Baskets, Playoffs and Siblings, O My !

    

The NBA Playoffs have started to seem like a series of marathons to me. The easiest job is sitting and watching them because they normally run so close. This year it has resembled a basketball version of the film Groundhog Day (for all those who have seen it!) with slightly different versions in successive games for those who are actually participating. My sympathy goes to the players who are starting to feel fatigue. Don’t get me wrong, though! I love basketball so it’s quite a wonderful interlude for me. Watching and playing, however, are two totally different things so you’ll have to figure out how to understand what I’m telling you if you are scratching your head and blurting, “Say, whaaa?” Try playing a serious game of basketball yourself some time, then you’ll know.

     The Warriors are dominating the scene again- without Bougie (Cousins) and Kevin Durant, since his injury during game 1 vs Portland Trailblazers- and I am still every bit as much in awe of their playing since the whole GSW phenomenon started a few years ago but I’m beginning to get the old star system fever again and have been noticing some stray talent here and there that is getting more than my attention.

     Before the end of last year and prior to the All Star games in Charlotte I happened to catch a GSW vs Trailblazers game and then again in February prior to the start of the Playoffs and happened to notice that Steph Curry’s brother Seth was in Trailblazers line-up. I noticed a bio on him several years ago in NBA stats on players and seeing the last name and the faint similarities of the facial features wondered if this was a close relative or even a twin. (Remember, fraternal twins can look no more alike than a sibling and are not identical.)                                   

     I wondered about it for quite some time until February 13^th this year when I heard Seth’s name called in the line-up and they mentioned in passing that they were, in fact, brothers (two years apart in age) from the same set of parents. I got very excited because it was a chance to see someone in action that I had only wondered about and they were playing on opposite teams in this game.

     Since Seth seems to be a second stringer (which limits floor time in the NBA) I didn’t see enough criteria to compare between him and his brother but he did toss a couple of awesome three-pointers and after seeing that they appeared rather indifferent to each other I decided to do more research. I found out that their father,Wardell, was also an NBA player from 1986 to 2002 with a decade long career with the Charlotte Hornets and among those who championed the 3-pointer. He took his boys to work with him and the result is two outstanding players in the NBA- each for their own reasons and capabilities.

    

Little did I know back in February that I was actually going to see them playing against each other in the Playoffs in May. I couldn’t have predicted that if I’d had 3-D glasses on! Of course, the previous series against the L.A. Clippers this year was every bit as much a struggle and probably the hardest I’ve ever seen between two teams vying for the championship. What has been touted by many as a stellar performance in the last game of that series belied a bit of the true basketball talent of Danilo Gallinari who played for quite some time with the Denver Nuggets after the Knicks trade. It has been a subject of debate that something was holding him back here in Denver but I won’t say the name of the coach because I think those conjectures are way off base. All I will say is that his abilities are now being utilized to the max and saw a difference in him in the last game (6) which should get him more recognition. Maybe he hated Denver. LOL. Despite all efforts the Warriors marched right past them and all the way back to Coney.

     During other Playoff games I happened to notice James Hardin’s 40 points per game streak along with Russell Westbrook’s also which is reaching out to overtake Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 515 consecutive games of 40 points. Even though these two are not my favorite players for reasons other than their playing ability they are bringing up standards to the NBA which will be a tall order to beat. They deserve kudos for that alone. Zack Collins of the Trailblazers has the ability to reach or even perhaps overreach these stats but his attitude is going to have to improve. If anyone thinks basketball doesn’t require character improvement they should get out while they have a chance. Myers Leonard should get a newly invented Most Popular award. Commentators have noticed his indomitable spirit while playing- I noticed that he just happens to be the best-looking basketball player I have ever seen in my life. ; ) Don’t disgrace the face!

     Speaking of commentators, I have taken to turning off the sound occasionally when I’m watching the Playoffs because of the way they’re talking about the interrelationships between the teams and still promoting the star system mentality. Maybe that worked during Michael Jordan’s heyday but with GSW’s success in using a humble and fair system for all players it’s time that those who analyze the games realize that the game has changed and it started changing way before GSW made a success of it.

     Let me take you back to the night of March second in 2011. The game was between the Denver Nuggets and the Charlotte Bobcats. Carmelo Anthony had been traded to the New York Knicks along with Chauncey Billips so the ‘stars’ were gone. Wilson Chandler had taken on a lead role in a line up that included Nene, Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen, Ty Lawson and J.R. Smith. All amazing players with their own set of strengths and no weaknesses. The ever present Arron Affalo was there but was taken out in the first quarter when he twisted an ankle, tried to make a comeback but got hurt again in the third quarter when Gerald Henderson plowed into him driving to the basket and finally ended his contribution to the game.

     However, the Nuggets won that night without a single player even coming close to making 40 or even 30 points. They won the game with a 40 point lead with Chandler making 16 points and all the rest had a mere 14 points apiece with a final score of 120-80. You could say that the Nuggets trounced the Bobcats merely because each player was making points in double digits and they were able to take over where before they may have been considered irrelevant to the action of the game. It was the Nuggets highest score of the season starting with an 18 point lead by the second quarter. Chandler and Andersen made their first ten points in the first half. As a result they went into the fourth quarter with their lead into 91-67. This was a blockbuster victory and it just took ordinary players bringing extraordinary effort to the game.

     It is my opinion that this exemplary game be the kind a spectator should always see when they watch NBA games. They’re more exciting and it helps players improve over time. It may be true that it’s more fun to have a hero to save the day but it seems more fitting that each player is a hero in their own right and a better person for the effort.

Play on…

The Castle Lady

Summertime is Here !

   

  First off, I just want to say Congratulations to the Warriors for a spectacular performance and win of the championships tonight at Oracle and also to Kevin Durant for his second MVP Finals award. It is certainly deserving and I'm glad you received it this year, too ! I'm sure there are going to be many more in the future! Kudos also to all the Cavaliers who put up a valiant fight. You live up to your name for sure. I should know- I'm The Castle Lady ! What a great way to kick off summer in a big way ! !

     Every season, so far this year, has arrived early and it appears that summer is going to be no different. I’ve planted a brand new flower garden on the south side of my house this year so it’s going to be exciting to see what all comes up. Hopefully it will discourage all the weeds that have grown there in the past. Can one defeat weeds with seeds? Well, I’m certainly going to find out! I’ve zapped those weeds relentlessly for quite a number of years now and since I had some good bare ground for a change I decided on flowers rather than try to put in a lawn where no one will appreciate it. I even made a pretty path to go along with it of small flagstones (donated by my aunt Anne) and I may even put in a garden stool or small bench if there is enough space. For now, I’m watering, watering and watering and waiting. Some seedlings are coming up so it’s starting to take on some shape of an actual garden. It’s certainly making early June a little more interesting.

     You know it’s been many years since I actively have roller-skated anywhere because so many of Denver rinks have shut down over the years. My introduction to the sport was during one of my earliest summers where I just strapped some metal skates onto my shoes- with metal wheels, mind you!- which I got as a gift the previous Christmas. Talk about a take-off! I don’t remember a single fall with them on and they were my greatest toy for one summer. The ice cream man going by? Put the skates on quick! It was the only way to meet up with friends, find an empty parking lot or space somewhere and pretend we were at a skating rink. That was one summer.

     I never used them again. Many years later…after High School was over, after I’d gone to Opportunity School and was working as a professionally licensed nail tech I noticed that in California grown people were putting on professional-looking skates with new types of wheels made out of polyurethane. They were colorful and they dance skated in them so it really caught my attention. When I moved out to California I spent every weekend skating on the boardwalk at the beach in my own customized pair. I also went to roller rinks and roller disco parties in them. Roller-skating grew up for me in a very real way.

     When I moved back to Denver I kept skating at various different rinks and had gotten quite good at it. For a good twenty years I kept it as a very important and regular part of recreation in my spare time. The roller rinks began to shut down and even now there are almost none. When I heard that the rink which I had started roller-skating at as an adult was being revamped for its old purpose very recently I made a mental note. I haven’t actually gone through those doors yet because it’s been eighteen years since I last skated, I’ll bet! I’m going to challenge myself to go back to it because I’ll bet it’s like riding a bike. You know. You never forget, right?

     Well, I can’t think of anything better to get me away from everything- aside from going to see a movie which is also a rare thing for me to do.
Skating was the impetus of one summer many years ago, so I believe I’m going to let it be that one thing you just never want to give up doing. I could stick with the patterns I’ve let my life fall into or I can just go all the way back to one summer in the sixties and be myself once again. Summer time is HERE ! Here we go…

The Castle Lady

Barbie Does Basketball !

     We’ve reached the Finals of the NBA championships and watched last night’s Game 1 to see the usual struggle between LeBron’s vulnerable ego doing battle with the Warriors insistence on humbleness. The game alone is enough entertainment especially since Shaq and Barkley had their laugh about the Benny Hill antics that go on when chaos clashes with insistence on order. (Their take on the new basketball!) I don’t see why anyone would purposely miss these games because the entertainment value is high. If you’re not watching you’re really missing out- I just had to say that! However, I can’t stand it when someone really gets hurt. That’s what happened in the first quarter between Klay Thompson and J.R. Smith. Before anyone could stop it J.R. slipped (probably on someone’s pool of sweat), colliding with Klay who had just taken possession of the ball, tripping him and he twisted radically, slamming down sideways on his right hip. Thompson tried to get up and apparently was in such pain all he could do was slam his fists on the wood floor. AUGH!

     That mishap sent him out limping to the locker rooms for the remainder of the quarter but luckily returned by the second quarter to make a round of perfect shots in the basket for the remainder of the game. His resilience alone is commendable but it made me wonder just how much daily pain these athletes endure over the love of the game. Who says they don’t earn their money ?

     At any rate, I watched a real tug of war for hours with the scores reflecting the struggle quite well. The Cavaliers and Warriors were head to head throughout the entire game. Durant really shined in this game. I noticed that Dramond Green tried to give LeBron a facial when he was trying to do a slam dunk. One word of advice to Dramond: Try to stay as far away from LeBron as you can during the remainder of the finals.

    

When the game went into overtime a sudden burst of perfect shots put the Warriors way ahead of the Cavs and you could see shock registered on the faces of the Cavs. Meanwhile, the Warriors were clearly rejoicing. When two and half seconds were left on the extended clock LeBron and Steph Curry decided to have a chat which escalated into a fast fight between several of the Cavs and several of the Warriors. There was enough time for it, wasn’t there? This was all started because Tristan Thompson had just been ejected from the game for unnecessary roughness. The ref actually started the fight, in truth. How important was it to eject a player when by all rights and purposes the game was over, pal?

     I think the NBA needs to call all the refs down on the carpet and start laying down some rules for them. Often their calls are way off, especially on fouls. It’s so bad, in fact, that I’m beginning to wonder what constitutes a foul. Even commentators are bringing this issue up on a regular basis and it’s definitely high time they have a conference between the players, coaches and refs and get their wires uncrossed. Those rules are in place to protect players, basically, so they have every right to question bad calls. Often they are quite justified in doing so and they should be included in these talks. It’s time to have it out. Right?

www.nba.com

Just my two cents worth !

The Castle Lady

It’s Just Another NBA Christmas !

    

I love the back-to-back games they have every year now on a regular T.V. network. This is the third year in a row now. It gives fans a chance to see what the potential championship runners for the year are up to and what’s what concerning the roulette wheel of trades and free agent changes. Kevin Durant’s move last year to the Golden State Warriors took everyone by surprise including myself but I’ve been aware of his talent as a player for quite some time. He’s actually a peer with LeBron but has chosen the humble road for quite some time. My how things can suddenly change! Humbleness cannot be faked, in my estimation, so my thoughts are that Durant needed a little more recognition and respect. Good for him. It doesn’t make him any less a hero but it makes him quite human- as we all are- and I nod my head in agreement. No one has ever earned MVP quite as much as he did last year and under the current circumstances I think he should receive the award again. Of course, that would be a contingent on whether the GSW make their way to the championships again. Judging from the last five games I think they can do it.

Stephen Curry has been curiously over-absent from quite a few games now and the camera spotted him in the audience about midway through Monday’s game (and very near the end) on ABC looking quite peaceful, happy and idle. Hmmm. As usual, all the Warriors were in their best form and won the game against their fiercest rivals, the Cavaliers. To be honest, when I watch these particular matches I’m torn because I like as many players on the Cavaliers team as GSW. There were a handful of rookies on both teams so it was particularly crucial to watch.

   

  Something I haven’t understood at all is the reaction that Kevin Durant is getting in his old hometown- OKC. What’s up with all the sass from former fans last year? It appears to me that Russell Westbrook is carrying a grudge but he should be quite happy with his line-up these days and they did win over the Houston Rockets by a five-point lead. When I saw that Carmelo Anthony had joined up with the Thunder earlier this season I went into shock because I know how much he persevered to join up with the Knicks years ago after being with our own Denver Nuggets for so many years. Conversation about him never stopped while he played for Denver but he also caught some flack by Nuggets fans when he signed on the dotted line for the Knicks. While watching that game on Christmas Day I noticed that his average shooting had gone down more than ten points since his Denver days. That made me sad because he was the holder of the highest shooting average in the NBA while he played here.

     Overall I liked most of what I watched and am looking forward to this season’s wrap up. I’ve learned to just enjoy the games because I truly don’t have favorites but I do appreciate a good, difficult basketball game full of three pointers, pass-arounds, ally oops and jump shots but very little dribbling. It’s too long of a road to Little Dribbling and wastes too much gas. Speaking of gas- whatever happened to Birdman? Oh, I almost forgot. thumbs up to Draymond Green for his sly-fast 3-pointer from downtown in the beginning of the last quarter on Christmas! 😜  
 

In April...

     First, there were early daffodils which showed up the first day of April. Every day in this month has been a whirlwind of activity with personal appointments, outside work and housework with extra spring cleanings and decluttering the house from items to put up for an E-garage reality sale*. Then, later on, there was planning for Easter and the day itself. Earth Day was a day for doing outside work in earnest and I managed to find the greatest ground cover mulch with pine needle droppings from the tree I planted back in 1990 in the back ! Now I can defeat the weeds on a greater level, the mulch is naturally aromatic and I doubt that any weed is going to break through that stuff! Nothing under the tree did- that's for sure! (hee hee) Believe it or not, I've actually mowed both my front and back lawns already and we've practically had no real rain or snow through most of the winter. Go figure.

*(explained below !)

     E is also for me. Evelyn. Yeah me! I am one tired lady most of the time. Between kitchen, living room, laundry, salon, bathrooms, bedrooms (3 of 'em) duties plus office organization, studio straightening and cleaning and sorting through the garage, it's been decided that placing the mulch is the last bit of yard work I'm ever going to do. One has to draw the line somewhere and I feel I have finally met my match with it so someone else will have to take it on. Wish me luck in finding the right person for the job because if I find that one they will have a job for life!

   

     One way or another I always pull it out for baskets every morning. I've decided that while it may not be my raison d'etre, it is still a very important part of my day. I'll never give it up no matter what I am doing or where I happen to be. They do have basketball courts in England- I've seen them ! Eureka ! I've also decided to rejoin the human race in one thing. For years I've walked where I need to go most of the time and not just because my car is now 27 years old. I'm determined to keep gas guzzling to a minimum but sometimes you just have to take off and be somewhere else besides your home turf. Considering that I'm a travel writer, primarily, I'm going to travel more- one way or another. If I start there and gain some momentum I figure on accelerating that and go further and further afield. However, I'm not walking to England!

     E is also for Ella! Fitzgerald, that is...It's the 100th anniversary of her birthday and if you get a chance you should check out this link to see what I put up on my rock blog about her. It's not comprehensive but relevant to her current fame which has not waned. More musical artists, this year, are recreating her tunes than possibly any other jazz singer, ever, and considering that this is Jazz Appreciation Month it's very apropos and de rigueur that you visit her web site if you are even a little bit of a fan of jazz music. You'll be glad you checked it out. Here's mine: http://evelynsrockpages.blogspot.com  and Ella's official web site: www.ellafitzgerald.com  

     Of course, this is all after the fact with this being the end of April. I guess that Nat King Cole song is absolutely right...

            Lost April...where did you go ? Like winter snow

I saw you vanish

Lost April...so soft and warm, a memory not even time

can banish...

Here comes May,

 

        Check back often for a new widget to this blog which will be my E-garage and actual garage sale.

I'll be bringing my live sale to you with its own blog on which you can make bids with your (undisclosed) e-mail address.

Coming soon ! ! Details later...

          

Ring a Bell for the NBA Playoffs 2016

You all have most likely figured out by now that I generally grow relatively silent on the internet when playoff season for the NBA starts. Also, that I'm not likely to emerge from my sequestered niche when I'm keeping right in on the action until it is over or almost over and a champion team has emerged. This year is a ringer for sure. Besides the fact that they have produced a unanimously voted MVP, broken long-standing stat records clear back to the 70s and risen to the top of the heap in an incredibly short period of time, the Golden State Warriors can add one more credit to their rep. They have changed the way any pro basketball game looks- from start to finish- forever. 

     I have watched basketball games from a very young age up to the present and the best action

I've ever seen on NBA courts has been within the past year and a half. Anyone who remains uninterested in pro basketball in the present time is missing out on some of the best sports action to be seen in the known world. I have become a true believer in this new basketball era since watching all the GSW vs. 'anybody' since the playoffs started in April. Right after the first game started with the Houston Rockets, Stephen Curry was seriously injured twice- ankle, then knee- and the MVP was out for the count of four consecutively missed games. One might think that GSW would get creamed and tossed away but the whole team is so in sync that it was almost as if Steph was still in the paint ! I have been wowed by every single member of the team whether I knew them before or not. Even

Green has grown on me and he always seemed to be talking even in the middle of a 3-point shot. Shall I sing, "Getting to know you" right here or what ? I hate that and you know it.

    

They all make three-pointers and alley oops like they've been doing them in their sleep since they were three and that's unbeatable. What has really blown me away during the regular season, however, is their superior defense. I noticed that during these playoffs against the Trailblazers, Rockets and Thunder that their defense seemed to be just not working that well. When I watched the games with the Trailblazers over again I realized that they were mimicking GSW's style. I started backtracking to several games I had recorded during the regular season and could see that nearly every team was mimicking their style. It has been said by many that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so GSW players have been doubly flattered by almost every NBA pro and that speaks well of this particular style. It's called basketball and it isn't new but it has definitely taken on a new life since last year and I hope these games continue to look as exciting and fresh as it has been since 2015.

   

    

Playoff Procrastination

I'm sure my regular readers are wondering why I hadn't written about the Playoffs which have been over for about three weeks now. Quite frankly I think I'm still a little stunned at what happened even though I'd been noticing photos like this in the NBA twitter camp:

That's Stephen Curry in the middle with the number 30 jersey.

It's very obvious to me that LeBron is going to be in the Playoffs every year whether he plays for the Heat or Cavs or the Mavs for that matter. I think he's an amazing player with plenty of days of championships ahead. Look what he did for Miami! This is in the face of some serious injuries which other opposing teams seem to disregard flagrantly as a regular thing. It's like he's the NBA punching bag or something. In sports it's very difficult to get respect. There are so many sports journalists who think it's their job to make snarky comments about every player that shows true ability. He hasn't escaped his share but he is so cheerful most of the time that no one notices that Mr. Bobblehead gets knocked around too much. On June 11th I watched the Warriors whip the hides off the Cavs in a 103--82 final score and LeBron's shooting was held to 7 of  22! The series had been tied up to that point and I started to get worried. 

Even so, Stephen Curry is obviously coming into his own. He was so happy after they won but also so incredulous he kept yelling at his teammates, "What ?" Even he couldn't quite believe what he pulled off but each game was so close regardless of the final score that I watched both teams struggle like fury to get the other contained and with LeBron it's just not possible. Even Stephen Curry would say so if someone was bold enough to ask him. The Cavs were actually doing very well at the beginning of the championship playoffs until the series switched to the West Coast- the Warriors home base. People can say all they want about teams generally doing better at home but that's not always true and the Warriors did lose twice in the playoffs at home against Memphis and Cleveland! I sat up and took notice of the GSW when they won over the Nuggets back in 2013 during the first-round playoffs. They were defeated by the Warriors then and haven't made it to the Playoffs since ! GSW happens to have Andrew Iguodala, who started out with the Nuggets and their coach Steve Kerr is a star coach. We're going to have to keep our eyes open on GSW because they've broken some kind of spell. Watch out NBA !

The Castle Lady

Don't Miss This...

If you love the game like I do 

you'll be there or be square, if you can stand that !

 

The Castle Lady

          

Daily Baskets

     Rarely, if ever, do I actually write about myself on this (or any other) blog but today will be different. You'll have to forgive me if I seem a little whimsical and funny but seeing all the humorous aspects of my situations has become a habit. Think of it this way- at least I'm not so conceited that I can't laugh at myself. As it is, I can't help it. Laughing out loud at photos of myself, people ask me what I think is wrong with the photo. Usually, if I'm smiling or laughing- it just looks so goofy to me. At any rate, I wanted to write very briefly about my seven year foray into the addition of adding baskets (as in, basketball) everyday along with my daily walk. I've been walking on a daily basis every morning since the summer of 1983 and feel that it has kept me in good shape. Most people mistake me for being twenty years younger than my age so I must be doing something right.

     Back in 2006 someone asked me if I ever played basketball and as a matter of fact I used to try to play basketball with my brother and his friends because we had a mini-basketball court in our backyard and my brother did take the time to show me how to get the ball in the hoop. Well, after getting knocked around quite a bit by boys (most, several years older than myself) I soon gave up. So, seven years ago my mother bought me a basketball for my birthday, at my request. I don't know what she thought of it but she didn't hesitate and it's been my morning routine ever since. One specific thing happened that I didn't realize until I saw a photo of myself. As a matter of fact, it's the photo alongside the header of this blog. My arms suddenly had tone and definition and had slimmed down considerably. This, after I had tried everything I could think of to get the heaviness out of my arms. My workouts had consisted of hand weight lifting involving some exercises I had found in a magazine. Nothing much changed. I added weights to my wrists when I worked out until it felt like my hands were going to fall off. Still nothing. The only thing that worked was baskets and it turns out to be a thousand more times pleasant to do than anything else I'd tried.

     This routine has not been without its trials and tribulations. I've had men come by and insist that they're going to show me how to throw the basketball right. ( While they miss basket after basket, LOL!) Then, there are the kids. They instantly believe that I owe them a chance to try out my ball and generally come close to throwing it in the lake. One old woman's dog tried to gnaw holes in my ball while she laughed at his antics. Needless to say, the dog almost ended up in the lake instead of my ball. I could go on and on but you get the idea. Most people would have given up on doing this with all the adversity encountered. I am so glad I have stuck to my guns and kept bouncing my ball up the street. However, you must connect with the ball. You must become one with the ball. Try using it as a pillow at night.

     Now, I know what you're going to say. Why didn't you make it into the WNBA if you're so good at this- but if you just read the above you'll have to understand that the WNBA didn't exist when I started playing originally and gave up too soon if the truth be spoken. The confidence I have gained from doing this everyday is tremendous. I may look like Phyllis Diller out there for all I know but I feel like Wonder Woman. It's all worth it even if it never puts a dime in my pocket. However, I wouldn't mind getting into some kind of tourney like the one above. Hello ! ! Ka-ching !

     In closing, I highly recommend this for women especially because our upper arms rarely get the kind of exercise that shooting baskets afford. You could try knocking things off of high shelves and trying to catch them but I think that's a whole lot more dangerous and possibly stupid. You might risk looking stupid while you're doing baskets but if you go early no one will know or see and the results will have you not caring how you looked while you were getting there. Grace comes with it eventually, believe me. One day a teen-age boy stopped me and told me it looked like I was dancing from a block away. What do you think of that ?

Two out of three- average,

The Castle Lady