Generally Managed Stutterings

New Hopelessness

2019-10-16T15:33:00.003-04:00

Over the years, I have tried my hand at blogging several different times. Often, I just don’t have the mental discipline or creative stamina to follow through with these plans. I have started and subsequently stopped at least 3 different times. I anticipate this current iteration to follow a similar pattern. HOWEVER! Until I stop, I want to take a look at the Hornets through the lens of expected losing.

We all know that the Hornets will lose a lot of games. We all know that the front office, top to bottom, has questions concerning its competence. We also know that there are 4-5 players in the coing NBA draft that are expected to be in competition for the #1 pick. We ALSO know that they Hornets have, on their roster, some very young and possibly interesting players. So, my efforts for the early part of the season will be focused on the future, both on and off the floor, of the Hornet’s organization.

I hope to write some more introspective pieces about the nature of losing, about the nature of improving personally while despairing collectively, and about the mental drain of repetitive loss. We shall see, we shall see.

The Love of a Tree

2019-01-29T13:58:00.002-05:00

The Love of a Tree

Branches, rallied by currents,

Skittered and scratched across the glass

That was barring their way.

Did they unconsciously attempt to break the molten sand

Or did the inside hold a certain attraction for the animate tree?

We know that trees send their roots deep into the group

To find water. Their blood and their essence.

We know that trees spread their leaves to the sun

To find air. A breath for the body.

Is it possible that rees send their branches to find life?

For what is the point of a spindly twig in spring

Without a singing bird to perch?

What is the point of an overarching bough

Without a squirrel to use it as a launching pad

For acorns and its own body?

And what is the point of a mighty trunk and sturdy branches

Than to provide rest for a sticker fingered wanderer

Who wants a cool place to rest?

The trees look for us,

One dropped acorn

One struggling sprout

One whipping switch

One unbending tower

One slump shouldered ancient

One hollow shell at a time.

Pressing out from the center to find us.

The only thing that can stop their search

Is the animosity and callousness of their goal.

The object of their affection will affect their destruction.

When they reach arms out to us, we trim them

When the next generation grows closer, we cull them.

And when they die, we dispose of them in a hellish grave.

Poem: Aged Burning (Ihsahn)

2017-11-14T08:38:00.003-05:00

The poet says to rage against the dying of the light.

But what if the light inside is not dying,

But settling comfortably into a crackling vitality.

The fire inside of a soul doesn’t have to be

A wildfire that consumes everything in its path.

It can resemble a hearthfire.

It burns with a quiet intensity without screaming

“The world must notice my pain and outrage”.

It burns without burning up.

This poet says that age brings temperance.

Sustenance is no longer flashing tremolo,

But a plucked melody in deliberate rhythm.

10/05/2017 Poem: Recalling Winter

2017-10-05T09:49:00.002-04:00

I remember winter

I recall the silence and the brightness

The languid movements of half frozen trees

Who have already dropped their leaves,

Leaving only the skeleton branches to clack together.

I remember the only sounds

Being the crunching of snow

And the light whistle of the wind.

The heavy snow crushed sound to nothing,

Making winter sound like nothing.

9/27/17 Poem: A Storied Old Man

2017-09-27T22:28:00.001-04:00

A Storied Old Man

His life reads in color on the wrinkles of weathered skin

Papyrus with pigment of times remembered twice.

Vellum scrawls and whorls and whirls

Read as the hieroglyphs of his time.

A lurching library painted with jackets

Of red and black and blue and eventually gray.

His left hand tells a story of his twenties

And his shoulder blades speak of a midlife decision.

The tops of his feet exclaim the power of love

And his chest shows the still hot coals of betrayal.

Read him top to bottom

And you will hear a tale.

Read him front to back

And you will know a story.

Wizards @ Hornets (11/25/15)

2015-11-25T21:40:00.000-05:00

101-87 Win! I watched this game on a large television, and in the company of people who I enjoy watching sports with. Here are some thoughts:

Clifford Extension: Coach Steve Clifford has agreed to terms on a three year extension with the Charlotte Hornets. As he made the local radio show rounds today, he repeatedly said that he was excited about this, and the people in the front office that will be supporting him. It seems to me like he has really learned and improved his ability to coach a team on offense, and his defensive chops will never be in question (hope this current Hornets iteration gets a little better at that). He mentioned that he thinks continuity is a big factor in teams improving year to year, and he definitely will be here to try to prove that point. He is a great coach, and I am glad Coach Clifford will be in the Queen City for the next 3+ seasons.
Zeller & Kaminksy: The super subs from the Sacramento game were subbed in early for the Hornets in this game. They were a part of the first real “bench” unit that Clifford put on the floor. Their combined impact wasn’t as great as last game, but Cody did put up an impressive individual game, slithering into the open spaces on offense.
Turnovers: An issue in the first quarter, where they had 5. A continued issue through the rest of the game, as they finished with a higher than average 19. It didn’t cost them the game tonight, but there is definitely a direct correlation between turning the ball over and having a harder time winning games. In the future, you would like to see these bobbled passes turn into catches. Kaminsky, Lamb, Batum, all had buckets slip away because of poor ball control.
3rd quarter woes: For a second game in a row, the Hornets were in a close game at halftime, then came out of the locker room and played a terrible third quarter. They were outscored by 11 in the third, and that made the 4th quarter comeback all the more difficult. I spent some time earlier in the post lauding Coach Clifford, but you would like to see him find a way to light a fire under this team to start the 3rd stanza.
4th quarter Woahs!!!!: 25-2 run to finish the game. That just about says it all. As hot as the Hornets were, the Wizards were just as cold. They couldn’t buy a bucket, and the Hornets defensive effort made sure that there were no easy shots to be had. A really, really impressive finish to the game.

Moving forward, I think that the Hornets have found their dual identities on offense. They are an inside out team when Al is in the game, and they are a pick and roll team when Zeller or Kaminsky are in the game. They have some playmakers on the floor at all times, which has never happened before. I think the biggest area to improve on is the defensive end, where this team may have a little bit of a glass ceiling because of personnel.

Kings @ Hornets (11/23/15)

2015-11-23T21:50:00.002-05:00

This kind of game makes me nervous. The Kings have so much length in their lineup, and they are playing better under George Karl this season. I think the Hornets will really have their hands full. I watched. I had some notices:

Demarcus Cousins: He is very good. Adding the three point shot to his arsenal, even though he shoots it too much, is a fantastic addition. He remains one of the top 2-3 scoring centers in the game. He got into some foul trouble in the 2nd, but still finished with 30 points in 31 minutes. He did still have a few of those odd Demarcus moments, but he was definitely a huge positive for the team tonight.
Mental Toughness: Very interesting mood swings for this team tonight. They played together in the first half, had a little sloppiness, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed. The third quarter was FUBAR. The Kings absolutely dominated until 2:00 left in the 3rd quarter. At that point, Zeller had a three point play, and then Kaminsky had a dunk, and that seemed to ignite the passionate 4th quarter and overtime. It was a super exciting game, but you would definitely like to see some mental consistency from this team in the future. Of course, the best way for a team to be consistent is to have a tough defense that can keep games close when the offense isn’t clicking.
New lineup: Zeller and Kaminsky took the court together, for the first time that I can remember this season (I am fallible). Could be a precursor of things to come, seeing if those two can play together. Kaminsky played well out there, taking advantage of some mismatches with the Kings’ switching defense. Those two bigs stayed on the floor for the entirety of the Hornet’s huge comeback in the 4th as well, AND played the entire overtime.
Kemba Walker: He really plays at his best when he doesn’t have to worry AS MUCH about creating for other players. In the fourth quarter, Walker really got on a roll. When he looks to score first, he becomes ultra aggressive, which also helped him create open shots for Batum and Lin as the quarter went on. He stayed unstoppable the entire 4th quarter, and then the rest of the team helped him out in overtime. He finished the game with a very “#1 option guy” 39 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks.

The Hornets are the blood pressure team of the year! A 127-122 win in OT. Good stuff. I was all ready to write up the “Hornets return to .500 post” so I don’t really know what to say now. The Hornets really showed a lot of heart. If they can play consistent, like Kemba said to our main girl, Stephanie Ready, at the end of the game, then they can continue on an upward path towards the playoffs!

Sixers @ Hornets (11/20/15)

2015-11-20T21:23:00.003-05:00

We must pull ahead of the median line! To be average is to be ordinary, and we must strive for 1 game above .500!!!! I watched. This is what I saw.

Starters: New starting lineup tonight. Batum, Walker, Lin, Williams, Jefferson start the game, as Zeller and Hairston were out for tonight. Missing two players obviously dips into the Hornets depth a bit, but they held up just fine, as Brian Roberts played the backup point guard when both Lin and Kemba were out.
Big Al: He was showing the veteran savvy tonight. He put Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor in the spin cycle, the pump fake cycle, and every other kind of post move cycle in the first quarter. He finished that quarter with 14 points on 8 shots, and ended the game with an efficient 26 points, 10 boards, and 5 blocks.
Challenge: Could the Hornets put the fallen team down? The Hornets were up big at half, leading 62-41, but could they keep up a decent amount of pressure when the game felt over? The answer was...kind of. Philadelphia closed to 11 in the third, ending up down 15 at the end of that period. They got the lead down around double digits several times in the 4th, but the Sixers just seem incapable of making several smart plays in a row on both ends of the floor. Silly fouls, reckless drives, poor passing...all of these things helped the Hornets keep this game out of reach. This should be a lesson to the team. Playing well for a full 48 minutes is an achievable goal.
The Process: The 76’ers are dreadful. They are abysmal. I would not question Brett Brown’s commitment to this team, but I would question the passion that his professionally paid players display on the defensive end of the floor. Not every possession was awful, of course. However, the negatives far outweigh the positives for this team right now. I have been on the “tank and rebuild” train, but the organization must be getting impatient.
Free Throw Shooting: A much different story that the depressing percentages that they had been shooting the last few games. Tonight, the Hornets were 21-22 from the foul line, showing a fantastic level of concentration for the freebies.
Aaron Harrison made his first appearance for the Hornets this season, and played about 2.5 minutes. If he has a future with the team, it is a year or more removed, but he is getting tons of valuable practice and skill development time with the staff this season.

Going one game above .500 is great, but that means the team is only a single loss away from being a .500 team again! I am not sure how much teams learn from beating terrible teams, but hopefully they do learn that they can dominate certain inferior opponents. Love this team right now, and I hope to see them improve on the 7-6 record.

Nets at Hornets (11/18/15)

2015-11-18T21:32:00.001-05:00

I missed the first half of this game (Mother in Law birthday dinner) but was able to enjoy the second half of the succulent contest. Some thoughts:

Rebounding: We know that rebounding has been an issue in recent games. Somehow, the Hornets solved this trend at least momentarily. Brooklyn only managed 5 offensive rebounds, and the Hornets also won the overall rebounding battle by a margin of 49 to 37. Marvin Williams was a big time contributor with 4 offensive rebounds, and Jeremy Lin contributed 9 rebounds of his own.
Shifting PF Position: For two games in a row, Cody Zeller has been plagued with foul trouble early in the first quarter, and Frank Kaminsky has been subbed in for long stretches. Yesterday, the Tank was not great on the offensive end, but tonight was a different story as Frank scored 11 points in 23 minutes. It seems to me that Cody has clearly regressed as an offensive player compared to last season, or at least has yet to find an offensive rhythm because of his stunted playing time. He absolutely gives more than Kaminsky in the defensive and rebounding aspects of the game, but the Hornets new offense looked good with Frank in there. I do wonder if this is the beginning of a valuable rookie season for the #9 overall pick.
Lin: I love his physical style of play. He is excellent at using his body to score in the paint, and he is really the only Hornets player so far in this young season who is consistently scoring in the paint off the dribble. Batum has had some great cuts, but most of Lin’s scores are coming off of his own dribble penetration, either off of the S/R or simply off his own isolation creativity.
Shooting 3’s: When the Hornets make 7 more threes than their opponent, that is usually going to be a winning formula. Excellent shooting by the home team tonight, using the extra points from distance to discover the equation for victory.

The Hornets keep figuring out a way to keep their overall record at .500, keeping the playoff hunt very much alive an 8th of the way through the season. This team continues to grow and learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and you can see Clifford experimenting with lineups and matchups as well. Allowing a team to learn and evolve while still winning some games is a pretty nice treat!

Hornets @ Knicks (11/17/15)

2015-11-17T21:57:00.002-05:00

We return to the team from whence we came! Responding to being outrebounded in the last three games, and spurred by the small injury to PJ Hairston, the Hornets have inserted Cody Zeller into the starting lineup. They come to this game with a very large starting five, and will seek to bring the proverbial hammer down on the non-verbial Knickerbockers. The Hornets especially seek to avoid the kind of knuckle biting drama that accompanied the previous win over the Knicks last week. Here are some notes:

Zeller energy: Really looked good in the starting lineup, bringing energy on the glass and on the floor, but he picked up 2 fouls in the first 6 minutes and was banished to the bench for the rest of the first half. Clifford left him on the bench the majority of the 2nd half as well, trying to find some kind of scoring punch (which didn’t really work tonight). That did change when Williams tried to kill Lou Amundson with an elbow and was ejected from the game.
Kaminsky the first big off the bench, and gets a tipped ball on his first defensive possession. He ended up playing a season high 24 minutes, but did not make a discernible impact on the game.
Sometimes my mind refuses to believe it when our 2nd unit is so consistently excellent. They seem to never be lacking in energy or aggression, and that extends leads or shrinks deficits consistently. Even Spencer Hawes was making shots! (When he wasn’t turning the ball over, or pump faking uselessly into oblivion)
Free Throws: This is becoming a disturbing trend. The team shot 17 for 25 from the free throw line, good for 68%.
Kristaps Porzingis: Special. Seriously. He is a fantastic rebounder, he has great hands and a developing feel for the game. He can shoot the ball from range, or finish inside. He was absolutely spectacular today, and the Garden loved him.
Kemba and the Garden: Speaking of the Garden, Kemba Walker absolutely loves playing in NYC. He scored 31 points in a game where nobody on the Hornet’s was playing well, so it was instrumental in keeping the game close until the end.

Basically, the Hornets lost this game on both ends. They gave up a bunch of offensive rebounds and open 3’s, and they didn’t convert a high enough percentage of shots on offense. Obviously, every team will have some off nights shooting the ball, but this one simply slipped away because the Knicks hit twice as many 3’s. Another day shall come, and another chance to win. Hopefully the Hornets can continue to attempt to tighten the defense up as the season leaves it’s early stages.

Blazers @ Hornets (11/15/15)

2015-11-15T19:26:00.003-05:00

I missed Friday’s loss against Chicago, so this battle against a less talented TrailBlazer’s team was a nice way to get back into the action. Nicolas Batum was coming off of a hot night, and the Hornets were looking forward to the return of Cody Zeller, aka The Energizer Bunny.

1st Half Hot Hand: Batum continued his hot shooting and playmaking, finishing the first quarter not only with 11 points, but with 5 assists as well. He is playing through the distraction of the terror attacks in his home country, and really has showed strong focus and determination early on tonight. AND HE COULD NOT MISS in the first half. He was unbelievably hot tonight. Also gotta give some love to Big Al Jefferson. He got back on track in a big way, and he LITERALLY did not miss in the first hald. 20 points for each player in the first half. Batum finished with 33, and Jefferson with 29 points
Jeremy Lamb: Got to show off some of the athleticism tonight. Had two dunks in the 2nd quarter and continues to be unbelievable as a scorer off the bench. He finished tonight with 13 points, 3 assists and 2 blocks.
Clifford’s Offense: Coach Clifford really needs to be commended for his creativity and ball movement in the offense this year. This team is assisting the ball at a high rate, finding quality shots at a high rate, and just generally looking a lot different than the Hornets/Bobcats of years past. Tonight, they assisted on 29 of 41 field goals, even with a very cold 4th quarter. Clifford received a lot of criticism for those boring offenses, and he deserves just as much praise in the early stages of this season.
Beating Terrible Teams: I wrote the title to this paragraph in the third quarter, but it can still serve after a poor 4th quarter showing by the Hornets. One of the calling cards of excellent teams is a hunger to win. Teams that are talented and have a strong desire to win all 82 games are teams that go deep in the playoffs. The Hornets do not quite seem to be at that point. They are scoring the ball better, but their defense has not been up to par yet, and they need to show the ability to put bad teams away and keep them away.

The Hornets sting their way back to a .500 record! This will obviously keep them in contention for the lower few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, and we keep seeing glimpses of a growing and maturing team. Good stuff to watch tonight.

Knicks @ Hornets (11/11/15)

2015-11-11T21:28:00.002-05:00

Time Warner Cable Arena was hoppin’ on Veterans’ Day as the Knicks came into town. The crowd was into the game, it was exciting late, and that is all you can really ask for! Also, there was dunking and trampolines, which trumps almost all other halftime entertainment. I thought these things:

Batum: really lived up to expectations on the offensive end tonight. It is unrealistic to expect a guy with career 11 ppg average to suddenly be a 20+ ppg scorer consistently, but tonight he was really cooking as the focal point of the offense, and he finished with a very important 24.
The BENCH!!!: How happy are we about these offseason acquisitions? It is unreal! Lin and Lamb are scoring seemingly at will right now, and Hawes, even though he is consistently failing the eye test, has some excellent +/- numbers right now. Those three are really keeping the ball moving and consistently heading through the cylinder. The bench crew played huge minutes in the 3rd and 4th quarters, helping the Hornets fight back from a double digit deficit to a tie game midway through the final period. Lin in particular was spectacular in the 4th quarter. Clifford left Kemba, Al, and PJ (All of whom struggled greatly) on the bench for the entire 4th quarter, letting the hot bench keep the game competitive. I like the idea of tracking Zeller+Lin+Lamb scoring. Last night they had 51, tonight they combined for 43 points.
Rookie Report: Kaminsky saw some extended playing today, which means he was on the floor for 10 minutes. I saw some positive things! He had three steals and an assist in those short minutes, which are great things for a big man to do. I keep hoping those minutes will grow and reach the 15+ minute mark sometime this season.
Of course, Turnovers: This really helped Charlotte to keep this game close. The Knicks turned the ball over 16 times, and the Hornets only gave away possession 5 times during regulation. That careful possession of the ball is stellar, and shows a concerted effort to be conscientious about where the ball goes.
Free Throws: This was bad, and falls mainly on Cody Zeller’s shoulders. He missed 7 free throws, and the team missed 11 free throws together. Really left some important points out on the court, as the freebies should be going down at a higher rate. We have to hope that Zeller is not too deep in his own head right now, as his shooting in general has really dropped from his good stretch in the middle of last season. Granted, his role has changed, but he really needs that jumper to fall, even if it is from three point range. (BUUUUUT, Zeller redeemed himself with the game winner)

What a game! Such drama! Almost so depressing…...This was a huge win for the Hornets. The Knicks are much improved from last year, both in roster and in execution, and they are going to be fighting the Charlotteans for a playoff spot all year. Porzingis really deserved that win, but hey, sometimes you catch a .01 second break.

Hornets @ Timberwolves (11/10/15)

2015-11-10T23:19:00.002-05:00

The Timberwolves are short a couple of people tonight, so the Hornets seemed like they were in a good position to pick up a win. What followed was: a sport game. I had these larger, bigger picture thoughts.

Bench Play: Very impressive showing from Batum and the bench group for the entire game. For starters, Zeller, Lin, Lamb, Batum and assorted came back from a 12 point deficit to lead by one at the end of 1. They kept up that energy for the entire game. That bench trio ended the game with 51 combined points, and were three of the four highest scorers for the Hornets.
3 pt shooting and Turnovers: The Hornets actually shot quite a bit worse than the Wolves, hitting 8 threes at 30%. The Wolves hit 9 threes at 47%, but that was not the difference in the game. The bigger impact was the 22 Timberwolf turnovers. The Hornets turned the ball over too much as well, with 16 TO’s, but the Wolves turnovers came at really inopportune times. Big difference, and ultimately one of the deciding factors in the victory.
Lack of athleticism: besides Zeller on the front line, the lack of bounciness hurts the rebounding numbers against athletic teams. I think this will be an ongoing concern. Zeller had 3 of the team's 4 offensive rebounds, and was consistently the only person on the glass on the offensive end. On the defensive end, the Hornets gave up 10 offensive rebounds, and you have to think part of that is Towns, Payne, Bjelica and Dieng just being more athletic than Jefferson and Williams.
Big man rotation: Hawes is shooting with zero confidence right now. His plus/minus numbers were solid, but he is not able to score the ball with any confidence right now. Many other people have been suggesting this, but I am officially on the “Zeller and Kaminsky as the main backups” train. At least Kaminsky has confidence in his shot, and he is a reasonably clever passer as well. I can only assume that he hasn’t gained Clifford’s trust on the defensive end.

Nice win for the Hornets tonight. It was fantastic to see the bench carry the scoring load when the starters have an off night. Lamb began the second half with the starters, and it will be interesting to see if that is a permanent move. PJ Hairston did not play at all in the second half, and only 8 minutes total. Jeremy Lin said before the game that this was a time for the team to make a statement, and they seem to have done that. They will move forward with another win under their belts, and the San Antonio loss one further day in the past.

Thought while reading

2015-11-09T22:37:00.003-05:00

I am currently reading Robin Hobb's book Fool's Errand. Concurrently, I have been reading the subreddit for fantasy on Reddit.com. Those two verbs intersected tonight, and I wanted to share a thought or so about them.

1. Robin Hobb has been accused by certain redditors of bringing her reader along too slowly in the plot of her novels. She is completely unafraid of narrative and simple, everyday things happening to her characters. In Fool's Errand, I reached page 153 before anything of great and lasting plot importance entered into the novel. For some readers, that would mean that this book has been boring and slow. For me, it means that Hobb is unafraid to be inside of her character's head. Fitz, the main character in her previous 3 novels and this one, is a broken man who has experienced the greatest of tragic adventures in his life. He hangs onto sorrow and guilt, withdraws himself from the world, and experiences small pleasures like an ordinary person. Reading about his life is interesting to me because Hobb has made Fitz into a person. He is not simply a vessel of action, or a conduit for the plot to flow through. He is a man who has thoughts and experiences that must be understood to fully realize him. I love that.

2. In much the same way, I think that this idea is applied by fantasy authors in more instances than is perhaps normal when compared to authors of other genres. Lets consider two authors: R.A. Salvatore, and Robert Jordan.

Salvatore is the author of the Drizz't Do'Urden series of fantasy novels. There are a million of them, and Salvatore is seen in some circles as less than a literary genius. His writing does have simple D&D and hack and slash elements in it, but in the course of his publishing career he has stayed with the same characters for 25+ books. That has given him the time to let them change, to experience tragedy and triumph, and to share those emotions with the reader through narrative. These books were a large part of my formative years in reading as I learned that character development and action can go hand in hand.

Robert Jordan has been criticized for the slow middle-third of his Wheel of Time series. I couldn't be more confused by people who feel this. All of the hundreds of pages that Jordan supposedly "wastes" in the middle 3-5 books is spent following characters through decisions both big and small. These decisions change their lives, allow us to know the characters more fully, and therefore allow us to be drawn completely into their world.

I cannot express more strongly how much I love that, or how important that is to readers. Literature is more than metaphors and veiled allusions. Literature is living vicariously (in a good way) through characters that make you feel and experience emotions that are important to the human experience.

Hornets @ Spurs (11/7/2015)

2015-11-07T22:51:00.002-05:00

As Jon Bois would say (he of Breaking Madden fame) “It's College Football Saturday!” As the rest of the sports world watches the Alabama-LSU game, we Hornets fans watched them trot into the arena in San Antonio to face the Spurs. They haven’t beaten the spurs in an eon or two, but hoped to fare better this time, coming off of two decisive victories over the Bulls and Mavs. My thoughts:

It must be a rule that a team has to have an atrocious alternate. The Spurs yellow-camo-sleeved uniforms tonight were really awful. Note: Every Hornet’s uniform is awesome.
Another trend that I mentioned last game was the 1st quarter hot hand. Tonight it was Kemba Walker. He was very aggressive starting out, especially in his forays to the rim, and finished the quarter with 12 points.
No major revelation here, but when you turn the ball over, you tend to lose. The Hornets had 15 turnovers, which is egregious, but is more than they would like to average. Perhaps that is a byproduct of running more and passing the ball more, but you would like to see that number go down.
Spurs are so good at executing. They shot 55% in the first half, and just move the ball so crisply. They are especially good at making the extra pass. Example: assist numbers (35 assists on 45 FG. WOW)
As hope still lingered in my breast, the 2nd half of the third quarter happened. The Spurs ran a blitzkrieg and were suddenly up 17 at the end of the third quarter. Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills, and David West dominated the Hornets second unit. This was absolutely the story of the game. The Hornet’s bench had no punch, and the Spurs’ bench looked like All Stars. Hopefully this is a scoring blip for the Hornets, and not a trend of struggling to hit shots and get stops.

Negative: We couldn’t get a stop tonight. The bench couldn’t score. There just didn’t seem to be a ton of fight from this team tonight; when the Spurs got hot, the Hornets just didn’t respond.

Positive: Uh...Frank got some nice burn at the end there. Kemba scored the ball really well, and the starting five generally looked decent.

Moving Forward: PJ Hairston needs to find some confidence in his shot. Remember the D-League, PJ? Score the ball! This team also needs to dedicate itself to the defensive end of the floor. The Spurs are a fantastic team, but they shot over 55% from the floor, which is well above a league average mark.

Hornets vs Mavericks (11/05/2015)

2015-11-05T22:56:00.002-05:00

Behold! The mighty shall journey to the land of dust and desert. To the land of cows and cactus. They shall face the mighty, struggle, and they shall overcome (They did!). I watched the Mavericks and the Hornets, and I had these thoughts:

The Hornets always seem to have one hot hand in the first quarter lately. The last couple of games it's been Nicolas Batum, and this night it was Al Jefferson. He finished the opening period with 11 points on six shots. Really nice showing for him as he looked bouncy early, and late. He finished the game with an incredibly efficient 31 points on 18 shots.
The shooting. It was pretty poor from 3 pt range (I have slight issues with Batum’s shot selection. Likes to dribble into them a lot.) The team finished with 6 three point baskets on 27 attempts (22.2%)
The energy of Marvin Williams this season has been awesome, and it's really a testament to him working so hard in the off-season. I was an advocate of Cody Zeller being a starter again, but Marvin has really earned his minutes. He is leading this team in 3 pt makes, and in rebounding. He has turned himself into a great offensive stretch 4 for this team. (I still want a rim protector though.)
Speaking of a rim protector, Powell killed us at the rim in the first half. BUT, the Hornets dominated points in the paint 58 to 36.
Bench scoring came totally from 3 people. Zeller had 11, Lin had 7, and Lamb scored 16. Those were the only bench points, period. I don’t think it is a terribly big deal, as Hawes played 18 minutes in a supporting role, but the more the ball can be moved around the court, the better.
Final Note: Zeller almost got killed for the second game in a row. That young man does not care about his body. Last game Noah tried to give him the people’s elbow, and tonight Deron Williams shoved him in the air on a fast break. Ouch.

Summary: The Hornets won their second game in a row! They are looking pretty smooth on offense, and the added fire power is definitely a big reason for that. The team really took control of this game during the 3rd quarter, where they outscored the Mavericks by 10 and never gave up that lead. The Hornets will try to continue their excellence against the very excellent San Antonio Spurs next.

Let me know what you think! Any thoughts on my thoughts?

Bulls vs Hornets (11/3/2015)

2015-11-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

Harnessing the power of the mind is one thing. Harnessing the power of the body by using the mind is something else altogether. The concreteness of purpose and strength of mental discipline in professional athletes is something that is stunning in its scope. Tonight, despite my many past admonitions of mistakes and mental lapses, I acknowledge the vast physical and mental superiority of the players I am about to watch. While I watched I had these thoughts:

The Hornets opened up this game moving the ball really crisply. 17 points in the first 9 minutes, and you have to wonder if PJ was given a wake up call by not having his option picked up. He never looks lazy, but tonight he looked aggressive. (Team finished the first quarter with 37!!!!!! points.)
Lin is the only player on the team who consistently attempts to get all the way to the rim. I like his aggressive nature. We have a lot of drive and kick players who only want to kick, so Lin is a nice change of pace for this team.
HOT! This team had a first half that you dream of. They hit 8 3’s, had 17 assists, finished the first 24 minutes with only 2 turnovers, and only allowed 47 first half points. That is a coach's dream right there!
Zeller was bloodied tonight by a Joakim Noah elbow. Got him right in the nose/forehead and that thing bled like a sieve! He was looking energetic tonight before that blow sent him to the locker room. But no fear! He got 8 stitches and was back in the second half.
You have to approve of the risk that the Hornets took in signing Jeremy Lamb to a contract extension yesterday. He is a scoring guard with length, and the Hornets know that he can be a scoring cog off the bench without batting an eye. Lamb was FIRE against the Bulls, basically scoring whenever he wanted to, and finished with a team high 20 points
The new guys were all great tonight. Lamb is documented above, Lin as well. Hawes made up for some of his terribleness against the Hawks with some nice offensive play, and Batum really looked like a number one/two option for much of the night.

Overall, the Hornets just dominated this game. They out shot, assisted, rebounded, stole, and blocked the Bulls. The movement was crisp, and it made the defense look good on a night where they gave up 100. The teams were simply moving too fast for the defense to be solid. There are always things to work on, but the Hornets have to be encouraged by this offensive explosion as they move forward in the season.

P.S. Remember that shooting thing? The Hornets shot 14 for 23 from 3 point range tonight.

Hawks vs Hornets (11/01/2015)

2015-11-01T17:39:00.002-05:00

I attended this game at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, so I have fewer thoughts than normal. However, in the midst of the spilled tears and sadness at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, I have couple of thoughts.

Marvin Williams is really holding on to his starting job so far. This afternoon, he hit 5 3’s and had 3 blocked shots. Pretty solid outing for him, and he is the leading three point shooter on this team so far.
I know that real sports writers like Zach Lowe have commented on the Hornets color scheme and court design already, but it really is amazing. The beehive court combined with purple and teal really is one of the great color schemes in the League. Unlike the Hawks new unis, which are atrocious.
It is always fun to be in an arena. The players look more athletic, the noise drives you to hysterical levels, and some dancers are better than no dancers! (My wife refuses to be the timeout dancer for me)

The Hornets have started out 0-3, and Coach Clifford talked after the game about players being organized and having to know what they are doing on the court at all times. There are definitely some large negatives with this team, but the season is still young, and the hope that this team will gel and become a team that can legitimately win games against talent still lives on.

Hornets vs Hawks (10/30/2015)

2015-10-30T23:10:00.000-04:00

Another day! Another game. Tonight the Hornets visited the Atlanta Hawks, the so-called “Spurs East” and their all powerful coach Mike Budenholzer. What transpired, my bullet points shall tell. With Jeremy Lamb returning to a usable level of ankle stability, the Hornets saw some small changes in the lineup when compared with Game 1. Through the course of the game, the Hornets did show some solid fight as they struggled through and made it a game late in the 4th quarter, with a last second three just missing. Assorted thoughts:

It was great listening to the Hornet’s new television broadcast crew. I had zero problems with last year’s play by play man Steve Martin, but Eric Collins did what a play by play guys is supposed to: act excited, and ask leading questions for the color analysts. Certainly acceptable. Stephanie Ready was due for a more important role with the team, and she really showed solid knowledge and timing. She and Dell Curry will have to work on their rapport with each other, but they should be solid together, both bringing a unique perspective.
Shooting: This may be a subject that we talk about 82 times this season. I WILL be keeping an eye on the 3pt percentage throughout the year, and the number of threes that we are shooting. For the game, the Hornets shot 30 threes, and hit 12 of them. That is a totally acceptable number!
As much as there are arguments against Marvin Williams playing minutes at the four, you can see why he is on the floor. He gets a lot of open looks in the Hornets offense by sliding out to the perimeter around pick and rolls, and he rewarded Coach Clifford tonight with 13 pts (3 3’s) and 11 rebounds.
Batum: He looked awesome early in this game. He stole the opening tip for a bucket plus the foul, then continued to play aggressively in the first quarter. He did not look great for much of the rest of the game, and finished with 7 turnovers.
Lamb: Jeremy Lamb was the 2nd quarter Batum. 8 points on three straight possessions! he scored once in the 4th, but I am sure he will be worked more regularly into the rotation as his ankle gets healthier.
Zeller: He was bad tonight. When Cody isn’t effective on the boards, and when his jumper isn’t falling...
TURNOVERS! The Hawks some some excellent defenders, and they were aggressive in this game. Additionally, the Hornets kept getting trapped in corners, or stuck without a dribble in poor spots, it was really an ugly passing game. The team finished with 18 total turnovers.
BIG OPINION: This is game 2 of 82. Lets all calm down a little bit. The Hawks and Heat are top 4 teams in the East this year, so we can't freak out when we lose to teams like that. We have mistakes to fix, but this isn't hair-pulling bad yet.

This game was in reach until the end of the 3rd quarter. The Hornets of last year were a team who went through large scoring slumps, and they fell into that trap tonight. Coach Cliff will have to keep finding a way to manufacture offense in those periods. On the other end, our defense is hopefully still in the throes of birth. These guys should work better together as the season goes on, and can be a little more prompt on rotations. On to the Home Opener on Sunday!

Hornets vs Heat (10/28/2015)

2015-10-29T08:42:00.000-04:00

There is something inviting about fall. Consider the forest. In the spring and the summer, the forest is full of life and growth and noise. There are brambles and nettles and hordes of mosquitoes, squirrels and birds make their raucous calls to their brethren, and the heat of the day pounds through the canopy above you. Then comes the fall and all of those things still. The forest becomes a place of peace. The brambles and nettles are dead, the animals are retreating towards their winter homes, and the sun has released the world into a gentle cool. You can walk unmolested in the woods (Unless you look like a deer. Wear some orange) and simply exist without interruption.

Then the peace of fall is startled by the full throated call of the NBA! It appears, running through the shadows like Cody Zeller on a full court break to the rim!

Game one of an NBA season is such an exciting time. The players are new, the fans feel renewed, and the record is pristine. No heartbreak has happened (cough MKG cough) and we can imagine our Hornets slipping into the #7 or #8 spot in the playoffs. It may unfold!

GAME 1 Notes

Al Jefferson can still score. He had 13 in the 1st quarter, and finished the game with 17 after a very slow second half. In fact, as the Hornets went into catch up mode in the 4th quarter, Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller shared the floor for much of that time.
Shooting: Not as good as we had hoped...The Hornets shot 6 for 24 from three point range. That percentage is not going to cut it, especially when the opposition hit twice as many threes at a 60% clip.
Defensively, the Hornets were kind of terrible, but not wretched. They definitely miss a rim protector. There is not intimidating presence at the rim, and the Heat scored inside quite a bit. 40 of their 104 points were scored inside the paint. While this is less than the Hornets, the Heat do not have a post up threat like big Al. Their paint points came from penetration and lobs.
The Heat have a great bench. Gerald Green is the perfect 6th man, and Josh McRoberts only makes that second unit hum smoother. They will win a lot of games in the East, and in the league as a whole.
Nic Batum guarded Dwayne Wade for the majority of the 2nd half, and did a reasonable job. It is excellent to see Batum already assuming that responsibility.

As the season goes on, I will do my best to incorporate some advanced statistics, perhaps some more storytelling techniques, and of course some gimmicks to keep you internet wolves satisfied.

Forest at Twilight.

2015-08-27T21:35:00.000-04:00

Rustling was not a word that could describe the noises that the intricate forest made, instead a better word might have been rushing. The wind made a rushing through the leaves of the sinister trees, a million flailing hands brushing against each on and on into the infinite forest. The might and canopy of the trees kept the underbrush from growing, and the forest floor was barely covered by anything but the long dead rustlers of previous seasons; the leaves sitting heavy and wet on the ground.
When the wind died down, the depth of the forest began to show her face, as a silence that only nature can supply grew in the twilight hours as the sun began to fall. No noise, no movement, only the heavy silence of greenery and stone and soil.

What should enter here? Who would dare intrude upon the slumber of mother earth in this sacred place? No one but a faun, not breaking the silence but merely bending it as his small feet daintily and cautiously led him through the leaves and into the picture painted there in the woods.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Resigning!

2015-08-26T08:58:00.000-04:00

As a Hornets fan, there has always been an appreciation for MKG in my soul. There has also been a large amount of sadness, since he should be Anthony Davis, and the Pelicans should have signed MKG to this contract, but that is beside the point.

On Monday, the Charlotte Hornets brass gave Kidd-Gilchrist a 4 year, 54 million dollar contract extension, which will make him the highest paid player on the team next year (hopefully that doesn't happen, and the Hornets spend a huge chunk of change and attract a star to the Queen City...). I am not going to get into all of the advanced statistics that show why this is a good idea. You can read the ESPN posts, or the At The Hive posts, or really anything. I just want to show you why this was a good idea:

We love you in Charlotte, MKG. Keep being an upstanding citizen, excellent role model and teammate, and, if you get some time, keep putting up some jumpers this offseason. Keep hustling your heart out, and keep having zero control over your limbs as you jog down the court. Keep inspiring kids everywhere by overcoming your speech obstacles. You are the man!

Why people write

2015-08-25T10:03:00.001-04:00

I had an interesting conversation with a young man a few weeks back. He was headed off to college, and he was going to be a writing major. So exciting! The thing that stuck out to me though, was his admission that he needed to write to keep his mind at a functional level. He struggles with depression, and writing was a way for him to get thoughts and ideas out of his head, keeping it clear enough to deal with the day ahead of him.

I have run into creators with this problem before, and it seems like one of the biggest 3-5 reasons why people make art/new things. They create because there is no other way for them to express themselves. Many humans can get by with texting their best friend, or screaming into a pillow once in a while, but not these people. Their brains are so close to exploding with a profusion of thoughts and ideas that they must simply spew them out before the person is driven mad.

There is a very large part of me that wished I was one of those people. I have always been interested in writing, in creating new things, but I have also always struggled with the ability to produce. My brain simply does not have the ability to create new and valuable thoughts on a regular basis. At least not new and valuable thoughts that can be extrapolated into readable work.

I think this is another reason why I read, and why I teach. The old adage that "those who cannot do, teach" hold very true for me. I simply cannot write the types of stories that I wish I were capable of. However, I can perhaps teach my students how to better approach their passion/need to write. Perhaps I can unlock a conduit in a young person's head that will allow their thoughts to spill out continually as they create something needed.

No real conclusion for this post, more of a wondering and an admittance.

Why I read fantasy

2015-08-25T09:22:00.003-04:00

Today, I just finished reading a blog post by Patrick Rothfuss (one of my favorite authors) about Terry Pratchett (one of his favorite authors). Pat spent a little bit of time talking about the stigma that is often attached to the fantasy genre, basically the stigma that fantasy is trivial writing, about imaginary subjects, and shouldn't be held up as something young people should read. I have a couple of responses to this close minded approach to the genre.

First, I read fantasy because it makes me happy. I firmly believe that reading is one of the most important and enjoyable things that a human can do for themselves, and fantasy literature gives me the greatest sense of joy out of any type of writing. As humans, we do so many things that we simply are required to do. Not everyone is an entrepreneur who loves their job 100% of the time. We need time to do things that we simply enjoy! For me, that means reading a fantasy novel while eating a snack at the dinner table, then moving that read fest to the couch, where things get a little more serious...or something like that.

Secondly, I read fantasy because it moves me. I agree with the trilobites that there was a dead time in fantasy, where the genre was completely overrun by poorly written Dungeons and Dragons themed writing, where the fighting was more important than the character. However, I think the 21st century fantasy writers have brought new life to the genre as a whole! There are fantasy novels that I read that make me tear up, novels that make me laugh out loud, novels that make me contemplate deeper issues concerning human choices and the future of the world, and the list goes on. Fantasy LITERATURE is being written in the world today, and it is worth being read because the writers are telling excellent stories about real fallible characters.

Thirdly, I read fantasy because it takes me back. I started reading fantasy without knowing that it was a genre that could be explored. I read the Chronicles of Narnia, A Wizard of Earthsea, and the Song of Albion series. Then, in my freshman year of high school, I saw my Latin teacher reading The Eye of the World...He let me borrow it, and I devoured it. I then devoured The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, and every other novel in the series I could get my hands on. From that point on, I knew that fantasy novels could be both interesting and exciting, both emotional and full of muscle, both clever and blunt. The formative years of my life were filled with fantasy novels, and it helped me become a better person for the current world.

So, if this post has a point (besides being written in a 5 paragraph form, since that is what I am teaching my students currently), it is twofold. Humans should be reading. Words leaping from a page into your eyes, burrowing into your brain and settling against your emotional center. Reading should be happening in every classroom, bedroom, and boardroom in the world. Finally, don't be prejudiced against a genre until you have read it. Storytellers are not limited to one genre, or only to classics that were written 200 years ago. There are writers living among us, and they have words to share and lessons to relate. Read them.

Hornets Summer Recap and Depth Chart Preview

2015-07-16T15:34:00.001-04:00

The 2014-2015 was supposed to be another step on the ladder to NBA relevancy for the Charlotte Hornets. The addition of Lance Stephenson, coupled with the previous seasons playoff berth and the re-rising name of “Hornets” were all supposed to collide together to create this shooting star season for the franchise. However, if you are a person who knows things that happened, you know that this didn’t exactly work as planned. The Hornets lost many games to injury, and never were able to create a sense of cohesion between new player, old players, and coaching style. Chalk up that season as a loss.

However, hope springs eternal in the NBA! The new season has seen Charlotte General Manager Rich Cho make a bevy of moves that he hopes will buy him more time as the GM (rumors) and keep the Hornets in contention for a playoff spot. Let’s review these moves one at a time and see how they could possibly impact this club.

First: Trade Lance Stephenson to the LA Clippers for C Spencer Hawes and SF Matt Barnes.

This is a trade that had to happen. Steve Clifford hadn’t found a way to use Lance Stephenson, or Lance hadn’t been able to duplicate his success with Indiana from the previous year. Either way, the relationship had soured. In my mind, this move didn’t do a ton to help the Hornets. Spencer Hawes is a journeyman center who has played with reasonable success in several situations. He does his best work as a stretch the floor center who can move a big man out from under the rim, then pass or shoot the ball from the perimeter. He is capable of hot stretches, but is also capable of sub-par defense. (Or maybe that is all he is capable of). Matt Barnes doesn’t get a mention, because he left the team in a matter of days. I give this trade a C. It was necessary for the team to move forward, but it didn’t do much to change the team’s fortunes in the upcoming season, especially when coupled with their draft pick.

Second: Traded Matt Barnes basically (there was a little movement involving Luke Ridnour), along with a 2nd round pick, to the OKC Thunder for SG Jeremy Lamb.

For some reason, Jeremy Lamb has been linked to the Hornets for several seasons. Perhaps it is his relationship with PG Kemba Walker, who he won a championship with at UCONN, or some other reason, but he finally ended up on the Hornets roster. Lamb is a lengthy shooter with some slashing ability. He has shown during his time with the Thunder that he is capable of knocking down shots. As is the theme with most of these offseason moves, his defense is suspect, though he has the arm-ness to be a disruption in the passing lanes. Lamb will be fighting for backup SG duties behind Nicolas Batum. He will be competing with PJ Hairston and Troy Daniels (Daniels had a great Summer League) I see Lamb as someone who will earn minutes simply because of his length on defense. Steve Clifford has shown that he can design a defense around worse than average defensive players, so Lamb has a possibility of being a small liability on one end, and being a positive on the offensive end.

Third: Traded SF Gerald Henderson and PF Noah Vonleh to Portland Trailblazers for SG Nicolas Batum.

This is the trade that Rich Cho thinks can have the most effect on the franchise. Batum is a very skilled player, capable of successfully doing every single basketball activity that you can think of. He is not a superstar because he can’t do any of these things at the highest possible level, but he can dribble, shoot, pass, rebound, defend, and lead a team. Having all of these characteristics makes him very valuable indeed. The one sticking point with Batum is that the only place where he has had to lead a team is at the international level with the French National Team. During the FIBA World Cup in 2014, Batum was excellent at filling whatever role his team needed, and it will be interesting to see him get an extended chance to be a featured player at the NBA level this coming season.

Fourth: Drafted PF Frank Kaminsky from the University of Wisconsin at #9 in the 2015 NBA Draft

Frank the Tank is a scorer. It is what he did in college, it is what he did at the Orlando Summer League, and it is what the Hornets see him doing this coming season. They can see him playing off of Al Jefferson, or simply stretching the floor with Jeremy Lin during pick and rolls in the halfcourt. Frank also passes the ball well, and even dribbles rather well for a player who is 7’1”, so the hope is that Clifford can use him creatively.

Fifth: Signed G Jeremy Lin

This was a surprise to this writer. The Hornets looked like they had a pretty complete roster before this signing. They weren’t going to win a ring, but the roster didn’t have any glaring holes that needed to be filled. Obviously, the Hornets management didn’t agree with me on that point. Jeremy Lin does three things: He makes plays out of the pick and roll, he shoots threes with decent accuracy, and he sells merchandise. As the only current Chinese American player in the NBA, Jeremy Lin is a huge marketing win for the Hornets. Now, he will sell some jerseys, but he will also be a step up from Brian Roberts at the backup point guard position. His ability to turn the corner and get to the basket, then finish or look for the next pass, is a skill that really lets the Hornet’s 2nd unit be dangerous on the offensive end. Again, his defense may be slightly suspect, but he is big enough to put a body on many point guards in the league.

Depth Chart:

Here is my predicted depth chart, with a few words about each position:

PG: Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lin, Brian Roberts, Aaron Harrison

Not too much to say here, kind of what we all expect. If there is a healthy season, there will be a productive PG group

SG: Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, Troy Daniels

I would love to see Troy Daniels slide ahead of Jeremy Lamb here, simply because he could make 150 3’s in 50 games this season, no problem. He can light up the world.

SF: Michael Kidd Gilchrist, Pj Hairston

Honestly, I think that Batum will get a decent amount of the backup minutes at the three, especially when we need more shooters on the floor. MKG had a dramatic improvement last season as a jump shooter, but I don’t think he will suddenly be a 35% three point shooter.

PF: Cody Zeller, Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky

Unabashed love for: Cody Zeller. I hope that he can play at the highest level that he achieved last year, and keep it up for an entire season. I think that the Hornet’s fans will want to see Frank Kaminsky at the backup 4, but Marvin Williams has been in the league for a long time and will already be familiar with the system and what it means to be an NBA player. We shall see.

C: Al Jefferson, Spencer Hawes

It is upsetting how much this team needed Jefferson to be healthy last season. He is the hub of the offense, and the only player who can consistently score out of the low post. Hopefully surrounding him with some better shooters will keep the double teams away, and hopefully he will come into the season with some pep in his step.

Prediction:

I see the Hornets finishing 6th, 7th, or 8th in the Eastern Conference. I also see them winning 41+ games and finishing at or above .500.