Did I Not Mention...?

A while back, I changed the name of my blog to avoid any potential trademark issues. So, I was here, then at NBAontheBrain.com, and now you can find me at HoopsontheBrain.com. Come see me!

Go to www.NBAontheBrain.com

Beginning October 27, 2009, NBA on the Brain and the all-new NBA Dramatique for 2009-2010 can be found at a new location:

www.NBAontheBrain.com


You should go there.  Visit, read, bookmark, tell all your friends.

www.NBAontheBrain.com


It's going to be great.

www.NBAontheBrain.com

Raise a Glass

Ahh, drunk girls.  They're awesome.  Honestly, those chicks have little to do with my post.  I put them up because, well, because they look good and they're drinking, but also because I'm restricting my posting from this point forward.  I have decided that I am no longer going to blog about my personal life, or how busy I've been at work, or anything like that.  Unless they clearly affect the outcome of a game, I will probably not be writing about drunk cheerleaders failing to recognize the dangers of digital photography.  So, cheers.

I was a sporadic poster, and most of the audience that NBA on the Brain developed last season vanished. Because of that and because I wanted to take on a bigger challenge with potentially greater rewards, this is the (next-to-)last post on NBAontheBrain.Blogspot.com.

Like the Jeffersons, though, I'm moving on up.

Beginning Tuesday, NBA on the Brain and the all-new, start-from-scratch NBA Dramatique will appear on a site of my very own.

I am dedicating as much time as I can to learning basic web design.  Although it will be rudimentary and perhaps laughably amateurish, my new site will be mine, from top to bottom.  I intend to keep it ad-free for the foreseeable future, but there will likely be changes to the design and functionality made on the fly.  Just bear with me as the year goes on.

The blogspot account has been fun and educational.  I sincerely thank every one who visited and read, and I've appreciated your comments, even when they disagreed or disparaged.

I would like to send a very heartfelt thank you to Henry Abbott, who mentioned my blog once in a TrueHoop post, and gave me a significant boost in readership.  I'd also like to thank Rob Mahoney of the Two Man Game and BJ at Basketball for Beginners for early and honest support.

Thank you to my family and friends for your words of encouragement and praise.  It means far more to me than you might think.

Most of all, I want to thank my then-girlfriend-now-wife, Shylah.  Shylah will be giving me a very important assist at the new site by creating images to go along with the Dramatique story.  Here, though, she made serious progress getting this blog noticed and getting people that only barely knew me to visit.  Even more importantly, she has disregarded her own lack of interest in the NBA so that I could spend our time and  money on League Pass and game tickets.  She has sat in stoic boredom while I lived for hours in front of the television and the computer just so I could indulge my interest in a game and the mythology that I find within it.  Since I've decided that my personal life is no longer material for future blogging, I'll use this last chance to thank my partner and best friend, Shylah, for her endless understanding, friendship, love, and support.  You really are the best, babe.

Also I'm going to post one more gratuitous photo of girl-flesh.  See ya at the new joint.

Sunday's Open Practice

Yesterday, the family and I attended the Spurs' open practice/scrimmage with about 7600 other people. The team looked really, really great. Admittedly, most teams will when you're only seven rows away from them - we were actually closer to the action than Coach Pop and Coach Newman. I think Spurs fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming season.

Knowing that it was a practice, and that it was public, and that the dynamics of a team scrimmage are far different than the dynamics of an actual NBA game, I'm aware that little can be assessed from what I saw. I will say that all of the new additions look promising. The returning youngsters are showing growth. The vets seem ready. October 28th can't come soon enough.

From my view behind one of the baskets, a few players made an impression on me.

First, DeJuan Blair came to play. He is going to make a lot of GMs regret their draft-night decision to let him slip to the second round. He's aggressive on offense and defense, and I imagine that will intensify as he plays against teams that had the chance to pick him up, but passed.

Second, McDyess and Ratliff both looked like solid contributors. McDyess played scrappy below the basket and I know he'll bring some tough to the team. I only worry about the tolerance the refs have for the combined incredulous expressions that McDyess and Tim Duncan will be flashing over foul calls.

Third, George Hill was a personal favorite of mine last season, and his play on Sunday indicated that he'll remain near the top of my list. He's fast. He can score. I thought he had some brilliant moments last season, and he's getting even better. George is likely to extend the career of Tony Parker by carrying a good portion of the PG weight.

Last but not least, Ginobili and Jefferson. I put them together because they will probably be sharing a position over the bulk of their minutes. Jefferson is going to bolster the Spurs' point total every game, taking a lot of pressure off of the big three. He went on a run late in the scrimmage that definitely spoke to the value of his signing. Ginobili - it's just great to see Manu on the court again. The guy is deadly. Timothy Varner at 48 Minutes of Hell posted about the scrimmage yesterday, and his post included this bullet on Ginobili:

"Adjusted Plus/Minus expert Steve Ilardi surprised me a few weeks back. According to Ilardi’s 6 year defensive APM averages, Manu Ginobili is the third best perimeter defender in the league. He trails only Ron Artest and Shane Battier in that department. Striking, right? Well Manu Ginobili looked every bit the offensive and defensive stud during today’s scrimmage. When he’s healthy, only Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade are better options at shooting guard. Look out, league!"

Spurs fans have known the genius of Ginobili for years. Kobe recognizes. Barkley and Walton recognize. He's only the second pro basketball player ever to win the NBA title, the Euroleague title, and a gold medal. I would love to see NBA fandom sing the praises of Ginobili this year, and I would love for him to make it impossible for them not to.

The team is formidable, and I'm excited to see how rotations and line-ups evolve over the first part of the season. The Spurs have young talent that needs time on the court to develop into tomorrow's team, and they have experienced contributors ready to win now. I don't know how Popovich is going to distribute the mix. I do know that the roster cuts that have to take place before the end of the month will probably be very difficult for the head-honchos. Everyone has something to offer.

News, soon.

It's training camp time for me, too!

I'll be back soon to tell you about the past, the future, and other good things.

Dead!

Good thing those Spurs are done. They won't be a threat anymore. Their dynasty is over. Just walk away from the body. Take a breather. Relax. Heck, jump in the shower. You're safe now.

No More Finger Wags

I've only been watching this game for a few years, but twice already I've witnessed extremely disheartening occurrences. I was watching live when the career of Alonzo Mourning ended with a blown knee under the basket, and I was watching last night when the career of Dikembe Mutombo ended in a similar manner.

As professional athletes, there is an understanding that you are putting your career on the line every time you clock in. Your body let's you do the amazing things that you do, but by doing them, you could cause harm that will reduce or remove that very ability. It's a risky way to make a living. Knowing that these men acknowledge and accept that risk does not make it any less tragic when the gamble goes in the wrong direction. Mutombo was playing the game at an age that most guys have already stopped. He wasn't doing it because he wanted more money and he wasn't doing it because he felt that his career was somehow incomplete in achievement. He was playing because he loved the game. He was playing because that's who he was.

Like Mourning, Mutombo has used the money he's earned to help many people less fortunate than himself, and I have no doubt that he will continue to do so with even greater dedication now. In the grand scheme of things, that part of his life will have more positive impact on the world than smacking a ball and shaking his finger in denial ever could.

But we'll all miss that finger wag.