatus of drug problems, drug rehab, severe depression, the loss of a close friend and family problems to release his 5th album Relapse.
Here’s how I am going to review this; Eminem has a deep catalog, and I will pick what album this would have been on if it wasn’t Relapse because each of his albums tell a different story, and this album is like a compilation of them. Then I will make observations on the song (beat, verses, what it is about, flow and rhymes scheme), then I will rate it between 1-10; 1-3= Terrible, 4-5= Mediocre/Average, 6-7= Decent/Good, 8-9.5= Great, 9.5-10= Classic
Ok let’s get it going
2) 3 A.M. – This song would be a song on the Slim Shady LP. It uses very dark imagery with a dark beat, and dark story. The song is basically follow up to the intro where Eminem is forced to take some pill and hallucinates, and is trying to figure out what he did. This is an above average beat from Dr. Dre and Eminem uses clever rhyme schemes and complicated wordplay to paint a vivid picture in your mind. This is most evident by the first verse. The problems I have with it are the hook is lack luster compared to the verses and his change of voice get annoying by the end of the song. 6.5/10
3) My Mom- This is a dig on his mother and the comparison of them and how she made him an addict. In the 1st verse he states “I know you’re probably tired of hearing about my mom.” This is true. I get it she sucked as a mother but dude at some point you have to let it go and stop worrying about it. Like most tracks Eminem has ever made he has clever rhymes but this is definitely a track from Encore because it shows lack of direction and maturity. The beat is underachieving by Dre, and it seems like it has been done a million times by any beat makers. Also there is a few seconds where Em uses auto tune (WTF) 5/10
4) Insane- Most awkward story by far. It is about a boy (him in the story) being sexual assaulted by his step dad. All around I like this song even though the story is f’d up. The hook and verses are catchy, and the beat is able to pull off being dark and fast pace which is hard to do. Marshall Mathers LP based off amount of humor. The 3rd verse is the best verse but hook is by far the best part. This is not meant to be a wow track it is just meant to make you laugh. 8.5/10
5) Bagpipes From Baghdad- This beat will definitely make you nod your head. Not a type of beat Dre would typically make. This reminds me of Square Dance from The Eminem Show. It is basic Eminem going at pop culture. He needs to move off making fun of Mariah Carey like his mom, enough is enough. But it is still funny (best verse), and whenever you can make Nick Cannon mad it is a good thing (He is not HI-larious). He has somewhat clever wordplay but a weak hook. 6.5/10
6) Hello- Beat is not too good, and Em clearly over powers the beat. The hook is very catchy and it gives you a good vibe for being derogatory about woman. It is like Cum on Everybody from SSLP. The second verse is the best and rhymes words you would never think of. 8/10
8) Same Song & Dance- This song is about pop culture and going after Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears. Beat is weak and seems to mess up his flow and it basically suffers from there. This is Encore status, lack of direction and lack of cohesion. Verse 2 is the best because it shows hypocrisy of a child star (Lohan) 5.5/10
9) We Made You- Just Like All his other smash hits (My Name Is, Real Slim Shady...). Anti-pop culture song and will give you a laugh. But it is not as good as his past top hits. Shows he has lost a step. Ok beat, flows well, plenty of wack lines. Hook is best part it is highly catchy. 5.5/10
10) Medicine Ball- A song about random thoughts to show he is crazy. Good beat, First verse will open your eyes a few times it brings you back to 2000 Eminem. The hook is weird, decent and bad at the same time (that makes sense, don’t worry bout it) I can see all of his first three albums in this song. Great Eminem track though 8.5/10
12) Stay Wide Awake- Very good hook, and a nice beat. He rides the beat perfectly. I like each verse equally, and like how he switches back and forth to slow and faster pace. This is just a random song. 7.5/10
13) Old Time’s Sake feat. Dr. Dre- One of my favorite songs from the album. You go in expecting a lot from this collabo based on their past collabos. This is not Guilty Conscience or What’s The Difference but it is like Business. The hook is true hip hop at its finest. Dre/Em first verse is best “I’m Dre from back in the day…” is crazy. This is a typical Dre beat but it is a little plain but the verses are not effected by that. 9/10
14) Must Be The Ganja- Crazy rhyme scheme, but his voice f’s it up, and its randomness is aggravating at points but it is a song about Weed so it kind of fits. Great hook but a very lazy beat. 6.5/10
16) Déjà Vu- About things repeating itself. Mediocre beat but gives you a MMLP feel to it. The hook is terrible and is way too lazy. Verses are ok, verse 3 is most catchy. 6/10
17) Beautiful- Best song on the album. And the only beat not produced by Dr. Dre, The sample is chilling when you realize the whole song is completely different in terms of vibe. Very reflective of his life (Eminem’s best type of songs), very chilling perspective. Beat is good and the hook is good, great message. If you've been through depression it will be hard to listen to. 10/10 (Put this in some of his best songs)
18) Crack A Bottle feat. Dr. Dre, 50 Cent- The 3 headed monster is back again, but comes off looking wounded. OK beat but you expect more from Dr. Dre. Hook is catchy but you expect more from these 3. In terms of verses; 1-Eminem (OK) 2- 50 Cent OK but disappointing 3- Dre- average.
20) Underground- Talks about his hiatus being underground and having Dre and himself rebuild him. The hook is terrible but perfect for the beat. The beat is awful and it is very hard to flow to and in a rare instance where Em doesn’t. It is hard to catch the words because the beat is distracting. Worst song on the cd 2/10
Final Thoughts-I really like this album. I was expecting a lot less from this after a 4 year hiatus and a mediocre album in Encore. It makes me want more and I am anticipating Relapse 2. He still has rust in his game right now and looks like he has lost a huge step from the top 10 Dead or Alive Eminem we all love. But he still shows he can rhyme circles around competition and is a good breathe away from the snapping music that the south has given us, and the new uninspired NY rappers. The only problem is Eminem needs more songs like Old Time’s Sake & Beautiful because while we like the crazy songs , we love these songs better. And how many of these crazy songs can you make. Way better than Encore but not as good as his other albums.
Flow- 8/10 (Eminem will always have this, but he has understandable rust)
Wordplay- 8/10 (Always has crazy rhyme scheme but rust factor is still considered)
Production- 7/10 (Dre comes with some good beats here. Lately he has been lazy, Em came with a good beat also)
Content- 7/10 (At times content is great but other times it is terrible and you wish he would start in a new direction at some point)
Overall- 7.5/10 (Compared with all today’s artists and his past work. Eminem is a top stable in rap but has lost a step)
Replay Value- 6/10
Here’s how I am going to review this; Eminem has a deep catalog, and I will pick what album this would have been on if it wasn’t Relapse because each of his albums tell a different story, and this album is like a compilation of them. Then I will make observations on the song (beat, verses, what it is about, flow and rhymes scheme), then I will rate it between 1-10; 1-3= Terrible, 4-5= Mediocre/Average, 6-7= Decent/Good, 8-9.5= Great, 9.5-10= Classic
Ok let’s get it going
2) 3 A.M. – This song would be a song on the Slim Shady LP. It uses very dark imagery with a dark beat, and dark story. The song is basically follow up to the intro where Eminem is forced to take some pill and hallucinates, and is trying to figure out what he did. This is an above average beat from Dr. Dre and Eminem uses clever rhyme schemes and complicated wordplay to paint a vivid picture in your mind. This is most evident by the first verse. The problems I have with it are the hook is lack luster compared to the verses and his change of voice get annoying by the end of the song. 6.5/10
3) My Mom- This is a dig on his mother and the comparison of them and how she made him an addict. In the 1st verse he states “I know you’re probably tired of hearing about my mom.” This is true. I get it she sucked as a mother but dude at some point you have to let it go and stop worrying about it. Like most tracks Eminem has ever made he has clever rhymes but this is definitely a track from Encore because it shows lack of direction and maturity. The beat is underachieving by Dre, and it seems like it has been done a million times by any beat makers. Also there is a few seconds where Em uses auto tune (WTF) 5/10
4) Insane- Most awkward story by far. It is about a boy (him in the story) being sexual assaulted by his step dad. All around I like this song even though the story is f’d up. The hook and verses are catchy, and the beat is able to pull off being dark and fast pace which is hard to do. Marshall Mathers LP based off amount of humor. The 3rd verse is the best verse but hook is by far the best part. This is not meant to be a wow track it is just meant to make you laugh. 8.5/10
5) Bagpipes From Baghdad- This beat will definitely make you nod your head. Not a type of beat Dre would typically make. This reminds me of Square Dance from The Eminem Show. It is basic Eminem going at pop culture. He needs to move off making fun of Mariah Carey like his mom, enough is enough. But it is still funny (best verse), and whenever you can make Nick Cannon mad it is a good thing (He is not HI-larious). He has somewhat clever wordplay but a weak hook. 6.5/10
6) Hello- Beat is not too good, and Em clearly over powers the beat. The hook is very catchy and it gives you a good vibe for being derogatory about woman. It is like Cum on Everybody from SSLP. The second verse is the best and rhymes words you would never think of. 8/10
8) Same Song & Dance- This song is about pop culture and going after Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears. Beat is weak and seems to mess up his flow and it basically suffers from there. This is Encore status, lack of direction and lack of cohesion. Verse 2 is the best because it shows hypocrisy of a child star (Lohan) 5.5/10
9) We Made You- Just Like All his other smash hits (My Name Is, Real Slim Shady...). Anti-pop culture song and will give you a laugh. But it is not as good as his past top hits. Shows he has lost a step. Ok beat, flows well, plenty of wack lines. Hook is best part it is highly catchy. 5.5/10
10) Medicine Ball- A song about random thoughts to show he is crazy. Good beat, First verse will open your eyes a few times it brings you back to 2000 Eminem. The hook is weird, decent and bad at the same time (that makes sense, don’t worry bout it) I can see all of his first three albums in this song. Great Eminem track though 8.5/10
12) Stay Wide Awake- Very good hook, and a nice beat. He rides the beat perfectly. I like each verse equally, and like how he switches back and forth to slow and faster pace. This is just a random song. 7.5/10
13) Old Time’s Sake feat. Dr. Dre- One of my favorite songs from the album. You go in expecting a lot from this collabo based on their past collabos. This is not Guilty Conscience or What’s The Difference but it is like Business. The hook is true hip hop at its finest. Dre/Em first verse is best “I’m Dre from back in the day…” is crazy. This is a typical Dre beat but it is a little plain but the verses are not effected by that. 9/10
14) Must Be The Ganja- Crazy rhyme scheme, but his voice f’s it up, and its randomness is aggravating at points but it is a song about Weed so it kind of fits. Great hook but a very lazy beat. 6.5/10
16) Déjà Vu- About things repeating itself. Mediocre beat but gives you a MMLP feel to it. The hook is terrible and is way too lazy. Verses are ok, verse 3 is most catchy. 6/10
17) Beautiful- Best song on the album. And the only beat not produced by Dr. Dre, The sample is chilling when you realize the whole song is completely different in terms of vibe. Very reflective of his life (Eminem’s best type of songs), very chilling perspective. Beat is good and the hook is good, great message. If you've been through depression it will be hard to listen to. 10/10 (Put this in some of his best songs)
18) Crack A Bottle feat. Dr. Dre, 50 Cent- The 3 headed monster is back again, but comes off looking wounded. OK beat but you expect more from Dr. Dre. Hook is catchy but you expect more from these 3. In terms of verses; 1-Eminem (OK) 2- 50 Cent OK but disappointing 3- Dre- average.
20) Underground- Talks about his hiatus being underground and having Dre and himself rebuild him. The hook is terrible but perfect for the beat. The beat is awful and it is very hard to flow to and in a rare instance where Em doesn’t. It is hard to catch the words because the beat is distracting. Worst song on the cd 2/10
Final Thoughts-I really like this album. I was expecting a lot less from this after a 4 year hiatus and a mediocre album in Encore. It makes me want more and I am anticipating Relapse 2. He still has rust in his game right now and looks like he has lost a huge step from the top 10 Dead or Alive Eminem we all love. But he still shows he can rhyme circles around competition and is a good breathe away from the snapping music that the south has given us, and the new uninspired NY rappers. The only problem is Eminem needs more songs like Old Time’s Sake & Beautiful because while we like the crazy songs , we love these songs better. And how many of these crazy songs can you make. Way better than Encore but not as good as his other albums.
Flow- 8/10 (Eminem will always have this, but he has understandable rust)
Wordplay- 8/10 (Always has crazy rhyme scheme but rust factor is still considered)
Production- 7/10 (Dre comes with some good beats here. Lately he has been lazy, Em came with a good beat also)
Content- 7/10 (At times content is great but other times it is terrible and you wish he would start in a new direction at some point)
Overall- 7.5/10 (Compared with all today’s artists and his past work. Eminem is a top stable in rap but has lost a step)
Replay Value- 6/10
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Play With Some Heart
I literally have watched the 3 Lakers losses against the Rockets in amazement. There is no question that the Lakers are the better team. Especially when you consider the best two players for Houston are on the bench. Then you add in the fact that the refs have their whistles drawn if Ron Artest makes a move. Dick Bavetta definitely wants to make a call to decide a game, so look for this in Game 7..
Besides the Artest match up, and the guards who match evenly, the Lakers have a dominant mismatch.. Bryant vs, Battier... Gasol & Bynum vs. Hayes/Landry/Scola(yes Scola has been playing better)... But looking on paper and talent this should have been overwith in 5, even with Yao. This Laker team is stacked. Deep bench, Starters can all get 15 with the exception of Fisher. And the best finisher in the game since Jordan.
But in the 3 games they have lost they have been terrible. They can't move the ball around. Kobe can't hit anything, and Pau Gasol gives his normal playoff performance, of just standing there and looking very dirty. Seriously he looks like you would catch Hep B if you accidentally touch his beard. I'm surprised Bynum's leg hasn't fallen off for being out in the air. Odom has a hurt back but he is playing uninspired which isn't surprising. For the knocks on Odom if he actually gave a damn he is a top notch player and could average 20-10-5.
Where the hell is Vujacic? The man (I used this term very loosely) played very well last year, and this year is playing like crap. Only 3 points in 13 minutes. The only bright spot I can find on this team is Trevor Ariza. Who is starting which is not normal for him and is playing fast pace, and generating great energy for the minutes he plays. His impact is not huge but he is playing very well for the team he is on the court with.. Would you give him the ball before Bryant, Odom, Gasol, Bynum or maybe even Fisher?
The problem is this team is never motivated. They weren't last year and they weren't in 06 when they lost to the Suns. Now they are different teams but it speaks volumes to this new generation Laker team.
They have an attitude like they are the 90s Bulls, and they can come in and wipe the floor with any team, any court, and any situation. But heres the problem they are not the 1990s Bulls. Those Bulls teams knew what they needed to do. Michael Jordan didn't give you 1 step. Scottie Pippen actually tried (unlike Odom).. Luc Longley who is no Pau Gasol ran up and down the court and was always moving. Every player down to Bill Wennington knew their job. These Lakers don't. The deep bench of Walton, Vujacic, Farmer(knock them if you want but they can play) don't play like role players. They try to play like they are Kobe. The thing missing from this team is the energy. They should have never let Ronnie Turiaf go. He is not great, but he kept the team focused. He had a big heart, he joked around but when he got on the court he gave 100%, which no one seems to try and do. The Lakers wait for Kobe to involve them then they move. The Bulls teams moved then waited for MJ to hit them wide open.
This Laker team has no heart. They are so cocky they half ass teams they can easily beat and end up going 7. Phil Jackson isn't helping this either. He should be on their ass (PAUSE!). He is possibly the greatest coach ever and his method has worked in the past, but not with this team.
Besides playing up and down the court with a lot of pressure and allow Kobe the option for a drop off to a wide open Bynum or Gasol he will jack up 30 shots and make only 10 of them,
The Lakers keys to winning rely on 3 things
1. Kobe shooting around 45+%, if he shoots anything less they will lose.
2. Odom/Ariza trying to get Artest in foul trouble. Doesn't matter if they force 3 or 4 bad shots if it gets Artest in foul trouble early.
3. Keep Scola from getting room in the post. He killed the Lakers in Game 6, they need to keep the Rockets from spreading and whenever Scola gets the ball in the post come with the Help D. Force him to kick it out and have someone else drop a shot.
If the Lakers don't come out with ferocity, and fast pace they will be down early and will lose big..
I can't think of anything I would want less than a Celtics/Cavs/Magics vs. Nuggets/Rockets... It will be like Cavs vs Spurs all over again.
Besides the Artest match up, and the guards who match evenly, the Lakers have a dominant mismatch.. Bryant vs, Battier... Gasol & Bynum vs. Hayes/Landry/Scola(yes Scola has been playing better)... But looking on paper and talent this should have been overwith in 5, even with Yao. This Laker team is stacked. Deep bench, Starters can all get 15 with the exception of Fisher. And the best finisher in the game since Jordan.
But in the 3 games they have lost they have been terrible. They can't move the ball around. Kobe can't hit anything, and Pau Gasol gives his normal playoff performance, of just standing there and looking very dirty. Seriously he looks like you would catch Hep B if you accidentally touch his beard. I'm surprised Bynum's leg hasn't fallen off for being out in the air. Odom has a hurt back but he is playing uninspired which isn't surprising. For the knocks on Odom if he actually gave a damn he is a top notch player and could average 20-10-5.
Where the hell is Vujacic? The man (I used this term very loosely) played very well last year, and this year is playing like crap. Only 3 points in 13 minutes. The only bright spot I can find on this team is Trevor Ariza. Who is starting which is not normal for him and is playing fast pace, and generating great energy for the minutes he plays. His impact is not huge but he is playing very well for the team he is on the court with.. Would you give him the ball before Bryant, Odom, Gasol, Bynum or maybe even Fisher?
The problem is this team is never motivated. They weren't last year and they weren't in 06 when they lost to the Suns. Now they are different teams but it speaks volumes to this new generation Laker team.
They have an attitude like they are the 90s Bulls, and they can come in and wipe the floor with any team, any court, and any situation. But heres the problem they are not the 1990s Bulls. Those Bulls teams knew what they needed to do. Michael Jordan didn't give you 1 step. Scottie Pippen actually tried (unlike Odom).. Luc Longley who is no Pau Gasol ran up and down the court and was always moving. Every player down to Bill Wennington knew their job. These Lakers don't. The deep bench of Walton, Vujacic, Farmer(knock them if you want but they can play) don't play like role players. They try to play like they are Kobe. The thing missing from this team is the energy. They should have never let Ronnie Turiaf go. He is not great, but he kept the team focused. He had a big heart, he joked around but when he got on the court he gave 100%, which no one seems to try and do. The Lakers wait for Kobe to involve them then they move. The Bulls teams moved then waited for MJ to hit them wide open.
This Laker team has no heart. They are so cocky they half ass teams they can easily beat and end up going 7. Phil Jackson isn't helping this either. He should be on their ass (PAUSE!). He is possibly the greatest coach ever and his method has worked in the past, but not with this team.
Besides playing up and down the court with a lot of pressure and allow Kobe the option for a drop off to a wide open Bynum or Gasol he will jack up 30 shots and make only 10 of them,
The Lakers keys to winning rely on 3 things
1. Kobe shooting around 45+%, if he shoots anything less they will lose.
2. Odom/Ariza trying to get Artest in foul trouble. Doesn't matter if they force 3 or 4 bad shots if it gets Artest in foul trouble early.
3. Keep Scola from getting room in the post. He killed the Lakers in Game 6, they need to keep the Rockets from spreading and whenever Scola gets the ball in the post come with the Help D. Force him to kick it out and have someone else drop a shot.
If the Lakers don't come out with ferocity, and fast pace they will be down early and will lose big..
I can't think of anything I would want less than a Celtics/Cavs/Magics vs. Nuggets/Rockets... It will be like Cavs vs Spurs all over again.
Welcome
Everyone's got the blog spot, I thought I'd start one because the people who know me, know I'm very outspoken and really like adding my 2 cents.
I will talk about politics, love, sports, music, whatever pops into my head.
I will talk about politics, love, sports, music, whatever pops into my head.
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