2012 Playoff Preview First Round…Get Ready For Some Dog Fights!!!

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By Miguel Lloyd

Ok, so for some of you guys who have just started to follow my blog, I started my career in writing and broadcasting in sports. I am a die-hard NBA fan, and more specifically love the Lakers and have played the game all my life. With that being said, its time for me to take a stand and put my predictions out there.

First let me say that, I don’t see a dominant team in the field this year except maybe the one team no one wants the see…The San Antonio Spurs. They are getting hot at the right time and they have one of the two best coaches(Popovich and Rivers are the creme of the crop) in the game. But the playoffs are all about match ups. So read on.

First Round Matchups

East

No. 1 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 8 Philadelphia 76ers 

This will be any easy one to pick only because of the Sixers lack of fire power and  the Bulls play the best team defense in the league. The Bulls have proven that they can play without Derrick Rose, so the only Achilles heal I see for the Bulls in this round is how long will it take for the reigning MVP to get his legs under him in the playoffs. That will be key to how long they last in this years playoffs, but it shouldn’t be a huge problem versus the Sixers.

Prediction. (Bulls win 4-2)

No. 2 Miami Heat vs. No. 7 New York Knicks

This will be the “pressure busts pipes” series. The names on the marquee will give the feel that this series should be better than it will be. After this season that has included all the Miami Heat “hate” machine and the Jeremy “Linsanity” Lin hype, we are settled on what we thought the Knicks and the Heat should have been from the beginning. A Carmelo lead team that can score a bunch and the loaded Heat. The one difference is that with Mike Woodson as the Knicks coach, they are playing better team defense than earlier in the year. I don’t think that the Knicks have enough in the backcourt to stop Wade from going crazy and I still don’t believe Melo and Amare have figured out how to coexist, but I think it will entertaining.

Prediction (Heat 4-2)

No. 3 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 6 Orlando Magic 

Ok. This won’t take long. The Magic are without their only defensive presence in Dwight Howard. Coach Van Gundy has probably already boxed up his office in his mind, and the Pacers are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now. Just because a dead clock is right twice a day and that the Magic tend to heat up from the outside every few games, I give the Magic one game. Other than that, I think they have already set up their summer vacation plans.

Prediction (Pacers 4-1)

No. 4 Boston Celtics vs. No. 5 Atlanta Hawks

This series has the potential to be interesting, not because of talent but because of ole’ father time. Talent wise, I still believe that the Celtics bring more to the table. 3 HOFers and the best set up man in the game in Rondo. They are a year older though, and Ray Allen has been hurt. The Hawks have talented players like Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams but do they have anyone to stop Paul Pierce’s fade away when the game is on the line. Not to mention, Doc Rivers will put them in the position to win games in this series. I do see it going 7 games with the home court making the difference.

Prediction (Celtics 4-3)

West 

No. 1 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 8 Utah Jazz

Quietly, probably because they don’t draw the TV audiences of the “sexier” franchises, the Spurs never seem to get the nationally televised games that the Lakers, Knicks, Heat, Bulls or Oklahoma City squads do. They just consistently win ball games. For the second year in a row, the Spurs are the #1 seed in the west. The difference I see this year is the infusion of youth in this lineup and a healthy Manu Ginobili. This is a totally different team when he is healthy. He is that guy who has battled the likes on Kobe Bryant for years and dominated the rest. Matchups have been an issue for the Spurs in past years, but I don’t think that will be a problem in the first round this year. Look for them to dominate the young Jazz team en route to a possible run to the finals.

Prediction. (Spurs win 4-1)

No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks  

No one believed the Mavs could do it last year until it was done. Win the NBA crown. On the surface, they were a team that was laden with perimeter shooters and an on again off again super star in Dirk Nowitski. Well if you look at the nuts and bolts of last years team to this one, they lost a dominant inside presence in Tyson Chandler that would bang and rebound the few misses they had last year to give them second chances which they took advantage of. Well they are running into a bad matchup for them this year. OKC is poised to make a deep run into the playoffs with 2 of the leagues most dominant scorers in Westbrook and Durant, toughness inside in Abaka and Perkins and a great bench player in Harden. I still question how deep this team can go because of the mentality of Westbrook. In his mind he is option 1, not Durant. That will be problematic for them to win a championship, but it may be good enough to get them to the finals. Synopsis…Youth and Talent over experience in this round.

Prediction. (OKC win 4-2)

No. 3 LA Lakers vs. No. 6 Denver Nuggets

As I mentioned, I am a Lakers fan, but I promise you I will be fair in this assessment. The Lakers filled their biggest void in letting go of Lakers legend Derek Fisher for the youth of Ramon Sessions. Honestly with the dominance of the lead guards in the west, they needed someone who could compete at the position to offset the fact that they are going to see either, Parker, Westbrook or Paul in the west and possibly D. Rose in the east, if they make it that far. Sessions also makes their second team better because Blake can play his role as an effective back up, not a starter. Bynum must NOT take games off and Gasol needs to get used to some pounding in the playoffs for them to make a run. No need to say much about Kobe because we know what we will get from him after 16 years. The Nuggets will not lay down easily and if the Lakers don’t take them out early, they will find themselves in a dog fight that Kobe and his legs do not want.

Prediction. (Lakers win 4-2)

No. 4 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 5 LA Clippers  

Lob City Vs. The Team no one wants to see in the playoffs. Last year the Grizzles from the 8th position and with the tougher of the two Gasol brothers made a heck of a run in the playoffs. All without their best perimeter player in Rudy Gay. Well they are loaded this year and poised to be a major disruption in the offices of the TV network execs, because they may be the only team besides the Spurs that America just doesn’t like falling in love with on TV. Nonetheless, they’ve earned this seeding for a reason. The Clippers will come in with their high wire act and Griffin will surely get some highlights, but as I have said a lot this year, his “poster” game will not be enough. His post game will have to step up for them to win this series. I don’t think he has enough to offset what the lefty Zach “Zebo” Randolph is going to do to him on the post. It will be entertaining, but won’t be enough for this Clippers team this year. Losing the veteran leader Chauncey Billups will ultimately be the difference.

Prediction. (Grizzlies win 4-3)

These playoffs will be fun. There may be one or two “cakewalks” in the first round, but don’t be surprised if they turn into series, as well. This condensed schedule has made some of the older guys legs tired as they entire into the second season. Fortunately they’ll get more rest and practice time this time of the year than they have all season. It should be good.

Check back with me as we get through round one for the my conference semi predictions.

Miguel Lloyd is a blogger, radio host and Media entrepreneur. He hosts a weekly talk show called Life Full Circle Radio. The show includes super producer, Nikkia Ganey with hot topics, Seshmi Robertson with Entertainment, Elton Gumbel with Sports and Alton Drew with the Politics365.com Politics segment. Join us this and every Wednesday night for the lively conversation by clicking HERE!

Where Did The True “Swag” Go?

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This week on Life Full Circle Radio we are asking the question, what happened to true swag?

Rappers Bow Wow and Soldier Boy are a long way from the fashion statements of the 50s

By Miguel Lloyd

One of our panelists will be Damon from VerySmartbrothas.com

At the risk of sounding like a real ol’ head and borderline curmudgeon, when I saw this picture that is circling around the internet, I was immediately floored. Pictured above are two young dudes, one with his jeans on his hips, the other with his jeans unbuttoned and below his….package…taking a picture like they are the most suave dudes on the planet. Well for some of y’all reading this who’ve been stuck in a cubicle ignoring BET, YouTube and your kids for the last 15 years, that is Bow Wow (formerly Lil Bow Wow) and Soldier Boy. Two very popular rappers and sometimes actors in the game. The way they and many of their colleagues in the entertainment industry are dressing are the source of your discontent with your sons, nephews and neighbors fashion choices.

Fashion Designer Niiamar Felder will also be our guest tonight

Now for some who know me personally, you know that I went through, just like many of us, phases in fashion that we will never understand. The Kwame polka dots, house music rayon shirts and those silver toe shoes many of us wore, we will never live down. However, I am proud to say that I never owned a pair of hammer pants. They were just whack!

I am not trying to dump on youthful exuberance or their form of self-expression. What concerns me and many like me is many of the choices that being made show very little vision and are irreversible. It goes well beyond skinny jeans that will go out of style like the Jerri curl. Face and neck tattoos are becoming as important to your outfit as, a Gucci belt or a pair of Jordans. All while black unemployment is double the average of the rest of America. For some of the younger fashionistas reading this and wondering what one has to do with the other. Well if you have black or brown skin and you have tattoos that are in places that cannot be covered up by a polo shot, you’ve made a decision that may influence people who may not employ you. Unless you want to work at McDonalds, wash cars or cut grass.

Many of us ol heads who have tats or black greek brands, have them in places you might see on our follow through during a round of golf, or during a pick up game of hoops, not when we are simply walking around in the mall. When we chose to make those personal expressions, we did it in a way that if we were a Kappa or we wanted to honor the memory of Tupac or another “dead homie”, it was on a “need to know” basis, not for mass consumption. Thats not the mind-set of many anymore.

Gucci Mane may never need a 9-5, but his tat and many others are making many of their fans unemployable

Young men and women are not leaving much to the imagination in the choices they are making in their way of expression. They are wearing them for all to see, whether we want to see them or not.

On this weeks show, we will ask the question, Where did the “Swag” go? Are these young people making mistakes or is it much adieu about nothing.

Miguel Lloyd is a blogger, radio host and Media entrepreneur. He hosts a weekly talk show called Life Full Circle Radio. The show includes super producer, Nikkia Ganey with hot topics, Seshmi Robertson with Entertainment, Elton Gumbel with Sports and Alton Drew with the Politics365.com Politics segment. Join us this and every Wednesday night for the lively conversation by clicking HERE!

Tom Joyner Puts Roland Martin in Check…Now What?

By Miguel Lloyd

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How will Roland respond to the public chastisement from The Fly Jock

The Fly Jock is one of the most powerful men in Black Media and he's showing it

The drama for outspoken correspondent Roland Martin continues. Now the “Fly Jock”, Tom Joyner, has issued a written “smack down” chastising him for prolonging the issue with GLAAD.

In his statement, Joyner says  “When people are offended by something we say or do, it doesn’t matter what our intentions are. The job of the offender is simply to apologize and learn a lesson about what to say or do going forward.”

He continues with “Your mission is greater than your principal.  It’s no longer about you. Now it’s grown into something bigger than you are, but only you can make right.”

2 things are going on here. He is flexing his muscle in the African-American community and he is probably responding to pressure from GLAAD as well. Interesting enough though, is there isn’t any written threat of his job being in jeopardy with the TJMS. Tom focuses on Roland’s job with CNN, not his daily correspondent segment with the TJMS. At least not yet.

Well Roland, “Check”. The next move is on you.

Oh yeah…by the way, he managed to give a backhand slap to Tavis Smiley as well. I guess he just couldn’t resist himself. Check out the full open letter here.

Wondering what this is about? Roland Martin Gets Suspended For What He Does Daily…Run His Mouth

 Miguel Lloyd is a blogger, radio host and Media entrepreneur.  He hosts a weekly talk show called Life Full Circle Radio. The show includes super producer, Nikkia Ganey with hot topics, Seshmi Robertson with Entertainment, Elton Gumbel with Sports and Alton Drew with the Politics365.com Politics segment. Join us this and every Wednesday night for the lively conversation by clicking HERE!

Roland Martin Gets Suspended For What He Does Daily…Run His Mouth

By Miguel Lloyd

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CNN, Tom Joyner and TV One Contributor Has Learned The Hard Way about the LGBT Community's Sense Of Humor

Anyone who follows Roland Martin on Twitter know that he can get under your skin. Especially if you are a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, anyone Republican or if you are a member of any black fraternity besides Alpha Phi Alpha. He also  is an annoying advocate of any team from Houston and Texas A & M. He is a master at what is called in black culture of “playing the dozens” or “jonein.”

Through social media, Roland has mastered the art of self promotion, which has helped him fill the void of the one black guy that CNN calls on for all things political. He definitely understands the art of blending news and entertainment. Make no mistake, he’s a great political analyst.

Well during one of his many tweets during the Super Bowl, he made a critical mistake that many of us born before 1980 (he was born in 1968) make. He forgot that disrespecting the LGBT community in this day and age is the quickest path to contrition, sanctions and unemployment. Whether real or imagined, the homosexual community is not going to tolerate it.

I have talked about this many times on Life Full Circle Radio. There are a ton of us 35+ that need to be “reprogrammed.” As a child growing up in the 80s, it was common for young boys to call each other “gay”, “faggot”, “homo”, etc as a means of insulting our friends and enemies. Of course it was “cool.” Our uncles, dads, grandpas and, dare I say, mommas used those terms all the time to either demean us or motivate us to act. One of the most motivating insults to get a kid to fight a kid picking on them, was to call them a gay slur if they didn’t stand up for themselves.

Well fast forward 3o years and what do you have? A 40+ year old journalist, who ran his tweet through the 12-year-old Roland filter, instead of his current mind that should have taken into account what was at stake. His career.

Many of us have to be reprogrammed. We have to balance whatever we feel about the homosexual community, with what is culturally accepted today. Ultimately, we have to live and let live.

Make no mistake, Roland can try to spin that tweet anyway he wants. That was absolutely an insinuation that if anyone was at your Super Bowl party and thought that David Beckham’s ad, slightly made you want to buy a pair of his underwear, you needed to, figuratively, get smacked up. Why? Because you were showing attraction to a man in his drawers, and would be considered as acting “gay.”

Do I believe that his statement was to be taken literally? Of course not. Roland was simply running his mouth, or better yet his fingers…on Twitter. That is simply what he does. Once again, if you follow Roland on Twitter, you see him jousting with people all day long.

Unfortunately, he lost sight of the fact he was not in his high school gym, he is on the world’s stage for all to see. I doubt he will make that mistake again. The stakes are too high.

Miguel Lloyd is a blogger, radio host and Media entrepreneur.  He hosts a weekly talk show called Life Full Circle Radio. The show includes super producer, Nikkia Ganey with hot topics, Seshmi Robertson with Entertainment, Elton Gumbel with Sports and Alton Drew with the Politics365.com Politics segment. Join us this and every Wednesday night for the lively conversation by clicking HERE!

What Does This Picture Say About The Male Role Models In Our Homes Today?

Rappers Bow Wow (Formerly Lil Bow Wow) and Soldier Boy Shows their current expression of style

Look for a show on this subject coming up real soon on Life Full Circle Radio.