Here's my pound-for-pound list. I take into account ability and accomplishment. The previous list was posted on April 11, 2018.
1. Vasyl Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) [1]
2. Terence Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs) [2]
3. Gennady Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) [3]
4. Sergey Kovalev (32-2-1, 28 KOs) [4]
5. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (45-4-1, 40 KOs) [5]
6. Leo Santa Cruz (35-1-1, 19 KOs) [Not ranked]
7. Naoya Inoue (16-0, 15 KOs) [Not ranked]
8. Errol Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) [6]
9. Mikey Garcia (38-0, 30 KOs) [7]
10. Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-1, 11 KOs) [10]
Exiting the list:
Adonis Stevenson (29-1-1, 24 KOs) [8]
Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) [9]
Stevenson drew with a good opponent, Badou Jack, but that result isn't good enough to warrant staying on the list.
Thurman falls off the list due to inactivity. A good win will put him back on.
Entering the list:
Santa Cruz fell off the list in April and is now back on with an impressive win over Abner Mares. He's now beaten Mares twice, avenged his lone loss to Carl Frampton, and has bested a number of good fighters. Spence hasn't quite faced the same competition as Santa Cruz. He beat an undefeated, but untested Carlos Ocampo in one round in June. Garcia has fought a similar amount of solid opponents, but doesn't yet have a signature win; Santa Cruz has three.
Inoue hasn't fought anyone great, but he has demolished good fighters. His bigger opponent in May, Jamie McDonnell, was no slouch. Inoue stopped him inside one round.
What to Watch for:
Golovkin faces Canelo Alvarez in a rematch of their September draw. Alvarez failed a drug test before the scheduled May 5 match up. If he's clean, Canelo may return to the list. GGG might make a good case for #1 with a great showing.
Kovalev is in tough against undefeated contender Eleider Alvarez in August.
Cruiserweight Olexandr Usyk was supposed to face Murat Gassiev in May. That fight is now slated for July 21. The winner could crack the top ten pound-for-pound.
Mikey Garcia faces the undefeated Robert Easter, a legitimate and lengthy lean lightweight on July 28.
Sunday, July 01, 2018
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Top 10 NBA Players
Top 10 NBA Players Now
While this list consists of the top 10 players now, the past is taken to account, but it is not a list of the best players who happen to be active. Previous ranks posted on June 20, 2017.
Top 10 NBA Careers Among Active Players
You're making a list of the ten best players in NBA history, but there's one caveat; you can only include players who played during the 2017-18 season. These are our choices, taking the players' entire careers into account. Previous ranks posted on June 20, 2017.
Top 10 NBA Franchise Players
This list is about which players you would pick to start a franchise right now. They must have played in an NBA game. Previous ranks posted on June 20, 2017.
While this list consists of the top 10 players now, the past is taken to account, but it is not a list of the best players who happen to be active. Previous ranks posted on June 20, 2017.
| # | David (PR) | Mike (Previous Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LeBron (1) | LeBron (1) |
| 2 | Durant (4) | Harden (4) |
| 3 | Westbrook (2) | Curry (5) |
| 4 | Harden (6) | Westbrook (3) |
| 5 | Curry (5) | Durant (2) |
| 6 | A. Davis (7) | Paul (7) |
| 7 | Paul (8) | Towns (NR) |
| 8 | Antetokounmpo (10) | A. Davis (8) |
| 9 | J. Butler (NR) | Antetokounmpo (NR) |
| 10 | Lillard (NR) | Lillard (NR) |
Top 10 NBA Careers Among Active Players
You're making a list of the ten best players in NBA history, but there's one caveat; you can only include players who played during the 2017-18 season. These are our choices, taking the players' entire careers into account. Previous ranks posted on June 20, 2017.
| # | David (PR) | Mike (Previous Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LeBron (1) | LeBron (1) |
| 2 | Durant (3) | Dirk (3) |
| 3 | Dirk (2) | Wade (2) |
| 4 | Curry (5) | Durant (4) |
| 5 | Westbrook (7) | Paul (6) |
| 6 | Paul (6) | Curry (5) |
| 7 | Wade (4) | D. Howard (10) |
| 8 | Parker (8) | Westbrook (NR) |
| 9 | D. Howard (9) | Carmelo (NR) |
| 10 | Harden (NR) | Harden (NR) |
This list is about which players you would pick to start a franchise right now. They must have played in an NBA game. Previous ranks posted on June 20, 2017.
| # | David (PR) | Mike (Previous Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antetokoumpo (2) | Towns (9) |
| 2 | Simmons (NR) | Antetokounmpo (5) |
| 3 | A. Davis (3) | Harden (3) |
| 4 | Towns (4) | LeBron (4) |
| 5 | Durant (6) | Westbrook (2) |
| 6 | LeBron (1) | Durant (1) |
| 7 | Porzingis (NR) | Jokic (10) |
| 8 | Mitchell (NR) | A. Davis (8) |
| 9 | Tatum (NR) | Curry (7) |
| 10 | Westbrook (7) | K. Leonard (6) |
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Power Ranking of World Leaders
Here's the new power rankings of world leaders. The last one was posted on May 18.
1. The big winner of the U.S.-North Korea summit? China. Nothing of substance came about, but tensions do seem to be thawing. The U.S. also promised to end joint military exercises with South Korea. Xi couldn't have drawn it up better.
2. Kim got his wish to sit down with a U.S. president and sign a joint declaration of friendship. The cherry on top came when the president called Kim "honorable" and "talented." Between the summit with South Korean president Moon and this summit with Trump, Kim is apparently the most popular belle at the ball.
3. Moon worked hard to restore the summit after Trump cancelled it over hurt feelings last month. While the summit didn't accomplish world peace, it did keep the process going, which is ultimately helpful to South Korea and Moon's legacy.
4. The summit put the spotlight on Singapore, one of the most successful countries in the world. Singapore has the rare distinction of being a trade partner with North Korea and also a close ally of the U.S.
5. Putin was kicked out of the G-7 for invading Crimea in 2014. Putin critics argue he never should've been invited in, but the invasion exposed him as the bad faith actor he is. Now U.S. president Donald Trump has inexplicably whined that Putin should be let back into the club, despite killing dissidents and breaking international laws by invading other sovereign nations. Putin should hire Trump as his agent. Plus, the World Cup is in Russia starting tomorrow.
6. The summit with Kim was a positive step. Despite his critics' fears, Trump didn't mess things up and induce nuclear war. It was a rare success for Trump, who hasn't seen much else go right- usually due to his own actions. He insulted America's allies at the G-7 meeting, initially cancelled the summit like a petulant child before looking ridiculous and making an about-face, and promised to end joint military exercises with South Korea without getting any concessions from the North Koreans or consulting the South Koreans. And that was just in the last few weeks. That doesn't include ripping up the Iran deal (a deal similar to the one he hopes to get with North Korea), moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem without getting any concessions from Israel, starting a trade war with China, starting a trade war with our allies, and walking away from the TPP before asking to get back in.
7. It looks like Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program if the other parties in the JCPOA can't save it. That favors the hardliners like the Grand Ayatollah in Iran over moderates like president Hassan Rouhani.
8. Despite being interviewed by police for corruption this week, Netanyahu is doing well thanks to Trump. The U.S. moved its embassy to Jerusalem and Israel didn't have to give anything up. Netanyahu also convinced Trump to get out of the JCPOA.
9. Prime Minister Mahathir hopes to reinvigorate his country and has invited Ali Baba head Jack Ma and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to Malaysia in recent weeks in order to do just that.
10. MbS falls down the list as activist women were arrested last month showing that either MbS isn't the reformer he has tried to portray himself as or the crown prince doesn't have as much power as he hopes. His war in Yemen is a disaster, but he has become close to Trump.
| Rank | Leader | Country | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xi Jiangping | China | 1 |
| 2 | Kim Jong-un | North Korea | 2 |
| 3 | Moon Jae-in | South Korea | 5 |
| 4 | Lee Hsien Loong | Singapore | Not Ranked |
| 5 | Vladimir Putin | Russia | 6 |
| 6 | Donald Trump | United States | 7 |
| 7 | Ali Khamenei | Iran | 3 |
| 8 | Benjamin Netanyahu | Israel | 4 |
| 9 | Mahathir bin Muhammad | Malaysia | 10 |
| 10 | Mohammad bin Salman | Saudi Arabia | 8 |
1. The big winner of the U.S.-North Korea summit? China. Nothing of substance came about, but tensions do seem to be thawing. The U.S. also promised to end joint military exercises with South Korea. Xi couldn't have drawn it up better.
2. Kim got his wish to sit down with a U.S. president and sign a joint declaration of friendship. The cherry on top came when the president called Kim "honorable" and "talented." Between the summit with South Korean president Moon and this summit with Trump, Kim is apparently the most popular belle at the ball.
3. Moon worked hard to restore the summit after Trump cancelled it over hurt feelings last month. While the summit didn't accomplish world peace, it did keep the process going, which is ultimately helpful to South Korea and Moon's legacy.
4. The summit put the spotlight on Singapore, one of the most successful countries in the world. Singapore has the rare distinction of being a trade partner with North Korea and also a close ally of the U.S.
5. Putin was kicked out of the G-7 for invading Crimea in 2014. Putin critics argue he never should've been invited in, but the invasion exposed him as the bad faith actor he is. Now U.S. president Donald Trump has inexplicably whined that Putin should be let back into the club, despite killing dissidents and breaking international laws by invading other sovereign nations. Putin should hire Trump as his agent. Plus, the World Cup is in Russia starting tomorrow.
6. The summit with Kim was a positive step. Despite his critics' fears, Trump didn't mess things up and induce nuclear war. It was a rare success for Trump, who hasn't seen much else go right- usually due to his own actions. He insulted America's allies at the G-7 meeting, initially cancelled the summit like a petulant child before looking ridiculous and making an about-face, and promised to end joint military exercises with South Korea without getting any concessions from the North Koreans or consulting the South Koreans. And that was just in the last few weeks. That doesn't include ripping up the Iran deal (a deal similar to the one he hopes to get with North Korea), moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem without getting any concessions from Israel, starting a trade war with China, starting a trade war with our allies, and walking away from the TPP before asking to get back in.
7. It looks like Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program if the other parties in the JCPOA can't save it. That favors the hardliners like the Grand Ayatollah in Iran over moderates like president Hassan Rouhani.
8. Despite being interviewed by police for corruption this week, Netanyahu is doing well thanks to Trump. The U.S. moved its embassy to Jerusalem and Israel didn't have to give anything up. Netanyahu also convinced Trump to get out of the JCPOA.
9. Prime Minister Mahathir hopes to reinvigorate his country and has invited Ali Baba head Jack Ma and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to Malaysia in recent weeks in order to do just that.
10. MbS falls down the list as activist women were arrested last month showing that either MbS isn't the reformer he has tried to portray himself as or the crown prince doesn't have as much power as he hopes. His war in Yemen is a disaster, but he has become close to Trump.
Saturday, June 09, 2018
Game Four - Thrice as Nice
The Golden State Warriors won their third championship in four years to cement their legacy as a dynasty. Led by Stephen Curry's 37 and Finals MVP Kevin Durant's triple double, the game's outcome wasn't in much doubt from the outset.
The core of the team over the past four seasons has been Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green with Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston acting as key role players. Reserve Kevon Looney joined three years ago. When Kevin Durant arrived before last season, the Warriors solidified their position as perennial favorites. David West, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, and Patrick McCaw arrived with Durant and contributed differing levels of help. This year, Quinn Cook filled in admirably for an injured Stephen Curry towards the end of the regular season and Jordan Bell and Nick Young also provided some key minutes. And thus, the 2018 Golden State Warriors were formed.
Cleveland never really had a chance. The Cavs were fortunate even to make the Finals for the fourth time. Without LeBron James, who is a free agent, Cleveland is a lottery team. The trades int he middle of the season were ill-advised. Gone was all star Isaiah Thomas. Key glue player Jae Crowder was also shipped away. Some solid talent in George Hill, Larry Nance, Rodney Hood, and Jordan Clarkson were acquired, but it left the Cavs with a plethora of serviceable players, but fewer standouts.
The new talent could've been molded into a winner, but head coach Ty Lue was too late in making adjustments. Hood sat on the bench for much of the playoffs and it was too little too late by the time he got in during the Finals. He managed to score 15 in Game 3, but his shot was inconsistent from sitting on the bench so much and he struggled to score 10 in Game 4. A nearly 17 ppg scorer in Utah this season, Hood sat much of Game 7 in the first round against Indiana even though he had been score efficiently during the series.
Neither Nance, nor Tristan Thompson played enough in the Finals. Too often Lue was trying to matchup his inferior players to Golden State, instead of forcing Steve Kerr to make any hard decisions. After burning up during most of the playoffs, Kyle Korver struggled in the final six games. But his presence on the floor creating openings down low. Instead of giving Korver confidence, Lue stripped him of minutes. Jeff Green defended his friend Kevin Durant well in the Game 1, but then his minutes were cut too.
Instead, J.R. Smith and George Hill, the two goats from Game 1, were trotted out on the floor like some Russian soldiers without weapons during World War I. Hill had one decent game in Game 2, but otherwise contributed virtually nothing despite playing nearly 30 minutes a game. Hill had a couple of good games during the playoffs while playing over 30 minutes, but most effective as a bench scorer in the Indiana series. Smith played terrible all series long and should've been pulled as soon as Lue realized he wasn't going to recover from his Game 1 blunder. The realization came to everyone else after Game 2's first quarter. Smith played 32 minutes a game in the Finals and scored 9 and half points per game on 31.7% shooting from the field. He made up for it by playing poor defense.
For Golden State to keep the dynasty going, the big question is Kevin Durant's impending free agency. Having won two Finals MVPs during his time in Oakland, perhaps he wants to establish his legacy further by taking a less talented team to the promised land. The original core should be back for another season, which makes the Warriors a contender regardless of Durant's decision.
Golden State's 108-85 victory ended the first sweep in the Finals since 2007 when the Spurs won four straight against an under-talented Cavs team led by LeBron and only the second time since the Lakers swept the Nets in '02.
The core of the team over the past four seasons has been Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green with Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston acting as key role players. Reserve Kevon Looney joined three years ago. When Kevin Durant arrived before last season, the Warriors solidified their position as perennial favorites. David West, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, and Patrick McCaw arrived with Durant and contributed differing levels of help. This year, Quinn Cook filled in admirably for an injured Stephen Curry towards the end of the regular season and Jordan Bell and Nick Young also provided some key minutes. And thus, the 2018 Golden State Warriors were formed.
Cleveland never really had a chance. The Cavs were fortunate even to make the Finals for the fourth time. Without LeBron James, who is a free agent, Cleveland is a lottery team. The trades int he middle of the season were ill-advised. Gone was all star Isaiah Thomas. Key glue player Jae Crowder was also shipped away. Some solid talent in George Hill, Larry Nance, Rodney Hood, and Jordan Clarkson were acquired, but it left the Cavs with a plethora of serviceable players, but fewer standouts.
The new talent could've been molded into a winner, but head coach Ty Lue was too late in making adjustments. Hood sat on the bench for much of the playoffs and it was too little too late by the time he got in during the Finals. He managed to score 15 in Game 3, but his shot was inconsistent from sitting on the bench so much and he struggled to score 10 in Game 4. A nearly 17 ppg scorer in Utah this season, Hood sat much of Game 7 in the first round against Indiana even though he had been score efficiently during the series.
Neither Nance, nor Tristan Thompson played enough in the Finals. Too often Lue was trying to matchup his inferior players to Golden State, instead of forcing Steve Kerr to make any hard decisions. After burning up during most of the playoffs, Kyle Korver struggled in the final six games. But his presence on the floor creating openings down low. Instead of giving Korver confidence, Lue stripped him of minutes. Jeff Green defended his friend Kevin Durant well in the Game 1, but then his minutes were cut too.
Instead, J.R. Smith and George Hill, the two goats from Game 1, were trotted out on the floor like some Russian soldiers without weapons during World War I. Hill had one decent game in Game 2, but otherwise contributed virtually nothing despite playing nearly 30 minutes a game. Hill had a couple of good games during the playoffs while playing over 30 minutes, but most effective as a bench scorer in the Indiana series. Smith played terrible all series long and should've been pulled as soon as Lue realized he wasn't going to recover from his Game 1 blunder. The realization came to everyone else after Game 2's first quarter. Smith played 32 minutes a game in the Finals and scored 9 and half points per game on 31.7% shooting from the field. He made up for it by playing poor defense.
For Golden State to keep the dynasty going, the big question is Kevin Durant's impending free agency. Having won two Finals MVPs during his time in Oakland, perhaps he wants to establish his legacy further by taking a less talented team to the promised land. The original core should be back for another season, which makes the Warriors a contender regardless of Durant's decision.
Golden State's 108-85 victory ended the first sweep in the Finals since 2007 when the Spurs won four straight against an under-talented Cavs team led by LeBron and only the second time since the Lakers swept the Nets in '02.
Thursday, June 07, 2018
Game Three - One More 'Til Three for Four
Golden State took a commanding three games to nothing lead in the 2018 NBA Finals thanks to timely buckets by Stephen Curry and the greatness of Kevin Durant.
Cleveland started Game 3 at home with a bang, but by the end of the first quarter, the Cavs' lead was only one. LeBron James, who had a 33-point triple double, kept his team in the game throughout. Kevin Love rebounded well, grabbing 13 missed shots and scoring 20 points. Tristan Thompson had another good game with 8 points, including an acrobatic layup on the other side of the rim from which he started, and 7 rebounds. Otherwise, only Rodney Hood had a noteworthy game for the Cavs. After spending much of the Finals on the bench, he chipped in 15 points.
Golden State featured balanced scoring and the offensive genius of Kevin Durant. Durant had an incredibly efficient 43 points on 23 shots. He added 9 assists and was a clutch shooter down the stretch, including a late three from well beyond the arc as the shot clock ended. The Warriors need his performance because Curry and Klay Thompson showed that they are human, not three-point making machines. They shot 7 for 27 collectively. But Curry had a late lay up and a three that helped propel Golden State forward in tight game.
The Warriors also got good bench play. Andre Iguodala came back from injury to score 8 points. Shaun Livingston added 8. Two of Golden State's centers, JaVale McGee and Jordan Bell scored 10 points.
Cleveland lost 110-102 and now are one game away from elimination. But LeBron James did complete a play for the ages. He flew by McGee, threw the ball of the backboard, and slammed it down hard.
Cleveland started Game 3 at home with a bang, but by the end of the first quarter, the Cavs' lead was only one. LeBron James, who had a 33-point triple double, kept his team in the game throughout. Kevin Love rebounded well, grabbing 13 missed shots and scoring 20 points. Tristan Thompson had another good game with 8 points, including an acrobatic layup on the other side of the rim from which he started, and 7 rebounds. Otherwise, only Rodney Hood had a noteworthy game for the Cavs. After spending much of the Finals on the bench, he chipped in 15 points.
Golden State featured balanced scoring and the offensive genius of Kevin Durant. Durant had an incredibly efficient 43 points on 23 shots. He added 9 assists and was a clutch shooter down the stretch, including a late three from well beyond the arc as the shot clock ended. The Warriors need his performance because Curry and Klay Thompson showed that they are human, not three-point making machines. They shot 7 for 27 collectively. But Curry had a late lay up and a three that helped propel Golden State forward in tight game.
The Warriors also got good bench play. Andre Iguodala came back from injury to score 8 points. Shaun Livingston added 8. Two of Golden State's centers, JaVale McGee and Jordan Bell scored 10 points.
Cleveland lost 110-102 and now are one game away from elimination. But LeBron James did complete a play for the ages. He flew by McGee, threw the ball of the backboard, and slammed it down hard.
Sunday, June 03, 2018
Game Two - Curry For Three
Golden State intended to punish the downtrodden Cleveland Cavaliers after the latter's heartbreaking Game One loss. The Warriors knocked down 10 of their first 11 field goals, but Cleveland valiantly hung on and trailed by only four after one.
The Warriors made a run in the second and went into halftime with a double digit lead. In the third, Cleveland kept pace, cutting the lead to five at one point. Kevin Love had another strong game with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Thirteen of his points came in the third.
Golden State broke the game open in the fourth. Stephen Curry hit five of his NBA Finals-record nine three points in the final quarter including a ridiculous fade-away buzzer-beating 28-footer that swished beautifully. He amassed 33 points with 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Klay Thompson (20 points) and Kevin Durant (26 points) both made well over half of their shots. Neither JaVale McGee nor Shaun Livingston missed a shot from the field. McGee scored 12 points on six field goals and Livingston scored 10 on five. Draymond Green had another strong all-around game.
LeBron James had performed well- if not legendarily. He scored 29 points on 50% shooting with 13 assists and 9 rebounds. After being poked in the eye in Game One, he sported a severely reddened sclera. Tristan Thompson scored 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, but for some reason, head coach Ty Lue only played him 23 minutes. George Hill added 15 points.
J.R. Smith's Game One blunder carried over into Game Two. He scored only 5 points in 31 minutes. During his lone free throw attempt, the Warriors' faithful began sarcastically chanting "MVP! MVP!" Smith missed.
The Warriors pulled away in the end and won 122-103 to take a two games to nothing series lead.
The Warriors made a run in the second and went into halftime with a double digit lead. In the third, Cleveland kept pace, cutting the lead to five at one point. Kevin Love had another strong game with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Thirteen of his points came in the third.
Golden State broke the game open in the fourth. Stephen Curry hit five of his NBA Finals-record nine three points in the final quarter including a ridiculous fade-away buzzer-beating 28-footer that swished beautifully. He amassed 33 points with 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Klay Thompson (20 points) and Kevin Durant (26 points) both made well over half of their shots. Neither JaVale McGee nor Shaun Livingston missed a shot from the field. McGee scored 12 points on six field goals and Livingston scored 10 on five. Draymond Green had another strong all-around game.
LeBron James had performed well- if not legendarily. He scored 29 points on 50% shooting with 13 assists and 9 rebounds. After being poked in the eye in Game One, he sported a severely reddened sclera. Tristan Thompson scored 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, but for some reason, head coach Ty Lue only played him 23 minutes. George Hill added 15 points.
J.R. Smith's Game One blunder carried over into Game Two. He scored only 5 points in 31 minutes. During his lone free throw attempt, the Warriors' faithful began sarcastically chanting "MVP! MVP!" Smith missed.
The Warriors pulled away in the end and won 122-103 to take a two games to nothing series lead.
Friday, June 01, 2018
Game One - J. R. Smith's Blunder
Stephen Curry and LeBron James had each just made clutch drives to the basket. Curry, who ended with 29 points, zipped by J.R. Smith and was fouled on his penetration and nailed the free throw give Golden State a one point lead, 107-106, with 23.5 seconds remaining.
LeBron, who notched a career playoff high 51 points, dribbled the ball until he found a cutting George Hill. Klay Thompson grabbed him and a foul was called with 4.7 seconds left. Hill stepped up to the line and tied the game on his first attempt. He then missed the go-ahead free throw.
J.R. Smith improbably grabbed the offensive rebound as Kevin Durant inexplicably found himself under the basket. Wide open for an easy putback, Smith dribbled out to center court. LeBron implored Smith to pass towards the basket and even tried to call timeout. Belatedly, Smith passed to Hill, who didn't have to time to release a proper shot. The game went into overtime where Golden State blitzed Cleveland, winning 124-114 to take Game 1.
Cleveland and Golden State are meeting for the fourth straight NBA Finals. Both teams needed Game 7 wins on the road after each trailed the conference finals 3-2. Cleveland traded away several key players for mostly untested talent in return in the middle of the regular season. Head Coach Ty Lue then decided not to trust the new acquisitions. Only LeBron's greatness pushed the Cavs past Indiana in 7, Toronto in 4, and Boston in 7 to return to the Finals.
Golden State limped through the regular year, finishing second behind the Houston Rockets in the West. Their bench proved weaker than in years past and the Warriors often looked disinterested and beatable. They trailed by double digits in both Games 6 and 7 against Houston only to win both and try for their third title in four years.
Cleveland was surprisingly competitive early in Game 1. The Cavs took a one point lead heading into the second quarter and Klay Thompson, Game 6 hero against Houston, sustained a leg injury in the first quarter when J.R. Smith rolled onto him.Thompson would come back and scored 24 points while making half his shots.
Only a deep Curry three at the buzzer sent the game into a halftime tied. Golden State had its customary explosive third quarter to take a six point lead into the fourth. The fourth went back and forth when Smith made his crushing mistake.
Thirty four years earlier, Derek Harper dribbled out the clock in Game 4 of the Western Conference semis with the scored tied. The Lakers beat Harper's Mavs in overtime. Golden State's Shaun Livingston made sure history would repeat itself. The reserve scored 6 of his 10 points in the extra period.
Kevin Durant struggled shooting, scoring 26 points while making just 36.4% of his field goals. Jeff Green defended him especially well. Draymond Green was one assist shy of a triple double. For Cleveland, the only non-LeBron players to score in double figures were Kevin Love (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Smith (10 points). Larry Nance Jr. added 9 points and 11 boards in his first Finals game.
LeBron, who notched a career playoff high 51 points, dribbled the ball until he found a cutting George Hill. Klay Thompson grabbed him and a foul was called with 4.7 seconds left. Hill stepped up to the line and tied the game on his first attempt. He then missed the go-ahead free throw.
J.R. Smith improbably grabbed the offensive rebound as Kevin Durant inexplicably found himself under the basket. Wide open for an easy putback, Smith dribbled out to center court. LeBron implored Smith to pass towards the basket and even tried to call timeout. Belatedly, Smith passed to Hill, who didn't have to time to release a proper shot. The game went into overtime where Golden State blitzed Cleveland, winning 124-114 to take Game 1.
Cleveland and Golden State are meeting for the fourth straight NBA Finals. Both teams needed Game 7 wins on the road after each trailed the conference finals 3-2. Cleveland traded away several key players for mostly untested talent in return in the middle of the regular season. Head Coach Ty Lue then decided not to trust the new acquisitions. Only LeBron's greatness pushed the Cavs past Indiana in 7, Toronto in 4, and Boston in 7 to return to the Finals.
Golden State limped through the regular year, finishing second behind the Houston Rockets in the West. Their bench proved weaker than in years past and the Warriors often looked disinterested and beatable. They trailed by double digits in both Games 6 and 7 against Houston only to win both and try for their third title in four years.
Cleveland was surprisingly competitive early in Game 1. The Cavs took a one point lead heading into the second quarter and Klay Thompson, Game 6 hero against Houston, sustained a leg injury in the first quarter when J.R. Smith rolled onto him.Thompson would come back and scored 24 points while making half his shots.
Only a deep Curry three at the buzzer sent the game into a halftime tied. Golden State had its customary explosive third quarter to take a six point lead into the fourth. The fourth went back and forth when Smith made his crushing mistake.
Thirty four years earlier, Derek Harper dribbled out the clock in Game 4 of the Western Conference semis with the scored tied. The Lakers beat Harper's Mavs in overtime. Golden State's Shaun Livingston made sure history would repeat itself. The reserve scored 6 of his 10 points in the extra period.
Kevin Durant struggled shooting, scoring 26 points while making just 36.4% of his field goals. Jeff Green defended him especially well. Draymond Green was one assist shy of a triple double. For Cleveland, the only non-LeBron players to score in double figures were Kevin Love (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Smith (10 points). Larry Nance Jr. added 9 points and 11 boards in his first Finals game.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Power Ranking of World Leaders
Here's the new power rankings of world leaders. The last one was posted on May 4.
1. Xi is inserting himself into the Korean peace process and making himself indespensible. After eliminating term limits earlier in the year, Xi is the most powerful man in China and he's a force on the international stage.
2. Kim engaged in another conciliatory act when he released three American prisoners earlier int he week. He has since suspended peace talks with South Korea and threatened to cancel the summit with Donald Trump over joint South Korean/U.S. military exercises and because of comments spewed by U.S. National Security Advisory John Bolton. Kim is in the driver's seat when it comes to peace/denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.
3. When Donald Trump backed out of the JCPOA aka the Iran Nuclear Deal, he neutered the moderates in Iran and emboldened the hardliners who have always accused America of being distrustful. Ayatollah Khamenei and his Revolutionary Guard were against the deal from the outset and may now be free to build a nuclear weapon.
4. Bibi Netanyahu's presentation on Iran's nuclear lies was widely panned. Not only did he fail to produce new information, but his intended audience- Donald Trump- famously hates powerpoint presentations. Trump did back out of the Iran deal, which was exactly what Netanyahu advocated for, even though it ran counter to America's (and Israel's) interests. Trump also moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, which stripped the U.S. of its role as mediator of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and resulted in the deaths of dozens. It was another win for Netanyahu at America's expense.
5. Moon was on a path to winning the Nobel Peace Prize and going down in history as one of the primary people who created peace in Korea. But the recent joint military exercises with the U.S. has put a hold on Moon's seeming inevitable road to heroism.
6. Russia is a member of the JCPOA for now, but if it dissolves in the wake of Trump's inexplicable pulling out of the deal, Russia may come out ahead. The autocratic leader of Russia allies himself with Syria and Iran and a nuclear Iran would bolster the alliance's clout on the world stage.
7. Trump has the ability to create international crises all on his own: The looming trade war with China, potentially handing Iran the nuclear bomb, soiling good will with North Korea, and losing credibility among the Palestinians. He's aiming to destabilize America's enemies, but he often ends up emboldening them.
8. Trump's nixing of the Iran deal may not have done much for nuclear disarmament, but it made MBS happy. A weird America-Israel-Saudi Arabia axis appears to be forming for some reason. Autocrats are enjoying something of a moment on this list.
9. Macron put a lot of his political capital into convincing Trump to stay in the JCPOA and rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. It didn't work. His next step may determine if he can vault back up the list or if he disappears into irrelevancy.
10. Mahathir became the oldest head of state at 92 when his electoral victory thwarted the increasingly autocratic regime of Najib Razak, who ransacked the nation's treasury like a Vladimir Putin wannabe. Mahathir plans to hand over power in a year or two to his former protege-turned-rival-turned-protege again in the feel-good move of the summer,
| Rank | Leader | Country | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xi Jiangping | China | 1 |
| 2 | Kim Jong-un | North Korea | 2 |
| 3 | Ali Khamenei | Iran | Not Ranked |
| 4 | Benjamin Netanyahu | Israel | Not Ranked |
| 5 | Moon Jae-in | South Korea | 3 |
| 6 | Vladimir Putin | Russia | 10 |
| 7 | Donald Trump | United States | 6 |
| 8 | Mohammad bin Salman | Saudi Arabia | 8 |
| 9 | Emmanuel Macron | France | 4 |
| 10 | Mahathir bin Muhammad | Malaysia | Not Ranked |
1. Xi is inserting himself into the Korean peace process and making himself indespensible. After eliminating term limits earlier in the year, Xi is the most powerful man in China and he's a force on the international stage.
2. Kim engaged in another conciliatory act when he released three American prisoners earlier int he week. He has since suspended peace talks with South Korea and threatened to cancel the summit with Donald Trump over joint South Korean/U.S. military exercises and because of comments spewed by U.S. National Security Advisory John Bolton. Kim is in the driver's seat when it comes to peace/denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.
3. When Donald Trump backed out of the JCPOA aka the Iran Nuclear Deal, he neutered the moderates in Iran and emboldened the hardliners who have always accused America of being distrustful. Ayatollah Khamenei and his Revolutionary Guard were against the deal from the outset and may now be free to build a nuclear weapon.
4. Bibi Netanyahu's presentation on Iran's nuclear lies was widely panned. Not only did he fail to produce new information, but his intended audience- Donald Trump- famously hates powerpoint presentations. Trump did back out of the Iran deal, which was exactly what Netanyahu advocated for, even though it ran counter to America's (and Israel's) interests. Trump also moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, which stripped the U.S. of its role as mediator of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and resulted in the deaths of dozens. It was another win for Netanyahu at America's expense.
5. Moon was on a path to winning the Nobel Peace Prize and going down in history as one of the primary people who created peace in Korea. But the recent joint military exercises with the U.S. has put a hold on Moon's seeming inevitable road to heroism.
6. Russia is a member of the JCPOA for now, but if it dissolves in the wake of Trump's inexplicable pulling out of the deal, Russia may come out ahead. The autocratic leader of Russia allies himself with Syria and Iran and a nuclear Iran would bolster the alliance's clout on the world stage.
7. Trump has the ability to create international crises all on his own: The looming trade war with China, potentially handing Iran the nuclear bomb, soiling good will with North Korea, and losing credibility among the Palestinians. He's aiming to destabilize America's enemies, but he often ends up emboldening them.
8. Trump's nixing of the Iran deal may not have done much for nuclear disarmament, but it made MBS happy. A weird America-Israel-Saudi Arabia axis appears to be forming for some reason. Autocrats are enjoying something of a moment on this list.
9. Macron put a lot of his political capital into convincing Trump to stay in the JCPOA and rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. It didn't work. His next step may determine if he can vault back up the list or if he disappears into irrelevancy.
10. Mahathir became the oldest head of state at 92 when his electoral victory thwarted the increasingly autocratic regime of Najib Razak, who ransacked the nation's treasury like a Vladimir Putin wannabe. Mahathir plans to hand over power in a year or two to his former protege-turned-rival-turned-protege again in the feel-good move of the summer,
Wednesday, May 09, 2018
The Toronto Raptors Should Stand Pat
For the third straight year, the Toronto Raptors were booted out of the playoffs by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the team is going in the right direction and should keep as many players as possible and retain Dwane Casey as coach.
After missing the playoffs five straight seasons, the Raptors have made it five straight. Their record continues to trend upwards. It's true that Toronto doesn't match up well with LeBron James. They need to add a defensive-minded small forward or two similar to those "Jordan stoppers" in the 80s and 90s (Gerald Wilkins anyone?), but the Raptors match up well with the other teams in the East.
Who knows if LeBron will stay in Cleveland. Who knows if he'll keep up his insanely proficient play if he does stay. And maybe some other team will bounce Cleveland out of the playoffs before Toronto has to meet them. Blowing up the team would be a giant overreaction.
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have been fantastic in the regular season, but inconsistent in the postseason. Lowry is 32, but he's really the only key player on the wrong side of 30. He still has a couple of high-level seasons left. DeRozan is in his prime. I'm still waiting for JV to breakout, but he's improving. Ibaka is a good fit. The Raptors have added some good young players: Anunoby, VanVleet, Wright, Poeltl and Siakam. C.J. Miles was a good pickup.
They're just missing that defensive small forward. Someone like (a younger version of) Thabo Sefolosha. A guy like Joe Ingles who would annoy the hell out of LeBron. Andre Roberson fits the bill. They had the right idea with DeMarre Carroll, but that didn't pan out. There are guys like that out there. Otherwise, the Raptors are in a good position to continue to go far in the playoffs for the next few years.
After missing the playoffs five straight seasons, the Raptors have made it five straight. Their record continues to trend upwards. It's true that Toronto doesn't match up well with LeBron James. They need to add a defensive-minded small forward or two similar to those "Jordan stoppers" in the 80s and 90s (Gerald Wilkins anyone?), but the Raptors match up well with the other teams in the East.
Who knows if LeBron will stay in Cleveland. Who knows if he'll keep up his insanely proficient play if he does stay. And maybe some other team will bounce Cleveland out of the playoffs before Toronto has to meet them. Blowing up the team would be a giant overreaction.
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have been fantastic in the regular season, but inconsistent in the postseason. Lowry is 32, but he's really the only key player on the wrong side of 30. He still has a couple of high-level seasons left. DeRozan is in his prime. I'm still waiting for JV to breakout, but he's improving. Ibaka is a good fit. The Raptors have added some good young players: Anunoby, VanVleet, Wright, Poeltl and Siakam. C.J. Miles was a good pickup.
They're just missing that defensive small forward. Someone like (a younger version of) Thabo Sefolosha. A guy like Joe Ingles who would annoy the hell out of LeBron. Andre Roberson fits the bill. They had the right idea with DeMarre Carroll, but that didn't pan out. There are guys like that out there. Otherwise, the Raptors are in a good position to continue to go far in the playoffs for the next few years.
Friday, May 04, 2018
Power Ranking of World Leaders
Here's the new power rankings of world leaders. The last one was posted on April 17.
1. China still seems to be replacing the United States on the global stage as the latter is becoming increasingly isolationist when it isn't bellicose. Xi's meeting with Modi was an important step in solidifying the two most populous countries' relationship. Xi was also an invisible player in last week's Korean Summit.
2. Kim has been a masterful diplomat recently. A poll showed that 80% of South Koreans now believe he is trustworthy. It's a remarkable increase in a country in which Kim used to be about as popular as cancer. He and President Moon agreed to end the decades-long war by the end of next year. He agreed to stop testing his nukes, which was hailed has a conciliatory move, but actually his test site collapsed. In the upcoming meeting with Trump, Kim seems like the voice of reason. Yep, you read that right!
3. Moon finished hosting a successful Winter Olympics and then took a big step towards creating peace with his northern neighbor. He came across as confident and statesmen-like during the inter-Korean Summit. Not a bad start to the year.
4. Emmanuel Macron sucked up to Trump in a recent visit to Washington while politely denouncing everything Trump stands for. He played the diplomatic game very shrewdly. But can he convince Trump to stay with the Iran Deal, aka the JCPOA, and get back into the Paris Climate Accord? Those answers will truly determine how effective his diplomatic efforts are.
5. Modi met with Xi recently and oversees a growing economy. He has impressively pushed girls education. But his history of anti-Muslim sentiment is troubling and dates back to his time as Governor of Gujarat and his role in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots.
6. Usually, the President of the United States is the leader of the free world. But Trump has managed to unnecessarily antagonize allies such as Japan, start an ill-advised trade war with China, and relinquish America's role as the primary global arbiter. But he is still significant as his upcoming summit with Kim Jong-un and forthcoming decision on the Iran deal show.
7. Merkel came to Washington a few days after Macron in an attempt to achieve the same goals as the French president. She has lost much of her political capital by advocating for the acceptance of migrants within the EU, which is the intellectual way to say that she showed humanity to people who have endured horrific experiences and people don't like her any more because they are racists.
8. MBS slides down the list after his war in Yemen was deemed the biggest human catastrophe in the world. Remember, the Syrian civil war continues to rage. He jumped into the war in hopes of combating Iran's influence in Saudi Arabia's southern neighbor ,but it has become an unmitigated disaster.
9. Rouhani's last gasp of relevance depends on Trump's decision to stay or nix the 2015 multi-lateral JCPOA, commonly referred to in the U.S. as the Iran Deal, by May 12. With Supreme Ayatollah Khamenei ailing, this is the time to empower the Iranian moderates such as Rouhani. If the U.S. pulls out of the deal, not only would it hurt the U.S.'s prestige and all but assure an Iranian nuclear bomb, but it would embolden the Iranian hardliners who were against the deal from the start.
10. Norway was ranked as the country with the freest media in the world and as the happiest place in the world. But you are probably like me in that you didn't know Erna Solberg is the prime minister of Norway without googling it, and there's also no evidence to suggest Erna is responsible for those two laudable rankings, which is why Putin grabs the final spot on the list despite his autocratic ways, his illegal invasions, and his bromance with the despicable head of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. At least you've heard of him.
| Rank | Leader | Country | Previous Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xi Jiangping | China | 1 | |
| 2 | Kim Jong-un | North Korea | 2 | |
| 3 | Moon Jae-in | South Korea | 8 | |
| 4 | Emmanuel Macron | France | 4 | |
| 5 | Narenda Modi | India | Not Ranked | |
| 6 | Donald Trump | United States | 9 | |
| 7 | Angela Merkel | Germany | Not Ranked | |
| 8 | Mohammad bin Salman | Saudi Arabia | 5 | |
| 9 | Hassan Rouhani | Iran | Not Ranked | |
| 10 |
|
Russia | 3 |
1. China still seems to be replacing the United States on the global stage as the latter is becoming increasingly isolationist when it isn't bellicose. Xi's meeting with Modi was an important step in solidifying the two most populous countries' relationship. Xi was also an invisible player in last week's Korean Summit.
2. Kim has been a masterful diplomat recently. A poll showed that 80% of South Koreans now believe he is trustworthy. It's a remarkable increase in a country in which Kim used to be about as popular as cancer. He and President Moon agreed to end the decades-long war by the end of next year. He agreed to stop testing his nukes, which was hailed has a conciliatory move, but actually his test site collapsed. In the upcoming meeting with Trump, Kim seems like the voice of reason. Yep, you read that right!
3. Moon finished hosting a successful Winter Olympics and then took a big step towards creating peace with his northern neighbor. He came across as confident and statesmen-like during the inter-Korean Summit. Not a bad start to the year.
4. Emmanuel Macron sucked up to Trump in a recent visit to Washington while politely denouncing everything Trump stands for. He played the diplomatic game very shrewdly. But can he convince Trump to stay with the Iran Deal, aka the JCPOA, and get back into the Paris Climate Accord? Those answers will truly determine how effective his diplomatic efforts are.
5. Modi met with Xi recently and oversees a growing economy. He has impressively pushed girls education. But his history of anti-Muslim sentiment is troubling and dates back to his time as Governor of Gujarat and his role in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots.
6. Usually, the President of the United States is the leader of the free world. But Trump has managed to unnecessarily antagonize allies such as Japan, start an ill-advised trade war with China, and relinquish America's role as the primary global arbiter. But he is still significant as his upcoming summit with Kim Jong-un and forthcoming decision on the Iran deal show.
7. Merkel came to Washington a few days after Macron in an attempt to achieve the same goals as the French president. She has lost much of her political capital by advocating for the acceptance of migrants within the EU, which is the intellectual way to say that she showed humanity to people who have endured horrific experiences and people don't like her any more because they are racists.
8. MBS slides down the list after his war in Yemen was deemed the biggest human catastrophe in the world. Remember, the Syrian civil war continues to rage. He jumped into the war in hopes of combating Iran's influence in Saudi Arabia's southern neighbor ,but it has become an unmitigated disaster.
9. Rouhani's last gasp of relevance depends on Trump's decision to stay or nix the 2015 multi-lateral JCPOA, commonly referred to in the U.S. as the Iran Deal, by May 12. With Supreme Ayatollah Khamenei ailing, this is the time to empower the Iranian moderates such as Rouhani. If the U.S. pulls out of the deal, not only would it hurt the U.S.'s prestige and all but assure an Iranian nuclear bomb, but it would embolden the Iranian hardliners who were against the deal from the start.
10. Norway was ranked as the country with the freest media in the world and as the happiest place in the world. But you are probably like me in that you didn't know Erna Solberg is the prime minister of Norway without googling it, and there's also no evidence to suggest Erna is responsible for those two laudable rankings, which is why Putin grabs the final spot on the list despite his autocratic ways, his illegal invasions, and his bromance with the despicable head of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. At least you've heard of him.
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