TBJ: Eastern Playoffs Preview
Playoffs? You want to talk playoffs? Um, actually… yeah…
The Basketball Jones’ Eastern Conf. Playoffs Preview — Episode 014.
In this week’s special hour-long show, J.E. Skeets and Tas talk playoff hoops with some of the best NBA bloggers this inter-web thingy has to offer. Our panel of experts include:
- Ian Cameron from Detroit Bad Boys
- Sam Kirchner from 5-Point Bucks
- Chris Clarke from End of the Bench
- Matt Bernhardt from Blog-A-Bull
- Matt McQueeny from Nothin’ But Nets
- Brian ‘The Cavalier’ from YAYsports!
- Brian Connolly from Gilbert’s Arena
Oh, all that, and we got John freakin’ Tesh, baby! Woooo!!!
[Subscribe to The Basketball Jones Podcast via iTunes]
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Note: the Western Playoffs Preview show is finally up…
Comments (12)TBJ on AOL Sports Bloggers Live
AOL Sports Bloggers Live. Me. On it. 8 minutes. Pure heaven. Ahhh… Skeet! Skeet! Skeet!
NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conf. Preview [SBL Audio Clip]
Comments (0)
Gilbert Arenas is ‘Zero’
Ingredients: Sugar, Sweat, BOWLING BALL OIL, Cocoa Buttered Jumper, Black Presidential Intelligence, Soya Lecithin. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF (WIZZ)NUTZZ AND/OR AWESOMENESS.
Since 1931 2001 ’THE ZERO’ has developed a very loyal consumer base. The unique combination of his ingredients make this man one of a kind. The name ZERO is believed to come from Wizznutzz and/or from being originally marketed as a cool, tasty treat and/or being cool as Zero degrees.
So lets make one thing very clear… [WIZZNUTZZ]
Comments (6)Gnarls Barkley
Who is Gnarls Barkley?
It seems that, in the music world. Gnarls Barkley is always nearby yet impossible to find. The membership rolls of both the Atlanta hip hop collective Dungeon Family and Athens, Georgia’s psychedelic enclave Elephant Six list Barkley as an affiliate, but mention him to either group and they’ll shoot each other frightened looks and start talking basketball.
Gnarls Barkley [Official Site]
Gnarls Barkley [MySpace Music]
Gnarls Barkley Video — ‘Crazy’ [stereogum]
Awkward chest-bump to Mr. Irrelevant for no real reason.
Comments (9)Book It!
Making you money so you can buy what’s best:
New Orleans [+13] over LA LAKERS
Book it!
[Current Record: 31-25-1 | Streak: 3 Losses]
Comments (2)Most Valuable Emoticon…
Late last night, Tas and I got on MSN to hand out some NBA hardware. (Yeah, how very FreeDarko of us, eh?) Anyway, here’s how it went down:
Skeets: Yo! Lemme just get some instant Chicken Noodle in me. 3 mins.
Tas: Word.
Skeets: These Cup-a-Soup things are brilliant.
Tas: They are pretty satisfying, yes.
Skeets: How was ball?
Tas: Pretty good… some lazy D out there, some hogging of the ball, definitely average ball, but fun most of the time.
Skeets: You win or did you grab that home-court, 6th seed?.
Tas: We won 5 of 6 pick-up games I think… my energy was great, rebounding, poor shooting, but I drove to the hoop all right.
Tas: I can’t believe that Memphis game, I should have gone with my 1st instinct in Miami.
Skeets: Yeah, Clips just played hard in the 2nd half so Stern wouldn’t shit himself.
Skeets: Wow, so you were like Varejao out there, eh?
Tas: That’s all I got brother.
Skeets: Hey, don’t kid yourself… strong role players are rare.
Skeets: And oh, by the way, we’ve started already.
Tas: F that noise, no we haven’t.
Skeets: “F that noise”? Jeesh. Is your Mom behind you? Go ahead and drop the f-bomb T. China ain’t watching…
Tas: I’ll do as I please Skeets. I’m the Dwight Howard of this blog.
Skeets: Amen brother. Ah-fuckin’-men…
Skeets: Ok, let’s go… (Patrick) R.O.Y.?
Tas: What do you want me to say here? You want me to pull a Jose Calderon from my pocket? It’s the man who should have been an All-Star, Chris Paul.
Skeets: Yeah, I know, just need to get the easy ones out of the way. Quick question though: Who’s your favorite Chris Paul? I like Scoop’s CP3 — he looks more ’street’.
Tas: That is absolutely hilarious. Now I see where you’ve been getting your picks from.
Skeets: Getting my picks from? What? Come on…
Tas: I kid, I kid. That link’s a great find. But seriously, that kid is gonna be something real special. The way he runs a team 1st year out of school…
Skeets: I can’t deny that… fuckin’ Hawks… SIGH…
Tas: Don’t forget those stinkin’ Blazers who traded down for Martel Webster.
Skeets: Where is Webster? Does he even play? Is he hiding in the clock?
Skeets: MA’AM!
Tas: I think I see Webster once a week walking down the street. He’s got such a common face.
Skeets: Ok, Most Improved. Who you like?
Tas: This one is so wide open, but I can’t deny my man Boris Diaw finding his niche in Phoenix. He looks like the 2nd point guard out there; he just knows how to play.
Skeets: See, problem with this cat for me. Do you give it to someone who goes from ass to good, or from good to great?
Skeets: What’s MORE of an improvement? ‘Cuz if you go with the latter version then you gotta look hard at ‘Melo, Dwight or The Black Kirilenko, right?
Skeets: And oh, this soup is great. I just hit some nice surprise noodles at the bottom of the cup.
Tas: But everyone EXPECTS those type of players to improve. That means they’re improvement isn’t surprising and should be recognized less.
Skeets: Another problem with the Diaw choice is, did he really IMPROVE or was it just D’Antoni’s offense and ultimately circumstance that he got better? (See: Amare’s knee.)
Skeets: And um, David West gets my vote. This guy came outta nowhere and I still don’t know who the hell he is!
Tas: Yes, his situation has changed but he’s just showing the type of baller he is. The man’s getting double digit rebounds, points and assists fairly regularly because he has skills. If you watch him play, it’s more the talent than the system.
Skeets: Speaking of talent — can we pick it up here, champ? You’re like the freakin’ Memphis Grizzlies of MSN.
Tas: I know you need your 10 hour beauty sleep princess. But I just wanted to note Diaw also gets my vote cause I like to vote for a player whose name most sounds like an animal’s noise.
Tas: HEE-HAW! DI-AW!
Skeets: You took 2 minutes and that’s the best you could come up with? Ok, moving on…
Tas: My mom spell checks.
Skeets: D-FENCE! (Clap, clap) D-FENCE (Clap, clap)… Winner is…
Skeets: And scratch G-Wallace and Camby ‘cuz of injuries, right?
Tas: I think so, but they wouldn’t have got my vote anyways.
Tas: I think the award should go to the player you’d least like to see awaiting your arrival as you dribble down the court.
Skeets: Benjamin?
Tas: Bang on. For me Big Ben still changes the game like no other.
Skeets: That’d be his 4th DPY. That’s huge.
Skeets: Hey, why’s Marion get no love in this cat? He’s top 5 steals and boards, top 20 blocks… is it because of Phoenix’s game?
Tas: That’s exactly why. The system really pads his stats, but I wouldn’t call him a great defensive player by any means. He can’t stop very good players 1-on-1.
Skeets: What about Bruce then? He can stop time, remember…
Tas: He is amazing, but he doesn’t have the effect on a game Ben does. Bruce loses points in my mind because he doesn’t block shots.
Tas: Kirilenko must get a mention here - if he was healthy for an entire year, he’d have to get serious consideration.
Skeets: Bowen’s good, but AK47’s a tailor… he alters everything… I’d actually give this award to Mourning if he started. That guy’s a freak on D (even if he is a dick).
Skeets: With that said, Big Benny’s my pick too.
Skeets: And hey, if he’s the last person you want to see coming down the lane … who’s first?
Tas: Great question. It’s gotta be ‘Big Hoffa’.
Skeets: Hahaha… mine’s Antoine Walker…
Skeets: I’d float a teardrop while I dropkicked him in the groin.
Skeets: Next: 6th Man? Candidates: Mike Miller, Zo, Gordon, Stack, maybe McDyess?
Skeets: And woah, we forgot Mike James Bitch for M.I.P. He played like Bahamas this year!
Tas: That should stand for Most Improved Paycheck. That man’s gettin’ paid…
Tas: Bitch!
Skeets: K, Six-Shooter, who’s your pick? This is a tough (or is it just stupid) award…
Tas: It’s not stupid, Zo has made the biggest impact coming off the bench. He’s my vote hands down.
Skeets: Isn’t it hands up in Zo’s case? Like, pointed to the sky? But wow, I didn’t see that coming from you. Really?
Skeets: Man, personally, I WOULDN’T even want to win this award: Rodney Rogers? John Starks? Aaron McKie? No thanks, I’ll pass…
Skeets: ROY TARPLEY! My Lord…
Tas: What’s Zo got to live for anyway? He’s gonna have this award and a 1 donated kidney to his name. Just give it to him.
Tas: This is the end of his career, this is seriously an accomplishment for someone who’s best days are long behind him.
Skeets: Oh, how touching. Fine. I’m giving mine to Stack and I’d rather not have to explain why.
Tas: All right. But let me ask, do the tights have anything to do with it?
Skeets: No, but they sure keep his groin together.
Skeets: K, two left. Coach and MVP. Let’s go Coach. Who’s your leader?
Tas: Toss up for me. Coach D’Antoni, Coach Scott, maybe even the Zen master. They have done amazing things with very average rosters.
Skeets: Well then? What do you want to do, cut it up, give a piece to all three?
Skeets: “Here, you take the bench Phil. Mike, you get the little man there. And oh, umm, Scott, looks like you get the wood base. Sorry.”
Tas: I’ve decided I go with Italian Mike because he’s had to deal with a totally over made roster, too many injuries, and still been able to grab the 2nd seed.
Skeets: FYI: No Coach has ever won this b-2-b…
Skeets: That’s why I’m going with high-pitched Avery. No one had the Mavs set for 60 and they’ve had their injuries as well.
Tas: I don’t buy that one. The fact that they’ve won 50+ for 5 years running, and Avery comes in and gets a couple more wins? The foundation was already built for him while D’Antoni did all the work himself this year.
Skeets: Taking a team from 50 to 60 wins is WAY more difficult than taking a team from 30-40 or some shit like that…
Skeets: It’s levels man, crazy strata-type-shit…. you wouldn’t understand…
Tas: Stoudemire, Thomas, Grant all out. 3 out of 5 new starters. A new bench. And don’t go all META on me, all right?
Skeets: Sorry.
Skeets: Ok, last one: M.V.P.
Tas: I’m gonna go with Mike James’ vote - Allen Iverson.
Skeets: No!
Tas: I’m kidding. Geez.
Skeets: Fuck. I’ve got a Jonathan Lipnicki emoticon here Tas… don’t make me use it!
Tas: I will dwarf your emoticons. Try me.
Tas: The most valuable member to his team has been Steve Nash. Put him on any team; watch the team riiiiiiise to the top. ‘Horse and Carriage, see my love is for hire’ - thanks Cam.
Skeets: I have that CD.
Tas: Are you going to 82games.com to get backup for you bandwagon LeBron pick?
Tas: And um, I’ll borrow that disc, if that’s cool?
Skeets: Yeah, go nuts. I’ll throw in a Sporty Thievz “No Pigeons” single as well…
Skeets: And no, fuck the stats! LBJ is the King and you know it.
Skeets: Talk about putting a guy on any team, my God! Wait till LBJ gets his ‘Pippen’. It’s going to be ridiculous!
Tas: I’m not saying he won’t be the best player in this league, but he wasn’t this year. There’s no doubt about that. March-April? Maybe. November-February? Not even close.
Skeets: And where was Nash for March-April? Huh? HUH?
Skeets: Maybe we should just squash this beef (no, not Kobe) and give it to Dirk…
Tas: Dirk’s great. But Nash is better.
Tas: Nash has taken his new teammates and given them career years: Bell, House, Diaw, Marion, Barbosa.
Skeets: Meh, Nash won’t win it. I guarantee that. It’ll be Kobe or LBJ.
Skeets: Or Hoffa.
Tas: You can’t give it to a guy whose team finished 7th. Even 4th is a bit of a stretch, come on Skeets!
Skeets: The Raps finished 7th? Sweet!
Skeets: All right, I’m done.
Tas: Ya, we could go all night about the MVP. Actually, I’d like to see Dirk win. I think Nash would take him out on a serious night on the town to celebrate. Love those pics.
Skeets: Yeah, I’ve got them framed. They’re hanging in my hallway.
Book It!
Making you money so you can ‘rush, rush, hurry hurry love come to me’:
MEMPHIS [-7.5] over LA Clippers
Book it!
[Current Record: 31-24-1 | Streak: 2 Losses]
Comments (6)Run To ClutchFans! Run!
Jenny, ClutchFans is awesome and that’s all I have to say about that.
THUMP!!! — Forrest Gundy Pic [ClutchFans]
Comments (2)Maximus Podcasts
“Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?”
Quick reminder that The Basketball Jones will not be recording their regularly scheduled Wednesday night podcast tomorrow.
Woah, woah, woah… no, hey, put the lamp down! Seriously, dude. Put. The. Lamp. Down. Jesus Christ, would you just let me explain for a second? Jeesh…
Yeah, we won’t be doing this week’s regular show because we’re going to be recording two — count ‘em, two — hour-long NBA Playoffs Preview Shows this Thursday — tentatively called ‘Strength’ and ‘Honor’ around here.
Each show — one for the Eastern Conference, one for the West — will include blog-expert analysis from representatives for each playoff team. Yeah, Tas and I will be talking playoff ball with writers from such great sites as Detroit Bad Boys, Blog-a-Bull and SacTown Royalty … just to name a few.
So, this is the perfect time to get your questions and comments answered and heard. I mean, do you want to know if Kobe and the Lakers have any chance of upsetting the mighty Suns? Hey, let’s ask Forum Blue & Gold.
Perhaps you want to know if Ginobli’s going to finally show up for the Spurs? Good question, let’s ask Pounding The Rock.
Maybe you want to know if Chris Kaman eats small children? Sure, little weird, but let’s ask ClipperBlog.com, ok? You get the idea.
So, send in your best questions and comments and we’ll try to get them on. As always, you’ve got three ways to do so:
- Phone: 416.519.4778
- E-mail: jones@thebasketballjones.net
- Blog: leave your comments here
And oh, if anybody knows someone who might be capable and interested in being an “expert” for the Memphis Grizzlies and/or Indiana Pacers on the show, let us know. Yeah, apparently neither team has any real fans. Oh, burn!
[Subscribe to The Basketball Jones Podcast via iTunes]
Comments (10)Book It!
Making you money so you can sincerely apologize for all the trouble you’ve caused:
Utah [+11] over SAN ANTONIO
Book it!
[Current Record: 31-23-1 | Streak: 1 Loss]
Comments (2)About
The Basketball Jones is a NBA blog and podcast, written and recorded five times a week by J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas and Jason Doyle. Comments, questions and cold hard cash are always welcome and much appreciated. Contact us.
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