New Music: Jay Complex - WildFire (Bonfire Freestyle)

Here's a pretty dope freestyle of Childish Gambino's track, "Bonfire" done by my bruh and former ACCC blog mate Jay Complex. He's based out in Nassau and he's pretty ill on the bars. So if y'all could just help me please check out the freestyle below and hit the links to peep the mixtapes too and let me know what y'all think on twitter (@Jabber_Wocky) or Facebook if you got me as a friend or better yet hit up the artist himself on twitter @JayComplex and let him know what you think.



Mixtapes: The Underdog Mixtape and b.l.i.s.s.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Mixtape: Chris Brown - Boy In Detention

Chris Brown has been working hard on his music since his rise back to popularity with his album release F.A.M.E. earlier this year. His latest effort however, is coming to his fans in the form of his first hip-hop/rap mixtape. I must say that it is actually pretty good for a first mixtape. The second half of the mixtape is considerably better than the start, but the project is still a well rounded compilation of hip hop based songs from Breezy. It features a wide array of hard hitting beats that really seam the mixtape together well from top to bottom. Also that is some dope cover art for a mixtape shout out to the artist, Mina Kwon. Without further ado, enjoy!

Download Mixtape

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Throwback Thursday Vol. 1.0

In an order to post on a more frequent basis I'm gonna post something every Thursday that was influential in the past and has either been forgotten or had a lengthy legacy. It could be music, movies, sports, shoes, style trends etc... you get the idea. Anyway here's the first throwback: The Nike Air More Uptempo (1996).



Now y'all might be thinking "they're just shoes" but to me these were the first real pair of shoes that I was proud to rock on the playground. I was 6 years old and I begged my ass off to my parents to buy me a pair of Air Jordan XI's but they were mad expensive and my parents weren't about to spend a whole lot of money on kicks so instead they bought me the much more affordable Uptempos and from that day forward I was a sneaker head for life. They were to me at that point in my life the best shoes I'd ever had.

What made them even cooler to me was that they were worn by one of my favourite players in the NBA in Scottie Pippen. I grew up as a Bulls fan and Michael Jordan was my favourite player (I used to watch a video called "Come Fly With Me" which was about Jordan's life in the NBA, pretty much every single day) and of course I rooted for Scottie too so when I found out the shoes I was wearing were the same ones he wore on the court I felt like maybe the shoes had magical powers and I would become a better basketball player (It's gotta be the shoes right?). And for that the Nike Air More Uptempo's will forever be remembered by me and for other shoe aficionados it'll just be the fact that they were one of the most stylish kicks of the mid 90's that embodied the fast rising hip-hop culture revolution that was taking place.

Let me know what y'all consider your first "real" pair of kicks to be in the comments box.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Raptors Draft Review

“With the 5th Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft the Toronto Raptors select Jonas Valanciunas...”

Mere seconds after NBA Commissioner David Stern uttered those words I took to twitter and was not surprised at the reaction of my fellow Raptors fans. The subsequent tweets that followed from Raptors fans were very much calling for Raptors general manager, Bryan Colangelo, to trade the pick to get Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker or Kawhi Leonard depending on who Raptors fans wanted but one thing was certain: no one wanted Valanciunas. I personally was very happy with the pick (maybe even ecstatic) of Valanciunas at the end of the day (I was not so pleased with the fact that the Raptors couldn’t acquire a 2nd round pick to use on Josh Selby or Isaiah Thomas). At least he didn’t take Bismack Biyombo (great name aside he is way too raw and has buyout issues and is a shorter version of current Raptors project: Solomon Alabi in my opinion).

The frustration of the pick for Raptors fans stems directly from Andrea Bargnani’s 1st overall selection in 2006 and the Euro style of play the Raptors have unsuccessfully tried to play since he was drafted. Bargnani is the most polarizing player on the Raptors because although he can score 20+ points per game, the consistency isn’t there and in 5 years he still hasn’t learned how to play defense and lacks the drive to rebound the ball even though he is 7 feet tall and more athletic than most bigs. Even Colangelo (his biggest supporter) seems to be running out of patience with Andrea as he called him an enigma in the exit interviews after the season and made some pointed comments about Andrea’s development on the defensive end. Valanciunas is unfairly being cast as another Andrea simply because he’s physically a carbon-copy of what Bargnani was like in ’06 (Legit 7 footer who’s athletic but too frail for the NBA, worst thing he did was admit it which fired up the naysayers to heights unseen). However, I’m glad the Raptors took him at 5 and here’s why.

Pros:

He’s long (like really long), agile, and very fluid while running the floor and at only 19 years old he’s a bigman with a lot of promise who still has potential to grow over 7 ft and of course fill out physically. In terms of his style of play he is the exact opposite of Bargnani. His game is much more North American than European. He is much more comfortable playing in the low post and his range only extends to about 12-15 feet. He is surprisingly a really good free throw shooter which should translate to a good mid range game with some time and work. He is at this point much better on the defensive end. He is intimidating in the post because he is so long and he plays with a lot of heart often taking hits to the body in order to protect the rim. He has a very high motor on both ends and on the glass and loves to play the game (basketball in Lithuania is like hockey in Canada). He’ll take some time to develop but he’ll be a good starter at the Center position with the potential to be really good. He’s more of a C than a PF which would allow Bargnani to slide over to his natural position at the 4. However, the Raptors already have a logjam at that position so it’ll be interesting to see what Colangelo does if the lockout ever ends.

Cons:

There aren’t really many but the main thing is he needs to fill out physically and he has to develop a lot more post moves as he is predictable down there. To be fair, Lietuvos Rytas (his current Lithuanian team) uses him as a defensive specialist and someone to collect garbage points on the offensive end so he hasn’t really had many opportunities to be a significant contributor on the offensive end. With a new coach in the fold for Lietuvos Rytas who has said he plans to use Valanciunas a lot more in the upcoming season hopefully Valanciunas can improve on the offensive end because presently he doesn’t really have an offensive game. His jumper also lacks consistency or real range but he has good form and release so after lots of repetition he should be able to develop a solid mid-range jumper. The other big issue with him was his buyout but it seems it’s not too big of a deal ‘cause apparently it was taken care of rather quickly after the draft and he will be coming over to the Raptors for the 2012-2013 season. This could work in the Raptors favour if the lockout cancels the season but if it doesn’t, it becomes a bit of a drawback because they won’t be able to directly develop him with an NBA regimen and schedule. However the Raptors have the peace of mind that this isn’t anything like the Ricky Rubio situation or what the Biyombo situation might become.

Conclusion:

The Raptors could quite possibly have the best player in this draft after it’s all said and done and they were really fortunate he was available at 5 ‘cause most mocks had him going 3 or 4. He has been successful at every level he has played at especially when he has been matched up against players in the same age group as him. In 2008, at the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Italy. He dominated the tournament, averaging 14.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 23.5 minutes of action. His team went on to win the gold medal and he was chosen as the MVP of the tournament. Fast forward 2 years to the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship held in his native Lithuania and he once again dominated the opposition to claim the gold while averaging 19.4 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks, and was once again voted as the MVP. And earlier this summer at the, 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Latvia. He led his team to another gold medal, averaging 23.0 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in 31 mpg. He was once again named the tournament MVP. Furthermore, he scored 36 points in the gold medal game against Serbia, which was the highest point total scored in a game by any player in the tournament and displayed his improving offense. He has also had success with Lietuvos Rytas and should be on the roster for the Lithuanian senior men’s national team for EuroBasket 2011 which will be held in Lithuania starting August 31st. All in all he is a very promising big man and I look forward to his Raptors debut. Also the Raptors could market him as "V" think of the ad possibilities! (as long as I never have to see another Bargnani Primo Pasta commercial I'll be happy)

Mixtape:



2011 U19 World Championship Highlights:



Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

A Breakdown of Choices for the Toronto Raptors

So all of you probably know by now that the NBA Draft lottery on May 17th was not kind to the Toronto Raptors, as they fell from the 3rd spot to 5th in the order. This isn’t necessarily as bad a thing as many fans are making it out to be as the Raptors technically had a greater chance to move down than move up. Furthermore, from a salary cap point of view, based on the rookie scale the 5th pick will be paid less than the 3rd pick which frees up a few extra dollars for the Raptors which is always a good thing especially heading into a year with CBA uncertainty (I’m praying there won’t be a lockout but it doesn’t look good). Also if one wanted to fall from 3rd to 5th in a draft this would be the year to do it with what is being called the weakest draft since 2006 (coincidentally the same draft that the Raptors selected Andrea Bargnani #1). After the 1st 2 picks who will undoubtedly be: Duke PG Kyrie Irving and Arizona F Derrick Williams; the draft pool from picks 3-9 is pretty much a coin flip.

Here are a few of the names you may hear tied to the Raptors in the coming weeks: UConn PG Kemba Walker, Kentucky PG Brandon Knight, Turkish/Kentucky C/F Enes Kanter, Lithuanian F Jonas Valanciunas, Czech F Jan Vesley, San Diego St. F Kawhi Leonard, Texas F and Toronto native Tristan Thompson. Now whom should they take? Let me break down every one for you.

Enes Kanter – Height w/shoes: 6' 11.25" Weight: 259lbs Wingspan: 7' 1.5" Standing Reach: 9' 1.5"5

He’s the #1 center on the board with excellent size, strength and what appears to be a high basketball IQ. However, he hasn’t played since he dominated the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit in April as he was deemed ineligible by the NCAA to play for Kentucky in 2011 for taking improper benefits from a Turkish pro team. He did remain at Kentucky as a student and practiced with the team but no one has seen him in a game in quite some time and there is risk in that. Also shows signs of immaturity as he has stated he would like to play for the Washington Wizards and declined interviews, at the NBA Combine in Chicago, with the Raptors (5th pick), Utah Jazz (3rd pick) and the Milwaukee Bucks (10th pick) but you do have to keep into account that he is only 19 years old. He’ll most likely be gone before #5 but he could slide and the Raptors would take a serious look at him if he does but if declining his interview means anything it could mean that he’d hold out to force a trade to team he really wants to go to a la Steve Francis and the Vancouver Grizzlies fiasco of 1999.

Brandon Knight – Height w/shoes: 6'3.25" Weight: 177lbs Wingspan: 6' 6.75" Standing Reach: 8' 2.5"

Depending on whom you talk to he’s rated as the #2 or #3 PG in this class. He has excellent size for a PG and a great amount of speed and scoring ability and excels pushing the ball up the court. Also has a great first step to get by opponents off the dribble. With that said he isn’t an elite athlete but he is above average and his basketball IQ and decision making need a lot of work. He didn’t make the type of impact most expected in his 1 year at Kentucky but he has a high motor and seems to be a hard worker. He shoots it well but nowhere near consistent enough for the pros. At 177lbs he was the lightest player at the combine but in time he will fill out so I don’t see that as much of a concern. At 19 years old he’ll be a project and teams will have to wait a bit for him to develop. I’ve heard Utah likes him at 3 or would be willing to trade down to get him but most mocks project him to be there at 5 if the Raptors want him. If Kanter is gone the Raptors will look really hard at him.

Jonas Valanciunas – Height w/shoes: 6’11” Weight: 240lbs Wingspan: N/A Standing Reach: N/A

I know that mock drafts don’t mean anything since they’re never right but it seems that most of the mock drafts out there see the Raptors selecting Valanciunas. This could be true especially if the Raptors are serious about shopping Andrea Bargnani because Valanciunas is almost a carbon copy physically of what Bargnani looked like in ’06. He’s long, agile, and very fluid while running the floor and at 19 he’s bigman with a lot of promise who still has potential to grow over 7 ft and of course fill out physically. In terms of style of play he is the exact opposite of Bargnani. He is much more comfortable playing in the low post and his range only extends to about 12-15 feet. Defensively he is intimidating because he is so long and he plays with a lot of heart. He needs to fill out physically and he has to develop a lot more post moves as he is predictable down there but he has a very high motor and loves to play the game. He’ll take some time to develop but he’ll be a good starter for any team down the road. He’s a PF and the Raptors already have a logjam at that position so they’d probably only take him if they have a deal in place to free up that part of the roster.

Jan Vesely – Height w/shoes: 6’11” Weight: 230lbs Wingspan: N/A Standing Reach: N/A

If you see this guy play you would think he was a North American player. He isn’t a traditional Euro player as he isn’t robotic in what he does and openly shows his enthusiasm, often times trying nice dunks in the layup line and screaming and gesturing to the crowd when he makes a dunk or a block. In Europe that is frowned upon and seen as not having respect and all that other strict stuff but it fits right in with the North American culture of the NBA. He has a terrific combination of size and length for the SF position but again he’s another player that needs to fill out physically (do they not lift weights in Europe?). He’s great at running the floor and attacking the rim but his offensive game is very limited and with his handle he won’t be leading the break. He is great on defense however and fits more into the mold of someone like Andrei Kirilenko but he is more athletic than Kirilenko was in his prime and he’s also taller and longer. The Raptors would look at him ‘cause he is huge at the SF position but he doesn’t push the ball up the floor and that doesn’t fit with the style of play that they want to play with but he does have the potential to be a lockdown defender and that is something the Raptors severely need.

Kawhi Leonard – Height w/shoes: 6' 7" Weight: 227lbs Wingspan: 7' 3" Standing Reach: 8' 10"

Has good size for the SF position but his wingspan and huge hands are what are really impressive. He is a terrific defender on both the perimeter and inside. Physically he is very strong but he is also very agile; he can push the ball up the floor but not on a consistent basis. He has a relentless motor and plays the game with a lot of energy and aggressiveness. He likes to play on the outside and although his shooting has improved it has to get a lot better since he likes to drive and attack the rim. Showed a willingness to play with his back to the basket but he has to vastly improve in this part of his game. His huge hands combined with his length, energy and great timing allow him to grab rebounds on both ends of the floor that are seemingly well outside of his rebounding area. He is extremely quick off his feet, and he is very good at tipping the ball and keeping it alive on the rim. He’ll bring the defense and intangibles and give a little bit of offense but he possesses leadership qualities and already has a NBA body and his shooting will become more consistent over time in my opinion. 5 may be a little too high for him so the Raptors could trade down to 7 or 8 to take him. He provides toughness, rebounding and intangibles something the Raptors desperately need at the SF position but could maybe get those same qualities out of incumbent SF James Johnson.

Tristan Thompson – Height w/shoes: 6' 8.75" Weight: 227lbs Wingspan: 7' 1.25" Standing Reach: 9' 0.5"

He is a Toronto native and has already said he would love to play for his hometown team but that is not a reason for the Raptors to draft him or to please the fan base. He’s a lefty post player with average size for the PF position but he has a tremendous wingspan. He’s also worked really hard on his body to gain some muscle but his frame looks like it’ll allow him to carry even more weight without sacrificing his speed and quickness. He’s not a great athlete but he’s a good athlete, he’s able to make plays on both ends of the floor thanks to his length, energy and blue collar style of play. He’s got great hands and can catch passes in transition very easily and he runs the floor extremely well. He’s also fundamentally sound in positioning for rebounds and although his post game is a work in progress he has shown the ability to go over both shoulders. He is extremely quick off his feet especially on a second jump but he needs to attack the glass at both ends more consistently. He’s a good defender and with his long arms he alters and blocks a lot of shots but with time he can become a great defender especially on the help side. 5 is too high for him so the Raptors would trade down to get him if they really want him but his stock has risen since the middle of the college season to now. He’ll go in the top 10 and some mocks have him up as high as 7 but I think he’ll be in around 8-11. If the Raptors were to take him they would have to deal a forward and most likely it would have to be Amir Johnson as they have similar skill sets. With that said I don’t see him ending up with the Raptors in any scenario but I wish him the best of luck and as a Canadian I’ll definitely follow him closely and root for him.

Kemba Walker – Height w/shoes: 6' 1" Weight: 184lbs Wingspan: 6' 3.5" Standing Reach: 7' 7.5"

At 6’1” he is the second shortest player in the draft (only Isaiah Thomas from Washington is smaller) and at 184lbs he is the second lightest player in the draft (only Brandon Knight is lighter) so that should be a testament to how tough he is as he led UConn to the national championship. However, he is explosive for a PG. He has amazing speed and quickness and his ability to change direction and tempo make him the player he is. He has a great handle and gets into the seams of the defense quite easily with his quickness and often times uses floaters to score or just gets to the rim for easy layups. His shot has improved but is still not quite fully there yet. He's become a better spot up shooter but it’s his pull-up jumper off the dribble that will propel him to become an effective PG in the NBA especially off of screen and rolls and who better to learn from than Jose Calderon who has all but mastered the screen and roll. He already has a good feel for the screen and roll but his range isn’t consistent yet. However, with time he can become a good 3 point shooter. He finishes well and gets to the line a lot but at his size there is a risk of injuries with his style of play. He has above average vision with the ball and has shown the ability to hit the open man, open up the floor, or thread the needle but his decision making needs to get a lot better. Often times he forces the issue too much but this could be a by-product of playing with inferior talent around him. On defense he is strictly “in-your-face” because his speed and quickness allow him to keep up with opposing PG’s but he’ll have to get stronger physically for bigger guards. He does play the passing lanes well and has good instincts on when to go for the ball. His biggest drawback is his size and poor decision making as he is still turnover prone but the NBA is filled with small guards who are great players like Chris Paul, Aaron Brooks, Ty Lawson, Darren Collison, Jameer Nelson, Raymond Felton etc... and his decision making will get better with time. In my opinion if the Raptors keep the 5th pick this is who they should draft. There is something to be said of a winning track record and at every level he’s played at he’s won and he proved he could carry a team on his back and I think he’ll be fine at running a team in the NBA as he has great leadership. If he were to go to the Raptors he would fit right in with their up-tempo style of play and also if you’re drafting on the best talent available he’s probably it at 5.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*All the measurements used are from DraftExpress.com*
**Don’t forget to comment!! Let me know what y’all think and if I’m right or wrong!**
***I’ll have full draft profiles for the projected top 15 in the coming days!***

A New Cabinet for a New Majority Government

The new cabinet was sworn in today to signify the birth of the new government led by a Conservative majority. There were many rumors floating around preceding the official event, the main one being John Baird (who was the Government House Leader) filling Lawrence Cannon's old position as Minister of Foreign Affairs. This turned out to be true and can I say that I am very satisfied with this particular shuffle.

Some people claimed Baird is too hot-headed and, to put it politely, angry, to represent Canada on the world stage. Bullshit. He played the role of government attack dog very well because he is a very talented politician. In a cheesy American-style line, he serves at the pleasure of the Prime Minister because a united government is an effective government. Now that he can put away his snarky hat (and boy will I miss that), he can focus on the current international missions, mainly Afghanistan and Libya. Osama (that didn't autocorrect, odd) being dead and Gaddafi being close to something similar will lead to troop levels rightfully lessening. I know European countries, and when I say that I mean the UK, want to bring home troops soon, especially from Afghanistan. Canada will inevitably follow suit if the timing is right. I am confident these big decisions, negotiated on the world stage, will be competently made by Prime Minister Harper and his new right hand man, John Baird. I can't wait until other foreign affairs ministers (namely William Hague who is my favorite for many reasons) and Hillary Clinton meet him.

I am incredibly proud and glad that BC MPs Alice Wong (Richmond) is the new Minister of State for Seniors and Ed Fast (Abbotsford) is the new Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway. James Moore remains in his position as Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. Jason Kenney is also staying as Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jim Flaherty as Minister of Finance, McKay, Toews, Ambrose, and some others are also keeping their old portfolios. Tony Clement has been given President of the Treasury Board and Julian Fantino has the new title of Associate Minister of National Defence. This leads to the total number of cabinet positions increasing to 39. The small government in me is raging but I am taming it. I've already crossed off a bunch of cabinet positions that does not need to exist (most of the "Minister of State" positions, especially Sport).

All in all, a very exciting day. I'm back =)

- Franny.

March Madness 2011!!!

This is by far my most favourite time of the year. The NBA and NHL seasons are winding down towards the playoffs and the MLB season is just around the corner. However, before all of that we have March Madness and as much as I love college football there is nothing like March Madness in terms of college athletics. There is always drama, intense jubilation, and intense heartache as some emerge as Cinderella stories while others settle for maybe just one upset and some live up to their ranking and go all the way. The possibilities of what can happen are endless and what makes it supremely unique is that it's the way sports is played on the playground: if you win you get to stay on the court but if you lose you go home.

This year's tourney is a little different because there was no "play-in game" but rather a "play-in round" consisting of 4 games between 8 teams this is also being called the 1st round so technically March Madness is under way but in the hearts of many (like me) it won't start until the "real" first round: the round of 64 (which is now the 2nd round). The field of 64 is set as VCU, UT-San Antonio, UNC-Asheville, and Clemson won their respective play-in games and March Madness is set to begin!!! So fill out your brackets ladies and gentlemen if you have not already. Check out my brackets below, just click on them to enlarge them:

My very professional, official and objective bracket:



My uber prejudiced: "what I want to happen" bracket:



This year's tourney is really tough to predict 'cause there hasn't been any team that's really been consistently good or dominating so I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot of upsets. In my opinion though, this may be a tourney where there might not be monumental upsets like we had last year with Butler and Northern Iowa but there are plenty of teams in that 8-13 seed range that could make a good run because honestly they shouldn't be seeded as low as they are.

Anyway I don't care if my brackets don't run true, because in all honesty they probably won't. I'll be rooting for my Duke Blue Devils to the fullest (shout out to all my fam in Durham, Fayetteville, and Charlotte even though some of y'all are UNC fans) and of course I'll be rooting for the home town Washington Huskies (shout out to my fam in Lynnwood). So let the madness begin!!!

Share your Final Four picks with us in the comments section!!

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

LASERS Review

It has been way too long. That is mostly my fault. We haven't blogged in a long time mainly because our lives have somehow become incredibly busy (yea still wondering when that actually happened). However, I will try to post more on the blog as of now mainly because the written word is still the best way for me to express my emotions and thoughts (seriously I'm really quiet and reserved, just ask Franny) and also because I like to believe (foolishly) that somehow, somebody out there in the world actually cares about what I think; but I digress.

My last post was about Lupe Fiasco so now that his much anticipated album Lasers (Love Always Shines Everytime Remember 2 Smile) has actually come out what better way to get back into blogging than posting an album review? I bought the album the day it came out but admittedly I've had the bootleg for a good month or so (I waited 3 years for this album and did not mention to anyone I had it out of respect to the artist). To those who are Lupe fans and haven't bought it yet 'cause they already have the bootleg I advise you to buy the album (it doesn't cost that much) so that Lu's label will be happy and we get even more music from Lupe, mainly that Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album gets released on time (though if I have to I will wait like I did for The Cool and then Lasers).

It has been over two and a half years since Lupe Fiasco wrapped on the first tracks for what would become his third album, Lasers. What followed was chaos and pun fully intended, a fiasco. to make a long story short: Atlantic Records rejected the tracks deeming that the album was not marketable, froze Lupe’s production budget, and Lupe requested to be let out of his contract. Atlantic refused to drop Lupe or his album, loyal fans protested in the artist’s defense, and the label conceded to release the album if Lupe made some serious sacrifices. He compromised with Atlantic and voila Lasers had a release date. If you’re looking for a detailed history of the ordeal, the folks over at Ology have done a great job in bringing the whole story together.

I’ve been a huge fan and supporter of Lupe since his early beginnings (I've written for 2 blogs about his music) so I was eagerly anticipating this album. However, it’s obvious that this isn't a normal Lupe album. By Lupe’s own admission in an interview with Complex, Atlantic had their hands all over this record and forced him to do certain songs, rap a certain way, and use certain hooks and beats. Lasers is mostly Atlantic’s album when compared to The Cool or Food & Liquor, which were entirely Lupe’s albums and it’s obvious. In the interview mentioned above Lupe said he loves certain parts of the album and hates others not only 'cause of the music but because of what went on behind the scenes and the pressure that was exerted on him to compromise his creativity. I have a feeling fans will also have a love/hate thing goin' on with this album.

However, Lasers is still a fantastic record if you look at it objectively. As a Lupe album it fails to deliver to the expectations of the hardcore fanbase. It's an album that is entirely different and that should be ok with the fans. Just because he's great at making records in a certain way that should not limit his ability to try his creativity out of his normal realm and push the boundaries of his talent. Also I think this album was necessary for Lupe's progression and evolution as an artist because the one thing about this album is that it is extremely radio friendly and appeals to a wide array of demographics and these are good things for Lupe because the core fanbase will always be there but this album is open to a whole new audience that may be experiencing Lupe's music for the first time ('cause they only listen to chart-toppers).

Also, contrary to some reviews, the lyrics are not overly dumbed down and certain songs such as "All Black Everything", "Word I Never Said", "Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)", "Till I Get There" and even "The Show Goes On" are every bit as complex and intuitive as Lupe's past work. The lyricism is still great and even on a track like "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now", which is heavy with the electro-pop sound that Atlantic seemed to push Lupe on, is really enjoyable to listen to because of the lyricism and flow. With that said I have to admit that the use of auto-tune on some tracks put me off a bit. Case in point: "Beautiful Lasers"; this was a song I listened to live when Lupe came to Seattle and it was my favourite of the snippets he provided to the fans that day but the use of auto-tune on the hook in the album version put me off a bit because the original song I heard just sounded so much cleaner without auto-tune and flowed much better. "Beautiful Lasers" is still a very good song but the non-synthesized version was great.

I was also really disappointed with the fact that Lupe's frequent collaborator Soundtrakk didn’t have a single production on this album. I believe he is a key factor of Lupe’s sound and holds his albums together. For those who don’t know, Soundtrakk did the beats for and co-wrote Lupe's biggest hits: “Kick, Push” and “Superstar”, plus he produced five songs on Food & Liquor and more than half of the songs on The Cool. They have great chemistry together and Soundtrakk is definitely capable of producing massive hits for Lupe that are loved by both fans and the general public as he has proven. I don't know the situation but if this was a decision by Atlantic they must be profoundly stupid because I can't fathom any reason why they wouldn’t want him to continue contributing to Lupe’s albums.

There are some good songs on this record and while some of the lyrics are not nearly as complex as the dense lyrics on his mixtapes or first 2 albums, Lupe’s message still comes through pretty clearly and he still brings the heat on most of the tracks. The album starts off very strong with “Letting Go” featuring Sarah Green followed by, “Words I Never Said” and “Till I Get There” (produced by long-time collaborator Needlz) which has a real old-school hip-hop feel to it. “State Run Radio” is a great song despite the chorus (which was sub-par in my opinion) and takes out his frustration with the music industry. "All Black Everything” is definitely the most hip hop sounding track with strings and hard drums. The album closes with “Never Forget You” featuring John Legend. Even though Lupe said he had little to do with this song and it was submitted to him by Atlantic, it’s actually pretty catchy (I guess the label did good work on that front) and ends the album on an optimistic vibe.

It’s a heartbreaking thing to see someone you admire being taken advantage of by the music industry. It breaks the idea of an artist, producer and writer actually working together in the same room to create songs they want to make. Instead, Atlantic records exposed the music industry as a bunch of cut-throat faceless business executives whose job is solely to create hits with little care for the artistic integrity and individual creativity of its signed artists. With that said take Lasers for what it is because it delivers as a pop-rap record and honestly it's still better than most of the major rap releases in the last year or so. To me this record is a stop-gap/experiment in order for Lupe to make the music he actually wants to make.

Notable Tracks: "Letting Go", "Words I Never Said", "Till I Get There", "The Show Goes On", "Beautiful Lasers", "State Run Radio" and "All Black Everything"

Grade: 8.75/10

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

MTV Offers Lupe Fiasco Some "Career Advice"

So today being a #FiascoFriday it was only too appropriate for the haters to come out and bash the way Lupe goes about his business. An MTV article claims that because Lupe doesn't drop a new track every week that he's fading out of the public imagination, hence the album delay. They also sort of inferred that Lupe doesn't deserve the #FiascoFriday protest, that is being held on October 15th outside of the HQ of Atlantic Records in New York, because he doesn't "deliver" to his fans on a more consistent basis.

One of MTV's main arguments was the fact that Lupe passes on "hit" records and refuses to record the types of songs that get massive radio play. Specifically the fact that Lupe passed on "Nothin' on You" and instead gave it to labelmate B.o.B. What MTV forgot to tell was that Lupe did initially record his own version of "Nothin' on You" but when he heard B.o.B.'s version he felt that it would be more of a success than his previously recorded version and guess what? it was. So a selfless act to give a labelmate a push in the public sphere gets Lupe criticized for not being selfish enough (yea that's what you want to teach kids right?). MTV instead makes it seem like Lupe passed on "Nothin on You" because he thought it would be a success. Seriously? who thinks like that? That's like a baseball player saying he's not going to use a bat to hit because he could actually get a hit (yea it makes no sense to me either).

Another thing that the article brought to the front was that if Lupe is actually all about the music why doesn't he just release L.A.S.E.R.S. as a mixtape? This is where the label politics and legal jargon come in. An album differs from a mixtape in the fact that the money provided to create it comes from the label versus a mixtape which an artist pays for themselves and sometimes the label will pitch in. Therefore an album is an entity of the label and not the artist themselves. This is why artists don't make crazy amounts off album sales because they only get a percentage of the profits and most of the profits go to the label in order for them to one, at least break even on the production value of the album and two, to create a profit (the album makes more than it took to make). Therefore if Lupe were to "release" L.A.S.E.R.S. without Atlantic's permission it could possibly be a breach of his contract (not totally sure about this 'cause I don't know what the particulars of the contract are) and Atlantic would have the right to sue him.

Anyway, Lupe fans went on the offensive and flooded Twitter and Facebook with messages of support aimed at Lupe and bashing MTV for it's um, "advice" to a critically acclaimed artist. It wasn't just fans either, artists like Chamillionaire and fellow All City Chess Club member Wale, also gave their endorsements to Lupe.





MTV has once again incensed the Lupe fans and let's all hope it's for the best and results in the release of L.A.S.E.R.S. I've been waiting for the album since the Cool dropped and I'll continue to wait but in the meantime I'm going to continue listening to the timeless and countless Lupe mixtapes and his 2 studio albums (by the way I did BUY the albums when they dropped) that have messages in them that ring true to this day. Certain artists get immortalized with their music and that's what Lupe's music will be like. It'll be remembered years from now and still ring true. Just like Tupac who some (like me) regard as the greatest rapper of all time. 'Pac didn't have an extensive mixtape collection or a large quantity of studio albums but his music lives on forever because he was a true poet that stayed true to his craft and didn't hold back in sending out the truths of society. If Tupac is the Malcolm X of rap then in my opinion Lupe Fiasco is the Martin Luther King Jr. of rap.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*you can read the original MTV article here*

R.I.P. Ian Cameron

UK Prime Minister David Cameron's father, Ian Cameron, died earlier today after suffering a stroke while on holiday in France. The Cameron family was at his side shortly before he passed away. I know many of you don't follow UK politics and this actually isn't political, but I wanted to give a bit of background information about the life of an inspirational person.

Ian Cameron was born with very deformed legs. His father had little faith in his ability to fit in but nothing ever held Mr. Cameron back. He played many sports in school, even football; nobody could tell him he couldn't. In his adult years, Mr. Cameron persevered to become a successful stockbroker just like the generations before him. He went through several surgeries in his lifetime, especially in his youth, to ease the pain from his legs, but later had both legs amputated and lost the use of one eye due to an infection. Regardless of the appearance of misfortune, Mr. Cameron was very adamant about leading an extraordinary life, passing on the same attitude to his children, one of whom is now the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister Cameron has always praised his father and said this during the campaign:

"My father is a huge hero figure for me. He's an amazingly brave man because he was born with no heels – quite a disability. But the glass with him was half-full, normally with something alcoholic. I think I got my sense of optimism from him."

The House of Commons sent their condolences today prior to the Prime Minister's Questions period, which was led by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

I just wanted to add that President Sarkozy of France gave the Cameron family a helicopter to use so that they could get to the hospital as soon as possible. Great man.

May our thoughts and prayers be with the Cameron family at this difficult time.

- Franny.

A G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape

Ahead of the November release of his fifth studio album, Kanye West along with longtime friend/collaborator/blogger Perajok have released a brand new mixtape. The aptly titled G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape features 30 tracks of music and skits from Kanye and artists signed to his G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music label, including Kid Cudi, John Legend, GLC, Big Sean, Fonzworth Bentley, Tony Williams, and Mr Hudson among others. This will clearly be the prelude of the anticipated domination by Kanye's camp in the coming Fall.

Whether you like him or not, it’s clear Kanye is working his way out of the trenches that his big mouth got him into (one of the biggest faux pas' of all-time!!), and he’s showing just why he IS the superstar that he is. Recently he's done new songs, new videos, new appearances, new tweets (yes Kanye FINALLY has a twitter, and it has been every bit as entertaining as I thought it would be)… and now a new, FREE mixtape. Some people might argue that it’s too much too late to make amends, but if he’s working on a change, then maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt.

But I digress, the mixtape itself is a great sample of what is to come from the G.O.O.D. crew. As a label it's always great to give a sample of what is to be expected. With that said, it has to be pretty stellar to grab the audience's attention. This mixtape certainly does that as it provides not only a deep tracklist but also good music to listen to. It includes some new songs and some snippets of new songs to come as well. All in all a very solid effort. You can listen to the mixtape below courtesy of Hypetrak and then download it here. Enjoy!!


Perajok & Kanye West Present: G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape by Hypetrak

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

The Chase For 600

600 home runs. Only six players in the history of Major League Baseball have achieved this feat (Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. & Sammy Sosa) 2 of them will have a dreaded asterisk beside their names in regards to their “alleged” involvement as active participants in the steroid era. Sammy Sosa, is one of them and has the least of the 600 club with 609 career homeruns and the other is the all time leader in homeruns, Barry Bonds, who has a total of 762 career homeruns. These 2 players are often called out as cheaters and many baseball fans disregard their homerun totals and many still believe there are only 4 members of the 600 homerun club and that Hank Aaron is the rightful “homerun king”. As baseball records go, joining the 600 Club is a very big deal (it’s much more difficult to achieve than 3,000 hits or 300 wins). Now there is another player on the cusp of making it into this prestigious club and no one seems to care. Why?

Alex Rodriguez is an enigma, he has been, in my opinion, the 2nd best player in the last 35 years (Ken Griffey Jr being the best between 1989-2000) and the best player in the last 10 (mainly ‘cause Griffey’s body broke down with various debilitating injuries). However, instead of being celebrated as one of the greats in the game A-Rod is continually hated by a vast majority of baseball fans despite him wanting everyone to love him. He was one of my favourite players growing up because he played for my home team the Seattle Mariners (even though I grew up in Vancouver) and his departure from the Mariners was the beginning of his vilification.

What’s so different about A-Rod? After all Griffey left the M’s too but instead of being hated Griffey is celebrated as the greatest Mariner of all time. I believe what makes A-Rod different is three things. First, in 2000 A-Rod had become the M’s cornerstone player as they had dealt their 2 biggest established stars in Griffey and Randy Johnson after losing to the Yankees in the ALCS (yea the M’s were THAT good back in the day) in the hope to rebuild around A-Rod. So he was now the face of the franchise. However, it was not meant to be as a bidding war erupted for A-Rod unlike any other player at the time and the M’s simply could not financially compete with the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers. In the end A-Rod spurned the Mets, who were a better team, for the much inferior Rangers and an absurd contract (10 years/$252 million). No one can blame A-Rod for taking the money but it seems everyone does, he was seen as a sell-out and also someone who hampered his team as the Rangers couldn’t field a competitive team simply because they couldn’t pay anyone else (they’re still feeling the effects of that deal as they head into bankruptcy court). Despite all of that A-Rod had 3 of the best seasons of his career (although we now know they are tainted).

The 2nd reason people hate A-Rod is because he is now also tainted with the steroid asterisk. Why is this more significant for him? It’s because when everything surrounding Barry Bonds and steroids was settling down and it was evident Bonds’ record was tainted; the hope was A-Rod (then thought of as a “clean” player) who had vehemently denied steroid use would be the saviour to reclaim the record. Even the biggest A-Rod haters held out for this hope because they could at least respect the record but when he came out last year and admitted to using performance enhancing drugs and lying to baseball fans about his PED use, it was a big blow to baseball and like a punch in the proverbial “balls” (I’m not trying to be sexist ladies) of baseball fans. So now the haters became uber-haters and A-Rod became another example of “cheating the game” for baseball purists.

The 3rd reason why A-Rod’s “chase for 600” has been so irrelevant is because he isn’t the best everyday player on his team right now, that’s Robinson Cano who recently hit his 1000th hit, and he’s not the face of the franchise, that belongs to the much loved and respected Derek Jeter. So much for all that talk about A-Rod finally earning his pinstripes in this past year's playoffs. He’s been the 3rd best 3rd baseman in his division this year, behind Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria and Boston’s Adrian Beltre. Also, A-Rod turned 35 on July 27, and reports have surfaced that his age and his bothersome hip are both starting to eat at his skill. Meanwhile, statisticians and fans have been debating about whether the Yankees will regret the seven years left on A-Rod's 10-year, $275 million contract and whether his power numbers will stay high enough to pass Bonds' all-time home run record of 762.

A-Rod's talent is unquestioned. But it's bizarre, fans don’t see an A-Rod at-bat as a must-see event. You rarely hear talk about how he's about to enter the realm of baseball's all-time gods which is justified by his stats. Maybe it’s been all the off-the-field dramas that surround him or maybe it’s true that he is the most vilified athlete in sports because of his personality, or maybe the game of baseball is changing and instead of seeing homeruns, fans would rather watch someone like Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg, who has taken the league by storm, throw 100 mph fastballs and back breaking curveballs to strike out 10+ batters a game. One thing is certain, A-Rod will hit 600 homeruns and many more, maybe he’ll break the all-time record or maybe he won’t but one thing is clear, nobody outside of New York (and even some in NY) cares if he does. This brings up an even bigger question, what will A-Rod’s legacy be? Will he ascend to be one of the baseball gods as the stats suggest or will he just be remembered as a great player in a very flawed era?

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

"Teflon Don" Review

Rick Ross isn't in my top 10 as far as emcees go in the game right now but I would put him in the top 15 that's just me though, others however love his style and laud him as one of the best rappers out right now and that's fine with me 'cause I respect everybody's opinions and realize we all have different tastes. Prejudices aside, I did take a fairly objective view towards his latest release: Teflon Don

Since his hit single “Hustlin’” came out in 2006, Rick Ross has become a heavyweight in the hip-hop game (much to the dismay of 50 Cent) and it's evident in this release. Teflon Don stands on three legs: Ross’ image, the album’s impressive production value, and its supporting cast of featured artists. Seriously, Ross proved he's got some serious superstar cred with the supporting cast on this album with tracks from producers like: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, No ID, The Inkredibles, Kanye West and Danja just to name a few.

It doesn't stop there either as Ross pulled out some big names for appearances as featured artists, such as: Jay-Z, Kanye, T.I., Drake, Jadakiss, Erykah Badu, Ne-Yo, Diddy, Trey Songz, Gucci Mane, Raphael Saadiq, Styles P and Raekwon. That is an impressive gathering of course but it is also a negative for the album. Sure collaborations are great, but when 11 of the 12 tracks have featured artists with heavy lyrical input it devalues the album as truly just Rick Ross'. Rather it sounds like the album should be titled, "Rick Ross and friends present: Teflon Don".

Ross has improved his wordplay on Teflon Don, which helps the listener forget the utter lack of depth in his lyrics. He just doesn’t have much to say (hence all the artists, maybe?). With Ross, you simply have to take what you hear at face value. He has money, he thinks he’s awesome and yes, he loves his sunglasses. Rick Ross often gets criticized for his less-than-proficient lyricism, and rightfully so (which is why he'll never be in my top 10), but I can’t help but enjoy Teflon Don. Look at the featured artists and try not to be intrigued; Ross is the definition of commercial rap, and he clearly understands the business of hip-hop.

The impressive production value puts this album over the top because it is so beautifully constructed by the myriad of producers providing the beats. Each track seamlessly flows to the next and all in all it's a fun album to listen to. Take it for what it is because it doesn't fail to deliver.

Notable Tracks: "Free Mason feat. Jay-Z", "Aston Martin Music feat. Drake and Chrisette Michele", "Audio Meth feat. Raekwon", and "All The Money In The World feat. Raphael Saadiq"

Rating: 3.75 Stars (out of 5)

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Raptors YoungGunz Dunkoff!!

I've been pretty sick so I haven't been able to type a real thought provoking article but I did promise a post soon and I don't ever go back on my promises. So I decided for this post to keep it fun. For those of y'all who know me personally know that I am a huge Toronto Raptors fan (I still secretly like the Grizzlies even though they left our wonderful city). And with Chris Bosh heading down to Miami (I told y'all that's why he cut his dreads for the fade lol) some Raptors "fans" have abandoned ship but not me. Why? 'Cause of the "Young Gunz" of course!! (also 'cause I stick with my teams through the good and the bad)

The original 3 members of the "Young Gunz" are Amir Johnson, DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems. These guys play a fun and high-flying game and it was shown last season. Although they have all been working hard during the Summer to improve, and it's shown as we went 5-0 in Vegas Summer League!! Sonny and DeMar not only participated but were the leading scorers and carried the team, they took some time out after a workout in Toronto to challenge each other to a dunk off to determine who's the best dunker on the team. After watching the video y'all can head on over to www.amirjohnson.com and vote for who you think is the best dunker. right now Amir leads with 49.19% of the vote while DeMar is in 2nd with 41.74% and Sonny is last with the remaining 9.08% of 39,137 votes!! Oh and the losers have to wear tights through downtown Toronto which I'm sure will be filmed by AmirTV. Hope y'all enjoy it and don't forget to vote!!




Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

A Very Arbitrary Thought.

First of all, I would like to apologize for my absence, I've been on vacation (as JabberWocky has mentioned) and is still in vacation-mode so I'm still shaking off my lazy. Second of all, the new look is awesome =) JabberWocky really goes ABCD (above and beyond the call of duty...I read it on a sign somewhere) and I'm very thankful and grateful!

This is short but it's been on my mind since I've been selecting classes for next year. If you had to choose one, which would you prefer: the same professor for multiple classes or a hot professor? Here's what I've been weighing:

Same professor for multiple classes

Pro- Could be buddy-buddy with the prof and he/she would have to know your name. References are important for grad studies!

Con- Could be a bad/dick professor and you're stuck with him/her for multiple classes! What a nightmare...

Hot professor

Pro- Eye candy and incentive for attending class, as well as actually paying attention (which would allow you to do better in the class)

Con- A huge distraction, trust me. Going to class just to drool and doodle disturbing images (not me I swear) is not the way to go.

What's the verdict y'all? Comment below (I know some of you wanna comment...there's someone out there...) and I'll keep it in mind, I promise!

Until next time!

- Franny.

A New Look!!

First of all I would like to apologize to all our readers for not updating the blog in a LONG time. I have been very busy with other aspects of my life (yes I do have a social life, contrary to popular belief) and Franny is on vacation so she hasn't been able to blog (actually a valid excuse). However I am back!! and I promise that the blog will be better than ever!!

The first step in the rejuvenation of the blog is the look of the blog. Our regular readers will notice the larger margins in the main text area as well as the "argyle sweater" like pattern as the backdrop ('cause we're so fashionable). This isn't a final look and because we value the opinions of our readers, if you have any suggestions on ways we can improve the design or template let us know and we'll try it out. Also we will be adding some more interactive features on the blog if we can. I have been considering moving the blog from blogger to maybe wordpress or livejournal but for now we're staying with blogger ('cause we're loyal) if we do decide to move the blog to another site we will notify you in an appropriate manner (no we're not gonna do a 1 hour special called "The Decision" on a national tv network).

If you guys have any questions, suggestions, concerns or are looking to be contributors to the blog you can email us at arbitraryopinions@gmail.com, tweet us @ArbitraryO or me @Jabber_Wocky, or just comment in the comments section of this post, we're always looking for cool people to work with and you can obviously post anything you want about anything you want and anyway you want (we are called Arbitrary Opinions for a reason).

That's all for now but I will be posting again very soon!! 'til then,

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Perfection.

I'd like to congratulate Roy "Doc" Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies for pitching his first perfect game, and the 20th in MLB history! I remember only ever watching the Jays play either when Doc pitched or they were playing the Yankees (Doc vs. Yankees always upset me, but in a good way?) Now that he plays for the Phillies, I've seen him pitch once this season but he's been superb! This is a BIG DEAL to those of you who don't watch baseball (to which I say, WATCH IT!) Congrats again and THANK YOU for giving me a crapload of points for my fantasy team =)

And I'd also like to thank JabberWocky for the profiles of the top drafts! I must say, Wall is my fav cuz I've heard of him and I hear he's good =P

Until next time!

- Franny.

2010 Mock Draft Lottery Pick #4

Minnesota Timberwolves: Wesley Johnson

Bio:
Birthday: 7/11/87
NBA Position: Small Forward
Class: Junior, Syracuse University
Ht: 6'7"; Wt: 206 lbs
Hometown: Corsicana, TX

NBA Comparison: Tracy McGrady without the ballhandling abilities but better defense and rebounding.

Strengths:
- Has all the tools, and fits the mold of the classic athletic small forward.
- Quick when maneuvering in the lane.
- At 6'7, he has a huge wingspan (easily over 7' feet), and tremendous leaping abilities which allow him to rise above traffic around the rim.
- He has a smooth and fluid motion on his jump shot, and gets nice elevation.
- Has a strong mid-range game that will only get better.
- Arguably the best shooter in the draft.
- Can shoot spot up from anywhere, but seems to excel at shooting off one dribble after using his quick first step to create space between him and his defender.
- He also uses an effective jab step to create separation and get off his shot, a must-have tool for a scoring small forward in the NBA.
- Has deep range with a high and quick release, and his consistency will only improve.
- He shoots 50% from the field overall, and does not need 20 plus shots to be effective.
- Extremely unselfish, the offense rarely becomes stagnant when the ball is in his hands.
- An underrated passer showing excellent vision and passing skills for a 3.
- He moves extremely well off the ball, and does a great job of getting himself open off back screens.
- Can run the floor and finish effectively in transition.
- His quickness, awareness and long wingspan come into play defensively as well, as he is a terrific off-ball and help defender.
- Can quickly move from the weak-side to ball-side, and used those long arms and high leaping abilities for 2 blocks per game.
- He's athletic and long enough to play effective on-ball defense at the next level.
- His wingspan and leaping abilities also make him an excellent rebounder, and his persistent nature and good nose for the ball make him a good offensive rebounder.
- One of the more NBA ready players in the draft.
- Has an infectous smile that is always on display during games; should be a fan favourite for his personality as well as his game.

Weaknesses:
- Sometimes settles or relies too much on his jump shot, and when it's not on, he becomes invisible for long stretches throughout the game.
- Needs to bulk up; when guarded by stronger defenders, he tends to pull back for tougher jump shots as opposed to taking it strong to the hoop and drawing the foul.
- Attempts less than 4 free throws per game (too low).
- Tries to get out of slumps by shooting jumpers instead of attacking the basket.
- Does not have much of a back-to-the-basket game yet, but his skills, high release and length give him a shot to develop a post game over time.
- Has trouble creating off the dribble, most of his opportunities come after one dribble or a catch and shoot.
- Not much of a playmaker, his ball handling skills are average, and he tends to throw the ball away too often.
- He's 23 years old, so his upside and potential might be little low for some GM's in comparison to younger players.

Consensus: Will most definitely be a SF in the NBA. At 23 years old already, he should be more mature and NBA ready than most players entering the draft. The big question with Wes is whether or not his inability to create will prevent him from being a consistent scorer in the pros, he has to develop some dribble moves. However his defense and rebounding skills should translate well to the NBA.

Minny's other options: Trade the pick (a possibility but probably not going to happen); Draft DeMarcus Cousins (possible, if they are willing to depart with either Kevin Love or Al Jefferson) or draft Al-Farouq Aminu (not likely) or Xavier Henry, Greg Monroe or Patrick Patterson (all longshots)

Official Mixtape



Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*NOTE: there have been rumblings that the Sixers are very high on Derrick Favors and he has moved up as the 2nd pick in many mock drafts and then if New Jersey took either DeMarcus Cousins or Wesley Johnson both of whom the Nets like, Evan Turner could fall to the T-Wolves and they absolutely love Turner, but I doubt this is going to happen as Wall, Turner and Favors are locks for the top 3 picks in any order you want to put them in.

2010 Mock Draft Lottery Pick #3

New Jersey Nets: Derrick Favors

Bio:
Birthday: 7/15/91
NBA Position: Power Forward
Class: Freshman, Georgia Tech University
Ht: 6'10"; Wt: 245 lbs
Hometown: Atlanta, GA

NBA Comparison: Amare Stoudemire

Strengths:
- Explosive athlete with unique combination of power and quickness.
- Possesses an extraordinary wingspan, with Georgia Tech official website claiming a 9'1" standing reach.
- Tremendous leaping ability.
- Frequent target of the alley-oop pass and seemingly nothing is out of reach.
- Soft hands allow him to catch passes most bigs would muff.
- Runs the floor like a gazelle showing great speed from baseline to baseline.
- Finishes with power around the rim; a dunking machine.
- Has made dramatic advancements in his post game repertoire and footwork.
- Features a drop step into the lane for a mini right hook and quick spins to either side of the floor.
- Very quick in the post. Displays a deft touch with his left hand around the basket, almost inclined to use his off hand.
- Has a nice looking jumpshot out to 12-15 feet, but does not appear overly comfortable.
- An absolute vacuum on both the offensive and defensive glass. Averaged 8.4 rebounds in 27.5 minutes of action (5.4 def and 3.0 off).
- A shot blocking menace (2.1 per game this season); alters countless other attempts.
- His mere presence makes opponents think twice before driving inside.
- Not a boastful personality, but rather allows his game to do the talking.
- Excellent student and quick learner.

Weaknesses:
- Has done a good job adding bulk to his frame, but needs to continue to get stronger.
- Needs to increase trajectory on his jumper and increasing his range would serve him well.
- Ball handling is decent for a big, but must be improved for his face up game.
- Needs to continue advancement of his footwork and comfort level in the post.
- Seems to predetermine moves rather than reacting to the defense.
- Does not handle double teams well.
- Needs to slow the game down and not panic.
- Not a great passer out of the post.
- Has relied heavily on his athletic gifts up to this stage against inferior competition.
- Needs to work harder and understand court positioning.
- Can be lazy at times defensively and on the boards, depending on his length and leaping ability.
- Stands too upright on defense and his lateral movement needs to improve.
- His conditioning has been questioned, often tiring in the latter stages of games.

Consensus: Derrick Favors could go #1 in most drafts but for this year he's a lock for #3. He's arguably the best athlete in this draft but needs to continue developing fundamentals in order to become truly great; his work ethic seems to be good but could be a lot better. He has very high potential and although NJ wouldn't get Wall at #3 they would get a guy who perfectly compliments their cornerstones in center Brook Lopez and point guard Devin Harris.

NJ's other options: trade the pick (only if they can trade for #1 or #2 or they can land one of the big free agents in a sign and trade) or draft DeMarcus Cousins (possible) or Wesley Johnson (not likely). Reports are also surfacing that the Spurs are very high on Favors and want to move up to get him so they can make him Duncan's successor at power forward.

Official Mixtape (couldn't find a decent one of him at GA Tech, but this one shows off his athleticism very nicely).



Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

2010 Mock Draft Lottery Pick #2

Philadelphia 76ers: Evan Turner

Bio:
Birthday: 10/27/88
NBA Position: Shooting Guard/Point Guard/Small Forward
Class: Junior, Ohio State University
Ht: 6'7"; Wt: 215 lbs
Hometown: Chicago, IL

NBA Comparison: Brandon Roy

Strengths:
- Big combo guard with great versatility and a tremendous feel for the game.
- Extremely smooth with the ball in his hands and has a bag of tricks offensively.
- His handles are that of a point guards; Has supreme confidence with the ball in his hands with an excellent crossover.
- Great mid-range game with the ability to change directions and get defenders off balance to create looks.
- Good upperbody strength allows him to absorb contact and make plays at the rim.
- Strong finisher. Very adept at finishing after contact. Also utilizes the glass effectively.
- Has a good runner when he meets up with shot blockers in the paint.
- Understands how to use his body to shield the ball from opponents.
- Has a great ability to drive which really sets up his ability to pull up for shots.
- Utilizes the spin dribble to get by opponents effectively and into the paint.
- Creative playmaker with the ability to find others for shots when his path to the basket gets cut off.
- Solid vision and a good passer capable of finding the open man.
- An above average athlete with good speed and long arms.
- Makes a lot of impressive plays at the basket using excellent body control and creativity.
- Jumpshot has good form.
- Has a big wingspan (near 7-foot); his long arms allow him to disrupt passing lanes.
- Draws a lot of fouls on drives due to his aggressiveness.
- Runs down a lot of loose balls and makes plays based on desire and hustle.
- One of the best defenders in the draft.
- Plays with a high level of intensity at all times no matter the game situation.
- Good rebounder off the wing.
- Solid free throw shooter at 79%.
- As a Junior, he is one of the more mature players in this draft and one of the most clutch.
- Coming in as the AP Player of the Year and National Player of the Year

Weaknesses:
- Not a freak athlete, but above average by NBA standards.
- At times appears to be susceptible to being thrown off his game by physical defensive play.
- A better scorer than shooter.
- Needs to improve his catch and shoot ability and expand his range and consistency from the perimeter.
- Sometimes drives too much if it is too effective and forgets about his jumpshot.
- At times can fall in love with the dribble and become too ball dependent; needs to improve off-ball play.
- His creativity can lead to being a little careless passing the ball.
- Not great at setting defenders up off of screens and shooting spot up. He prefers to create a rhythm with the ball in his hands dribbling off screens or creating off isolation.
- Injury issues as he missed 4 weeks with two fractures in his back but was deemed to have fully recovered before the March NCAA tournament so doesn't seem to be much of an issue.

Consensus: Like Brandon Roy was in 2006, Evan Turner is the most NBA ready player in this draft class, could go #1 but most likely will go to the Sixers at #2. Also the most versatile guard in the draft as he can play and guard 3 different positions but will most likely play Shooting Guard in the NBA. A threat for a triple-double on any given night.

Philly's other options: The Sixers have said they'd be open to packaging the #2 pick to any team who would be willing to take back Elton Brand and his enormous contract off their hands. Or they could draft Derrick Favors (a maybe), DeMarcus Cousins (not likely) or Wesley Johnson (a maybe)

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