They SHOOTIN'...Made You Look

FINALLY. Real NBA players doin' real NBA thangs. Yeah, the Knickerbockers squared off against a team sponsored by jeans from the 1996 hip-hop scene, and Kobe' didn't play enough  against the Tito-Wolves to scuff his Mambas (AND Beasley is still clear-eyed and motivated, so you KNOW it's pre-season), but it's been almost a month since Durantula Go-Go-Gadget'ed all up in Turkish grizzillz, I've been jonesin'. THere's all types of League detritus dusting up, from stupid injuries in the Chi, Reinsdorf had to CTC of Noah, and 'Melo going super-Hollywood.

*I was hoping the Italian team came out rockin' some 1996 Armani Jeans and Troop boots, but I was disappointed as the Knicks squeaked by Armani Jeans Milano over in Italy. Amar'e is who we thought he was; a tough 32 points but only 6 boards (it should be noted as a sign of things to come: Milano power forwards scored 41 points on 13-22 shooting. New PG Felton looks "eh", Wilson Chandler looks official, and Mozgov, the new Ivan Drago had a tidy 10 and 5 with 3 blocks. D'antoni has a ways to go, but this team must be like a ray of sunshine for NY fans because, dude, the Knicks have been horridly putrid for the last few years.

*If God has any mercy, then this smashing of Maccabi Haifa is just the 1st of many (at LEAST 12) wins for the Nets. Rook Derrick Favors ran the floor and looked ready to contribute big-time with 14 and 8. I know, I know, pre-season, a non-NBA team, yada yada yada. For the Nets, ANY win is a positive step in erasing the nightmare that was the '09-'10 season for them. 6 players had between 10 and 14 points. Former GSW baller Anthony Morrow showed his slick shooting stroke, draining 4 threes. Let's hope this team bonds and gets it in this season, I wouldn't wish a repeat of Jersey's last season on my worst enemy.

*Hey, D. Howard, you're developin' and all, an' I'mma let you finish, but until you show some fire like this, Shaq is the greatest Magic center who raps of all time...OF ALL TIME! (He went platinum. Seriously.)


*Yeah, it's only the preseason, but the T-Wolves looked ready to put last season's debacle behind them with a 19 point win over the LA Champs in the UK.. With such a young squad, consistency is going to be a problem, but with bona fide wing scorers B-Easy (21 pts) and Martell Webz (24 pts) and legit defensive bigs, they can only get better (because they REALLY sucked last year). Let's hope Rambis goes easy on the triangle and let's his squad of young athletes run a little. And Wes Johnson, the Wolves lotto pick, keepin' it real about his priorities in England. (hint: it's girls).

*There's a way of thinking that purports champs can't be made; either ballers have that win-at-all-cost "dog" in them or they don't. Whatever the case, if the Magic need the Super-Friends to motivate them, they aren't  gonna win one as presently constructed. and with Rivers leading the Celts taking it all Zen-like, it's obvious why already have a 'chipand are primed to go again. Look, I get that pro athletes are like everyone else; certain things get them fired up more than others, and over the 82 game grind they might need little mind-games to push them. But seriously, Dwight n' Co. are in the '10 ECF and they call losses wake up calls? That's not only soft, but to actually say it with a straight faced to the media is weak-minded. If pride, the millions they're being paid, the lavish NBA lifestyle, and the hours upon hours they've spent in their lifetimes honing their skills isn't enough to make them want to win at all costs, all the time, then retire. On the other side of that coin, the Gang Green in Boston is showing why they're the defending Eastern champs, saying "no sweat" when questioned about the Heat. The Celts might be older, slower, and less athletic as the years creep up, but the no-nonsense mindset goes along way. I admit, I drank the Magic Kool-Aid in the '10 playoffs, but I()along with about 98% of basketball heads) seriously underestimated the heart and guts of the Celts. Orlando can play great ball, but until they learn to play grown-man ball, it's a wrap.

*Basketbawful.blogspot.com is one of the sites that I wish I could write like, they know their stuff. Carlos "Mr. Glass" Boozer is already proving his worth in the Chi (worth: not much) by breaking his hand answering his ^#%$* doorbell. Seriously. Since he pulled a super-slick-double-fast one on Cleveland before the '04-'05 season, Boozer's played in over 75 games only twice, averaging 23 games missed with his injuries a year. Yo Booz, karma is a &#^%@.