My 2010 NBA All-Star Roster:

Well before the official reserves are announced tomorrow night on TNT, I figured I'll get my full picks in before it's said and done. Now first off do I agree with Iverson in that Eastern Conference line-up? No, but it is what it is! Now I shall get down to business. Basically I will pick out a roster in my opinion of who deserves an All-Star spot this year. The week OF All-Star I'll post my predictions for each event, as I did that last year.

Eastern Conference
PG-Rajon Rondo
SG-Dwyane Wade
SF-Lebron James
PF-Kevin Garnett
C-Dwight Howard

The difference: Easy, Rajon Rondo is an All-Star. Anyone that follows the NBA knows Iverson's situation and the number of games he's played this season. Compared to Rondo there shouldn't even be one between these two. Give Boston their two All-Star starters.

Reserves:
Derrick Rose-First are foremost on my list because of his recent play. Rose has exploded in the new 2010 year. He's had some excellent games against quality teams of Orlando, Boston, Phoenix, Houston and San Antonio. His jumpshot looks better each game and his energy is carrying that Chicago ball club to a new level.

Joe Johnson-Due to the success of the Hawks he's definitely the prime time player on that team that would get votes from the coaches and me. Always a quite star player he's been there plently of times in All-Star discussion.

Chris Bosh-An obvious selection...when Garnett is out of the picture he'll be taking the starting role for sure. (If he remains in the East after this summer that is).

Gerald Wallace-He's definitely having an All-Star year. Averaging a double-double and leading the Bobcats into a solid playoff position along side new comer Stephan Jackson he has rightfully earned his spot.

David Lee-This was very tough because Al Horford can be picked for this spot. I'm a believer that he's got game and not just putting up stats on a bad team. I can see Horford grabbing this spot due to the Hawks success, but I hope not as Lee is deserving.

Paul Pierce-Due to the lack of talent at this spot out East, he's probably a sure lock again for another All-Star.

Stephan Jackson-Call me crazy but I think Capt. Jack has earned his spot on the East's squad. He's faced a lot of adversity leaving Golden State. Taking that negative and help turning the Bobcats into a sub-par team that can compete against any team in the league has earned him some love from me.

Also considered: Jamal Crawford, Josh Smith, Ray Allen, Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut.

Western Conference:
PG-Steve Nash
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-Carmelo Anthony
PF-Tim Duncan
C-Amare Stoudamire

The difference-NONE! I'm pretty happy with how the voting turned out for the West. There might be a minor argument for the PG spot with talent rich in the West at the position, but it's fine with me.

Reserves
Deron Williams-Obvious selection here, having a great year as expected.

Chris Paul-Can't leave him out although his team can do better. He's my favorite and top PG in the league.

Dirk Nowitzki-Obvious selection here too. The Mavs are overachieving and he is probably the front running reason. Not to mention...he is the home town All-Star!

Kevin Durant-The Thunder look new and improved as well as Durant for those who didn't know him before. He's been one of the best looking scorers in the league right now and doing this while so young! Give him his All-Star ticket now!

Pau Gasol-A huge key to the Lakers success every night. When Kobe struggles, it's Gasol picking up some of the energy in the offense leading them to victory.

Zach Randolph-A bold pick, but for a reason as the Memphis Grizzlies are taking a new turn into the push for a playoff berth. A huge part is because of Randolph's play with his new teammates.

Brandon Roy-Fighting with the injury bug a bit lately, but he's been spectacular when healthy. The Blazers have found ways to win without him but they miss him as well. Another superstar in the making here, book him to Dallas please.

Also considered: Monta Ellis, Tyreke Evans, Chauncey Billups, Al Jefferson, Carlos Boozer, and Chris Kaman.

Happy MLK Day!

A few years back I started writing something every year on this day to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and his heroic acts. I was motivated to right about it because I saw many of my peers take advantage of what MLK sacrificed his life for. I guess this message would mainly go out to the minority group, or people of color (Yes, all of you that aren't just African American count as you too were discriminated). As a "colored" person, I know for sure that I appreciate Dr. King and understand what he wanted for us. I also believe in equality for all as I hate to see unfair treatment among people.

My message every year is to those people who fail to realize if the Civil Rights movement wasn't successful and the different protests and practices lead by MLK didn't either we could just be getting rights not that long ago, or even still be held under unjust laws. I want to also say many of these colored people today, especially my peers, don't understand what Martin Luther King Jr. was fighting for. Sure this is America and you can practice capitalism, however the drug abuse, lack of education, criminal records, and many other negatives isn't the reason he wanted us to have freedom. I know this can all be a factor caused by the environments certain race groups are brought up in, however MLK has given you all the option to get of that. You're free to get a job, go to school, live life like anyone else in this country. What I don't understand is why put yourself behind the same circumstances of lower living.

I'll be straight to the point. I don't agree with the colored people who put themselves under an image of struggle because they feel the need to act how others portray them. It's a racial issue as well as stereotyping. Understand that the King didn't help you gain freedom for those drawbacks, instead millions of coloreds and him sacrificed themselves to give us the equal opportunity in this country. As a token of appreciation I believe that we should follow through with their ideals set forth as they accomplished their goal. Our goals are to take advantage of the freedoms of equal education, careers, and much more than setting your life under lower standards. Once again, I appreciate and honor what you've done Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

NBA Defenses Finally Able to Combat the Magic?

I said this earlier last week when the Magic's four game losing streak was still fresh. Maybe it's an issue with NBA teams finally being able to combat the four shooter and one big man line-up? The Sentinel just released an article touching on the subject (located HERE). Well this article explains a lot about the offensive game of Dwight Howard and the opinions of a few NBA greats on his game. First I want to say that I like Dwight, and I really want to see the best for him. I'm not hating to trying to put him down, but as a fan you've got to come across some reality. His offensive game is raw and it's really not helping the team right now. I understand he's young, however many of us Magic fans have seen a much better Dwight Howard than this year's. The Sentinel's article really gives a good point to justify that.

"Howard has posted single-digit scoring games six times so far this season — including four times since a Christmas Day loss to the Boston Celtics.

During the entire 2007-08 and 2008-09 regular seasons combined, Howard had just seven games in which he scored fewer than 10 points."

I have said that Dwight has taken a step back this season but of course I'm not wishful of that at all. The main thing that bothered me was to see Dwight brag about working on his game this summer in between his movie filming and overseas trips. He really came out and told us fans that he was in the gym and wanted to come out this year to win it all. We not only believed him but we believe in him.

I also agree with Tim Legler...

"You really have to get the ball to Dwight Howard extremely deep for him to be effective offensively, and against really good defensive teams, when you get that far into the playoffs, they're just not going to allow that to happen," Legler said. "He's certainly going to get his moments over the course of games, because he's too athletic, too big and runs the floor well. But what about when the game slows down and teams are forced to play them in a half-court game?

"He has to have something else he can do to get himself more shots, just to make himself a more viable option. For me, the fact that he has no ability whatsoever to pick-and-pop and shoot a 15-foot jump shot, that really inhibits what you can do with him offensively."


What Can the Team Do?
There is always the question of the team. How can they help Dwight improve, and how can they get him the ball to where he can score? Like Legler said, not every night Dwight is going to have it easy. Normally when that happens and nothing opens up for the Magic, they normally have a hard time winning games. This is the reason Dwight needs to develop more than what he is right now. The Magic NEED him to be able to get his comfort zone EVERY NIGHT! That's one huge part of the offense that they do strive on and he's the key. I agree the team can get a little better on finding him in the right spots, however what if he can't do it himself? Dwight has said he wants to be one of the greatest, well not being limited is not a characteristic of that class.

Magic fans feel that this team can win it all this year, especially with the amount of talent this team has. Dwight has a burden on his shoulders since he went out and said he wants to bring a title to Orlando and it's fans. While he's young and still can improve most of us feel like he'd be a lot farther along than he is now. It's hard to defend that his offensive game is limited at this point especially since the way he played in the Finals run last season. I hope this is just a minor slump and this team is bored, awaiting the the Playoffs.

Nexus One: First 24 Hour Review!

This is my first 24hr with the phone review! Not a full one! So, I'm in phone heaven right now. The Nexus One has not failed to deliver. So let's jump right in with some pictures, and for the first time ever I did a video for a blog. (Coming soon)

(Before it was revealed)

(Nexus One with case)

(Back of Phone with case)



(Top of the phone where power button and headphone jack is located)


(Bottom of phone where charging slot is located)


(The Beast is awoken)

What I loved so far?
-The processing speed is amazing since I was on a laggy G1 and slightly better MyTouch prior to this.
-The physical make up of the phone is great too, not too wide or heavy. (Easily comparable to an iPhone)
-Live wallpapers are amazing and the updated UI
-News and weather app are nice, no more Weatherbug or RSS feed app
-No problems with my 3G service, knock on wood!
-The camera has flash and the different modes.
-The keyboard is better to use with the bigger screen
-The five screens, and it might be a little too much for me!
-Battery life is great when you factor in how much things the phone runs.

Not favoring?
-Definitely the way to wake up the phone is by hitting the power button on the top. Since I'm used to hitting menu on a G1 or MT3G, I'll have to get used to this.
-No camera button on the sides, but there it's preset to have it on one of the screens.
-No Screen protector came along with it, but I bought one.

Looks like pros out did the cons....video coming soon!

Start em' or Sit em'?

To start off the New Year the Magic are 2-4 (before their contest in Sacramento today). None of the Magic nation saw this team losing 4 straight games, especially to sub .500 teams. By now it's clear when Jason Williams has a good shooting game with double-digit scoring this team wins big. It's pretty odd, and it also goes over to the shooting guard spot. J.J. Redick steps in for the injured Vince Carter a few times this year and has great games that contribute to Magic wins that look better than with VC in the line-up. Some fans have spoken their minds and the verdict? Sit Vince Carter and maybe Jameer Nelson too. My thoughts, or yours at first? HUH?

With a team full with much talent, it's hard to gel everyone together when you have five new players and your planned starting line-up only has played so few games. With Jameer slow to get back he's showing signs of coming back to that All-Star form he was last season. Vince Carter has fallen into the worse shooting slump of his career. Hampering with various injuries periodically, Redick has came in and provided, what I think, is the most consistent play off the bench. Sure enough he's had his off nights but quickly left those to be forgotten.

In Stan's first season in Orlando he's dealt with Jameer Nelson, Carlos Arroyo, and Keyon Dooling at the point guard spot. Each of them saw a number of games that they did start. Through out Stan's career here he's gone with the players that produced the most on the floor. From Trevor Ariza to Brian Cook and the new man left out; Brandon Bass it shows how Stan has fluctuated his line-ups outside of the star players. One thing he hasn't done is taken his star players, or core and brought them off the bench unless there was an exception. Dwight Howard has never came off the bench in Stan's stay here. Rashard Lewis has only once after coming back from a suspension. After Dooling and Arroyo left, Jameer has only came off the bench after coming back from injuries in the Finals and once this season. Now with Redick and Williams producing better results on the floor in a starting role will Stan finally do it?

My opinion is that he might not go as far as starting both Redick and Williams at the same time. With Vince out for the upcoming trip this definitely gives J.J. a chance to shine. He'll be fine in the starting role and the bench will need to step up, as I believe Jason Williams is next to follow. If Jameer is healthy and can play I don't see him coming off the bench. I think he's struggled no doubt but will get in sync as time goes on. I pray that he stays healthy because he's another weapon the Magic can unleash if playing at his best. Overall, I support Stan's decision whatever it maybe, well I say that because I kind of have a slight assumption of what he may do.

Nexus One: ORDERED!

Ok so I don't think I've ever done a blog showing off my technology geeky side. However I'm really into smartphones, gaming systems, computers and general technology. Now I'm not a super genius when it comes to all of them but I know enough to be nerdy about them.

I've been with T-Mobile ever since my mom bought me a phone back in middle school and stuck with their phones. Their service and flexible plans kept the one phone my mom started with them to a family plan with four phones. This would be my influence to what my ultimate point of this blog is. The first smartphone I had was the T-Mobile MDA made by HTC. I liked HTC as a manufacturer and had a good run with Windows Mobile, but I disliked a lot of the inconvenience with the system.

In 2008 when I finally got a job I quickly upgraded to the hottest phone besides the iPhone: The G1! Android's first ever phone along with Google. I basically fell in love with the Android system and at the time it was slowly on the up come. I followed the rise of the green robot through various websites and T-Mobile's forums as is expanded from 1.0 to 2.1. I kept the G1 for a year (Dec 08-Dec 09) until it finally started to show signs of out dating. I liked the phone but it started to lag and the battery life was killing me. Last month I found a seller of a Mytouch 3G brand new condition and one month's of use. For a decent price of $180 I bought it...which would be a nice outcome since I then sold my G1 for $100 after. I'm using the Mytouch for 3 weeks now and guess what? It's out the door! Sold and ready to ship to a nice Ebay winner as my NEXUS ONE is on the way!!!

I'll will follow up with a blog with some pics, maybe a video, and my first time review of the phone, I can't wait until it comes!

New Decade, New Music!

I haven't blogged on music in a while so I think I'm due up for one. Entering the past year and a half there is no question that the techno house, dance, trance, mixed in with pop and hip-hop has taken off to a popular sound people prefer. Akon, Britney, David Guetta, Lady Gaga, Flo Rida and even Pitbull have emerged with successful songs with a dance feel that topped the charts. I'm not guessing nor assuming but justifying that the start of this decade will produce more of the similar sounds as it is gaining popularity world wide. However, how successful and can everyone that attempts it succeed? NOPE!

I already think Lady Gaga is on top to start out the decade. Besides the rumors of HER being a man, looking past all that she's got the ultimate package: The voice, performance abilities, and music production. I just love her...Lady Gaga will own this year and be a top artist in the decade. Sure her style is different and a bit weird but I like it and so does millions of her fans across this globe. Her comparisons to Beyonce, better yet Madonna, are very justified. Normally you wouldn't dare compare anyone to such high standards, and I don't but Lady Gaga is up there. Now I know some will disagree but you've got to admit to her talent being beyond what a lot of artists try to replicate.

In the Hip-Hop world I see Jay-Z finally putting down the mic but appearing on tracks here and there. I think on the BP3 he finally accepted the new blend of artists that are coming into the game and passing the torch. As for the young new talent I know the first question would be, what about Drake? My opinion is that he has a huge opening to really make his mark in the game this decade. Now I can't lie, I do jam to some of his mainstream stuff but I think he's much better than that. I feel Kanye can have a "bounce back" in his career and set it off right this decade. He's been hiatus since 808s but I'm really looking forward to his music again. Kid Cudi, Wale, and still Lupe all have the doors open for them to make it big in this decade. Also, you can never tell who might come along, as Jigga said, "Everyday a Star is Born".

I'm looking forward to my usual favorites of Lupe Fiasco and Eminem to drop this year, and I know everyone that I listen to in this current time could be done with their careers by the time 2019 comes around. Little by little artists come and go, just the other day I was growing up with boy bands in the 90's now they are a thing of the past. However, as artists change the music is always there, so here is to another decade in hopes of great music and artists!

Play Brandon Bass Campaign

Yes, it's now a campaign! I may have briefly said why Bass should play in the blog before but here is my full explanation. Some of them are just general observations from watching my beloved Magic and reasons other wonderful Magic fans have come up with hoping to see Bass. First off though, I just want to say the allegations of me being just another gossip blog or twitter kind of made me annoyed. My posts are based on facts and opinions from me but nothing close to TMZ. I expressed my voice, and MANY other Magic fans in a blog...don't down play me for making it happen.

Moving on, I'm not saying Brandon Bass is the solution to all the Magic's problems but it's clear that not only I but many other fans have notice the lack of rebounding and physical toughness from the current Magic rotation. The other main point is the Magic can't always win with four 3-point shooters on the floor. Look, I know Stan has built the offense that way and the Magic have done wonders with it however teams are slowly learning to combat the 4 3-point shooter rotation. When that happens what do you do? My best guess is work around it, but that doesn't mean continue with the same game plan if it's being defeat does it?

I'm not asking that Bass sees 25-40 min. of playing time or even start. He can come off the bench and provide solid minutes with the second unit with some energy. On some nights he can even finish the game out down the stretch depending on match-ups. I do remember Stan himself talking about match-ups being how he decides a rotation, and he's pulled guys in and out before. I'm disappointed and surprised he hasn't turned to Bass yet. Also, did anyone remember one of the Magic's priority last off-season? They wanted to get another big man to "help Dwight"....well I wonder how Bass is helping Dwight right now.

Compare the competition:
Boston has Kevin Garnett along with the physical defense he provides with his team. He doesn't shoot the three ball or hang out around there, instead him and Perkins are more effective from inside the trey. the Lakers have Pau Gasol at the four and he's a scrapper that also shoots the jumper. Hmm...who do the Magic have that matches those stigmas?

Besides Bass?
Dwight Howard has to step up beyond what he is right now. I know he thinks he doesn't have to score to win games but elite centers don't put up 8-13 pts three nights in a row then a random 20 point game in between. They score a solid 20+ points EVERY NIGHT!

Overall it's been proven that the Magic cannot always win 100% with the 4 men 3-pointer line-up. It is slowly combated by other teams who can stick the shooters and contain Dwight. There has to be another option and Bass may come into the picture with that.

DEAR STAN VAN GUNDY....PLEASE PLAY BRANDON BASS! [UPDATED: FEATURED IN THE SENTINEL BLOG!]

[UPDATE: THIS BLOG HAS MADE IT ON THE ORLANDO SENTINEL MAGIC BLOG LOCATED HERE!]

This is a plea....from a whole bunch of Magic fans across the world, not only myself. We beg and want to see the Magic's very own #30 BRANDON BASS in that line-up as soon as POSSIBLE!

No doubt Stan is a great coach but at this current time Brandon Bass has done NO HARM in that line-up as the Magic continue to give up a great amount of offensive rebounds and points in the paint!

We need to get this out, and hell I think if Dwight can complain about Stan being "too negative" I think he damn well can tell Stan that Bass needs to get some important playing time.


STAN....JUST GIVE THE MAN A CHANCE AND PLAY HIM....IF YOU'RE A MAGIC FAN SUPPORTING OF THIS PLEASE GET THE WORD OUT STRONG BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE AREN'T HEARD!