Hawks-Jazz

Mustache is finally living up to his promise of covering Atlanta teams. After attending a Falcons, Hawks, and three Braves games, I am a fully integerated Atlanta sports denizen.

Anyway, I went with a small group of people to Phillips arena last night to catch the latest come-from-behind Jazz victory (although the margin was much smaller last night than in Florida). The arena is sort of connected to the CNN center, and in an indoor courtyard between the two is the world's best food court.

What makes it world class? They had enormous beers (I'm pretty sure they were 36 ounces) for like $8. Needless to say, we were a little late for the game.

Oh, did you want actually game commentary? Josh Smith didn't shoot threes very well, Joe Johnson is pretty good and Kirilenko of the Jazz gets a lot of rebounds.

Also, according to some kids in the elevator, the Falcons are going to the Superbowl.

After I got home I watched some of the Thunder-'Blazers game. Russell Westbrook for MVP.

Throwback Posterization: Dirk Minniefield

I just happened to stumble upon this old school dunk by a dude named Dirk Minniefield who played for the Kentucky Wildcats. The video is from sometime between 1979 and 1983. Unfortunately, he's most remembered for blowing a game against rival Louisville in the 1983 NCAA Mideast Regional Final. In the final moments of the game, UK had a small lead and he drove the lane only to be blocked by Louisville center Charles Jones. Louisville tied the game to force overtime and proceeded to take the game over in a 80-68 victory. As a Lexington native, Minniefield heard about this for years to come. To make matters worse, in 2007 he admitted that he and several teammates had smoked weed the night before. He still suspects that the marijuana affected his game. After being drafted by the Mavericks 33rd overall in the 1983 NBA Draft, he would play just three seasons as a journeyman.

But let's get back to that dunk, which I'd much rather him be remembered for. That might be one of the nastiest dunks I've ever seen. Minniefield was only 6'3" and it looks like his head goes above the rim. He does seems to push off the defender's chest somewhat with his knees, but that's still some ridiculous shit. This video has reminded me of other vintage facial dunks, so don't be surprised if "Throwback Posterizations" become a regular here on Dank Game.

Big Baby to the NFL

According to ProFootballTalk.com, Glen "Big Baby" Davis has a serious itch to play NFL football some day. Specifically, after he becomes a super star in the NBA. I could continue to regurgitate information from Mike Florio's post, but his trademark wit was clearly on when he wrote his article, so why don't you just read that instead.

In the meantime, I've made this ridiculous Photoshop art for you to marvel at.

Slim, does this count as an NBA or NFL post?

OKC Thunder have the best . . .

You'll all be pleased to hear that the word to close the headline sentence is "mascot."

Yes, Oklahoma City Thunder mascot Rumble the Bison received an award Tuesday for NBA Mascot of the Year. Yes, the one pictured to the left.

The trophy was presented during the first quarter of their OT loss to the Lakers. The Utah Jazz Bear accepted the invitation to present the award. Video can be seen here.

So even though the Thunder's inaugural season may not have gone as smoothly as we would have liked it to, they are perfect in one area:

They have won NBA Mascot of the Year every year of their existence.

This was 'Staches first NBA post. How am I doing?

Dank Game Showdown - Heat vs. Thunder

Yesterday, there was a Dank Game preseason showdown between my own Miami Heat and Mustache's beloved OKC Thunder (I'm anxiously awaiting your Thunder season preview, 'stache). This match up was also a showdown between young stars Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant, who were childhood friends having grown up in Washington D.C. together. The Thunder would pull this one out 96-91 after the Heat controlled the game through the first three quarters. Listen Mustache, before you get too excited, fantasizing about the Thunder bringing home the Larry O'Brien trophy, keep in mind that Dwyane Wade sat this one out due to a strained muscle in his left rib cage.

Michael Beasley (seen throwing down a fastbreak oop from Chalmers at the beginning of the video) had an excellent game, going 9-13 from the field and 6-6 from the line to finish with 24 points in 38 minutes. Despite those impressive numbers, Beasley only pulled in 4 rebounds, none of which were offensive, and he turned the ball over 7 times. The rebounding numbers could be worse, but the turnovers are a real concern. Beasley started at small forward but would see plenty of time at power forward when the Heat played small ball with Haslem at center.

Haslem was his reliable self, adding 9 points, 9 boards, and 2 blocks in 35 minutes. Unspectacular as usual, but mildly effective nonetheless. The Heat might continue to utilize Haslem at center (who's already somewhat undersized as a power forward) as Jermaine O'Neal continues to struggle with rebounding, pulling in just 3 in 23 minutes. Numbers like these are all too familiar after acquiring him last season. J.O. did go 4-7 from the field and 2-2 from the line for 10 points, though.

Two of the Heat's youngsters, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers, had some solid production with both playing about 30 minutes. Both of these guys have been having decent games with Wade out since they can look for their own offense without having to defer to Wade. Dayton native Daequan Cook would only shoot 5-15 from the field, but he did hit 4-7 three pointers, two of which can be seen in the highlights. He would finish with 14 points. Chalmers shot 4-7 from the field and 4-4 from the line for 13 points and added 4 assists. He also had 4 turnovers, though. Chalmers can be seen setting up J.O. for a dunk with a nice pass at the 1:16 mark on the video.

As for the rest of the Heat, James Jones shot well in limited minutes, Quentin Richardson struggled shooting going just 1-7 from deep, and newly acquired point guard Carlos Arroyo was quiet with a couple of dimes in 16 minutes.

Kevin Durant continues to look like a superstar in the making, going 10-16 from the field and 9-10 from the line for 30 points. His dunk on Joel Anthony at the 0:25 second mark on the video is reminiscent of Clyde Drexler and he can be seen dominating throughout the rest of the highlights, including the game clinching shot in the final minutes. I guess he had something to prove after firing back at Truehoop's Henry Abbot via Twitter after Abbot wrote a piece about Durant hurting his team when he's on the floor, despite being an obvious star.

The Thunder's Jeff Green also had an impressive game, going 9-16 from the field and 3-3 from deep for 25 points in 36 minutes. For as much hype as KD gets, I've always thought Green has shown a lot of promise. Second year point guard Russell Westbrook struggled from the field going 3-12 and 6-10 from the line for 12 points, but he did add 7 dimes.

We have yet another Dank Game showdown tonight in Kansas City between the Heat and HAM's New Orleans Hornets. I guess you would only know that from the Hornets logo on the side of the blog, though. Wade could play, so hopefully the Heat can pull it together as a team with only three more preseason games left and no wins.

2009-10 NBA Season Preview - Western Conference

Look no further, Dank Game is the place to prepare you for a season of losing money betting on the NBA.





You know the drill. Here are my thoughts and predictions on what will go down in the NBA's Western Conference. I'm feeling more confident with my predictions in the West than what I've got for the East. I was tempted to change my Eastern Conference playoff seeding after posting it, but what do I look like to you, a cheat?

Northwest

When looking back at last season's standings, I was somewhat surprised to see that Portland had the same record as Denver. Because the Blazers had a bigger off-season, I'm going to give them the number one spot. It's a tough call though, as I'm still pretty enamored with Denver's roster despite losing Dahntay Jones to Indiana and Linas Kleiza who left for Greece. With the addition of veteran point guard Andre Miller and the continued development of their young core, Portland seems poised for a big year. But then again, Andre Miller might sulk so much that he throws off the team's chemistry. He's like a contestant on one of those competition reality shows that keeps insisting they're just there to win, not to make friends.

It's hard to predict what will happen with the Jazz this season because of the situation with Carlos Boozer. Will Milsap get more minutes than Boozer after having capably filled in for him last season? Will Boozer even be with the team by season's end? Expect the Thunder to improve this season as their young talent grows. The Timberwolves will probably be lottery bound.

Pacific

Obviously no team in this division will even come close to hanging with the Lakers. With the addition of Ron Artest, they could be virtually unstoppable. Should Amare Stoudemire remain healthy and isn't traded, his presence alone should be enough to put the Suns above the rest of
the pack.

I expect the Clippers to improve with #1 pick Blake Griffin contributing immediately (why the hell are they talking about bringing him off the bench?). I also anticipate Baron Davis to bounce back and I think second year guard Eric Gordon could have a big year. Golden State is in an utter mess going into the season and the Kings are pretty much guaranteed to totally suck. Oh wait... that's right. I'm trying to bring the Kings back to Cincinnati as the Royals. Now that I think about it, they're going to be totally great this year. Come back to Cincy already! On the real though, I am excited to watch Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin.

Southwest

The Southwest is by far the hardest division to predict who will come out on top, but I'm going with the well-oiled machine that is the San Antonio Spurs. The trade for Richard Jefferson and the free agency pick-up of Antonio McDyess will bolster both the their offense and defense, respectively, but the health of Duncan and Ginobili is most critical to their success. I hate myself for putting the Mavericks over the Hornets (sorry HAMS), but I just don't like New Orleans roster outside of Chris Paul, David West, and James Posey. I'm also not too sold on Emeka Okafor, who was traded from the Bobcats for Tyson Chandler.

I'm really not sure what to expect from Dallas this year. Shawn Marion could work well in their offense, but missing out on Marcin Gortat in free agency leaves them with Erick Dampier at the 5 for yet another season. I expect Houston to struggle after losing Yao Ming to injury and Artest in free agency. Memphis will be intriguing to watch, but an aged, stubborn Allen Iverson and the troublesome Zach Randolph can't be a good combo to have around their young talent.

Playoff Picture

Yeah, I know, Mustache. I don't have your Thunder in the playoffs. Give 'em a year or two of seasoning, and then we can start talking.

2009-10 NBA Season Preview - Eastern Conference

Look no further, Dank Game is the place to prepare you for a season of losing money betting on the NBA.





Much like my colleague/arch rival, Teenage_Mustache, I shall begin this post by acknowledging that these predictions will either make me out to be a genius, or a complete moron. As of now, I'm banking on genius. The NBA season is fast approaching (thank Christ!), the NFL season is well underway, and I think baseball is probably almost over by now... but I really wouldn't know, because baseball is boring. Without any further introduction, here is my take on what will go down in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

Atlantic

As the old adage goes, if they can stay healthy, Boston is the obvious frontrunner in the Atlantic division. I expect the Raptors to bounce back this season with the acquisition of Hedo Turkoglu, while the Sixers may have taken a step back with the loss of Andre Miller to Portland. If Lou Williams proves to be capable of running Philly's offense and Elton Brand can come back strong and find chemistry with the team, they could easily finish ahead of the Raptors.

With promising second year forward Danillo Gallinari returning from an injury plagued rookie season, I expect the Knicks to finish ahead of New Jersey. The Nets seem bound to regress after trading Vince Carter to Orlando, although second year center Brook Lopez and point guard Devin Harris could have very big years.

Central

The Cavs are clearly ahead of the pack in the Central Division. They won 66 games last year and because they acquired Shaq for next to nothing, I don't see them going anywhere but up. That's not to say the Shaq experiment will necessarily work come playoff time, as I still have my doubts. I'm not sure if the Bulls will be much better than last year now that their leading scorer, Ben Gordon, has left for Detroit. Having John Salmons for a full season – barring a trade – and having a healthy Luol Deng might prove to make Gordon's departure a non-issue, though.

Putting the Pacers over the Pistons might be a bad move, but I have trouble picturing Detroit playing anything close to mediocre defense with the addition of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. The loss of Sheed and McDyess won't help that cause either. I think Danny Granger could finally break into the crop of second-tier elite players this year, which is another reason I have Indiana over Detroit. Milwaukee seems lottery bound, especially if Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut can't remain healthy.

Southeast

The Magic dominated the Southeast last season and have only gotten better this off-season, while the rest of the division – besides the Wizards – hasn't made any significant strides. My team loyalty forces me to put Miami in second, although that will probably be a mistake. The Heat should be better this season if J.O. can return to form and their young talent shows improve. It's just really hard to predict how things will shake out amongst the Wizards, Hawks, and Heat.

The Wizards will obviously be better with Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood returning. Acquiring Mike Miller and Randy Foye from Minnesota for their first round draft pick should also bolster their roster. The Hawks addition of Jamal Crawford will give them more offensive fire power and Joe Smith will help their frontcourt, but I still think their core of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford can only get them so far. I'll probably regret putting them this far back, but I'm going with it. The Bobcats might prove me wrong, but I have trouble putting any faith in that team.

Playoff Picture

I'm guessing my bias towards the Heat will end up messing this all up and I'm probably not giving the Hawks nearly enough credit by taking them out of the playoffs, but otherwise this seems entirely possible.

Another Preseason Posterization by Gerald Wallace

Ok, so this one isn't nearly as nice as Shannon Brown demoralizing Mikki Moore, but it's still a pretty sick dunk. The main reason I wanted to post this one was that Gerald Wallace's victim was New Orleans' Sean Marks, who HAMS once described as looking like a high school science teacher. I always thought that was pretty hilarious and true.

Shannon Brown Posterizes Mikki Moore

Shannon Brown has been making waves on Twitter because of this ridiculous posterization of Mikki Moore from the Lakers 118-101 preseason victory over the Warriors. Personally, I avoid Twitter at all costs (unless, of course, it involves Ron Artest), so I could really care less about that. But seriously, that dunk was NASTY and deserves all the attention it can get. So if that means people have to be "tweeting" about it, I guess that's fine.

Football vs. Basketball

It's ON in Cleveland!

(graphic courtesy of SlimMcFavorite . . . it was my idea though)

Specifically, Browns "star" (he's really not that good) Braylon Edwards and Cavaliers mega-super-all-time-greatest-to-ever-wear-23-according-to-himself-best-of-all-time-floats-like-a-butterfly-stings-like-the-manta-ray-that-killed-the-crocodile-hunter-(what-too-soon?)-star LeBron James are in the middle of an ugly public feud.

So, LeBron is apparently friends with some Cleveland-area events promoter named Edward Givens. At roughly 2:30 in the morning, Braylon approached Givens, who was talking with people outside a nightclub. The conversation quickly went sour.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer, according to Givens:

"Braylon comes up and started saying things, degrading me. He said if it wasn't for LeBron or the Four Horsemen, I wouldn't have what I have, nor would I be able to get girls. Everyone knows Braylon has a problem with LeBron. So I had to speak up for myself. The conversation started to escalate. As some of his teammates started to pull him back, he punched me. I have a black eye and a cut. I'm not a violent guy.

"As long as I've known Braylon, I've allowed him and his friends to come into our events free of charge. Whatever jealousy he has with LeBron, he felt he needed to take it out on me."

Juicy! The best part is the revelation that "everyone knows Braylon has a problem with LeBron." Well if they didn't, they sure do know! And Edwards may be facing assault charges.

But it totally doesn't end there. LeBron had more than a little bit to say on the matter, per the Associated Press:

"I've never crossed paths with Braylon before, but it seems like there's a little jealousy going on with Braylon and me and my friends. I have no idea why. I've never said anything to Braylon at all. But for him to do that is very childish. My friend is 130 pounds. Seriously. It's like hitting one of my kids. It doesn't make sense."

Not the harshest of words, but a slight escalation. Speaking later to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, James pushed the envelope:

"I know how to handle myself as a professional athlete and I take care of my friends and my family. It is unfortunate that some guys don't understand that. You are a role model to kids and you should carry yourself that way on and off the field. And I carry that. I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize myself or my family. I'm one of the guys that look at being a professional athlete at more than just being out on the court."

James more or less does seem to carry himself well as a professional athlete, but clearly this comment will only inflame this "rivalry." I shudder to call it that though, as Edwards will never have the cachet that LeBron does in Cleveland. Why he choses to carry beef with LeBron, who claims they've never met, seems pretty pointless.

On a wider scale, it seems odd that an NFL player would bother beefing with an NBA player. The NFL is currently considerably more popular. But if it were going to happen anywhere, it would have to be Cleveland. The Mistake on the Lake is probably the only city hosting both an NBA and NFL team were the NBA team has eclipsed the NFL team in popularity.

In Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, the NFL teams are more popular - no contest. As much as Boston loves the Celtics, they are nuts for the Pats. Even during Jordan-mania, Chicago seemed to more-or-less equally love their Bears.

But in Cleveland, the Cavs are the only glimmering hope for a city that is currently most famous for having low budget tourism videos written about how shitty it is (I won't even mention the Indians World Series appearance from a few years back, as baseball is boring).

But maybe, just maybe this will be the beginning of an all out-war between the two greatest American sports. Is it possible that Miami-residents Dwayne Wade and Jason Taylor carry a deap-seated hatred of each other? Could Kevin Garnet and Randy Moss fight for the hearts of Boston? Will Steve Nash and Kurt Warner prove that the old guys in Phoenix want in on the fight?

Or maybe some drunk asshole just punched some dude.

UPDATE:

Braylon Edwards was traded to the New York Jets this morning.