Chaos to Anarchy: Revolution from the West

Of all the new draftees, including Griffin and Rubio, fans are most enamored with Stephen Curry; and hope he can ascend in the Association as well and as quickly he did at Davidson. He has already captured our hearts through a lightning quick shot release, and we look to him as a source of joy because we naturally assume the Clippers will take Blake's and turn it into whatever potion that Mike Dunleavy uses to keep himself employed.

These youthful warriors have seemed to rekindle the excitement the Team By the Bay experienced in that "We Believe" year. The methodologies are different, but is one team more exciting than the other?

Flash yourself back to 2007. The eighth-seeded Warriors sparked a city yearning for Tim Hardaway in compression shorts. It was like the atmosphere in the Phone Booth during Part III of the Wiz-Cavs trilogy multiplied by Andres Biedrins. Oracle Arena became a place for the fusion of energies, and no team would have defeated Golden State in that first-round series—much less a Mavs team with a mentally weak star player and a coach willing to change lineups after winning 67 games. Mark Cuban became the suburban kid with the cushy life who felt he owned the best collection of talent money can buy. Then his prima donna team crossed paths with a ragtag band of men with beautiful chaos in their collective heart; possessed by the loyalty and all that's positive about a gang. Throw in the variable of the Mad Scientist who was shunned by the rich boy owner, only to actualize his visions each time Al Harrington was in the game at center. It was an S500 with bun warmers versus a '79 Chevelle on Daytons. Excuse all the "rich/poor" analogies, but if ever there was a microcosm for team, then this is it...word to Camp Lo.

Fueled by Baron's beard and their Fearless Leader in S-Jax, four wins over Dallas became inevitable. Oddly enough, the dunk over AK47 in the second round was the monumental moment of the We Believe era—despite it coming in a series loss. It was as if Rocky IV meets Straight Outta Compton in, "You Just Got Broke, Son." Even though that team had an overall losing playoff record (5-6), it was a brief victory for those hoops fans yearning for Basketball anarchy.

Return to the present. Gone are Davis and his beard, the full force of the Oracle's magic, and Matt Barnes figures in their loss somehow. However, they add the Babyfaced Killah, the new Matt Barnes in Anthony Morrow, as well as the impending sign of the revolution that is Anthony Randolph. Combine these youth with the Fearless Leader and Monta, and this team is more exciting than the 2007 edition. The West Coast vibe went from "Xxplosive" to "Dreams." Does that make Stephen Jackson or Don Nelson Dr. Dre? Where the "We Believe" team was a test run, this collection of Warriors have a myriad of possibilities at their disposal. The revolution will be dribbled.

Shout-out to Shoals and everybody at FreeDarko.

Peace.

When Video Games Come to Life Part III - Rise & Fire

My first two posts about the line between real sports and virtual sports becoming blurred were about teams.  So, if you were wondering why it has been so long since my last entry, it's because I was searching for something...fake as a subject.  By "fake" I mean real life events in which one questions just how far the limits of the pro athlete/franchise/executive/mascot can go.  For example, Magic Johnson's court vision is fake.  Tiger Woods doing anything with the golf club is also fake.  Randy Moss when the football is in the air? That, too, is fake.  However, these things are well known; and here at FU we try to give more publicity to the things that go overlooked by the more mainstream writers.  Today, I will give praise to everyone's new favorite college player:  Stephen Curry.

Stephen Curry is fake.  First off, he looks no older than thirteen.  His Davidson jersey looks like his father, Dell, gave it to him ot wear during lifting weights—and he never made it to the gym.  But, for reasons I can't fathom, he's able to dominate college basketball in a way that hasn't been seen since Pistol Pete.  Yes, and I stand by it.  I'll explain after the random picture...

Curry is the epitome of having no consciense.  If you remember his father, then you can recognize that quick release that Stephen inherited.  It's not that he's a standstill shooter, it's that he only needs to get his defender—or defenders—off balance.  Throw in his guard skills, evident by this year's transition to the point, and he can clear space and break his man down off the dribble.  Because of that, the defense can't key on his jumper as much as they could with Redick and Morrison.  What separates him from past dominant players like Christian Laettner, Glenn Robinson, and Tim Duncan is that he is far from intimidating physically.  For example, when Lebron is attacking the basket, he can match the strength of almost whomever is in the lane.  Stephen Curry doesn't have that luxury.  Every shot he creates is done cerebally, and he can't get away with things based on pure athleticism.  Basketball IQ and the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of angles and space is why he's so effective at his stature.

Another reason why Curry's dominance is almost unprecedented is because he goes to Davidson.  Quick test: name all of the basketball schools in the state of North Carolina.  How long did it take you to get to Davidson?  Six, seven teams?  Anyway, the point is that Davidson isn't exactly a recruiting giant in college basketball; so their talent is nowhere near the powerhouse schools like UCLA and Kansas.  Even Gonzaga looks down on the players that go to Davidson.  Moreover, do you know who Andrew Lovedale is?  What about Bryant Barr?  I doubt you recognize Brendan McKillop, who is the coach's son.  Curry is the number one, two, and three options for the Wildcats, yet he still manages to compile gaudy point totals against high-level competition.  Just ask certain #1 pick in next year's NBA draft Blake Griffin about it.

I stand by my bold statement that Curry, given his disadvantages of size and surrounding team talent, is the most dominant player since Pistol Pete.  Another question: When he releases the ball, do you find yourself saying, "good," before it gets to the rim?  I know I do.  I'm not going to talk about NBA potential.  Let's just enjoy him in the college game and worry about his pro measurables when he's actually in the draft.  And with that said, you would think that the big time schools would've learned their lesson and snapped up the next Curry.  Enter Seth Curry.

You know I had to throw in a highlight mix.  Peace.