The Regular Season, or Now We Start Playing For Keepsies

It's here! It's here! Thank you Jesus and St. Jude, it's here! The NBA Regular Season. All aboard, hit the road, all aboard, here we go . . .

The Bulls v. Bucks game, not really interested (though the score's a bit of a shock). Lakers v. Portland . . . what was that about the 'Blazers being contenders this year? Admittedly, this was against the LAL Traveling FunFair and Whoopass Parlour. Greg Oden out with an injury? What a shock.

Celtics v. Cavs . . . that I wish I could've seen. From the stats, it looks like it was a nifty game. The recap shows a Mo Williams assist to The Flying LeBron that's gotta make ya smile. Damn my lack of cable. Poverty's a bitch, guys.

Closer to home, it's been confirmed that Dallas will be hosting the All-Star Events next year. Background; the American Airlines Center doesn't have the seating capacity for all the spectators the All-Star stuff brings in, unless the Org bumps out season ticket holders and Mr. Cuban's not willing to do that. I don't know whose idea it was, but it's genius; hold the All-Star game at the new Cowboys Stadium that's being built in Arlington. Seating capacity is right around 50,000, more than double that of the AAC. Room for everybody! Definetely on my gotta-see list.

So 2008-2009 gets under way. The storylines blow wide open tonight, with most of the rest of the league having their openers. In roughly thirty hours, the Rockets draw nigh. I. Can't. Wait.
-BJ

Boy, Is It Ever Monday

No notes on the Bucks game. Is it being unfair to say the result was a foregone conclusion? Even with Jason Kidd taking a personal day and playing in the middle of nowhere? If you live in the neighborhood of LaCrosse, I'm not knocking your town. I'm from Michigan and I know how pretty the country is up there. For someone used to NBA-approved accomodations it probably feels like the Twilight Zone.

DLord crunches the dollars and cents of the Jones-for-Williams trade.

Okay, Mr. Nelson, I take back half the bad things I said about you over the offseason (you're not off the hook about Devean George).

This blows the season wide open. Williams's potential downside is considerable -- Pacman Jones has him beat in that Williams hasn't actually been convicted of anything -- but from a purely acquisitional standpoint we got him for loose change. Not as exciting as getting Ron Artest, but I think it's a safer bet. I have visions of Ron-Ron having to be taken out of restraints come game time.

Nnngh. Less than three weeks until the season opens. Meanwhile the preseason gets interesting with roadies at Indiana and Detroit. Of the two, I'm going to be obsessing over the Pistons game. Let's face it, the Wizards, Bulls, and Bucks were outclassed, under complement, and pretty much fucked from the start. Detroit, #2 in the Eastern Conference last year, are more like what Dallas should expect and fear in the coming year.

Oh, by the way, lineup on the floor at one point during the Wizards game -- Dirk at the 5, J-Ho, Antoine, Jet Terry, James Singleton. Hereby dubbed the Kentucky Fried Lineup; four wings and a biscuit. My phrase. Don't steal it.
-BJ

Preseason, or Before The Withdrawl Causes Permanent Damage

We hope.

10-7, 7:30 PM CST, versus the Washington Wizards
10-9, 7:30 PM CST, at Chicago
10-10, 7:30 PM CST, at Milwaukee
10-15, 6:00 PM CST, at Indiana
10-16, 6:30 PM CST, at Detroit
10-18, 8:00 PM CST, versus the Sacramento Kings
10-21, 7:30 PM CST, versus the Chicago Bulls
10-23, 7:30 PM CST, versus the Indiana Pacers

Tickets for the preseason games go on sale on September 8. I'm going to as many as I can get away with.
-BJ