Upcoming 2011-12 NBA Preview: Southwest Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE – SOUTHWEST

DALLAS MAVERICKS

Last Season: 57-25, Division Champions, 3rd Overall in West, NBA Champions

Key Losses:  J.J. Barea, Caron Butler, Tyson Chandler, Corey Brewer, Rudy Fernandez, DeShawn Stevenson, Peja Stojakovic (retired)

Key Additions:  Lamar Odom, Vince Carter, Delonte West, Andy Rautins, Brandon Wright, Brian Cardinal (resigned)

Main RotationStarters – Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Brendan Haywood; Key Reserves – Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, Delonte West, Rodrigue Beaubois, Brandon Wright, Brian Cardinal, Ian Mahinmi

The defending NBA Champions felt a huge blow this offseason as they’re defensive presence, Tyson Chandler, decided to sign with the New York Knicks.  Dallas would not have won the championship without Chandler.  He was the one that put this team over the top.  In addition, the Mavs also lost fan favorite J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson, and Peja Stojakovic.  Barea was Dallas’ best player at breaking down the defenses.  The Mavs lost a lot in terms of defense but in regards to offense they are much improved with additions of Lamar Odom, Vince Carter, and Delonte West.  Odom will not be that enforcer that Chandler was though but if he can bring the sixth man attitude he played with in L.A., then Dallas should be just fine.  He’s still a near 7 footer, who overall, is more skilled than Chandler.  Vince Carter and Delonte West are solid replacements as well, especially West who is a bigger, stronger back up point than Barea was.

Continue reading Upcoming 2011-12 NBA Preview: Southwest Division

Upcoming 2011-12 NBA Preview – Pacific Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE – PACIFIC

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Last Season 57-25, Division Champions, 2nd Overall in West, Lost to Dallas in Western Conf Semis

Key Losses Shannon Brown, Lamar Odom, Phil Jackson (head coach)

Key AdditionsJason Kapono, Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, Darius Morris (draft), Andrew Goudelock (draft), Mike Brown (head coach)

Main RotationStarters – Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum; Key Reserves – Steve Blake, Jason Kapono, Matt Barnes, Josh McRoberts, Luke Walton, Troy Murphy

How are the Lakers going to react to losing two key components to their championship runs as well as the voided trade that could’ve landed Kobe’s first ever all-star point guard Chris Paul?  Gone are Phil Jackson who retired and Lamar Odom who was traded to Dallas.  Roll out the red carpet for their replacements – new head coach Mike Brown and Josh McRoberts…or wait.. is it Troy Murphy.  Brown is an ok replacement but as far as Odom’s replacement…. wow, what a downgrade.  Odom’s versaility, size, and offense will be sorely missed by the Lakers.  Josh McRoberts wouldn’t have been that bad of a choice to fill in another bench spot but not like this.  He’s a serviceable big man but will not provide anywhere near the impact Odom brought.  For Troy Murphy, I can’t believe he’s still in the league.

Continue reading Upcoming 2011-12 NBA Preview – Pacific Division

#6 – Countdown to Christmas: SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT PART 2

Few, if any Christmas movies ever really exemplify the true spirit of the holiday. Too often we are inundated with commercial messages, and magical reindeer, and a complete and utter lack of brutal murders. Well, that’s not the case in Lee Harry‘s masterpiece Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2, which focused on what really matters at Christmas time – punishing the naughty.

In the first Silent Night Deadly Night, Billy grows up in an orphange and is a rather unhappy child, perhaps it’s cause Santa Claus (the real one I assume) shot his dad and raped and murdered his mom. Right in front of him. Yikes!  That must make sitting on Mall Santa’s lap an even more terrifying experience than normal. Anyhow, once Billy grows up, he decides that he too will dress like Santa and murder people who he deems to be ‘naughty’. It all seems justified to me…

In Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2, Billy’s younger brother Ricky decides to take up the mantle of ‘murderous Santa’.  This is particularly interesting since the murder of his parents, which is the event that inspired his brother to kill, he was far too young to remember. That means, since he credits the same event as his inspiration, the stories told to him as a kid must’ve been pretty explicit.

Ricky is so intense…

Now director Lee Harry made a pretty interesting choice here, he shot the 2nd movie using the mostly recycled footage from the first movie as Ricky has flashback after flashback to events he was not present for. Like Brody’s wife in the 4th Jaws movie. So after Ricky, who never says a word without furiously moving his eyebrows, tells us about all the stuff Billy did in the first movie, it’s time for him to flashback to some of his own kills. Amazingly, no matter how far back a story goes, Ricky never seems age. Anyhow, we hear about him killing a man with an umbrella and that’s where it all began.

Eventually Ricky stops with the flashbacks and starts getting in some fresh kills, and one in particular has become increasingly popular since the invent of YouTube…

So as you can see, the Internet really appreciates strong acting. The sheer power behind Ricky’s eyes on Garbage Day is unforgettable and for that reason, as well as the respect paid here to the first movie, I give SNDN2 a solid 5/5.

Upcoming 2011-12 NBA Preview: Northwest Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE – NORTHWEST

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Last Season55-27, Division Champions, 4th Overall in West, Lost to Dallas in West Conf Finals

Key LossesByron Mullens, Robert Vaden

Key AdditionsDaequan Cook, Lazar Hayward, Reggie Jackson (draft)

Main RotationStarters – Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefolosha, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins; Key Reserves – James Harden, Eric Maynor, Daequan Cook, Nick Collison, Nazr Mohammed, Nate Robinson

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Pulp Fiction in Chronological Order, Does It Really Make A Difference?

In 1994, Quentin Tarantino released a low-budget action pic, entitled Pulp Fiction. His second feature after Reservoir Dogs, this was the film that solidified Tarantino as the newest face of independent cinema. The most interesting part about it though, was besides including some of the best dialogue in a movie ever, as well as John Travolta’s career revitalizing role, the story is also told out-of-order. The movie is rather a series of connected vignettes as opposed to a linear story.

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Upcoming 2011-12 NBA Preview: Southeast Division

EASTERN CONFERENCE – SOUTHEAST

MIAMI HEAT

Last Season: 58-24,  Division Champions, 2nd Overall in East, Eastern Conference Champions,  Lost to Dallas in NBA Finals

Key Losses: Mike Bibby, Jamaal Magloire, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (retired)

Key Additions: Shane Battier, Eddy Curry, Mario Chalmers (resigned), Juwan Howard (resigned), James Jones (resigned), Norris Cole (draft)

Main Rotation: Starters – Mario Chalmers, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Joel Anthony; Key Reserves – Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, Eddie House, James Jones, Norris Cole, Juwan Howard

Continue reading Upcoming 2011-12 NBA Preview: Southeast Division