Sometimes tough talk is the only kind of talk there is.
I can't say for sure if "sticktoitiveness" is an actual word. Yeah, sporting broadcasters use it all the time, but -- and forgive me for saying this -- but that's not exactly a trustworthy demographic when it comes to Standard American English.
Regardless of whether it's an actual word or not, sticktoitiveness is an important trait for the Challenger to possess en route to Pick One glory. As we reach the halfway point of the season, the complexion of the Challenge has changed. On Day One, the Challenger is nothing more than a tiny little fresh-faced guy with any number of possibilities ahead of him. You wanna pick LeBron? Away? Against the Celtics? Go for it! Kevin Garnett? In the throes of injury? On one of the league's slowest offenses? Why not?!?
Now, halfway into the season, the Pick One landscape is a little different. Even the most conservative of Challengers is short some superstars. The picks are becoming more obscure, less dependable. Life as we know it is changing.
So how ought the Challenger react? I'll give you a hint: not just by rolling over and letting fate take its course. There's an old saying where I come from: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Personally, I have no idea what it means, but it appears to be stongly worded, and that's good enough for me.
As any number of Russian novels have taught us, life isn't just flowers and a piece of cake. (Admittedly, I've as yet to read many of these Russian novels, but my impression of them -- from a distance, granted -- is that they are generally dark in nature.) No, the remainder of the Pick One season represents a difficult, harrowing, borderline hell-like existence. Basically, it's like Mordor here on earth, except with considerably less Elijah Wood. You want proof? Just take a look at the players I've been forced to take this week: Hedo Turkoglu? Kenyon Martin? Anderson Varejao?!?
What could I possibly be thinking with those guys?
I don't know. But even so, that's no reason to give up the fight. As either Socrates or Dwayne Wade is famous for saying: "It's not how many times you fall down, it's if you have health insurance to pay for your various injuries." (I'm totes forgetful about who said it -- sorry!) This is, in fact, the period during which winners are made, the period during which one's competitve nature is rewarded.
Need more convincing? Fine, let's turn our gaze to that old fable by Aesop -- the one about the tortoise and the hair. In said story, the hare -- clearly much faster than the tortoise -- bounds ahead of his be-shelled friend, taunting him (i.e. the tortoise) as he (i.e. the hare) goes. Then the hare falls asleep. In the meantime, the tortoise -- who's kept his eyes on the figurative prize -- crosses the finish line and wins the race.
What do we learn from that story? For one, that wild animals are just out there, having races unbeknownst even to our top scientists. For two, it teaches us that sticktoitiveness is of the utmost importance as we try to capture the Pick One crown. Yeah, hares are fast, but do they know that Robin Lopez might very quickly become incredibly relevant to the Challenge? No, not at all. But tortoises? They're soooo on top of that info. Tortoises also know what's up with Detroit's various injuries. Tortoises know when Allen Iverson will and will not play. Tortoises -- if you can believe it -- even know how long Gilbert Arenas's suspension will last.
This is the word of the Expert.
The other word of the Expert is:
Date: Monday, January 18, 2010
Player: Charlie Villanueva - DET
Opposition: at New York
2009-2010 Averages: 14.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.8 APG (20.5 PRA)
General Thoughts: The ideal picks for tonight are probably either Joakim "if you got'em" Noah or Derrick "In the Name of the" Rose at Golden State. Memphis at home versus Phoenix is good, too, and to my surprise, I still have three legitimate Pick One candidates from the Grizzlies. Villanueva, though, is performing well again after having been slowed down by plantar fasciitis. It was that injury that forced me to switch away from him a week or two ago. Hopefully such is not the case again this evening.
Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Player: Anderson Varejao - CLE
Opposition: vs Toronto
2009-2010 Averages: 8.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.0 APG (17.6 PRA)
General Thoughts: Varejao has gained a reputation -- around the league, among its fans -- as a whiner. Some players you hate because they're good. Like with Kobe or Chris Bosh, say: You hate a guy like that because he kills your team. Even if I were a Cavs fan, though, I'm not sure I could really pull for Varejao. Still, the Challenger must make certain sacrifices as he blazes his path to Pick One glory. Tonight requires one such sacrifice.
Date: Wedneday, January 20, 2010
Player: Andre Miller - POR
Opposition: at Philadelphia
2009-2010 Averages: 12.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.0 APG (20.3 PRA)
General Thoughts: Even though he's probably a great guy, and even though he's clearly a talented player, I currently feel little else but spite for Ty Lawson, who put up only a 4 PRA for me back on December 20th despite starting the game. Since then, he's been averaging like a million-billion PRA per game or something. Anyway, so long as he's recovered from his ankle injury, he should be decent play for tonight. Me, I'm going with Andre Miller, whose jump shot might be ugly, but who's also been a solid Pick One play for about a month now but might have playing time issues in the near future what with the return of Steve Blake and Rudy Fernandez to the lineup.
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Player: Kenyon Martin - DEN
Opposition: vs L.A. Clippers
2009-2010 Averages: 11.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.9 APG (22.1 PRA)
General Thoughts: I have a sneaking suspicion that this pick is about a week and a half late. It was at that point, and for the week or so leading up to it, that, in the absence of both Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, Martin stepped to the fore. Over three games between 01/05 and 01/09, Martin posted PRAs of 40, 35, and 35. Relative to his season PRA/g of 22 or so, that's fantastic. He probably won't even touch 30 tonight, but I've got to choose him some time.
Date: Friday, January 22, 2010
Player: Devin Harris - NJ
Opposition: at Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 16.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.9 APG (25.2 PRA)
General Thoughts: Harris has been a bit of a strange case this season. After a breakout 2008-09 campaign with New Jersey, he's regressed quite a bit -- by about five points and an assist per game. That's not exactly the direction you'd expect a guy to go in his age-27 season, but it's been the case till this point. Regardless of all that, Harris is still someone the Challenger will have to pick at some point. Against Golden State -- and having already selected both Brook Lopez and Yi -- tonight's that night.
Date: Saturday, January 23, 2010
Player: Amar'e Stoudemire
Opposition: vs Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 21.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.0 APG (30.8 PRA)
General Thoughts: Alot of people don't know that Albert Einstein first began to truly understand the concept of "the speed of light" while watching a Golden State-Phoenix game. "The only thing faster than either a Suns or Warriors possession," is how he first described it (i.e. the speed of light) in his journals. And while, yes, that's a lie, here's something that's probably not: I will kick and scream like a three-year-old if Amar'e doesn't get me like 35 PRA tonight.
Date: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Player: Hedo Turkoglu - TOR
Opposition: vs L.A. Lakers
2009-2010 Averages: 13.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.5 APG (22.1 PRA)
General Thoughts: It's probably fair to say that the Turkoglu signing hasn't quite worked out the way that Toronto probably expected. After posting his two best seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09 with Orlando, Turkoglu has regressed slightly in his first year with Toronto, seeing his points scored, rebounds, and assists all drop a little. Still, he's a guy a Challenger will have to play at some point during the season and, with a short slate of game's tonight, makes sense this evening.
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