Boogie-Down: Everything is breaking except his Will

Have you ever wondered what a star does after it falls? Once it burns out, what next? Can that star be reborn, or does it pretend it were a cloud, nitrogen, or some other particle in the great beyond?

As news broke of another catastrophic lower extremity injury for DeMarcus Cousins, there was a feeling in my gut this may be it. A torn ACL is the prognosis of the “6’9” big man from Kentucky who has rampaged through the NBA during his tenure. Cousins has used style, force, and grace to go along with his High Basketball IQ that would put him on any Top 5 for this decade.

What does that mean now? Once again, he will be sitting on the sidelines in plain clothes as the team he signed with marches along without him. Once again he will put himself through every rigor of physical therapy to get back to the court. Once again pundents will reiterate his nastiness to previous organizations and front offices.

But what about DeMarcus Cousins?

What goes through the mind of a 28/29 year old man who has made a living on the basketball court during the prime of his career? DeMarcus has been able to watch player after player shoot through the sky and out of our sight in a moments notice. Will he be able to keep his mind in tact to rehabilitate yet again? Who are those around him that are willing to stick with Demarcus through this process? I imagine the ones around him have been there since the beginning.

Should Boogie retire? No. This is not the time to retire, yet it is the perfect time to transition into his next phase of living. Demarcus does wonder in every community he has been a part of, so there is no doubt his philanthropy will take him far once his playing days are done. Will DeMarcus start blogging? Behind the scenes with UnInterrupted, or maybe even a few guest appearances on TNT or Espn Radio. He may not have as many hot-takes as Ryan Hollins, but Cousins could provide some insight on his journey through these injuries.

Being in the spotlight isn’t something Cousins seeks out, but it may be beneficial for his psyche if he is able to talk about what he has gone through these past few seasons. The pressure from the outside world plus his own expectations could be troublesome for an athlete of his caliber. We have been conditioned to only concern ourselves with what a player can do for us, but in this case, we should all support DeMarcus through this process again.

Though we have watched former All-stars come back from various knee injuries and have productive careers, there are many who never return to the bench.

Maybe it won’t be about if he can get 20 and 10. Maybe it doesn’t end with a championship ring. Maybe this is the time in which DeMarcus continues to build upon his legacy off the court.

2019-20 Schedule Release and the Charlotte Hornets: A Light Year with Hopeful Buzz

By: Mars Champion

With the release of the NBA Schedule 2019-20 , did you have to remind yourself the NBA hasn’t been in the news since Chris Paul was traded? Other than the #RichPaulRule and every mid-teir NBAer pulling their name from the World Cup squad, the NBA has leveled off as the NFL and Pennant-Races take the stage. 

As fans around the league wait around for Bradley Beal’s decision on his early extension, and if any team will take on Chris Paul’s contract, the NBA has given us a few morsels to hold us over and fuel future ticket sales with the release of the 2019-20 schedule. 

As the NBA landscape went under heavy re-construction this past offseason, the anticipation of this year’s schedule release has had many fans ready for the season to actually begin. Player movement has once again piqued our interest, but more-so this season as presumably the Warriors are not overwhelming title favorites. Oddly enough, the media (including us fans) have determined the Warriors not to be a serious threat, the Bucks to have fallen off with the loss of Brogdan, and the Raptors losing Kawhi Leonard without any compensation.

No sign and trade for Kawhi Leonard… Why not? Oh well. 

So as we dive into the upcoming NBA schedule, let’s take a look at some of the matchups that could make regular season basketball enjoyable to watch. 

 

What To Look Forward To:
-Teams that lost players due to trade, free agency or released

-What players will be swooned by certain teams due to Pre-Agency

-Players returning back to teams after this past offseason 

 

Early Bird Special

With most of the NBA talent in the Western Time Zone (that’s a thing now), the NBA has moved their PrimeTime slots up one hour. This now allows East Coasters to once again revel in their arbitrary time zone. Do you feel for the Central/Mountain/Western time zones? Those Denver Nuggets games will be starting at 6pm, which cannot be enjoyable for those leaving work around that same time. So with Time Zone Supremacy belonging to the East Coast, viewers will now be able to catch more games at an earlier hour, and hopefully this is easier for bloggers of the NBA. Staying up until 1am for a Knicks at Suns Tuesday night extraordinaire cannot be a welcomed trend. 

 

Boston Celtics

The Celtics lost Al Horford, a Morris Twin, Terry Rozier and…. Kyrie Irving. So which one of these former Celtics will be coming to town for some get-back? The Celtics and Sixers will open up on Oct. 23 in Philly, but can Horford muster enough animosity to make this one-sided rivalry even more intense? Are you tuning in for Revenge Horford? More than likely we aren’t but the hype should be enough to see who takes more 3s: Marcus Smart or Ben Simmons? On Oct.26, the Celtics travel to New York to face the Knicks. Although Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown are a ways away from free agency, it’s never too early for Knicks fans to shower young talent with appreciation in hopes they not plan a meeting. On Nov. 7, the Celtics will travel to Charlotte as Terry Rozier will be ready for their arrival via TNT. Can’t believe I’ll have to watch this massacre on TNT in Primetime, but this is what happens when you are a former fan of the Charlotte Hornets. 

 

Charlotte Hornets: A Light Year with no Buzz

The Hornets open the season against the Chicago Bulls, and that’s how we know it’s going to be a very long season. As a former hornets fan, the last time I checked the schedule in early August was when Alonzo Mourning or Larry Johnson returned to Charlotte. That being said, Kemba returns on Nov. 7th and I can’t imagine a more depressing return. The TNT crew may not even show up. That may be the night they bring back Players Only. If Terry Rozier isn’t benched by then, I can only hope we show up and show out that evening. They’re aren’t many bright spots on this schedule for the Hornets, Game 82 is looking pretty promising.

 

Brooklyn Nets: Russell’s Escape from New York

All eyes will be on the Nets this season with their key additions. But which will gather more coverage? Kyrie’s return to Boston? Kyrie against the Knicks? Or if Kevin Durant will be on the sidelines for when they play Golden State and the Knicks? The Nets start off against the Knicks, so the boos will be loud and clear. There Nets and Celtics will do battle in a Home&Home Nov. 27 and 29, which is something I haven’t seen in a while with 2 Marquee teams. It will be Thanksgiving week, so that early noon start in Brooklyn will be so empty sounding. Nobody is showing up until mid 2nd quarter at the latest and they best hope the weather holds up. Lastly, D’Angelo Russell returns on Feb 7, and hopefully he’s still in uniform and on the all-star roster. They then travel to Golden State on Mar 23, and the reception of Kevin Durant will be on display, depending on how each team stands record-wise.