16 August, 2012

Awesome Sauce!: A Capella DJ

*First off, I'd like to thank The Everything Bagel for inviting me to write, and after much procrastination, I'm finally posting.*

So, I love many things, and some of my top faves are art and music. It's always a joy when those things are combined, hence my obsession with Disney movies, lol. So, while clicking through "StumbleUpon" I...stumbled upon {insert laughter}....one of the coolest sites, Incredibox. This is not the first time I've been to this site, but apparently this particular one is Volume 2, and the design is different from what I had seen before. Incredibox is an interactive site that allows you play DJ and make your own compositions  in the form of an animated a capella group.
You have the option of choosing from a selection of beats, melodies, chorus', and voices. With a simple drag and drop, you can create some radio-worthy tracks. The combinations are practically endless, and you can easily waste hours of valuable life which could be better spent watching "Love& Hip Hop:Atlanta" or "Cake Boss". The best part, for all you wannabe  budding DJ's is that the site automatically matches the tempo of your selections, and everything pretty much sounds great together...it's fool-proof and great for the ego! Also, you can record a 30 second sample of your work and share it on the social network of your choice. Sooo, because I love ya'll so much, I put together a lil' sumthin sumthin. Unfortunately, they do not have the option to embed yet, but it appears to be coming soon. I call my masterpiece "Yeeeaaaaa Son". I hope it inspires your soul, lol.

So check it out! I'm sure there's more to it then I've discovered.

Toodles!

pic credits: http://avoision.com/2012/04/12/incredibox-2-0-even-more-a-capella-beat-box-fun.php

10 August, 2012

It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane…. The Dwightmare is OVER

It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane…. The Dwightmare is OVER


















Since December of last year, Dwight Howard has been in and out of trade rumors, personal drama with the franchise, and a very awkward press conference where he opted in for a final year with the Magic. Let’s not forget the awkward interview where he puts his arm around Stan Van Gundy after Stan said less than a minute earlier that Dwight asked for him to be fired. Dwight Howard’s past year has looked like an episode of One Life to Live. First he would be a Laker, then a Net, then a Rocket, possible a Hawk, and maybe even a Maverick. Rumors and sources piled up day after day, and it was almost impossible to ignore and not become enthralled by the story. Also we learned how annoying the phrase “no deal is imminent” can be.

Finally after a conference call with the NBA League Office around Noon Eastern on Friday, a 4-team deal was finalized sending Dwight to the Lakers to follow in the footsteps of Mikan, Wilt, Kareem and Shaq (Unfortunately Vlade’s talents are not recognized).

The final 12 man deal :

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Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark (Magic)
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Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, 2013 2nd Round, 2014 1st Round (Nuggets), 

Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, 2015 2nd Round, 2017 1st Round (Lakers)

Nikola Vucevic, Mo Harkless, 2015 2nd Round, 2015 1st Round (76ers)
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Andrew Bynum (Lakers)
Jason Richardson (Magic)
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Andre Iguodala (76ers)


 



 Winners:

Lakers – They get the Best Center of the League, instantly you would see that as a plus. The Lakers have had trouble defensively in recent years, and this year seemed to be no different. Dwight Howard’s presence in the middle will certainly put the Lakers into one of the better defenses in the league by himself. The Lakers' difficulty keeping players out of the paint, and pick and roll defense should be much more limited with Dwight in the paint. As Dwight said in the press conference, the Lakers brought him here primarily for his defense. Also it gives the Lakers more fluidity on offense. Howard is a post up player, but can also run the pick and roll very well. Andrew Bynum while more polished offensively than Howard, is more rigid on offense opting for very little movement, and strictly post play. With the addition of Steve Nash, Dwight is a much more cohesive piece because Nash has made a hall of fame career on the pick and roll. Another benefit the Lakers see is from passing out of the Center position. One of Bynum’s biggest weaknesses was recognizing, and passing out of double teams. All teams had to do was run help defense on Bynum, and it would cripple the Lakers offense into a Bynum travel or turnover. Howard is a much better passer, and has grown used to the double team being the number 1 option for 8 years. You cannot run a double on Dwight because he can pass out to the open man.  Another component of Dwight Howard in LA is his personality. From his spot on impressions, to giddy smile, he is everything that LA loves. A personality of Dwight's nature hasn't been around since Magic, and Dwight seems to be a perfect fit for LA. He also gives the Lakers a franchise player for a few years after Kobe leaves. As Kobe stated today ""I'll play 2-3 more years. Then the team is his. I'm excited because they have a player that can carry the franchise well after I'm gone." Chris Duhon & Earl Clark are no more than pieces to get the deal done. Clark is unlikely to see much time because he is 5th on the depth chart in the front court, and Duhon is statistically one of the worst Point Guards in the league. Think Steve Blake, but worse. Maybe Duhon was brought in for his travel call?  Furthermore with the addition of Jodie Meeks for 2 year/ $3mil on Friday evening, the Lakers seem to have filled out their depth chart, and created the best Starting 5 in the league, all while improving their bench from worst in the league to league average.  Lakers look to done making moves as GM Mitch Kupchak stated there are “no more homeruns” but he also said that before he got Steve Nash & Dwight Howard.

Sixers – Got the biggest steal of the entire trade. They traded Andre Iguodala for Andrew Bynum & Jason Richardson. Iguodala is a great player, but with Evan Turner, Nick Young, Thaddeus Young all relatively capable of replacing Iggy, it seemed like a no-brainer to get rid of him and bring in the newly crowned Best Center in the East. The starting lineup of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes & Andrew Bynum has no player over 25. It was a great move to bring in Bynum to the Sixers because they had no star on the team. They needed to make a move or be relegated to a low seed playoff team for the near future, as their young guys slowly started to leave year-after-year. Bynum has not indicated that he would stay past this year, but it is a risk to take. With Bynum & JRich, the Sixers could have $6mil in cap space next season after re-signing Jrue who is a restricted Free Agent. Unfortunately, I think the Sixers are too young, and will miss Lou Williams too much to be a legitimate contender in the East, but if they play their cards right this was a great long term deal. Look for the Sixers to give a top 4 team in the East a scare in the first round of the playoffs.

Nuggets- This deal seemed to be more about numbers. Afflalo was owed $30.4 mil over 4 years, and Al Harrington was owed $21.445 over 3 years. Iguodala can have cut $40mil+ in contracts, and if he approves his player option to stay on in 2013, it is still at about $25mil saved in Denver. Iggy is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and amazing transition offensive player that Ty Lawson & Javale McGee ran beautifully in their 7 game series with the Lakers. Nuggets would have continued to be a low seeded team in the West like the Sixers in the East, and needed some shakeup. I don’t believe this makes them significantly better, but the cap space is enough to see this deal as favorable for the Nuggets. I think they have one of the best put together rosters in the NBA, but one thing is holding them back from leaving the first round… They do not have a STAR, or a definite closer. With the cap space in the next couple years, maybe they can finally entice a star to Denver.

The Loser

Magic- Really? This is the deal you held out for? You had dozens of better deals in the past 9 months, and this is what they take. Yes it gave them picks, and young players, and shed some salary, but let’s look at what they got. Out of their 6 picks, every one is protected. The 3 first round picks that they received were lottery protected, meaning if the team is a lottery team in the draft they keep the pick, if not the pick goes to Orlando. Post Lottery Picks are almost always crap shoot. Rarely is a superb talent seen post lottery. Maybe once every couple years do you get a solid rotation player. The young players they received; Aaron Afflalo is a solid SG who can give you 15 a night with the right pieces, but nothing to build a team around. Josh McRoberts is a journeyman in the NBA, who hasn’t figured out his game. Christian Eyenga is an athletic freak, but he is a huge project that needs a lot of development. Mo Harkless is a mixed bag, many think he will be a very good starter, some see him as a role player. Al Harrington is not young, and his contract is worse than Jason Richardson’s. It’s obvious that trading away Dwight should yield more than Aaron Afflalo and Al Harrington. The cap space they dumped by trading away Jason Richardson and Chris Duhon is almost nonexistent. For a team with so many bad contracts they still ended up keeping Hedo. 2014 is when they are banking on making moves as they have $40million in cap space. Yet I don’t expect them to get a star, and the team that signed Rashard Lewis to $20mil a year deal, and in 2012 Jameer Nelson to $8mil a year over 3 years is definitely going to squander all $40mil on bad signings. The Magic got bad picks, bad assets, and didn’t clear cap space any better than had they kept Dwight. Rob Henningan, the 30 year old Wunderkind GM of the Magic was overruled by the owner on this trade, and for whatever the reason, the owner handcuffed Hennigan into taking the worst deal on the table, and having to defend the bad deal all day. Maybe part of the blame goes on Hennigan for constantly moving the goal line on other teams to get Dwight, or maybe all the other deals were as bad, but whatever the case, this was one of the worst deals made when trading away a star.

Trade Grades:
76ers: A+ (Definite Steal. Long Term Move for Contention)

Lakers: A (Instant Favorites, but questions about Howard's back, and taking insignificant role players lessen grade)

Nuggets: B+ (Good move to open up space, and get a player that gels with Javale and Ty Lawson. Still missing a star)

Magic: D- (Could have been worse. But if failing was a 60. The Magic get a 61).

Final Thought
And with your first pick of the 2013 NBA Draft the Orlando Magic select……..?
2020 Breaking News:  Orlando Magic Star Center …… Has just signed a 4 year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers sources from Yahoo Sports are reporting.

 



08 August, 2012

Lakers Costing Themselves Title Contention


Lakers Costing Themselves Title Contention
Why the Lakers are Making a Huge Mistake NOT Using Their Mini Mid-Level Exception
  
The Lakers are a very cash-strapped team, despite having a 95 million dollar payroll. Their only two option of signing a Free Agent is through a Veteran’s Minimum Contracts, or a mini Mid-Level Exception worth $3 million dollars. The team of Tinsel town have upgraded tremendously with the acquisition of Steve Nash, Antwan Jamison for Veteran’s minimum, and re-signing Jordan Hill. While having a vastly improved bench, and starting Point Guard, the Lakers still lack the depth that will bring them to a title. Their youngest starter on opening night will be a 25 year old center (Andrew Bynum) entering his eight year with knee injuries that make Patrick Ewing cringe.  Steve Nash is 38, Kobe 34, entering season number 17, Metta World Peace 32,  is coming off his worst season, Pau Gasol 32, is beginning to see a decline in his efficiency.

This begs the question: Can they actually run with the young guys in OKC? The answer is better than they could last year, but not enough to take a series. Last season the Lakers were the worst bench in the league scoring 20.5ppg, and giving up double digit leads on a nightly basis. Antwan Jamison, 36, who averaged 17.2ppg in 33.1mpg with the Cavaliers will definitely be a boost to the bench, but with his sub-par defense, and likely decrease in scoring in LA, is not enough to put the Lakers over the top. 

The Lakers can sign anyone they want at a Veteran’s Minimum, but very few players have actually indicated they’d sign for a minimum. For example, the Lakers have been linked to 3point gunner Jodie Meeks for a month, and yesterday his agent said "We're happy to talk, but we're not talking minimum for a guy like Jodie," Bauman told The Times in a phone interview on Monday. "He'll get more than the minimum wherever he signs."  Former Clipper, Kenyon Martin who is another target of the Lakers, has publicly refused to accept a veteran’s minimum. In the past few days, his reluctance has dwindled because many of his peers have taken league minimum, and his leverage has been hurt by this. Kenyon Martin's energy, and rebounding would be a great fit for a team looking for depth, as would Meeks' ability to hit the long ball.

With very few options that have been willing to accept a league minimum contract, the Lakers have recent worked out Rashad McCants, Patrick Beverley, and Vernon Macklin. I don’t have to explain that none of those guys are any better than one current Laker including recently drafted Darius Johnson-Odom, and Robert Sacre. 

This brings us to the discussion about the Mini Mid-Level Exception worth $3million. General Manager Mitch Kupchak has stated We look to add value. We have a mini mid-level still available but I think it’s unlikely we’d use it unless there’s an incredible value out there.” The reason a team that makes $200million a year on their new TV deal with Time Warner is baffling. The reason that Mitch Kupchak says it is unlikely that they use the $3million exception is because of the new luxury tax. If they use the $3million on someone, it will cost an additional $3million in luxury tax. Essentially it is signing someone for $6million.
This is the Lakers, not the Charlotte Bobcats. This team has wiped their ass with millions of dollars for years. Now they are worried about $3million? 1.5% of their annual TV revenue, and that's the low end estimation of how much their new TV deal inks. It is evident that the reason they will not use it, is because of the luxury tax. Last year, career Role Player Josh McRoberts (or as I refer to him McBobaRambis, due to his Kurt Rambis like demeanor) was signed for the same $3mil exception that Lakers front office wizards refuse to use.

Another theory came about when the Lakers targeted Delonte West, ESPN reported West's signing is not considered imminent as L.A.is wary about locking up its remaining open roster spots while a Dwight Howarddeal -- that will surely be multi-player or even multi-team when eventuallycompleted -- is still on the table.” I don’t buy into this story much because; 1. When is he going to be traded? Seriously, When? Orlando is killing me. 2. The Lakers had to be goaded into taking back Jason Richardson, so it is unlikely the Lakers take back more than 1 player with Dwight. The way it logistically is laid out, Lakers would be sending out multiple player, so roster spots are not a concern. Also there are a number of lesser role players that can be let go without worries.

It’s time to face facts LakersNation, this team is running out of time, and the Front Office is damaging the team’s chances by worrying about a $3million tax. Leandro Barbosa is not going to receive $5million because most teams are out of cap space, or have their needs at Guard filled. The biggest competition is the Cavs, who are waiting as much as the Lakers for a Dwight Howard trade. In recent proposals, the Cavs would receive Andrew Bynum, this means Cleveland will need to keep a certain amount of cap space open. Barbosa would receive a similar amount of minutes on both teams, the difference is if he wants to play for a contender, or a rising young team. Barbosa is a likely candidate for the Lakers bench. But he will never sign for Veteran’s Minimum because he is an extremely solid bench player. It is time to use the $3million exception on him, and then you can wait for Dwight Howard. Barbosa, Jamison and Hill are an extremely solid bench. They give the Lakers the capability to rest Nash and Kobe for Barbosa, and Steve Blake at a lesser significance from last year. Jamison and Hill can relieve Pau and Bynum, and while defensively they are atrocious, it is the right amount of scoring, and energy that can hold onto leads that were often squandered in the second half. Barbosa scored 11.1ppg in 21.6 mpg for the Raptors and Pacers last season. Of course those points numbers will dip because of how many options the Lakers have, but it will not be a dip of more than 2 points, especially if he receives 20+ mpg. Barbosa is a quick, penetrating combo guard that can score in the paint, and make threes if left open. He also played 7 years with newly acquired Steve Nash in Phoenix, which is good for cementing roles in the rotation. It is clear the Lakers still need a little bit of help, and Barbosa clearly can be the guy that helps the Lakers get passed Oklahoma City.

But all of this worrying about money is absolute nonsense, and I’ll explain why. Entering his 10th year, Leandro Barbosa would receive $1.352million if he signed a veteran’s minimum contract, multiplied by two that is a total of $2.704million hit to the Lakers including Luxury tax. If we sign him to a $3million deal that is $6million total hit. At a minimum price tag it is 45.06% of what they are extremely afraid to pay at $3million. For me it isn’t too much for me to worry about, but the Buss family has a business to run, I understand.

There are alternate routes. Christian Eyenga, 23, is currently our 4th SF on our depth chart after Metta, Ebanks, and Jamison who is traditionally a SF. He’s on a 2 year contract, with the 3rd year as a Restricted Free Agent. In the next 2 years, I don’t think of a scenario where he plays a total of 200 minutes. He’s an athletic freak, and can jump out of the gym, but is a huge project. He needs a few years to better develop his game, and he can’t get that here, especially when he needs playing time to improve. The Lakers can simply trade him. He’s a low risk contract, with potential upside. There are suitors for the kind of player that Eyenga is. Trading Eyenga’s $1.174million contract to a team for a Trade Player Exception would eliminate $2.348million in luxury tax.
Let’s go to math class my friends. Barbosa at $3mil = $6mil with tax.  If $2.704mil would have been spent anyway if he was signed for veteran’s minimum, that means the Lakers are $3.296million over what they want to spend. By trading Eyenga that is $2.348 mil that can be subtracted from the $3.296mil. This leaves $948K over what Lakers want to sign Barbosa for with tax. Divided by 2 = $474K more than they want to pay for Barbosa (equivalent to the contract of a Second Round Pick). What’s even worse is that the Lakers are paying Steve Nash $8.9million, $17.8mil if you factor tax. But suddenly worry about $3.296million extra for Barbosa.
It is nonsense if the Lakers don’t sign Barbosa because they are worried about a few million over a title. This type of penny pinching has killed teams before, and will again. The question is: Are the Lakers smart enough to risk small money for a title?

Download of the week...

This one is for my iPhone and iPod users; recently my computer crashed and I lost all of my music, documents, movies, music, music and oh yeah, my music. (R.I.P.) Luckily I had a "significant" amount of music on my iPhone but I would soon run into a problem. My iPhone was already synced to the computer that crashed and syncing it to my NEW computer would mean I had to erase my entire phone, therefore losing all my music. That was not an option, so I started searching online trying to figure out how I can sync my iphone to my new computer WITHOUT losing my music. After being unsuccessful with my search or what most call, lazy, I do what I always do.... go to www.AskJared.com. Once again he led me to the light with the simple text which was written in great detail might I add; it said.....""Senuti", bye". So I download it. It transferred the music off of my iPhone and put it in my new iTunes and then voila! I was able to sync my phone to my new computer and put the music right back on my iPhone. I was extremely satisfied with how smooth and easy this process was. So, if you're having or have the same issue I had, or feel like you could face this problem in the future, then I suggest you download the DOWNLOAD of the week, you wont be dissatisfied!