#though realistically speaking andrew does this everywhere i go

[colorsplash]

i hate this site actually bye

[minaminokyoko]

Spider-Man: Far from Home--A Spoilertastic Review

Oh, my baby boy is back and it feels good.

Like many of you, I was looking forward to FFH due to the trauma left behind by our final film with all the Avengers present, and I needed to see my sweet Spider Son to try to dry my tears. I'm happy to say Far from Home is just the popcorn flick we need this summer: light, enjoyable, fun. I do admit to a bias right off the bat, before I begin the review: I am one of the hugest fans of the Iron Dad and Spider Son dynamic, and so I knew by default that I wasn't going to like this movie as much as the first one. Sorry. I am a skank for adopted family tropes, and I think Iron Dad and Spider Son was one of the strongest relationships developed in the MCU period. Losing Tony is just...agonizing. I've sectioned it off in my brain as Did Not Happen just to get by, honestly, and so keep that in mind as we proceed.

Spoilers ahead.

Overall Grade: B

Pros:

-Lemme get this out of the way: MY SONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN MY SPIDER SON OH MY GOSH PETER PARKER IS SUCH A GOOD BOI AND A SWEET SMOL BEAN AND I HAVE NO MATERNAL INSTINCTS EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO MCU PETER PARKER AND I LOVE THIS CHILD MORE THAN ANYTHING AND I JUST WANT TO PROTECT HIM AND HUG HIM AND BRUSH HIS HAIR AND COOK HIM DINNER I LOVE MY LITTLE BOY Y'ALL.

-Ahem. Tom Holland still shines in this role. I really, solidly care about Peter Parker. He's a great kid and he's very realistic in the way that he's written and acted. He's just a shy, awkward little nerd with a heart of gold who unfortunately has been forced into the worst situations that he's not ready for. I wanted to punch "Nick" in the face for how much goddamn pressure he put on a kid who is literally still in the goddamn mourning process just like everyone else. Peter has so much to deal with and he's only had these powers for a short amount of time, so it's natural that he's so frustrated and anxious and he wants time to go after things that are important to him. I found that very understandable and sympathetic, even if the "I just want to be normal" trope has been done to death in superhero media. MCU Peter has so much heart and I'm proud of this baby for what he's able to accomplish.

-The allusions to Tony and the void left behind hit home quite hard. Especially that fucking gravestone part of the Mysterio sequence. That was just...cruel. Tony taught Peter so much, and he genuinely loved that kid. He grew to love him and trust him and worry about him, and it's so awful that Tony won't get to see him grow up to be his own man. I'm grateful for the time they had together, and I really love Tony leaving Peter the glasses and the A.I., knowing that while he might still make a mistake, he would do the right thing in the end. (Side note: EDITH is as funny as it is fucked up, "Even Dead, I'm the Hero." God fucking damn you, Tony, that is so in-character and it hurts my soul.) "Nick" shoving all that pressure onto Peter made me want to kick his ass, especially since he talks down to him and tries to blame him for not being ready when he only just got into the game relatively speaking. But I also loved the sequence of him in the plane doing exactly what Tony used to do in his lab. It's such a great parallel, showing that Peter is his own person but he's also a chip off the old block, and that is very sweet to see. (I also squealed at the Led Zeppelin comment, oh my son, such a cutie.)

-I was extremely hesitant about them choosing Gyllenhaal for the role of Mysterio (not because of his skill as an actor, just because he looks like a giant puppy, sorry) but now I see why. He's an unstable narcissist and it fits him. What a jerkoff. I was furious with how callous he was and how he shifted blame everywhere like it's just SO necessary to kill all these people for fame, fortune, and money. Ugh, what a shitbird. So kudos to him. I didn't think he could pull it off, but he sure as hell did.

-The effects were fantastic. I really do think the illusion sequence will go down in MCU history as one of the most visually creative, disorienting, heartbreaking things we've seen so far in the saga. It was harrowing, especially the Iron Man suit crawling out of the grave. What a kick in the fucking nuts for Peter, and for us.

-Peter and MJ, while it did get a little overwhelming, were cute as shit. And I'm glad that the modern films are removing the stigma of the "I can't let my family and friends know I'm the hero" thing. It was definitely heavily done in the 80's, 90's, and early to mid 2000's and I'm fine to see it being phased out at least in terms of the MCU. It's a little more realistic that most of your family or friends would be able to handle your secret, and not only that, help you out on occasion. I'm glad she knows and their kisses were freaking adorable. Sweet babies.

-That. First. End. Credits. Scene. What a fucking killer. First off, God bless whoever at Marvel Studios listened to the thousands of fans begging them to cast J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson again, continuity be damned. The man IS the embodiment of the character, and I absolutely fucking ADORE that they gave us the nod and the wink we all wanted even back when Spidey was Andrew Garfield. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Next, oh my God, my sweet baby boy, my smol bean, got called out and branded as a murderer. Fuck, this is gonna be a serious problem, and considering the fact that we don't have the next MCU film lined up yet (at the time this was posted, and mind you, San Diego Comic Con is in two weeks, so maybe they'll clarify) the consequences could definitely be crazy. Poor Peter. He's gonna have a lot of work to do in order to undo this mess and prove that he's not Spidey, but this could also mean they're adapting some part of the Civil War story, maybe. We'll see, but that was a big ass bomb to drop.

-The Skrulls second credit scene was a genuine surprise, and it made sense. I thought Nick felt a little off the whole movie, and that really does explain why--it's someone else doing an impression of him and trying their best. Nick would've been smart enough to know probably right off the bat that Beck wasn't who he said he was. His story was way too noble and convenient. Nick would've probably have run facial recognition and then it would ping for a former Stark Industries employee, and that would've been a wrap. I like that it being a Skrull justifies what would be a plothole. Neat idea.

-I appreciated the Spidey's eye view of the action. Those were some cool shots and they were centered well, so you didn't feel nauseous or anything. It kept you in the action and was very engrossing and cool.

Cons:

-The bystander syndrome that everyone got this time around is a little irksome. It's the same reason that while I really, really love Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, I default don't like it as much as the first one since everyone got put into the bystander spot except for basically Peter in the very end. While it was nice to have them defend themselves, I'd have liked it more of MJ and Ned and the others figured their own way out of escaping the drones. Why? Because it would show Peter that it's not always on just his shoulders. His friends are competent and they can help, and I think that would've been a better way to go rather than him doing it himself.

-Some of the humor was flat. JB Smooth and the other teacher are the worst offenders, I'd say. They were given too much screentime and they're not that funny.

-The May and Happy subplot goes almost nowhere and isn't fully explored, and I kind of would've been fine if it hadn't been in the movie at all. It doesn't add much.

-The ending was kind of unclear? Did Beck actually get shot and die from his wounds? If so, then what was the official story about the drones and his body and whatnot? It's all pretty damn vague. If Beck is dead, that's disappointing. I kinda wish Marvel would stop killing the villains at the end of almost all the films. Longest running recurring villains are Loki and Thanos, I think. Vulture lived, and I'd like him to return in the future if possible. You can use actors more than once, Marvel, they're not tissue paper.

-Nitpick: It did almost feel like we missed a movie where Peter likes MJ. She was more a cameo in the first one than a full lead, so it almost felt like there's a short film somewhere of them getting closer and him getting over Liz and liking MJ instead.

-Nitpick: Same with the whole "other guy also likes MJ" subplot. Eh, I could leave it out and not miss it.

-Nitpick: I still can't with how they expect anyone to buy that Night Monkey story. I mean, it's black suited Spidey no matter which way you look at it. And yes, people should immediately notice he's at the very least one of the students at Peter's high school, and then it can't be too hard after that. I mean, Peter doesn't even change his voice while he's in the suit.

-Nitpick: I was kind of hoping for more clues or reactions to half of everyone, you know, being fucking murdered by Thanos for five years and returning to their lives. But I guess that was just pushed aside because it could become a whole rabbit hole issue. Still, though, I was hoping someone would tell us if the Snapped just don't remember being dead or if there is some kind of afterlife they experienced. (Side note: wow, holy shit, the teacher's mini story about it was dark and awful but I did laugh out of shock. I mean, damn. Low blow, wifey. Low fucking blow.)

-They mention spidey sense but I'd have liked it if they explicitly explain why he has it sometimes but other times he doesn't? It seems to fluctuate, but why and how? Is it more like anxiety or an extra sense? Is it based on his emotional health? I want clarification.

All in all, I had a good time and I'd put this in the middlegrade MCU films. I still really enjoy Holland in the role and I want nothing but good things for him and this franchise.

[torentialtribute]

Liverpool uncovered: Simon Mignolet on losing his place to the best keeper he’s ever seen

Liverpool suffered a heartbreak in Barcelona on Wednesday night, but their quest to win the Premier League is still alive. It has been a remarkable campaign and with 91 points on the board, they will chase Manchester City all the way to the line.

Ahead of Saturday's crucial trip to Newcastle, long-serving goalkeeper Simon Mignolet told Sportsmail the story of the season from the players' perspective.

The Belgian has been on the journey every step of the way, seeing the highs and lows, and knows Liverpool can still dream.

Simon Mignolet has an important presence in the field for Liverpool this campaign

The Belgian believes the group at Anfield have what it takes to be champions one day

DREAMING BIG

After reaching the Champions League final last May, Liverpool made four big summer signings and enjoyed a fruitful start to the season. The key moment for the squad, though, was the night Paris Saint-Germain came to town in September and were tasks apart.

SIMON MIGNOLET: It all started so well. We had four victories before the first international break. When we came back we had Tottenham at Wembley and PSG at home in the Champions League, two of the best teams in the world in quick succession.

We beat Spurs 2-1, then scored three against PSG and blew them away. If we could play like that against Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, why couldn't we do it to everyone else? We knew, there and then, we didn't need to be afraid of anyone.

We had a good run in the previous season but we knew people would wonder if we could sustain it. So that game was the benchmark. That's where it all started.

Mignolet spoke exclusively to Sportsmail's Dominic King about Liverpool's season so far

SQUAD UNITY

Jurgen Klopp has stressed how well run Liverpool's dressing cream is. Mignolet's role may have changed over the last 12 months but he is an important member behind the scenes and the inclusive atmosphere has been crucial to maintaining form.

SM: I've never been in a dressing room where there is no trouble at some stage.

There's always going to be something where someone doesn't talk to someone else or they don't get on.

Alongside his prolific goalscoring, Sadio Mane also tries to make his team-mates laugh

But that's not the case with this squad. It's been that way for a year. Nobody is talking behind anyone's back, nobody has a grudge.

Sadio Mane always tries to be the joker but his jokes aren't always funny – people ended up laughing with him, rather than at the joke he made!

There's a lot of banter going on … Robbo (Andy Robertson), Milly (James Milner), Virg (Virgil van Dijk) – it comes from all sides.

Mignolet also identified James Milner (left) and Andrew Robertson as two of the biggest jokers

WORRYING TIMES

It's easy to look at Liverpool's results and think progress has been smooth, but that's not the case. Autumn brought some below-standard league performances and poor results in the Champions League. A 2-0 defeat at Red Star Belgrade was a line in the sand.

SM: October and November was a rough patch. We lost to Napoli away, drew with Manchester City at home, drew at Arsenal and then lost to Belgrade. Everything that could have gone wrong that night did go wrong.

The main thing that came out of it was doubt. The manager was so unhappy. We stayed over in Belgrade and the big question we asked was: "Why are we doing this?" It turned out to be a game we learned more from. We had to make sure it didn't happen in the Premier League.

A shock defeat at Red Star Belgrade proved to be a significant turning point

DEFINING DAYS

Lift-off for Liverpool came on December 2, when they dramatically beat Everton 1-0 in the Merseyside derby with an injury-time goal from Divock Origi. The victories that resonated most, however, will come as a surprise.

SM: I don't show my feelings a lot but when Divock scored I jumped off the bench! I was sat next to Adam Lallana and James Milner and the noise at the stage was incredible. That win was huge.

But I will pick another three out: Brighton away in January. We had two lost games against Manchester City and Wolves, and the match was dead, no chances for either team. Then Mo (Salah) scored a penalty. A week later, we beat Crystal Palace 4-3. A crazy game but so, so important. Those six points were massive. One slip and it makes a hell of a difference. Then recently we had Cardiff.

Like Belgrade, everything was set up there for us to fail. A dry pitch, 30-degree heat. What we did that day to win 2-0 made it one of our best performances.

Mignolet identified Divock Origi's late Merseyside derby winner as a 'huge' moment

MAGICAL MO

Salah has enjoyed another outstanding season and could well retain the Golden Boot. If he does, Mignolet will have his bit to help done.

SM: He sits next to me on the coach when we travel to games. He asks me about penalties and what ideas the opposition goalkeeper will have. I'll tell him he should do this or that. We practice penalties the day before a game and we work together.

I try to do the same as the keeper he will face the next day, to make it as realistic as possible.

The big thing about Mo? He is a cult hero in Egypt. People forget how big a figure he is in the Muslim world.

Mohamed Salah could win the Golden Boat again after another outstanding scoring season

We went to Dubai in January for a training camp and he was everywhere. He's like a statue.

He carries all that on his shoulders and he does it so well, like the pressure is nothing. He's down to earth, still the same guy as he was when he signed. Everywhere we go there is attention for him.

When there are crowds around the coach shouting 'Salah! Salah! " we join in with them and make it funny.

But he has an example to give. He has got so much talent but he works so hard to help.

Mignolet praised the way the Egyptian forward handles all of the pressure of his status

PERSONAL ANGUISH

Mignolet has not played in the Premier League this season. The £ 65million signing of Alisson Becker made him No 2 but he has blocked out any personal disappointment. His attitude is so good that both Klopp and Milner have highlighted his role.

SM: Me and my missus are building a house in Spain. I speak a few languages ​​and last year we decided to take Spanish lessons. Then Ali came and I don't need lessons any more if I speak Spanish with him!

As a goalkeeper, you learn from the guys you work with. He is Brazil No 1 ahead of Ederson. The main difference between the two is that Ali is probably better with his hands. He's the most complete goalkeeper I've seen in my career. He is so calm.

Not playing is the hard bit, the feeling of being on the pitch at the end when you've won is what I miss most. I understand how people who don't play stop doing their work. That's why I push myself every day. I get in the gym at 9am. The boys must look at me and think, "What's that idiot doing there again?"

Alisson is established as Liverpool's first-choice stopper and Mignolet called him 'complete'

THE FINAL ACT

Mignolet was part of the last Reds squad who challenged for the title, in 2014. Whatever happens in the next week, he believes this group has what it takes to be champions one day.

SM: The manager is perfect for the club. His vision and his character embodied what the fans live for. The style of play we have is what the supporters want, they want to see fire. They want to see Liverpool pushing, fighting.

It would be strange – and very frustrating – if we didn't win anything, but the only thing that would stop it is the opposition (Manchester City) being so good . All credit to them if that's the case. The amount of points we've accumulated would mean we are champions in a normal year.

We've been through the process to get where we want to be and the squad have grown. We should get something one day.

Mignolet was a part of Liverpool's 2014 title-challenging side and played in defeat by Chelsea

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[mrtinawrites-blog]

ten books you should read

april 17, 2017

hello all! welcome back to another theme week post! today I’m going to be sharing ten books that you should read. the list contains some of my favorite books, as well as loved ones I’ve recommended to friends.

I decided to be a bit extra with this post. along with the title and author of the novel, I included a summary, and a link to the book’s amazon page. I thought this would be helpful so you could read other people’s reviews and maybe even purchase your own copy! you can visit the amazon page by clicking in the title of the book.

I hope you enjoy! in case you need to catch up on any of the other posts, you can visit the official tag for this theme week by clicking here.

marty

1. the outsiders by s.e. hinton – according to ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. a soc (short for “social”) has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. a greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. ponyboy is a greaser, and he’s always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers–until one terrible night when his friend johnny kills a soc. the murder gets under ponyboy’s skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

2. capricious by gabrielle pendergast  – ella’s grade-eleven year was a disaster, but as summer approaches, things are looking up. she’s back together with her brooding boyfriend, samir, although they both want to keep that a secret. she’s also best buddies with david and still not entirely sure about making him boyfriend number two. though part of her wants to conform to high school norms, the temptation to be radical is just too great. managing two secret boyfriends proves harder than ella expected, especially when samir and david face separate family crises, and ella finds herself at the center of an emotional maelstrom. someone will get hurt. someone risks losing true love. someone might finally learn that self-serving actions can have public consequences. And that someone is ella.

3. winger by andrew smith – ryan dean west is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. he’s living in opportunity hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. and he’s madly in love with his best friend annie, who thinks of him as a little boy. ryan dean manages to survive life’s complications with the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics. but when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart. filled with hand-drawn infographics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.

4. rumble fish by s.e. hinton – rusty james wants to be just like his big brother motorcycle boy - tough enough to be respected by everyone in the neighborhood. but motorcycle boy is also smart, so smart that rusty james relies on him to bail him out of trouble. The brothers are inseparable, and motorcycle boy will always be there to watch his back, so there’s nothing to worry about, right? or so rusty james believes, until his world falls apart and motorcycle boy isn’t there to pick up the pieces.

5. we all looked up by tommy wallach – four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward earth in this contemporary novel. they always say that high school is the best time of your life. peter, the star basketball player at his school, is worried “they” might actually be right. meanwhile eliza can’t wait to escape seattle—and her reputation—and perfect-on-paper anita wonders if admission to princeton is worth the price of abandoning her real dreams. andy, for his part, doesn’t understand all the fuss about college and career—the future can wait. or can it? because it turns out the future is hurtling through space with the potential to wipe out life on earth. as these four seniors—along with the rest of the planet—wait to see what damage an asteroid will cause, they must abandon all thoughts of the future and decide how they’re going to spend what remains of the present.

6. aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe by benjamin alire saenz – aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. when the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. but as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. and it is through this friendship that ari and dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

7. that was then, this is now by s.e. hinton – companion to the outsiders, that was then, this is now is s.e. hinton’s moving portrait of the bond between best friends bryon and mark and the tensions that develop between them as they begin to grow up and grow apart.

8. I’ll give you the sun by jandy nelson – at first, jude and her twin brother are noahandjude; inseparable. noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them.  years later, they are barely speaking. something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways … but then jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. the early years are noah’s to tell; the later years are jude’s. but they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world.

9. looking for alaska by john green –  miles “pudge” halter is done with his safe life at home. his whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the great perhaps” even more. he heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of culver creek boarding school, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. because down the hall is alaska young. the gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating alaska young. she is an event unto herself. she pulls pudge into her world, launches him into the great perhaps, and steals his heart. then… . after. nothing is ever the same.

10. an abundance of katherines by john green – katherine v thought boys were gross. katherine x just wanted to be friends. katherine xviii dumped him in an e-mail. k-19 broke his heart. when it comes to relationships, colin singleton’s type happens to be girls named katherine. and when it comes to girls named katherine, colin is always getting dumped. nineteen times, to be exact. on a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, judge judy-loving best friend riding shotgun–but no katherines. colin is on a mission to prove the theorem of underlying katherine predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. love, friendship, and a dead austro-hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

[buddyrabrahams]

Five key questions for the second half of the NBA season

This is the best time in the history of modern civilization to be an NBA fan. Stats have reverted back to what they looked like in the ’60s, we have seven-foot mythological creatures prancing around everywhere, and there’s enough petty league-wide beef to keep Arby’s in business for an entire fiscal year.

But as the sneaker dust settles and the hashtags lose momentum, those players and teams that can still maintain their chokeholds on our attention will be those we remember most when we look back on this wacky, unpredictable, and altogether glorious year of NBA basketball.

So as January turns to February turns to the All-Star break turns to the trade deadline turns to the second half of the season, let’s have a look at the five biggest questions awaiting us on the other side.

5. Can Russell Westbrook finish the season averaging a triple-double?

At this point, there’s not really a lot left to say about Westbrook, whose nightly fire-breathing rampages have slowly been accelerating the inevitable heat death of the universe. But perhaps his spirited quest to complete the hallowed season-long triple-double is a good place to start.

Oklahoma City’s resident pointzilla currently sits at 31.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game on the year, but conventional wisdom suggests that pulling off the feat may be difficult, particularly as fatigue begins to set in come the second half.

For one, Westbrook’s total rebounding percentage this season is a cranium-bursting 17.1. That seems just slightly unsustainable considering that no guard in NBA history has ever posted a TRB% of 16.0 or higher in any season of 50 or more games played. Westbrook’s 17.1 is also somehow higher than what Kevin Garnett, who led the league in rebounding four times, averaged for his entire professional career (17.0). It doesn’t help either that “The Brodie’s” quest to average double-digit assists is fundamentally dependent on external factors (in this case, on his teammates’ abilities to convert his passes into buckets) and that Enes Kanter, whom Westbrook averages 1.4 assists to a night, decided to go Rocky Balboa on a chair and could miss the next two months.

But at the same time, Westbrook’s big men have been more than willing this season to twiddle their mustaches and defer to their All-Star point guard as he rumbles down the lane to gobble up defensive rebounds. Perhaps it’s part of a concerted effort to streamline the fastbreak process and allow Westbrook to jetski from coast-to-coast. Who knows, maybe they just want to see him do the unthinkable just as much as the rest of us plebes do.

Whatever the case, that, combined with his paranormal 42.3 percent usage rate — which will keep the assist opportunities coming in bunches — means that Westbrook should at least have a puncher’s chance (or in his case, a haymaker’s chance) to pull off the deed. May the odds (and the statkeepers) be ever in his favor.

4. Will Joel Embiid lead the Sixers to the postseason?

[hums and meditates in a cross-legged position]

“I am one with The Process and The Process is with me. I am one with The Process and The Process is with me. I am one with The Process and The Process is with me…”

If you’re still not a believer in the Philadelphia 76ers, perhaps a berth in the 2017 NBA playoffs will be what has you genuflecting at the altar and leading the choir in a spirited rendition of “Amazing Grace” at the Church of Saint Hinkie. Led by the graceful polar bear known as His Excellency Joel Embiid, the Sixers won 10 of their 15 games in the month of January and sit just 4.5 games back of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid’s sheer reign of terror on the defensive end has allowed Philly to stock up on defensively-challenged three-point bombers in the starting five (looking at you fam @NikStauskas @ErsanIlyasova). That has created a mutually beneficial relationship wherein JoJo covers for their lapses on D while they provide more breathing room for his Processing to intensify on offense. It has also brought the Sixers closer to the pace-and-space motion offense that head coach Brett Brown, a twig off the old block from Gregg Popovich’s coaching tree, is most comfortable running.

With T.J. McConnell surpassing all expectations, Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric finding their callings as second-unit firecrackers, and Embiid about to fly into a smoldering rage after not making the All-Star team and missing out on his date with Rihanna, now is the time to buckle up and Trust the Process to all kingdom come.

3. How far will the Clippers drop?

The Los Angeles Clippers find themselves in the midst of a Tom Petty-esque free fall right now. Chris Paul got his hand caught in a Russell Westbrook-sized blender and is out until March, Blake Griffin is still regaining his footing after his own lengthy injury absence, and the team is coming off a morale-murdering 144-98 asphyxiation at the hands of the rival Golden State Warriors (though in fairness, Warriors vs. Clippers is about as much of a rivalry these days as Itchy vs. Scratchy).

As it stands for the moment, the Clippers are hanging by a toenail to the fourth seed in the Western Conference but are just half a game ahead of the Utah Jazz and two games in front of both the Oklahoma City Thunder and of the Memphis Grizzlies. Plummeting down the West standings could actually have a silver lining as finishing sixth or seventh would take them out of Golden State’s playoff bracket and prevent them from having to step foot into the Oracle Arena deathtrap until at least the Western Conference Finals. But a first-round showdown against the silent Siths of San Antonio or the Houston Rockets pyrotechnics display would be a profoundly treacherous path to navigate, especially without the benefit of homecourt advantage. And with the Clippers’ core guys likely only getting less than three months worth of total playing time together this season, all bets are off.

So we’re left with several questions heading into the second half for Lob City.

Is Griffin healthy enough to put the team on his back in Paul’s absence? Can J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford still be counted on to make baskets in crunchtime? Has Luc Mbah a Moute developed into enough of a threat offensively to not be completely cold-shouldered by opposing defenses come the postseason? Will the second unit still have a heartbeat? Will DeAndre Jordan’s hair ever go back to normal? Does Doc Rivers send in the reinforcements? And speaking of which…

2. How does the Carmelo Anthony situation play out?

Phil Jackson had made it his personal mission to distance himself from Carmelo Anthony like the avian bird flu, and that could have a major butterfly effect on the rest of the league.

‘Melo could end up on the aforementioned Clippers to finally fill that Defense Against the Dark Arts professor-like small forward position of theirs. Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge could throw the farm at the Knicks and allow Anthony and 5-foot-9 heat missile Isaiah Thomas to attempt a hostile takeover of the Eastern Conference (despite what this report might have you believe). Heck, LeBron James could even Jedi mind trick the Zen Master into believing that Kay Felder and DeAndre Liggins are (a) actually real people and (b) sufficient enough of a return package for Anthony. We simply don’t know.

What we do know is Anthony’s full no-trade clause and 15 percent trade kicker mean that not just any team with assets to offer and the cap space to absorb Me7o’s colossal contract can make a run at him.

Realistically speaking, Anthony probably wants to stay in a major market to play for a team that’s one lethal scoring threat away from legitimate title contention. Not many places fit that billing, which seriously squeezes the number of potential destinations for the nine-time All-Star. But wherever the 32-year-old Anthony ends up, there’s a not-zero possibility that he’s fool’s gold at this point of his career with his volatile personality, declining efficiency, and inexplicable vendetta against ball movement. Nevertheless, with all that risk also comes the chance that adding a 23.1-point-per-game scorer with strong rebounding production and a respectable-at-worst, supernova-at-best three-point shot will be what takes a team to the top of the mountain. So for all of Melo’s prospective trade suitors, I just have to pose one question: Do you feel lucky, punk?

1. Is this all just an elaborate setup for a Warriors-Cavaliers rubber match in June?

Perhaps this was all just meant to entertain us before we were forced to face our inescapable destiny: the flame-throwing Golden State Warriors squaring off against the big-talent, bigger-luxury-tax-bill Cleveland Cavaliers in a third consecutive NBA Finals for all the marbles. Well right now, the likelihood of the remainder of the year going chalk, absent of any and all Shyamalan twists looks prettay, prettay, prettay good.

The Dubs are exactly the bogeymen we thought they would be, and perhaps what’s most impressive is that they have managed to whip up a defense that’s just as elite this year (101.0 defensive rating) as it was last year (100.9). And that’s despite replacing Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut with Kevin Durant and [deep inhale through nose] Zaza Pachulia. Now that Durant appears to have figured out that he needs to work around Stephen Curry being Stephen Curry and not the other way around, we should probably start making a beeline for the emergency exits.

As for the Cavs, they’re suffering through one of their patented midseason crises at the moment, but we’ve seen how this script plays out before. They’ll have their collective see-the-light moment some time after the All-Star break (be it a team bowling outing, a LeBron James subtweet, or otherwise), rip off a double-digit win streak in March, and clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with enough time to spare to recharge their batteries and unleash nuclear hell on some poor souls in the postseason. Kyle Korver will stop fitting out eventually, Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson will skip arm-in-arm to Ponce de Leon’s fountain of youth, and JR Smith will be back with the pipe before we know it. Ho hum.

So is it safe already to pencil in Oracle v. Quicken Loans Part III? Or can hardwood fate be tempted? Can the benevolent basketball gods summon enough of their omnipotent power to prevent this seemingly-predetermined collision course? Can a surprise contender emerge from the ashes of slain challengers past to disrupt the history books and send all of our narratives into the garbage chute? It’s hard to say. But I’ll definitely have my Michael Jackson eating popcorn GIF ready as we embark in the ongoing process of finding out in the second half of the season.

*Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com*

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2jTtiyV