NBA team previews Southwest Division

Wow the southwest. I think this is the deepest and by far the fiercest battle ground in the NBA. You look at the five teams and these are tough, tough teams. Now I'll try again to impart what positives and negatives I see in these teams. Shall we?

The Houston Rockets

2012-13 Record: 45-37
Key Additions: Marcus Camby and Dwight Howard
Key Losses: Carlos Delfino

Houston's wheeling and dealing that started 2 years ago finally paid off. The haggling for Harden? That hit the jackpot. It's the one that actually enticed Dwight to come (of course some of Chandler Parsons "friendly prodding" did help).

Houston created the almost perfect atmosphere to land Dwight Howard. in one hand an "In-his-prime" All-Star caliber player in James Harden, 2nd the familial atmosphere that the jovial giant missed (Kobe and the Lakers gave him the hard line do your job thing in LA and the fans just didn't gave the guy a chance), 3rd a solid cast around him to actually be able to contend and lastly coaches that can literally look Dwight and the eye and say we know your position very well.

Houston grabbed the biggest free agent this summer and thus allowing themselves a window of four years to do something about it. I don't think the Rockets are a finished product but they have heavily upgraded just by adding Howard up front.

The Dallas Mavericks

2012-13 Record: 41-41
Key Additions: DeJuan Blair, Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Wayne Ellington, Monta Ellis and Devin Harris
Key Losses: Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo

Losers for the second big free agency since breaking up their championship team, the Mavericks actually got intriguing pieces this summer.

The big target was Dwight Howard, they bombed. Dwight didn't even blink at them, Houston was the only Dwight ever looked, the only Texan team he ever looked. Chris Paul said no team need to bother him anymore.

Gone is prolific center Kaman and Dallas get offensively deficient, Samuel Dalembert. They also got undersized Dajuan Blair. Blair is actually the better of the 2 but at 6-8, 6-9 he's just too puny for the center position. Maybe a replacement for Elton Brand? That's just doing a downgrade. I mean Blair is young but can he get better with Rick Carlisle on the sidelines?

They also got Monta Ellis, a more high profile player who is actually is almost an OJ Mayo prototype so you're actually ridding yourself this lower paid player and getting a more luxurious one for the same type of game. Doesn't make sense.

The only real steal Dallas got is Jose Calderon, since losing Jason Kidd to New York Dallas sort of lost a quality point guard who could run an offense properly. For all the talk of him when he was a Hornet (now the Pelicans) seem to have left him as soon as he was shipped to Indiana. With Calderon they got a very good point guard almost in the same caliber of Jason Kidd (in his dog years) at least they got someone to help.

I am thinking for these Mavs to fly, they need more Dirk Nowitzki doing his thing and keeping him healthy all season is a must.

The Memphis Grizzlies

2012-13 Record: 56-26
Key Additions: Kosta Koufos and Mike Miller
Key Losses: Darrell Arthur

Runner-ups in the WCF, the Grizzlies actually did little to shake their roster up, but the big thing that they did let go is not a player but their coach Lionel Hollins. Easily their most successful coach to date with a record of 196-155 win-loss regular season slate, Hollins saw these young lads steady rise to Western Conference power.

While not taking anything away from new coach David Joerger, it is interesting to see how the Grizzlies react to a more analytical kind of coaching. Personally I believe the game is about instincts and breaks that you exploit as the games go on and what makes the game this exciting. It is interesting to watch if indeed this kind of new NBA thing will work just fine for the franchise or just make it worse.

The New Orleans Pelicans (formerly the Hornets)


012-13 Record: 27-55
Key Additions: Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday and Greg Stiemsma
Key Losses: Robin Lopez and Greivis Vasquez

New Orleans team decided to rename their franchise to something more endemic to their landscape and chose the Pelicans as their new franchise name.

To kick start the freshness the Pelicans acquired 2 important guards to their roster, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday. These 2 guys are insurance in case Eric Gordon doesn't find his groove still as a member of the Pelicans. It also makes Gordon happy, both because of playing with former AAU friends and actually being surrounded by talent. Personally I think the Pelicans did a smart job with their roster keeping them young yet adding valuable athletic pieces to work on with Anthony Davis, last year's top Rook.

And based on their preseason games even if it don't mean a thing? Their coming and the NBA be better ready, and under coach Monty Williams watch they will be better definitely.

The San Antonio Spurs

2012-13 Record: 58-24
Key Additions: Marco Belinelli and Deshaun Thomas
Key Losses: Gary Neal

Fresh from losing a heart breaking NBA finals, The key moves for the San Antonio Spurs weren't additions or losses. Instead, they involved re-signing crucial players (Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter).

After that nada, they have no more money to pay Neal to stay so they got bargain Marco Belinelli who the thrifty (just being kind here) Bulls let go. Marco fits in perfectly with the Spurs by playing system defense and draining corner three-pointers.

The additional year for Tim Duncan and crew does not spell good for the Spurs, always their main concern and father time continues to creep in into this amazingly defiant Spurs I don't know how much time is still left though before it closes it's doors for the old guys of this team.

Well this is all for now, 'til next time continue reading. :)

NBA team previews Central Division

The NBA season is nearing and for me I get to try my crummy analysis on how teams will eventually pan out with their new addition against their losses in the off-season and I'd like to start out with the division closest to my heart since it has my favorite team the Chicago Bulls, the Central Division.

The Chicago Bulls

2012-13 Record: 45-37
Key Additions: Mike Dunleav, Tony Snell, Erik Murphy
Key Losses: Marco Belinelli, Richard Hamilton and Nate Robinson

Bulls didn't exactly do a lot in the off-season, after getting Mike Dunleavy and adding a couple of rookies in the draft the Bulls have become dormant.

Except for the drama on the downfall of contract negotiations with soon to be free agent Luol Deng there wasn't any news about Chicago. Or is there? Wait Derrick Rose is back! And because he is the Bulls jump back into championship contention. With the core of Noah, Boozer, Deng, Butler, Hinrich and Rose the Bulls are set to contend.

The Bulls lost good players in the off-season but they got back their MVP who has shown in the pre-season he still got it. My concern for Rose though is he seem too eager to slug it out when it's only the preseason where games don't really matter. Whoah, settle down boy it's a long season and you'll get your chance.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

2012-13 Record: 24-58
Key Additions: Anthony Bennett, Andrew Bynum, Earl Clark, Jarrett Jack and Sergey Karasev
Key Losses: Marreese Speights

With Kyrie emerging as one of the best PG's in the league the Cavs are knocking on the door for a return to the play-offs since LeBron James left Ohio.

Dan Gilbert did a lot of spending in the off-season building around it's talented young point guard, and with a stroke of luck managed to get another #1 overall pick and used it for... Anthony Bennett? While the guy has his qualifications as number 1 many questions were raised after he was taken. He's still recuperating from a previous injury sustained in college and is having a slow transition in the pro's. While he may take time to recuperate one intriguing addition is Andrew Bynum.

Bynum before the injury filled year in Philadelphia was regarded the most polished offensive center in the league. Because of his body and great footwork Bynum was an All-Star before he got traded to the 76ers in an uneventful year where the public saw him sit out the whole season. A healthy Andrew Bynum elevates these Cavs to serious play-off contention, make no mistake about it. While Kyrie Irving is the star of this Cavs, Bynum could be make or brake for them, he's just a big part of the puzzle for the Cavs right now.

PS. They got Mike Brown back as their coach.

The Detroit Pistons

2012-13 Record: 29-53
Key Additions: Chauncey Billups, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith
Key Losses: Jose Calderon and Brandon Knight

The Pistons brought back a piece of nostalgia when they got Chauncey back at the helm, as for the other additions? Well let's say I just can't figure out what Joe Dumars wants to do with his team.

Pistons are a young team and yes they want to be fast, but giving the ball to Jennings to do the job? Doesn't cut it. Brandon is a shot jocker in the very sense of the word, he is looking for his shot and although Dumars might be hoping Chauncey might share some valuable knowledge for Brandon I think what's natural would still come out. And that's not  even talking about Josh Smith who'd rather chuck his shots from the outside than use his amazing athleticism to squeeze into the hoop for easy hoops.

Drummond and Greg Monroe still needs polishing but if they figure each other out and things pan out well for the Pistons this is a dangerous team no doubt about it.

PS. Mo Cheeks is now running the show in Detroit

 The Indiana Pacers

2012-13 Record: 49-32
Key Additions: Chris Copeland, Solomon Hill, Luis Scola and C.J. Watson
Key Losses: Tyler Hansbrough and D.J. Augustin

Fresh from being a win away from getting bcak into the NBA Finals, the Pacers barge into the season full of hope and expectations.

Larry Bird returned as President of basketball operations and his first order of business is finalize an agreement with Paul George as the new face of the franchise handing him with a multi-year contract extension and almost handing him the key to the Pacers franchise.

Indiana revamped it's roster in the off-season. If the question for Indiana is continuation as soon as they get to the bench, the Pacers management responded by seeking trusted veterans throughout the league who can sustain their momentum as games progressed. The casualties include my personal favorite Tyler Hansbrough who was shifted to Toronto, a move that devastated him personally, The Pacers got better though on paper.

Indiana needs to work on its chemistry now because it's evident in the off-season that they were on and off and weren't that aware of each other in the early goings. Especially against Chicago where Derrick Rose blitzed them out in a lot of play, rusty and all.

The Milwaukee Bucks

Key Additions: Caron Butler, Carlos Delfino, Brandon Knight, O.J. Mayo, Zaza Pachulia and Luke Ridnour, Gary Neal
Key Losses: Samuel Dalembert, Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings and J.J. Redick

I have actually read a lot of blogs questioning what the Bucks were doing with their roster. Me personally, liked who they were bringing against who they lost? Bucks got more talented, got better and more consistent that what they had last year.

Ridnour is a consistent PG and could mesh well with Mayo or anybody in the backcourt because he's unselfish, and if I am not mistaken this is his second tour of duty in Milwaukee and that could bolster support from thei home crown since Luke was a fan favorite when they marched in the play-offs in 2010.

Plus they got even more scorers than last year limited to the shot jocking of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings team. They got Mayo now and Caron Butler and the sweet shooting Gary Neal fresh from the NBA finals this year. Bucks got better I don't know what the other bloggers are looking at.

PS. Former Atlanta coach Larry Drew packed his bags and relocated to Wisconsin state, home of the Bucks.

That's all for now, still have 5 more divisions to review, 'til then keep on reading guys.

"Gravity" didn't pan out as I wanted it to be

Warning: Some spoilers included.

It is a story of sacrifice.

It is a story of struggling to live.

But Gravity doesn't cut it for me as a movie.

Maybe it because of the pacing? Maybe the lack of other visuals? I don't really know. I must admit though that Sandra Bullock delivered an Oscar worthy performance. Although the chaos from exploding space satellites was spectacular, the drifting bores me.

The movie is a ground breaking of sorts exploring the nothingness of the great void up there, because although we have great movies like the Star Wars and Star Trek none of those 2 explored space like gravity did. The realities and complexities of living in space, the struggles our astronauts (or cosmonauts if you're Russian) had to go through.

I don't really know what's lacking but for me the movie don't give me the adrenaline rush I've experienced watching Star Trek last time out, maybe the lack of people bored me? Maybe the inefficiency of NASA in the movie doomed the story for me? I don't really know. One noticeable CGI scene that I saw was when Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock's character) was trying to yank her way inside the Russian space station. It was just awkward for a real human to do that. Although visually everything is almost what you would see in space, the accuracy is almost stunning.

But what I do recommend though is watch the movie in 3-D or I-Max for that matter to have the full movie experience.

Well that's all for now catch me again next time. Enjoy reading.

Some remaining Free Agents the Bulls can target

We all know now what happened to the Dwight lottery. He's coming to Houston (somehow it has been preempted these past days that he would). And that makes Houston an automatic championship caliber team. And pieces continue to fall for Howard and company, just today I learned they caught Omri Casspi and locked him for 2 years.

Dwight has an opt out option in 2016, and with the way Houston continues to build it's team around Dwight that's a scary 3 years.

As for my Chicago Bulls, new has been barren, I read somewhere that they are targeting Mo Williams but other than that news is still scarce.

Here are possible free agent signings that I think can fit the Bulls and boost them further into contention vs. the best of the East.

1. Andrei Kirilenko

The prospect of adding Andrei boost the chance for the Bulls. Andrei can play all 5 positions on the court and is great defensively further solidifying the Bulls main strength. His addition can mean having the luxury of moving Jimmy Butler to SG and having an insurance if any player fall to injury. I think of all the remaining free agents Andrei makes the most sense for the Bulls because he has all the qualities of a Bull. He might not come cheap though but he's a very nice compliment.



2. Mickael Pietrus

Knowing the Bulls are too afraid going atop the salary cap, Mickael is a very good addition the guy is a very good competitor, nice defense and spaces the floor for the Bulls, not to mention Mickael was only receiving, last season, a salary under 1 million dollars. If Forman has his wits in him I'd tab this guy out.



3. Antawn Jamison

Are you kidding me, this guys is a must have for any team that wants to go deep into contention only a bad coach will not value this guy (Mike D'Antoni it's you). He's a very good stretch 4 and plays some SF as well although his defense is a little suspect the Bulls can help him fill the gap (I need to remind you the Bulls still have Boozer). If there's a guy I hope the Bulls nab it's this guy, and he also can accept a cheap contract after accepting less than a million in LA.


4. Byron Mullens

Guy is a rarity among center, I mean a center who can space the floor for you, yeah he seldom plays defense but he grabs rebounds. I think if there is something Mike Dunlap did good for Charlotte is showing some potential for this guy. With the Bulls locking Nazr to another 1 year contract, I think offering Mullens to a center cheap contact of 3 million don't hurt. Imagine the space he'll create for Boozer and Rose down there. I think this guy should receive some consideration.

5. Tyler Hansbrough
I don't care what you say about this guy but I like his activity, he's a hard worker and if you love all the quality that is Joakim Noah you have to appreciate this guy, I think he's one of the guys Tom Thibodeau will love having on his bench.


I know there are far more big names remaining but I think the five I selected best fits the Bulls identity, I believe Coach Thibs wouln't mind if one or all these guys become available on his bench for next season.

Comments are all very welcome.

What the "F" are the Bulls doing?

I'm a Bulls fan.

Always have been since 1991 even through the dark days of the post championship era. It's really frustrating that the Bulls is taking too long to decide on deals that could make the team instant contenders after they swing a trade.

And the deals that matter were so little (although the Eddy Curry deal was the best to date in the Paxson-Forman era), Bulls got Tyson Chandler, Tyrus Thomas (for LaMarcus Aldridge a head scratcher), deal with Ben Wallace. The Bulls also let the Kobe Bryant trade rumor linger on in 2007-08 that it affected the players mentally thus missing the play-offs again at that time. It's frustrating generally. No bold moves. It's always piece by piece, little by little.

I really can't blame Coach Tom for fielding Rose,Noah and company a bit longer, with so little talent to choose from who can blame the man? I mean Miami have constructed their team that any number they call can produce for their team. A lot of these teams have that luxury, why not the Bulls? My Bulls?

Just this draft for instance Brooklyn let go of the trigger and got themselves a win now championship caliber team, No it's not a big 3 anymore, it's a big 5. While I still believe the Bulls are still competitive I wonder how long, the talent everywhere is growing while the Bulls have stayed foot.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce instantly brings championship pedigree to the upstart Brooklyn Nets their presence solidifies the Nets line-up even more, gone is Gerald Wallace on and off plays replaced by a steady Paul Pierce not to mention a huge upgrade with Garnett for Evans and Humphries. Bulls now find themselves battling these teams: Heat, Pacers, Nets and Knicks for East supremacy.

It's frustrating really knowing the Bulls have been dormant while these teams are adding talent by the day. Worst, we Bulls fans might someday wake up to see the team once more struggle just to make it to the second round.

Bulls had a huge opportunity before, some 2 years ago before Derrick injured his ACL and if the Bulls don't do anything even with the brilliance of their coach and their players the window might be closing and it's getting fast.

Wake Up Bulls!

Some Random NBA Thought (Part 2)

Doc Rivers finally gets traded to the Clippers. Hey what can I say the Clips finally get it done, Rivers brings in the championship pedigree of a coach and will demand respect from his players. All I'm saying is it's a win-win situation for both Doc and the Clippers. (I thought the premise was unprecedented but my research yielded Stan Van Gundy as the first coach to get traded, from Miami for a 2nd round pick and cash consideration).

Boston suffers in the trade though.

Now that they failed to package Garnett (or is it still brewing we'll see) Boston is stuck with it's 2 massive pay-check stars. Unless they could unload both  (Which doesn't make sense. Although rumors are swirling that Paul Pierce is being targeted by the Cavs for two 2nd round picks) the Celtics will be rebuilding at a much slower pace knowing that Garnett and Pierce value decreases by the minute (as they are not getting any younger).

This is the horror some predicted when the team decided to get in a "win now" mode. The pains of trying to unload your aging stars, and trying to build a winning team in a faster pace. I do hope Boston gets to resolve their problems soon. For a franchise as storied as the Celtics I always wish them well.

Some team finally hires Brian Shaw as head coach. For 2 seasons Brian Shaw was in a kind of limbo, for some who thought he would succeed Phil Jackson as coach, Brian tumbled upon the league in search of a new home. Last seen at the Pacers bench, Shaw was always at the top of teams searching for Head Coaches (After this play-offs coaches got fired and right now were still in the middle of a head coaching spree as there are still many teams in need of HC).

Polled who is the Top Assistant Coach in the league GMs voted Shaw by a wide margin so it was just a matter of time until somebody inks him to a deal.

Denver still licking its wound after letting current Coach of the Year George Karl, decided to take his name off the potential head coaching list. And in my opinion it's a nice fit. Nuggets known for it's depth and lack of superstar in the team can benefit greatly from the unpredictability of the triangle, having no superstar makes it even a more better fit for the team. Congrats on the hire!

Kobe Bryant says he'll play 3-4 years. Well he can if his body holds up, Don't take Kobe seriously on this one, he knows his body and if it starts to deteriorate he'll retire, In my opinion he is gauging the ceiling of how long he can still play. Let him feel himself coming off a torn Achilles. Don't judge this off the cover.

The NBA is still full of surprises, we haven't gotten into the draft yet there maybe a lot of movements in this draft (or another lame draft like last year) and Free Agency is just around the corner. Watch-out for that!

Winners rise, Losers fall (NBA Finals Game 7)

Heat are champions!

But not without a gallant stand from the Spurs who traded leads with the eventual champion Heat.

"They pushed us to the limit"

James would eventually admit after the game. He knew, and it made this championship even sweeter, coming off with a monster performance from him (a masterful punctuation mark to the transformation he had to do in order to win the series) where he scored 37 giant points, coming off baskets when they needed him to produce. It took all this effort from him to score their first back to back titles. The Spurs wouldn't give it to him that easily he had to earn everything and last night was a validation of a star. A kind of passing of torch, Them Spurs beating James and company 6 years ago and here right now on the same stage James has taken what he rightfully earned.
 

In defeat, Tim Duncan and the Spurs command respect. Nobody can ever question their desire to win it, only they fell short. The Spurs battled the whole game even cutting the lead to just two on a Kawhi Leonard 3-pointer.

The Spurs fell short, as Tim Duncan missed 2 shots that was his staple shots and Manu Ginobili making errors in the end game.

''For me, Game 7 is always going to haunt me,'' Duncan said.

 The Spurs have nothing to be shamed about, but as they lose comes a summer of reflections, what could have been, what could have been done, to come that close only to fall short. Nothing breaks a players heart much more a competitor's heart more than that. As the Heat savor their victory cigars, Tim Duncan walks down the tunnel head low, for the first time he lost a NBA Finals and it could be his last. The memory will haunt him he says, never has been those words so true.

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• Next week the NBA brings hope as the draft approaches, For Cleveland it'll be huge, another piece to build on and hopefully one that can get them back to play-off contention, one that will surely take LeBron's notice when the free agency of 2014 nears.
• The Clippers and the Celtics have yet to reach an agreement, the first of what could be a promising off-season we better watch this one as it unfolds or fold itself out of discussion.
• Jerry Sloan is back as Jazz Consultant! That's great news for me having been a fan of Coach Sloan's work, he's finally home.
• There are still plenty more coaching vacancies to fill this should keep NBA addicts occupied as we enter the off season, the free agency could also be a good one to watch out for.

There are plenty more of good reads to come, keep on reading 'til next time.

DeAndre Jordan to The Celtics should have been a no brainer!

I don't think it was worth it if the Celtics still asked for Bledsoe.

But when they dropped their asking price for 2 draft picks? Give me a break! It's a no brainer even if DeAndre Jordan has some upside (as he always have, reportedly, when they resigned him and kept him from Golden State's grasp way back 2011, although no development has shown 2 years after) and Kevin is slowly declining a one-is-to-one trade is already a win for LA's other team. Not to mention the right for a champion coach. I mean 2 draft picks isn't that pricy especially when you think that they would probably pick 20th overall or maybe later for that 2 drafts.

Garnett's value is not only when he's physically playing, but he will be a big presence in the locker room. He can pick up the slack when the guys are dozing off and relaxing. He will prepare the team mentally maybe even physically. Something he's done in Boston. And what about Doc Rivers? Doc is Doc and he's well regarded as a great coach.

Clippers still have a chance to do this right. One advice to them? Don't be stupid.

Extra: Scene from the NBA Finals

• As Dan Devine of Yahoo! Sports reports Heat fans dashed out of the exits even before the final score was settled. It's a very ill sight, but then again I guessed it's apt knowing these fans probably were nowhere to be found before 2010. The very example of fair weather fans. I'm glad they weren't allowed back after Ray Allen hit the game tying shot and the Heat eventually won.
• LeBron got another triple double but it would have been for naught because he had 2 late TO's. Thank heavens for Ray Allen.
• Bosh finally had 2 game changing plays in one game!
• There'll be another game 7 the first one we're having since 2010, David Stern must be all smiles.

Hey see you again on Thursday! Hit feedback for comments. :D

Manu is the true MVP of the Spurs!

There I said it so sue me.

It seems to me to have been true since 2005, Everytime Ginobili have a break out game the Spurs follows. It seems that their energy and passion flow through him. In this series (in fact the whole play-offs) Ginobili seem to have lost himself on the play. Averaging just 7.5 points on the series, questions lingered "Are you done?"

Even Ginobili himself seem to doubt himself when he declares he's open to retiring once the Finals is finished.

 ''Everything is a day-by-day basis, Once the season finishes and I see how I feel, I can't imagine me not playing at least one more year here, but time will tell. We'll see. Sometimes I do think about retirement, But then I say, 'No, no. I love what I do. I'm very lucky to be in a franchise like this. So I really can't picture myself being retired already."

''There's a small chance. It's not that I'm really considering, but I can never say 'no' for sure, because I sometimes consider it.''

In Game 5, Manu recaptured his game of old. Shooting 8-14 and finishing with 24 points and 10 assists Manu was Manu again. On the game's opening possession, he stepped back for a foot-on-the-line 23-foot jump shot. You knew he was on attack mode, maybe because of a sense of urgency that made him play this way, or maybe to quiet some doubters or maybe something to prove for himself that no I'm not yet done, maybe the move to the staring line-up helped. Whatever it is one thing is for certain The Spurs go where Manu leads them.

Extra: So much about LeBron James declaring "enough is enough". James did produce the numbers, but again the actual play doesn't speak for itself. Shooting 8-22 in the field, I don't think that is enough to win a basketball game. I don't like when players go declaring something and not backing it up (James already has his shares of boo boo declarations like the not one, not two crap). With their backs behind the wall, James needs to show his character as he said he wants to leave the game known as the greatest. This is the stage where you'll be judged LeBron and so far you are not getting any leverage.

Blame the Fuckin Aliens! (A Man of Steel Review)

Spoiler Alert: Some of the things that I will write here contains commentaries about the film, so if don't want to spoil your fun when you attempt to watch the movie do not and I repeat DO NOT proceed reading.

Having said that let's begin.

I like how the movie started, the retelling of how Superman came to be. I have to say I'm not really a big fan of the franchise but what the heck, any movie that have Nolan in it, well I might just enjoy watching it, So I don't have a big background on the superguy.

It's good when a movie starts with backgrounds with him so that new fans don't have to scratch their heads and say who's who and what's what. As in any Nolan movie (though here he's not director) there are flashbacks in the whole movie. A distraction (and I meant it a good way) from a chronological standpoint in which case you get bored without these interruptions.

The anti-hero is better this time compared to just Luthor (as it was in the previous film). He's more badass with powers too. So it's not puny as it was in the last movie.

I have to commend Russell Crowe's performance, making a believable guardian/father throughout his incarnations in the movie. Henry Cavill has rooms to grow for his part as Clark Kent, but my initial apprehensions with him playing Superman's human side was pushed away as the movie progresses. I saw that well he could make a believable case for himself as there are semblance between him and Tom Welling ( Smallville's teenage superman if you were never  fan of that series). I thought Amy Adams was so gorgeous in the movie, that she couldn't be just a reporter. Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent bravo!

I think the film kind of failed to emphasize Lawrence Fishburne's role more. Well he could be the publisher but he didn't have the kind of feel to emphasize that. He was empathetic in the film, something you'll surely not feel with a lot of bosses.

One of the refreshing thing in the movie is they established early on that Lois Lane know the true identity of Superman. It's kind of hard to reconcile that in the comic book you know that a simple reading glass can hide a person's identity specially when he's as widely follow as Superman. Which is still the thing in the movie, I mean except for the Kent's, Ms. Lane and maybe those who he has saved (the fat kid on the bus) why can't humans identify Superman from Clark Kent with the eye glass? (Big Question Mark)

Another issue for me is the tentacles, I feel that ever since the Kraken has  been relased we have multiple sightings of those kind of tentacles. (Pirates of the Caribbean has it, Clash of the Titans even, Michael Bay also inserted it in Transformers).

The film is visually sound the action is great also, but there are scenes in the movie that maybe devoid of human emotions. Which made me think yes THIS IS A VERY HARD MOVIE TO DIRECT. Because the hero and the antagonist are super there are hardly emotions released.

You know when somebody gets punched you know they can take it because they're super. You know that they'll hardly bulge even if they get hit by a truck, practically blew up buildings and practically endangered the whole world! (Thus the title for this entry!)

It's basically WWII in Asia in a nutshell, the Japanese invaded Caucasian controlled territories in Asia because they were Caucasian controlled. In the movie it was because of Kal-El that General Zod invaded the earth in the first place to seek out the son of Jor-El almost tearing out the planet to ashes.

Overall the movie is great, I just think that there could be more emphasis on emotions in the next movie, heightening it can make this movie into the next level. Also Kudos to Zach Snyder for not balking down on this challenge of a movie.

PS. If you keen on watching you might have noticed some promos thrown in on the movie, Nikon (They even show the model!), 7-11 and other big companies. You might have also noticed Luthor Corps on the background and Wayne Enterprises if I am not mistaken (on the satellite). Until next time!

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The Big Three comes up big at last!

Finals Game 4.

Nobody in NBA history has ever came out winning a series after being down 3-1 in a series. That is surely a big void that Miami wanted to avoid, and it showed in their play. LeBron, Dwyane and Bosh were on attack mode all night long.

What surprises me is the Spurs resolve to counter these three early on, especially before the half. Miami by then was already threatening to blow the game wide open San Antonio tied it before half (Bosh failed to beat the clock when he launched to what could have been an impressive dunk that could potentially have given them the lead).

The Heat defense produced 7 blocks and forced 19 Spurs turnovers. That while being bolstered by the renewed energy from their leaders prompting the ever quotable Gregg Popovich to say: "When those guys are playing like that, you better be playing a perfect game". Those 19 turnovers produced 23 transition points.

Wade performance came in as a surprise though, hobbled by knee injury the whole post season Wade was Wade of old. The MVP candidate an that kind of energized LeBron as well after a lethargic 3 games, James explodes for 33 points.

Stopping one is already a pain in the ass, how about a three headed monster?

I think Wade is the X-Factor in this series, if he continues to play this well? They might just pull this off. LeBron can score all he wants but if he gets no other help it will be for nut. The Spurs defense will just collapse on him. I think it's on Wade's shoulders fall to give LeBron the help, because Bosh is Bosh.

Now, it's a 3-game series, Let's now see who's the better of both teams the next game. I don't think anybody has an upperhand right now as both teams have been able to quiet the tide. These 3 games might be the most exciting games of these series, stay tuned.

The Jury is out on LeBron

When LeBron James joined the Miami Heat he declared they'd win multiple titles (the much quoted not one, not two crap). Heat are hell bent on making the finals every year (with all the talent they have) but the question rings, do they have what it takes to be champions?

Entering the Spurs series, James swaggered himself telling the press he is about "50% better" than when he first met the Spurs in 2007. In three games, LeBron has yet to show me that he did indeed improve a lot in six years. His numbers are telling 18, 17 and 15. These numbers are underwhelming, in fact it's shrinking. In Game 3 it is noticeable that James didn't have the confidence to make a shot anymore. Had the Spurs didn't softened it's defense on the third quarter James wouldn't even reach double figure scoring.

For all the talent he has it's disappointing to see James dip this far. Skip Bayless even tweeted: LeBron is great in garbage time. Ouch!

There are calls for James to take over the games, much like what Michael Jordan did in his heyday. James is averaging a disappointing 16.7 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists at 38% shooting. Clearly this is not enough.

He said it himself on an interview he needs to be better than Michael Jordan if he wants to be called great, with this showing, add the lousy showing he had in 2007 and 2011 that vision seems too far out for him. He needs to do something with his play. Michael Jordan's playground is the Finals.

For a guy who claims to be king his claim to throne is already slipping away. The Jury is out LeBron.

Learn some defense Mike D'Antoni?

Kobe is trying hard to will his team for the win.

It's really hard to watch the Lakers right now, they got no legs, just standing around and most importantly NOT STOPPING ANYBODY. I don't know why these Laker team is lethargic. I also don't understand why they signed Antwan Jamison and let him sit on the bench. I don't understand why the heck is Mike D'Antoni still coaching.

The final play says it all, Jrue Holiday loses Kobe on offense and drives right through Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, Steve Nash trying his best to at least distract the guy before he slams the ball. That's awful. For a team that boasts several present day/former all-stars it's not a good watch.

It looked like an old guy vs. young guy match-up. The Lakers just couldn't match-up the energy of this young upstart 76ers team. Doug Collins team was playing the game fluidly. Again as I pointed out  before the Lakers looked lost. Both Dwight and Pau didn't play well almost outplayed by their 76ers counterparts. Kobe looked blank.

For a team that has a payroll of about a 100 million they are playing like an overpaid team. Something the Knicks knew all too well during the Marbury era. Mike D'Anotni as I predicted never seem to bother about their defense. Mike D'Antoni as I said is the other side of the coin that is Mike Brown. If Brown was all about defense this Mike is only about offense and it shows in their current play.

When the Lakers formed this team I thought it was formidable, Ok they're gonna have some bumps along the way but with that many stars how can they be stopped? I think most of you can say the same thing. I hope this team can turn things around, more consistency and more energy.

I'm hoping to see a lot better defense. Mike it's time to learn defense because no NBA team has won the NBA title without playing at least good defense. This is already an overhyped team. To lose this much is already a failure. There is still a chance to salvage this season and starts with the defensive end.

Photo gotten from Yahoo! Sports: AP Photo/Gus Ruelas 

Some random NBA thoughts

Brooklyn Nets fire Avery Johnson: I do think Avery was a bit overrated but with Deron Williams again figuring with a coach firing? That's something. Remember days prior Deron grumbled being lost on Johnson's offense. There certainly is some trend going on with Deron...

Amare Stoudamire on the verge of return: It can be make or break, Knicks have been doing fine without him. If he screws he'd be dealt for sure. Remember in the off-season he was almost dealt for free according to some rumors...

Lakers winning again thanks to Steve Nash return: Good news to Laker fans! It's a great Christmas gift when  Lakers won against New York on Christmas day they are back to .500. Bad news? They lost to Denver the next day. I just hope they become more consistent this season.

Marc J. Spears of yahoo sports reports KG doesn't care of accolades: Don't all players say that?

Monta Ellis claiming that the only thing that separates him and D-Wade are a couple of championship and some winning:  Monta is a great player, but c'mon D-Wade is in another level man, the guy is shooting .511 this year and if he continues this he'll have done it twice in his career. He averages more points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks career wise and thought he guy is far removed from his 2008-09 MVP-like season the guy is still consistent, plus the guy thrived through difficult times when the 2006 championship team was dissolved and still kept Miami winning. Monta, after B-Diddy deserted them, never lifted GS to the play-offs again. I think claiming that much is too much.

Pop threatens to bench his top guys again: I respect Pops decision, if the NBA have problems with that then they should suck it. I don't think it's detrimental to anybody that a team play as good as anybody even without their top guys. It only shows the quality of guys on a team, it just shows the kind of coaching a team has and the trust a coach can put into his guys. That's basketball.