Deron Williams is AWOL

Hey everybody, I really need your help. An all-star point guard is missing and I’m hoping you all can help me find him.

His name is Deron. He’s 6’3″ 209lbs, kinda stocky, wears #8, and is really light-skinned. Have you seen him?

He plays for the Brooklyn Nets and was last seen getting worked by little Nate “The Great” Robinson and shooting 2 for 11 down the stretch in that epic, triple overtime game. Have any idea where he is?

Nets fans have been wondering where their $100 million PG has been all season. After game 1 of their series with the Bulls, it looked like D-Will had returned. He even did a reverse dunk to show everyone he was healthy.

And like that (poof) he was gone like Keyser Soze…

Since that brilliant 1st game, Brooklyn is -28 with D-Will on the floor. He shot 60% from the floor in game 1,but has only shot 35% since. D-Will, where are you bruh???

Brooklyn is home tonight, down 3-1 in their series facing elimination by the D-Rose-less Bulls. I’ve never seen a team make as many excuses as this Nets team. When is the franchise player going to finally step up and play like a franchise player?

The great ones always find a way to get it done. The great ones seem to always hit the big shot. The great ones rarely complain about coaching schemes and opposing defenses.

To play on the famous phrase that Uncle Ben told Peter Parker in Spiderman “with max contract comes max responsibility”.

It amazes me how players want that max deal, want the endorsements, want to be the face of a franchise, but don’t want the pressure and responsibility that comes with it (see Dwight Howard).

I will be tuned in to see if D-Will shows up and accepts the challenge of leading his team. I’m sure everyone at the Barclays Center will have their eyes open, searching and hoping for the return of their beloved all-star point guard.

He better show up or he’ll be “gone fishing” with Kenny and Chuck.

– N.D. Face

NBA Playoff Preview – Eastern Conference 2013

Yes! Its playoff time! For NBA fans this is like Christmas. You’ve waited all season for the games to really matter and it all begins Saturday afternoon.

If you’re fortunate, your team is in and you have at least 4 more games to scream and holler at your television.

At the end, you’re hoping your team is lifting the championship trophy and doing hilarious things with champagne in the locker room……cue Chris Bosh….

  (I’m sorry, this will NEVER get old)

Most bball sites are giving you in-depth analysis on each of the playoff match-ups, but honestly, there are some really crappy match-ups, especially in the East. This coming from the guy who watches D-League games. But seriously, who wants to sit and watch the Pacers vs the Hawks???

Unless you watch bball for a living, you don’t have time to watch all of these games. So Tragic Johnson is going to give you the breakdown on the series you should be watching.

Best series to watch in the East? Celtics vs Knicks & Nets vs Bulls

Honeynut Cheerios aside, I think the Celtics have a shot here. KG and Pierce should be fresh and the Knicks haven’t won a series in damn near a decade. I’m not calling an upset, but I think Boston has the experience and coaching to stretch this series out. If Tyson Chandler is not 100% with that bulging disc issue, that spells trouble for NY. They went 12-4 without him, but we all know that the playoffs are a different animal. They need his defense, rebounding, and intensity to make a serious run.

As for Boston, KG and Pierce are the stalwarts, but this needs to be the Jeff Green show. He’s the one guy out on the floor who can match-up with Melo and he’s shown he can go off offensively.

I see him having a monster series and he has to for Boston to have a chance. Plus you hate to bring up the tragedy in Boston, but can you imagine what the atmosphere will be like for that 1st playoff game? Going to be a pretty emotional day and the Celtics should be able to feed off of that energy.

It should be a close series with some good games, but I’m going to go with the Knicks.

My Pick: Knicks in 6

I think you should check in on the Bulls vs Nets series too. That’s going to be an ugly, physical series, but I think it’ll be quite entertaining. Especially with Deron Williams finally looking like the franchise pg the Nets thought they were signing. Not looking forward to the Joe Johnson isolation plays, but if Williams is on his game, the Nets will have a chance to advance.

Bulls fans waiting for Derrick Rose to come back, remind me of Linus waiting on The Great Pumpkin…

I’m shocked people are still asking if this guy is coming back. If he were coming back, he would’ve come back a month ago to test that knee out in competition. So please stop talking about Rose returning.

Even with him out, this series should still be entertaining. The Bulls will play great defense and execute on offense. Jimmy Butler has emerged as a solid NBA player and who doesn’t love watching Nate Robinson. Plus, if you watched the Bulls end the Heat and Knicks winning streaks, you know they are quite formidable at home. Linus and the other Chicago fans will give this team a boost. They’re going to be extremely tough to beat at home. In a series that will come down to defense and execution, I believe the Bulls can do that better than Brooklyn.

This is the only other series in the east worth watching, if you’re looking for good a match-up.

My Pick: Bulls in 7

In the other Eastern Conference series:

Heat in 4 over the Bucks – They’re on a mission

Pacers in 5 over the Hawks – Zzzzzzzzzzzzz……

– N.D. Face

Hip Hop Crooners

At Tragic Johnson, we celebrate those in the world who push the envelope, those who look at the status quo and ask Why?, those who think boundaries are made to be hurdled.  In keeping with that philosophy, I wanted to share this bit of studio magic from Yasiin Bey, the artist formally known as Mos Def.  Tell me what you think.