Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The Best and Worst of Mike Epps

"The Best and Worst of" series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of "Death Wish" star Mike Epps.

Films starring Mike Epps that I've seen:
Next Friday
Dr. Dolittle 2
How High
All About the Benjamins
Friday After Next
Malibu's Most Wanted
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
The Honeymooners
Roll Bounce
Talk to Me
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Soul Men
Next Day Air
The Hangover
Faster
Jumping the Broom
The Hangover Part III
Fifty Shades of Black
Girls Trip

Best Performance: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008)
Like Rob Schneider, Epps is a not particularly gifted yet undeniably well-connected actor who can be occasionally funny in small doses and incredibly grating in larger ones. While he's enjoyed a handful of semi-triumphs over his remarkably long (and still active) career, his work in Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins should go down as his finest hour. Epps' signature frantic, fast-talking routine allows him to harvest a fair amount of laughs in around 30 minutes of screen time as the sleazy, pick-pocketing cousin of the titular successful talk show host played by Martin Lawrence.

Worst Performance: Fifty Shades of Black (2016)
I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I laughed at Marlon Wayans' Fifty Shades of Grey spoof. While I thought the movie itself was solid, Epps flat-out stinks in his supporting role as the bitter, foul-mouthed father of this film's version of Anastasia Steele. Absolutely none of his jokes land and even though he only appears in a handful of scenes, he somehow manages to be more than annoying than he's ever been in any of his leading roles. 

Best Film: The Hangover (2009)
I understand why its overexposure in the world of pop culture has resulted in a lot of people thinking its overrated, but The Hangover remains one of my all-time favorite comedies. The chemistry between the three leads (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis) is excellent, just about every plot development is hilarious and truly unpredictable and its rewatchability value is through the roof.    

Worst Film: Friday After Next (2002)
The goofy, buddy/stoner comedy magic this series once possessed had completely disappeared by the time Friday After Next hit theaters in November 2002. This joyless holiday comedy features a slew of lazy, unfunny jokes and phoned-in performances from a largely returning cast that isn't even remotely invested in the weak material they were given. Barring some kind of stunning return to form, I have absolutely zero interest in seeing the fourth installment Ice Cube reportedly has in the works right now.    
Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". The next victim of my praise and ire will be "A Wrinkle in Time" star Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

The Marcus Smart Effect

by John Nygren

It's the evening of January 23rd in Los Angeles. The Boston Celtics are in town to face the Lakers and looking to start off their four-game West Coast trip on a high note after dropping three straight games at home. The Celtics were trailing 108-105 with 11.6 seconds remaining in regulation when Terry Rozier blew by Julius Randle with an impressive move and got to the bucket for 2 to cut the deficit to 1 point.

With no timeouts remaining, the Celtics are forced to a commit a quick foul off the inbound, which sends Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the free throw line. Caldwell-Pope proceeds to miss both of his free throws and the rebound gets pulled down by Celtics guard Marcus Smart with 5.6 seconds remaining. Before anyone in the Staples Center could process what had happened, Smart flew down the court and took a deep, step-back 3 which clanked off the rim as time expired. Smart, who was admittedly having an excellent game on the offensive end of the floor (22 points, 8 assists in 33 minutes), was visibly upset after missing the shot that secured the Celtics their 4th straight loss and his decision to take the shot when a certain superior shooter (Kyrie Irving) had a better look prompted collective sighs and groans from the contingent of Celtics fans nearly 3,000 miles away that stayed up until 1 AM EST to watch the conclusion of the game.



News broke the following afternoon that Smart was expected to be out for 2-4 weeks with a hand injury. It was later revealed that Smart suffered the injury after punching a glass picture frame in his hotel room following the loss to the Lakers and considering the amount of glass that was stuck in his hand, his doctors were surprised that he didn't sustain any tendon damage that likely would've required season-ending surgery. This sudden off-court injury also removed Smart from the trading block, where the impending restricted free agent reportedly generated some interest.

During Smart's 11-game absence, question marks started to swirl around his team. The Smart-less Celtics limped into the All-Star break by allowing 105.6 points game (up from 98.3 in the prior 48 games), displaying visibly less effort than they were earlier in the season and struggling to move the ball around on offense. There was a popular train of thought in league circles that teams had finally figured out how to gameplan against the Celtics and their largely young roster was starting to hit a wall after a remarkable 34-10 start.

When examining this slump by the Celtics, you have to start by looking at their vulnerabilities on defense without Smart in their lineup. Brad Stevens' scheme calls for players to be in the right place at the right time, to know their role and trust their teammates to fulfill theirs. It's not about making the extra effort when called upon, it's about putting forth your best effort every time you hit the floor. Even in the relentless grind that is the NBA season, Marcus Smart manages to deliver on that front every single night. Smart doesn't just want to guard you when he's on the floor, he wants to eat you. Whether he meets you at half court or hugs you for the length of the floor, you know you're in a frustrating night at the office (just ask James Harden).



This consistent fight Smart displays allow him to impact the game in ways that stats don't reflect and not having that pest-like presence on the floor was highly detrimental to the Celtics overall play.

A perfect example of Smart's worth comes on the constant switch defense the Celtics utilize on most high pick-and-rolls. Their constant ball pressure combined with the underrated luxury of having a group of bigs (Al Horford, Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeyele) that possess the athleticism to switch out to defend guards when needed have helped them allow the lowest FG% (37.2) against pick-and-roll ballhandlers in the league. Without Smart in the lineup, they lacked the hard-nosed guard with size that can man-up the other team's roll man and that allowed their opponents to explode to the basket with minimal resistance during his absence.

While Smart's primarily known as an aggressive, lockdown defender, his impact doesn't end there. Offense has been the Celtics crutch this season, as they currently rank in the bottom half of the league in every major category except 3-pointers made (728, 3rd in the NBA) and 3 point FG% (37.1%, 4th in the NBA). Amidst all of the inconsistency and inefficiency they've displayed on that end of the floor, Smart has been a bright spot. Smart's shooting woes (36.3 FG%, 29.5 3P%) are well-documented, but he's still averaging just over 10 points per game and his nearly 5 assists per night has offered a huge boost to the second unit. Given the fact that Celtics bench is otherwise comprised of inexperienced role players (Abdel Nader, Shane Larkin, Guerschon Yabusele), an inefficient veteran isolation shooter (Marcus Morris) and only one other natural ballhandler that can create his own shots and get his teammates involved (Rozier), that production simply couldn't be replicated in his absence.

Fast forward to Smart's return to the team last Friday in Detroit and the team looked like their old selves almost immediately. With three straight victories since returning from the All-Star Break, Smart's worth to the Celtics is very clear. While it's clearly a sample size, Smart's rugged style of play has been a breath of fresh air on a team that sorely lacked toughness and aggression when he was on the shelf.

As a Celtics fan, I'll admit that his sometimes questionable decisionmaking can make him infuriating to watch, but his consistent tenacity, heart and hustle makes up for every boneheaded thing he's ever done on the court. He's an undeniable leader on this young Celtics team and I fully expect his teammates to rally around his toughness as they try to regain the top seed in the East from a very talented Toronto Raptors squad in the final 22 games of the regular season. As long as Smart can remain healthy, I expect him to play the best basketball of his career over the next few months and help give the Celtics a legitimate shot of overthrowing LeBron and the Cavailers in the playoffs.

Thanks for reading. If you're interested in more Celtics and NBA news, make sure to follow me on Twitter @JohnNygrenBOS.  If you'd like to reach out with a comment or question, feel free to email me at johnnynygren@gmail.com 

Monday, February 26, 2018

2018 NFL Mock Draft (Pre-Combine)

1.Cleveland Browns: Josh Allen, quarterback (Wyoming)
2.New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, running back (Penn State)
3.Indianapolis Colts: Bradley Chubb, edge rusher (NC State)
4.Cleveland Browns: Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety/cornerback (Alabama)
5.Denver Broncos: Josh Rosen, quarterback (UCLA)
6.New York Jets: Quenton Nelson, guard (Notre Dame)
7.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tremaine Edmunds, edge rusher/inside linebacker (Virginia Tech)
8.Chicago Bears: Denzel Ward, cornerback (Ohio State)
9/10.Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, edge rusher (Georgia)
9/10.San Francisco 49ers: Marcus Davenport, edge rusher (Texas-San Antonio)
11.Miami Dolphins: Sam Darnold, quarterback (USC)
12.Cincinnati Bengals: Connor Williams, tackle (Texas)
13.Washington Redskins: Vita Vea, defensive tackle (Washington)
14.Green Bay Packers: Mike Hughes, cornerback (UCF)
15.Arizona Cardinals: Orlando Brown, tackle (Oklahoma)
16.Baltimore Ravens: Calvin Ridley, wide receiver (Alabama)
17.Los Angeles Chargers: Derwin James, safety (Florida State)
18.Seattle Seahawks: Josh Jackson, cornerback (Iowa)
19.Dallas Cowboys: Maurice Hurst, defensive tackle (Michigan)
20.Detroit Lions: Derrius Guice, running back (LSU)
21.Buffalo Bills: Cortland Sutton, wide receiver (SMU)
22.Buffalo Bills: Billy Price, center (Ohio State)
23.Los Angeles Rams: James Daniels, center (Iowa)
24.Carolina Panthers: Christian Kirk, wide receiver (Texas A&M)
25.Tennessee Titans: Harold Landry, edge rusher (Boston College)
26.Atlanta Falcons: Isaiah Wynn, guard (Georgia)
27.New Orleans Saints: Arden Key, edge rusher (LSU)
28.Pittsburgh Steelers: Isaiah Oliver, cornerback (Colorado)
29.Jacksonville Jaguars: Da'Ron Payne, defensive tackle (Alabama)
30.Minnesota Vikings: Baker Mayfield, quarterback (Oklahoma)
31.New England Patriots: Rashaan Evans, inside linebacker (Alabama)
32.Philadelphia Eagles: Donte Jackson, cornerback (LSU)

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Movie Review: Black Panther

I'm really not getting used to being consistently pleased with Marvel's output. Outside of the unexpected crushing disappointment of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. and somewhat overrated Captain America: Civil War,  the previously erratic superhero giant has been on a pretty lengthy tear of excellence since they bottomed out with the overstuffed, incoherent mess Avengers: Age of Ultron back in May 2015. Ryan Coogler's Black Panther manages to extend this unexpected hot streak by delivering a phenomenal epic saga that lives up to the elite pedigree of its creative team as well as its borderline unfathomable amount of pre-release buzz.

Pointing out all the ways that Black Panther distinguishes itself from the slew of other Marvel properties is a long exercise. It features a dense plot that's part spy movie, part Shakespearian-esque political saga, is very light on humor and of course, has the proud distinction of being the first major superhero film to feature a predominantly black cast. The springboard that makes all of these unique elements possible is the film's majestic setting of Wakanda. The secretive, technologically-advanced nation that T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) rules over is a god damn wonder to behold. Its variety of landscapes are fucking stunning, all of their futuristic technology is cool as shit and the contained setting helps ramp up the intensity and stakes of the primary conflict that kicks in around the halfway mark.  

This beautiful African kingdom also happens to be home to some of the most interesting, well-developed characters in the history of the MCU. Every major character has their own clear set of easily justified motivations for their actions and can't really be classified as purely good or completely evil. Seeing a film of this scope juggle so many densely-sketched, morally-flawed characters without losing its narrative momentum or limiting the amount of crowd-pleasing fight scenes is a tremendous accomplishment that will hopefully be utilized by more superhero films in the future.

While its rich writing and vibrant setting are the catalysts for Black Panther's unique feel, its triumphs on the traditional superhero front shouldn't be overlooked. The handful of huge action sequences are pretty terrific, Erik Killmonger (played by the always excellent Michael B. Jordan) is an imposing, memorable villain that is about as emphatic as an antagonist can be and the post-credits scene is top-notch fan service. It also helps that Black Panther's energy-absorbing suit makes Iron Man's huge metal shell look super lame. Considering the cultural impact its already made, Black Panther is unlikely to be remembered for what it brought to the table as a pure superhero movie, but Coogler and his co-writer Joe Robert Cole deserve just as much as credit for delivering on the familiar elements that define this genre as they do for the meatier ones that transcended it.

Black Panther is a rare example of a universally gushed-about film that I can agree with all the fawning over. While I'm not willing to co-sign the popular "best Marvel movie ever" take quite yet, I can say without hesitation that this unique, well-rounded piece of entertainment is in the top handful of films they've released over the past 15 years. If Coogler, Cole and this terrific cast (aside from the aforementioned Boseman and Jordan, Lupita Ny'ongo, Letita Wright and Winston Duke all turn in excellent performances) stick around for the sequels, there's no reason that the Black Panther franchise can't be one of the genre's all-time greats.  

Grade: A

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

The Best and Worst of Oscar Issac

"The Best and Worst of" series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of "Annihilation" star Oscar Issac.

Films starring Oscar Issac that I've seen:
All About the Benjamins
Body of Lies
Robin Hood
Sucker Punch
Drive
The Bourne Legacy
Inside Llewyn Davis
A Most Violent Year
Ex Machina
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
X-Men: Apocalypse 
Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Performance: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
To be completely honest, Sucker Punch and Drive are the only films that I semi-remember Issac being in before 2013. That level of relative anonymity immediately went away after I saw Inside Llewyn Davis in early January 2014. Issac's absorbing performance anchored this bleak, brilliant character study from the Coen Brothers about a struggling New York folk singer in the early 1960's.

Worst Performance: Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
When Issac was first announced as one of the stars of the new Star Wars trilogy, I was legitimately stoked. Based on his terrific performances in Ex Machina, A Most Violent Year and the aforementioned Inside Llewyn Davis, I figured he would be one of the best parts of the latest voyages to a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Oh how naïve I was. Poe Dameron is nothing but a dollar store Han Solo and his obnoxious presence got kicked into the overdrive thanks to the shitty Disney-mandated jokes Rian Johnson slipped into The Last Jedi. I'm thrilled that I only have to watch this insufferable space aviation jabroni stink up the screen for one more movie.

Best Film: Ex Machina (2015)
The term mindfuck was created to describe films like Ex Machina. Veteran screenwriter Alex Garland's (28 Days Later, Dredd) directorial debut is a twisty, smart and perfectly-acted sci-fi flick that made me absolutely horrified about what the future of technology holds. 

Worst Film: The Bourne Legacy (2012)
The Bourne Legacy is so mediocre from top-to-bottom that it's almost impressive. The most memorable aspect of the movie was the immediate confusion that set in when the credits started to roll and I legitimately couldn't remember 99.9% of what I had just watched. Kudos to Tony Gilroy for making the most inconsequential espionage action "thriller" of all-time.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". The next victim of my praise and ire will be "Death Wish" star Mike Epps. 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Cap Mania: How NBA Teams Are Beginning to Fix Their Overspending Problem

by John Nygren

Over the past two seasons, the NBA's salary cap has increased significantly (raised from $70 mil in 2015-16 to $96 mil in 2016-17 and $107 mil in 2017-18). As a result of this sizable spike in the amount of money all 30 teams can spend, huge contracts have been handed out like candy on Halloween. Everyone from marginal role players to franchise cornerstones that are eligible for the newly-implemented super max deals, which allow any player that's been in the league for at least eight seasons to receive $70 million more from the last team they played for (in most cases, the team that drafted them) than they would if signed elsewhere in free agency, that have been fortunate enough to hit the open market since this cap increase kicked in has absolutely cashed out. Having more money to work with has undoubtedly affected how teams approach building a roster and based on the moves (or lack thereof) that have been made since the start of the 2017-18 season, we're starting to see teams get smarter at managing their assets after two years of reckless mass spending around the league.

This recent shift in spending philosophies can be traced back to the fair amount of miscalculated, team-paralyzing contracts that were inked back in July 2016 when this salary cap hike was first introduced. Non-contending teams were so eager to add potential impact veteran players to their roster that they threw absurd amounts of money at anyone that was willing to come join their team. The biggest standout among all of these bad deals has to be small forward Chandler Parsons of the Memphis Grizzlies. To be fair, Parsons' ceiling was about as high as any player that was available at his position in his free agency class. He was an explosive, versatile player who averaged around 14 PTS, 5 REB and 3 AST per game as a starter on two different playoff-caliber teams (Houston and Dallas) during the first 5 years of his career. His coveted skill set and fair amount of big game experience was enough to convince Memphis, who had made the playoffs in six consecutive seasons and reached the Western Conference Finals in 2012-13, to sign him to a 4 year/$96 mil deal ($24 mil per season, which was more than any player besides Kobe Bryant made prior to the cap hike).

Six games into his tenure with the Grizzlies, Parsons went down with a bone bruise in his right knee that sidelined him for 17 games and hasn't been the same since. He's since gone onto suffer a partially torn meniscus that ended his 2016-17 season after 34 games and has missed extended periods time in 2017-18 (31 games in total) due to knee soreness. Don't get me wrong, what has happened to Parsons since he arrived in Memphis has been very sad to watch, but the harsh reality is that even if he produced at the same level that he had in the past, he still would've been highly overpaid.

The Parsons deal may have yielded the worst results, but there were plenty of other desperate teams that handed out bad contracts that summer. Nicolas Batum, a pretty talented 2-way guard that was shipped out of Portland due to concerns over his lengthy injury history, signed a 5-year/$120 mil contract to stay with Charlotte after a solid 2015-16 campaign in which the Hornets won 48 games and lost a hard-fought first round playoff series to Miami in seven games. While Batum appeared in 77 games and went on to average career highs in points (15.1) and assists (5.9) per game last season, Charlotte has gotten worse on the whole since he inked his new deal and his multi-year/high money contract status makes him untradeable. Charlotte's insistence on packaging Batum in any potential Kemba Walker trade reportedly deterred Cleveland from making a serious offer for him at the deadline. When Dan Gilbert passes on a chance to add a young All-Star point guard because of the throw-in player's salary, you know you're getting paid too much.

If you look at a majority of the teams that signed these questionable contracts, they're in the worst possible position any NBA team can be in. They're not good enough to make the playoffs and not bad enough to be in the top half of the lottery. This puts them in a nightmare scenario of not having the cap space to land another top-level veteran talent in free agency or getting to enjoy the luxury of getting to select a potential franchise-altering superstar at the top of the draft or flipping the pick for an established star.

Now that we're somewhat removed from the shininess of having a new cap, there appears to be to hope on the horizon. With teams starting to learn how to manage having over $100 mil in available money every year,  players are starting to receive more reasonable contracts.

A perfect example of this new line of thinking is the 3 year/$24 mil extension the Clippers gave Lou Williams earlier this month. This is a sensational value for a player that's still in his prime at 31 and is currently averaging career-highs in points (23.2), assists (5.3) and free throw percentage (89.5%).

Now let's compare Lou Will's deal to Jordan Clarkson's-a player with a similar skill set and role as a top offensive option off the bench that was just traded to Cleveland because of his contract. Clarkson was one of the lucky ducks to cash-in on that new cap overspending by returning to the Lakers on a 4 year/$50 mil deal. While Clarkson's numbers have been pretty good (14.6 PTS, 3.0 AST, 3.0 RPG, 44.6 FG% over the past season and a half), his productivity level wasn't enough to justify his $12.5 mil annual salary. As solid of a spark-scoring threat as Clarkson is, it's hard to argue that he's worth $4.5 mil more per season than a previous Sixth Man of The Year winner that's consistently posted better numbers in a similar number of minutes played.

The ripple effect from Lou Will's contract is pretty much guaranteed to felt in free agency this season. Handing a veteran sharpshooter whose averaged over 15 points per season on four different teams since the start of the 2014-15 season $8 mil a year has returned negotiating leverage to the owners and effectively ended overinflated contracts for role players. Barring some unforeseen tomfoolery in July, this deal should significantly lower the asking price of other talented guards that are set hit to free agency this summer (Will Barton, Avery Bradley, Rodney Hood, Marcus Smart) from their initial asking price of $12-15 mil per year down to somewhere around $5-8 mil per year.  

An influx of teams placing a higher value on team-friendly rookie contracts have also played a part in the end of complementary players getting overpaid. As you saw at this year's trade deadline, most teams would rather hold onto guaranteed low-salary guys that give them flexibility for multiple years then cash in their chips for a high-priced rental that more than likely won't factor into their long-term plans. In a league where superstars eat up a large portion of the available cap space, you need contributions from 2nd-round picks, undrafted free agents and overseas players to build cheap depth on your roster more than ever.

There are 2 words GM's need to keep in mind as this potentially game-changing free agency approaches: Flexibility and versatility. Being able to find the right balance of young players to develop, role players on reasonable low-to-mid level contracts and stars that command top-dollar within a 3-4 year window is a very difficult task that is essential to building a successful team in the modern NBA. While there's no doubt that the players that missed out on the spending sprees of the past 2 summers will leave the negotiating table with a bad taste on their mouth, teams will have a great opportunity to redeem themselves by signing quality players to reasonable contracts.

For more NBA news and reactions, make sure to follow me @JohnNygrenBOS on Twitter or shoot me an email at johnnynygren@gmail.com Thanks for reading.

Monday, February 19, 2018

2017-18 NBA Midseason Power Rankings

1.Golden State Warriors (44-14):
Houston is currently 1 game ahead of them in the lost column, but I can't in good conscience say they're a better team than Golden State right now. The Warriors continue to be the most well-rounded team in the league and it's going to take a colossal effort to keep them from winning their 3rd championship in 4 seasons.

2.Houston Rockets (44-13):
It's honestly shocking to see a Mike D'Antoni-coached team play this much defense. Offseason additions Chris Paul, P.J. Tucker and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have given Houston a tough, consistent presence on the defensive end of the floor without sacrificing the deadly uptempo, let-it-fly-from outside offense made them so successful a year ago. If the CP3/James Harden experiment doesn't implode in the high-intensity environment of the playoffs, their two-way proficiency gives them a legitimate shot to bump the Warriors from their throne.

3.Toronto Raptors (41-16):
While it's justifiable to be apprehensive about Toronto's current top standing in the Eastern Conference considering their shaky postseason track record over the past five years, something about their current team feels different from their past iterations. The sudden emergence of their 2nd unit paired with their established corps' (Demar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valuncinas) willingness to add new facets to their respective games gives them a level of versatility that they've never had in the past. It'll be interesting to see if the Raptors will be able to parlay their new playing philosophy into the lengthy playoff run that's alluded them since Dwane Casey took over as head coach in the 2011-12 season.

4.Boston Celtics (40-19):
The Celtics potential Cinderella season in the wake of Gordon Hayward's devastating ankle injury has hit some snags in recent weeks with their lockdown defense completely fading away and just about every key player on their roster going through their worst shooting slumps of the season. While their problems with rebounding and finding consistent scoring options behind Kyrie Irving are unlikely to be fixed at this juncture, the Celtics have enough resilient, high-effort players (Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier, Aron Baynes) on their roster to reaffirm their standing as a defensive powerhouse and subsequently return to the high level of play they displayed from early November through mid-January.

5.Cleveland Cavaliers (34-22):
The first few months of Cleveland's season was plagued by internal dysfunction, questionable effort and a weathered-looking defense that would make members of the New York Nationals hang their heads in shame. Of course, none of these potential red flags will matter now that King James got the front office to make a series of moves to acquire the new supporting cast he wanted (George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr.) at the trade deadline. While it's too early to tell if the dominant level of play the Cavs flashed in the 2 games since they made these trades is sustainable or simply a quick bust of energy fueled by the addition of some new blood to an aging roster, it's hard to argue that the 4th straight trip to the NBA Finals that looked like an unattainable delusion at beginning of this month is now completely conceivable.

6.San Antonio Spurs (35-24):
Watching Gregg Popovich work his magic without Kawhi Leonard for much of the season has been a treat. They've had some rough performances against the league's best teams and there's no denying that they miss Leonard's 2-way dominance, but this scrappy roster led by a resurgent LaMarcus Alridge is still in contention in the hotly-contested Western Conference thanks to Pop's brilliant coaching.

7.Minnesota Timberwolves (36-25):
As expected, Jimmy Butler has helped Minnesota make the leap from promising young team on the playoff bubble to a serious contender. Butler's presence in their starting lineup has taken some weight off of budding 22-year old star Karl Anthony-Towns' shoulders and along with fellow new additions point guard Jeff Teague and power forward Taj Gibson, has helped install some veteran poise to a young corps that regularly blew late-game leads last season. Tom Thibodeau's absurd usage of his starters (average of just over 35 minutes per game) could cause some fatigue problems moving forward, but as of right now, this squad looks locked-in and ready to conquer the latter stages of the season.

8.Oklahoma City Thunder (33-26):
The building of chemistry and establishment of a consistent offensive rhythm took much longer than expected, but this revamped Oklahoma City team have looked like a potential dark horse contender since Christmas. Paul George's outside shooting and quick hands on defense, Carmelo Anthony's secondary scoring and dominant around-the-rim play from 7-foot bruiser Steven Adams have given the Thunder the supporting cast around top dog Russell Westbrook that they sorely lacked a season ago.

9.Washington Wizards (33-24):
No good, but not great team in the league is more averse to change than Washington. This organization flat-out refuses to stray from the "play down to your level of competition" mentality or fix the depth issues that have prevented this wildly talented team from rising into the upper-echelon of the league over the past half-decade. I'd imagine Wizards fans are already thrilled about yet another Conference Semifinals exit this May.

10.Denver Nuggets (32-26):
Unless you're a purist that demands defensively-sound basketball or snuffs their nose at teams that aren't in the championship mix, Denver has been an absolute joy to watch this season. They move the ball around like crazy, jack up a ton of 3's and have a roster full of the most exciting, unheralded young talent in the league (Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray). The impending return of versatile veteran bigman Paul Millsap to the lineup should only make this unselfish, well-spaced offense even more of a pain in the ass to defend.

11.Portland Trail Blazers (31-26):
Aside from their surprising improvements on the defensive end, it's been as business as usual with Wizards West... I mean Portland. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are probably the best shooting backcourt outside of Golden State, their post-dominant frontcourt is a throwback to the good ol' days of the NBA and they have that pesky tendency of in turning shit performances against bad teams and playing brilliantly against the great ones. Even when you factor in the almost-universal continuity of their playing style and roster, they're in better shape than they were at this point last year and I wouldn't be remotely shocked if this slightly better standing going into the final 24 games of the season resulted in them securing a decent playoff seed.

12.Indiana Pacers (33-25):
Indiana's relatively strong first half has been a huge surprise in a season that has otherwise lacked them. Victor Oladipo's monster breakout season, strong productivity from their bench and an excellent rapport between the players on this largely-overhauled roster have helped the Pacers ease the sting of losing perennial All-Star Paul George last June.

13.Milwaukee Bucks (32-25):
It's hard to ignore that Milwaukee has been a slight disappointment thus far. While Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to be a force of nature and Khris Middleton is regularly pouring in the 20+ points per game that's asked of him as a secondary scoring option, their poor 3-point shooting and bench play has prevented them from emerging as one of the league's best teams. The effectiveness of Jabari Parker, who returned to the floor in a limited capacity on February 2nd, down the stretch could be critical in determining whether or not this team can finally take that next step in their evolution.

14.Philadelphia 76ers (30-25):
With Ben Simmons finally hitting the floor after missing all of last season with a broken foot, "The Process" is starting to come to fruition. The lack of discipline that inevitably occurs when you have roster dominated by youth has led to a fair amount of blown leads and regular foul trouble, but the overwhelming amount of playmaking ability their young stars (Joel Embiid, Simmons, Dario Saric) exude when they're all clicking makes up for the sloppy, unsound basketball they sometimes play.

15.Utah Jazz (30-28):
It took them a while to find their footing after losing go-to guy Gordon Hayward in free agency, but after ripping off 11 straight wins leading into the All-Star break, Utah looks like they're on the cusp of returning to the playoffs this season. Rookie of the Year favorite Donovan Mitchell has given this team a much-needed offensive weapon and Quin Snyder continues to do an excellent job of maximizing the production of every player on the roster. If they can maintain their current level of strong two-way play and physicality through April, this underrated team is going to be a very undesirable matchup for any of the West's top contenders.

16.Miami Heat (30-28):
Erik Spolestra's latest unsung Miami team limped into the All-Star Break losing 9 of their last 12 games. However, there's enough chemistry, defensive tenacity and outside shooting prowess on this true superstar-less team for me to believe that the Heat will bounce back and return to the playoffs after their bullshit tiebreaker-induced snub last season.

17.Los Angeles Clippers (30-26):
The sudden trade of Blake Griffin to Detroit on January 29th completely altered the trajectory of the 2017-18 Clippers. This drastic midseason move indicated that the Clippers didn't believe he could lead this team moving forward, despite giving him a max deal last summer, and immediately put a rebuild into motion. With Griffin out of the equation and their playoff hopes likely coming to an end, the final stretch of this adversity-filled season for the Clippers is going to serve as an audition for what players are going to remain on this roster long-term and answer the question of whether or not Doc Rivers is wiling to remain with a team that isn't going to contend for a championship anytime soon.

18.New Orleans Pelicans (31-26):
Because the basketball gods seem intent on constantly punishing DeMarcus Cousins, Boogie went down with a torn Achilles pretty much as soon as New Orleans started to really click in late January. Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and newly-acquired Nikola Mirotic should continue to play their assess off and give this seemingly cursed team a shot at making the playoffs, but the sad reality is that the Pelicans crippling lack of depth has become even more evident without Boogie in the picture.

19.Detroit Pistons (28-29):
It seems like its been an entirety since Detroit started 14-6 and was alongside Boston, Toronto, Washington and Cleveland at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Since early December, they've struggled to generate an offensive rhythm to match their pretty strong defensive effort and as a result, now find themselves 1.5 games behind Miami for the #8 seed. Thankfully for the Pistons, newly-acquired star bigman Blake Griffin and the impending return of starting point guard Reggie Jackson from a grade 3 ankle sprain that's kept him out since late December gives them a pretty good of reestablishing the offensive proficiency they need to battle back into the East's playoff field.

20.Charlotte Hornets (24-33):
Charlotte honestly might be the most anonymous team in the NBA right now. They're not bad enough to be in contention for the top pick in the draft nor good enough to be taken seriously as a potential playoff team. My advice to Hornets fans would be to enjoy the high-flying theatrics of Kemba Walker while he's there because there's almost no chance that he's still on this team after next season.

21.Chicago Bulls (20-37):
Fred Hoiberg deserves a ton of credit for the job he's done with a Chicago team that's only 8 months removed from blowing up pretty much their entire roster. He's brought this largely inexperienced group back from a horrific 3-20 start by giving young players the substantial minutes they need to grow as players and establishing a strong sense of camaraderie that simply wasn't there under his veteran-lead teams in the past. It also helps that Finnish sharpshooter Lauri Markannen is far more polished than anyone expected to be as a rookie, offensive sparkplug Zach LaVine has been on a warpath (16.9 PTS in just over 25 minutes a game) since returning from an ACL injury in January that many feared would take away the explosive athleticism that defined his game and Kris Dunn has blossomed into a pretty promising young floor general after a rough rookie campaign in Minnesota last year. They clearly have long odds of reaching the playoffs this season, but the team's long-term outlook is far brighter than anyone would've expected at this point.

22.Los Angeles Lakers (23-34):
The 2017-18 Lakers season has had enough up-and-downs to fill a dozen mediocre Hollywood rise-and-fall biopics. On the tragic side, Lonzo Ball's shooting has been abysmal, Luke Walton can't figure what the hell to do with Julius Randle and controlling owner Jeanie Buss is shelling out $18 mil for Luol Deng to sit on his couch. On the plus side, Brandon Ingram has vastly improved his efficiency as a shooter in his 2nd season,  surprising rookie breakout Kyle Kuzma's bruising, strong offensive game has brought a much-needed burst of energy to their bench and above all, they were also able to get Jordan Clarkson's awful contract off their books at the trade deadline and clear the necessary cap space to potentially bring in a pair of superstars this summer. The only goal for this team for the rest of the 2017-18 is to play well enough to lure a LeBron James or Paul George here in free agency, which is definitely attainable if their young corps continues to play hard and the suddenly volatile Isaiah Thomas doesn't come in and shit over the locker room culture like he (allegedly) did in Cleveland.

23.New York Knicks (23-36):
In their 1st season without primitive bozo Phil Jackson running the personnel department, New York managed to be the same below-average, Jekyll-and-Hyde team they've been over the past several years. Every strong performance that made it seem like this team's was rebuilding was finally gaining traction was seemingly always followed by a porous one that left you completely hopeless about their future. In the wake of Kristaps Porzingis' devastating torn ACL, it'll be interesting to see how Jeff Hornacek goes about distributing playing time between their non-essential veterans (Jarret Jack, Kyle O'Quinn, Lance Thomas) and underutilized young players (Frank Ntilikina, Luke Kornet, newly-acquired Emmanuel Mudiay) for the rest of the season.

24.Brooklyn Nets (19-40):
While their record might not show it, this new Brooklyn regime continues to make the best of the post Paul Pierce/KG trade asset mess they inherited. Veteran forward DeMarre Carroll has given them the reliable 3-and-D player they desperately need in their rotation and the handful of young players they've been able to acquire over the past few years (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarret Allen) have all put forth pretty substantial contributions this season. Once D'Angelo Russell shakes the rust off after missing over 2 months with a knee injury, this feisty young Nets squad could emerge as a late-season spoiler for the East's plethora of bubble playoff teams.

25.Memphis Grizzlies (18-38):
Mike Conley's season-ending heel injury effectively ruined Memphis' bid to clinch their 8th consecutive playoff berth. In Conley's absence, the Grizzlies have showed their age and embarrassing lack of depth/reliable offensive options behind Marc Gasol by ranking near the bottom of the league in every notable metric. Barring a miraculous post All-Star break turnaround, a long-overdue rebuild looks imminent for this former pillar of consistency in the Western Conference.

26.Dallas Mavericks (18-40):
The 2nd year of Dallas' rebuild has been just as painful as the 1st. Some nice contributions from their more seasoned players (Harrison Barnes, Dwight Powell, J.J. Barea) and Rick Carlisle's solid coaching have prevented them from completely bottoming out, but they've yet to demonstrate any truly encouraging signs for the future.

27.Atlanta Hawks (18-41):
Atlanta punted on the 2017-18 season with their offseason moves, which has made this a painful but necessary rebuilding season for this organization. Despite their relative lack of talent, Mike Budenholzer has this veteran role player-heavy roster playing hard every night and rookie John Collins is an explosive athlete with a deft shooting touch that could very well end up being the 1st significant building block of this new-look Hawks team.

28.Orlando Magic (18-39):
Orlando turned a lot of heads with their 8-4 start which included impressive wins over San Antonio and Cleveland. That "surprise team of the year" bid quickly went up in flames once their offense fell back down to earth and the team has won just 10 games since then. While they have some talented players (Aaron Gordon, Evan Forunier, Nikola Vucevic) that can put together dominant performances on any given night, their lack of consistency (particularly on the defensive end of the floor), clear identity and a true superstar continues to prevent this team from taking their next step forward in the rebuilding process.

29.Sacramento Kings (18-40):
Sacramento's bizarre mix of young players and relics has yielded the poor results you'd probably expect. On the bright side, rookie De'Aaron Fox has flashed serious potential as a 2-way player and Buddy Hield, the lone piece from last year's Boogie Cousins trade that's still with the team, is starting to look like the 3-point specialist he was pegged to be when he was drafted 6th overall in 2016.

30.Phoenix Suns (18-41):
No one makes uninspired basketball look like an artform quite like the Phoenix Suns. The lack of hustle, chemistry and discipline they show on a nightly basis is borderline comical to behold. If they want to escape the hardcourt purgatory they've been since the end of the Nash/Stoudemaire/D'Antoni-era, they're going to need to bring in a new head coach this offseason that can drastically shift the culture and develop the abundance of raw young players (Dragan Bender, Marquise Chriss, Josh Jackson, Tyler Ulis) they currently have playing alongside long bright spot Devin Booker.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

The Best and Worst of Chadwick Boseman

"The Best and Worst of" series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman.

Films starring Chadwick Boseman that I've seen:
42
Draft Day
Get on Up
Gods of Egypt
Captain America: Civil War
Message from the King

Best Performance: Get on Up (2014)
While his strong portrayal of Jackie Robinson in 42 got me very intrigued about Boseman's potential as an actor, his stunning performance in Get on Up convinced me that he was a rare talent. Boseman's award-worthy, warts-and-all embodiment of soul of funk/R&B legend James Brown in this refreshingly unconventional biopic was utterly mesmerizing to watch.  

Worst Performance: Message From the King (2017)
Boseman's relatively short time as a prominent Hollywood actor has been a stirring collection of scene-stealing, standout performances. Then Z-grade Netflix action thriller Message From the King came along and ruined his flawless track record. Rocking a Black Panther-esque accent and a homemade barbed wire bat that he rarely uses, Boseman ends up being the least magnetic regular-guy-turned-revenge-fueled-killer in the history of vigilante movies.

Best Film: Draft Day (2014)
I understand why many people dismissed this as a dull, formulaic inspirational sports film, but Draft Day was essentially porn for football nerds like myself that are fascinated by the process of how teams handle the soap opera that is the NFL Draft behind-the-scenes. Plus Kevin Costner is fantastic in the lead role and I find the prospect of a world where the Cleveland Browns made multiple intelligent personnel moves in the same season to be very charming.

Worst Film: Message From the King (2017)
Vigilante movies usually contain a very simple setup that goes a little something like this: 1.Bad people kill innocent person due to them seeing or discovering something they weren't supposed to,  simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, etc. 2.Loved one seeks to avenge their death. Message from the King decides to stray from this easy-to-follow formula by adding a ridiculous, convoluted backstory involving a secret criminal society full of high-society professionals (Alfred Molina, Luke Evans, several others) as an explanation for the murder of a South African taxi driver's (Boseman) estranged sister in Los Angeles. This film further declares war on the vigilante genre with its disgusting combination of an overly serious tone and sparse, almost gore-free action sequences.  Fabrice du Welz could very well be a capable filmmaker, but he should NEVER step into the B-action realm ever again.  

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". The next victim of my praise and ire will be "Annihilation" star Oscar Issac. 

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Post NBA Trade Deadline Reaction

by John Nygren

The NBA trade deadline is crazy. It's the ultimate "shit or get off the pot" scenario. Thousands of people around the world were constantly refreshing Twitter last Thursday, neglecting their jobs/teachers/children while they waited for the first plop, and boy-oh-boy it was a bomb. It fell around 1 p.m. EST and fortunately for Cleveland fans, general manager Koby Altman decided to completely blow it up.


via GIPHY
Given the Cavs history of making moves when LeBron openly expresses his frustration with the makeup of the team, we all knew this was coming. Their pre-deadline roster was filled with old, slow and unenthusiastic players who seemed content to sleepwalk into May with the 3rd seed in the East. Now that the perceived deadweight is gone (they shipped out six players and brought in four in their deadline deals), the Cavs are immediately back in contention in the razor-thin Eastern Conference. Here are my reactions to all of the notable deadline trades that occurred in Cleveland and elsewhere around the league.

Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr.
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, Cavs 2018 1st round pick
A lot of people were shocked by this move. Isaiah Thomas, the 2-time All-Star that Cleveland just received in the Kyrie Irving trade last August that was supposed to be the second scoring option behind LeBron, gets dealt to LA for two bench guys? Hello? What? After 15 games you're going to give up on a guy whose proven he can be a top-tier scorer in the NBA?

What it really boils down to is that Isaiah was never going to really fit in Cleveland. On the court, he looked completely lost. In Brad Stevens' high pick-and-roll system in Boston, Thomas thrived making quick decisions off the dribble. In Cleveland, he wasn't the primary ballhandler and as a result, he struggled to create his own shot and get into a rhythm. Not to mention he is still recovering from a major hip injury that's preventing him from playing the fast-paced, physical style that he's used to.

Despite his on-court struggles, I believe that off-court problems were the reason that the Isaiah-era in Cleveland ended so abruptly. Over the past month, he's publically called out the effort of his teammates, strategy of  his coaches and was reportedly at the center of the heated "players only" meeting where multiple players accused Kevin Love of quitting on the team after he left the January 21st game against Oklahoma City early with an alleged sickness. This perfect storm of problems combined with his impending free agency relegated Thomas to "expiring contract trade throw-in" status for the Cavs.

For Cleveland, Larry Nance Jr. may be the biggest plus in the deal, even though that won't necessarily show up on the stat sheet every night. He's long (6'9), crazy athletic and brings a lot of energy every time he hits the floor. Most importantly, he's capable of playing the 5, which should provide a huge boost for a team that had previously struggled to fill that spot when Tristian Thompson wasn't on the floor. With Nance Jr. still playing under his rookie deal, this is a guy that should easily outperform his contract for the next year and a half before the Cavs have to make a decision about whether or not they want to sign him long-term when he becomes a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019.

Jordan Clarkson was considered a longshot to be moved at the deadline. The Lakers signed Clarkson, who is an offensively-gifted role player that consistently averaged around 15 points and 3 assists off the bench, to an insane 4 year/$50 mil extension last summer and given the cap spike that's coming over the next two seasons, the team was desperate to get his bloated contract off their books. At one point, the Lakers were offering one of their OWN 1st-round picks to any team that was willing to absorb Clarkson's sizable cap number. Luckily for the Lakers, they found a suitor for Clarkson without having to give up a valuable asset to do so.

Awful contract aside, Clarkson is a very good fit for Cleveland's system. He's a flat-out baller who can take anyone 1-on-1 and score at will when he gets into a grove offensively. Like every pure shooter that's teamed up with LeBron in the past, Clarkson is sure to see a bump in his shooting percentage as well as his minutes played.

From what I've read after their blowout 124-99 win on Sunday over Boston, a lot of people now think the Cavs' overhauled roster has set them up for another cakewalk through the East. I'm not in that camp. I need to some consistency from this Cleveland team before I put them ahead of Toronto, whose been a force to be reckoned with all season long and Boston, who despite their recent struggles and history of playing poorly against LeBron-led teams, is a resilient, defensively-stout squad that should be a tough out come playoff time.

As for the Lakers, I think Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson deserve a ton of credit for getting this deal done. If you're the Lakers, you only have one goal in mind and that's signing a big free agent (*cough cough LeBron cough cough*) this summer. With Clarkson out of the equation, the Lakers now have the cap space to sign two players to max deals. This financial flexibility makes the Lakers glamorous  sales pitch (Nightlife! Warm weather! Hollywood! Iconic franchise! Get to hangout with Magic Johnson!) even more appealing to any stars that are looking to build the next superteam to try and contend with the Warriors. Even if you can only land one max-level guy this summer, you have the possibility of signing someone else in the loaded 2019 free agent class headlined by Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and Kevin Love. That additional 1st-round pick also allows the Lakers to add another player to their promising young corps of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball or flip it for a valuable veteran player in an offseason trade.

This trade also gives Isaiah Thomas an opportunity to redeem himself. Luke Walton should allow Thomas to make a last-ditch effort to convince someone to back up the Brinks truck for him when he hits free agency by letting him return to the ball-dominant role he's comfortable with. If Thomas can maintain the level of production he displayed during his impressive debut (22 points and 6 assists in 31 minutes) versus Dallas last Saturday night and they fail to land his arch nemesis LeBron in free agency, it's possible that the Lakers can convince him to return to the team at a discounted rate.

                                                  Overall Trade Grade:
                                                     Cavaliers: B-
                                                     Lakers: A


Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Rodney Hood, George Hill
Sacramento Kings receive: Joe Johnson, Iman Shumpert, 2020 2nd-round pick
Utah Jazz receive: Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose

If I'm a fan of any these teams, I can get behind this deal.  If you're a Sacramento fan, you freed up some cap space by buying out Joe Johnson so he can go chuck up a bunch of 3's in Houston and nabbed another pick to stash to aid your seemingly endless quest to rebuild. Shumpert, a strong perimeter defender who played a significant role on the past three Cavs teams that went to the Finals, is surprisingly going to stay with the Kings instead of demanding a buyout to go sign with a contender. Cavs GM Kolby Altman repeatedly praised Shumpert's positive, team-first attitude this season while he recovered from knee/foot injuries and that sense of selflessness should have a huge impact on the culture of this bad young Kings team. Learning from your mistakes and how to play hard on a consistent basis may seem small from the outside looking in, but for a locker room full of millionaires in their early 20's, it can be everything.

I think Utah  probably made out the worst here. They sent away a very talented scorer in Rodney Hood, who was averaging just under 17 points per game and shooting 42.6% from the field this season, and received more of a 3-and-D player (Jae Crowder) in return.  Despite the offensive spark he provided when he was on the floor, Hood's constant injuries (he's missed over 20 games in all but one of his four seasons in the NBA) and the explosion of rookie Donovan Mitchell at the 2 made him an expendable asset for a Jazz team that's looking to build for the future.

Crowder is coming off a miserable stint in Cleveland, but I think that Quin Snyder can get a lot out of him. Snyder's system that relies on a 10-man rotation resembles the one Crowder thrived in during his three seasons in Boston and like Brad Stevens, he's an intelligent young coach that tends to get the most out of his players.

Although the Cavs seem to have upgraded at both guard positions for the style of basketball they want to play, it does not come without serious risk. Both Hood and George Hill have troubling injury histories, missing 78 and 39 games respectively over the past three seasons. Hill has also been playing through a nagging toe ailment that is believed to be partially responsible for his horrific defensive play this season. However, it's completely conceivable that Hill's poor defensive effort was caused by playing on a talent-deprived young team that lacks an identity and that he'll go back to being the lockdown defender he was prior to his stint in Sacramento now that he's back on a contending team.

                                                      Overall Trade Grades:
                                                      Cavaliers: A-
                                                      Jazz: B-
                                                      Kings: B

Miami Heat receive: Dwyane Wade
Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Protected future 2nd-round pick
This is a great deal for both sides. Even though Wade is LeBron's best friend, it was reported that he had some choice words for LeBron during the aforementioned "players only" meeting, which is a surefire way to get your ass traded away from Cleveland. Aside from beefing with LeBron, Wade also didn't fit in with the Cavs current plans. The Cavs needed less headaches and more W's and this move helped make that goal attainable. And I mean if we're being honest, Wade should've never left Miami in the first place. Pat Riley completely botched the contract situation when he was a free agent in 2016, which resulted in Wade inking a 2-year/$40 mil deal with Chicago and that bad blood lasted until the pair made amends at Wade's former agent's funeral last month. While it was made possible by a weird set of circumstances, this reunion was destined to happen and I'm sure both parties are glad that their incredibly successful professional relationship didn't end on such a sour note.

                                        Overall Trade Grade:
                                         Cavaliers: A-
                                         Heat: A

Phoenix Suns receive: Elfrid Payton
Orlando Magic receive: 2018 2nd-round pick

This is a lower-level deal that kind of fell under-the-radar. With Payton's contract up at the end of the year, it makes a lot of sense why the Magic, who've changed front offices since Payton was drafted in 2014, would want to move on from him. Even though he can't shoot past 12 feet, Payton has a lot of tools (excellent speed, good passer, decent defender) in his arsenal. The Suns got great value for a former lottery pick that has the potential to blossom into a solid point guard in this uptempo system and they should be able to re-sign for a decent contract if they so desire.

                                                  Overall Trade Grade:
                                                   Suns: B+
                                                   Magic: C-


There were some additional smaller moves made before the deadline, but the only other one worth mentioning is that Dallas went out and got Dougie McBuckets from New York. McBuckets, otherwise known as Doug McDermott, will be on his 4th team in the last calendar year and as a hyped-up stretch-4 who has failed to live up to the hype since he was drafted 11th overall in 2014, this could be his last stop in the NBA. In the same deal, the Knicks acquired Emmanuel Mudiay from Denver, which is great value for a player that was just drafted in the top-10 in 2015. It'll be interesting to see how Jeff Hornacek goes about splitting the minutes between Mudiay, veteran journeyman Jarrret Jack and 2017 1st-round pick Frank Ntilkina (aka Franky Nicotine) for the rest of the year.

Of course, there was also some losers that stayed quiet at the deadline. Boston, Toronto and Washington all sat out while the Cavs went out and pulled off their annual roster overhaul to help solidify their title chances. All of these teams might regret not making a move to get an extra piece (DeAndre Jordan, Tyreke Evans, Avery Bradley, any of the Hawks veterans that were reportedly available) that could've helped them get through the brick wall that is LeBron in the playoffs. It must be difficult to stick to your guns while the Cavs fortified their roster for another title push, but these teams clearly didn't want to mortgage their future for potential short-term success. It'll be interesting to see how the teams that stood pat fare in the playoffs and if the Cavs added enough horses to their roster to overtake the Warriors (or any dark horse team that upsets them) in the Finals.    

Monday, February 12, 2018

Concert Review: Machine Head-- Boston, MA-- February 10th, 2018

Lineup: Machine Head ("An Evening with Machine Head"/Catharsis World Tour)
Venue: Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Date: February 10th, 2018

Machine Head: My excitement level for this show slipped a little bit over the past month. Their new LP Catharsis is a pretty suspect effort that put an abrupt stop to a four album run of brilliance for the  Bay Area groove metal stalwarts and since I'm a cynical asshole, I was concerned the general lack of inspiration that surrounded this record was going to bleed into their live show. However, the fact that they are currently touring on an underwhelming record didn't prevent their latest run of "An Evening with Machine Head" from being yet another powerful showcase for their substantial gifts as performers.

The beauty of these "An Evening With" shows is that you get to see Machine Head play an extended headlining set in a setting that is tailor-made for their strengths as a band. Getting to spend over two hours with them in a rowdy venue that accentuates the power of their signature chug riffs and places every audience member within 20-30 feet of the stage is a dream scenario for any fan of theirs.

The consistent effectiveness of Machine Head's live shows starts with the efforts of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Robb Flynn. While there's no denying that he's a cornball that dispenses some of the most cringe-inducing, angst-ridden banter to ever come out of a human being's mouth, Flynn is an exceptional frontman that tears down every stage he steps foot on. He's a maestro at working crowds into a constant state of chaos and at almost 51 years old, his vocals are (remarkably) still pristine. As long as Flynn continues to deliver at this level in a live setting, I'm willing to overlook all of the douchey shit that flies out of his mouth.

Per usual, the high quality of Machine Head's set was solidified by some terrific song selections. This setlist was so well-assembled that not even the presence of Catharsis' two biggest stinkers ("Bastards" and "Is Anybody Out There?") could halt the momentum. The majestic 10-minute epic "Clenching the Fists of Dissent" from 2007's The Blackening was a beautiful surprise opener to the show, the long-time staples ("Davidian", "Imperium", "Ten Ton Hammer", "Bulldozer") were perfectly distributed throughout the set and fan favorite "Halo" remained in the coveted finale spot that it rightfully deserves. A little more variety in terms of the old songs they play (more rarely-played tunes like "None but My Own" from Burn My Eyes would be dope) wouldn't kill them, but that's a relatively small/borderline petty complaint for an otherwise spectacular set.

In short, this was about as satisfying as an over two hour-performance can possibly be. The crowd was consistently into it, every member of the band was spot-on technically and above all, I was completely immersed in the show the entire time they were on stage (except for when they were playing the aforementioned poopfests from their new record). While it's probably not realistic considering the ever-changing landscape of the music industry, I'm completely on-board with Machine Head doing these support-free, career-spanning performances in intimate venues for the rest of their career.


Score:
Machine Head 9.5/10

Setlist:
Clenching the Fists of Dissent 
Volatile 
Now We Die
Beautiful Mourning
The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears
Imperium
Phil Demmel Guitar Solo
Darkness Within
Catharsis
From This Day
Ten Ton Hammer
Is There Anybody Out There?
Locust
Bastards
Drum Solo
Bulldozer
Killers & Kings
Davidian
Behind a Mask
None but My Own 
Aesthetics of Hate
Game Over
Old
Halo

Friday, February 9, 2018

The Best and Worst of Margot Robbie

"The Best and Worst of" series chronicles the  career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of "Peter Rabbit" star Margot Robbie.

Films starring Margot Robbie that I've seen:
About Time
The Wolf of Wall Street
Focus
The Big Short
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
The Legend of Tarzan
Suicide Squad
I, Tonya

Best Performance: I, Tonya (2017)
This year's Academy Awards features an absolutely LOADED group of Best Actress nominees and while there honestly isn't a bad choice in the bunch, Robbie would get my vote if I was fortunate enough to have one. Her performance as embattled figure skater Tonya Harding is spellbinding, emotionally-varied and completely unforgettable. 

Worst Performance: The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
At about the halfway point of The Legend of Tarzan, Robbie's Jane Porter, wife of Tarzan, utters the line "You want me to a scream? Like a damsel?" after being kidnapped by the dastardly villain Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz). Despite this proclamation, that's EXACTLY what Robbie was in this colossal turd of a movie. Relegating an elite young actor to a role this thankless is boneheaded, laughable and undeniably insulting.  

Best Film: I, Tonya (2017)
I, Tonya is exactly what every biopic should strive to be. It approaches its subject matter through an objective lens, has a smart, fearless script that provides a ton of insight about who the person its profiling truly was beneath all the headlines and above all, remains fascinating throughout. I'm honestly surprised and disappointed that this failed to secure a Best Picture nod at this year's Oscars.

Worst Film: The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
Call me a purist, but I can't get behind a sophisticated, white-collar version of Tarzan. Tarzan was meant to be swinging from vines with his primate family, not having high-stakes political meetings with members of the British government. In addition to how jarring it is to watch THE KING OF THE JUNGLE hobnob with members of high society before making his obligatory return home to stop a mustache-twirling Belgian solider/ diamond miner (Christoph Waltz) from enslaving the people of the Congo, The Legend of Tarzan also happens to be an absolute fucking snooze. Watching this plodding political saga come to fruition is pure, relentless torture-especially when you consider that this film is aspiring to be an Indiana Jones-esque adventure. I'll take a million messy, harmless blockbusters in the mold of The Dark Tower or Tom Cruise's The Mummy over soulless bores like this any day of the week for the rest of time.   

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". The next victim of my praise and ire will be "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Movie Review: The Cloverfield Paradox


Netflix caused quite the frenzy earlier this week when they unveiled a teaser for The Cloverfield Paradox, a long-delayed title they acquired from Paramount a few weeks ago, during the Super Bowl then made it available to watch immediately following the conclusion of the game. This aggressive marketing tactic allowed the streaming giant to provide near-instant gratification to its subscribers in an age that pretty much demands it while also continuing the mystique that has surrounded the Cloverfield universe since its inception a decade ago. In a not particularly shocking development, the inventive release rollout is one of the only noteworthy things about this clusterfuck of a semi-sequel.

The Cloverfield Paradox plays out like a feature-length sci-fi grab bag. You want a space station setting? You got it. Some parallel universe talk? No problem. A little bit of Alien-inspired body horror? BAM! Strange plot twists? Done deal. How about some clarification on the franchise's previously unanswered questions as a cherry on top of this sloppy intergalactic sundae? Sounds divine. This overwhelming collection of moving parts makes for a viewing experience that is relatively entertaining at times, but is often insane, puzzling and flat-out dumb. If nothing else, this pile of manic space gobbledygook made me develop a deeper appreciation for the tense, straightforward storytelling of the other Cloverfield films.

A popular theory as to why this film failed to hit its intended target is due to its limited connections to Cloverfield, which is a take that I don't agree with at all. 10 Cloverfield Lane featured even fewer connections to the 2008 original yet still managed to be a brilliantly-executed thriller. The Cloverfield Paradox's issue is that unlike its predecessors, it largely lacks tension or intrigue. It's a lot harder to get invested in a mysterious sc-fi tale when the stakes hardly escalate and the director fails to mine any intensity out of a claustrophobic setting. Outside of a few cool, interesting explanations to events from prior films, The Cloverfield Paradox adds nothing to the cannon and I can't really fault Paramount for wanting to get this middling piece of fan service off their books.  


Grade: C+

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Concert Review: Brockhampton-- Boston, MA-- February 5th, 2018

Lineup: Brockhampton ("Love Your Parents Tour")
Venue: House of Blues, Boston, MA
Date: February 5th, 2018

Brockhampton: Unlike the Dow Jones, Brockhampton's stock in the music world keeps rising and is currently displaying no signs of slowing down. Thanks to the overwhelming success of last year's Saturation trilogy, this hip-hop collective has developed a passionate, rapidly growing fanbase within a year of entering the national spotlight. That rabid following they've earned and the vibrant, distinct music that drew them in was apparent during their wild sold-out performance at the Boston stop of their "Love Your Parents" tour on Monday night.

If there was any doubt about Brockhampton ability to sustain the tidal wave of buzz that's surrounding them at the moment, their live show eviscerates it. The room was full of the type of intense sing-a-longs, constant jumping around and visible enthusiasm that is typically reserved for acts that have been around for several years, if not decades. Just about every song they played during their nearly two hour set received a strong reaction and that constant wave of energy created a raucous, party-like atmosphere that was awesome to be a part of.

Brockhampton's live show also does a good job of showcasing how much they treasure and buy into the concept of being a true group. These guys attack every song as a unit and despite their immense individual talents, no member tries to command the spotlight for themselves (not even de facto leader Kevin Abstract, whose previously enjoyed success as a solo artist). As much as I love hip-hop's abundance of big personalities, it's cool to see a group of gifted artists put an emphasis on team success over individual accomplishments. I firmly believe that the authentic sense of family these guys possess and way each member's distinct style/personality complements one another has played a crucial, underrated role Brockhampton's in breakout stardom.

There was a handful of rough patches from a technical standpoint (particularly on "GUMMY", "SWEET" and "ZIPPER") sprinkled throughout the set and the gimmick of repeatedly playing "STAR" to close out their shows because it's their favorite song to play live really grated on me, but this was mostly a polished, fun performance from one of hip-hop's most promising young acts. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them again at Boston Calling on Memorial Day weekend.

Score:
Brockhampton 8/10

Setlist:
BOOGIE
QUEER
STAR
GUMMY
FACE
ZIPPER
SWAMP
GOLD
JELLO
SISTER
STUPID
JUNKY
SWEET
BUMP
BLEACH
SUMMER
TEAM

Encore:
HOTTIE
HEAT
STAR
STAR
STAR
STAR

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

5 Trades That Need to Happen Before the NBA Trade Deadline

by John Nygren

It's early February and unlike most years, I don't have the opportunity to sit and wallow in my own despair due to the outcome of the Super Bowl. The NBA trade deadline has been moved up to before the All-Star break for the first time in recent memory and in a league where the same two teams have been to the final three years in a row, there's a lot of teams that either need to blow it up or make a significant move to try and catch up to their conference rivals.

The Detroit Pistons got things started early with their blockbuster trade to acquire Blake Griffin from the Los Angeles Clippers for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and two future draft picks (a protected first and second rounder) last Monday. Who else but Stan Van-Fucking-Gundy would look at the centerpiece of a Clippers team that has consistently underperformed over the last few years and say "Fuck yeah, that's what I want" then give away four very valuable pieces to make it happen. I personally think the Pistons made the trade to sell tickets and get a great deal on some Kia's and honestly, that's okay with me. Since that beautiful bastard Jerry West hasn't fleeced anybody else in the past week, let's take a look at what trades NEED to happen before Thursday.

1.Marcus Smart and Boston's 2018 first round pick to Memphis for Tyreke Evans:
There have been a lot of rumblings about Tyreke Evans as the trade deadline approaches. Along with the Celtics, there are rumored to be at least six other teams (76ers, Cavs, Nuggets, Heat, Pelicans, Rockets) making a run at him. This makes it tough for Boston to just dangle a late first rounder and an expiring contract to get a deal done. However, the Grizzlies are going nowhere fast and picking up a tough, young two-guard that they would have the upper hand in re-signing in July along with a draft pick would make a lot of sense for a team that sees primed to hit the reset button. Make it happen Danny.

2.Aaron Gordon to Cleveland for Channing Frye and Brooklyn's 2018 first round pick:
As of right now, the Cavs are in deep shit. Kevin Love is out for at least another month with a broken hand, Isaiah Thomas is still a long way away from returning to his old form and worst of all, they are currently only 4.5 games out of missing the playoffs entirely. Although they maybe shouldn't hit the panic button yet, they do need to do something to improve going into the second half of the season. You could keep that coveted Brooklyn pick and have an excellent chance of landing a great young rookie next year. The problem with that decision is that LeBron James will never even meet him and you'd still have a bunch of veteran role players (Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, Tristian Thompson) eating up your cap space. Adding Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon to this roster would simultaneously salvage this season while also starting to plan for what a post-Lebron Cavs team might look like. Gordon is crazy athletic, can guard just about every position and has greatly improved his outside shooting of late (34.6 3P% on 5.8 attempts per game this season, up from 28.8% on 3.3 attempts in 2016-17). At only 22 (!) years old, his future looks incredibly bright and playing alongside LeBron could very well expedite his development. What's the downside?  He's a restricted free agent at the end of the year, and he's reportedly seeking a monster $20-25 mil/year contract. LeBron may also look at his age and think "Can we really win now with this guy?" The answer is probably not, but Gordon is easily the best young asset that's available at the deadline. This deal would also leave the Cavs with their own first round pick and a stock pile of other vets to potentially move in other trades. Their owner and superstar put them in a shitty position by assembling a roster of overpaid, over-the-hill players whose personalities don't mesh well and if they want to fix the toxic situation they created to reach a fourth straight NBA finals, this is a move they have to make.

3.Avery Bradley to Oklahoma City for ????:
This trade is tricky. I love the potential fit of Bradley on this Thunder team. With his tenacious D, sneaky good outside shooting (37.4 3P%) and strong leadership skills, he'd be a great glue guy to add to this dark horse title contender. The only problem is that the Thunder have used up all their valuable assets to assemble their current roster. They don't have a first round pick they could trade until 2024 and the season-ending injury to Andre Roberson has made their already questionable depth that much weaker. But with the Clippers currently in sell mode, they could be willing to move Bradley for a few second round picks and some expiring contracts (Jerami Grant perhaps?). The likelihood of this deal happening is slim, but if the Clips have no intention of re-signing him after this season and are willing to accept far below market value for him, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bradley move on to his fourth team in seven months.

4.A playoff contender trading a protected lottery pick to the Heat for Justise Winslow:
I love me some Justise Winslow. He's a young, three and D guy with a sky-high ceiling.  Winslow has failed to earn a significant spot in Erik Spoelstra's rotation in his brief career so far and that relative lack of playing time makes him an intriguing trade target for a fringe playoff team that's looking to add a hard-nosed player to their bench. Although I doubt he'll be moved, I think he's an under-the-radar young player who could have a Victor Oladipo-esque breakthrough if he ends up in the right system.

5.Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris to Cleveland for Cleveland's 1st round pick and Cedi Osman:
Here's a move the Cavs could make with their own draft pick. Spencer Dinwiddie has outperformed all expectations, but really isn't much use for a rebuilding Brooklyn Nets team who finally gets their own picks after this upcoming draft. Since Dinwiddie took over the starting point guard job in mid-November following a knee injury to D'Angelo Russell, he's averaged 14 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds and ranked 13th in real plus/minus (right ahead of superstars Chris Paul and Joel Embiid). He also doesn't turn the ball over much (1.4 TO's per game) and has the length (6"6) to defend multiple positions. During a time where LeBron is struggling to create for his teammates without turning the ball over and the Cavs getting gashed on defense night after night, Dinwiddie could give this team the spark on both ends of the floor while also providing them with some much-needed cap flexibility (he's on the books for just $3.1 mil over the next two seasons) heading into a pivotal offseason for them. Joe Harris lacks Dinwiddie's versatility and would likely just be a rental given his impending free agency this summer, but his excellent outside shooting (40.2 3P%) and solid defense would help them out on the nights that J.R. Smith and Jae Crowder don't show up.

Although there are a multitude of trade possibilities, I don't think we'll see really see too crazy of a trade deadline. Between the insane contracts some players have signed over the past year and the value most GM's put on building through the draft , it's unlikely that a lot of teams will piss away their long-term plans for a shot at short-term success.

DeAndre Jordan is a longshot to be moved because of the Clippers asking price (a package containing multiple draft picks and players) and his contract situation (a 2018-19 player option for $24 mil that he'll likely opt out of). A dominant second-unit scorer like Lou Williams will come at a cheaper price, but any team pursuing him will have to ask themselves whether or not it's worth giving up a first round pick and the star potential and manageable rookie contracts that come with them for one playoff run with Lou Will? If it doesn't push you over the top where you can now contend with Golden State or Houston, the answer is no. One thing is for sure, there will be teams that try to make these moves this year, but I will sleep soundly knowing that will not be my Celtics.

Thanks for reading. I'll be posting here weekly, so be sure to come back and check out my stuff if you liked what you read.

Twitter: @JohnNygren_BOS
IG: @johnanonymous

Friday, February 2, 2018

Super Bowl 52 + 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee Predictions

Conference Championship Record: 1-1 (Correct: Patriots Incorrect: Vikings)
Overall Playoff Record: 5-5 

New England Patriots over Philadelphia Eagles: After 20 weeks of star players suffering major injuries,  Twitter pundits dropping nuclear takes about the cause of the league's declining ratings and penalty flags galore, we've finally reached the climax of the NFL season. Many football fans are dealing with a true nightmare scenario this Super Bowl Sunday as the seemingly immortal dynasty of gridiron darkness (the Patriots) are squaring off against a team (the Eagles) with an infamous fanbase that's largely viewed as the closest thing American sports has to Europe's Futbol Hooligans.

In addition to their shared villain status, the Patriots and Eagles also overcame a bit of adversity on their road to Minneapolis. The Patriots predictably righted the ship and blew through the AFC with very little resistance from any team (with the notable exception of the Jaguars) after a rocky start in which their defense played a historically bad level (an NFL record 6 straight games with over 300 passing yards allowed) while the Eagles proved all of their doubters wrong by making a highly improbable run to an NFC Championship after losing starting quarterback Carson Wentz, the clear frontrunner to win league MVP who was 11-2 as a starter, to a torn ACL in early December.

It's been frequently said in the 2 weeks leading up to this game that the Eagles have pretty much everything you need to beat the Patriots and I absolutely echo that sentiment. Their excellent defense is anchored by a deep front 7 that can get after the quarterback with a 3-4 man rush and stuff the running game with equal proficiency, they have a versatile offense that can attack an opposing defense in anyway imaginable and head coach Doug Pederson is a creative offensive schemer that has a flare for making effective, gutsy play calls. If Wentz was under center, I'd be picking the Eagles to win this game without hesitation.

Unfortunately for the long-suffering fans in Philly, Nick Foles is currently their team's starting quarterback, which significantly decreases their odds of winning this game. While Foles has played well in the playoffs thus far, taking out the most successful quarterback/coach duo in NFL history on the biggest stage in sports is a much more difficult feat than KO'ing the Falcons and Vikings in front of your home fans. Anybody that's watched football since the Patriots solidified themselves as a juggernaut following their 2nd Super Bowl victory in 2003 knows that you have to repeatedly score touchdowns to have a chance to beat them and I just don't have enough Foles' ability to score enough points to fend off this disciplined, battle-tested team that has a remarkable track record of out-executing their opponents in the crunch time situations that almost always decide the outcome of major games.

I'm not going to pretend like the Eagles don't have a chance in this game. If Foles can replicate at least some of the success he had in the NFC Championship game, the defense can prevent Brady and co. from freely moving the ball downfield in key situations and Pederson can avoid being intimidated by the aura of dominance that surrounds the Patriots, this team could pull off. However, I fully expect the Patriots veteran playmakers on both sides of the ball to help them squeak out another 3-7 point victory and complete "the 3 championships in 4 years" feat for the 2nd time during their 17-year reign of dominance.  


Hall of Fame Inductee Predictions (* indicate senior inductee):
Alan Faneca, guard (Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals)
Brian Dawkins, safety (Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos)
Edgerrian James, running back (Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks)
Isaac Bruce, wide receiver (Teams: Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers)  
Ray Lewis, inside linebacker (Team: Baltimore Ravens)
Robert Brazille*, inside linebacker (Team: Houston Oilers)
Tony Boselli, tackle (Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans)
Ty Law, cornerback (Teams: New England Patriots, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos)

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Movie Review: A Futile and Stupid Gesture

Doug Kenney is a comedic icon that I knew absolutely nothing about prior to watching A Futile and Stupid Gesture. After watching the dramatized version of his life story, that hasn't really changed. Despite its lack of significant revelations and insight on the man behind National Lampoon magazine, Animal House and Caddyshack,  A Futile and Stupid Gesture was still a pretty enjoyable watch. The filmmakers knew they couldn't detail all of the professional triumphs and personal struggles Kenney endured before his untimely death at the age of 33, so they wisely utilized a smartass tone that takes some of the focus away from the relatively bare-bones storytelling. Employing a fourth-wall breaking technique that pokes fun at the various creative liberties the film took allows it to sidestep a lot of the "rise and fall" biopic clichés that it easily could've embraced while also bolstering the entertainment value. 

As well-executed as its self-aware vibe is, A Futile and Stupid Gesture's strongest asset is its actors. This cast is predominantly made up of comedians in their mid-to-late 40's who were undoubtedly inspired by the work Kenney did with National Lampoon and it shows with the palpable enthusiasm they pour into their performances. The always hilarious Will Forte looks like he's truly honored to bring Kenney's unique eccentricity to the big screen and all of the recognizable faces (Joel McHale, Thomas Lennon, Seth Green, Max Greenfield, Natasha Lyonne) that show up along the way to portray the comedy legends Kenney collaborated with bring the essence of their heroes to the screen beautifully. A Futile and Stupid Gesture eventually succumbs to the dull "promising career gets derailed by drugs, booze and ego" shit that prevents most serviceable biopics from achieving greatness, but there's enough laughs, wit and spirted performances here to forgive its unfortunate late detour into generic territory.

Grade: B