The #1 stat man in Chicago: Derrick Rose

Picture: coresteams

Too big. Too fast. Too strong. Too good.

Stacey King doesn’t need to say anymore than that.

At 6”3’, Derrick Rose ignores size restrictions by breaking them all. And he likes to break ankles on the way.

Every year I find my love for a new Chicago team. In 2006, I finally fell in love with the Bears. They had a devastating defense with the revival of the Monsters of the Midway and Devin Hester was phenomenal, leading the offense to the Super Bowl--without ever taking a snap on offense.

In 2008 it was the Cubs. I loved watching Ramirez, Fukudome, DeRosa, and the rest. That was a great season…if you can somehow forget about the tragedy of rape because that’s what the Dodgers did to them in the playoffs. I’ll never forget being at Game 2, yelling at Fukudome to “SWING AT THE BALL!” And screaming at Soriano to “QUIT SWINGING AT THE FUCKING BALL!”

Then in the fall it was Kane and Toews peaking my interest in the Blackhawks and bringing my hung-over ass to freezing Wrigley Field for the Winter Classic on New Years Day. It still awes me to think that those two superstars are just a year older than me yet are in their fourth NHL season. Oh, and Stanley Cup Champions.

I guess what I am saying is that great performances by great players or likable characters attract me to sports. Enter Derrick Rose.

The summer he was drafted I remember the hype. I remember the talking heads on ESPN debating about who would be drafted first--Michael Beasley or Rose? As a hater of the NBA, I didn’t really give a shit. Moving on.

When the NBA season finally arrived, I turned on a game once in a while. It was fun to watch Rose play because he had great ball handling skills and drove the lane with such determination that teams had trouble stopping him. But all in all the team was hard to watch, going 41-41 that season. I’d watch occasionally, but NBA players REALLY pissed me off. Players like King Baby James and King Douche Varejao of Cleveland were always whining and bitching like THAT was their job and NOT basketball. So the only reason I watched was to see what Derrick Rose would do on the court. Then came the historic First Round of the 2009 Playoffs against Boston. That was the most exciting thing I’ve ever watched on TV. Period.

I’ll admit to barely watching the Bulls after Rose won the Rookie of the Year Award. I caught bits and pieces of the 2009-2010 season, but to put it in perspective, I didn’t realize the team was even in the playoffs last May.

This year is different. 

First, watching college games in person changed my perspective on the game. It is fast, intense, and takes a tremendous amount of skill that I admire now more than before. Second, the NBA is better to watch than college. They are grown men playing ball at a superior level. For instance, the ball goes in the hoop.

What really got me going on the Bulls this season was their first meeting with the Lakers on November 23. Rose was tearing up the court. He was making shots he had no business making and flying through the air in ways my Physics professor said wasn't possible. He ended the game with 30 points and a conversation with Kobe Bryant...apparently I'm not the only one that can see this young player starting to blossom into a versatile star.

Anybody who has seen the guy play knows he is good. No doubt. But have you seen him play since the middle of November? No? Then you haven’t seen the new Derrick Rose.

Rose was just 19 years old when he played his first game with the Bulls 2008. He averaged 16.8 points per game, 6.3 assists, and a .222% 3-point shot, making 16 his inaugural year. A good season for a rookie.

Last year he averaged 20.8 points, 6 assists, and a .267% 3-point shot, once again making only 16. Another good year.

Rose came to the Bulls with “established” leaders like Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, and Luol Deng in place. He tossed the ball around a lot and got these players open while making some great plays in between. Two years later, that is changing. After last year’s 26.8 points per game in the playoff series against Cleveland, it has been Derrick’s team, and everyone knows it.

Rose continues to work hard and improve parts of his game. He has the “push” shot from 10-15 feet nearly perfected, which works in tandem with his driving ability. His jump shot has been improving, although with a .479% FG average, it’s hard to say somebody can improve much.

But now something else is happening in his game that is starting to demand respect: Rose is sinking the money shot.

Derrick Rose is averaging .421% behind the arc this season; 40 3-pt field goals this year. He only made 32 in the past two seasons...it is still December. Speaking of December, as of right now he is 22 for 40 in his downtown attempts for the month…55%!

What is really beginning to impress me, and the NBA, is his ability to finish and to will his team to a tough victory. He is starting to pull through in big moments with huge shots. He did it in the win last Friday against the Lakers just as he did against Houston the Saturday before. Since the middle of November, he has turned up the intensity and is looking like a man who is just going to get better.

Rose is putting up 24.7 points per game so far this season and here is why, from a statistical standpoint.

In two complete seasons, and so far this season, Derrick has had 15 games of 30 or more points. All 15 of these games have come in the past year, and 7 are from the first 22 games this season. The Bulls are 5-2 when Rose scores at least 30 points; the only two losses coming against elite teams in the Lakers and Spurs. But he isn’t hogging the ball more than a point guard should. Throw on the 8.3 assists average to his points per game and you have a dangerous playmaker touching that ball after every inbound play.

Without Rose, the Bulls look like shit. He orchestrates the offense in a way no one else on the team can replicate. Not even the spectacular C.J. Watson. Rose drives the paint so successfully that the opposing defense gets pulled into defending him. He is literally a point guard that drives the gaps like a needle, deflating the defense so the outside shooters have open shots.

And he is a man. He isn’t hot headed (who can’t show off once in a while with that kind of talent?) and you can see he is working hard to be better. Not to mention the intangibles. He hates to lose.

Think about the great players of the last 10 years or so. Who comes to mind? MJ? Kobe? LeBron? Howard? Peirce? They all get this look on their face when they drive to the hoop and destroy the defense. A look that says, “You thought you could stop me? Back off my lane.” Derrick is getting that at the age of 22.

Rose is the leader a Championship team needs. Oh, and Derrick also has more 30-point games than Kobe Bryant did in his first three years. Don’t blow that out of proportion. I’m not saying Derrick is Kobe, one of the best players of all time. 

I’m just saying that Derrick has a long way to go. I’m just saying he is on the right path.

Rose has the attitude of a champion. I can see it. I have spent the last few weeks watching tape on Jordan and Kobe and have noticed some things. Early in their careers they just went about their business as superstars. But after a few seasons they developed an intense desire to win. That desire is what transforms amazing players into pure greatness. Derrick’s attitude is beginning to mimic theirs.

This is the evolution season. He has already evolved in 22 games from very talented to MVP caliber. He IS the offense when he is on the court. He is the ever-present threat. Further, he WILL continue to get better. He is not arrogant enough to think he is just good enough. He understands he has to add to his skill set every year, and that maturity is what will separate him from the rest.

Oh, wait. I think he started to break away last spring.

Without seeing much tape on Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Kidd, Nash, etc, I don’t want to come to an ignorant conclusion about where Rose will end up in his career. I don’t claim to be an expert (yet).

Yet, with that being said, Derrick Rose will be one of the top 20 players of the present decade. Or he will be in a cast, AI style. Tempted to make a bolder suggestion, I’ll leave it at that. The proof is on display, multiple times a week. And I’m ready to absorb as much as I can from the top player in Chicago for years to come.

-Skitz

Chicago sports fans

For the avid Chicago sports fan, High-Definition Television is a must. HD makes everything better. It's the weed of TV. Whether watching captivating Cubs games, south side Sox games, or the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup, HD TV amplifies the intensity. If you don't have HD, you didn't truly see the Patriots shwhack the Bears or Cutler getting pummeled into the snow.

High-Definition kicks ass. That's why Chicago sports people, myself included, get really pissed off when we look for a game and can't find it. We know it's on, we just looked at the schedule.

Oh, SON OF A BITCH.

From WGN we slowly move up the channel listing and yep, there it is. Smack dab on The U, basically a WGN independent channel. HD not included. What a joke.

In 2010, it is beginning to annoy me that the Bulls are still making deals with TV stations that don't carry HD. The game tonight is against the 2nd place Pacers, a game that will either expand the Bulls first place lead in the division or close the gap. And it will be on 1998 quality television. Might as well stream it Live with a hand held camera to a PC.

Pissed about the ordeal, I decide to do some research on the matter. So I go to Google, Jesus of the Internet. I start to put in my detailed search, "why are the Bulls on channel 26." I got to "why are the" and stopped, looking at all of the search suggestions. Some strange things come up, like "why are the French called frogs," and--the question of our generation--"why are the Kardashians famous?" But then I made a startling discovery. With the exception of two results, these are the rest:

Why are the White Sox wearing green?
Why are the flags at half mast today in Illinois?
Why are the Bears wearing 99 on their helmets?
Why are the Bears playing in Toronto?
Why are the Bears wearing pink?

There you have it. Chicago people, although apparently educated about the positive results wielded from surfing Google, do not own TVs with sound. I listen to Chicago sports radio (670) so this doesn't come as much of a surprise. Chicago fans, at least a sizable portion, are completely and utterly retarded--unable to use any cognitive ability to turn an idea into a conclusive reason. And don't deny my diagnosis. I am fully qualified to make such a statement. I was a Direct Support Person for 9 months working with the aforementioned Chicago area developmentally disabled. I'm practically a doctor now.

But using my superior midwestern thinking skills, I started reasoning, coming to more reasonably reasonable reasons on the more likely reasons these Chicago related suggestions came up. One being that Google can analyze where I am and give me suggestions that fit my area. Well that makes sense.

And then the Bulls game came on.

I turn around.

I realize my first hypothesis about Chicago meat heads was right.

So...

When the fuck did The U start providing High-Definition?

Shit. I'm a Chicago meatball.

Time to apply at McDonalds for a janitorial position.

Well at least I can watch Derrick Rose destroy in HD now.

-Skitz

Death.

Have you ever seen death? He doesn't stay around long, but you remember him for a while. He usually comes early in the morning or at night. Then, he slowly fades away. After a few days your just in a state of shock. You saw him, you know it, yet you don't really grasp what happened. One thing you do know: memories are all you have now. Their won't be a second chance.

Then he comes again. It's him, but he is a little different. Equally as demanding, but the emotions he places on you are different.

Have you ever seen death? He comes at the worst time. That bastard drop kicks your face right before the prom. He comes on Easter, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. He doesn't care if you have a football game, an ACT or a final exam. He likes to keep you thinking about him instead of thinking about the ones who are right in front of you.

Have you ever seen death? Have you ever stood in mud, shivering in the ice cold rain, watching raindrops fall off a casket? Have you been handed a rose that means so much to you that you watch it decompose on your bookshelf? Have you ever heard the trumpets, seen the flag folded, or felt the pulsations of a somebody as they cry in your arms? Have you ever seen a man get cut in half from the sudden loss of a parent? Have you ever seen a woman with make-up running down her cheeks clutching onto someones hand and holding tissues in the other? Or was it yourself looking in the mirror?

Has death ever come so close to your life that you mark yourself with ink to cover up the scars?

Have you ever seen death?
Death fucks up your short term, complicates your near term, and torments your long term.

And as death follows you through your life, the only thing you can do is accept it. The hard times will pass by, you'll keep living, and someone else will pass. The only thing to do is accept that death will keep checking up on us, and the only time it can stop us from living is when it's our turn. And when I die, I don't want to stop anyone from living.

-Skitz

-For my Dad's 5th absent Birthday.

His 132, Week 15

Just got done writing a six page paper, doing HW, and writing on the discussion board for my online History class from Antiquity to 1500. This week was the chapter on the Black Death. We learned about the sophisticated medical technology available to the people during the time, how victims prayers were absolutely never heard by God, and how rich people got to leave the city and let those lazy peasants fend for themselves. 


This is a good class, although I always wait until Sunday to do the homework assignments. I usually have fun with the discussion board, drawing on something funny and discreetly hinting at it. Well I was sick of writing tonight (yet I'm pulling an all nighter to get more HW done, including a two page reflection paper for journalism) and couldn't hold back on the stupidity of Middle Age society. Here it is, historically accurate by the way.






I am certainly glad we don't use cryptograms as a form of security against natural disease. Better yet, I'm ecstatic that last time I had the flu nobody shot a cannon off while I was trying to rest. I am glad that Guy de Chauliac started some work that led to a more scientific and clinical approach to medicine because people in the Middle Ages were clearly not receiving any blatant answers from God on how to avoid sickness. There were definite advances from this era to now-albeit slow-but we were still living near our feces until the mid 1800's (at least in confined, urban areas) and we didn't know it was bad for us to be so close to smelly poop. 

Thanks to all the past, present, and future doctors and scientists.




-Skitz

Ireland, Crew, and Tangents

Before proceeding, you should know that beer and alcohol have transmitted their influence through my nervous system and to my fingers, making the language slightly inappropriate for humans that resemble elves. If you are a child or an elf, please stop reading and get back to work making shoes for Nike. Christmas is fucking coming.



I leave for Ireland in one month, 21 hours.

Holy. Shit.

I am finally leaving this small town. I am finally getting away from people I rarely connect with. Seriously, I don't give a shit about a car's engine.

Seriously, I'm sick of constant reminders of the past that I can't get away with.

I should have taken the advice of my buddy Red (or Red Muff) when we were juniors in high school (By buddy I mean the most trusted and respected guy I know. Not to mention he is the example of how high school grades lie about knowledge. The dude is fucking smart as hell. Ok, now I will jump off his dick.)

One night (a crazy night, full of drama, water works, and Bone Thugs) the Crew was getting heavy in some personal topics that sometimes got brought up. Now that I think about it, this was a night that we all said we wouldn't forget (hey you four...did you forget it?). But my bullshit problems got brought up and Red (Muff) said something that I won't forget. "Dude, I could see you moving away. Like, I think it would be the best for you. You have too many memories here that are too hard for you."

Son of a bitch he was right.

Yea, things got better for a while, but all in all I will ALWAYS feel held back living in this small town. I can never evolve. I'll never need to adapt.

...To back it up for my Crew nukkas real quick. Why can't I find anyone to philosophize with like you fuckers? We need to burn a tree or two and chop some halves....

In a month, I will have to adapt. I will have to learn a whole new language: the language of Irish mumblin'. Guinness wrapped in corn beef n cabbage will be my diet. I hope I can walk from the pub to my apartment. Jesus, maybe I'll sleep at the pub so I don't have to walk so far to class the next morning.

By the way, I only have class Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Haha bitches.

I feel like I left the theme of this post.


I'll leave it at this.



"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people." -Eleanor Roosevelt

So where the fuck do you stand?

-Skitz

What Dreams May Come

Let's get serious.

An open coming out party.

And no, I'm not gay. Fuck off.

I am about to watch What Dreams May Come for the third time now. The last time I saw this movie was nearly two and a half years ago, and for good reason. It strikes a deep chord with me every time. It has powerfully tragic scenes that people, like me, can connect to. My love for drama and dark humor spawns from the past five years where I have dealt with excessive and traumatic losses in my family. This shit hits home for me. If you haven't seen this movie, the whole family is dead about halfway through. Cheery, right?

But this movie is probably the one that moves me the most. Last time I watched it was for my last paper in high school where I detailed its connection to my life. And I vividly remember having some breakdowns weeks after. Maybe it was gradation, maybe it was dating someone I could talk to again. Either way, the catalyst was this movie.

The sudden loss of family. The feeling of being alone. The tragedy of suicide. The complexity of life. All of this the movie explores; all I have experienced. I figure I have a month left being in the States and I ought to get my emotions out now so I don't do it with Guinness in Ireland.

I guess I will push play now. At 10:45 at night. Paper to finish in the morning. Spanish at 9:00. Good idea.

*Crack*
That was me opening a Bud Light.

And this is me finishing the post after watching it.

I could better understand the movie this time around (in its writing, symbolism, writing, etc). It had some elements that were very positive in order to balance the darker parts. These good natured parts I forgot about since the last time I watched it.

It was good. The experience wasn't as emotional as I thought it would be. Still, Annabella Sciorra does a fantastic job portraying a confused and devastated mother and wife. The love that her husband (Robin Williams) shows for her is translated through happy conversation as well as extreme sadness, especially in the scene when he finds out his wife killed herself. That is the hardest realization for someone. Not that the person is gone, but that the person was suffering so greatly that they would end their own life.

The tragedy and sadness displayed in What Dreams May Come is what makes a movie great for me. They hit on emotions that are deep for many people. Therefore they are done in a good way. In the Bedroom is another movie that uses tragedy as the steering point. Quickly: Kid falls for recently divorced mother, the two date, the ex gets jealous, the kid is about to go off to a special college, breaks off relationship, women's ex gets physical, kid goes to house to protect her...kid gets shot in the head. Cheery, right? Then the movie deals with the devastated parents.

Another example is World's Greatest Dad, a dark comedy featuring Robin Williams as a writer. His jerk son is a pervert and a complete fucking jackass that everyone hates. The kid also likes to choke himself while he masturbates. Well one day the father comes home to find his son dead. He accidentally choked himself to death while whacking it (tragic, but hilarious!). Then the Dad writes a story (from the kid's point of view) making him look like the unlikely everyman/child that is just misunderstood. Classic.

Magnolia, Crash, The Butterfly Effect, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, The Air I Breathe, The Upside of Anger, and American Beauty are all movies that make you think about what happened and what can happen. And what HAS happened in my life allows me to connect deeply with what IS happening with the characters, further bringing to life a dramatic story.

Feels good to get that off my chest.

Life. The thing that keeps you motivated 'til death.

Before proceeding, I want you to know that this is not for children. If you're still collecting toys out of Happy Meal bags or you don't remember Keenan and Kel on Sunday nights, then you need to stop reading.

Now.

What a way to start of December. Finally I'm posting this; a kickstart to the great final month of 2010 and for me in the States!


Bordem: An activity that spawns stupid shit like that seen below.

Life: A controversial experience that should be admired instead of unappreciated.

Football: The game that never lets you down. Even when your team is losing, it is still great to see a kid receive a concussive tackle.

Taco Bell: The food that always satisfies hunger. Even when the taco constructer mistakes your order of no sour cream for more sour cream. At least he tried.

Sex: The activity that always pleases. Even if its slow going, you still have a hard on.

Slut: A person who overcompensates for their mental deficiencies.
God: An entity to thank for women who overcompensate for their mental deficiencies.

Indians: What Native Americans are called.
Telemarketers: What Indians are called.

Taco Bell: A Mexican restaurant.

Mexico: Every planet needs a loser.

Sex after marriage: An activity that USED to be mandatory. 

Horse racing: The race that starts with a blind horse and ends with a blind gambler.

Jersey Shore: Food for thought.

Alcohol: Killing one homeless man at a time.

Video games: Something that makes a pussy shrivel.

Small towns: Where the best parties are in a garage.
Bonfires: Entertainment for the wasted.

My hometown: Where parties in a garage end by a bonfire.

Baseball: The other game that never lets you down. Unless you’ve been trapped at Wrigley Field for 102 years.

Diamonds: The gift that lasts forever. (Well, at least for her.) Even when she leaves you, that bitch still got bling.

Slavery: The reason black people dominate sports and have spectacular rhythm.
Racism: The reason Alabama doesn't carry black crayons.

Water Tetris: The newest sport. Next will be fucking NASCAR...

Call of Duty: The reason Mark Kirk claimed to be a war hero.

Middle Eastern Life: Stop and think about it. Now you know why Bin Laden is so pissed off. Not to mention his HD receiver isn't in yet.

AIDS: Say no to butt sex.

McDonalds: Everybody has one; mine just happens to be Hustler.

Golf: A quick way to intoxication and an unapproved visit to anger management.
Golf: The only game where hitting your balls while holding the base of your shaft is fun.

Study abroad: The study of women.

The 2008 Presidential Election: White people making up for slavery.

The 2008 Presidential Election: The black vote.

The 2010 Mid-term Election: White people making up for Obama's election.

The 2010 Mid-term Election: What black vote?

Change: Something the President and a transexuals have in common.

Change: It came, we see it, and we said...never mind.

Muslims: Kill yourself for eternal glory.
                                                               - Love, Jesus

Laws: Originating with a prick in Babylon and presently pleasantly enforced by your local dickhead with a badge.

Prom night: A night that breeds future serial killers.

Drunk Drivers: Perpetuating the evolution of highway laws every Saturday.

Sunglasses: A device men use to look at boobs, unobtrusively.

Porn: The primary reason your man isn't cheating on you. So quit bitching, bitch.

"This is too long to read." Its a fucking post-it note.

Sally: A name insecure and unsure straight "culchie" men call gay men.

Fourth Graders: Shit heads that eat glue.
Eighth Graders: Shit heads that eat chalk.
Twelfth Graders: Dumb shits.

High School: Where book covers are made from posters.

Miller Lite: Beer flavored piss.
Miller Lite: Even beer needs a loser.

Alcoholic women: Ladies that do shots to celebrate their emergence into the third trimester.

Your Mom: A very lovely woman.

Facebook: "Liking" shit is in.

Jeopardy: What came first, the question or the answer?

Penis: Whether you have one or you want on one, we all revolve around dick.

Hormones. The reason for domestic violence.

Kentucky Fried Chicken: Solving domestic violence.

Women: They know how to work a man. They will either manipulate your nuts or mutilate your nuts to get what they want. Although there is no way mutilation can become a positive activity, hopefully manipulation can be turned into some kind of bedroom game.

Divorce: Brought to you by Women's Rights.


"Life sucks, then you die." Thanks for the motivation Pop.

-Skitz


Which one is the most thought provoking for you?


(I am unapologetic for anything in this post. Sorry to my future employer.)