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auskultu · 6 years

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The Black Elvis?

Michael Lydon, The New York Times, 25 February 1968

SAN FRANCISCO —“Will he burn it tonight?” asked a neat blonde of her boyfriend, squashed in beside her on the packed floor of the Fillmore auditorium. "He did at Monterey,” the boy friend said, recalling the Pop Festival at which the guitarist, in a moment of elation, actually put a match to his guitar. The blonde and her boy friend went on watching the stage, crammed with huge silver-fronted Fender amps, a double drum set, and whispering stage hands. Mitch Mitchell, the drummer, came on first, sat down, smiled, and adjusted his cymbals. Then came bassist Noel Redding, gold glasses glinting on his fair, delicate face, and plugged into his amp.

“There he is,” said the blonde, and yes, said the applause, there he was, Jimi Hendrix, a cigarette slouched in his mouth, dressed in tight black pants draped with a silver belt, and a pale rainbow shirt half hidden by a black leather vest.

“Dig this, baby,” he mumbled into the mike. His left hand swung high over his frizz-bouffant hair making a shadow on the exploding sun light-show, then down onto his guitar and the Jimi Hendrix Experience roared into “Red House.” It was the first night of the group's second American tour. During the first tour, last summer, they were almost unknown. But this time two LP’s and eight months of legend preceded them.

The crowds in San Francisco—their three nights here were the biggest in the Fillmore’s history—were drooling for Hendrix in the flesh. They got it: this time he didn't burn his guitar ("I was feeling mild”) but, with the careless, slovenly and blatantly erotic arrogance that is his trademark, he gave them what they wanted.

He played all the favorites, “Purple Haze,” “Foxy Lady,” “Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire” and "The Wind Cries Mary.” He played flicking his gleaming white Gibson between his legs and propelling it out of his groin with a nimble grind of his hips. Bending his head over the strings, he plucked them with his teeth as if eating them, occasionally pulling away to take deep breaths. Falling back and lying almost prone, he pumped the guitar neck as it stood high on his belly.

He made sound by swinging the guitar before him and just tapping the body. He played with no hands at all, letting his wah-wah pedal bend and break the noise into madly distorted melodic lines. And all at top volume, the bass and drums building a wall of black noise heard as much by pressure on the eyeballs as with the ears.

• • •

The black Elvis? He is that in England. In America James Brown is, but only for Negroes; could Hendrix become that for American whites? The title, rich in potential imagery, is a mantle waiting to be bestowed. Within his wildness, Hendrix plays on the audience’s reaction to his sexual violence with an ironic and even gentle humor. The D.A.R. sensed what he is up to: they managed to block one appearance with the Monkees last summer, because he was “too erotic.” But if Jimi knows about his erotic appeal, he won’t admit it.

"Man, it's the music, that’s what comes first,” he said, taking a quick jerk of Johnny Walker Black in his motel room. “People who put down our performance, they’re people who can’t use their eyes and ears at the same time. They got a button on their shoulder blades that keeps only one working at a time. Look, man, we might play sometimes just standing there; sometimes we do the whole diabolical bit when we’re in the studio and there ain’t nobody to watch. It’s how we feel. How we feel and getting the music out, that’s all. As soon as people understand that, the better.”

• • •

The Jimi Hendrix Experience, now doing a two-month tour (they will be at Hunter College on Saturday and at Stony Brook, L. I., on March 9), was formed in October, 1966, just weeks after Hendrix came to London from Greenwich Village encouraged by former Animal Chas Chandler. Mitchell, 21, came from Georgie Fame’s band, a top English rhythm and blues group, and 22-year-old Redding switched to bass from guitar, which he had played with several small-time bands. Their first job, after only a few weeks of rehearsal, was at the Paris Olympia on a bill with Johnny Hallyday.

Their first record, “Hey Joe,” got to number 4 on the English charts; a tour of England and steady dates in the in London clubs, plus a follow-up hit with “Purple Haze,” made them the hottest name around. Men’s hairdressers started featuring the “Experience style.” Paul McCartney got them invited to the Monterey Pop Festival and they were a smash hit.

But Jimi Hendrix, born James Marshall Hendrix 22 years ago in Seattle, Wash., goes a lot further back. Now hip rock’s enfant terrible, he quit high school for the paratroopers at 16 (“Anybody could be in the Army, T had to do it special, but man, was I bored”). Musically he came up the black route, learning guitar to Muddy Waters records on his back porch, playing in Negro clubs in Nashville, begging his way onto Harlem bandstands, and touring for two years, lost in the bands of rhythm and blues headliners: the Isley Brothers, Joey Dee, Little Richard, and King Curtis. He even played the Fillmore once, but that was backing Ike and Tina Turner and long before the Haight-Ashbury scene.

• • •

“I always wanted more than that,” he said, “I had these dreams that something was gonna happen, seeing the numbers 1966 in my sleep, so I was just passing time till then. I wanted my own scene, making my music, not playing the same riffs.

“Like once with Little Richard, me and another guy got fancy shirts ’cause we were tired of wearing the uniform. Richard called a meeting. ‘I am Little Richard, I am Little Richard,’ he said.‘the King, the King of Rock and Rhythm. I am the only one allowed to be pretty. Take off those shirts.’ Man, it was all like that. Bad pay, lousy living, and getting burned.”

Early in 1966 he finally got to Greenwich Village, where he played at the Cafe Wha as Jimmy James with his own hastily formed group, the Blue Flame. It was his break and the bridge to today’s Hendrix. He started to write songs—he has written hundreds—and play what he calls “my rock-blues-funky-freak sound.”

• • •

“Dylan really turned me on—not the words or his guitar, but as a way to get myself together. A cat like that can do it to you. Race, that was okay. In the Village people were more friendly than in Harlem where it’s all cold and mean. Your own people hurt you more. Anyway, I had always wanted a more open and integrated sound. Top-40 stuff is all out of gospel, so they try to get everybody up and clapping, shouting, ‘yeah, yeah.’ We don’t want to get everybody up. They should just sit there and dig it. And they must dig it, or we wouldn’t be here.”

A John Wayne movie played silently on the television in the stale and disordered room, and Hendrix started alternating slugs of scotch and Courvoisier. He stopped and turned to the window, looking out over San Francisco. “This lookslike Brussels, all built on hills. Beautiful. But no city I’ve ever seen is as pretty as Seattle, all that water and mountains. I couldn’t live there, but it was beautiful.”

Besides his music, Hendrix doesn’t do much. He wants to retire young and buy a lot of motels and real estate with his money. Sometimes he thinks of producing records or going to the Juilliard School of Music to learn theory and composition. In London he lives with his manager, but plans to buy a house in a mews; in his spare time he reads Isaac Asimov’s science fiction. His musical favorites, as he listed them, are Charlie Mingus, Roland Kirk, Bach, Muddy Waters, Bukka White, Albert Collins, Albert King, and Elmore James.

• • •

“Where do you stop? There are, oh man, so many more, all good. Sound, and being good, that’s important. Like we’re trying to find out what we really dig. We got plans for a play-type scene with people moving on stage, but everything pertaining to the song and every song a story.

“We’ll keep moving. It gets tiring doing the same tiling, coming out and saying, ‘Now we’ll play this song,’ and ‘Now we’ll play that one.’ People take us strange ways, but I don’t care how they take us. Man, we’ll be moving. ’Cause man, in this life you gotta do what you want, you gotta let your mind and fancy flow, flow, flow free.”

#the jimi hendrix experience #jimi hendrix #psychedelic rock #blues #1968 #1960s #sixties #60s

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guard-and-storyteller · 3 years

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All 1-78 both boys <3

Evilllll

1: Kitchen Counter, Couch, or on top of the dryer? Counter I think. -RB Couch, probably, better for the leg. Or lack of. -Sev

2: Your last sexual encounter: Good or Bad and why: Good, It was with Rinny and Eve who was trying to prove herself I think. -RB Good, I joined in with the other two. -Sev

3: A fictional person that you think would be good in bed: Takeshi Kovacs -RB Jopari. -Sev

4: Something that never fails to make you horny: I don’t know, being spanked? -RB When the others get all shy and blush. -Sev

5: Where is one place you would never have sex: Kids beds. -RB Parents bed. -Sev

6: The most awkward moment during a sexual experience was when ______________ I had a panic attack and we had to stop. -RB Changing positions, my hand slipped, I hit their head and fell onto the floor. -Sev

7: Weirdest thing that ever made you horny: I don’t want to talk about it. (Early teen Richie hearing Jim) Oh or maybe fear. -RB Or tickling for Richie. Having my stump touched. Strange sentence. -Sev

8: What is the best way to sexually bind someone: Handcuffs, Rope, or Other [if other please explain]: I like holding them down or being held down. -Richie. Rope is the most efficient I think but hands is more personal. -Sev

9: What is the fastest way to make you horny: First thought was hand down pants but not really. Umm praises? Touching. -RB Showing submission. -Sev

10: Top or bottom? Bottom. -RB Top. Sev

11: We were about to ____________ but then ______________ [example: we were about to have sex but then his mom walked in] We were about to give each other blowjobs but then he fell on me. -RB We were about to do it but then my leg slid out of place and I almost kneed him between the legs. -Sev

12: Is one orgasm enough? Are multiple orgasms necessary? One can be enough. More is nice on occasion. -RB I think one is enough. -Sev

13: Something that you have hidden in your room that you don’t want anyone to find: Only thing I can think is unrelated to nsfw stuff so I’m going to keep that to myself. -RB I don’t really have anything yet. -Sev

14: Weirdest nickname a significant other has ever called you: Tomato. -RB You’re looking like one right now, Rich. Uhh, someone called me Beast Master once and I misheard. After clarifying it wasn’t much better. -Sev

15: Two things you like [or dislike] about oral sex: The feeing of giving or receiving, taste of giving. How hard it can be to breath at times. Or is that just me? -RB I think you forget to breath. The feeling, the closeness, knowing the other is enjoying it. -Sev

16: Weirdest sexual act some has performed [or tried to perform] on/with you: It involved a toothbrush. (Richie has shut down for this one). -Sev

17: Have you ever tasted yourself? [If no, would you?] [If yes, what did you think?] I have. It was okay, not my favorite. -RB I have, didn’t mind it, would do it again. -Sev

18: Is it ever okay to not use a condom: If you know the other person is clean and are ready for kids. -RB Agreeing with Richie on this one. -Sev

19: Who was the sexiest teacher you ever had? I don’t know, never really thought about it. -RB Does Richie dressed as a professor count? -Sev

20: A food that you would like to use during a sexual experience: Chocolate! -RB Strawberry. -Sev

21: How big is too big: I don’t know, 10 inches? 15? -RB Not much of a bottom and can’t even take Richie. I don’t know? 7 or 8 for me. -Sev

22: One sexual thing you would never do: Bathroom related stuff. Not for me. -RB Same as Richie. -Sev

23: Biggest turn on: Umm…dominance, possessiveness. When one of the other’s get jealous. -RB Same as the fastest, submission, blushing, shy. -Sev

24: Three spots that drive you insane: Back, neck, dick. -RB Piercings, leg, chest. -Sev

25: Worst possible time to get horny: When working. -RB During a meeting. -Sev

26: Do you like it when your sexual partner moans: Definitely, yes. -RB Yes, very much. -Sev

27: Worst sexual idea you ever had: Chocolate, a lighter, handcuffs and a fleshlight. -RB Trampoline. -Sev

28: How much fapping is too much fapping: When there’s nothing left inside it’s time for a break. -RB Until you pass out. -Sev

29: Best sexual complement you ever got: I can’t think of anything. -RB The sounds they make. -Sev

30: Bald, landing strip, Jumanji: Up to them but I prefer a little cleaned up at least. -RB Yeah, shave on occasion. -Sev

31: Is it good sex if you don’t nut: Yeah, it really can be. -RB Yeah, sometimes. -Sev

32: Fill in the blank: "If they ____________, we are fuckin" Spank? -RB Challenge. -SM

33: What your favorite part of your body: None of it. -RB Hair. -Sev

34: Favorite foreplay activities: Power play, fighting for control. -RB Touching, kissing, pinning, slamming. -Sev

35: Love (>,<, or =) Sex For those of us who don’t remember our math thats “greater than, less than, or equal to] Greater than. -RB Greater than. -Sev

36: What do you wear to bed? Boxers. Sometimes one of Rinny’s shirts. -RB Nothing. On occasion underwear and t-shirt if it’s cold. -Sev

37: When was the first time you masturbated: I was 10. -RB 12 I think? -Sev

38: Do you have any nude/masturbating pictures/video of yourself? No. -RB Somewhere I’m sure I do. -Sev

39: Have you ever/when was the last time you had sex outside? Yeah, it’s been a while though. -RB Yeah but a while ago. -Sev

40: Have/would you ever have sex outside? Yes, want to again. -RB Yeah, have and would. -Sev

41: Have/would you ever had a threesome? There’s three of us so yeah. -RB Yeah, have and would again. -Sev

42: What is one random object you’ve used to masturbate? Jimmy’s toothbrush. -RB What? -Sev Wasn’t going to use my own. -RB Fair. Ummm…I don’t know? I’m not sure I ever used anything weird. -Sev

43: Have/would you ever masturbate at work/school? No, neither. -RB Yes, both. -Sev

44: Have/would you ever have sex on a plane? I haven’t, probably wouldn’t. -RB Haven’t but would. -Sev

45: What is one song you’d like to have sex to? We have playlists and anything we think of or find is added. -Sev

46: What is something nonsexual that makes you horny? Seeing someone in my clothes. -RB Seeing either of the other two in my clothes. -Sev

47: Most attractive celebrity? I don’t know? Joel Kinnaman? Is he a celebrity? -RB Richard Brook. -Sev

48: Do you watch gay/lesbian porn? why/why not? I have before but don’t watch any now really. -RB Have but now it just doesn’t compare. -Sev

49: If a child was born on the occasion of the last time you had sex, how old would that child be right now? Few hours old. -RB About 5 hours, I think. -Sev

50: Has anyone ever posted nude pictures of you online? No? I don’t think so. -RB Not that I’m aware of. -Sev

51: What is one thing that NEVER makes you horny? Being punched in the face? -RB I mean fair. Kicked between the legs. -Sev Ohhh I like that one. -RB

52: Do you have stretch marks? (How do you feel about them? Has anyone ever had a problem with them?) I do and I don’t like them. I don’t think other people have? They haven’t mentioned it. -RB I don’t. -Sev

53: Do you like giving head? (why/why not) Yessss, the taste, the feeling, the loss of control, the other person enjoying it. -RB I’m indifferent. I don’t find it disgusting but it’s not the number one thing. -Sev

54: How do you feel about tattoos on someone you are interested in? I like them. -RB Definitely like them. -Sev

55: How would you feel about taking someones virginity? No, wouldn’t do it. -RB Have, not the best experience but. -Sev

56: Is there any food you would NOT recommend using during a sexual encounter? Any hot peppers. -RB Mexican. Don’t pull out a taco, my brother’s advice to me. -Sev

57: Is there anything you do on Tumblr that you would not like your significant other to see? Nope. They see it. -Richie Nothing. -Sev

58: Do you own any sex toys? (what is it? (how long have you had it?) Quite a few, yeah, different lengths of time. -RB Not of my own, haven’t really had the chance yet. -Sev

59: Would you give your significant other unrestricted access to your Tumblr for a day? Yeah, if they wanted it. Rinny has it already. -RB Richie has it but if she wanted it. -Sev

60: Would you be offended if your significant other suggested you get plastic surgery? I think so. I already get nervous when she suggests healing my scars. -RB I mean I would understand it but I think I would still be offended. -Sev

61: Would you rather be a pornstar or a prostitute? Neither? Porn maybe? -RB Prostitute I think. -Sev

62: Do you watch porn? No. -RB Not really. -Sev

63: How small is too small? I don’t know, if it won’t go in? -RB We can make something work, I’m a top anyway. -Sev

64: Have you ever been called a freak? Why? Yeah, more reasons than I’ve kept up with. -RB I have, I have one leg and wasn’t exactly normal growing up. -Sev

65: Who gave you your last kiss? Did it mean anything? Sev, comfort and safety. -RB I gave Richie one but Eve gave me one, love? -Sev

66: Would you switch phones with your significant other for a day? It would confuse others but I don’t have anything to hide. -RB We could. -Sev

67: Do you feel comfortable going "commando"? No. -RB Yeah. -Sev

68: Would you have a problem with going down on someone if they hadn't shaved their pubic hair? Depends on how long it’s been since they’ve last shaved. -RB Yeah, if it’s been like a month, no thanks. -Sev

69: If you could give yourself head, would you? I can and have. -RB Yeah I would, of course. -Sev

70: Booty or Boobs? Booty. -RB Both. -Sev

71: If you had a penis, what would you name it? I have one and little Dicky. -RB He’s very proud of that joke. I don’t know, deadly weapon? -Sev

72: Have you ever been on an official date? Yeah, a few. -RB One or two. -Sev

73: Have you ever cheated on someone? (Why?) No. Why? Didn’t want to. -RB I have. I would say it was a mistake but my relationship with them was the mistake. -Sev

74: If you were a stripper, what would your name be? Once again, little Dicky. -RB No idea, I would have someone else choose. -Sev Nice to meet you No Idea I Would Have Someone Else Choose, have you thought about shortening your name? -RB

75: Have you ever had sex in your parents bed? (Would you?) No, haven’t and wouldn’t. -RB Haven’t but would. -Sev

76: How would you react if you found out your parents had sex in your bed? They’re dead so if I saw two skeletons going at it I would probably panic and run. -RB Burn the bed. -Sev

77: What was your reaction the first time you saw a penis/vagina Initial panic then bi panic. -RB Confusion. -Sev

78: If you had a penis/vagina for a day, what are five things you would do? I don’t know? See what it’s like to walk around without it? Sex? Pee sitting down? There are only so many options. -RB I mean, yeah, see what it’s like to have something in it. -Sev

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viraljournalist · 4 years

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Ten NBA things I like and don't like, including the Luka Doncic-Dwight Powell dance

New Post has been published on https://viraljournalist.com/ten-nba-things-i-like-and-dont-like-including-the-luka-doncic-dwight-powell-dance/

Ten NBA things I like and don't like, including the Luka Doncic-Dwight Powell dance

How about a fresh serving of 10 NBA things:

1. The tricks of Ja Morant

Morant’s athleticism and fearlessness strike you first. He is so fast. He wants to dunk on everyone — to humiliate victims, the bigger the better.

All that is cool. But what is most impressive about Morant — the runaway Rookie of the Year — is his veteran craft. He already knows how to start and stop with a live dribble, and keep defenses guessing until the best option reveals itself. He sees every pass. He imagines passes no one else sees, and conjures them with dribble moves designed to shift the defense in some specific way.

You just don’t see rookies doing stuff like this:

That fake spin — the Smitty — dusts damn near the entire LA Clippers team. The one-handed lefty gather into a reverse layup is borderline pornographic. That insta-gather is already a Morant trademark — useful in tight spaces.

He has a mean pass fake:

He busts it out on the perimeter to freeze help defenders:

A lot of ball handlers turn statuesque when someone else takes the controls. Not Morant. He weaponizes his speed as an off-ball cutter.

Morant isn’t the only reason the Memphis Grizzlies — 13-6 since early December — have improbably surged into the Western Conference’s No. 8 spot. Their three core big men — Jonas Valanciunas, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke — are balling, and their bizarro bench is obliterating opponents.

But Morant is driving it. He is real. He is a superstar in the making playing winning basketball. He belongs at the edges of the All-Star conversation right now.

2. Drivin’ De’Aaron Fox

After two months of injuries and uneven play, Fox is back on his ascent toward becoming the Sacramento Kings’ franchise point guard. In seven January games, Fox is averaging 24 points and 8.5 assists on 50% shooting. He is driving more often, with more guile and ferocity.

Fox is earning seven free throws per 36 minutes — easily a career high. He is piling up almost 29 drives per 100 possessions, second among rotation players — and up from 15 and 18 in his prior two seasons, per Second Spectrum data. He has drawn fouls on 13% of those drives, 16th highest among 173 guys who have recorded at least 100 drives.

1 Related

Fox is still searching for the right pass-or-score balance, and the Kings under Luke Walton haven’t landed on a coherent identity. (Injuries to Fox and Marvin Bagley III have stalled progress there.) They are playing at one of the league’s slowest paces, though they amp it up some with Fox on the floor.

The next step for Fox is dialing in on defense, where he has disappointed this season. The Kings won’t go anywhere too serious until the Fox/Buddy Hield backcourt proves it can survive on that end.

3. Forfeiting mismatches

A pet peeve:

This isn’t about the Orlando Magic. Every team does this now and then: Spot a juicy mismatch, and default into a pick-and-roll that allows the defense to switch that mismatch away.

The Utah Jazz are stuck with Emmanuel Mudiay on Aaron Gordon. If you want to post Gordon up, do it when he can mash a smaller dude. Instead, D.J. Augustin and Gordon gift the Jazz a switch.

Come on. Disengage autopilot and read the game. The right kind of post-up can still be an effective scoring option. They also are fun to watch. The league needs stylistic diversity.

You know who rarely bungles this? The Indiana Pacers with Domantas Sabonis. Their old-school mentality serves them well when they earn a switch, or when the opposing power forward is stuck defending Sabonis. The Pacers in those scenarios are ruthless. They are surgical. They abort whatever plan they had and hunt that mismatch.

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, off the glass

The notorious S.G.A. is already one of the league’s shiftiest ball handlers — a long-limbed, change-of-pace phantom who seems to move at two or three different speeds at once. Guarding him is like trying to catch a fish with your bare hands.

He also is a premier bank shot artist, smooching from unconventional angles:

That is a little close to the baseline for most players to go glass. Gilgeous-Alexander has the touch to pull it off. That one hits pretty low on the backboard, but Gilgeous-Alexander will kiss the ball off the tippy-top if need be.

The straight-on banker is underused — a tricky work of depth perception that can increase your margin for error on harried floaters. Gilgeous-Alexander has it in his bag:

Only 10 players have attempted more glassers than Gilgeous-Alexander, per Second Spectrum. (Russell Westbrook has tried by far the most — almost double the No. 2 guy.) Coming off a ridiculous 20-20-10 game, Gilgeous-Alexander has a fringe All-Star case: 20 points, six rebounds and three assists per game, decent shooting, solid defense.

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It is a hard case to parse. Each member of Oklahoma City’s three-headed point guard monster has sacrificed something. Gilgeous-Alexander has stepped back into a secondary ballhandling role behind Chris Paul (probably a better All-Star candidate) and Dennis Schroder (in the running for Sixth Man of the Year). Gilgeous-Alexander has logged only 40 minutes as solo floor general — without either Schroder or Paul.

I recently debated with a few non-Thunder executives whether Gilgeous-Alexander would grow into an All-NBA player. That they framed the question in those terms — and not around whether Gilgeous-Alexander will make All-Star teams — is indicative of how good he has been.

5. Still waiting on Aaron Gordon

Boy, did Gordon need this recent mini-hot streak: 60 points on 23-of-39 shooting over Orlando’s last three outings, and a last-second game-winner Monday in Sacramento. It has otherwise been a stilted, disappointing season for Gordon.

I thought this was the year it might finally happen for him. I predicted Gordon would make the All-Star Game.

Instead, Gordon’s production on offense has dipped across the board, though he remains engaged on the other end. There are three theoretical Gordons: the player Gordon wants to be; the player Orlando wants him to be; and the player Orlando needs him to be because of their roster construction. The actual Gordon is paralyzed in some sort of existential tension between all three.

The first player — Gordon’s dream for himself — is a ball-dominant scorer. Orlando indulges that Gordon by calling occasional post-ups for him and giving him some freedom to go rogue. Gordon can make hay against smaller players. He has done well on scripted duck-ins. But too many of his forays into would-be stardom end with bricked fadeaways:

A player this powerful should not spend so much time spinning away from the hoop. He rarely draws fouls. The Magic have scored 0.826 points per possession anytime Gordon shoots out of a post-up or passes to a teammate who fires right away — 74th among 96 players who have recorded at least 25 post-ups, per Second Spectrum data. He is not much of an inside-out playmaker. A full 77% of those post-ups have ended with Gordon shooting — the second highest such rate in that sample.

The best version of Gordon on a good team is something like his take on Draymond Green: screening and rolling as a power forward, spraying passes (Gordon is an underrated playmaker), defending like all hell across every position. The Magic have never put Gordon in optimal position to find that role. They shoehorned him onto the wing next to Serge Ibaka and now Jonathan Isaac.

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That is not on its face unworkable. Some of those ultra-big Magic lineups have performed well — including last season. Talented frontcourt partners render positional designations irrelevant. What position would Gordon play next to, say, Kevin Durant and a traditional center in Brooklyn? Isaac has some blossoming all-around skill on offense.

But Isaac also is very young. Before Isaac’s injury, it felt — from the outside — Orlando was reaching the point at which it would have to make a final call on Gordon. There are teams who would give a lot for Gordon. Isaac’s knee injury may have put off those decisions. The Magic don’t have to rush. Gordon is still just 24.

But stasis often becomes untenable.

6. The Bucks, going under

Almost every team scurries under picks against bad shooters, but Milwaukee does it more dramatically and against many more players. The Bucks treat every so-so shooter like Ben Simmons. Present Milwaukee with Kris Dunn or RJ Barrett (two recent examples) and its on-ball defenders hang almost in the paint — a step or two further back than most teams prefer. They form a shell that is really hard to puncture.

They don’t deviate if some Dunn type hits a couple of long 2s. The Bucks understand math. They know their scheme plays mind games with opposing shooters — even non-terrible ones. They’re going so far under. This is embarrassing. Am I really supposed to keep shooting? Boom — the shot clock is down to 8, and you’ve accomplished nothing.

This is such low-hanging fruit. Every team should imitate Mike Budenholzer’s exaggerated “go under” ethos.

Of course, later playoff rounds offer very few awful shooters — and almost none beyond Simmons who handle the ball. It would be interesting to see Milwaukee’s approach in a series against the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler — shooting just 27% from deep this season and 36% for his career on long 2s.

7. When young guys forget who is guarding them, Part I

Oh, Jordan Poole.

That’s Kawhi Leonard. At his apex, the mere act of possessing the ball within a 15-foot radius of Leonard was dangerous for anyone outside the league’s most deft point guards. Forget dribbling. Poor saps held the ball close to their chest — terror sweat pouring from their brow, eyes darting in search of some passing target — until Leonard would simply reach out and take it. It was cruel. It was bullying.

Leonard isn’t the same impenetrable wall today, and he saves his best stuff for high-leverage playoff moments. But you can’t be Jordan freaking Poole and dangle the ball in front of him. This is like living next door to Thomas Crown, buying a masterwork, and leaving your front door wide open all night. What do you think is going to happen?

There has been much fretting of late about the Clippers’ underwhelming performances against the dregs of the league. Meh. One of Leonard and Paul George has missed most of those games. Wake me up when the real Clippers struggle.

The Clippers also seem like a mortal lock to make a win-now trade. They have use-it-or-kinda-lose-it assets ticking toward evaporation. They can trade their 2020 first-round pick, but that is the last one they can move (as things stand now) before their 2028 selection. They have Maurice Harkless’ $11 million expiring contract, and a few semi-expendable midsized salaries.

The Clippers would rather add talent (via in-season free agency) without trading anything. Harkless is solid — a starter most of the season. That 2020 pick represents one of LA’s only means of acquiring a young player who might help Leonard and George as they age.

But the Clippers are all-in. George and Leonard can hit free agency in 18 months. They should prioritize this year over everything.

Part II of young guys failing to respect their elders is coming next week.

8. Respect the Mavs’ other big men

I never got the mostly quashed rumblings Dallas might be interested in Andre Drummond. Kristaps Porzingis should eventually play more as the Mavs’ lone big man, and in the meantime, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell are doing just fine alongside him.

Skeptics in the preseason perceived the Mavs roster as top heavy: two stars and a motley crew of bench guys. It’s true (it’s damn true!) Dallas does not have anyone like a third member of past championship Big 3s. But they do have (by my count) seven guys you might describe as quality fifth starters — seven fifth-best players, all but one (Tim Hardaway Jr.) on value contracts. There is power in giving zero minutes to below-average players.

Powell has always been a dangerous rim-runner, but he has exploded as Luka Doncic’s go-to pick-and-roll dance partner. Only three player pairs have teamed up on that play more often. (For trivia purposes, the top three in volume: Spencer Dinwiddie/Jarrett Allen, Damian Lillard/Hassan Whiteside, and the Lou Williams/Montrezl Harrell symphony.)

The Mavs average a ginormous 1.18 points per possession anytime Doncic or Powell shoots out of the pick-and-roll, or passes to a teammate who launches — ninth-best among 226 duos who have run at least 100 such plays, per Second Spectrum.

Powell has improved as a passer on the move — crucial when teams trap Doncic:

Kleber does a little of everything. He’s a serviceable screen-and-dive guy. He is hitting 41% from deep on a career-high attempt rate, and he makes canny plays off the bounce when defenses rush at him:

Kleber is a sturdy, smart defender across multiple positions. Rick Carlisle has trusted him to guard extra-large ball-handlers, including LeBron, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Simmons. He’s a solid rim protector with some hops.

Dallas is starting Kleber and Powell in the absence of Porzingis, and the Mavs have outscored opponents by 13 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor.

Kleber and Powell earn $18 million combined this season — $9 million less than Drummond. Drummond holds a much-discussed player option for 2020-21. Kleber and Powell are under contract through 2023. Leaving aside money and whatever assets Detroit might demand, it’s unclear whether giving Kleber/Powell minutes to Drummond would even make Dallas any better.

9. Miami is one player away, but who?

This is a minor quibble considering the Heat are 28-12 and a robust 10-6 against teams at .500 or better. Maybe the “one player” is Justise Winslow, who is still out with a back injury after returning for a single game last week.

Winslow is (in theory) the well-rounded small-ball power forward to unlock lineups featuring Bam Adebayo at center. Meyers Leonard is shooting 45% from deep as Miami’s nominal starting center, but there are lots of games in which he never sees the floor after his first stint in each half. Kelly Olynyk is barely playing.

Follow Zion, Ja, RJ, De’Andre, Coby and more top rooks as they balance basketball and life during an exciting NBA season. Watch on ESPN+

Right now, Derrick Jones Jr. and James Johnson are holding down that Winslow slot. Johnson looks feisty after a long stint in Heat purgatory. He’s 10-of-20 on 3s. But his jumper is unreliable, and he is regaining the team’s trust.

Jones has taken the lion’s share of these minutes over the last month. His arms are everywhere. He is the keystone of Miami’s zone defense. Lineups with Jones and Adebayo at power forward and center have done well.

But are you trusting Jones to close playoff games? He’s shooting 23% from deep. Defenses ignore him on the perimeter to muck up Miami’s spacing.

Miami has tried to solve the equation at times by going super-small, with Jimmy Butler at power forward. That is a little too small. Adebayo is so strong and athletic, you forget he’s only 6-9. Miami has been a middle-of-the-pack defensive team after a stingy start. They have to be careful.

They are one player away from being really dangerous. They know. They are looking, sources say. A lot of speculation about the Heat — and other teams — has centered around Jrue Holiday. He’s good. The Pelicans may opt to keep him and push for the No. 8 seed. (This is what suitors expect as of now — which could of course change.)

But I wonder if Miami has a more pressing need for a stretch power forward with some defensive chops to fill that Winslow/Jones/Johnson slot. (Winslow returning to form could render this moot.) Danilo Gallinari would be a worthy rental, but the Thunder might be too good to trade him. It’s also unclear whether Miami has any appetite for surrendering any players who are or could be (i.e., Winslow) key parts of their current rotation.

Regardless, keep an eye on Miami.

10. Marcus Smart is coming at you

What in the hell is this?

I’ve seen defenders close out low to distract shooters, but they usually resemble football tacklers. They aim for the stomach. I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone crouch toward the shooter’s foot. Smart looks like he’s trying to pick something up off the floor.

I honestly don’t know how anyone shoots 3s against Boston without worrying what kind of goofy closeout awaits. Jaylen Brown jumps straight up and down with all his might, and reaches both arms as high as he can — a technique Al Horford mastered, and something the Celtics teach. Brace for that, and Smart comes nipping at your ankles.

What’s next? Jayson Tatum running at shooters, screaming gibberish and waving his arms? Kemba Walker experimenting with some kind of drop-and-roll technique?

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takemethroughrio · 7 years

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Get to know me 1. Name - Jimand Mamaa Adoley Allotey

2. Age - 21 (22 on the 22 Of May)

3. City that you live in - At the moment its Canterbury

4. What do most people not know about you? - Surprisingly that my name is a compilation of my parents name which are, JIMMY AND AMANDA= JIMAND.

5. What do most people know you for? - that I'm into theatre?? Lol i dunno..

6. Hobbies - MUSICAL THEATRE, BECAUSE MUSICAL THEATRE IS LIFE, lol

7. What are your passions? Jesus, Musical Theatre, Movies and Tv Shows.

8. What do you search for in a significant other? umm gotta be funny, compassionate, be my friend, Jesus, TBH i hate questions like this cause well you never know really.

7. What are you most proud of? maturing in my personal life, overcoming my insecurities and the hate i had for myself, my growth with my general theatre skill, my A level grades lol and lastly possibly how happy I am in compared to the last 2 years of uni.

8. When was the last time you had a significant conversation with someone you love? last week sunday, with my mum.

9. Have you ever collected anything? What was it? yep, a delivery to new look, i think it was just a bunch of clothes.

10. List 10 things off of your bucket list-

• win an Oscar • win a Tony • Be in a Disney movie • play A Marvel or Dc character • sing For hillsong • jump out of a plane • learn how to ride a motorcycle • meet Beyonce • meet Lin Manuel Miranda

11. What was the last thing you learned? my lines for my show.

12. How many relationships have you been in? well tbh id say one really 5/6 year long relationship but i did have 4 “high-school boyfriends”

13. Turn ons- good smell you know like cologne or aftershave (it just gets me going) love a man who smells good, kissing my neck.., a guy who can sing and play an instrument, oh and sincerity.

14. Turn offs- SNORING, No sense of time, being a dick, smelling bad and late replies.

15. Favorite food - A white chocolate crepe with strawberries.

16. Favorite drink - cold ( Sprite) Hot ( Chai Latte) Alcohol (Strawberry daquiri)

17. What is the best birthday gift you have ever received? um a tumblr page dedicated to me, it was really cute..

18. Are you optimistic or pessimistic? In between really but i am more of a pessimist.

19. Do you sleep during class? sometimes lol

20. What is the most expensive thing you own? a chanel bag.

21. What is the cheapest yet most useful thing you own? my hairband.

22. How many times a day on average do you check your phone? lol too many to even count...

23. Text or call? Call

24. Opinion on long distance? y'all were right..

25. What is your definition of success? BEING HAPPY IN LIFE.

26. Favorite song? everything and anything BEYONCE.

27. Favorite artist? BEYONCE.

28. Celebrity crush/crushes? dylan o’brien, chris pratt, tom holland.

29. When was the last time you read for fun? last year.

30. Favorite flower? cherry blossoms

31. What is the best gift you could receive right now? MONEY

32. Any guilty pleasures? probably singing in the shower and imagining performing, also nothing ever beats that white chocalate crepe with strawberries.

33. What is one thing you would like to change about yourself? my pessimistic and how i overthink things.

34. What do you search for in a friend? sincerity.

35. How many times have you said "I love you" in the past month? Too many times lol i love my friends and family legit say it whenever i say bye.

36. Where did you last go other than your room/home? um i was on campus earlier? lol

37. Why do bad things happen to good people? because life is beans

38. In your opinion, what hurts more? Being left out or being stabbed in the eye? being left out.

39. How many green shirts do you own? about 6

40. Do you like anime? YASSSS

41. What do you invest the most time in? THEATRE( MUSICAL THEATRE AND PLAYS)

42. What was the name of the last book you read? The alchemist

43. What's the difference between loving and liking someone? love is unconditional, no matter what you do they have a spot in your heart, its not by choice also it just happens, whereas with liking someone well that is a choice.

44. Where are you most productive? probably in my sitting room or my bedroom.

45. List 3 things you enjoy doing with friends. - watching movies or tv shows, random adventures or trips, drinking and dancing with them lot.

46. List 3 things you enjoy doing alone. - showering, sleeping and reading.

47. Do you believe world peace will ever exist? nope

48. Do you have any allergies? yep

49. When was the last time you cussed at someone? this morning.

50. What was the last promise you made? LOL something crude.

51. What was your last dream about? travelling actually with friends.

52. If you won a trip to Hawaii and you could take 5 people with you, who would those 5 people be? Eli, Mum, Dad, Ben, Josh.

53. How many countries have you visited? 6

54. What is your favorite medium of art? (Music, dance, painting, etc.) has to be Musical Theatre.

56. When was the last time somebody complimented you? Last night.

56. If you switched bodies with someone, how would you recognize yourself? look for the small one.

57. Do you consider yourself mature? yup.

58. How many days in your life do you think you have wasted on tumblr? probs 700 there bouts.

59. What is your favorite quote? Carpe diem.

60. If you started a new religion and you had to create 3 rules or commandments for your new followers to live by, what would those 3 rules be? let there be peace, love and happiness.

61. What is your greatest accomplishment? Atm sticking with my passion and following it.

62. Do you believe in the death penalty? No.

63. What are your goals for life? to make it on the west end, broadway, hollywood and to also worship in a church.

64. What do you think your soulmate is doing right now? lol living life.

65. If you could live anywhere, where would you live? The place can be in an imaginary, fantasy, or the real world. - probs the marvel universe.

66. What were you like in 2013? depressed.

67. Do you have a job? nope.. but working on it.

68. Tell us a story about your childhood best friend.- SHE IS THE BEST THING TO EVER BE CREATED AND WE STILL ARE BEST FRIENDS, SHE IS MY HEART MY SOUL, MY OTHER HALF AND CONTINENTS MAY KEEP US APART BUT WE BLOOD AND WE SHALL BE BESTIES TILL THE END OF TIME.

69. If you could change one thing about society, what would it be? the hatred that exists.

70. How many all-nighters have you pulled before? too many.

71. Is tumblr your favorite website? If not, then what is your favorite website? Twitter.

72. What is the craziest thing you would do for a million dollars? strip naked and run around lol y'all won't think il be crazy when I'm balling.

73. Does money equal happiness? no.

74. How many times have you experienced true happiness in your lifetime? 3 times when I gave my life to christ, every time I worship and every time I'm on stage performing.

75. How many times have you experienced true sadness in your lifetime? 4 times in my life.

76. What is the funniest joke you have ever been told? lol too many to write up

77. When was the last time you looked at the news? last sunday.

78. If you could say one thing to the world, what would you say? fix up guys.

79. What is your favorite animal? eagle.

80. If you could earn a million dollars by pretending to be dead for 3 years, would you do it? lol bye guys, i am going into hiding.

81. What is one thing that everyone is bad at? COMMUNICATION.

82. What time do you normally sleep? How many hours of sleep do you usually get? lol 2-4am and usually 5-12 hours.

83. Does age necessarily equal maturity? i don't believe an age has a specific maturity level, people gain maturity at different ages.

84. What is your favorite clothing store? probably new look or zara.

85. In the winter- beanies or gloves? beanies.

86. Would you rather have wings or a fish tail? wings

87. If you had the power to erase one person from the world so that nobody remembered him or her except you, would you do it? nope

88. What do you fear the most? spiders

89. How many digits of pi can you recite? can't

90. If you could travel back to one year and relive it again, which year would it be? 2001

91. Describe yourself in one word.- energy

92. Describe your last victory.- beat depression.

93. What is the weirdest thing you have ever seen? lol i can't even pin point i see too much weird shit on the daily.

94. What is something you will never forget? getting lost in disney land at the age of 5.

95. Would you rather forget all of the past or remember everything in vivid detail? remember.

96. Have you ever broken a bone before? nope.

97. Is it harder to love or to hate somebody? hate.

98. Coffee or tea? tea.

99. What are some little things that you do that have changed your life in a positive way? don't compare myself to people= no more insecurities= love myself= no more depression = HAPPY JIMS.

100. How many hours have you spend on tumblr today? well this has taken a bloody hour and 30 minutes to do lol

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