My League Pass Situation has managed to color my whole NBA experience this year. I’m still struggling to cope with our breakup;trying to figure out where we went wrong. I go to sleep at night clutching my pillow tightly, and wondering if there were something more that I could have said or done that would have kept us from getting to this point. I’ll admit that I’ve been spoiled.

Subscribing to League Pass is quite similar to the first time I drank organic whole milk. With each experience were moments where I would never look at life the same. I’ve gone from streaming games from other people’s links to just pulling up any game (sometimes two or three at the same time!) I wanted that wasn’t on NBATV or national television, or locally blacked out…….NBA LP wasn’t perfect, but it was the best I ever had.

I’m open to us getting back together, but it has to be different next time. No more charging for pre-season games,and they gotta bring back the Hardwood Classics feature, and fix all them daggum glitches while we’re talking about it. Until then, I’ll learn to go back to living the way I did before LP was in my life…….somehow…

 

Good Ass Games of The Week:

 

Monday

 

Miami at Oklahoma City

The return of Dion Waiters. This game has the potential for a lot of woofing.On one side you got team head cases, Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside matching up against Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams. This has all the makings of some goofy shit poppin’ off. This game is guaranteed to be a two and a half hour affair because of all the officiating it will need. I’m sure the refs are going to love working this one.

Indiana at Charlotte

This could be a first round matchup folks–a seven game affair at that.

 

Tuesday

New Orleans at Sacramento

Here we have it folks: the first meeting between Kentucky’s last 2 great centers. Lil Brow Wow and Boogie Down Production will keep this ordinarily snore inducing game somewhat entertaining. By the way, I sincerely think the Sacramento Kings could fuck around and almost get into the playoffs. Those bottom spots in the west will be up for grabs between 2-3 teams and I think the Kings will be fighting to sneak in until the last month of the season. Look at their roster. It isn’t that bad. If you swapped the rosters of Sacramento and Dallas and left them with the same head coaches, the Dirk fans would sob about it, but I don’t think they would protest too loudly (Deep down those MFFL folks are silently nodding in agreement).

Dallas at Los Angeles Lakers

Oh wow, what a great segue. To give you a sense what is going on in Dallas, the Mavericks are depending on chronic underachiever Harrison Barnes to use his God given talents and put up 30 every game in the Dirkman’s absence. Who knows? This could be a good thing later on down the road. Mavs fans getting an early taste of what the next few post-Dirk years are going to be like.

This game is no gimme for the Mavericks. These Lakers are a hard-working, hard playing group having fun because they love basketball. The youthful exuberance of the recent draft picks and the addition of the golden boy, Luke Walton has given Hollywood hope again. I don’t think there are any true Lakers fans who will you they miss Kobe Bryant or Byron Scott. Ladies and gentleman, Full-Sassers, Half-Sassers, and Mackey Sassers, I give you this year’s NBA Coach of the Year: Luke Walton.

 

Wednesday

Utah at Charlotte

The SLC Punks hung in there without Gordon Hayward and sure enough he gets 28 points and a win in his season debut against the Knicks. Speaking of the Knicks, how many of ya’ll seent this dunk? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwgghhhhhhhhhhhhhh that was nasty. My boy Boris looked a bit rusty during the first week of the season, maybe its all the expresso he been drinking.

When he retires from playing I hope some cable station gives him his own traveling show. If the Turner Broadcasting gave Rick Fox a show, then surely they can write something up for the NBA hipsters’ version of Dave Attell and Anthony Bourdain. Watch him in the linked video. The dude is naturally charismatic, and maybe I’m projecting, but I think the young lady Kristen Kenney (doing the interview) was vibin’ on dude.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to this game as Charlotte is off to a 4-1 start, and this will be the first time I get to see them play a fully loaded Jazz squad. I’m into it. This is definitely the pick to click on this particular evening.

Portland vs. Los Angeles Clippers

I gotta be honest (Blazers fans are gonna skewer me for this). I don’t really enjoy watching Portland play basketball. C.J. and Dame are both raw, but they remind of watching rec league ball. Lots of isolation plays, run a pick and roll, or shoot a transition jump shot and hope it goes in. It isn’t my favorite brand of basketball.

I went to a very underwhelming NBA game, on Saturday with my roommates, involving the Clips(!!!!) and the Spurs. The game was awfully uncompetitive, but the highlight of the evening was watching Blake Griffin repeatedly abuse Lamarcus Aldridge time and time again during the 2nd quarter. I wonder what Lamarcus was thinking about when he unlaced his sneakers after the game was over. To top it off, Beige Blake threw the double “Horns down” gang sign when the announcer called his name during player introductions. He straight disrespected the Lone Star State and Aldridge couldn’t do anything about it. He should be removed from the UT Sports Hall of Fame for last night’s performance.

Speaking of the Spurs, Houston at San Antonio is an honorable mention game that will surely be entertaining. I want to see Harden get his cookies taken by Kawhi Leonard.

“Tap That Vein” Thursday

Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento (Good Ass Game of the Week)

Yes you read that right. What else you gonna watch? New Orleans vs. Milwaukee? Please! The highlights will be better than the actual game itself. Trust me. Its going to be a good one.

Friday

Detroit at San Antonio

The return of Boban Marjonavic. Too bad he may not get off the bench. If fans really want to see Boban in action, then they’ll need to get to the arena and watch him during warm ups. Detroit is paying this dude 21 million dollars to practice. Coach Pops pulled my man’s coattails and said, “Look if you’re going to be a third string center, then you may as well get paid. We can’t give you that much here. Go to Detroit. Van Gundy is a good coach, and Detroit as a city is turning the corner. Plus you’ll get four seasons up there unlike here in Texas. Now go on and get out of here you big lug. What? Don’t look at me like that. Didn’t you hear what I said? You’ll make 7 million dollars a year. You’d be a fool to stay here. Now seriously, get out of my office and go sigh that contract!”

Pops then turns his back and faces the window to hide the moisture in his eyes. Boban stands in the doorway a beat longer than he should hoping that Popovich turns back around. Pops just stares out the window until he sure Boban has finally left his office.

 

Saturday

Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans

I got a feeling about this one. Plus I like that two of the assistants from the 2015 Warriors coaching staff, Alvin Gentry and Luke Walton are going head to head.

Boston at Indiana

This may be ugly, but may ultimately a satisfying watch. Myles Turner looks like he’ll be a fine player someday. Watch the Lakers go after him in a couple of years.

Utah at Miami

If the young guys on Utah don’t overindulge down in  South Beach, this could be a fun one. Whiteside vs. Rudy Gobert, Justice Winslow vs. Hayward, and GeorgeHill vs. Dragic. I could get down on that.

Los Angeles Clippers at Minnesota

Are we sure Tom Thibadeau is an elite head coach? I’m not ready to say so yet. Defensive guru? Yes. Coaching genius? Undetermined. How do we know he isn’t the Wade Phillips of the NBA? Shout out to Dennis Stein for hippin’ Fullsass to the Peter Principle.

 

Sunday

Charlotte at Cleveland

This may easily be a second round matchup come playoff time. I wonder if they’ll give the undefeated Cavs some good run.

 

I’ll be taking some time off from the weekly column to work on some other projects, but don’t worry; I have some really good guest posts on deck to give you the picks to click for the next four weeks. I think you’ll be surprised and I’m excited to see what they write in my absence. I’ll still pop up from time to time with a book review or two, but for the most part I’ll be behind the scenes. Talk soon.

 

BM

 

  Bobby Mickey is the alter ego of writer and poet Edward Austin Robertson. When he isn’t involved in some basketball related activity, actively looking for parties to deejay or venues to perform comedy, he can be found recording podcasts with Craig Stein at FullsassStudios. Follow him on twitter @clickpicka79. For booking inquiries, send contact info to thisagoodassgame@gmail.com.