tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45534835799335679722024-03-13T22:33:29.543-07:00Raef Is About PowerThe best semi Raef LaFrentz related blog in ever. In EVER.Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-67388366961285594202008-12-08T13:47:00.000-08:002008-12-08T15:30:08.608-08:00Blazers 1st Qtr Review: Bingo, Bango, Bongo!Before the 2008-09 NBA season began, I looked at the daunting first 24 games of the Blazers schedule, and concluded that if they managed to be at (or very near) .500 after those 24 games, then they would be a near lock to make the playoffs. That's how tough the first part of their schedule is. If you don't believe me, here are some fun facts:1st team in NBA history to start the season against 5 Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-12139535193975065002008-11-19T12:37:00.001-08:002008-11-25T14:19:43.884-08:00OppFT%. WTF?I try not to make excuses for "my teams" (like I'm actually on the team, right?) when they lose close games. Sure, I'll bitch and moan about a bad call that could have swayed the game, but I'll also try to keep things in perspective and realize that if they would have played tougher down the stretch, executed better in the 2nd quarter, or made open shots, that the game wouldn't have come down to Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-25817545635843989582008-11-07T14:35:00.001-08:002008-11-07T15:23:50.143-08:00Wow.I think Brandon Roy is good, but I can't tell. Maybe there is a clue in this video from last nights game vs. the Rockets.I had the pleasure of attending the early candidate for NBA Game of the Year; last night's Blazers/Rockets overtime masterpiece at the Rose Garden.I won't say I left the game speechless ("That was fucking DIRTY!" and "Wow!" both count as prmitive forms of speech), but my Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-30407671813392570372008-11-03T12:13:00.000-08:002008-11-03T18:58:57.822-08:00The Real Question, Now That Their Is No Answer (in Denver, that is)With the news of a blockbuster trade during the first week of the NBA season, everyone is scrambling to give their opinion of how this whole thing is going to work. Will Iverson be a good fit in the defensive, team-oriented system that Detroit has employed over the better part of the last decade? What about Billups running and gunning with Carmello in Denver? Will Denver keep McDyess, or does he Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-66846215835274653932008-10-28T18:40:00.000-07:002008-11-17T15:26:40.086-08:00NBA Preview Part III: AwardsDisclaimer: This “preview” (and I use the term loosely) is very off the cuff, and contains virtually no research. It’s simply my gut feelings regarding this upcoming NBA season. I tried to be “Fair & Balanced”, but as Fox News has shown, that’s usually a sign that biases are running rampant. On that note, here are my thoughts on the 2008-09 NBA Postseason Awards. Enjoy.Note: All awards will Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-90859370113753287042008-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-29T22:48:47.497-07:00NBA Season Preview Part II: The Eastern ConferenceDisclaimer: This “preview” (and I use the term loosely) is very off the cuff, and contains virtually no research. It’s simply my gut feelings regarding this upcoming NBA season. I tried to be “Fair & Balanced”, but as Fox News has shown, that’s usually a sign that biases are running rampant. In case you missed it, be sure to check out Part I: The Western Conference Preview.EASTERN CONFERENCE Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-33608440531072890182008-10-27T17:52:00.000-07:002008-10-29T15:42:49.644-07:00NBA Season Preview Part I: The Western ConferenceWith opening night mere hours away, I thought this would be the perfect time to go on record and state my predictions for the season. I’m going to be unrolling my “NBA Preview” in 3 parts throughout the day. First up is the Western Conference Preview, where I’ll simply predict the order of finish out West, complete with projected records, and what I think will be in store once the playoffs come. Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-81551886652661429152008-10-13T15:05:00.000-07:002008-10-13T22:00:28.428-07:00Managing ExpectationsNow that I've had a couple days to come down from my Blazer induced high, I think I might be able to begin to put things in perspective.I finished my last post literally seconds before I headed out to watch the first Blazers preseason game, and was so amped up for my first chance to see Oden and Rudy and the rest of the team I'd been following religiously throughout the off-season that I could Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-26607917191199316472008-10-07T15:15:00.000-07:002008-10-09T18:18:36.576-07:00I Have A FeverAnd the only prescription?More Blazers.Tonight I get to finally go to my favorite pharmacy, the Rose Garden. There, the pharmacists will be passing out drugs like candy, and I'll be swallowing them down by the handful. And, while it will do wonders to quell my rising fever in the short term, in the end it'll just make me an addict.Unfortunately, unlike most addicts, I will have an addiction to Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-8907332749264577632008-09-29T18:24:00.001-07:002008-09-29T23:03:12.462-07:00It's About That Time Again!With training camps on the horizon, and the first preseason games only weeks away, I think it's finally time to awaken the hibernating beast that is Raef Is About Power.Call me a homer, but I'd like to think that this blog compares very favorably to my very own Portland TrailBlazers squad. Just take a moment, and bear with me here.Last year was the big coming out party. We started off nice and Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-53007875335493760102008-04-07T23:57:00.000-07:002008-12-09T22:48:22.691-08:00Jackie Joyner-Outlaw?OK, I’ve been meaning to write about this for quite some time, but thanks to my hectic schedule of hanging out, watching sports, drinking beer, and occasionally working, I just haven’t found the time. Well, with the Blazer’s season all but officially over and fantasy baseball having yet to fully take over my life, I’ve finally been able to find the time to broach a very serious and important Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-79352485068028659962008-03-14T14:10:00.000-07:002008-12-09T22:48:22.794-08:00Raef Whistle: The lakersFrom time to time, there are people in and around the sports world, who do things so unapologetically horrendous that their behavior just has to be pulled out into the open, with a big ol' spotlight shined on them, while the entire world points and laughs. Well, here at Reaf Is About Power, we are taking it a step further. We're going to blow the Raef Whistle on them. Why a Raef Whistle? Because Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-29581094555254078642008-03-07T17:11:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:23.882-08:00NBA Refs: What the $#%@?!?!Part II: The Solution I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know the first thing about training or coaching professional basketball referees. That’s where the changes are going to be needed in order to see any real progress. However, there are things that can be done on a more basic level that I think can help alleviate some of the problems, and eliminate some of the factors working Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-61118218384724866422008-03-06T22:23:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:24.308-08:00NBA Refs: What the $#%@?!?!Part I: The Problem<?xml:namespace prefix = o />Last week, I watched what was, without a doubt one of the most remarkable Blazer-laker games in recent memory. Not because it featured a young Blazer team playing phenomenal basketball in dismantling a talented laker team, and ending their 10-game winning streak. No, it was because that Blazer-laker game was unquestionably, the worst officiated Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-43773557081415712702008-03-04T21:35:00.001-08:002008-03-04T21:56:25.003-08:00Introducing: The Official Von Wafer CorrespondentHere at Raef Is About Power, we are always looking for contributions from the great up and coming bloggers in the industry. Well, with that in mind, do I have a treat for you guys. I was contacted the other day by truly a phenomenal young talent, who expressed a great deal of interest in becoming a contributor to the site, and we were excited to oblige. The initial conversation revolved around Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-85082207806453241432008-03-04T21:10:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:26.381-08:00By The Numbers: Von WaferSo maybe I don’t have your fancy HD tel-a-machine or a digital video record-a-ma-thing. So what if I can’t pony up the cash for NBA league pass or cable TV? I get on the internet (the Al Gore created one) and box score watch until I fall asleep. Every night I opt for the steady emotion of “David Lee made 2 point lay up” over the scary and over-exciting sight of that LeBron character parting the The Nutshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039571004951186764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-41063552190467404012008-02-26T10:56:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:30.741-08:00The Legend of the 12-HeadIn case you haven't been made privy to this amazing information, I'm gonna let you in on it. Chris Bosh has a "girlfriend" (skeptical, we are). That, in and of itself, is newsworthy. However, even more newsworthy is the fact that this "girlfriend" has, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the world's largest forehead. Some may prefer to call it a 5-head, or even a 6-head, because it is most definitely a Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-27665639225602820852008-02-20T22:05:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:31.223-08:00Throw It Down Big Fella!After watching Shaq’s <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Phoenix debut against the lakers, there is one thing that is absolutely certain. The Phoenix Suns are completely different team now. Sure, it’s hard to make sweeping generalizations after only one game, but if this game is any indicator, I think this trade just might work. The Suns had one major, glaring weakness, and that was on the inside, Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-70811634894338793552008-02-19T18:18:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:32.385-08:00That wasn't so bad, now...was it?So, like most NBA fans, I spent the weekend watching the NBA’s attempt to show off their best and brightest over the course of a weekend full of events that generally range from unwatchable to intermittently entertaining (with a few notable exceptions). How did this years festivities all turn out you ask? Well I'm glad you asked. So, without further ado, I present to you my somewhat in-depth Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-69627303056655420202008-02-16T14:10:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:33.145-08:00It Ain't Gonna Be Pretty, But It'll Be Fun!So, while deriding the NBA for their choice of Dirk Nowitzki to replace the already poor choice of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />kobe bryant in the 3 Point Shootout, I began to think of some ways to spice the event up. It seems like the last few contests have been pretty ho-hum. I suppose this is why they’re trying to force some star power into the game, even if it means including players havingPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-5504830806777195572008-02-15T18:00:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:33.342-08:00Isn't the point of the 3-Point Shootout to see people MAKE 3's?OK, I was all ready to write about how ridiculous it was to have kobe bryant in the 3 Point Shootout, just because he’s a superstar, even though he’s not anywhere near the top 50 in the league in 3PT% (a robust 35%). So, what does he do? He goes out, tears a ligament in his pinky, and backs out of the competition. Perfect. The NBA gets a do-over. Now, they can make it all better, and put in a Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553483579933567972.post-48244817888754626602008-02-12T22:48:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:48:33.539-08:00Welcome!Welcome to Raef Is About Power, a soon to be failed experiment in teaching you people the things you need to know about sports and such. Stay tuned for what is sure to be a wild ride that will be sometimes fun, sometimes offensive, and always misinformed.Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529378599350128602noreply@blogger.com0