The 2013 NBA season will be historically polarized. Never has the league so lacked parity, as the superstar-laden top 10 teams are as tightly-packed as ever, and the league’s weakest 10 teams are all hoping to bottom out in order to attain a high pick in the especially strong 2014 draft. The few teams fighting for a lower playoff seed have never been irrelevant, for even if an upstart team such as the Cavaliers or Wizards squeeze their way into the postseason, a round one matchup with the Heat or Bulls presents a taller order than low seeds traditionally face.
For the sake of brevity, let’s ignore the team’s whose sole hope for this season is landing enough ping poll balls to give them a reasonable shot at Andrew Wiggins, and focus one the nine teams, four in the East and five in the West, with a legitimate shot at taking home the horribly named O’Brien trophy come June.
Eastern Conference Favorites
Brooklyn Nets— The now HOVA-less organization received much scrutiny for hiring Jason Kidd as its new head coach less than two weeks after his retirement. One may have their doubts about Kidd’s total absence of coaching experience, but Brooklyn also boasts the most accomplished assistant in the NBA in Kidd’s own former head coach Lawrence Frank, and the two of the league’s most trusted veterans in Boston-imports Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. The “too many cooks in the kitchen” argument loses validity due to Garnett and Pierce’s previously established relationships with Frank and their reputation for getting along famously with Kidd. Add a rejuvenated Deron Williams and a still-developing Brook Lopez, Brooklyn can go as far as Garnett and Pierce’s aging legs take them.
Chicago Bulls— The reports that Derrick Rose looks better than before he tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs suggest that LeBron James’ third consecutive MVP award may be in jeopardy. Given the tenacity of the Rose-less Bulls in last year’s playoffs, it’s hard to imagine this team falling short of the Eastern Conference Finals. Due to Rose’s return, a more mature Jimmy Butler, and the joyous goofiness of Joakim Noah’s free throw shot, the Chicago Bulls are my pick to break up the monotony of the Miami Heat and win the 2014 NBA championship.
Indiana Pacers— The primary reason that the Pacers lost to the Heat last year was the embarrassment that was their bench. The return of Danny Granger should help remedy that, but my doubts remain about a team that plays D.J. Augustin as much as the Pacers do. Unless George Hill learns to play on the road, the Pacers will suffer from improved Bulls and Nets teams and fail to make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Miami Heat— There isn’t much to say about the defending champions. I urge everyone to bury your hatred of LeBron and enjoy the prime of one of the greatest athletes you will ever see. You’ll be a happier person for it, I promise.
Western Conference Favorites
Golden State Warriors— The most fun team in basketball, AKA the team that plays the most offensive and the least defense, should only improve as Harrison Barnes continues to develop into one of the league’s most unique players. His potential is underrated; a player as big as Barnes developing a post game at such a young age is just not something one sees in today’s NBA. Combined with some Stephen Curry heroics, Barnes will be the key to the Warriors’ making the leap and making the 2014 NBA Finals.
Los Angeles Clippers— As a Celtics fan, I find it difficult to talk about this Clippers team without flying off the handle about the way Doc Rivers abandoned Boston. Having said that, Chris Paul’s first career chance to play for a top five coach should be something to behold. The way Zach Randolph demolished Blake Griffin in last year’s opening round matchup is worrisome, and his development into something more than an athletic freak will determine their fate.
Memphis Grizzlies— The West’s grittiest team shows no signs of relenting this year. Randolph and company should continue to engage conference favorite’s in grueling seven game series’. Memphis is the same team; however, the rest of the West is better, which spells out yet another admirable playoffs loss for the Grizzlies.
Oklahoma City Thunder— I’m going to try to get through this without mentioning the name of that current Rockets Shooting Guard who formed a triumvirate with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook that could have easily been the basis of a dynasty. An improved conference and an ailing Westbrook make it unlikely that the Thunder will scale the same heights they did two seasons ago.
San Antonio Spurs— Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker are all a year old, but so is Kawhi Leonard. It’s hard to predict the fate of the league’s most reliable team when the health of its stars in anything but.
I apologize to the Knicks, Nuggets, and Rockets for omitting them from this list, but I don’t trust J.R. Smith to repeat his 2013 season, I don’t trust Ty Lawson as the best player of a championship contender, and I don’t trust Dwight Howard in any shape or form.
2013-14 should be a landmark season; the West is as loaded as ever and the Heat-Bulls Eastern Conference Finals which we could be graced with has the potential to be the most exciting series you’ll ever see.
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spanishwomenpql • Aug 13, 2019 at 10:41 pm
or perhaps a Match Made in the 9th circle of Hell
little have such bad dating experiences that they go home and eat ice cream until they fall asleep. My dates started becoming so frighteningly creepy that I began to disinfect myself, totally, in a while. And spray no one with Lysol. Nothing lethal or directly with a backlash just a general spritz into the air, Then a walk-through the cloud with my eyes closed, inhaling the vapors of “Crisp sheet sets, my personal favorite Lysol scent.
indeed, The periods were that bad. One involved a guy telling me all about the “processing” He’d fallen the week before. Another man thought it is fun for us to get to know each other at a gay pickup bar. Then there was the time my date and I went to a friend’s apartment for a party and halfway during the night time I found him on the roof giving another guy a blow job. right after noticed I was standing there, My date researched and said, “oh my God, I’m so i am sorry” Which killed the blowee’s erectile. So I decided it was time to discuss my “broken relationship issues” With an experienced person. I made a visit to see a therapist. i found Alan (Not his real phrase) with the ad in a gay newspaper. He specialty spanish ladies in gay male sexuality. gorgeous.
During community,wi-fi network session, Alan asked about why I was seeking therapy, And I told him in the right position out: I was anxious about intimacy and sex and it was getting with respect to meeting people. He looked at me for a moment, Flashed an incredibly wide, Toothy grin and told me that maybe all I been required to do was “Go out and get fucked and have fun,
I was paying him per hour, So I had of taking his advice. But so you can fuck people, I had to them. So I signed on with an international dating service. When posting my ad, I wanted to appear sexy and made, Yet in order to aloof too. This is what I came across:
“appropriate, Fun urban master, 26, Italian u. s, as part of shape/athletic, GWM. Love to go at the dance club but love a quiet evening at home even more. Not for the gay ‘scene’ or attitude. Highly experienced, literate, But not snobby or ultra perceptive. Love a proficient laugh,
alright, all this was not Chekhov, But certainly was a start. yet again I’d done the hard part, I could leave the matchmaking to an intricate, Anonymous system of advanced tabulations, as a substitute for my well intentioned pals who have tried, Bless associated with, Many times to set me up by their Other Gay Friend (OGF). My past dates with OGFs have included a hookup with a staunch Republican who told me I sign up to “Pansy the government, A guy who appeared physically incapable of referring to anything but his Lhasa apso, And a gentleman who was so endlaved by cocaine that he named it Mary.
Before seeing who my “accommodates” happened to be, despite the fact that, I had to fill out an online questionnaire, resolving yes, No or maybe to each like/dislike question, And then I had to indicate what I was seeking in a partner age range, new age smoker or not, size, needs cats, along with. I fed the computer all of the data it requested, Made myself a strong walk and clicked the Go button. Visions of the precise man danced in my head. But my eyes closed on match No. 1. there is something about his large, pulsating teeth, and his awesome deep, however fake tan. i then pressed the “recharge” hotlink, Hoping he may go away. When he did not, I got out my fluffy yellow dust rag and wiped my screen hoping the image looking at me would somehow mutate. But it did. It was unquestionable: The face while in front of me was Alan’s, My physical therapist.
an amount Freud say? Was this not the most effective transference?
more significant being totally creeped out, Having Alan as my best match forced me to be inexplicably enraged. I was furious at the dating service provider; other people; alan; The American psychological Association; and my ex, dorrie, Who broke up with me many years ago.
within his photo, Alan wore a tshirt and flashed a subversive looking, Snaggletoothed smile. His eyes appeared some crossed, Which made him look exactly like the kind of predatory male I was paying him thousands of dollars to help me figure out how to avoid. And his shape had some major errors. He also reported to be 38. There was the time I told him that sometimes I liked to be some exhibitionist, And he told her by asking if I had a large member. There was generally Alan is convinced that I’ve had a long term relationship with someone named “ervin, He often says stuff like, “This is what you went through when you were dating Michael, the issue is, I’ve never had a interconnection or even a one night stand with anyone named Michael. But every occasion I tell Alan that Michael doesn’t exist he looks at me like I’m lying, Like this is one we need to “Talk thanks to, which the user, There’s his annoying habit of popping Chinese food into his short wave during sessions and eating it, noisally, as you are I talk.
Fuming, Yet helpless to stop myself, I lasting to scroll through Alan’s profile, Which wasn’t really an account, But a mire of arrogantly rendered rules and wince inducing claims. “experienced LTRs before (refers to available) And inflated alot in the last years. positively masculine but with a nurturing and romantic side, much more part really pissed me off, all the time he, A licensed psychotherapist devoted to gay men’s issues, Felt that masculinity was mutually exclusive from awareness.
It got rather more serious,Genrally Find myself on top usually dominant in the bed room (Though also sensuous and playful NOT into pain, NOT into a great deal of “Rough riding on”) But need a bottom guy who is sexually NOT on an emotional level submissive. (having said all that, document DEFnow iNTELY Could be versatile w the right guy connection and chemistry are far critical to me than position). I’m generally NOT into quik hook ups currently,
what’s up with “quik, Not to mention the rest of the glaring spelling errors? additionally, regarding “DEFINTELY, If you take advantage something, well spell it right. And these are capitalizing, His random uppercase had me convinced, Do you NOT comprehend ALL CAPS MEANS SHOUTING?
I got up, Went in to freezer, Opened a container of chocolate goodies, And up and running scarfing it down. Then I went straight back to my desk and resumed reading. The part where Alan describes what he’s looking for in a partner initiated this way,an extremely special SWEET guy someone smart, Handsome and who is fit, Both masculine and arthritic, wonderful, Playful both in and out of bed an adventurous type, Caring and featuring (quite possibly),
“Zip it, Horndog, I heard us say, Mouth heaped with Haagen Dazs. I discovered my little blue stapler and started stapling nothing, enjoying television the silver slivers drop, debating, I demand boyfriend. and then, I read a greater distance:
“I’m muscular and like to work out you be (Lean or a few supplementary lbs are cool, more than isn’t) But mostly you need to ok with what you’ve got. A great smile definitely helps enjoy seeing that grin when I’m looking down,
at this juncture I remembered a session where I had explored my interest in being sexually dominated. “this, you aspire to give blow jobs, Alan had requested. “yeah, I guess that could be what it means, i stammered, Hoping this not comfortable exchange would soon end. But Alan continued: “On your knees,this is when I picked up my phone. I left a text on Alan’s voice mail. “I have to cancel my next consultation, I stated. “things have been really. rather busy. And I’m going away for a week after that, accordingly. let’s I call you, in the event of I’m back. And satisfied. Got lots of work in recent times, So over again, i’ve got to cancel. ” He could not call me back, specifically fine, Because I’m seeking another consultant. for the long term. female or male OK. Good music playing skills required, awareness essential. betrothed and monogamous a plus.