Firstly, the Lopez brothers are weird and may be significant idiots. ESPN had a mic on Brook Lopez and did a montage of the idiotic things he was saying all night. Firstly, he said that the whole thing was boring?! Boring? Are you kidding me, this guy is about to get drafted into the NBA and he's bored? Reason number 1 I thank god he's no where near the knicks.
His second best line of the night was when he asked who the Nets GM and Coach were after he was drafted. Are you f'ing kidding me? How could a potential lottery pick not now every coach in the league especially of the team that wanted to draft him? What a friggin idiot. Also, courtesy of tommy p - http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/kelli_anderson/02/20/lopez0225/index.html . Read that article, gives you a glimpse in to the Lopez lunacy.
On to the Knicks, Danilo Gallinari is now the future of the Knicks, and I am surprisingly not disappointed. I heard the Knicks are making a play for Felton from the bobcats and I like that move also. If we can get rid of Randolph or Curry, this will be a successful offseason.
The draft pretty much went as expected and I'm glad the Knicks took a risky pick rather then one of the combo guards. I was also surprised as to how dominant Rose looked in his highlights.
Other draft thoughts:
- Why bother drafting guys that will never play in this league?
- Arthur helped his exposure immensely by being the last one in the green room. The guy is now loved by everyone that ever rooted for an underdog and honestly, the guy has awesome Pro written all over him.
- Was it me or did every draft pick look like he was about 17 yrs old and have the body of a string bean.
- The Lopez brothers are idiots and their voices are weird as hell.
- Kansas had their top 5 players drafted, what a solid and underrated championship squad. I'm not even sure who will be the best pro, but Arthur and Rush are gonna be in the hunt for rookie of the year (maybe even chalmers) if they get significant playing time.
- The Nets are now a huge huge team. Their front line is now Kristic, Lopez, and Yi, all over 7 feet. They are going to surprise next year if Harris develops.
- Portland made about a hundred moves yesterday and I love the depth they have on that squad. With Oden back they might be one of the favorites in the West.
- While I like Westbrook, I really think the Sonics should have went Love. Love, Green, and Durant would have been a high scoring and awesome front line.
- Has Arthur been picked yet?
- I love how all the International players just came to the draft and sat in the crowd.
- One of the tall foreign guys (i forget which one) had stats of 5.0 ppg and 5.3 rpg in the French league. How can those numbers possibly translate to the NBA. I really feel like you can only draft a foreign guy like the Rooster (Danilo) who absolutely dominates his league. 5ppg, really? Are you kidding me?
- Joey Dorsey, CDR and Ewing Jr will all be solid pros out of the second round.
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts later, but thats it for now.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Season 2, Game 1 Recap
6/23/08
Zuricalaw.com vs. MPI
Game Present & Member Grades
Zeke (A-) – played the point well and didn’t force the issue. Also showed his offensive game and attacked the basket.
Mike B (B+) – made his shots and limited his turnover plague.
Anicito (B-) – missed a few easy ones.
Ahmed (C+) – attacked the basket but there were too many turnovers and one-on-fours for the teams liking.
Zosh (A) – played big defensively. Also finished the offensive glass and even made free throws down the stretch.
Noey (B) – had a nice game from beyond the arch.
Joe H (DNP) – sunbathing on the Tijuana coast with his new Mexican mail order bride.
“Young boys take no care, and never finish off their things with shadows” – Leonardo DaVinci
Zuricalaw.com started the new season against the one and only foe from last year’s division, MPI. Team captain and acting sponsor of the league in 2022, Ant set out a lofty goal for the team, to go 8-0 and win the championship. No member disagrees with the possibility of this happening, especially since the team upgraded the roster. Noey was resurrected like a cast member from Michael Jackson’s Thriller video to join the club after Jeremy’s abrupt departure. Noey gives the team another three-point threat, which alleviated Anicito from his delusions of developing that part of his game. MPI had also upgraded their team significantly and got out on zuricalaw real quick. MPI opened an 8-1 lead in the opening five minutes. Ant’s dreams were slipping away like the Ohio River Valley. The conditions of the game were however a major part of the reason for the team’s struggles. Item number one, the game ball: usually the team is without a quality basketball. And last week Ant went out and used some of the company’s petty cash to purchase one of the best balls available, the TF-1000. The ball was brand new leather and was slippery at the start. Item number two, the heat: The gym was literally a sauna. Anicito admits to sweating more than any human being should sweat, but last night he could have watered an acre of central park if he rung out his shirt. It was bad, even Anthony had sweat marks, and he never plays hard enough to sweat. So, between the moisture in the gym and the new leather, the ball was slick. So slick that it was hard to handle, slipped off the backboard, and felt really nice when rubbed gently on your inner thigh, well that’s what Anicito said.
Zuricalaw.com gained ground on MPI and eventually traded baskets for much of the first half with MPI. Both Anicito and Zosh missed some wide-open layups. At one point Anicito made a nice move to the baseline, beating his man but completely blew the layup. Zosh cleaned up an offensive rebound but the ball slipped right off the glass. Ahmed’s dilemmas came more on the handling end as he tried his kamikaze drives that usually get him to the line but last night the pokes were getting the ball away from him. The first half ended on a big three point shot by Noel as he slid into the offense like sybian.
The second half opened with zuricalaw.com dominating. Mike B turned on his offensive spout. Zosh was huge, literally and figuratively, on the defensive end. Ant attacked the basket with no fear and more astonishing, finished. Noey punished the defense with his three. Things looked like smooth sailing as zuricalaw had an 8-point lead with ten minutes to play. That was when the cards started to fall. A couple of lackadaisical defensive stands let MPI’s most ugly shooter knock down open threes and we were forcing too many passes that turned into turnovers. It was all of a sudden a two-point game with less than a minute to play. An inbound on the sideline was guarded intensely by MPI and Ahmed made a quick move to get open, only he forgot that you cant go behind the half court line, its called a BACKCOURT violation. So with twenty seconds left, MPI had the ball down by two. MPI did a nice job holding the ball to kill some clock. A three point shot went up that would have given MPI the lead but was missed and Zosh grabbed the board and was fouled with six seconds left. With ice water in his veins, Zosh made both free throws securing the win for zuricalaw.com. These free throws may seem understated, but readers should note that Zosh is 8 for his last 46 from the line.
Zuricalaw.com got their first win. Hopefully we can continue and not let Anthony down. He said that if we go undefeated and win the championship he would take the team out to dinner at Tao. Ask Noey, he said that!
Zuricalaw.com vs. MPI
Game Present & Member Grades
Zeke (A-) – played the point well and didn’t force the issue. Also showed his offensive game and attacked the basket.
Mike B (B+) – made his shots and limited his turnover plague.
Anicito (B-) – missed a few easy ones.
Ahmed (C+) – attacked the basket but there were too many turnovers and one-on-fours for the teams liking.
Zosh (A) – played big defensively. Also finished the offensive glass and even made free throws down the stretch.
Noey (B) – had a nice game from beyond the arch.
Joe H (DNP) – sunbathing on the Tijuana coast with his new Mexican mail order bride.
“Young boys take no care, and never finish off their things with shadows” – Leonardo DaVinci
Zuricalaw.com started the new season against the one and only foe from last year’s division, MPI. Team captain and acting sponsor of the league in 2022, Ant set out a lofty goal for the team, to go 8-0 and win the championship. No member disagrees with the possibility of this happening, especially since the team upgraded the roster. Noey was resurrected like a cast member from Michael Jackson’s Thriller video to join the club after Jeremy’s abrupt departure. Noey gives the team another three-point threat, which alleviated Anicito from his delusions of developing that part of his game. MPI had also upgraded their team significantly and got out on zuricalaw real quick. MPI opened an 8-1 lead in the opening five minutes. Ant’s dreams were slipping away like the Ohio River Valley. The conditions of the game were however a major part of the reason for the team’s struggles. Item number one, the game ball: usually the team is without a quality basketball. And last week Ant went out and used some of the company’s petty cash to purchase one of the best balls available, the TF-1000. The ball was brand new leather and was slippery at the start. Item number two, the heat: The gym was literally a sauna. Anicito admits to sweating more than any human being should sweat, but last night he could have watered an acre of central park if he rung out his shirt. It was bad, even Anthony had sweat marks, and he never plays hard enough to sweat. So, between the moisture in the gym and the new leather, the ball was slick. So slick that it was hard to handle, slipped off the backboard, and felt really nice when rubbed gently on your inner thigh, well that’s what Anicito said.
Zuricalaw.com gained ground on MPI and eventually traded baskets for much of the first half with MPI. Both Anicito and Zosh missed some wide-open layups. At one point Anicito made a nice move to the baseline, beating his man but completely blew the layup. Zosh cleaned up an offensive rebound but the ball slipped right off the glass. Ahmed’s dilemmas came more on the handling end as he tried his kamikaze drives that usually get him to the line but last night the pokes were getting the ball away from him. The first half ended on a big three point shot by Noel as he slid into the offense like sybian.
The second half opened with zuricalaw.com dominating. Mike B turned on his offensive spout. Zosh was huge, literally and figuratively, on the defensive end. Ant attacked the basket with no fear and more astonishing, finished. Noey punished the defense with his three. Things looked like smooth sailing as zuricalaw had an 8-point lead with ten minutes to play. That was when the cards started to fall. A couple of lackadaisical defensive stands let MPI’s most ugly shooter knock down open threes and we were forcing too many passes that turned into turnovers. It was all of a sudden a two-point game with less than a minute to play. An inbound on the sideline was guarded intensely by MPI and Ahmed made a quick move to get open, only he forgot that you cant go behind the half court line, its called a BACKCOURT violation. So with twenty seconds left, MPI had the ball down by two. MPI did a nice job holding the ball to kill some clock. A three point shot went up that would have given MPI the lead but was missed and Zosh grabbed the board and was fouled with six seconds left. With ice water in his veins, Zosh made both free throws securing the win for zuricalaw.com. These free throws may seem understated, but readers should note that Zosh is 8 for his last 46 from the line.
Zuricalaw.com got their first win. Hopefully we can continue and not let Anthony down. He said that if we go undefeated and win the championship he would take the team out to dinner at Tao. Ask Noey, he said that!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Season 2 goals
Sometimes I know I get a little ahead of myself when it comes to predictions. A lot of things could derail a season, just look at my beloved Mets as case number 1. However, I have full confidence in our squad to greatly improve in season 2.
My goal for this season is lofty. 8-0 record and a Championship. I know it doesn't get any better or any harder then that, but I know this squad is very capable of such a goal (barring catastrophic injury of course).
I'm not trying to put any pressure on us, but we need to set this high goal, because we should have done this last season and now we are a season wiser and more importantly, we are all healthy and hungry.
Let start it right tonight!
My goal for this season is lofty. 8-0 record and a Championship. I know it doesn't get any better or any harder then that, but I know this squad is very capable of such a goal (barring catastrophic injury of course).
I'm not trying to put any pressure on us, but we need to set this high goal, because we should have done this last season and now we are a season wiser and more importantly, we are all healthy and hungry.
Let start it right tonight!
Welcome to the newest Zuricalaw.com member
As all of us presently on the squad got our Intro paragraphs last season, its time for Noels.
As we all know, we lost one of our own in the offseason (which was a pretty long offseason - 6 days) Jeremy has moved onto greener pastures. With that though, we welcome a long time Husky (Zuricalaw.com's previous incarnation) back into the fold.
Noel, no offense to Jeremy is a huge upgrade off the bench. He can get on fire with the best of them. In his younger days he was more of a shooting point guard, now he's probably more of a combo guard in the mold of a Joe Johnson, he can shoot the lights out of the building on occasion but he can also bang down low and play a forward if we are in a 2-3 zone. Zuricalaw.com won't skip a beat when this sharpshooter is on the floor.
Lets all give Noel a nice welcoming tonight by abusing one of our only league member teams to return, MPI.
As we all know, we lost one of our own in the offseason (which was a pretty long offseason - 6 days) Jeremy has moved onto greener pastures. With that though, we welcome a long time Husky (Zuricalaw.com's previous incarnation) back into the fold.
Noel, no offense to Jeremy is a huge upgrade off the bench. He can get on fire with the best of them. In his younger days he was more of a shooting point guard, now he's probably more of a combo guard in the mold of a Joe Johnson, he can shoot the lights out of the building on occasion but he can also bang down low and play a forward if we are in a 2-3 zone. Zuricalaw.com won't skip a beat when this sharpshooter is on the floor.
Lets all give Noel a nice welcoming tonight by abusing one of our only league member teams to return, MPI.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Sign in to www.NYURBAN.com
Email I received yesterday:
Dear Anthony Zurica
Team Name:ZURICALAW.COM
Web Access Number: 711269
REMINDER TO ALL CAPTAINS:
You may log on to the website now.
1.) All teams must pick up their t-shirts next week, the week of June 23rd at our office. We are open each night this week only (Mon-Thurs) from 10:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. We are located at 155 W. 72nd St. , Suite 701. This is the ONLY WEEK that the office will stay open late. If you are a company sending a messenger, you MUST provide the messenger with your team name.
2) Three additional weeks of your schedule will be posted on the website on Tuesday evening, June 24th. Please make sure all your players sign on to our website, www.nyurban.com, with your teams' web access number listed above. . Each player must create his/hers own user name and password. All players must fill out a waiver to be eligible to play. Waivers may be filled out online starting NOW.
Thank You.
Dear Anthony Zurica
Team Name:ZURICALAW.COM
Web Access Number: 711269
REMINDER TO ALL CAPTAINS:
You may log on to the website now.
1.) All teams must pick up their t-shirts next week, the week of June 23rd at our office. We are open each night this week only (Mon-Thurs) from 10:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. We are located at 155 W. 72nd St. , Suite 701. This is the ONLY WEEK that the office will stay open late. If you are a company sending a messenger, you MUST provide the messenger with your team name.
2) Three additional weeks of your schedule will be posted on the website on Tuesday evening, June 24th. Please make sure all your players sign on to our website, www.nyurban.com, with your teams' web access number listed above. . Each player must create his/hers own user name and password. All players must fill out a waiver to be eligible to play. Waivers may be filled out online starting NOW.
Thank You.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Season 1 in Review
So here is the first official Season in Review for Zuricalaw.com.
Basically I'm just going to give a final grade for each team member and brief recap of all things good and bad throughout the season.
Team Members
Zuricalaw.com - B
I really thought I would have had a better year, but between my ankle being sprained, my 2 trips to the ER and just overall pushing my body to the limit for no reason like an idiot, I never really put it all together on the court. The funny thing is that whenever I played ball outside the league I would play with so much more confidence and overall better play. I need to find a way next season to bring that to the team. There was a point during the season that I was ready to hang it up (due to injury and horrible horrible play) but my heart is back in it 100% and I'm ready to vastly improve on my season 1 performance.
Anicito - B+
Mike played his steady usual game throughout the whole season. I was very impressed by his ability this season to step out and hit his 15 footers with a lot of consistency. At most times throughout this year Mike was the first or second best player on the court at all times and that's a testament to his will to win. Considering I taught him everything he knows about the game it made me proud that he has stepped up the way he did. However, like the rest of the team he needs to enter a Free Throw intensive training program in the off season.
Ahmad - B+
The true testament to Ahmad was in the games he was absent or sitting on the sidelines. Our team lacked that extra step, that extra drive or that extra hustle that is always present when he is in the game. Yes, he may love his patented spin move a little too much, but the energy he brings is infectious and he was an awesome Gm acquisition by myself with a little help by Anicito. On the downside I'd like to see more consistency in his three point shooting. It seems some games that he can never miss and then others where the basket seems like a pinhole on his threes. All in all great first season for Ahmad and I look forward to playing a lot more with him.
Betancourt - B+
I've been playing ball with Mike since I was about 12 years old and I probably could count on maybe 4 hands how many shots I've ever seen the kid miss. He always came up with the big three when we needed it most. The thing that most impressed me though this season was his commitment to winning. Mike and I have been playing ball forever but never in an official league. Tells a lot about an individual when he cares about winning even in a league that has no reward at the end besides the self satisfaction we can personally attain. I'll take guys like that on my team every day. My critique of Mike is that sometimes he even needs to be more selfish with his shot. If he's open he needs to take the shot, period.
Zosh - B
Big Zosh, our anchor in the middle. I call him the Big fundamental. Obviously Mcneese did a good job teaching basketball to at least one person as Zosh always knows what to do and where to be on the court at all times. Especially against a zone we need Zosh in there as he is prolific at passing out of the high post and finding an open man. Ive also never seen someone hit that foul line turnaround with such ease. As for the critique, Zosh needs to join his fellow staten island basketball coaches and start a free throw clinic for themselves. ( i mean, between zosh and joe and mike, they've taught over 300 kids give or take and yet they only shoot 50% from the line. From now on, when you do free throw drills with your kids, you take the same amount of free throws.)
Joe H - B
The third big free agent acquisition of the anti_isiah Gm (with an assist from Zosh). Big Joe stepped it up huge in 3 or 4 games this season and practically carried our team to victory in them. Sometimes he'd hit a turnaround or a driving layup and I'd just shake my head not knowing how the hell he just hit that shot. Not at all implying it was luck, but just saying that when he wants to turn it on he can be the best player on the court. He also added a real nice down low presence to the squad that we sometimes lacked in our previous incarnations. My critique of Joe is that sometimes he tends to get lost in the shuffle. While the times he plays big, he plays monster big, but then the times he loses focus its almost like he just goes through the motions. We need to find a way to keep that fire for a full 48 minutes. Without it needing to be said, this was another great signing and I look forward to playing with Joe for years to come.
Doster -B-
Listen, Jeremy knew his role on this squad and he never tried to do more then he could handle. He went in there and valiantly played his part in helping us to an overall 7-2 record. This was Jeremys first exposure to league play (ever!) and after his first 2 games getting three second calls, he slowed the game down for himself and really did not make too many errors or hurt the team when he was in the game. I know he is leaving us this season, but I want to thank him for his contributions and wish him luck in his future basketball career. To J, drop a line with the team on the blog whenever you want. Thanks again.
Well that's it. All in all an almost great year. I wont call it great until we win something but 7-2 is nothing to sneeze at. This was a transitional year for Zuricalaw.com as we had to incorporate 4 new players and next season we only have to bring on one, but at least hes an old face that most of us have played with before. Noel will get his own introduction post before the first game, so Ill fill you guys in on him later.
Special thanks to Pina and Mary Beth who attended almost every game and gave us some great moral support.
Thanks for a good season everybody and lets go out and do the same (well slightly better) starting next week!
Basically I'm just going to give a final grade for each team member and brief recap of all things good and bad throughout the season.
Team Members
Zuricalaw.com - B
I really thought I would have had a better year, but between my ankle being sprained, my 2 trips to the ER and just overall pushing my body to the limit for no reason like an idiot, I never really put it all together on the court. The funny thing is that whenever I played ball outside the league I would play with so much more confidence and overall better play. I need to find a way next season to bring that to the team. There was a point during the season that I was ready to hang it up (due to injury and horrible horrible play) but my heart is back in it 100% and I'm ready to vastly improve on my season 1 performance.
Anicito - B+
Mike played his steady usual game throughout the whole season. I was very impressed by his ability this season to step out and hit his 15 footers with a lot of consistency. At most times throughout this year Mike was the first or second best player on the court at all times and that's a testament to his will to win. Considering I taught him everything he knows about the game it made me proud that he has stepped up the way he did. However, like the rest of the team he needs to enter a Free Throw intensive training program in the off season.
Ahmad - B+
The true testament to Ahmad was in the games he was absent or sitting on the sidelines. Our team lacked that extra step, that extra drive or that extra hustle that is always present when he is in the game. Yes, he may love his patented spin move a little too much, but the energy he brings is infectious and he was an awesome Gm acquisition by myself with a little help by Anicito. On the downside I'd like to see more consistency in his three point shooting. It seems some games that he can never miss and then others where the basket seems like a pinhole on his threes. All in all great first season for Ahmad and I look forward to playing a lot more with him.
Betancourt - B+
I've been playing ball with Mike since I was about 12 years old and I probably could count on maybe 4 hands how many shots I've ever seen the kid miss. He always came up with the big three when we needed it most. The thing that most impressed me though this season was his commitment to winning. Mike and I have been playing ball forever but never in an official league. Tells a lot about an individual when he cares about winning even in a league that has no reward at the end besides the self satisfaction we can personally attain. I'll take guys like that on my team every day. My critique of Mike is that sometimes he even needs to be more selfish with his shot. If he's open he needs to take the shot, period.
Zosh - B
Big Zosh, our anchor in the middle. I call him the Big fundamental. Obviously Mcneese did a good job teaching basketball to at least one person as Zosh always knows what to do and where to be on the court at all times. Especially against a zone we need Zosh in there as he is prolific at passing out of the high post and finding an open man. Ive also never seen someone hit that foul line turnaround with such ease. As for the critique, Zosh needs to join his fellow staten island basketball coaches and start a free throw clinic for themselves. ( i mean, between zosh and joe and mike, they've taught over 300 kids give or take and yet they only shoot 50% from the line. From now on, when you do free throw drills with your kids, you take the same amount of free throws.)
Joe H - B
The third big free agent acquisition of the anti_isiah Gm (with an assist from Zosh). Big Joe stepped it up huge in 3 or 4 games this season and practically carried our team to victory in them. Sometimes he'd hit a turnaround or a driving layup and I'd just shake my head not knowing how the hell he just hit that shot. Not at all implying it was luck, but just saying that when he wants to turn it on he can be the best player on the court. He also added a real nice down low presence to the squad that we sometimes lacked in our previous incarnations. My critique of Joe is that sometimes he tends to get lost in the shuffle. While the times he plays big, he plays monster big, but then the times he loses focus its almost like he just goes through the motions. We need to find a way to keep that fire for a full 48 minutes. Without it needing to be said, this was another great signing and I look forward to playing with Joe for years to come.
Doster -B-
Listen, Jeremy knew his role on this squad and he never tried to do more then he could handle. He went in there and valiantly played his part in helping us to an overall 7-2 record. This was Jeremys first exposure to league play (ever!) and after his first 2 games getting three second calls, he slowed the game down for himself and really did not make too many errors or hurt the team when he was in the game. I know he is leaving us this season, but I want to thank him for his contributions and wish him luck in his future basketball career. To J, drop a line with the team on the blog whenever you want. Thanks again.
Well that's it. All in all an almost great year. I wont call it great until we win something but 7-2 is nothing to sneeze at. This was a transitional year for Zuricalaw.com as we had to incorporate 4 new players and next season we only have to bring on one, but at least hes an old face that most of us have played with before. Noel will get his own introduction post before the first game, so Ill fill you guys in on him later.
Special thanks to Pina and Mary Beth who attended almost every game and gave us some great moral support.
Thanks for a good season everybody and lets go out and do the same (well slightly better) starting next week!
Playoff Recap 6/17/08
Zuricalaw.com v Evolution
Zuricalaw.com is ousted from the first round
Members present and grades
Zuricalaw.com - B Could have brought more on the offensive and defensive end and had a killer turnover at the end
Ahmad - B+ Abused Evolution in the first half, but then couldn't get it going against their zone
Zosh - B+ While he wasn't feeling well, he came to play and did a good job on the boards
Joe H - B Had a few real nice offensive moves, but his game was a slight notch down from his last 2 dominating performances
Betancourt - B Never really settled into a rhythm which was partly the fault of the rest of us
Mike B+ Played a great game, but gets a deduction of half a point for his free throw shooting
Doster - DNP couldn't get off the couch after his friends bachelor party at chuckie cheese which coincidentally was also R kellys acquittal celebration party.
I'm going to make this a short post about the game and then have a bigger year end recap right after this.
Some may argue that despite everything, we should have won this game. Their scorekeepers probably took a good 8 points from us. In hindsight it was my job as unofficial GM to handle that situation and I didn't step up and do it and for that I apologize to my team. I should've had one of our guys at the table the whole time. It just stings that much more because it was the playoffs.
As I was telling Mike, I don't think we played a bad game, it wasn't our best game of the year, but looking back we did enough to win. Bottom line is that the other team did that much more to get their own victory. We could have and should have done a lot of things differently.
We seemed lost on D at times. We had no answer for their zone in the second half. We didn't get our best shooter involved enough at all throughout the game and these are things we just need to work on and I'm confident that in subsequent seasons we will be that much better at it all.
It was our first season together and I had a lot of fun, but I'll leave this stuff for the next post.
Anyways, good game everyone and don't get too comfortable, our first game is next week!
Zurica out
Zuricalaw.com is ousted from the first round
Members present and grades
Zuricalaw.com - B Could have brought more on the offensive and defensive end and had a killer turnover at the end
Ahmad - B+ Abused Evolution in the first half, but then couldn't get it going against their zone
Zosh - B+ While he wasn't feeling well, he came to play and did a good job on the boards
Joe H - B Had a few real nice offensive moves, but his game was a slight notch down from his last 2 dominating performances
Betancourt - B Never really settled into a rhythm which was partly the fault of the rest of us
Mike B+ Played a great game, but gets a deduction of half a point for his free throw shooting
Doster - DNP couldn't get off the couch after his friends bachelor party at chuckie cheese which coincidentally was also R kellys acquittal celebration party.
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places."
HemingwayI'm going to make this a short post about the game and then have a bigger year end recap right after this.
Some may argue that despite everything, we should have won this game. Their scorekeepers probably took a good 8 points from us. In hindsight it was my job as unofficial GM to handle that situation and I didn't step up and do it and for that I apologize to my team. I should've had one of our guys at the table the whole time. It just stings that much more because it was the playoffs.
As I was telling Mike, I don't think we played a bad game, it wasn't our best game of the year, but looking back we did enough to win. Bottom line is that the other team did that much more to get their own victory. We could have and should have done a lot of things differently.
We seemed lost on D at times. We had no answer for their zone in the second half. We didn't get our best shooter involved enough at all throughout the game and these are things we just need to work on and I'm confident that in subsequent seasons we will be that much better at it all.
It was our first season together and I had a lot of fun, but I'll leave this stuff for the next post.
Anyways, good game everyone and don't get too comfortable, our first game is next week!
Zurica out
Friday, June 13, 2008
Playoffs have been set!
Revenge will be ours. Our only loss of the season was against our now first round opponent EVOLUTION. We didn't have our heart, our intensity, one Mr. Ahmad Oloumi. These guys thought they should've beaten us by 30, but little did they know, they are about to get smacked down.
Date: Tuesday June 17th
Time: 7:00pm
Place: Julia Richman 3 68st/2ave (this is the gym with the super low ceiling, where we played our second game)
Opponent: De-evolution (i know i have amazing puns)
Lets try to get all our fans (MB and PZ, and anyone else who can bring someone) and get this place rockin. Zosh, I think you need to coax our JCC lucky charm out for this one.
Date: Tuesday June 17th
Time: 7:00pm
Place: Julia Richman 3 68st/2ave (this is the gym with the super low ceiling, where we played our second game)
Opponent: De-evolution (i know i have amazing puns)
Lets try to get all our fans (MB and PZ, and anyone else who can bring someone) and get this place rockin. Zosh, I think you need to coax our JCC lucky charm out for this one.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Game 8 recap 6/10/08
Members present and game grades:
Zeke (B+) – limited his turnovers and play well defensively.
Mike B (A) – Killed it on the three-point shot and made a couple of big free throws, with the exception of the first two for the technical foul.
Ahmad (B+) – spin move spin move spin move. The guy was aggressive.
Joe H. (B+) – Hit some tough mid range jumpers and rebounded well.
Jeremy (B) – played well defensively, lost half a grade for a three second call.
Mike A (B+) – Made his jumpers and battled on the defensive end.
Mike T. (DNP) – Ant farm convention in Tulsa.
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing” – Abraham Lincoln
What is it about a school’s gymnasium? The smell, the lighting, the size and conditions of the court, the newspaper cut out of professional athletes, or just maybe the NY Knicks poster of Sprewell, Camby, and Houston?. If you’re like me, it reminds you of your days back at whatever elementary school you attended. For me, it was the gym exercises that I, as a pudgy kid, could never complete. For example, there was no way I could climb that rope. There was no chance of me doing pull-ups. I was usually the one who did push-ups from my knees with the girls. So for me, and probably Joe H as well, walking into each of these gymnasiums brings back a slight feeling of nausea.
But when The Lawmakers take the court and play the game God loves, a.k.a. basketball, all those butterflies spread their wings and flutter away. Last night’s game was the last of the regular season for the newly constructed Zuricalaw.com team. Only one loss in the regular season and trying to keep it that way. They took the court against an opponent who stumbled in their first few games but came in on fire, winning their last four matches. The Lawmakers were without their own Bill Wennington as Michael Tanzosh was not in attendance. This did not bode well for the Lawmakers since their opponents’ average size was 6’3.
The Lawmakers came out in a 2-3 zone defense and really were not doing a good job rebounding the ball. With Anicito, Joe H, and Ahmed in the front court, they were simply not big enough to eliminate second chance opportunities. As the first half went on, the Lawmakers controlled it. Mike B made some huge three point shots, while Joe H hit some off balance seven footers. Zeke handled the ball in delicate fashion, keeping the turnovers to a minimum. Right now he is fighting for his point guard position as Joe H and Ahmed feel they should be handling the ball more. Team officials are slightly worried about the number of coast-to-coast maneuvers taken by both Joe and Ahmed. They will review the game tape and probably give them a pass considering the court was so small. In any event, the Lawmakers controlled much of the first half until turnovers and lack of rebounding caught up with them. As the first half came to a close, the Lawmakers only held a one point lead.
Anicito recommended that the team switch from zone to man defense. The thought would be that everyone has someone to constantly box out. Jeremy stepped in and did a nice job of denying his man of open looks. Overall the team did a fabulous job in their man defense. It broke up easy looks and got us fastbreak opportunities. Anicito hit a couple of open jumpers while Mike B continued to break their backs with his dagger three point shot. The Lawmakers won this game on second half defense in my opinion. It was a hard fought win. It was also a nice way to go into the playoffs. It looks like our 7-1 record will get us a slot as the second seed.
I just wanted to recognize a couple of people who have shown support for the team throughout the year. Anthony’s wife Pina has made 84% of the games this year and played a pivotal role in stepping up to help distract the opposing teams or just moving our bags from one side of the gym to the other. Mike B’s girlfriend Mary Beth has been a stalwart. She has attended almost every game with the exception of one, only because she was in China. And she is always vocal on the bench, something that I know gets Mike B going, in more ways than one. Great job girls. Ahmed, get Erica to at least one game next season, if not the playoffs.
Zeke (B+) – limited his turnovers and play well defensively.
Mike B (A) – Killed it on the three-point shot and made a couple of big free throws, with the exception of the first two for the technical foul.
Ahmad (B+) – spin move spin move spin move. The guy was aggressive.
Joe H. (B+) – Hit some tough mid range jumpers and rebounded well.
Jeremy (B) – played well defensively, lost half a grade for a three second call.
Mike A (B+) – Made his jumpers and battled on the defensive end.
Mike T. (DNP) – Ant farm convention in Tulsa.
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing” – Abraham Lincoln
What is it about a school’s gymnasium? The smell, the lighting, the size and conditions of the court, the newspaper cut out of professional athletes, or just maybe the NY Knicks poster of Sprewell, Camby, and Houston?. If you’re like me, it reminds you of your days back at whatever elementary school you attended. For me, it was the gym exercises that I, as a pudgy kid, could never complete. For example, there was no way I could climb that rope. There was no chance of me doing pull-ups. I was usually the one who did push-ups from my knees with the girls. So for me, and probably Joe H as well, walking into each of these gymnasiums brings back a slight feeling of nausea.
But when The Lawmakers take the court and play the game God loves, a.k.a. basketball, all those butterflies spread their wings and flutter away. Last night’s game was the last of the regular season for the newly constructed Zuricalaw.com team. Only one loss in the regular season and trying to keep it that way. They took the court against an opponent who stumbled in their first few games but came in on fire, winning their last four matches. The Lawmakers were without their own Bill Wennington as Michael Tanzosh was not in attendance. This did not bode well for the Lawmakers since their opponents’ average size was 6’3.
The Lawmakers came out in a 2-3 zone defense and really were not doing a good job rebounding the ball. With Anicito, Joe H, and Ahmed in the front court, they were simply not big enough to eliminate second chance opportunities. As the first half went on, the Lawmakers controlled it. Mike B made some huge three point shots, while Joe H hit some off balance seven footers. Zeke handled the ball in delicate fashion, keeping the turnovers to a minimum. Right now he is fighting for his point guard position as Joe H and Ahmed feel they should be handling the ball more. Team officials are slightly worried about the number of coast-to-coast maneuvers taken by both Joe and Ahmed. They will review the game tape and probably give them a pass considering the court was so small. In any event, the Lawmakers controlled much of the first half until turnovers and lack of rebounding caught up with them. As the first half came to a close, the Lawmakers only held a one point lead.
Anicito recommended that the team switch from zone to man defense. The thought would be that everyone has someone to constantly box out. Jeremy stepped in and did a nice job of denying his man of open looks. Overall the team did a fabulous job in their man defense. It broke up easy looks and got us fastbreak opportunities. Anicito hit a couple of open jumpers while Mike B continued to break their backs with his dagger three point shot. The Lawmakers won this game on second half defense in my opinion. It was a hard fought win. It was also a nice way to go into the playoffs. It looks like our 7-1 record will get us a slot as the second seed.
I just wanted to recognize a couple of people who have shown support for the team throughout the year. Anthony’s wife Pina has made 84% of the games this year and played a pivotal role in stepping up to help distract the opposing teams or just moving our bags from one side of the gym to the other. Mike B’s girlfriend Mary Beth has been a stalwart. She has attended almost every game with the exception of one, only because she was in China. And she is always vocal on the bench, something that I know gets Mike B going, in more ways than one. Great job girls. Ahmed, get Erica to at least one game next season, if not the playoffs.
Here Come the Playoffs!
Big win last night. Recap to come by Mike A.
Zuricalaw.com finishes the season a strong 7-1. Our seeding hasnt been determined yet, but the game is definitely next tuesday.
Zuricalaw.com finishes the season a strong 7-1. Our seeding hasnt been determined yet, but the game is definitely next tuesday.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Team stats
Just a quick little post to go over our scoring so far this season.
Game scores (ours are all in front)
1- 56-34 (although i think we scored more in this game and they just stopped counting)
2- 52-39
3- 55-50
4- 44-52
5- 66-56
6- 43-34
7- 74-65
8- ?-?
Overall we average 55.71 pts a game
On defense we give up an average of 47.14 pts
Not bad numbers but we definitely need to crank it up for the playoffs now.
Game scores (ours are all in front)
1- 56-34 (although i think we scored more in this game and they just stopped counting)
2- 52-39
3- 55-50
4- 44-52
5- 66-56
6- 43-34
7- 74-65
8- ?-?
Overall we average 55.71 pts a game
On defense we give up an average of 47.14 pts
Not bad numbers but we definitely need to crank it up for the playoffs now.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Game 7 recap 6/3/08
Zuricalaw.com Vs. Brandy Room Bandits
Members present and game grades:
Zeke (A-) – Didn't try to force the issue as much as he could've, missed some easy ones, but threw some sparkling assists
Mike B (B) – His long range touch someone was transferred to the Love Guru on the other squad, but hustled his way to the B grade
Ahmad (A-) – Groin is no longer an issue as he took it to the rack with authority
Joe H. (A+) – Played his best game of the year and stepped up and made some HUGE shots down the stretch to keep the game out of reach.
Mike T. (A) – Played his typical Chris Kaman like game, but his grade gets boosted by the almost alley-oop dunk
Jeremy (DNP) – rumor rolling thru the crowd that he was at the 10pm showing of Sex and the City.
Mike A (DNP) – Went to Bar A to hang out with 17 yr old girls. Was searching for his soul, then ultimately realized you cant find it at Bar Anticipation.
Spartans, Tonight we dine in Hell! - Leonidas
Our movie quote of the week aptly described the conditions in which we played last night. While the court itself was actually pretty decent, it felt like were playing ball in the 9th circle of hell. It was sweltering in there.
Zuricalaw.com came sprinting out of the gates, I honestly thought we were going to have to mercy rule the Bandits. However, two guys on their squad decided to steal Mike B's powers like in the latest installment of the Fantastic Four movie. They were literally en fuego considering it was an easy 103 degrees in the gym. The game was close throughout due to the decent play of the only two decent playing Indians I have ever seen play roundball.
Basically this game came down to Big Joes ferocity and his attitude that we were not losing the game. Essentially, whenever the Whiskey bandits made a run, Big Joe stepped up and hit a huge three, got a huge rebound or made a ridiculous driving layup. He played like Kobe will have to if the Lakers want to win.
The other members of the 5 man zuricalaw.com squad all contributed in their own way. Zosh hit some key 5 footers, ahmad hustled all over the gym, zurica made a mini-steve nash impersonation on some driving dishes and Mike B, realizing for the first time that you cant shoot 93% from behind the arc every game, showed us the other assets in his repertoire, which consisted of cutting up their zone and playing tight D.
2 special shout outs.
- I have wanted to throw an alley-oop to Zosh since probably 1994 and finally 14 years later it happened. It want a dunk mind you, but it was as close to a dunk possible that his 29 yr old white ankles will allow. Kudos Zosh and thank god for the high tops as you may have seriously injured your ankles last night if you were still wearing the 1995 asics.
- To Pina for being a great scorekeeper. Joe pointed out the brief flirtation with the Love Guru, but I'm gonna chalk that up to the fact that she was just distracting him and throwing him off his game.
In what will be a new feature for the recaps, Mike and I will be handing out a game ball to that games top contributor.
This weeks Game Ball goes to : Big Joe (well earned sir)
One more game before the playoffs. Lets keep the momentum going. And Mike B, if the hammy is barking, just rest up for the playoffs.
Zeke out.
Members present and game grades:
Zeke (A-) – Didn't try to force the issue as much as he could've, missed some easy ones, but threw some sparkling assists
Mike B (B) – His long range touch someone was transferred to the Love Guru on the other squad, but hustled his way to the B grade
Ahmad (A-) – Groin is no longer an issue as he took it to the rack with authority
Joe H. (A+) – Played his best game of the year and stepped up and made some HUGE shots down the stretch to keep the game out of reach.
Mike T. (A) – Played his typical Chris Kaman like game, but his grade gets boosted by the almost alley-oop dunk
Jeremy (DNP) – rumor rolling thru the crowd that he was at the 10pm showing of Sex and the City.
Mike A (DNP) – Went to Bar A to hang out with 17 yr old girls. Was searching for his soul, then ultimately realized you cant find it at Bar Anticipation.
Spartans, Tonight we dine in Hell! - Leonidas
Our movie quote of the week aptly described the conditions in which we played last night. While the court itself was actually pretty decent, it felt like were playing ball in the 9th circle of hell. It was sweltering in there.
Zuricalaw.com came sprinting out of the gates, I honestly thought we were going to have to mercy rule the Bandits. However, two guys on their squad decided to steal Mike B's powers like in the latest installment of the Fantastic Four movie. They were literally en fuego considering it was an easy 103 degrees in the gym. The game was close throughout due to the decent play of the only two decent playing Indians I have ever seen play roundball.
Basically this game came down to Big Joes ferocity and his attitude that we were not losing the game. Essentially, whenever the Whiskey bandits made a run, Big Joe stepped up and hit a huge three, got a huge rebound or made a ridiculous driving layup. He played like Kobe will have to if the Lakers want to win.
The other members of the 5 man zuricalaw.com squad all contributed in their own way. Zosh hit some key 5 footers, ahmad hustled all over the gym, zurica made a mini-steve nash impersonation on some driving dishes and Mike B, realizing for the first time that you cant shoot 93% from behind the arc every game, showed us the other assets in his repertoire, which consisted of cutting up their zone and playing tight D.
2 special shout outs.
- I have wanted to throw an alley-oop to Zosh since probably 1994 and finally 14 years later it happened. It want a dunk mind you, but it was as close to a dunk possible that his 29 yr old white ankles will allow. Kudos Zosh and thank god for the high tops as you may have seriously injured your ankles last night if you were still wearing the 1995 asics.
- To Pina for being a great scorekeeper. Joe pointed out the brief flirtation with the Love Guru, but I'm gonna chalk that up to the fact that she was just distracting him and throwing him off his game.
In what will be a new feature for the recaps, Mike and I will be handing out a game ball to that games top contributor.
This weeks Game Ball goes to : Big Joe (well earned sir)
One more game before the playoffs. Lets keep the momentum going. And Mike B, if the hammy is barking, just rest up for the playoffs.
Zeke out.
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