Week 5 is upon us.
But first, here's a look at what transpired in the past week...
The "Tech Pioneer Athlete"
"So who exactly is Carmelo Anthony?" asks the branding expert, Anthony Rodriguez, kicking off the meeting. "What do you want to be known for?"
…
In the meeting room, Anthony's branding experts begin to offer their versions of an answer. Anthony recently started a tech investment firm -- "my big push for greatness in the future," he calls it -- and now he is obsessing over how to grow his influence. He wants to brand himself as the "tech pioneer athlete," he says. He wants to be known in 20 years not only as "the basketball player but also as the innovator, the business tycoon."
As illustrated by the above quote taken from a recent ESPN article, Carmelo Anthony is on a quest to expand his business interests.
But which specific tech companies has Melo chosen to invest in?
Well just this week, 3 notable businesses have caught Anthony’s attention and received his financial backing:
1) Jumpsoles Inc.
After watching Jimmy Butler get off to a career best start this season, Carmelo decided to get in touch - he wanted to know the reasons behind Butler’s uptick in production.
And so the pair met in the locker room after a recent Bulls game. According to one insider, this is how the conversation went:
Carmelo Anthony: “Hey Jimmy, what’s the secret behind your success?”
[Butler points to a pair of shoes inside his locker that are oddly shaped, with a platform underneath the forefoot]
Jimmy Butler: “These are Jumpsoles. They increase your leg strength and improve your vertical leap.”
CA: “And they really work?”
JB: “Definitely...Jimmy is getting to the basket easier!...Jimmy is lighter on his feet!”
[Carmelo, although perturbed by Butler constantly referring to himself in the third person, is intrigued. And it's what Butler says next that finally convinces him]
JB: “Jimmy is getting a max contract next season!”
A photo from the alleged Butler/Anthony meeting.
With that, Melo added Jumpsoles Inc to his portfolio. A few days later, after scoring 25 points in the win over the 76ers, Anthony told reporters:
“Carmelo is happy with his investment!”
2) Secaucus Industries
Noticing the ubiquity of the NBA’s Replay Center, Carmelo jumped at the chance to get involved, buying a majority share of Secaucus Industries - the company that controls the handling of sports related video technology.
Understandably, many see Melo’s investment as being fraught with conflicts of interest and there was indeed some evidence of NBA Replay Center misuse during a recent game at Madison Square Garden.
Eagle eyed reporters caught this questionable exchange between referees and the Replay Center:
3) TruDNA
Biotechnology is a growth industry and Carmelo, being an astute businessman, is fully aware of that. No surprise then that his latest investment is in biotech firm TruDNA, with the Knick particularly interested in the company’s latest research project: To detect and analyse the existence of “Championship DNA” within elite ethletes.
Eventually, Anthony hopes to isolate and implant the Championship gene into his own body, thus leading he and the Knicks to multiple titles.
Research began earlier this week, with a close look taken at 2 prominent players considered to possess that elusive “Championship DNA”: Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant.
Melo was reportedly impressed with what he saw in Duncan – a typically solid, controlled and team-oriented 19/10 in the win against the Cavs.
Anthony was prepared to find similar traits in Kobe’s play this week, but the research of TruDNA confusingly returned the following:
With these mixed messages about what it takes to be a “Winner”, Anthony is no closer to finding that Championship gene. It is clear that much more research will need to be done.
What Does It All Mean?
Last weeks ESPN feature on Carmelo was equal parts absurb and admirable.
It’s good to see Carmelo thinking of his future after basketball and if he chooses to continue along the path of being a venture capitalist, that's fine…but releasing a story about meetings with 'branding experts', about how you want to leave a legacy via getting rich while posing for contrived photos holding cigars and stepping out of flash cars?
That may not resonate well with the reader.
The Carmelo Rorschach test. What do you see in the above picture?
An ideal representation of what it means to be young and successful?
A conclusion to the honourable transformation from tough upbringing to wealth and international recognition?
A pretentious campaigner?
Offensive and Defensive Efficiency in Visual Form
Last week I introduced a chart that mapped the Offensive and Defensive Ratings of each team, in essence displaying how good each team was at both ends of the court.
Below is an updated chart, with a line being drawn from the previous week's rating.
(Once again, credit for the original idea goes to Bigfooty User Final Siren, who created the concept in the thread: The Race for the Flag in Squiggly Lines)
You can make your own inferences from the chart, but here are a few notes:
Overlooked Play Of The Week:
Check out all the movement during Cleveland's offensive set at 3:10 in the following clip (directly preceded by Mark Jackson's awkward monologue on leadership: "You gotta be able to deposit into guys...")
And Briefly...
The Robert Sacre Highlight Of The Week:
What To Watch For This Week:
Mon: Clippers @ Memphis. Can they recreate the fierce battles of Playoffs past?
Tue: Phoenix @ Toronto. The Suns have laid waste to the Eastern Conference during their road trip. Can it continue against the Conference's best?
Wed: Sacramento @ New Orleans. Cousins vs Davis Round 2.
Thu: Washington @ Cleveland. The Cavs look to avenge last weeks embarassing loss to the Wizards, a game in which Wall got the upper hand on Irving.
Fri: No games!
Sat: A lot to choose from. Clippers @ Houston, Sacramento @ San Antonio, Memphis @ Portland...and then there's the marquee matchup of Minnesota @ Lakers.
Sun: Charlotte @ Atlanta. Haven't seen much of these teams? This could be an even contest worth keeping an eye on.
But first, here's a look at what transpired in the past week...
The "Tech Pioneer Athlete"
"So who exactly is Carmelo Anthony?" asks the branding expert, Anthony Rodriguez, kicking off the meeting. "What do you want to be known for?"
…
In the meeting room, Anthony's branding experts begin to offer their versions of an answer. Anthony recently started a tech investment firm -- "my big push for greatness in the future," he calls it -- and now he is obsessing over how to grow his influence. He wants to brand himself as the "tech pioneer athlete," he says. He wants to be known in 20 years not only as "the basketball player but also as the innovator, the business tycoon."
As illustrated by the above quote taken from a recent ESPN article, Carmelo Anthony is on a quest to expand his business interests.
But which specific tech companies has Melo chosen to invest in?
Well just this week, 3 notable businesses have caught Anthony’s attention and received his financial backing:
1) Jumpsoles Inc.
After watching Jimmy Butler get off to a career best start this season, Carmelo decided to get in touch - he wanted to know the reasons behind Butler’s uptick in production.
And so the pair met in the locker room after a recent Bulls game. According to one insider, this is how the conversation went:
Carmelo Anthony: “Hey Jimmy, what’s the secret behind your success?”
[Butler points to a pair of shoes inside his locker that are oddly shaped, with a platform underneath the forefoot]
Jimmy Butler: “These are Jumpsoles. They increase your leg strength and improve your vertical leap.”
CA: “And they really work?”
JB: “Definitely...Jimmy is getting to the basket easier!...Jimmy is lighter on his feet!”
[Carmelo, although perturbed by Butler constantly referring to himself in the third person, is intrigued. And it's what Butler says next that finally convinces him]
JB: “Jimmy is getting a max contract next season!”
A photo from the alleged Butler/Anthony meeting.
With that, Melo added Jumpsoles Inc to his portfolio. A few days later, after scoring 25 points in the win over the 76ers, Anthony told reporters:
“Carmelo is happy with his investment!”
2) Secaucus Industries
Noticing the ubiquity of the NBA’s Replay Center, Carmelo jumped at the chance to get involved, buying a majority share of Secaucus Industries - the company that controls the handling of sports related video technology.
Understandably, many see Melo’s investment as being fraught with conflicts of interest and there was indeed some evidence of NBA Replay Center misuse during a recent game at Madison Square Garden.
Eagle eyed reporters caught this questionable exchange between referees and the Replay Center:
3) TruDNA
Biotechnology is a growth industry and Carmelo, being an astute businessman, is fully aware of that. No surprise then that his latest investment is in biotech firm TruDNA, with the Knick particularly interested in the company’s latest research project: To detect and analyse the existence of “Championship DNA” within elite ethletes.
Eventually, Anthony hopes to isolate and implant the Championship gene into his own body, thus leading he and the Knicks to multiple titles.
Research began earlier this week, with a close look taken at 2 prominent players considered to possess that elusive “Championship DNA”: Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant.
Melo was reportedly impressed with what he saw in Duncan – a typically solid, controlled and team-oriented 19/10 in the win against the Cavs.
Anthony was prepared to find similar traits in Kobe’s play this week, but the research of TruDNA confusingly returned the following:
With these mixed messages about what it takes to be a “Winner”, Anthony is no closer to finding that Championship gene. It is clear that much more research will need to be done.
What Does It All Mean?
Last weeks ESPN feature on Carmelo was equal parts absurb and admirable.
It’s good to see Carmelo thinking of his future after basketball and if he chooses to continue along the path of being a venture capitalist, that's fine…but releasing a story about meetings with 'branding experts', about how you want to leave a legacy via getting rich while posing for contrived photos holding cigars and stepping out of flash cars?
That may not resonate well with the reader.
The Carmelo Rorschach test. What do you see in the above picture?
An ideal representation of what it means to be young and successful?
A conclusion to the honourable transformation from tough upbringing to wealth and international recognition?
A pretentious campaigner?
Offensive and Defensive Efficiency in Visual Form
Last week I introduced a chart that mapped the Offensive and Defensive Ratings of each team, in essence displaying how good each team was at both ends of the court.
Below is an updated chart, with a line being drawn from the previous week's rating.
(Once again, credit for the original idea goes to Bigfooty User Final Siren, who created the concept in the thread: The Race for the Flag in Squiggly Lines)
You can make your own inferences from the chart, but here are a few notes:
- The Mavs, 76ers and Lakers still lie at the extremes of the graph...the Laker defence somehow got worse over the week.
- The Spurs recovered from their slow start (well their defence did anyway), while the outstanding defence by the Bucks couldn't last as they took a big jump to the left.
- The Raps continue to get better at both ends and find themselves in rarified territory on the graph (for the time being).
- Cleveland's offence is in free fall, although the Cavs did show some occasional flashes of offensive brilliance. For example...
Overlooked Play Of The Week:
Check out all the movement during Cleveland's offensive set at 3:10 in the following clip (directly preceded by Mark Jackson's awkward monologue on leadership: "You gotta be able to deposit into guys...")
And Briefly...
- There's no laughing at anyone in the thread title this week - I'll leave that to your own discretion...though a prime candidate would be the Cavs: Poor D, no bench production…these and other problems will no doubt be emphasised in the media as long as Cleveland's struggles continue.
- Amid another week of high turnovers, Lebron still managed to pull off some terrific passes, particularly against the Spurs. He's throwing a ton of pocket passes to Varejao on the pick and roll...much different to the 2-man game he played with Chris Bosh (which reminds me, where have the LeBron/Love pick and pops been?
- Since when did Omri Casspi play with such constant hyperkinetic energy?…it can lead to his play getting a bit messy, but you gotta respect the effort.
- Gerald Henderson was only on court for only 1 possession in the final quarter of Hornets/Pacers game, but it was during that possession that Henderson lost his man on the box-out as Solomon Hill snuck through to score the buzzer-beating putback...an appropriate reflection on Henderson's poor season so far.
- In that same Hornets loss, Kemba Walker continually clanked jumper after jumper in the waning minutes. Sure, Walker has hit a number of game-winning jumpshots, but look past that and you'll find his long range shooting is concerningly bad. 4 seasons in and this is his 3rd shooting below .400
- Joel Freeland and Meyers Leonard: Kings of the lame bench celebration.
- The Bucks and the Nets gave us the most memorable finish of the week and one hell of a basketball gif.
The Robert Sacre Highlight Of The Week:
What To Watch For This Week:
Mon: Clippers @ Memphis. Can they recreate the fierce battles of Playoffs past?
Tue: Phoenix @ Toronto. The Suns have laid waste to the Eastern Conference during their road trip. Can it continue against the Conference's best?
Wed: Sacramento @ New Orleans. Cousins vs Davis Round 2.
Thu: Washington @ Cleveland. The Cavs look to avenge last weeks embarassing loss to the Wizards, a game in which Wall got the upper hand on Irving.
Fri: No games!
Sat: A lot to choose from. Clippers @ Houston, Sacramento @ San Antonio, Memphis @ Portland...and then there's the marquee matchup of Minnesota @ Lakers.
Sun: Charlotte @ Atlanta. Haven't seen much of these teams? This could be an even contest worth keeping an eye on.
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