Life in the Mind of a Modest Genius

NBA Top 50 All-Time (31 & 30)

#31 - Alonzo Mourning
His being here definitely cements the idea I had formulated earlier.  I am now confident that certain individuals were either consciously or subconsciously put so close together by design.  In this case, Larry Johnson's inclusion reminded me that Zo couldn't be far behind.  There could be an argument that he should possibly be higher, but given the talent still ahead of him, he's listed right where he should be.

My earliest memory of Zo also goes back to his college days.  He came thru the Georgetown Hoya ranks back when they were feared throughout not only the Big East but also the country.  In more ways than one.  It wasn't enough that they could beat down opponents on both ends of the court.  They also had a penchant to get a little scrappy as far as resorting to throwing 'bows if they had to.  That's why it shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone that Zo was like that in the NBA also.

Zo was one of the last true big men to enter the NBA.  The next generation of young stars after him were all concerned with being able to play every spot on the floor no matter what size they were.  There was no appreciation for the beauty of a pure center.  That's what Zo brought to the game.  He was able to be an offensive force in the post as well as a defensive terror.  We saw it during his time with the Hornets and especially with the Heat where he was a 2-time Defensive Player of the year in 1999 and 2000.

It appeared as though Zo's career was going to come to somewhat of an early end when he retired in 2003 due to complications from his kidney disease.  However, a successful kidney transplant gave him a second life in the NBA.  His short stint with the New Jersey Nets was pretty uneventful, but when he signed with the Heat again in 2005, he was almost like the old Zo.  Even if his role was relegated to a reserve he was a much needed sparkplug and it was good to finally see him get that ring.

#30 - Dennis Rodman
This is the only spot on the list where you will see a role player showing up.  But what a role player he was.  Rodman took that term and practically reformed it into "specialist".  He was able to find his niche in the League and work the angle better than any player in the modern era.  He was practically living proof of the motto that defense wins championships.

Of course there were other players that specialized in being defensive stoppers.  I've already mentioned Artest and Bruce Bowen is also worth noting.  The difference is they were both a little more versatile.  Both of them were legitimate offensive weapons as well.  Rodman didn't worry so much about his offensive game because he wanted his defense to shine.  When he was on a Detroit Piston squad full with so many offensive threats, he had the luxury to do that.  It apparently paid off since it earned him the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in both 1990 and 1991.

Rodman found a way to compensate for being an offensive liability:  his rebounding.  He had a knack for knowing just where the ball would be once it came off the rim.  He may not have been able to create his own shot, but he could constantly get the boards for someone else to get theirs.  It helped him extend his stay in the NBA to constant contenders like the San Antonio Spurs and then eventually the Chicago Bulls.  It's also the reason why he holds the NBA record for  league rebounding leader seven consecutive years.

The older The Worm got, the more he decided to get further and further out there.  He was constantly trying to outdo himself with more outrageous stunts which caused teams to shy away from him.  Were it not for Jordan and Phil Jackson, Rodman's career may have ended even sooner since no other personalities had what it took to manage him.  However, Jordan needed Rodman just as much as Rodman needed him.  Okay...maybe not quite as much as Rodman needed him.  Mike surely would have gotten titles anyway with another player in Rdoman's spot.  But don't get it twisted...Rodman sure made it a little easier for Mike to get his.

Things to Be Grateful For

HP helpdesk

This may be a first for me out here.  Less than two weeks from being clowned as a Mr. Bungles recipient, these folks find themselves getting lauded for their customer service.  Quite the turnaround.  I can't help but wonder if they caught wind of my post and that's what inspired them to do a 180.  Yeah, right...

Anyway, late last week I received an e-mail from them asking me to call the helpdesk about an issue with my repair ticket.  I was already fearing and expecting the worst.  Although I didn't know how much worse it could possibly get.  I already knew I would lose everything on my hard drive.  How were they going to top that?

It turns out they wanted to inform me of the cosmetic issues I already knew the lappy had.  I just didn't mention them on the repair ticket because I assumed they wouldn't be covered.  They weren't.  The guy told me that I had a broken hinge (still don't know how that happened) a cracked top panel and a broken keyboard.  All of which I was fully aware of.  The lappy was over two years old.  It had a bit of wear and tear.  I just didn't know how much it would cost to get it fixed.  $330 was the tally.  I told him that was quite alright and to just fix the hard drive problem.  I could deal with the cosmetic issues as long as the lappy was working.

FedEx delivered the lappy this Monday.  I was already pretty geeked about finally having it back, but even moreso when I opened the box.  I pulled it out from the back and noticed the hinge had been replaced.  After I removed the protective styrofoam from the sides, I was able to see the inside.  It had an entire new keyboard and top panel.  It basically looked and felt like I had a brand new computer.  The only thing that made me realize they hadn't swapped it out was the HP sticker on the bottom still looked as worn as it did when I sent it in.

I seriously don't think it was a matter of them being benevolent.  What I really think happened was someone there jumped the gun and made a mistake.  While they had it in the shop fixing the hard drive, they probably got a little repair-happy and fixed the aforementioned items as well.  At some point in time, it dawned on them that they had probably done too much.  Maybe those items weren't covered by warranty?

The tech who did the repairs probably explained the situation to his supervisor.  Right about that time was probably when they sent me the e-mail.  They had me call, hoping I would tell them I would pay for it, as if it hadn't yet been completed.  When I said no, it's not like they were going to put the broken stuff back on there.  They were just giving me an early Christmas present.  That's perfectly fine with me.  I'll take it.  I'm sure someone most likely got reprimanded over the over-zealousness, but the end result was a new lappy for me so I'm good.

NBA Top 50 All-Time (33 & 32)

#33 - Chris Paul
One could argue that it was mighty bold to put this cat on the list when he's only been in the NBA for four years.  You'd be amazed at one can accomplish in that short timeframe.  Just ask LeBron.  Some guys just come into the League with a skill-set that was meant for them to excel at the professional level.  Paul was apparently one of them.  Plus, if you count this season that just started, he would now be on his fifth season.

Chris had been flying so low on the radar that I mistakenly thought he was a rookie during his 2007-2008 season.  That's when he had his coming out party in the Playoffs.  His play was critical to the Hornets getting a playoff spot for the first time since the '03-'04 season with a 56-26 record.  Once there, the Hornets nearly swept the Mavs, hammering them 4-1.  They even gave the Spurs a run for the money before they eventually fell to San Antonio.

What makes Paul so potent is he has the rare ability to be a scoring guard or a true point guard at the drop of a dime.  Sure, the League has seem them before and even has them now.  However, few of them do it with the style and accuracy that Paul does.  To top it all off, he's a dangerous defender as well.  THAT is what sets him apart is his tremendous ability to provide three of the biggest things a team needs on the court at the same time: scoring, defense and assisting.

The great thing about CP3 (besides the nickname, that is.  Being both a "Star Wars" geek AND basketball fan, that nickname was brilliant) is his age.  He's still young and has plenty of years ahead of him to get even better.  That's good news for those of us who miss the days of point guards dictating the pace of the game.  That's scary news for every opponent he'll go up against.

#32 - Larry Johnson
Speaking of nicknames, it took me a minute to really get into Larry's.  I always thought that "Grandmama" was not very fitting for someone of his caliber.  It didn't even matter that it came about because of the Converse commercial featuring him.  Larrywas just such a versatile force that he deserved something much better.

I had been following LJ since his days at UNLV where he was part of the best college team EVER.  That 1991 squad with him, Stacy Augmon and Greg Anthony to mention a few was incredible to watch.  I still get ticked off remembering how the refs hosed them in that Final Four game against Duke.  But I knew then that the three of them would do big things at the next level.  As fate would have it, it was really only Larry who blew up.

Once Larry got to the Charlotte Hornets, he became part of a squad that gave new hope to the fledgling franchise.  Along with Alonzo Mourning and Mugsy Bogues (another little man representing) they had the makings of a team of the future. All they had to do was was find a way to get along, but the friction between Zo and Johnson ultimately lead to Larry getting dealt to the Knicks.  It may have been a blessing in disguise though as it resulted in Larry having even more productive years in New York.

LJ soon started having back problems which limited his explosiveness.  It was quite a devastating blow for someone who graced the inaugural issue of SLAM! magazine.  However, he was able to expand his game and become just as dangerous on the perimeter.  Although the 1999 Finals would be as close as he would ever get to a title, at least he made a name for himself.  It's a shame that a certain other Larry Johnson couldn't have done the same in a more positive way.

Throwback Thursday

Sesame Street

It turns 40 this week.  Of course I had to pay homage to it for this week's throwback with that kind of accomplishment.  I decided to go with this clip that has always stayed with me.  There are STILL times to this day that this song runs thru my head whenever I see the letter "C" by itself...

Michael Jackson's This Is It

There are some movies that I go into having already given them a grade.  It's really up to the movie from that point as to how that grade can be altered.  If I've already pre-determined it's going to get a high mark, that movie holds its own fate.  If I've already determined I probably won't like it, it has some work to do.  It may not be fair, but it is what it is.  Real talk.  "This is It" was one of those where an "A" was already in its future.  I mean, come on...it's Michael Jackson.

"Michael Jackson's This Is It" offers fans worldwide a rare, behind-the scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place this summer in London's O2 Arena.  It features Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show complete with the dancers, musicians, singers and in some cases even the costumes and corresponding special effects.

I had heard some knocks early on that it wasn't a true documentary and folks were disappointed that it didn't provide any interviews with Mike.  I look at it differently.  It wasn't intended to be a documentary.  Mike had already done a concert movie back in the day.  The one that came on HBO.  So now we get the chance to see what goes into the making of such a production.  Some of it very polished and some still rough, but that's what makes it all the better to watch.

It would have been nice to see Mike update his dance repertoire just a little bit.  There were moments where he looked like he was going to integrate a more recent move or two, but it was fleeting.  That leads me to believe that maybe he was saving more of the flash for the actual show.  You get that feeling throughout much of the film.  Having said that, it was still pleasingly surreal to watch him perform his classic moves. 

What really stood out in this movie is how Mike STILL had the pipes.  There a couple of times when he sings a capella and you can't help but be amazed that he sounds just as vocally sound as he ever did in his prime.  Probably even better.  Most notably at the end of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" where he and back-up singer Judith Hill playfully exchange riffs.  It will give you chills listening to how effective Mike was.  He wanted to hold back to conserve his voice for the concert, but he got caught up in the moment.  We ended up reaping the benefit.

The best part of the film was the new intros they had filmed for "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller".  Especially the "Smooth Criminal" one.  That one was FONKY!  You can tell it was going to be amazing how they would have seamlessly integrated the mini-movie with the live concert.  Furthermore, it leads me to believe that the bigger vision was to eventually have footage from the live concert and even rehearsals be turned into a theatrical release concert movie.  That would have been the one thing missing from MJ's resume.  It's really too bad that would never happen.

It's really difficult to criticize any of the moments of the film that may have been lacking.  Can you really talk about the fact that MJ didn't sing all of the lyrics to some of the songs as he did the dance moves?  Or how there were moments where the pace of the music didn't follow the vocals?  No, because that was the intent of the rehearsals in the first place: to flesh out those details and get it right for the final performance. 

"This Is It" is without question a must-see for any and all Michael Jackson fans.  It gives you a glimpse into the dedication, perseverance and determination that goes into one of his amazing shows.  We get a chance to see a perfectionist and a visionary construct yet another concert that would have given his fans their money's worth and then some.  At 50, MJ had more drive and passion than most of these fly-by-night MTV generation artists possess.  There was no exploitation here at all.  It was a fitting tribute worthy of its lofty rating.



My rating:  A

 

 

 

 

NBA Top 50 All-Time (35 & 34)

#35 - Steve Nash
Now that I look back on this list again, there is a very good possibility that some of the positions may have inspired nearby inclusions.  That would further explain why Nash is in such close proximity to Amar'e and why so many modern day Pistons were so close to one another.  It's nearly inevitable though because so many players owe part of their greatness to another player who helped them advance their game.  Several of them can say that about Nash.

Nash came into the NBA making very little impact as a 15th pick by the Phoenix Suns in 1996.  All that changed when he got with the Dallas Mavericks in '98.  Well not instantly.  It took a few years for everything to flow, but once it did, it was flowing like the Nile.  Nash was heading up one of the most potent offenses in the NBA.  By his third season he had made his first All-Star appearance and the following season, he helped the Mavs get to the Western Conference Finals.  He basically ended up playing his way right out of Dallas.  Mark Cuban couldn't afford all of the stars he had on that squad so Nash was the one he let go.  All that did was fuel Nash's fire.

It didn't take as long for Steve to heat up with Phoenix as it did when he was with Dallas.  He had honed his game to the point where carving up defenses was second nature to him.  He could get passes thru the most narrow windows with effortless ease.  He continued to be the prototype point guard while the Phoenix Suns became the favored team in the West.  Were it not for one bogus call in the 2005 San Antonio series, it would have been the Suns holding up that Championship trophy instead of the Spurs.

Ever since Phoenix got rid of Coach Mike D'Antoni, the Suns have been struggling to find their way.  It didn't help that they got rid of swingman Shawn Marion also.  However, Nash has continued to be a consistent thorn in defenses sides.  He continues to provide evidence of why he has two MVP awards to his credit.  If he ever learns to play defense, maybe he could add a NBA Championship trophy to his resume as well.

#34 - Clyde Drexler
He was a founding member of the renown Phi Slamma Jamma.  My earliest recollection of him was running the floor in a jheri curl with that famous Houston Cougars squad of the early 80s.  I wasn't enough into college ball then to know him by name, but I sure remember that jheri curl.  And I will never forget watching that NCAA Championship in 1983 where they lost due to Lorenzo Charles' last minute dunk.  That was just painful.

It seemed like it took Drexler a minute to be a force in the NBA.  He was drafted in 1983 by the Portland Trailblazers, but it wasn't until 1990 that he started seeing the fruits of his labor.  It was that year that he lead the Blazers to the Finals against the Detroit Pistons where Portland would have to settle for runners-up.  He helped them get there again in 1992, but that was just as Jordan was in the early stages of his Championship ascension.  You'll learn that several of the Top 50 players on this list had their Championship hopes shattered thanks to Mike.

In all actuality, Drexler was pretty much the Michael Jordan of the Eastern Conference.  He had the same type of skill playing the same position.  Clyde's slashing style was very similar and just as effective.  He could do his share of air-walking in his day as well, which is why he more than deserved the nickname "The Glide".  Unfortunately, the trait he didn't share with his Western counterpart was he just didn't have quite the same killer instinct.

Clyde knew his chances to get that elusive championship were slimming so he requested to be traded to a contender.  Surprisingly, Portland hooked him up.  He was reunited with former teammate Hakeem Olajuwon when Clyde was sent to the Houston Rockets in 1995.  It was just what Houston needed as it got Clyde his first and only Championship.  Of course, it happened during Jordan's NBA hiatus.  Minor details.  Clyde could finally add World Champion to his already impressive list of accomplishments and it couldn't have happened to a better person.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

This is the last holdover from my 31 Days of Horror Marathon that I attempted last month.  I won't be taking another hiatus from scary movies, but I will definitely be cutting down on the infrequency.  This one had come in the mail along with "The Funhouse" as the last two holdouts from last month's horror genre barrage.  I had to hurry up and watch it so I could get to the next two in my Netflix queue.

In "Something Wicked This Way Comes", two boys (Vidal Peterson and Shawn Carson) anxiously await the prospect of a carnival making an appearance in their small town.  However, their excitement quickly transforms into fear when they discover that the mysterious carnival owner, Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce) has a devilish ability to grant wishes and uses it to his advantage.  When he realizes that the boys have discovered his secret, he sets about tracking them down, along with the creepy Dust Witch (Pam Grier).

I will admit that I almost returned this one before even opening it.  I had been discouraged as of late with my recent viewings of 80s fare that I had previously overlooked.  I feared this one would fall into that same category.  However, I was pleasantly surprised when I popped it in and discovered "Something Wicked This Way Comes" was a period piece.  It was made in the 80s, but it was set in the 1930s.  That was something I probably would have known beforehand had I been more familiar with Ray Bradbury's work since it was based on his story.

This movie hooks you right from the beginning.  It has some amazing cinematography that captures the gorgeous fall colors of a rural countryside as they take you into the small town setting.  There is whimsical music playing along while corresponding narration clearly give indications that this was inspired by a novel.  You wouldn't even think this was intended to be a scary flick from the way they opened those first several minutes.  I had to keep checking because I thought for certain I had received the wrong dvd.

As I'm sitting there watching Pryce play this subdued evil manipulator, I was trying to determine where I remembered him from.  At first I thought it was Robin Colcord(Roger Rees) from "Cheers" fame.  Then I surmised just because he had an English accent and a thin face didn't mean it was him.  It turns out it was actually Jack from "Jumpin' Jack Flash".  Good thing he had this movie to his credit so you can't hold the awfulness that was "Jumpin' Jack Flash" against him.

The special effects they attempted were pretty awful whenever they tried to display some type of magic spell, powers or whatnot.  Then again, most of the 80s movies had that problem.  They just didn't have the technology to do what they were truly envisioning.  I won't hold that against "Something Wicked" because the aftermath of what the special effects were supposed to be providing still made for a good story.

This one ended up being the perfect film to wind down a horror marathon.  "Something Wicked This Way Comes" plays like more of one of those campfire stories that's told just to give a creepy feeling.  Something to entertain while still trying to serve as an admonition to young kids that you need to be careful what you wish for.  They didn't need the typical mass-murdering and/or gore to relay that type of story.  Definitely not scary by today's standards, or even for its era, but a decently put together film nonetheless.


My rating:  B

Hump Day Humor

Thanks to E for providing this one.  Funny thing is G was just asking other day about the possibility of dinosaurs existing during Biblical times.  Now we finally have the answer...

NBA Top 50 All-Time (37 & 36)

#37 - Amar'e Stoudamire
By the time the 2002 NBA Draft rolled around, the League had learned its lessons about taking kids straight out of high school.  Well not entirely.  They hadn't yet instituted the age requirement that would ensure it wouldn't happen again.  However, enough teams had seen so many projects either take too long to develop and/or not pan out that they weren't so quick to make the same mistake again.  That's why Amar'e ended up being the only high school player selected in the first round that year.

I couldn't have picked Amar'e out of a line-up at the time if you paid me.  I dare anybody to admit they could.  Even with the internet around, it wasn't like he was getting talked about like KG was back in the day.  Who was this 6'11" kid who was making the jump with no media hype?  It took no time at all before we all became fully aware of exactly who he was as he ran away with the Rookie of the Year Award.

The man was a beast on the inside from the get go.  He displayed the power and athleticism in the post that hadn't been seen since the days of a young Shaq.  The problem for defenders was he was freakishly agile for his size.  That really started being advantageous once the Suns got rid of Marbury and picked up Steve Nash.  That's when Stoudamire started showing out and dominating the paint on a regular basis.  It turns out all he needed was a true point guard to help bring out his potential.

Amar'e started running into knee problems in the '05-'06 season when they discovered knee cartilage damage.  It's still too early to tell if it was a real issue that would seriously hamper the rest of his career.  It certainly did for a couple of years.  However, he's been beating the odds since he came into the NBA so I wouldn't be surprised if he kept it up.  It's just a matter of time before he becomes the integral component of a Championship team.

#36 - Chauncey Billups
I can still remember when this cat got drafted #3 by the Boston Celtics in 1997.  Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with his play that caused me to remember it.  It was that Rick Pitino was the new coach of the Celtics trying to make a name for himself and I was trying to figure out why he took Billups.  My sleeping behind didn't even realize how talented Billups was and he played right in the Big 8 (now Big 12) against my Iowa State Cylones. 

Pitino may have had an eye for talent, but he sure didn't have a knack for coaching at the professional level.  He couldn't turn the Celtics around even with Billups and it was making Billups almost look like a bust.  He didn't even get all the way thru the season before he was traded to the Toronto Raptors.  From there, he bounced around until he finally landed in Detroit in 2002 where things would finally start to come together for him.

It's funny how that Pistons squad had so many components that make up folks on this list.  They were all complementing other so well that they pushed each other to elevate their game.  None moreso than their floor general.  It was in Detroit where he more than earned the nickname "Mr. Big Shot".  All throughout the 2004 Playoffs, he continued to come thru in the clutch always when the Pistons needed a big play.  It was no wonder he was the NBA Finals MVP.  That in itself was no easy accomplishment on a team full of All-Stars.

Chauncy seemed to have finally found a home in Detroit as he spent the next six season there.  But the NBA is a business and nothing lasts forever.  GM Joe Dumars felt another overhaul was necessary so Chauncey was shipped to the Nuggets in exchange for Iverson.  It took Mr. Big Shot no time at all to propel that Nuggets squad to a franchise record wins.  Oh...and he helped them back to the NBA Conference Finals for the first time since 1985.  All he does is make teams better whever he goes.  If Denver isn't his last stop, at some point down the road, the Hall of Fame will be. 

Must See DVD - "Arthur"

Well we're finally out of the Halloween season.  Almost.  I'm sure you can still go into your big box store of choice and find costumes and/or Halloween candy on sale for at least 50% off for probably another week.  But as far as movies go, it's time for a shift.  I figured I would get as far away from that genre as possible with this week's pick.  What better way to do that than with a classic featuring the late Dudley Moore?

I thought for a minute that I may have inexplicably left off any mention of any of his movies in all the time I've been running this joint.  Then I remembered I wisely highlighted "Wholly Moses" earlier.  "Arthur" and "Wholly Moses" were released within a year of one another which made 1980 and 1981 extremely good years for comedies.

Nowadays, the politically correct mafia would rip apart a film like "Arthur".  Arthur Bach (Moore) was very notably an unapologetic alcoholic.  There were scenes of him driving drunk and even firing a gun while drunk (or was that in "Arthur 2"?) just to mention just a few moments of irresponsibility.  Basically, it was almost heralding these actions as being permissible as long as one can do it with humor.  You can probably thank Moore for that because he played the part extremely well.

I have yet to see any comedian who can pull off a funny drunk as great as Moore did.  The combination of his accent, his diminutive stature and his razor sharp wit created one of the most memorable characters in all of comedy film history.  You almost had to watch this a few times to catch all the jokes.  Either you were laughing so hard that you may have missed one or his quick one-liners may have ran right into the next.

There was one scene that always stuck with me because of how I could relate to it.  It's at the beginning when he's in the car with a "lady of the evening" and he just abruptly busts out laughing.  It wasn't because of something he said or something he did.  He just happened to remember something funny at that moment and it made him laugh.  I've done that!  As a matter of fact, everyone with any type of sense of humor has done that.  Ever since seeing that movie, whenever it happens to me I think of "Arthur".

What really works for the film though is Moore effortlessly makes Arthur  extremely likable.  He genuinely cares about people regardless of their background.  You can tell that he uses the alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with the pressures of having to maintain his own social status.  It will often make his interactions with everyone that much more amusing to himself and his company; however, he has such a charming personality that he seems like he'd be entertaining to be around whether he was intoxicated or sober.

The supporting cast here is also pretty magnificent.  I've never been a Liza Minelli fan, but I will give her props for being a good fit as the downtrodden waitress Arthur falls in love with.  Although she tried her best to keep up with Moore on the humor front, it was no easy feat.  The one person who did nearly succeed at that is Sir John Gielgud as Arthur's butler, Hobson.  His straight-laced delivery was the perfect foil for Moore's zany antics. 

Everything to the music (who can forget Christopher Cross's "Arthur Theme"?), to the lead, to the supporting actors to the writing that brought it all together.  There was just to much that cemented "Arthur" as one of the greatest comedies to ever come out of the 80s.  Over two decades later and there are still few films out there that can parallel its greatness.