#Paul being polish makes this even better and he’s from Jersey

[porcelaintoybox23]

I really only have Pine’s Kirk to truly compare to, but Paul Wesley is truly channeling peak midwestern white boy. This is a white man. He drinks whole milk, he’s driven a tractor, he’s had lutefisk at a church luncheon, his grandmother had that butter cookie tin filled with sewing paraphernalia, he thinks butter is a spice, he’s made butter by hand, cinnamon burns him, he needs spf 300—

Like shipping or no shipping, this man will be the most important person to Spock, an autistic Vulcan with Vulcan dyslexia, a huge fucking nerd and a mama’s boy.

[spellbook-gayboy]

Ooh action 28 paired with dialogue 13

okie dokie!

28 + 13.

“Yeah, yeah, in a minute, love,” Ian said, not even looking back as he sat hunched over, scribbling ink onto the old yellowing pages of the spell book. “Just gotta make sure this is right before I put it away...!”

“Ian...” Paul called. 

“Yeah, I know, just lemme-!”

“Ian.”

Ian stopped at the word. He slowly turned his head to look behind the collar of his cloak, spying the less than pleased look on his boyfriend’s face. “Ah... you planned something, didn’t you?”

“That I did.” Paul confirmed, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow as he tapped his foot on the floor. “So, d’you wanna stay in here and keep scribbling who-knows-what in that book while you reek like a dead cat,” He asked, “Or do you wanna shower for probably the first time this week, and join me on the couch in clothes that are actually clean?”

Ian blinked. His gaze flitted between his partner and the book. “Well... now that I think about it, the book can wait a day or two?”

“If you think so, honey.”

---

Ian scratched his neck, pulling at the hem of his beaten green tee. The Séance Dog logo had largely faded off the front of it from being washed so many times, only a few flecks of paint left. His lounge pants were partially eaten by moths, littered with holes around the waist and ankles that often joined together to expose the clothes’ insides or, more commonly, his bare legs. Most of these clothes had been around for at least three or four years, fished out of a clothing bin in Singapore or stolen from someone’s washing lines.  

“You ready, Ian?” He heard from downstairs. He checked his hair (not quite as messy as it usually was) before trudging down the polished spruce steps, his slippers making muffled padding noises. 

Paul was currently draped across one half of the red leather couch, sitting in a pair of grey sweatpants and his old Sacramento Kings jersey. His fingers drummed on the top of the TV remote as he eyed his boyfriend’s entry into the room. “Have I ever told you how well you clean up?”

Ian scoffed. “Alright, I get it! I’ll try and shower more!” He replied, rubbing at his eyes as he sat down. “Spirits, how long have I been up?!”

“About three... no, four days straight.” Paul told him. He shifted, now draping himself over the wizard. “You might be the only magic-user who does what you do, but that doesn’t mean you have to work yourself to death trying to fix every problem that comes your way! You’re only human, Ian.”

“Well, half human.”

Paul’s frown made Ian realise that his joke could’ve had better timing. 

“...I know what you mean, love. It’s just that I... I’m still new at this, y’know? I’ve gotta show everyone that I can pull my weight!” Ian confessed, blinking through bloodshot eyes at the ceiling as his head lolled back. “This whole ‘mystic defender of Earth’ schtick is the first thing I’ve had that could actually be long-term for me. I wanna be, well, worthy of it!”

“Worthy?” Paul asked, surprised by his choice of words. “Ian, you’re already worthy of it about a hundred times over! Hell, you’ve been at this less than a year and you’ve already saved the world about half a dozen times at the very least! And if that doesn’t convince you, then...,” He got closer, his mouth close to Ian’s ear, “then know that you’re worthy to me!”

Ian paused. Then, a smile worked its way across his face. “Are you still wearing that old thing? Not complaining though, ‘specially with the view I get when you do!”

Paul looked confused for a moment, before he realised what the wizard was talking about. His basketball jersey had always been about three sizes too large for his torso, showing off his lean yet somewhat muscled body and arms. “Okay, you raging horndog, simmer down!” He ordered, lightly batting his boyfriend’s arm. “Besides, how am I gonna throw this away? An authentic Kings jersey signed by my first male crush, Darren Collinson? What are you, crazy?”

“Pfft, Darren Collinson, what’s so special about him?” Ian grumbled. “So what, he plays for the NBA? I could play for the NBA if I wanted!”

“I’m sure you could, Ian! Now quiet, I’m putting a movie on!”

[rjperez03]

USA vs Serbia Full Game | Basketball Men's Gold Medal Match | Olympic Games Rio 2016

The sport video was taken place at the Carioca Arena 1 in Brazil. The court is 91ft long and 49ft wide. A professional basketball court would be 94 by 50 feet. Under International Basketball Federation(FIBA) rules, the court is slightly smaller, measuring 28 by 15 meters. There are several basic components to the courts. The baskets, 3 point arcs, free throw lines, and half court line. The indoor courts are generally made of polished wood, whereas paving, concrete, or asphalt are traditionally made from outdoor courts.

 In the equipment’s being used, the two teams had similar yet different items. Team USA wore a dark blue jersey that has white text lines, they wore black shoes and a few wore blue shoes. Each of them wore black socks, black arm and leg sleeves. Team Serbia on the other hand, wore a white jersey with blue lines. Their members wore different colored shoes whereas some of them wore blue, or white, or black shoes. Everyone on team Serbia wore white socks and they all wore black arm and leg sleeves. The equipment being used by both teams to play the game are basketball which is used to play the game.

 There was also a hoop and backboard, the hoop was used to state that a team won points if the ball goes in the hoop. They also used a clock to time the game. From  watching the game I have identified the basic skills which are positioning, shooting, rebounding, passing, dribbling, and blocking. Team USA’s positioning seemed to have no trouble at all since they have one of the best NBA players in the team, their members positions were assigned to support their roles. They also have good shooters, they include Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarcus Cousins, and DeAndre Jordan. Their rebounders which is Kevin Durant was excellent in the game, although there were times where their range shooters missed but since they were tall they were able to change the score a lot. Over the course of watching the video I have noticed that some of their passing’s were a bit disorganized or messy which was easily overpowered by team Serbia. Their dribbling over all was amazing, Klay Thompson took the spotlight for me since he was able to pass through quite easily and manage to score a number of scores for the team. Their blocking which is used to block the opposing team to score a point was spot on, their blocking were so good that team Serbia were having a really hard time to score points. For team Serbia their positioning were not that great since I have noticed that the opposing team easily passed through them, although their offense positioning was okay at the start but the opposing team concluded a strategy which made team Serbia fail. Their shooters were great but not as great as Team USA as I have noticed that a player was passes the ball when he was given the chance to shoot it.  Their rebounding was a bit impressive for me but they were overpowered by team USA in no time. Just from watching team Serbia closely, I have noticed that all of their passing didn’t have any sloppy mistakes or even fails, which concludes the fact that they have really excellent passers. They were good at dribbling, they didn’t have a lot of problems with that part. They were good at the blocking part but they weren’t as good as the opposing team since they knew how to use these skills easily. 

The technical and tactical skills are offense, defense, coordination and angle and location. Both  teams had great offense but one team had a greater offense team which is team USA since they proved it numerous times by scoring twice the points team Serbia has. From the start up to the end, their shots remained undefeatable therefore contributing to their victory. Both of their teams had great defense but I noticed that team USA had better defense because they easily went through the team Serbia’s defense. Both teams were great in team coordination and were able to communicate easily. Player angle and locations play a big role in competitions since they influence your chance to receive the ball or pass it. From what I have observed team USA had better strategies which helped them run to victory. 

Rules for Offense: 

1. When moving both feet, the player must bounce, or dribble, the ball with one hand. If both hands strike the ball at any moment or the player ceases dribbling, only one foot must be pushed by the player. The pivot foot is called the foot that is stationary. 

2. There's only one turn a basketball player can take to dribble. In other words, once a player has stopped dribbling, another dribble will not begin. For a double-dribbling violation, a player who starts dribbling again is called and loses the basketball to the other side. Only after another player from either team touches or takes possession of the basketball may a player begin another dribble. Normally, this is after a shot or pass. 

3. The ball must remain inside boundaries. The other team takes possession of the basketball if the defending team drops the ball out of bounds. 

4. When dribbling, the players' hand must be on the top of the ball. This is called carrying the ball and the player can lose the ball to the other team if they hit the bottom of the basketball when dribbling and continue to dribble. 

5. They do not go back into the backcourt until the offensive team crosses half court. A backcourt breach is called this. If the defensive team knocks the ball into the backcourt, the offensive team will be able to legally retrieve the ball. 

Defensive Rules: 

(The team on defense is the team without the ball) 

1. For a defensive player, the key rule is not to commit a foul. A foul is characterized by physical contact as gaining an unfair advantage. There is some interpretation that the referee may make, but the defensive player does not, in general, contact the offensive player in a way that causes the offensive player to drop the ball or miss a shot. 

Rules for everyone: 

1. Although the foul rule can be described as above a defensive rule, it also applies the same to all players on the court. 

2. The players are not allowed to kick nor hit the ball with their fists. 

3. Players shouldn’t touch the ball if it is still traveling downwards towards the basket or if it is on the rim. 

To officiate the sport you need to hire a referee, timekeeper, scorer, and overall officiating. The official in charge during and after the basketball game is called the referee. The referee watches the match or game closely in order to make sure that the rules are followed, as well as to be able to arbitrate on certain matters that may arise. As such, the enforcement of the rules and the maintenance of order of the game or math is the referee’s full responsibility. He makes the decisions and has the final say on disciplinary matters. Lastly, he also has control over the game and has positions on opposite sides of the basketball court. The referees in the match did a good job. The Timer, or sometimes also called Timekeeper, is the official responsible in keeping a record of the playing times and the stoppages in play. The Timer should also keep a record of all time-outs, and be able to indicate when each half of the game or an overtime ends. The timekeeper did an outstanding job which meant there weren’t any delays or technical difficulties. The scorers in a basketball game are also called scorekeepers. They keep records of all points scored, all the fouls called against each player of both teams, the timeouts charged to each team, takes note of the starting line-ups, and records all substitutions made during the game. The scorers also did a good job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtm0khT1qec&ab_channel=OneSports

[djinmer4]

Scarborough Fair (Noir AU)

“Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?” Stefan made no effort to keep his voice down, but the noise of the party easily drowned him out.

“I don’t understand your question,” Jimaine carefully brushed a few straggling hairs back into her coiffure.  “My fiancee is handsome, charming, polite and generous.  Plus, Kurt’s our foster brother, we’ve known him for years.  What more could I want?”

“I guess if you’re happy, that’s enough.”  Jimaine held out her arm, but her brother waved her away.  “Go and wow your fiance.  This party’s for you after all.”

She flashed a quick smile and strode into the festivities.  Kurt’s grin dutifully widened at her entrance, and he offered his arm to squire her around.  Stefan remained in the shadows, offering brief smiles and nods at any guests who noticed him but refraining from participating.

As he observed, he found himself being less and less happy about the upcoming nuptials.  On the surface, it was a fairytale marriage, with Jimaine as the golden bride and Kurt as the handsome groom.  And yet . . .

It wasn’t that Kurt was ignoring Jimaine.  He had greeted her effusively when she had entered, catered to her every voiced desire, remained well within view during the whole party.  But Stefan noticed, aside from the first moment, he never really looked at Jimaine.  He answered when she called for him, but he never initiated a conversation with her.  And while in view, he was almost never in arms reach of her.  If his sister wanted something, she had to walk over to him, never the other way around.

“Don’t you want a husband who will actually see you rather than take you for granted?” he whispered to himself.

~~~~~~~

He crouched on a hillside, burying himself in the low shrub.  It was nothing like Bavaria or Winzeldorf or Schwarzwald or any other place he’d ever been hunting.  There were no trees, what little cover existed came from the shadows of hills and rocks and low scrub.  But that meant the same thing for his opponents.  On the battlefield, it was only a question of whose eyes were sharper, whose reflexes were faster.  And so far, he’d been better than all his challengers.

Through the scope, he watched a sparrow land and peck at the frozen soil.  He followed it into the brush, searching for the telltale glint of metal.  He snuggled deeper into the camouflage blanket, letting it obscure the shadow of his body and hold back the biting cold.  He’s the only one on watch this hour, the rest of the squad in exhausted, fitful slumber will eventually end at an officer’s command or the whistle of incoming bombs with the dawn.

Not seeing any threats, he takes a few minutes to pull out his holdout.  He cleans the pistol but refrains from polishing it.  Too many fellow soldiers have lost their lives from either lack of maintenance or from bright flashes of metal in the dark.  An explosion of red breaks the early morning gloom and the silence and he abandons his post, shouting directions to the other waking soldiers.  More explosions wrack the night and they retreat through the trenches, the sand and mud and worse sucking the warmth from their legs with every step.  A man ahead of him stumbles and falls, and he grabs him by the leather harness on his back.  When a break occurs in the artillery fire, he realizes that the man he was dragging was already dead.

~~~~~~~

It’s ridiculously easy to gain access to the cabaret.  Despite being frequented by Weimar officials, it’s not one of the higher quality ones.  The bouncer doesn’t bother to even ask for ID, nodding him through with barely a glance at the crow’s-feet around his eyes and his thinning hair.  He drops his trench coat at the unmanned coat check but keeps his scarf and hat.  Inside, no one even glances as he takes a seat at the corner of the bar.  Two drinks later, and he leaves his seat for the bathroom.

It’s the work of moments to flip his suit jacket inside out, the white lining hastily limned in black thread to imitate the waiters’ uniforms.  His accessories go under the jacket and the blue mask goes his face, hiding the gas scars.  Again, he’s thankful for the target’s poor choice of venue.  The masks are as gimmicky as they come but all the servers are wearing similar ones and with the dim lighting it could be anyone under the fantastical facade.

It’s another hour before the target shows up and Kurt’s reminded why he hates jobs like these.  The music isn’t bad and he’s spent longer on his feet assisting senior surgeons, but suppressing the urge to beat all the rude fools to death is always a chore.  But finally, the officer comes in with about half a dozen friends, including a few working girls.  The loose way they hang over each other could be an issue, but he’s brought enough strychnine for all.

One of the longer, and frankly more interesting acts comes on stage and he makes his move.  About five minutes in, he goes around the table, refilling drinks and dropping quick dissolve capsules in the champagne.  The officer and his friends are too riveted to consume their drinks, and he drops off their meals just as the lights come back on.  Another fifteen minutes of serving, he slips back into the bathroom changing back into his suit.  A couple more drinks at the bar, and then he leaves, just as the first member of the party collapsed.

~~~~~~~

“Jimaine, grab his things.”  Stefan lifted the shorter man by the collar of his shirt and threw him out of the wagon.  “We’ve reached Winzeldorf, as promised.  Don’t let me catch you hanging around here again.”

Kurt brushed himself off, then caught the untidy parcels his foster sister tossed him.  “I’ll pray that God will soften your heart and you will repent this, brother.”

“Pray for yourself, murderer!”  With that, he turned and ordered the caravan back on the road.  Behind them, Kurt slipped on his boots and jacket, gathered his possessions and slipped off into the night.

~~~~~~~

“There’s been extensive degloving across the entire back.”  Dr. Wagner let the orderly clear a path through the busy hallways only pausing when they reached the entrance of the theatre.

“Is there any intact skin?”  He stripped off the scarf he was wearing and the broader man flinched and averted his eyes.

“I-I don’t think so.  The only place that wasn’t shredded was the front of his torso and using skin from there would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul.”  The orderly shot the surgeon a confused look as he reached into a wardrobe in his office.  “Is that a butcher’s apron?”

“I can never seem to remember to change my clothes before going home.  I thought maybe trying to protect my clothes during surgery might at least make me look less suspicious.”  The older man quickly tied the apron strings behind him.  “Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be much to work with.  What about the limbs?”

“Dr. Connors isn’t too optimistic about the results.  He said there’s going to be at least one amputation, maybe multiple ones, although he’s holding off until you’ve patched the torso.”

“In that case, I’ll take the skin from the limbs and try to patch over the torso with that.”

“Uh, are you sure that’s wise, doctor?”

He reached back into the ward to pull out the black leather bag containing his personal equipment.  “The man’s as good as dead anyway, so this is the perfect time to experiment.  If he lives, all well and good, if he dies, that’s what everyone was expecting anyway.  Really, there’s nothing to lose in this case.”  He replaced his scarf with a new surgical mask and also put on a new pair of thin rubber gloves.  “Now go start the carbolic spray.”

~~~~~~~

“Do you ever think about leaving the city?”

Kitty had spent the past 2 hours staring at her typewriter and welcomed the interruption.  “Leaving New York?  Sometimes, I think it would be nice to live in Boston or DC for a change but I’m pretty happy here.  Definitely not going back to Chicago though.  Too close to my parents.”

“Not what I meant.  I mean something like going out to New Jersey.  Or Ridgewood or Greenville.”

Her lips twisted down.  “Ugh, no!  I hate the idea of living in the countryside, I’d be so bored.  Why do you ask?”

He shrugged and then waved a hand in the air, dismissing the subject.  “I’ve been a little homesick.  Missing the woods of Winzeldorf.”

Kitty lay her hands on the keys, but didn’t apply any pressure to them.  “I’m telling you right now, if you’re planning that we get married and move out to some pastoral green acres, I’m giving back the ring immediately.”

His laugh turned into a snort turned into a brief coughing fit.  Once he got his breath back (after Kitty fetched him a drink of water) he demurred.  “Not right now, certainly!  If nothing else, I’d make less moving out of New York.  But maybe in a couple of decades, after I retire, would you consider it?”

The frown melted off her face and was replaced by contemplation.  “I’ve got to admit, it still doesn’t sound good to me but who knows how I’ll feel in twenty years.  Ask me then.”

~~~~~~~~

“There’s another one gone.  That’s the third one this year.” Dr. Connors was back from probation (or maybe more accurately stated, he was back on probation).

“Who’s gone?”

“Another one of the nurses.  Bertha, I think her name was.  They all swear they’re single when they first start, but six months later they’ve gotten engaged to some patient and they’re gone.”

Dr. Wagner looked up from the desk where he was writing case notes.  “That’s no good.  We can’t stop them from falling in love, but we’re short-handed.  Can’t they at least have the decency to tell us when they’re getting engaged so that we have a few months' notice to hire a replacement and train her?”

“Even if the girls are too silly to think of that, you’d think the patients would.  But it’s out the door and straight to the chapel.”  Connors took a sip of his coffee and grimaced.  “Still, it gives men like you a much-needed advantage.”

Blue eyes narrowed above his mask.  “What does that mean?”

“Well, I suppose the fact most of your patients are under ether makes it difficult for you to impress them.  Still, I’m sure that a few of the lady patients have thought even you to be as hotsy-totsy as Valentino.  Or maybe you’ve had a few shebas in the linen closet?  Either way, it’d be a sockdollanger for you.”

Kurt took several minutes to untangle the slang that Connors was using.  Once he did, he straightened up like a poker had been rammed up his backside.  “I’m married, thank you very much.”

The other man simply grinned at him.  “Is she from Canada?”

The German refused to dignify that with an answer, instead just dumping the remaining paperwork on the other doctor’s desk and walking out.

~~~~~~~

“Dad sent you over a Christmas gift.”

Kurt looked up from the journal he was reading.  “Your parents don’t celebrate Christmas.”

“Yeah, I know.  But I think they’ve finally resigned themselves that I’m not going to move back to Chicago and marry a nice Jewish doctor the way they want me to, so they’re at least acknowledging your existence now.”

“Does it help at all that at least I am a doctor?  Even if I’m not very nice. ”  He carefully unwrapped the fire-engine red wrapping paid and set it aside.  Inside the matte velvet box was a pocket watch with the Star of David emblazoned on it. “What’s this?”

“It’s the bare minimum.  I think they’re lying to their friends, telling them the reason I’m not coming back is that I really did marry a nice Jewish boy from Queens.  If they really accepted you, Mom probably would have pushed that we do another wedding ceremony in Chicago.  I suppose I should just be grateful she didn’t sit shiva for me.”  Kitty slid down the side of the armchair to curl into his side.  “That’s a Pryde family heirloom.  It’s been passed down from father to son for about five generations now, but well . . . Dad always said he’d give it to the guy I’d marry.  So there’s that.”

He set the journal on the coffee table and pulled her into his lap.  “I suppose it would be rather difficult for you to run away now.  No one’s going to believe you if you say I’m a bigamist or cheating on you.”  He slid his hand around her side, down over her ribs.  “And I’m definitely not impotent.”  

She giggled at the tickling sensation.  “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in exchanging you for a new model, even if your hair is vanishing faster than a dewdropper’s scratch on a bangtail.”

A brief pause.  “I have no idea what you just said.”

She chortled again, leaning up to kiss the crow’s-feet around his eyes.  “It’s not important.  Just be glad at least one of my parents has accepted our marriage.  Albeit dragging his feet all the way.”

He thumbed the lid of the pocket watch, tracing the Star with his nail.  “Still, it takes a lot of bravery to step out of your comfort zone and let your daughter make her own decisions on these things.  Such courage should be rewarded.  Do you think he would take it amiss if I returned the gesture?”

She squirmed around until she was lying crosswise in his lap, the cold point of her nose touching bare skin just above the collar of his shirt.  “I think that would be a bad idea.  He’s gone out of his way to follow your culture this time, now it’s your turn to show that you respect his traditions.”

Kurt sighed, the sound slightly muffled by the mask.  “I can’t exactly go back in time and ask his permission to marry you again.  And Hannukah’s already passed . . .”

He felt more than saw her shrug.  “Dunno.  But Dad always did want a boy . . . “

“Well, I’ve never had a father.  Maybe we can bond over that.”

[writingguide003-blog]

NBA 2016-17 predictions: our writers forecast the playoffs and award winners

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/nba-2016-17-predictions-our-writers-forecast-the-playoffs-and-award-winners/

NBA 2016-17 predictions: our writers forecast the playoffs and award winners

Will anyone stop the Warriors? Who will be named Most Valuable Player? Guardian writers give their takes on whats coming up this season

Im most looking forward to watching …

How teams deal with the Warriors. Or how the Warriors deal with themselves. Ill go with both. Seeing teams try to defend a lineup that has Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will be fascinating. As will seeing how the Warriors keep everyone happy in an offense that features Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. DG

Last year injuries kept the Utah Jazz from making the playoffs but by January they should be completely healthy. Utah might not be the most exciting team but they are deep, good defensively and well coached. LC

How the Golden State Warriors are going to integrate Kevin Durant into their already historic offense. If anyone answers this differently theyre lying. HF

The most significant move of the NBA off-season is about to become the biggest story of the regular season. Just how might free agent signing Kevin Durant change the dynamic at Golden State? If he gels as quickly as pre-season suggests, the Warriors could push for 70 wins again. If not, theres the potential for the drama of disharmony. CS

Im least looking forward to watching …

The inevitable demise of Russell Westbrook. The (lone remaining) Thunder star plays with an edge and tenacity like no other athlete in sports and this season hell be more motivated than ever. But without Durant around anymore to help, the Thunder dont have a real shot no matter how well or angry Westbrook plays. And thats pretty depressing. DG

While most people will be excited to see how Golden State will fit all their stars into one lineup, there are enough players without big egos to make this work seamlessly. Perfection might actually make the Warriors more boring than people expect. LC

The New York Knicks, on and off the court. Its almost depressing to realize that Kristaps Porzingis is tied to this horrifically dysfunctional franchise. HF

The Houston Rockets. The NBAs most uninspiring team undermined my efforts to stay awake for last seasons midweek west coast games. Beyond the strange fascination with James Hardens beard, Ive no idea why theyre on TV so much. CS

The biggest surprise will be …

The Timberwolves grabbing a playoff spot in the West. A team featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine (reportedly now armed with an NBA-quality jumper) nabbing a playoff spot in the West with 40-45 wins may not shock avid NBA watchers. But the Timberwolves have missed the postseason 12 years in a row. Basketball being played in Minnesota in late April would be news. DG

The Minnesota Timberwolves showed signs of growth last year with the growth of Karl-Anthony Townes and Andrew Wiggins. Now they have added the promising Kris Dunn to a backcourt with Zach LaVine. By seasons end they should be playing excellent defense. LC

The Eastern Conference will be more competitive and more entertaining than the Western Conference (Warriors excluded obviously). HF

Will this be the year the Clippers finally put it all together? Nope. Rather, itll finally sink that in Griffin, Jordan and Paul wont bring a Championship to LA. The Clips will lose in the first round of the play-offs and Paul will take a giant deal elsewhere next July. CS

The biggest disappointment will be

Will the Nets fail again this year? Yes, they probably will. Photograph: Noah K Murray/USA Today Sports

The Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are expected to be awful and will likely have the worst record in the NBA. So where does the disappointment come in, you ask? Its because the franchise and their fans will get almost nothing out of suffering through this season. Thanks to the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade with the Celtics in 2013, Boston has the right to swap their first-round pick with Brooklyns in the 2017 draft. So the Nets are going to lose most of their games AND lose out on the opportunity to bring in a franchise savior. Lets hope that 2014 trip to the Eastern Conference semis was worth it. DG

New Orleans tumbled last year, but really should be a better team than their record showed. They have the talent to be a playoff team just as they were two seasons ago but it seems like the mix still isnt there in a deep Western Conference. LC

The Chicago Bulls are going to drop off despite the addition-by-subtraction of losing Derrick Rose and bringing in a motivated Dwyane Wade. The pieces wont fit. HF

Having offloaded injury-prone Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, the Chicago Bulls snubbed a refresh and a chance to hand the reins to Jimmy Butler. Instead it signed Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, who have beef going back to the Celtics-Heat wars and will both want the limelight. On the Chicago sports scale, the Bulls will be far more Bears than Cubs. CS

LeBron James is

Durable. James has now played 1,186 NBA games in his career between the regular season and playoffs. Thats already 77 more than Michael Jordan logged in his career (not including his two forgettable seasons in a Wizards jersey). Theres a lot of mileage on LeBrons legs, but other than a slight reduction in minutes from his early twenties, there are no signs of slowing down. We are all witnesses to a man who has only aged along his hairline. DG

Not going to be able to pull the Cavs over the Warriors this time. LC

Already, at the very least, the second greatest basketball player who has ever lived. And hes not close to finished. HF

The man. Regardless of who performs miracles during regular season play, can we please refrain from proclaiming Curry or Westbrook or Durant has usurped him as the games best player? They wont have. Games 5-7 of the Finals where it James played-out the longest con in the history of sports – put that debate to bed until the post-season. CS

Steph Curry is

Now a full-on villain. If Kevin Durant is a bad guy for joining Golden State, Curry looks even worse for needing another superstar to get back on top. A fresh-faced NBA superstar everyone was rooting for two years ago today is today the face of a team many want to see crash and burn. Every behind-the-back pass Curry chucks out of bounds this season will be a moment of viral glee. DG

A player too unselfish for his own good. His need to please others sometimes destroys his focus. LC

The most embattled reigning MVP for two years running in NBA history, or at least among those whove won a ring. HF

A man with something to prove once again. Although an ill-timed knee injury may be mitigating, the undisputed league MVP had a Finals series to forget. LeBron made him look like a pretender again, now well see what Currys really made of. CS

One change to improve the NBA …

This will never happen because it would be a significant change to the entire sport of basketball but, hey, if the floor is mine: get rid of the free throw and penalize players who commit a foul by removing them from the floor for 30 seconds, hockey-style. This ends the awful free throw-fests that mar the end of so many basketball games and we also get some fun 5-on-4 action. I await your call, Adam Silver. DG

Revive the draft lottery reform that owners rejected two years ago that would havegiven all seven of the worst teams a better shot at the No1 pick thus reducing the incentive to tank. LC

Theres no reason that the NBA season should be 82 games long other than money. Unfortunately, thats more than reason enough for owners to continue with it. HF

Two free throws plus the ball if deliberate Hack-A fouls are committed more than three times a game on poor FT shooters like DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard. Theres no channel-turner in basketball like a Hackathon. CS

One bold prediction …

Joel Embiid will win rookie of the year. Picking a 7ft 0in center who can do this and this might not seem incredibly bold, but injuries have kept Embiid from playing in a single NBA game since he was drafted No3 overall in 2014. Predicting he stays healthy and plays well and that something good happens for the Sixers is as bold as bold can be. DG

Luke Waltons Lakers will have surpassed his entire 2015-16 loss total (four) by the time they face the Warriors for the first time (in their sixth game). LC

LeBron James will have a tough time leading the Cavaliers to another title. Photograph: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Im going to keep predicting that the Minnesota Timberwolves to end the season over .500 every single season until it actually happens. HF

Miamis resigned center Hassan Whiteside will win Defensive Player of the Year. The $98 million man, who finished third in voting last season becomes the focal point of a Heat team minus superstars. If pre-season is anything to go by, he looks ready for the responsibility. Hes also a triple double machine in the making and, as he likes to say; aint nobody doin it with blocks either. CS

Which rookie will impress the most?

When Ben Simmons returns from injury – hopefully by mid-season – hell quickly add footage to his passing highlight reel. (And many of those passes will go to Embiid, my bold Rookie of the Year pick. Hey, great choice!) DG

Kris Dunn, the Timberwolves point guard from Providence, looked fantastic in the Summer League and might be the most polished rookie in the league. LC

If Joel Embiid, who finally will be making his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers, counts as a rookie, then it will be him. The 76ers will still be awful, though. HF

With Ben Simmons out until January, this is more open. Bostons Jaylen Brown drafted third out of Berkeley will have plenty of opportunities to shine in a big market team thats primed to contend. While the short forward might struggle for ROTY-worthy minutes/numbers behind Jae Crowder, he could be the most impressive. CS

Wholl win the MVP award?

Russell Westbrooks consolation prize in losing Kevin Durant might just be the MVP. If he can keep the Thunder above .500 and reach the playoffs, hell win the award and he surely wont thank Kevin Durant or Kevin Durants mother. DG

While I would be tempted to pick Russell Westbrook who could run free to as many points as he wants in the Thunders offense, the smart pick here is LeBron James. LC

Russell Westbrook. If he remains healthy, the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard is going to have a monster year now that he doesnt have to share his the ball with Durant. HF

Steph Curry will split the limelight with Kevin Durant, while LeBron James saves his absolute best for the postseason and hasnt won the award since 2013. Russell Westbrooks numbers will explode without Durant and theres a legit chance he can smash last years tally of 18 triple doubles. CS

Atlantic winner

Toronto Raptors. DG

Boston Celtics. LC

Boston Celtics. HF

Im going with the Cs. CS

Central winner

Cleveland Cavaliers. DG

Cleveland. LC

Cleveland Cavaliers. HF

The Cavs will take this. CS

Southeast winner

Atlanta Hawks. DG

Atlanta Hawks. LC

Orlando Magic. HF

Close. Atlanta is the favourite, but Charlotte or Washington could easily take this one. CS

Northwest winner

Portland Trail Blazers. DG

Utah Jazz. LC

Oklahoma City. HF

Utah and Portland look strong, but OKC will win it. CS

Pacific winner

Golden State Warriors. DG

Golden State Warriors. LC

Cant see anyone but Golden State. HF

Although last years regular season dominance could be beyond the Warriors, theyll win this division by at least 10 games. CS

Southwest winner

San Antonio Spurs. DG

San Antonio. LC

San Antonio. HF

Business as usual for the Spurs. CS

Eastern Conference Finals prediction

Cleveland over Indiana. DG

Cleveland over Boston. LC

Cleveland Cavaliers over literally any opponent they could face. Lets say the Boston Celtics. HF

A comfortable series for the Cavs, wholl win in five. CS

Western Conference Finals prediction

Golden State over LA Clippers. DG

Golden State over Utah. LC

Go for the Golden State Warriors over the San Antonio Spurs. HF

Warriors in seven in an all-time classic. CS

NBA championship winner

Everyone knows the classic scene in Gullivers Travels where the resting giant is overrun by tiny Lilliputians and secured to the ground by strings. Thats kind of how I see this NBA season. LeBron is the giant of the sport and no other player is close to matching him, but in adding Kevin Durant the Warriors now have enough to take down even the biggest star in all the game. Now I should probably note that Gulliver broke out of those strings in the story and that LeBron never rests. But Ill still give the Warriors 3-1 odds. DG

Last spring Golden State appeared certain to win their second-straight NBA title against Cleveland. But Draymond Green was suspended for a game, Steph Curry lost his focus and the Warriors were outplayed by the Cavs and LeBron James. They signed Kevin Durant to make sure that doesnt happen again. The same two teams are destined to meet once more but this time Golden State will have too many elite players to slump again. Expect a more locked-in Curry, a motivated Durant and enough contributions from Green and Klay Thompson to go the distance next June. LC

The Golden State Warriors, taking out the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yes, I know, this would be the third straight Warriors-Cavaliers finals, but its hard to imagine this season going any other way barring injuries that are too depressing to contemplate. The funniest possible result would be for the Cavaliers to take a 3-1 series lead this time around, only to lose to the Warriors. Call them the meme busters. HF

The Dubs will have learned a lot from last summers humbling loss to Cleveland and its all the motivation theyll need to put it right. Should the NBA Finals be a three-peat, Im picking Golden State to take a 2-1 lead over the Cavs in Finals match-ups. Warriors in six. CS

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2017 NBA Mock Draft

The NBA season came to the most anti-climactic end ever last night, with the Ultimate Superteam Warriors serving the Cavs in Golden State. That was the official end to the season and the official beginning of mock draft season. How will your favorite team attempt to better itself in a desperate push to finish second in their conference to the Cavs or Dubs? Read on.

1. Boston Celtics

Markelle Fultz, G, Washington: The Celtics shouldn’t get cute and try and conjure up a trade for a win-now star. Fultz will be a cost-effective player who can play with and for Isaiah Thomas.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA: There’s been a lot of press in recent days about the Lakers’ uncertainty with Ball being the guy. The team could take Kansas’ Josh Jackson here and pair him with Brandon Ingram at the forward positions, but drafting Ball adds a playmaking/distributing element to the team that they haven’t had in years.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky: The Sixers need shot making, and Monk is the best offensive player available. Josh Jackson is an unpolished-yet-improving offensive player who will contribute right away on the defensive end but doesn’t have near the shot making ability Monk has.

4. Phoenix Suns

Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas: This is the dream scenario for the Suns, who get a hard-working defender right away and a possible two-way superstar in the future. Jackson brings a defensive edge no Suns starter currently possesses, and can take defensive pressure off Devin Booker.

5. Sacramento Kings

De’Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky: Fox still needs to develop as an offensive option, but his defense and athleticism should allow him to be serviceable while the rest of his game develops. Sacramento needs a large dose of talent, and the extremely talented Fox is a great fit alongside offensive-minded Buddy Hield.

6. Orlando Magic

Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke: I think this is a great fit for the Magic. Tatum is a polished offensive forward who would be a great compliment to the defensive game of Aaron Gordon- who could be moved full-time to PF with the pick of Tatum.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves

Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona: This is a great fit, as Markkanen’s sweet offensive game instantly takes pressure off Karl-Anthony Towns in the T-Wolves front court. 

8. New York Knicks

Frank Ntilikina, G, Belgium: The Knicks are reportedly enamored with Ntilikina’s versatility, especially the ability to cover both guard positions. That, plus he doesn’t need to dominate the ball to be effective, important for the triangle offense.

9. Dallas Mavericks

Dennis Smith, Jr., PG, NC State: The Mavericks may be able to clear enough money to get in on the Kyle Lowry sweepstakes, but drafting Smith and letting him develop into the leader of the future would be a much more effective way to return to greatness. Smith in an explosive athlete and can score in bunches when hot.

10. Sacramento Kings

Jonathan Isaac, SF, Florida State: In this scenario, the Kings have nailed these picks. Getting Isaac, who, like Jackson, needs some offensive polish but is a first-day defender, gives the Kings a Rudy Gay replacement.

11. Charlotte Hornets

Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga: Collins is a bit young and doesn’t have a lot of experience, but he has the potential to be the best big man in this draft. He has great instincts and is a tough competitor who hit big shots in the NCAA tourney. 

12. Detroit Pistons

Luke Kennard, SG, Duke: The Pistons would like to trade this pick for a win-now veteran, but they might not get what they’re looking for. The team needs some outside shooters, and Kennard is arguably the best in the draft.

13. Denver Nuggets

T.J. Leaf, PF, UCLA: The Nuggets could use a reliable big to play alongside Nikola Jokic. Leaf’s biggest knock is his weight- he could stand to add a few pounds. Otherwise, his offensive game is well developed and he will help space things out for Jokic.

14. Miami Heat

Bam Adebayo, PF/C, Kentucky: The Heat will likely be looking for a big to play alongside Hassan Whiteside. Adebayo is a freakish specimen who reminds me of Dwight Howard in terms of size, build, and athleticism. He could run the floor and crash the boards and otherwise give opposing teams fits playing alongside Whiteside in the paint.

15. Portland Trailblazers

Harry Giles, PF, Duke: Multiple knee injuries derailed a freshman season that was supposed to end with Giles being the number one prospect in this draft. His injury history has rightfully scared teams off, but he could end up being the steal of the draft for Portland. The Blazers need development players who won’t eat up large amounts of salary, as the team is loaded with bad contracts (read: Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner).

16. Chicago Bulls

Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina: The Bulls need outside shooting, and perhaps the best player available here is the former Tar Heel Jackson, who showed improvement in his shooting effectiveness year-over-year in college. If he continues to improve as a shooter, he could be a starter before long.

17. Milwaukee Bucks

O.G. Anunoby, SF, Indiana: Another year, another freakish defender picked by the Bucks, who seemingly are stacked with these kind of players, and who seemingly find ways to develop even the most obscure prospects. Anunoby should be, at worse, a great bench/late game defender, and at best, a serviceable two-way player.

18. Indiana Pacers

Donovan Mitchell, SG, Louisville: Mitchell really made strides as an offensive play for the Cardinals this past season. He’s already a very good, lengthy defender. Could be a very good starter if his offense continues to develop.

19. Atlanta Hawks

John Collins, PF/C, Wake Forest: Paul Milsap may or may not be coming back to Atlanta, but either way, he won’t last forever. Enter Collins, arguably the best offensive player in the NCAA last year, and an effective rebounder.

20. Blazers

Justin Patton, C, Creighton: One of the draft’s more unrefined-yet-intriguing players, Patton’s potential upside is hard to ignore. At the very least, he should evolve into a poor-man’s Hassan Whiteside, able to hold down the post on defense and run the floor with ease for transition buckets.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder

Ike Anigbogu, PF, UCLA: One of the best athletes in the draft, and a top-notch offensive rebounder, Anigbogu would be an ideal fit running with Russell Westbrook in OKC. 

22. New Jersey Nets

Jarrett Allen, PF, Texas: Extremely raw with a body frame that still needs to be filled out, Allen is a great prospect for the Nets, who are going to be a rebuilding project for the next half-decade. Allen has a good feel for the game offensively but, like Justin Patton, will need time.

23. Toronto Raptors

Derrick White, G, Colorado: A D-2 success story, white was an under-recruited high school player in Colorado who blossomed into a first-round pick.  A tall guard with a good all around game, White’s continued growth would fit well on a Raptors team who re-signed Kyle Lowry, giving White a few years to learn the ropes.

24. Utah Jazz

Semi Ojeleye, SF, SMU: A great pick if Gordon Hayward leaves, a great pick if he stays. Ojeleye is this draft’s best specimen, and under the right tutelage, has all-star potential as a point forward.

25. Orlando Magic

Isaiah Hartenstein, PF/C, Germany: American-born German national player Hartenstein should be, at the start, a good defensive back-up center with the ability to develop offensively into a center who can space the floor with outside shooting.

26. Portland Trailblazers

Terrance Ferguson, SG, Adelade 36ers: The Blazers have a stacked starting backcourt with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, and it would be a great place for Ferguson to learn the game and develop as a pro. 

27. Brooklyn Nets

Tyler Lydon, F, Syracuse: A limited athlete with a good eye for the game, Lydon is another long-term project the Nets can afford to draft. In college, Lydon showed on occasion that he is capable of getting points from everywhere in the offensive half court.

28.Los Angeles Lakers

Ivan Rabb, PF/C, Cal: Likely a lottery pick in 2016, Rabb chose to return to school. His performance slumped, and his attempt to better develop his game for the NBA appears to have backfired. Nonetheless, Rabb has shown flashes of being an effective scorer and rebounder.

29. San Antonio Spurs

Josh Hart, SG, Villanova: Hart just seems like one of those somehow under-the-radar guys with the winning pedigree Gregg Popovich loves. And if the Spurs do in fact cut bait with Danny Green to make space for Chris Paul, Hart will provide salary cap relief and maturity and leadership few other rookies will provide.

30. Jazz

Jawun Evans, PG, Oklahoma State: Along with losing Gordon Hayward, the Jazz could be in the market for a new point guard as well. Evans doesn’t have ideal height, but he was excellent last season in leading the Cowboys to the NCAA tournament.