I love your sugar daddy Dennis SOOOOOO much! 😭

Thanks! You’ll have to return here after next chapter and tell me what you think, things are looking better for him… and of course, he once again gets Mac where he wants him, so that always helps…

trying to explain why I love Dee so much, tw for rape and csa both fictional and rl

for so long I considered myself a Bad Victim because the abuse I suffered in early teens just warped my personality it felt like, and so I felt like I had to consume who were deemed good victims, or at least flawed people who wanted to be better and succeeded. Succession got me out of that, which brings us onto Sunny.

Dee is awful (they all are) even when she's the designated victim. Her mother was a heinously jealous bitch and Dee has grown into her. Frank was either an asshole or never around and she agrees to marry him for mom's money. Dennis has continued the chain of harm by conditioning her to be his ghost and she responds by making sure he's dependent on her. The Gang can switch on her on a dime and she can't stay away.

And she's a rapist! Practically the only sitcom woman I know who is explicitly such, and is actually called out by the narrative. Her justifications are terrible and don't really matter in the long run (same goes for Dennis), but the abuse she goes through makes her tragic and understandable. Mostly because it's over, she'll be in this dynamic for the rest of her life, because the only way she knows how to play is to carry on the chain of harm.

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A good place to die Chapter 8 (Light fluff)

Warning: Harsh language, violence

I jolted up, heart pounding and light sweat covering my whole body. It took me several seconds to understand who I was, where I was and what had happened. I was lying somewhere warm and cozy, but my surroundings weren’t covered with silk. My ribs hurt like hell, which was probably what had caused me to wake up in the first place. After another second of thought I understood that I was in my own bed.

“Penny?” I whispered tentatively, but I received no answer.

The last thing I remembered was resting my head back against his chest, exhausted from all the reading. When I was done with another five Poe stories Pennywise handed me one of my textbook, and I spent nearly two hours reading to him about human biology, Greek philosophers and the history of Derry. Particularly the last one made him laugh quite a lot, his cackle echoing through the cavern so long that I had to wait for him to calm down before I could continue. My throat had gone dry and my voice became raspy.

“Relax, little one”, he had purred into my ear, and I did. Apparently I had fallen asleep rather quickly after that.

Now I was home, and I couldn’t remember how I had gotten here. I stretched out my good arm, fumbling around for the light switch and accidentally knocked over the glass of water that stood next to the lamp. I was pretty sure there hadn’t been one there when I left the house. Finally I found the switch, and light was so bright it temporarily blinded me. When I was able to see again I noticed the two red balloons floating around my room. One read ‘I love Derry’, which made me smile for the absurdity. No one here would have actually believed it to be true.

Well, me maybe, but only as of late.

I got up (boy, that HURT!) and went downstairs into the kitchen. I left the glass where it had landed on the floor. Picking it up would have hurt too much. When I filled another glass with water I noticed the note stuck to the fridge.

“We’re one hand short, so I’ll have to do the late shift too. Don’t wait for me.”

I was relieved. At least I wouldn’t have to explain how I mysteriously had gotten into my room.

I took my medicine and splashed my face with some water.

Just about when I was going to go back to bed the phone shrilled. Cursing under my breath I picked it up.

It was the Derry police, informing me that Mr. Shanks had been murdered in his shop. Apparently he had surprised burglars and a fight had ensued. Since I was the only one somehow connected to him they informed me of his passing. They wanted to ask me some questions about my whereabouts this night (uh-oh), and told me to be there tomorrow as soon as I could.

Feeling a little sad as well as annoyed I hung up, when auntie entered the kitchen.

“Who was that?”

She looked incredibly tired and older than she actually was. I knew her job stressed her out, and the worry about me probably too, but it was the first time I actually understood what it did to her. I reluctantly told her about the call, and she offered to accompany me to the hearing. After all, according to law, I was still a minor. I looked at her, chin stubbornly thrust forward at the thought of me being accused of some crime, brow furrowed with worry, her eyes tired and red-rimmed, and felt a sudden rush of affection for her. I hugged her gently, trying not to increase my physical discomfort anymore than necessary, and went back to bed. What was wrong with me, being so emotional all the time?

The hearing was more of a joke, fortunately. Mr. Shanks had been bludgeoned, and I was clearly in no condition to do so. Also, during the time the crime was committed auntie had returned home and peeked into my room to see if I was still awake, but “she was snoring so loud she could have woken the dead.” The only reason I was questioned in the first place was because they had no other person to speak too, and of course my fingerprints were everywhere. They had not yet found a testament, nor did they know of any living relatives, but the detective promised to contact me as soon as any new clue turned up.

I highly doubted that they’d find anything. That part of Derry was known for being dangerous after nightfall, and if the crimes that took place daily were even reported, they almost never got solved.

Auntie had to go back to work, but she offered to drop me off near the barrens. I had told her I was working on a biology project about the local flora, and despite her not liking me going on a hike school came first. I waved her good-bye, then started my descent down the slope that would bring me to the banks of the Kenduskeag, which I could follow to the entry to the sewers. It wasn’t an area of the barrens I was too familiar with, so this seemed like the best option.

It was a beautiful day, sunny, but the first cold of October was already lingering in the air. The leaves around me had turned brown, I noticed absently, and the air bore the faint scent of winter – the scent you could have never described, more of an idea of a scent, but an indicator for the end of the year nonetheless. So immersed in my musings was I that I didn’t notice the group of people before I stood right before them. It wasn’t Yaneesha – thankfully – but one of her girlfriends and a couple of boys with a rather colorful reputation. They were smoking something that clearly wasn’t weed nor anything else I was familiar with, and had built a tower of empty beer cans. One of the boys was currently aiming at them with a pistol. He stood there confidently, legs spread apart, and fired rapidly at the cans.

He hit them all.

I tried to retreat into the bushes I had just broken through, but they group had already noticed me.

“Hey, isn’t that the hoe that fucks you for a dime?”, one of the boys asked, his face sporting an unpleasant sneer.

“I wouldn’t touch you with a stick if somebody paid me a million”, I shot back, not thinking.

Their mouths fell open in surprise – I’d never talked back before.

“You take that back, cunt”, the girl yelled, her eyes going crazy.

“Sure. I’d not touch any of you for a billion.”

The group stood up collectively, and the guy with the gun started grinning maliciously.

“Hey, Denny, you better be careful. After all she killed poor ol’ Shanks to get to his hidden millions. Don’t cross her, she’s real tough. Doncha know she only watches horror movies? She gets off of pain.”

They started walking towards me, forming a semi circle. The gun was still pointing to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a small red bird settling in one of the bushes.

“Speak for yourself, idiot. I bet you need that gun to even feel like you have a dick, right? Better not tell your Daddy about that, though. He might give you the belt again.”

I laughed, no idea what I was saying or where all the nasty things were coming from – normally I’d just turn around and walk away. But not today. Today was different. Maybe I was high from the painkillers, or maybe it had something to do with my growing range of emotions.

The boys face turned a ghastly shade of pale, and he pointed the gun at me.

“YOU TAKE THAT BACK!” His voice broke, and his buddies looked at him uneasy. “Ey, Shot, maybe put that down, it’s not like she’s worth it…”

He fired.

I felt something whizz past my face, and laughed as I could hear the bullet hitting a tree behind me.

“You missed!”, I teased him.

His buddies backed away, and the girl tried to pull his arm down.

“Let’s go, Shot, please. She’s crazy…”

He took aim again, pointing the gun straight at my face.

“Die, bitch!”

The gun boomed, and he screamed.

Again something whizzed past me, but more importantly, a huge gator was chomping down on Shots hand. The entire group screamed, a choir of fear, and the gator vanished. In its place stood a giant spider, clicking its jaws and raising on its two back pairs of legs, ready to strike.

They scrambled as fast as they could, Shot clutching the maimed remains of his hand. Within seconds they had vanished, only their shouts and cries echoing in the distance. The gun was gone, and Shots father would probably do some nasty shit to him – I actually felt bad for him.

Still, I grinned with joy as I hugged the spiders’ hairy legs , each of them the diameter of my waist.

“Hey, Penny.”

Before my eyes the spider melted into my favorite clown. He was grinning widely, his buck teeth shining brightly, and drool flying everywhere as he laughed loudly.

“Thanks for bringing me home yesterday! I’m sorry I fell asleep…”

He didn’t let me finish, bowing down to my eye level, pressing a gloved hand against my lips. His eyes glowed brightly blue, making the autumn sky look pale by comparison. “I liked that a lot”, he purred. My heart skipped a beat, making me clutch my chest in surprise.

“Let’s make you comfortable.” He scooped me up once again, and carried me into the sewers.

But this time, we didn’t go to the cavern. I only realized where we had arrived when the tunnel opened into a bottomless pit. With on big lunge Pennywise jumped up the walls before us and lifted us both over the top with just one hand. Then he carried me through the dark corridor, up the stairs and into one of the rooms I hadn’t entered before. (Never mind my head swiping off all the cobwebs and dust that had gathered.) He gingerly lowered me unto the biggest bean bag I had ever seen. It was white with a beautiful pattern of red stripes and smelled of food… Candy canes, cotton candy and sweet popcorn, actually. And it looked brand new. I almost disappeared into the bean bag, until Pennywise sat next to me and made me rise from the wafts of sweet delight.

He pulled me against his chest excitedly, rummaging through my bag already.

“So, what are we going to read today?” He pulled out some books at random and handed them to me, all anticipation.

So Pennywise learned about mechanics and vector calculations. That didn’t seem to interest him too much, and after a while he interrupted me all of a sudden.

“You were late today.” His voice sounded almost… pouty?

I told him about the murder, the police and my job. The concept of police work and money seemed peculiar to him, and so we spent the rest of the day talking about crimes and what humans do to solve them. It was the weirdest conversations I had so far (that actually said a lot, right?) and the clown laughed at all the wrong parts, which in turn made me chuckle every now and then. He seemed to enjoy that, and I had to admit, I did too.

The word ‘friendship’ crossed my mind.

When I told him about DNA, fingerprints and forensic evidence he became a little less exuberant, puzzling at the lengths we would go to punish wrongdoers. “And that actually works for you?”

I shook my head.

“Not all the time. Especially not in Derry.” I shot him a suspicious look. “But I guess you know that.” He grinned at me, then stretched himself out.

“You are funny little creatures.”

“Well, so are you, to me… Except for the small part.” He chuckled, but then became very serious within a heartbeat.

“Only to you, little girl.”

I lay my hand against his cheeks, feeling the texture of his skin properly for the first time.

“I like that.”

The Mavericks are already good enough to make the playoffs

Are the Mavericks finally set to change their identity?

The future is now for the Dallas Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks are known for inching through basketball games with little room for improv. Under Rick Carlise’s precise micro-management, their astute half-court offense has guided them past opponents that don’t cherish possessions like they do.

Over the past four years, Dallas has had the third-slowest offense in basketball, and in three of the past six seasons they avoided transition chances more than any other team in the league, per Cleaning the Glass. This made sense. Their transition offense had been bad while operations in the half-court were, if not very good, at the very least a pain to deal with. As recently as 2016, Dallas had one of the five most efficient half-court offenses in the league.

Instead of rushing up the court—not so easy with an aging Dirk Nowitzki!—they patiently shared and took care of the ball while hunting for the shots they preferred. In some ways this was a sensible approach. In others, any system so reliant on timing and synchronization is vulnerable when not executed to perfection, particularly in a league that’s getting faster and faster.

But now, with Nowitzki gone, Luka Doncic coming off a scintillating rookie year, Kristaps Porzingis in the fold, and only three players on the roster born before 1990, it’s time for the Mavs to speed things up a little bit. Nothing needs to be too dramatic, but adapting a style that better fits their personnel and today’s game would go a long way.

It’d also enhance another area of offense that they’ve already embraced. This feels like a somewhat surprising statement, for whatever reason, but the Mavericks value the three-point line as much, if not more than any team outside Houston. They finished second in three-point rate last season. It was their fourth-straight year in the top five and their fifth finishing in the top 10.

This year’s Mavericks don’t have a perfect roster, but a slight step on the gas will create even more three-point chances for players who, unlike the past few years, can actually make open threes. They already have an unselfish 20-year-old prodigy who may lead the league in assists some day, and over the summer they taped a “four-point line” down on their practice court, the benefits of which are twofold, as several players have stated. First, any legitimate threat standing a few feet behind the three-point line must be accounted for, which widens driving, passing, and cutting lanes even more than they’d otherwise be.

The second reason parallels an old golf exercise: In order to make the cup look like a sand bucket, putters will spend time aiming at a dime instead. By regularly shooting from a distance deeper than the actual three-point line, shots that toe the arc will feel shorter. Makes sense! Now let’s assume two things: 1) Dallas’ three-point rate will climb even higher than it was last season, when they didn’t exactly go out of their way to attempt more of them early in the shot clock, and 2) their new personnel will make outside shots at a rate that justifies launching so many of them. Both feel...probable?

Not to read too much into one shot, but the first basket Porzingis ever made in a Mavericks jersey didn’t feel like an accident. He got into his motion with 22 seconds on the shot clock, standing a foot in front of the Pistons logo.

Before he tore his ACL during the 2017-18 season, Porzingis drilled 41.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. At this time last year DeAndre Jordan—who’s made one three in 11 NBA seasons—was Dallas’ tallest starter. It’s not an insignificant positional upgrade for a team that’s primary want is to create space. Porzingis’ second three came deeper in the shot clock after Detroit stifled Dallas’ first couple actions, but he somehow looked even more comfortable than the first.

This addition will single-handedly magnify the potency of Dallas’ offense, particularly when he’s deployed as a trailing big, Doncic’s pick-and-pop partner, or even a double-team-drawing option in the post. He jacked nine threes in just 24 minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks last week.) And on the other end in his debut, Porzingis was aggressive against pick-and-rolls, springing his arms up at the point of attack and blitzing Pistons’ ball-handlers. It’s a strategy designed to force turnovers—which the Mavs didn’t do much of last season—speed the game up, get more possessions, and, shoot more threes. This is a hypothetical leap of faith based off one preseason game but something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

Elsewhere, there are more incoming pieces that fit nicely. Seth Curry is an obvious help, particularly when Carlisle turns to three-guard lineups that pit Porzingis or Boban Marjanovic at the five. He’s a 44 percent three-point shooter who made a career-best 137 of them in a previous stop with the Mavs three years ago. Delon Wright isn’t known as an outside threat, but two seasons ago he made 41.2 percent of his spot-up tries. His ability to knock them down could very well decide the scope of his role. (Same for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Ryan Broekhoff, to a lesser extent.) Do what Dennis Smith Jr. was not able to and complement Doncic off the ball.

So far, so good!

Speaking of Doncic, none of this works without him. He has the size, vision, and patience to make important passes out of the pick-and-roll, freezing defenders with his eyes (as seen above) and keeping every option open until the very last second. The Mavericks will only go so far as he takes them, and if some of the assists he completed as a rookie are any indication of what’s to come, a long-term ceiling doesn’t really exist. (BTW: Nobody sleep on Jalen Brunson, who nearly made 40 percent of his above-the-break threes as a rookie and is awesome.)

Players who can generate efficient looks (Doncic averaged more corner-three assists than all but three players in the entire league last year) and manufacture their own three-point shots are invaluable in today’s NBA. The only two players who attempted more pull-up threes per game last year were James Harden and Kemba Walker. Doncic’s accuracy on most of these shots didn’t vindicate his volume, but, yeah, 1) he was a teenager and 2) he actually made 36 percent of his step-back threes. We already know he can create separation against NBA athletes, and if/when they drop at a higher rate it’ll only add another dimension to an offense that’s already giving defenses so much to worry about.

Doncic can’t manufacture every opportunity by himself, but the good news is several of Dallas’ shooters are not solely comfortable in catch-and-shoot situations. They’re also fine racing around the floor, coming off screens, and forcing defenses to bend and switch. Most can even put the ball on the floor and shake a closeout.

Whether Carlisle chooses to play five out (a la last year’s Milwaukee Bucks) or blend that system with one that leans a bit more on dynamic player movement (a la peak Golden State Warriors), the Mavericks should be up for the challenge.

Again, Dallas’ roster is flawed in a few areas—it’s hard to see how they’ll match up defensively against just about all the dynamic duos out west—and they have two years to show how good they can be heading into the summer of 2021, when several marquee free agents will be available and they can carve enough cap space to fit a third star. If they miss there, cap flexibility dwindles and all of a sudden Porzingis’ third contract will be due two years after that. Not having a first-round pick in 2021 or 2023 hurts. But here in the short term, a few tweaks to their identity can spring them farther, faster than most expect. The playoffs aren’t out of reach when the three-point line is your best friend; Dallas can be one of this season’s best storylines if they deepen that relationship.

PRINCE'S BIGGEST FAN WAS A 93-YEAR-OLD CLEVELAND WOMAN & SHE HAD THE MEMORABILIA TO PROVE IT

By ANNIE ZALESKI

Editor's note: After this story was filed, Mary Boyer passed away at the age of 93.

Mary Boyer can remember the exact moment she became a Prince fan. It was July 1984 -- weeks after the release of his groundbreaking LP, Purple Rain -- and a friend invited her to see Prince's ambitious movie of the same name. Incredibly, Boyer was the only person her friend could find to tag along to the theater.

"As soon as [Prince] came on [the screen], my heart just went [makes whooshing noise], and I said, 'I know this guy. I just know him,'" recalls Boyer today. "By the end of the film, that was my guy."

Boyer was no teenager experiencing her first taste of idol worship. At the time she saw Purple Rain, she was 60 years old.

"I DIDN'T INTEND TO BE A COLLECTOR, BUT IF I WENT TO A STORE AND THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE WITH PRINCE, I JUST COULDN'T LEAVE IT."

Buying that movie ticket unwittingly changed her life, transforming her into one of Prince's biggest fans. Over the next few decades, the mother of seven saw the Purple One 25 times, in far-flung locales such as New York, Detroit, Chicago, Canada, and his home base of Minneapolis. In her sprawling house in Cleveland, Boyer even had a dedicated Prince room -- with walls painted purple, of course -- crammed full of memorabilia related to the icon. Photos, magazines, vinyl, posters, CDs, pins, laminates, promo swag -- you name it, chances are Boyer had it. At the peak of her collecting, she had 300 different posters, 100 different T-shirts, and more than 1,200 unique albums in every format.

"I didn't intend to be a collector, but if I went to a store and there was something there with Prince, I just couldn't leave it there," she says. "I bought it, and pretty soon, I had quite a bit of stuff." After her kids moved out, all of that "stuff" found a home in one of their old bedrooms.

"We painted it a light purple, and I just started filling it up." She laughs. "I loved everything I put in there. I was very, very happy with it."

Now 93, Boyer is sitting in the living room of her apartment on the outskirts of Downtown Lakewood. The space is cozy, filled with cherished art, knickknacks, and photos she's picked up over the years. Boyer is fond of collecting things besides Prince-related items -- miniatures, as well as Egyptian and Oriental art, are interests of hers -- although she's downsized her belongings considerably. In the spring, she moved from that giant old house into this current, more compact space.

Scattered here and there, however, are references to her devotion to Prince. A coffee mug featuring variations of his visage is within arm's reach, near a photo book filled with Prince photos. A glossy, soft-glow snap of late-era Prince stares up from behind glass on the top of a nearby desk; a business card from the long-closed, Minneapolis-based New Power Generation, the Prince-owned retail store, is also tucked away. In a nearby hallway is a media rack with several shelves of Prince bootleg DVDs, while in her bedroom is a panoramic photo of the Prince room at its most impressive, along with some of the meaningful tokens she kept -- including a cardboard Purple Rain die-cut stand-up and a healthy selection of framed photos of all sizes, spanning the artist's entire career.

"Take a look around you, at least you got friends"

Also visiting this steamy Friday afternoon in August is Dennis Roszkowski, a photographer and long-time Prince fan from Westland, Michigan, who often visits Boyer and helps out at a local library's events. The pair met in 1989 because of their shared Prince fandom -- an organized, meticulous person, he once cataloged Boyer's memorabilia so she knew what she had -- and remain close friends.

Boyer amassed her Prince collection by visiting local record stores, where she would sometimes find promo vinyl dumped by radio DJs, or by attending record conventions. Employees came to recognize her and her obsession, and would sometimes save special items for her, such as a life-sized cardboard stand-up of Prince circa the 1991 LP Diamonds and Pearls.

In the mid- to late-'90s, Boyer and Roszkowski would also attend regional Prince Fests -- more or less gatherings of diehards to celebrate the artist -- and sell duplicate albums, as well as trade for things she didn't have.

THEY SAW PRINCE FOUR TIMES IN 75 HOURS.

Along with others from the fan community, the pair also attended many Prince concerts and special events: the week-long Prince Celebration at his studio/compound Paisley Park in 2000, appearances at his one-time Minneapolis nightclub, Glam Slam. At one point in 1993, they even saw Prince four times in 75 hours.

Boyer often expressed her admiration for Prince in more direct ways. "She would send letters to Paisley Park for years, and she would send little gifts to Prince," Roszkowski says. "And she would enclose a checklist with a self-addressed stamped envelope [that] said, 'Did Prince see this?' and 'Did he like it?' and they would check off 'Yes, he liked it,' and send it back. She had this connection with them."

Boyer and Roszkowski say that one-time Prince manager Gilbert Davidson and half-brother Duane Nelson (who handled security) were aware of her fandom, and always treated her kindly and with respect when they crossed paths. Although Boyer once had the chance to get a behind-the-scenes tour of Paisley Park and attended shows there, she never actually met and had one-on-one time with Prince. The closest personal experience she had was at an April 1993 after-show at Chicago's Metro, when the artist pulled her up onstage during the first encore.

"He was doing his show, and all of a sudden, towards the end, he said, 'Turn the lights on,'" Boyer recalls. "He said, 'Whose grandma is that down there? We gotta get her up here and have her shake her doodle!' or something like that." Boyer laughs. "And then he sang this song 'Johnny' -- it's a little risqué, shall we say. And I know he did it to see if it would embarrass me a little. Then during the song, I was supposed to sing this 'oh-oh-oh-oh' [part], and I didn't do it very good.

"And he gives me that look," Boyer continues, referencing the sassy, quasi-exasperated glance for which Prince was known. "I hit him on his arm, and he had me do it again, and I did it. And he just laughed and then gave me a big, big hug. And I was so happy. I just wanted him to know that I really liked him. It wasn't that I had to be seeing him all the time. But you know how you want somebody to know that…"

They mean a lot to you?

"Yeah," she says. "That was a high moment in my life."

"I only want to see you in the Purple Rain"

Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Boyer and her family moved to Lakewood when she was a toddler. She grew up there and went to Lakewood High School, which is where she met her late husband, Jim. She was a member of a sorority; he was a member of a fraternity. One afternoon, the pair happened to see each other at a local ice cream store.

"I was in there talking to some guy, and Jim came in," Boyer recalls. "And the guy said to him, 'Do you have a date for the Friday night dance?' And he goes, 'No.' [The other guy] says, 'Why don't you take Mary? She's a lot of fun.' And he says, 'Do you want to go?' And I said, 'Yeah.' Because he was real cute."

Music entered her life after the couple started having children. Her second-oldest son, Wink -- who "was a hippie, shall we say," Boyer says -- introduced her to Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow. That LP changed everything. From there, Boyer started embracing the then-new music of the day, such as Leon Russell and the Rolling Stones. She also started going to shows, among them, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Elton John, and David Bowie's first US concert. 

"I was the cool house," Boyer says with a laugh. "That's probably why it was easy for me to get into Prince. It wasn't like it was strange, because I was used to going to concerts. We did go to a lot of concerts, and my kids, of course, thought I was a 'cool' mother."

Jim was also 100% supportive of Mary's Prince fandom, which may have surprised some. "[People would say], 'How come it doesn't bother you?'" Boyer says. "[And he said] 'I'd rather have her doing that than sitting around crocheting something.' He liked the idea that I had young friends, because he didn't like to do a lot, except play golf. He didn't have to entertain me, because I was doing my own entertaining."

Incredibly, however, in recent years, Boyer has sold off and otherwise given away a large portion of her Prince memorabilia. Even stranger, "it didn't bother me at all," she says. In part that's because she's been preoccupied dealing with health issues, and uses oxygen as she gets around. ("I hate it," she says vehemently about that.) But Boyer also has the remarkable personality trait where she's able to switch gears and hobbies on a dime -- and never look back.

"I have this kind of a life where every 10 years, I changed," she explains. "Until I was in my, say, 40s, I was a mother, and never went anywhere. In my 40s, my husband and I started to go out square dancing. We did what they call challenge, so that you had to go to workshops and stuff. When I hit my 50s, I went to [local community college] Tri-C and took classes in astrology, and I became an astrologer. I was that for 10 years -- doing readings. And then I went to a Prince movie -- that changed that, and then I gradually stopped doing official astrology things.

"Every time I changed, I dropped the other thing almost completely," Boyer says. "That must be why when I was ready, getting tired of everything I had -- why I was able to do it."

"And no regrets," adds Roszkowski. "You brought your favorite things here."

"Life is just a party, and parties weren't meant to last"

In an odd coincidence, Roszkowski was helping Boyer move out of her house and into her apartment on the same day news broke that Prince had passed away. He recalls that his hands were shaking as he set up his laptop to read more about the news. "Mary looked at me and said, 'What's wrong?'" Roszkowski says. "And I said, 'Mary, Prince just died.' And I just remember her saying, 'I always thought that I would be in heaven before Prince.'" In the background, Boyer chuckles slightly.

The mood in the apartment turns reflective, as Roszkowski ruminates on the reactions he and Boyer received from people they had met because of his music. "The amazing thing about that day, is that all Prince fans that we know, we just started hearing from people we hadn't heard from in years," he says. "Every Prince fan can tell the same story: they know where they were when they heard, and how they were feeling. Everybody's phone just blew up -- people started calling, sending text messages. 'Oh my god, have you heard the news?' It was such a surreal moment.

"We relied on phone calls that we were getting from friends," he adds. "And consoling each other, and trying to figure out, 'Wow. What's the world like without Prince?' Because you just can't believe it.'"

Roszkowski's thoughts summarize the unique impact of music fandom: people bond over their love of a certain artist or band -- seeing shows together, chatting online, sharing stories, maybe swapping bootlegs -- and seamlessly translate this connection into real-life, deep friendships. The Prince fandom is especially dedicated, however. In fact, Roszkowski says it was "meant to be" that he and Boyer happened to be in the same city on the day of Prince's death, as it was symbolic of the treasured connections facilitated by his art and music.

"WHAT'S THE WORLD LIKE WITHOUT PRINCE?"

"His concerts were unlike anything you saw," Roszkowski says. "You'd go there, and there was just a whole mixture of people -- ages and races -- and everybody just got together and had a wonderful time. It seemed like the Prince world was a great melting pot of people. You wished the whole world could be together having a good time, and peaceful.

"That's not what the world's like, in many respects. It is if you look for it; you can find it. And we found it with Prince. There was a connection with him that brought us all together, and we always talked about, 'Wow. Look at what we did -- together.' Just my friendship with Mary, between the two of us, what we've done, is fantastic. I'm grateful for it every day."

Boyer quietly chimes in. "I have to say, I've had a very happy life," she says. "When I was being the mom in my 30s, I loved it; when I was square dancing, I loved it. When I was in astrology, I loved it. When I [was into] Prince, I loved it."

And Boyer has her own take as to why there is such an intangible (but enduring) bond between Prince fans. It's not complicated -- but it's a theory that's as playful and laconic as the Purple One himself. 

"We're all smart," she simply says, with a laugh. "As my daughter said, 'Mom, I’m glad you're smart enough to know [Prince] was a genius.'" 

Mary Boyer ~ R.I.P. 

Source:

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/cleveland/mary-boyer-lakewood-prince-memorabilia-collection

My Chemical Romance, Ice Nine Kills, August Burns Red And More Included In This Year’s Record Store Day

Great news record collectors! This year’s Record Store Day has just officially been announced. And as you can expect, there are a ton of great choices.

Set to launch April 18th, the 13th annual Record Store Day will include exclusive vinyl releases from artists like My Chemical Romance, The Ramones, Ice Nine Kills, Bayside, Asking Alexandria, The Menzingers, Pepper and a ton more!

To check out all the incredible releases, check out the list below or head to Record Store Day’s official site here. 

RECORD STORE DAY 2020 RELEASES Aaron Lupton & Jeff Szpirglas – Planet Wax: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Soundtracks on Vinyl Ace Frehley – Trouble Walkin’ Adam Czerwinski/Krzesimir Debski/Wojciech Niedziela – Two Out Of Two: Acoustic References For Audiophiles Al Green – Green Is Blues Alejandro Escovedo – La Cruzada Alfredo Linares Y Su Sonora – Yo Traigo Alice Cooper – Live from the Apollo Theatre Glasgow Feb 19.1982 Allan Holdsworth – Road Games Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody (Grant & Kelly Remix by Blank & Jones x Gold & Lloyd) America – Heritage II: Demos And Also The Trees – And Also The Trees Andrew Gold – Something New: Unreleased Gold Anoushka Shankar – Love Letters Archers of Loaf – “Raleigh Days”/”Street Fighting Man” Asking Alexandria – Stand Up and Scream August Burns Red – Bones Awesome Dre – You Can’t Hold Me Badflower – “The Jester / Everybody Wants To Rule The World” Bastille – All This Bad Blood Bayside – Heaven Beck – “No Distraction / Uneventful Days (Remixes)” Ben Lee – Grandpaw Would 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Ben Watt with Robert Wyatt – Summer Into Winter Best Coast – Thank You Biffy Clyro – Moderns Big L – Danger Zone Bill Evans – Some Other Time: The Lost Session From The Black Forest Billie Eilish – Live At Third Man Records Black Keys – Let’s Rock (45 RPM Edition) Black Lips – They’s A Person Of The World (featuring Kesha) Blitzen Trapper – Unreleased Recordings Vol. 2: Too Kool Bob James – Once Upon A Time: The Lost 1965 New York Studio Sessions Bob Marley & The Wailers – Redemption Song Bob Mould �� Circle of Friends Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Creepin’ On Ah Come Up Brandi Carlile – A Rooster Says Brian Eno – Rams: Original Soundtrack Britney Spears – Oops!…I Did It Again (Remixes and B-Sides) Brittany Howard – Live At Sound Emporium Buju Banton – Trust & Steppa Camille Yarbrough – The Iron Pot Cooker Canned Heat – Record Store Day Party With Canned Heat Canned Heat/John Lee Hooker – Hooker ‘N Heat Cat Stevens – Tonight Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um Redux Charli XCX – Vroom Vroom EP Charlie Parker – Jazz at Midnite Cheap Trick – Out To Get You! Live 1977 Chief Keef – Back From The Dead 2 CHON – GROW Chris Smither – More From The Leaves Christian Paul – Christian Paul Christine and the Queens – La vita nuova : séquences 2 et 3 Chromeo – Needy Girl Chuck Mosley – First Hellos and Last Goodbyes City Morgue – City Morgue Vol 2: As Good As Dead clipping with Christopher Fleeger – Double Live Clutch – The Obelisk Collective Soul – Half and Half Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise (25th Anniversary — Remastered) Corb Lund – Cover Your Tracks EP Cradle – The History Cradle – The History Craig Finn – All These Perfect Crosses Curren$y – Pilot Talk D-Mob – We Call It Acieeed Damien Jurado – “Birds Tricked Into the Trees”/”From Devils To Davis” Dandy Warhols and Bebe Buell – Femme Fatale Daniel Pemberton & Samuel Sim – The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance – The Crystal Chamber Daniel Pemberton & Samuel Sim – The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance – The Aureyal Dave Davies – Rock Bottom: Live at the Bottom Line (Remastered 20th Anniversary Limited Edition) Dave Pike – Jazz For The Jet Set David Bowie – ChangesNowBowie David Bowie – ChangesNowBowie David Bowie – I’m Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) David Bowie – I’m Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) David Gray – Please Forgive Me Day Wave – Crush Death Piggy (GWAR) – Welcome To The Record Declan McKenna – “Beautiful Faces” / “The Key to Life on Earth” Def Leppard – Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Dehd – Golden Age of Rock N Roll Denzel Curry – Bulls on Parade Destiny’s Child – Say My Name DevilDriver – Winter Kills Dexter Gordon – The Squirrel Dexter Gordon Quartet – Live In Châteauvallon – 1978 Dinosaur Jr – Swedish Fist (Live In Stockholm) Dio – Annica Don Cherry – Cherry Jam Don Shinn – Temples With Prophets Down N Outz – The Music Box EP Dr. John – Remedies Drive-By Truckers – “The Unraveling” b/w “Sarah’s Flame” Durutti Column – Idiot Savants Ellie Goulding – Lights 10 Elton John – Elton John Emerson Lake & Palmer – Live At Waterloo Field, Stanhope, New Jersey, U.S.A., 31st July Eminem – “My Name Is”/”Bad Guys Always Die” Ennio Morricone – Peur Sur La Ville Entombed – Clandestine– Live Eve 6 – The Fly Record Live Felt (Murs x Slug x Aesop Rock) – Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez (10 Year Anniversary Edition) Fleetwood Mac – The Alternate Rumours Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush – Real LIVE! Vol. 1 Frank Zappa – You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore (Sampler) Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Sidewalk Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata: The 1974 Version Frumpies – “Frumpie One Piece” b/w “Frumpies Forever” Galaxie 500 – Copenhagen Gary Clark Jr – Pearl Cadillac (Feat. Andra Day) Gene Russell – New Direction George S. Clinton – Mortal Kombat (Original Motion Picture Score) Glass Animals – Tokyo Drifting Gong – Live! at Sheffield 1974 Gorillaz – G-Sides Gorillaz – D-Sides Grateful Dead – Buffalo 5/9/77 Graves At Sea – History of Sickness Green Jelly – Triple Live Mother Goose At Budokan Greg Dulli – “A Ghost”/Girl From The North Country” Grouplove – Broken Angel Guided By Voices – Hold On Hope Gun Club – Live In London Hank Williams – March of Dimes Hatchie & Pains of Being Pure At Heart – “Sometimes Always” b/w “Adored” Hawkwind – At The BBC 1972 Hawkwind – Quark, Strangeness & Charm Heart Bones – Heart Bones (Har Mar Superstar and Sabrina Ellis of A Giant Dog) Hendrix – Jimi Hendrix Hiss Golden Messenger – Let the Light of the World Open Your Eyes (Alive at Spacebomb) Hootie and the Blowfish – Live at Nick’s Fat City, 1995. Hot Rats – Turn Ons: 10th Anniversary Edition Hugo Montenegro – Hugo in Wonder-Land Humble Pie – Official Bootleg Collection Vol 2 Hunny – Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ICE NINE KILLS – The Silver Scream: Killer Cuts Iggy Pop – Kiss My Blood (Live in Paris 1991) Infectious Grooves – Take You On A Ride Inhaler – My Honest Face J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding – Stonebone Jay Bennett & Edward Burch – The Palace at 4 AM Jerry Garcia – The Very Best of Jerry Garcia Jesse Dayton – Texas 45 RPM Showdown Jessie Baylin – Pleasure Center EP Jethro Tull – Stormwatch 2 Jimmy Giuffre – GRAZ 1961 Jimmy Guiffre – The 3 & 4: New York Concerts Jimmy Sweeney – Without You Jimmy Urine & Serj Tankian – Fuktronic Joe Loduca & Danny Elfman – Army of Darkness (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) John Prine – The Atlantic Albums John Prine/Kelsey Waldon – The Kentucky Sessions John Wesley Harding – The Man With No Shadow Johnny Cash – Classic Cash: Hall Of Fame Series – Early Mixes (1987) Johnny Thunders & Wayne Kramer – Gang War Jon Brion – Synecdoche New York Josefus – Get Off My case Judas Priest – British Steel — Limited Edition 40th Anniversary Edition Judas Priest – Sad Wings of Destiny June of 44 – Engine Takes To The Water June of 44 – Tropics and Meridians k.d. lang – Drag k.d. lang & the Reclines – Angel With A Lariat Keith Richards – “Hate It When You Leave” b/w “Key To The Highway” Kelly Finnigan – The Tales People Tell (Instrumentals) Kevin Morby – Oh Mon Dieu: Live In Paris Kinks – The Kink Kronikles Lee Fields – Let’s Get A Groove On Lennon/Ono with the Plastic Ono Band – Instant Karma! (2020 Ultimate Mixes) Lenny Bruce – Lenny Bruce Is Out Again Lil’ Kim – 9 Lisa Loeb – A Simple Trick To Happiness Local Natives – When Am I Gonna Lose You Lothar and the Hand People – Machines; Amherst 1969 Lothar and the Hand People – Machines; Amherst 1969 Lou Reed & John Cale – Songs For Drella Love Tractor – 60 Degrees and Sunny Mac DeMarco – Other Here Comes The Cowboy Demos Makeup and Vanity Set – Heart of Batman OST Manic Street Preachers – La Tristessa Durera (Scream To Sigh) Marcy Luarks & Classic Touch – Electric Murder Marion Brown – Porto Novo Mark Knopfler – Metroland (Music and Songs From The Film) Mark Snow – Music From the X-Files: The Truth and the Light Maroon 5 – Memories Martin Denny – Exotic Moog Marty Willson-Piper – Nightjar Marvin Pontiac – Marvin Pontiac: The Asylum Tapes Meat Puppets – Meat Puppets Melanie – Melanie With The incredible String Band Live Mia Doi Todd – Gea Midland – Live From The Palomino Mikal Cronin – Switched-On Seeker Mike Watt + The Secondmen – In Quintessence Mikis Theodorakis – Serpico Miles Davis – Double Image: Rare Miles From the Complete Bitches Brew Sessions Modern English – I Melt With You Motorhead – “Ace of Spades”/”Dirty Love” Mott The Hoople – Golden Age of Rock N Roll Mouth Congress – Ahhhh the Pollution Murs & 9th Wonder – Brighter Daze My Chemical Romance – The Murder Scene Nahko & Medicine For The People – Take Your Power Back Nas – God’s Son Nat Turner Rebellion – Laugh To Keep From Crying Neal Casal – Fade Away Diamond Time Ned Lagin – Seastones: Set 4 New Order – Peel Session /82 New Riders of the Purple Sage – Field Trip (Live) Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets – “See Emily Play”/”Vegetable Man” Nicole Bus – Live in NYC Night Beats – Sonic Bloom Nocturnal Emissions – Tissue of Lies Odd Future – The OF Tape Vol. 2 : Neon Purple Odd Future – The OF Tape Vol. 2 : Neon Pink Oh OK (Lynda Stipe, Linda Hopper, Matthew Sweet) – The Complete Reissue Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (25th Anniversary Edition) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Lethal Weapon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Pale Saints – Mrs. Dolphin Parish Hall – Parish Hall Parliament – The Medicaid Fraud Dogg Presents 3GP Bangers Paul McCartney – McCartney Penderecki/Don Cherry & The New Eternal Rhythm – Actions Pepper – Kona Town Percival – Wild Hunt Live: Pyrkon 2018 Pete Krebs & The Gossamer Wings – All My Friends Pete Rock – Petestrumentals 3 Philip Glass – The Essential Philip Glass – Koyaanisqatsi Pink Floyd – Arnold Layne Live 2007 PinkFong – Baby Shark Polaris – Music From The Adventures of Pete & Pete Post Malone – Hollywood’s Bleeding Primus – Suck On This Randy Newman – Avalon (Original Motion Picture Score) Randy Newman – The Natural Ravi Shankar – Chants of India Record Safari – Record Safari Refused – Not Fit For Broadcast – Live at the BBC Robbie Basho – Selections from Song of the Avatars: The Lost Master Tapes Robyn – Robyn Rockabye Baby! – Lullaby Renditions of Wu-Tang Clan Roger Waters – The Wall– Live In Berlin Ron Carter – Foursight: Stockholm Rory Gallagher – Cleveland Calling Roxy Music – Roxy Music – The Steven Wilson Stereo Mix Royal Horses – A Modern Man’s Way To Improve Ruston Kelly – Dirt Emo Vol. 1 Ryuichi Sakamoto – Black Mirror: Smithereens (Original Soundtrack) Sam Smith – I Feel Love San Francisco Christian Center Choir – The Sound of the San Francisco Christian Center Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – …What That Is! Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – Because Is In Your Mind Sean Price & Small Professor – “Latoya Jackson” b/w Remix Skid Row – Slave To The Grind (Expanded) Skye – Keeping Secrets Skyzoo + Pete Rock – Retropolitan (Instrumentals) Slapp Happy – Our Swimmer Slint – “Breadcrumb Trail” b/w “Good Morning, Captain” Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Thank Me Sock-Tight – Smudge Sofi Tukker – Dancing On The People Solomon Burke – Back To My Roots Someone – ORBIT II Son Volt – Live At The Orange Peel Soul Asylum – Hurry Up And Wait (Deluxe Version) Spacehog – Resident Alien Spoon – All The Weird Kids Up Front (More Best Of Spoon) Squirrel Nut Zippers – The Inevitable Steve Earle – “Times Like These / It’s About Blood” Summer Walker – Last Day of Summer + Clear EP Sumy – Funkin’ In Your Mind Sun Ra – Egypt ’71 Surfer Blood – Astro Coast 10 Year Anniversary Reissue SUSTO – Weather Balloons Suzanne Ciani – Suzanne Ciani Tangerine Dream – Tyger Team Dresch – Choices, Chances, Changes Tear Da Club Up Thugs of Three 6 Mafia – CrazyNDaLazDayz Ted Cassidy – The Lurch Tegan and Sara – Tonight In The Dark We’re Seeing Colors Terry Hall – Home The (Electric Six) Wildbunch – Rock Empire The Airborne Toxic Event – Come On Out The Alarm – Celtic Folklore Live The Allman Brothers Band – An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band: First Set The Allman Brothers Band – An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band: First Set The Allman Brothers Band – Fillmore West 1-31-71 The Black Crowes – Jealous Again The Boys Next Door – Door, Door The Charlatans UK – The Charlatans UK vs. The Chemical Brothers The Comet Is Coming – Imminent The Cure – Bloodflowers The Cure – Seventeen Seconds The Dead South – Record Store Day Release The Doors – The Soft Parade: Stripped The Fallen Angels – Paradise Lost The Feminine Complex – Livin’ Love The Feminine Complex – Livin’ Love The Fleshtones – Face of the Screaming Werewolf The Fleshtones – Face of the Screaming Werewolf The Game – Born 2 Rap The Good Life/The Pauses – Breeders split The Groundhogs – Split The Jones Sisters (Steven Conrad, Lillie Mae and Bobby Bare) – Perpetual Grace, LTD Soundtrack The London Suede – The London Suede The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits The Murder Capital – Live from London: The Dome, Tufnell Park The Notorious B.I.G. – It Was All A Dream: The Notorious B.I.G. 1994-1999 The Obsessed – Incarnate Ultimate The Pale Fountains – Longshot For Your Love The Pineapple Thief – Uncovering The Tracks The Pogues – At The BBC 1984 The Pretenders – Live! At the Paradise, Boston, 1980. The Ramones – It’s Alive II The Replacements – The Complete Inconcerated Live The Residents – Icky Flix: The Original Soundtrack Recording The Rolling Stones – Metamorphosis UK The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed (Limited Collectors Edition) The Skatalites – Ska Voovee The Smithereens – “Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You” The Soft Boys – I Wanna Destroy You / Near The Soft Boys (40th Anniversary Edition) The Specials – Dubs The Strokes – The New Abnormal THE THE – I Want 2 B U The Unrighteous Brothers – Unchained Melody / You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” The Verlaines – Dunedin Spleen The Violets – Athens Georgia 1988-1992 The Weeknd – My Dear Melancholy, The Who – A Quick Live One The Who – Odds and Sods (Deluxe) Throwing Muses – Purgatory/Paradise TLC – Waterfalls Tom Tom Club – Genius of Love 2020 Tommy Bolin – Tommy Bolin Lives! Tones on Tail – Pop Tony Joe White – The Beginning Toto – Live in Tokyo 1980 Tove Lo – Bikini Porn Tres Vampires – Tres Vampires Twiztid – All These Problems Tyler, The Creator – Cherry Bomb (The Instrumentals) Tyler, The Creator – Cherry Bomb U2 – 11 O’CLOCK TICK TOCK (40th Anniversary Edition) UFO – Live in Youngstown ’78 Ultravox – Sleepwalk Various Artists – Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams Various Artists – The Turning: Kate’s Diary Various Artists – Lagniappe Sessions Vol. 2 Various Artists – Sunrise On the Blues: Sun Records Curated By Record Store Day Vol 7 Various Artists – Behind The Dykes: Beat, Blues and Psychedelic Nuggets from The Lowlands 1964-1972 Various Artists – Hackers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Various Artists – The Land of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds of White Whale Records, 1965–1970 Various Artists – Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage and Folk-Rock Rave-Up Various Artists – FLOW Various Artists – The Virgin Suicides (Music From The Motion Picture) Various Artists – Girls in the Garage Volume 8 Various Artists – Soul Jazz Records Presents STUDIO ONE 007: Licensed To Ska! James Bond and other Film Soundtracks and TV Themes Various Artists – Soul Jazz Records Presents Brazil Funk Power –Brazilian Funk and Samba Soul Various Artists – Wick Records Presents Battle of the Bands Vol. 1 Various Artists – The Ska (From Jamaica) Various Artists – Psyché France vol. 6 (1960-70) Various Artists – Hi Tide Groove Various Artists – Record Safari Motion Picture Soundtrack Various Artists – Record Safari Motion Picture Soundtrack (Deluxe Edition) Various Artists – I Saved Latin! A Tribute To Wes Anderson Various Artists – Dance Craze Various Artists – This Are Two Tone Various Artists – STUDIO ONE Rockers Various Artists – From The Vaults, Vol. 2 Various Artists – From The Vault, Vol. 2 Various Artists – Rough Guide To Brazilian Psychedelia Various Artists – DUNE OST Various Artists – Queen & Slim Soundtrack Various Artists – Austin Powers — International Man of Mystery Various Artists – Wilcovered Various Artists – Phenomenon (Music From The Motion Picture) Various Artists – Batman & Robin (Music From and Inspired By The Motion Picture) Various Artists – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Soundtrack Various Artists – Music From The Motion Picture: Austin Powers in Goldmember Vitamin String Quartet – Vitamin String Quartet Performs Lana Del Rey Wale – Wow… That’s Crazy Warren Zevon – Warren Zevon’s Greatest Hits (According To Judd Apatow) Widespread Panic – Sunday Show -the Capital Theatre, Port Chester, NY 3/24/19 Wild Tchoupitoulas – Wild Tchoupitoulas Willie Colon – Cosa Nuestra Wipers – Is This Real–Anniversary Edition Wire – 10:20 Wolfgang Press – Unremembered, Remembered WURM – “Poison” / “Zero Sum” Yardbirds – Roger The Engineer: Stereo & Mono Young Fresh Fellows – Toxic Youth Zap Mama – Adventures in Afropea

Sunday Breakfast

Character(s): Linh, Jaime

Suggested Music: Relaxing Breakfast Jazz

               “How much longer are you gonna take?” Jaime asked as he waited outside in the hall.

               “I’m almost done!” Linh shouted from the other side of the door. As soon as she said that, the door opens, and out she steps dressed in a suit and dragging her luggage behind her.

               “Aww, I was hoping you’d be wearing that saucy dress from last night.” Jaime joked.

               “I’ll take a pass on that. Wearing that made me feel so exposed and I don’t need that when I’m going out to eat breakfast.”

               “True, plus you still look good in the suit.”

               Linh shoved her hand in Jaime’s face to hide her embarrassment as they both made their way to the elevator. They hopped on, made their way to the ground floor, checked out, and strolled to Jaime’s car. Linh popped the trunk open and tossed her luggage in and slammed it shut. Jaime slid into the driver’s seat and Linh took her place in the passenger’s seat. He started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot and made his way to Victoria Street. After a bit of driving, he pulled in to a Denny’s parking lot.

               “I still can’t believe these are starting to pop up in Canada now.” Jaime remarked as he stepped out of the car.

               “I think there’s one back home. It’s near the highway. I never really bothered to try it when the kids and I can just cook our own food.” Linh said as she stepped out and stared at the big Denny’s sign that used a maple leaf as an apostrophe.

               “Well now you can try it and see if you like it.” Jaime and Linh strolled up to the doors and swung them open in unison before entering the restaurant. A red-haired waitress standing at the front desk greeted them.

               “Welcome to Denny’s! Table for two?” She asked. Jaime and Linh nodded in agreement. The waitress grabbed two menus and stepped away from the front desk. “Follow me, please.” She led the pair to a table beside the windows and placed the menus on the table as they took their seats. “Anything to drink?”

               “Green tea and I’ll have it black.” Linh answered.

               “And I’ll have black coffee.” Jaime answered.

               “Sure thing, take your time.” The waitress walked off to get their drinks. Linh perused the menu to what there was to eat. Jaime pulled out the forged driver’s license that Linh made.  He held it out in front of him and let the morning sunlight shine on it. He tilted it to an angle to let the sunlight reflect off it and into Linh’s face. Her eyes squinted as the rays of light shot into her vision. Jaime had a good laugh before Linh swatted his hands away and knocked the forgery onto the table.

               “You never cease to impress me. With that, and last night, and all the cases you’ve helped me crack so far.”

               “And you never cease to baffle me. How have the officers at the station not become suspicious of the bumbling goofball officer cracking case after case?”

               “At first they chalked it up to dumb luck. But after a while, they’ve come to begrudgingly respect me. If they saw me now, they’d probably do a double take.”

               “Here are your drinks!” The waitress walked up to the two and placed their drinks in front of them. “Ready to order?”

               “I’ll have…” Linh dragged her finger down the menu and stopped near the bottom. “The Belgian waffle slam. And I’d like my eggs scrambled, please.”

               “The All-American slam with sunny side up eggs, please.” Jaime answered.

               “Coming right up!” The waitress collected the menus and made her way to the kitchen. Linh and Jaime started talking about the events of the previous night. The nerve-wracking I.D. check at the front doors. The way everyone turned their heads as they walked across the casino floor because the pair looked like they were ready to shoot a movie. How quickly Linh became the starlet of the craps table and transformed into the villain just as fast. Before they knew it, their food arrived at the table and they began to eat their food in comfortable silence, staring out the window on occasion. The lazy morning scene was such a stark contrast to the glitzy night life of Niagara Falls.

               The bill for the meal came soon after they had finished eating. Linh and Jaime paid their own bills, said their goodbyes to the waitress, and left the restaurant. The two had a long drive home ahead of them. They hopped in the car and Jaime pulled out of the lot, heading to the highway. They stopped at a red light and Jaime took the time to take a good look at the forged I.D.

               “You sure like looking at that thing, don’t you?” Linh asked.

               “Why wouldn’t I? I’m still blown away by how good this looks.” Jaime answered as he put it back into his pocket. The light turned green and they continued onward.

               “It took a lot of time and effort to get it right. I was afraid of screwing it up so many times.”

               “But you didn’t. You did well. And you’ll only get better with practice. And you’ll move up to grander forgeries. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if you became skilled enough to forge entire people.”

               “There’s something worrying about a cop of all people saying that.”

               “True, but we’ve already established that I’m an oddball cop.”

               Linh chuckled at Jaime’s rebuttal as he was certainly right in that regard. His ability to switch between bumbling goofball cop and smooth-talking rogue on a dime was, quite simply, odd. But Jaime had proven his abilities over and over. It was thanks to him being on the force that they discovered important information that kept the trail from going cold. But now clues were becoming scarcer and they needed help.

               “Are you sure we can trust these guys?” Linh asked.

               “Yes. I started my search back in ’94. I had to find people who were experts in their field but wouldn’t breach a contract once made. And I found them.”

               “Good. We’ll do what’s needed to get to the bottom of this.”

               Jaime nodded in agreement. Last night was the first hurdle they needed to clear to nurture this new partnership. There was only so much the two of them could do on their own before they hit a wall. They needed help, and they would get it once the week begins. But for now, the two just wanted to go home. Linh needed to pick up Phuong and Trieu from their respective friend’s birthday and sleepover parties. And she needed to sit in a car for two hours before she could do that. While Jaime cruised through the traffic, Linh tuned the radio until she found some easy listening jazz. She leaned back in her seat and stared out the window as Niagara Falls disappeared behind them.

MIMI’S WORLD: NIGHT TIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

What-is-up?! It’s meee- Mimi Evarts, former executive assistant to Lauryn Evarts Bosstick, current creative editor of The Skinny Confidential. Basically, I spend so much time with Lauryn that I have learned how she likes things: graphics, outfits, shoots, locations, etc. SO now I am able to basically execute, arrange, & direct the day-to-day creative side of The Skinny Confidential so that Lauryn can focus on discovery, research, & creating. Along the way I have picked up some tips & tricks of my own, so I am here to share my skincare story.

Get ready for how anal I am – you can ask anyone, I really do this every single day. I look forward to it. Skincare might be the highlight of my day really. I have a few rules about my skincare routine:

+ first: I only do my skincare for bedtime after I am done eating for the entire day. If I do my skincare then sneak a Justin’s almond butter cup, I may even do it again because I feel I have tainted the cleanliness of my skin.

+ second: I have to shower before bed or I can’t sleep. But I don’t just hop in the shower like a free bird, there is some prep to the shower. I put my hair in a bun, put on a cloth headband so my baby hairs don’t get in my skincare, then put on a shower cap. Next, I grab my toothbrush, toothpaste, Clarisonic, oil cleanser, & foam cleanser.

+ finally: My last rule is that in between nourishing skincare steps, I wait at least 2 minutes before applying the next product, up to 10 minutes.

With the remnants of mascara & L.A. smog clinging to my face, cleansing is on my mind. I always start with an oil cleanser. Consider the oil cleansing step to be removing. In order to nourish my skin I need to start with a clean palette. So the oil cleanser removes any product I have on and any residue I have accumulated throughout the day.

Lately I have been using this Glo Skin essential oil cleanser. I find it to be gentle enough to remove my eye makeup without pulling on my skin. My cleansing routine comes from YouTube. I love Korean skincare, specifically, Pony kills it for skincare & makeup. I use one to two pumps and massage it into my skin using circular motions, starting with my forehead for about 10 seconds, then my eyes (  VERY gently) for about 10-15 depending on if I am wearing makeup, 15 seconds on cheeks, 10 seconds on my nose, 10 on my jaw, and finishing with 15 on my neck.

I love a foaming cleanser to remove the oil and makeup left behind from the oil cleanser & to give me that clean feeling I am craving. I have a collection of Caudalie products – some of my favs are: the chapstick, the hand lotion ( smells SO good ), & the toner ( I use this throughout the day & in between steps ).

I like this cleanser because it doesn’t strip my skin of moisture, but it removes all product from my skin to create the perfect base for nourishing. Day to day, I do not wear makeup, just a tinted moisturizer & brow gel. When I do wear makeup, 2-3 times per week, I will use my Clarisonic Mia Smart on the cleanse setting. My Clarisonic beeps when it is time to move sections so I let it do the timing for me. I use 1-2 pumps directly onto the bristles.

3. Exfoliate ( only 3x a week ):

Typically I only exfoliate after I am wearing makeup because my skin feels like it needs a deep clean. Recently I took Lauryn’s Clinique Blackhead exfoliator & I am loving it. I feel the key to exfoliating is constantly changing your routine to keep your skin fresh & reactive. I will only use a dime size amount, massaging it into my skin in the same routine as the oil cleanser.

The only exception being that I do not exfoliate my eyes ( please do not exfoliate your eyes lol ). But! I do pay extra attention when I cleanse around my eyebrows & hairline because I feel that area doesn’t get as much attention as it should in the other cleansing processes.

In order to keep my skin tip-top, I will use a pad in the morning and at night, but never the same pad twice in one day. Typically I try to use the stronger pads at night because they make my skin more sensitive to the sun and can cause redness. Throughout the week I try to mix up the brand & type of pad I use in order to cover all my skin needs.

I have dark spots from when I was a kid & laid in the sun ( hello Banana Boat tanning oil SPF 4 ), so I’ll use a lightening pad like these Dr. Dennis Gross pads that Lauryn turned me on to or these Cane & Austin Glycolic acid pads. I began using peel pads when I went to my dermatologist asking for laser to burn away my freckles, and she told me that pads are a great alternative.

They give you the same results in 3 months and cost a fraction of the price. She also told me that no matter if you use laser or pads, if you go in the sun, your spots will return. Since using pads for the past 20 months, my freckles are almost gone. After using the pad, I will wait 2 minutes at least. During this time I’ll put on body lotion or body butter. Is this TMI?

I mix up my toners weekly, but I always have 2 with me in my skincare kit. The Caudalie, which I use over makeup, throughout the day, or during my skincare routine. You can instantly feel your skin is softer. I think it has essential oils in it because the smell is heavenly & makes me feel more calm. The second toner I always keep on hand is the Kopari rose mist. This is constantly in my bag for on-the-go hydration/dew.

I’m alternating between 2 serums currently. The Dr. Dennis Vitamin C serum for even pigmentation & acne prevention and the SKII serum for brightness. I always use a 1/2 dime size amount, rubbing it in between my hands to warm it up, then pressing, NOT rubbing, it into my skin like I see in Korean skincare videos.

A serum with vitamin C is essential if you have hormonal breakouts. Vitamin C helps to fight the bad bacteria and improve luminance. The SKII has some sort of magical powers to make my skin glow like a diamond but look like porcelain.

Nearing the end of my routine I use a retinol. I switch between a liquid base like Algenist Advanced retinol. I feel like serum is good for more sensitive skin and the consistency of the product is liquid which makes it easy to blend into my skin. Or I will use this Replenix retinol serum which is more of a thick, dry, cream. Think more of cream to powder. As you apply the product to your skin you can feel it is dry in texture but penetrates the barrier.

Retinol helps for age prevention, so I deliberately apply more to my smile lines, and delicately around my eyes ( I think I am getting a smile line, I have been told to stop smiling as much but have not curbed this habit yet ).

EYE CREAMS! I alternate between 2 types of eye creams: one for dark circles and one for puffiness. Right now I am loving this Dr. Dennis gross Vitamin C liquid eye cream for dark circles. The more I use it, the more I can tell it is actually changing the dark pigmentation under my eyes to be lighter. Even when I wake up in the morning I can tell the product has fully absorbed. Then I use this eye cream by Perricone MD for puffiness. I have been using this one for about a year, it’s a pliable white cream which I find layers on rather thick but absorbs within an hour. Sometimes if I am feeling frisky, I will clip the eye massager attachment onto my Clarisonic, the Foreo eye massager, or use this little gold face massager tool to help the absorption of the product.

At last, the almost final step. Hydration! At night, I feel your skin needs deep nourishment, whereas in the morning you need more lightweight. But after all the products I have applied, I really just want my moisturizer to nourish & hydrate, bonus points for anything with hyaluronic acid. So I love this CeraVe basic moisturizer that I picked up in Monaco or this hydrating gel to lock in hydration. I use a dime size amount of this, then tap it onto my skin until I have covered my face, neck, and décolletage. I usually do not layer moisturizer on top of my eye cream.

Lauryn & I fought about the order in which oil is applied for 2 years. After much debate, many late night arguments, research, and experiments, my theory that oil is the last step was confirmed by Dr. Dennis on TSC Podcast. For the record, Michael was team oil last step, Lauryn was team oil before moisturizer. I figured, oil & water do not mix. Considering the first ingredient listed on most skincare products is good ol’ H20. If I apply an oil before my other steps, my skin will not absorb the product because it won’t be able to penetrate the oil barrier. I use all types of oil, but I always come back to rosehip & argan oil. I put a quarter size amount & tap it into my skin.

That being said, Lauryn did introduce me to oil which sparked my interest in skincare. I remember the day my love of oil began like it was yesterday… we were kids & Michael still lived at his parents house, where I basically lived because Tara and I were inseparable. Lauryn saw us using makeup removing wipes and she nearly collapsed at the sparse skincare setup we had going on, mixed with the obscene amounts of eyeliner we were wearing ( exhibit A: tbh I want to have that hair again, should I do it? ). She then took us into the kitchen and raided the oil cabinet until she found the grapeseed oil, my life was forever changed!

BONUS:

Because I can’t stop with only 10 steps, I don’t mean to brag, but people are always asking me if I have had lip filler and I have not! I haven’t even had Botox yet ( I tried to and my dermatologist said no ). I have been using the liquid collagen lip for a year and it works. It’s rather thin so I keep it next to my bed and usually reapply it a few times.

Also I use Grande Lash MD when I remember to & that stuff works wonders. Fuck it, if I am being honest I usually do a spritz of toner at the end & use a nail oil.

After I am done with my skincare routine, the sun is nearly up & I have watched everything there is on Netflix ( kidding ). I get into bed, take my vitamins ( multi, probiotic, magnesium, biotin, vitamin e) then sitting up in bed, I try not to touch my face to anything, pillows, my blanket, etc. So I sit up right & read for an hour ( currently reading Creative Selection & just finished No Lifeguard on Duty ). Then I set my alarm, slip on my sleep mask, & go to sleep!

I hope you enjoy my crazy skincare routine & please let me know if you have any questions or tips for me! DM / follow me on Instagram. Thanks for reading, good luck with your skincare & try watching Netflix while applying product, thank me later. <3

Since all of us over here at The Skinny Confidential are obsessed with Dr. Dennis Gross because his products are the shit, go to his site here and use code SKINNY10 for 15% off.

BEDTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE BOSS LEVEL

<![CDATA[ .yuzo_related_post imgwidth:145px !important; height:145px !important; .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumbline-height:12px;background:#f4f4f4 !important;color:!important; .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hoverbackground:#f4f4f4 !important; -webkit-transition: background 0.2s linear; -moz-transition: background 0.2s linear; -o-transition: background 0.2s linear; transition: background 0.2s linear;;color:!important; .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb acolor:!important; .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a:hover color:!important; .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover a color:!important; .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo__text--title color:!important; .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_views_post color:!important; .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post:hover .yuzo_views_post color:!important; .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 5px 7px 5px 7px; ]]> Source: https://www.theskinnyconfidential.com/mimis-world-night-time-skincare/

Zach Lowe’s most intriguing players in 2017-18, featuring Justise Winslow, Jusuf Nurkic

Even though the Warriors are going to curb-stomp everyone, developments outside the Bay still matter. The growth of one player, or one unexpected boom-or-bust trade, can bend the trajectory of an entire franchise.

With that in mind, here’s our annual spotlight on six of the most intriguing players to watch in the upcoming season. We avoid superstars and obvious first- and second-year curiosities. The goal is to find guys in new roles, facing new challenges, who might emerge as X factors for solid teams.

RODNEY HOOD, UTAH JAZZ

The moment Gordon Hayward hit “publish,” Hood became the go-to scorer for this defense-first meat-grinder that figures to be in the race for one of the West’s last three playoff spots. The presence of Ricky Rubio means Hood doesn’t have to be Hayward, who served as something of a co-point guard. Quin Snyder prefers an egalitarian offense, but Rubio’s unique game — the combination of horrid shooting and genius passing — means he will probably have the ball more than anyone on last season’s Jazz did.

That will free Hood to score, which is good, because Hood wants to score. He averaged just 2.2 assists per 36 minutes last season, a career low, and a disappointing figure considering how often he commandeered the offense. He sometimes holds the ball too long, and takes one fatal extra dribble toward an open teammate that gives the defense a head start in recovering:

His handle can get rickety:

Hood has flashed good vision; he wraps slick interior dimes to Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, likely to start together again, and occasionally slings crosscourt lasers to corner shooters. But his assists have stemmed more from crisis response — “Oh, crap, I’m trapped!” — than any proactive reading of the defense. Utah needs a hair more playmaking.

But the Jazz know Hood is a scorer at heart. They just want him to score more efficiently. He pulls up for a ton of tough midrangers:

About 30 percent of Hood’s shots came in the floater zone between three and 16 feet from the rim, a share that ranked in the 90th percentile among wing players, according to research from Ben Falk of Cleaning the Glass. Trade a few of those for drives and 3s, and Utah will have something. Hood could average 20 per game this season, but will they be the kind of points that lead to winning?

Hood earned only two free throws per game last season; Utah will ache for cheap points, and Hood can supply some if he drives more. He’ll have to dodge heavy traffic when both Favors and Gobert are on the floor.

He’s already comfortable jacking triples out of the pick-and-roll, and whether he can nudge his accuracy on those pull-up bombs a few ticks above 30 percent — his mark last season — might be the single most important variable in Hood’s evolution.

He’s crafty opening airspace for those shots. He disguises which way he wants to go around a screen, and jukes his defender in the wrong direction with mean shoulder shimmies.

The craft translates into the paint. Hood does the Chris Paul thing where he locks his defender on his hip, slow-dribbles inside, and waits to see what the defense yields:

The biggest leap for a playmaker is the one from reacting to manipulating — to envisioning multiple possible outcomes, and engineering the best one.

Hood has the goods to progress along that continuum, but it’s unclear if he can do it every night against the best opposing wing defenders. His days overwhelming weak links are over. He struggled in the playoff hothouse and has suffered a bunch of nagging injuries.

Hood is eligible for an extension now, but Utah can wield the hammer of restricted free agency in July — when Hood will have a teensy cap hold. The bet here is that they will wait.

JUSUF NURKIC, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Ah, the tanktastic NBA of March and April, where what looks like a positive trend might actually just be a team — or a player — trying against sad sacks.

The Blazers, mediocre all season, jolted to 14-5 with Nurkic in the starting lineup, and outscored opponents by nine points per 100 possessions with the Bosnian Beast on the floor, per NBA.com. They went 5-3 in that stretch against playoff teams, and dealt a death blow to Denver’s postseason hopes in an eighth-seed showdown — a game in which Nurkic humiliated his old team.

(By the way: Remember when Denver had a boatload of extra picks? They have none now. They attached one to Nurkic in the Mason Plumlee deal, and gave another to Philly in 2015 as a gift for taking on JaVale McGee’s contract. The Nuggets basically lit two first-round picks on fire. Yeah, McGee was toxic, with another year left on his deal at the time worth $12 mill. And Denver already had a ton of young guys. Still: That’s not great, Bob.)

Nurkic’s revival is a useful reminder that only a half-dozen or so superstars translate independently across any roster. Everyone else is a plant seeking the right habitat.

In Denver, Nurkic set screens for point guards who inspired no fear. In Portland, he dances with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, lethal pull-up shooters who draw traps 30 feet from the rim. Nurkic suddenly had space to rampage, and holy hell, did he rampage:

He understood defenses would swarm Lillard and McCollum early, and adjusted by slipping screens — darting toward the paint before even setting a pick — way more often in Portland than in Denver, per Synergy Sports. Nurkic isn’t a leaper, but he’s explosive on the horizontal plane; he can zip from the foul line to the rim in a flash.

“We didn’t know the extent of his game,” said C.J. McCollum, who watched a lot of film with Nurkic early to accelerate their two-man chemistry. “He’s huge, but he can make plays without being a klutz.”

Nurkic became a fundamentally different player. He migrated outside, and exchanged brute force post-ups for pick-and-roll devastation. (It also helped that he, like, tried.) Most promising of all, he showed the passing chops to run Portland’s offense from the elbows, easing the creative burden on Lillard and McCollum.

Portland’s weaker shooters — and there are a lot — realized right away Nurkic could find them on backdoor cuts if their defenders lunged at McCollum and Lillard popping off picks. And with Nurkic handling, McCollum and Lillard morph into dangerous, Curry-style screen-setters.

Nurkic almost doubled his assist rate in Portland. He even used his post-ups to draw the extra help Plumlee never could, and pick out cutters. He injected some needed unpredictability — a new method of attack — after the league caught up to the cascading flow offense that surprised opponents during Portland’s feel-good 2015-16 season.

Nurkic will have to manage amid tighter spacing with Allen Crabbe jettisoned to Brooklyn. Crabbe allowed Terry Stotts to stagger his worst rotation shooters — Maurice Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu, Evan Turner, Noah Vonleh — so that only one or two were on the floor with Nurkic. That will be harder now. Help defenders might arrive in the paint sooner, and Nurkic isn’t as steady on his feet when the help meets him high on the floor.

“The give and take is that you have more good defenders on the court,” Stotts, Portland’s coach, told ESPN.com. “But we do need to find another shooter.” (The Blazers are confident Harkless and Aminu can stabilize as at least average 3-point shooters; Aminu shot 36 percent from deep two seasons ago, and better than that after returning from injury last season. We’ll see. It will be awhile before anyone guards them.)

On defense, Nurkic returned Portland to the conservative drop-back style they preferred when Robin Lopez manned the middle.

He’s surprisingly nimble, with sticky paws; Nurkic recorded 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per 36 minutes as a Blazer, rare historic territory for a 7-footer. Keeping Nurkic back allows Portland’s wing defenders to stay close to enemy shooters, cracking down on 3-point attempts.

That scheme brings obvious tradeoffs. Portland won’t force many turnovers. Lillard and McCollum, both minus defenders, face enormous pressure to scoot cleanly around picks; get hung up, and opposing guards have acres of space to launch 3s. Nurkic will have to scamper out of his comfort zone against centers with 3-point range.

He’s a so-so rim protector who struggles to keep up when opponents run him through two or three actions in quick succession. When he gets tired, his arms drop to his sides, like a winded boxer. Teams are going to test his conditioning. The Nurkic Fever honeymoon will end; adversity will strike, and Nurkic pouted when he didn’t get his way in Denver.

Good news: Nurkic appears to be in great shape. If he stays disciplined, he could become an important part of Portland’s long-term plan.

THE DALLAS FRONTCOURT

It will be fascinating to see how warlock Rick Carlisle meshes three potential frontcourt pillars in Harrison Barnes, Dirk Nowitzki, and Nerlens Noel — the last in a contract year after hilariously turning down a 4-year, $70 million offer early in free agency. The trio logged just 122 mostly ugly minutes last season.

The fit between Nowitzki and Noel is obvious: Noel is the new Tyson Chandler, sucking in defenders on rim runs while Nowitzki spots up. But what about Barnes? The Mavs last season shifted Barnes to power forward and turned him into Nowitzki; he isolated on the wing, set picks, and abused switches from Nowitzki’s old office in the middle of the foul line. If Noel is the go-to screen-setter now, what will Barnes do when all three share the floor?

The easy answer would be to give him the ball in the pick-and-roll, but the Mavs barely did that last season, and when they did, it went poorly:

Barnes still hasn’t shown the feel or vision to run an offense; he used just 163 ball screens all season, seventh most on the Mavs, per data from STATS. If Yogi Ferrell and Dennis Smith run the show with Noel, Barnes will have to spend a lot of time chilling in the corner — decoy duty beneath max-salary scorers.

Barnes has spent the summer working on his playmaking for exactly this reason. He has set an informal goal of averaging three assists per game, he told ESPN.com. “It’s something I have to do better,” he said. But teams might switch any Barnes-Noel stuff, daring Barnes to beat their bigs or inviting Noel to post up smaller defenders. Noel has barely hit the post over the past two seasons, and often literally falls over when he tries.

There are natural solutions. Barnes will get plenty of time at power forward. Carlisle has long yanked Nowitzki early so that he can anchor second units, often as a center in lineups that bled points last season. Carlisle’s flow offense, with simultaneous motion across the floor, creates organic opportunities outside the central action:

Two of Barnes, Wesley Matthews, and Nowitzki might exchange screens under the rim while Smith and Noel run a pick-and-roll up high. Generate a switch, and any of those three can post up a mismatch.

“Even on plays that aren’t designed for me,” Barnes said, “there will be an option for me.”

The Mavs will still use Nowitzki as a screener, and park Noel under the hoop. Nowitzki’s defenders stick to him out of respect for his jumper, allowing Dallas guards to turn the corner, draw help, and lob to lurking centers:

The Mavs might also play through Noel at the elbow a bit, and orbit him with screens and cuts — another way of involving everyone. Noel is a sneaky-good passer when he resists the temptation to try no-chance thread-the-needle jobs; the Sixers installed inside-out sets to let him dish.

“Nerlens can be an elite high-post passer in a spaced environment,” Brett Brown, Philly’s coach, told ESPN.com.

Noel also has to anchor the defense. Carlisle has a bag of tricks — zones, weird matchups — to hide Nowitzki, but no trick is better than a shot-blocking, steal-swiping center patrolling the paint. Noel’s bad bets have always outnumbered his highlight steals and rejections; he leaps for blocks he’ll never get, lunges wildly into passing planes, and teeters off-balance. Carlisle will demand more discipline.

The Mavs aren’t making the playoffs, but they need to learn whether Noel is worth a big investment — and how he mixes with their other big-money stars.

JUSTISE WINSLOW, MIAMI HEAT

Remember Justise Winslow? Boston offered Charlotte four first-round picks just for the chance to draft him. One head coach told ESPN.com Winslow gave the best pre-draft interview he had ever seen.

The Heat owe Phoenix two first-round picks, and they are capped out for the next three years after splurging on James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, and the Imperator of Waiters Island. The Heat have unearthed some good young players — Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson — but Winslow is their swing piece. If they want to leap up the East, or strike a killer trade, Winslow has to rehabilitate his value.

He might have to do it from the bench if Miami starts James Johnson at power forward, as I would expect. The Heat probably would want maximum shooting around Johnson and Hassan Whiteside; Winslow provides none. The Heat’s offense took off last season almost the moment Winslow got hurt.

When Miami plays Winslow on the wing, it has mostly been with an ace shooter — Luke Babbitt last season — as the nominal power forward, a setup that allows Winslow to skulk along the baseline:

Winslow is a good cutter who made huge strides as a passer last season. Playmaking and movement can masquerade as spacing, to some degree. Put enough guys on the floor who can cut, drive, and dish, rapid-fire, through tight corridors, and you can score even if they are so-so shooters. Letting James Johnson handle as a point forward mitigates the Johnson-Winslow-Whiteside spacing crunch, since opponents have to honor the ball.

Hell, Miami wasn’t loaded with fearsome shooters last season, despite borderline career years from Goran Dragic, Waiters and James Johnson. They were just freaking relentless, and in better shape than everyone else.

Winslow can even be an effective pick-and-roll guy when Miami hits the gas, and gets into things before opponents can gird themselves to duck under every pick:

Still: He can’t shoot, and it will be hard to play him in some groups. Opponents hide their weakest defenders on him — even little point guards — which makes it easier to guard everyone else.

Winslow is a better fit as a small-ball power forward in second units with Olynyk at center, but Erik Spoelstra can play those groups only so many minutes.

Winslow just has to be better. Step one: Stop catching the ball in 3-point range, sliding inside the arc, and barfing up 21-footers. Either jack that open 3, or move things along. If Luc Mbah a Moute can work himself into a 40 percent shooter on corner 3s, Winslow can, too. Winslow can drive into the chest of smaller guys and shoot over them, though he has shown zero finesse finishing around the basket; he shot a horrid 47 percent in the restricted area last season.

Winslow will be an elite defender across four positions. He is tenacious. He can be a productive player even if the jumper never comes. The Heat just have to figure out how, and in what lineups.

ANDRE DRUMMOND, DETROIT PISTONS

This is a show-me year for Drummond. All the issues I wrote about in February remain unresolved. If Drummond insists on posting up, Stan Van Gundy wants him to try facing the basket and blowing by fools instead of belching bricky jump hooks. (Drummond shot a ghastly 41 percent on post-ups last season, per Synergy, and rarely got to the line — perhaps fearful of embarrassing himself there.)

On defense, Drummond resisted Van Gundy’s entreaties to venture outside the paint and disrupt pick-and-rolls around the 3-point arc. “There’s a tug of war going on between us,” Van Gundy said then.

The Pistons sniffed out the Drummond trade market for much of the winter, and found little interest, sources told ESPN then.

We know what Drummond is on offense, or what he should be: a dive-and-dunk rim-runner who inhales offensive rebounds before the regular humans around him even get off the ground. Those players have value, even in the era of pace-and-space and stretch centers.

But a lot of their value has to come on defense, and that is where Drummond regressed. He played with low energy, and often let both his man and the ball slip behind him — leaving the rim naked.

Drummond will never be Rudy Gobert. To live up to his contract — and to make it movable for a team up against the tax — he has to at least approximate DeAndre Jordan.

Detroit is optimistic Drummond will play with more effort and verve after offseason surgery to open up his left nostril. His wind should improve, and he just turned 24. But if the Pistons start out slowly, this situation could turn volatile — fast.

JRUE HOLIDAY, NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

So, umm, did the Pelicans — with DeMarcus Cousins’ free agency looming and limited paths to upgrade if he leaves — just give Jrue Holiday $26 million per year to be an average spot-up shooter next to Rajon Rondo and two All-Star bigs?

They concluded Holiday just works better as a secondary ball handler, a role he has played next to Tyreke Evans, Tim Frazier, and others over four strange years in New Orleans. “I honestly don’t think it changes much for me,” Holiday told ESPN.com. “Rondo makes scoring so much easier.”

The team worried about Holiday’s court vision and shot selection as the undisputed floor general. “The fit with Rondo is going to be much, much better for him,” Alvin Gentry, the Pelicans’ head coach, told ESPN.com. “Anyone who doubts the value of Rondo just has to look at the playoffs last year. [The Bulls] dominated with him against Boston.”

Holiday is a 36 percent career shooter from deep, and right around that number on the catch-and-shoot attempts he should get more of in his new role — decent, but far below sharpshooter status. Nobody is afraid of Holiday letting fly.

At this salary, Holiday has to do more than stand and wait — not easy alongside three dudes who need the ball. Gentry wants Cousins and Anthony Davis to push after rebounds, so that Holiday can run the wing, catch at full speed, and slice into a backpedaling defense.

Things will get dicier in the half court given the Pellies’ shaky outside shooting. Cousins and Davis are skilled playmakers, and Cousins has reinvented himself as an above-average 3-point shooter. (The same reinvention has not happened for Davis.) But there is always a tradeoff having your behemoth banger chilling 30 feet from the hoop, and defenses don’t hug up on Cousins out there.

The fifth starting spot at small forward is open, and Gentry might rotate players based on matchups, he said. The bet here is on Dante Cunningham, who shot 39 percent from deep last season — an outlier mark that won’t make opponents pay him any mind.

Gentry and his staff have to get creative. They hired Chris Finch away from Denver, and plan to mimic how the Nuggets ran their offense through Nikola Jokic. Cousins and Davis will handle the ball up high, while the other four players screen for one another. Gentry might even stick one of the bigs in the corner in Rick Adelman-style sets, and have Holiday screen for him there. “Deal with that,” Gentry said.

Holiday will snare dribble handoffs at the elbows, and attack scrambled defenses when Rondo kicks him the ball after a pick-and-roll. He has spent this summer working on quick catch-and-drive attacks. “I am locked in on off-ball actions,” Holiday said. He is in shape after his first summer of health and peace in years.

But he’s undersized at the wing, and he’s not a blow-by athlete anymore. He might find himself taking tough shots over bigger defenders.

He’ll have to guard those same players at times. Gentry plans to use three-guard lineups featuring any of Rondo, Holiday, E’Twaun Moore, and Ian Clark, and he will ask Holiday to defend bigger wings. “The Paul Georges and Kevin Durants — we’re going to ask Jrue to guard those guys,” Gentry said.

The Pelicans have the talent to make noise. Core Boogie-Davis lineups trended up on offense after a brutal start; the Pelicans ended up outscoring opponents by three points per 100 possessions with Cousins, Davis, and Holiday on the floor. The sheer amount of IQ and craft flowing from Cousins and Davis is overwhelming.

But these guys have a lot to figure out, fast, and the wing rotation is the bad kind of scary. They are going to need a monster year from Holiday.

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The NBA's Promising Rookie Point Guard Class Has Starred at Summer League

The NBA's incoming point guard class might just be the best the league has ever seen.

Granted, that's an awfully big might. It's far too early to know just how good a NBA Draft lottery that contained six point guards will end up becoming. But after seeing these prospects in action at the Las Vegas Summer League, it's not too early to get excited.

Lonzo Ball amazed sold-out crowds of Los Angeles Lakers fans with a barrage of highlight passes. Dennis Smith Jr. wowed everyone with his nuclear athleticism and ferocious rim attacks. Donovan Mitchell looked like a veteran, providing steals and buckets from both guard spots. And De'Aaron Fox played at a faster speed than anyone we've seen in a long time.

Oh, and all of that's without mentioning top overall selection Markelle Fultz and the injured Frank Ntilikina, both of whom we'll discuss another time.

For now, let's take a closer look at what stood out about Ball, Mitchell, Fox, and Smith Jr. in Las Vegas:

Donovan Mitchell

A player who started off low on draftnik radars but climbed boards over the course of his sophomore season at Louisville, Mitchell was the sixth point guard taken in the draft—and the surprise of summer league. The first thing that stands out is his ability to play fast and keep defenders on their heels while also maintaining poise and control.

That's a difficult and delicate balance for any player to find and maintain, let alone a 20-year-old rookie, but Mitchell is aided by a complete collection of combo guard skills. His three-point shot looks incredibly smooth and balanced, and he does a great job of staying prepared for the shot off of the catch. He also elevates on his shot quite a bit, which makes his release point higher than that of other 6-foot-3 guards.

Throughout summer league, Mitchell was great at attacking closeouts and getting to the rim, or creating space for a one-dribble pull-up. He also has speed, a quick, low handle, and the ability to shift gears on a dime—all of the tools needed to be a great scoring guard.

Traded to Utah on draft night, Donovan Mitchell has been the surprise of summer league. Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Mitchell averaged just 2.7 assists last season at Louisville, and his ability to facilitate great offense beyond scoring remains questionable. At times in Las Vegas, his passing looked superb. But he also had more turnovers than assists in his first two games.

On defense, Mitchell has shown incredible feel for shooting gaps and forcing turnovers: his six steals per game in summer league led all players and was nearly twice as many as anyone else. He routinely covers more ground than his opponents anticipate, narrowing passing lanes and cutting off angles to the basket.

Mitchell is sneakily athletic. He put on impressive dunk shows in layup lines and had a handful of rebounds and drives to the basket where he showed off impressive speed and elevation. At his height, he's a bit small for a point guard and very small for a shooting guard, which figures to be his biggest obstacle—athleticism and constant hustle are good traits, but switching onto taller perimeter opponents like Klay Thompson will be challenging.

Mitchell's ceiling is hard to predict, and may be lower than it is for some of his classmates. But he enters the league as someone ready to play and make an immediate impact.

Dennis Smith Jr.

Smith will enter the 2017-18 NBA season as one of the most explosive athletes in the league. He reportedly registered a 48-inch vertical at a workout for the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year, and based on what he showed at summer league, that number isn't fake news:

Like Russell Westbrook, Smith puts tremendous pressure on the defenders guarding him. Every second trying to contain him off of the dribble is exhausting. He has a lightning quick first step, and enough strength to bully most guards once he is able to gain a half step of separation on dribble drives. Fall behind just a little bit, and defenders risk either fouling Smith or getting posterized at the rim.

And Smith is relentless. He has absolutely no fear of anyone on the court—guards, wings, or centers. He doesn't think twice about challenging much taller and stronger rim protectors inside the painted area. Smith averaged 9.6 free throw attempts per game over a three-game stretch in Las Vegas, an incredibly high number for a point guard. Last season, only Westbrook and James Harden attempted more foul shots per game, and they did it with the benefit of regular season games being eight minutes longer than summer league games.

Heading into the draft, Smith's shot-and decision-making were question marks. Through his first four summer league games, he impressed in both areas, shooting 47.1 percent from the field—better than Ball and Mitchell. Smith took five 3-point attempts per game, and that seems about right, given that his outside shot mostly exists to provide balance to his dribble drives.

Smith's passing also was impressive. He wasn't as ball dominant as he was at NC State— where he was the school's lone half court creator—and that suggests that some of his inconsistent collegiate decision-making was as much due to circumstances as it was to his ability to make reads. Even though Smith split playmaking duties with Yogi Ferrell, he managed to do a superb job of setting up teammates and knowing when to pass and when to shoot.

Defensively, Smith was a mixed bag. His 2.5 steals per game put him near the top of the summer league, and he had moments of great on-ball effort. Off the ball, Smith tended to take plays off, giving up a handful of easy putbacks and backdoor cuts.

Most draft analysts pegged Smith as a high-upside, low-downside prospect, and that view remains fair. In Las Vegas, however, it was easy to imagine Smith getting closer to his ceiling than his floor. He might be the most talented point guard in his class, which is really saying something.

De'Aaron Fox

Fox enters the NBA as the rawest of his summer league peers. He's also the fastest and one of the quickest, unmatched among rookies in end-to-end speed and his unique ability to shift and maneuver at full throttle. His open court shimmy against Phoenix's Derrick Jones Jr. was the highlight of his summer league so far.

Fox's quickness is more useful on defense, where he's able to hound ball handlers all over the court. It's nearly impossible to shake free from Fox, and his super-slender frame gives him a long-lasting motor. He also has solid defensive footwork and timing, quick hands and feet, and great instincts for on-ball defending. His 2.3 steals per game were impressive considering that he only averaged 21 minutes per game.

That said, Fox has two major weaknesses working against him. First, his inconsistent jump shot makes him a reluctant scorer; second, his skinny frame makes it hard for him to fully take advantage of his speed. Over his first four summer league games, Fox took just 36 total field goal attempts—14 fewer than Mitchell, who appeared in just two games, 15 fewer than Smith, and half as many as Ball.

A rare summer league jumper for De'Aaron Fox. Photo by Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest pre-draft knock on Ball was that he would have a hard time creating shots for himself against NBA defenders. The same could be said of Fox. Defenses figure to sag off of him and dare him to make plays off of the dribble. In Las Vegas, he was very selective with his shot, passing up plenty of scoring opportunities. While Ball generated nearly 10 assists per game, Fox has just 12 assists total over four games.

Of all the rookie point guards, Fox has the biggest gaps in his game. His speed is unique and there will be nights that he can leverage it into elite playmaking, but NBA teams will throw long defenders on him, sag off and go under on screens, and dare him to shoot from outside. He'll have to make quick progress on both his ability and willingness to take jump shots in order to counter.

Lonzo Ball

Part of what makes Ball such a polarizing prospect is that his game is so unique—there aren't any great comparisons to him, neither in the current NBA nor in league history. He was one of the most efficient three-point shooters in college basketball history, yet there's concern that his shot won't translate when NBA defenders can take away certain angles on his highly unorthodox shot. He was an elite passer in college, but his teammates also hit an abnormally high amount of their shots when receiving passes from him. His defense is a mixture of great feel as a helpside defender and slow feet when guarding the ball.

Through four summer league games, I'm not sure Ball's skeptics nor his fans changed their minds.

Ball is at his best in transition: he makes blistering fast decisions with the ball, throws pinpoint passes, and scrambles defenders. His ability to create transition offense on nearly every possession is underrated. Off misses and makes alike, he's great at getting the ball out of his hands early and advancing it up the court, effectively creating an extra two or three seconds of shot clock to operate in the half court. It also seems like Ball's teammates are starting to adjust to his quick thinking and running the court more and more, looking for outlet passes and filling lanes.

And it's not just his assists that help. Ball moves the ball quickly when he sees an opportunity for someone else to exploit a defensive imbalance on the other side of the floor, showing incredible trust in his teammates. Summer league doesn't have publicly available SportVu player tracking data, but there's a great chance he led all players in hockey assists by a wide margin. After four games, he led all players in regular assists at 9.8 per game, two more than anyone else and almost twice as many as any other player drafted last month.

When the passing is pure. Photo by Stephen A. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

But Ball's shot was also off during that span. He shot just 35.7 percent from the field, remarkable considering he shot worse than that just twice during his entire freshman season at UCLA. Some of those shots have been solid catch-and-shoot looks that probably will progress back to the mean over the course of an 82-game NBA regular season, but some of his shooting struggles came off of the exact plays scouts worried about. Ball has air-balled and clanked pull-up shots going to his right, and has been forced into contested step-back threes late in the shot clock.

Yet even when Ball slumps, he makes winning plays. Against Philadelphia, Ball scored 36 points, primarily off of dribble drives when the 76ers attempted to pressure him and test his handle. That plan backfired as Ball took over the scoring load and picked the Philly defense apart, getting to the cup and either scoring or finding the open man on the kickout.

As an on-ball defender, Ball has suffered some disastrous moments, especially in the pick-and-roll. He probably doesn't have the foot speed to cover some of the league's quicker guards, like Westbrook, John Wall, and Kemba Walker. He has the length to sag off of lesser shooters, but teams can combat that by forcing him into ball screens below the three-point line. In Las Vegas, Ball hasn't been able to fight through those screens and contain penetration.

Off the ball is a different story. Ball has shown great anticipation—especially in transition, where he jumps passing lanes and disrupts fast breaks. Ball ranked second in steals per game behind Mitchell and his six blocks through four games stood out quite a bit among guards. He also was a good defensive rebounder.

Over the course of summer league, all four rookie point guards looked like elite prospects. Each had their ups and downs, but mostly stood out for good reasons. Going forward, their diverse skills, strengths, and weaknesses will make for some interesting comparisons, and make the NBA as a whole more enjoyable to watch. Let's see what happens next.

The NBA's Promising Rookie Point Guard Class Has Starred at Summer League published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

2021 NBA player rankings, Nos. 60-51: Ranking Andre Drummond and Isaiah Thomas is hard

How do we deal with a big man whose progress has stagnated? How do we deal with a short point guard coming off a magical year?

We begin this section of our countdown of the 101 best NBA players in 2021 with someone who did not develop as we expected. We end it with someone who developed far more than anyone expected, but is being doubted again after a health scare.

In between, we have the usual mix of high-upside youngsters and quality veterans we think will hold on just fine in four years. We also have the guy who went No. 59, thanks to one of us going out on a limb.

60. Andre Drummond

Age in 2021: 27 (9 seasons)

CHRIS GREENBERG: Maybe Andre Drummond didn’t merit the No. 3 spot in the previous edition of these rankings. But the Pistons’ center does still have four seasons averaging a double-double in the first five of his career. He played no fewer than 81 games in those four double-double seasons.

He’ll be just 27 entering the 2021-22 season. He’ll also very likely still be 6’11. These will be useful qualities.

Everyone else’s reactions

LAZARUS JACKSON, DETROIT BAD BOYS: Drummond was third (?!) in the top 100 of 2017. He didn't deserve to be that high then, and he doesn't deserve to be this low now.

TIM CATO: Drummond was typecast as a star early on, but he’ll settle into a DeAndre Jordan role just fine in the coming years. Though that might works best if he gets out of Detroit.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Drummond needs a new home and I hope it happens before 2021. Detroit hasn’t figured out how to get the most out of him.

TOM ZILLER: Free Drummond!

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Still can’t shoot free throws.

More reading material

59. Tim Hardaway Jr.

Age in 2021: 29 (8 seasons)

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Ha! You thought I wasn’t gonna take 2 Knicks in a row? You thought wrong. Hahahahahaahahaahahahahaaha!

In four years, New York should have overhauled its culture and have set up some semblance of a winning foundation. While Kristaps Porzingis will be key to New York’s success, the Knicks will expect Tim Hardaway Jr. to take the steps in developing into a fringe All-Star. Hardaway can shoot and score off the dribble and has become a decent perimeter defender.

If he continues this upward trajectory, there’s no doubt in my mind he’s at least one of best 15 wing players in the league in 2021.

Everyone else’s reactions

CHRIS GREENBERG: On behalf of reasonable Knicks fans (seriously, we exist), I cannot endorse this selection.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: This is the most Kristian pick ever.

Listen, I like THJ a lot. Seems like a great kid. But he’s going to be stuck playing for the Knicks until 2021 considering that wild contract they handed out. Therefore, he is doomed.

MIKE PRADA: “In four years, New York should have overhauled its culture and have set up some semblance of a winning foundation.”

Where’s the MJ spitting gif when you need it?

MATT ELLENTUCK: I’m throwing up.

TIM CATO: Those Knicks-tinted glasses do fit your face well, Kristian.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Damn right, Tim.

JOE FLYNN, POSTING AND TOASTING: He'll probably never defend and his three-point shooting has always been a touch overrated, but Timmy continues to expand his offensive repertoire and could end up one of the league's best scoring guards.

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58. Mike Conley

Age in 2021: 33 (14 seasons)

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Mike Conley is under the radar now and he’ll still be under the radar in 2021. He’ll only be 33 in 2021 and is going to still be one of the league’s best point guards. As much as I wish Conley could go play for a contender, he’ll still be in Memphis. Still underrated. Still grinding as Mike Conley does.

Everyone else’s reactions

TOM ZILLER: This is an outright steal.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: 33-year-old Mike Conley will play a lot like current Mike Conley, making this the best value pick of this draft.

JOE MULLINAX, GRIZZLY BEAR BLUES: This is interesting because that means Conley at age 35 will be viewed as still potentially the second- or third-best player on the Grizzlies.

I hope that’s true, but his size and playing style make me nervous. Players can change and evolve their games over time of course (see Gasol, Marc), so it’s possible Conley becomes much more perimeter-based as he ages.

MIKE PRADA: The reason I didn’t take him higher is that I’m worried that history of foot and leg injuries will catch up to him. Of course, we’ve been saying that for a few years now.

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57. Nerlens Noel

Age in 2021: 27 (8 seasons)

TIM CATO: I f$%^ing love Nerlens, man. His block and steal rates are setting records, his finishing ability around the hoop is wildly efficient, and he occasionally shows flashes of skill in places you wouldn’t expect your defensive anchor center to show them. Such as: leading a fast break, or nimbly Eurostepping around a defender, or pump-faking from 20 feet and dunking on the other side.

iIt’s hard to get too wildly excited about him until he finishes a couple seasons without any major injuries. But I legitimately think this 23-year-old has Defensive Player of the Year potential once he puts it all together.

Everyone else’s reactions

TOM ZILLER: I’m a little worried about the Nerlens Noel experience after he got traded for nada and slow-walked through a drawn-out restricted free agency.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: This summer also concerns me.

NICK ANGSTADT, MAVS MONEYBALL: Although he has tremendous upside, the injury risk may prove to be too much for teams. No. 57 seems like a fair spot to swing for the fences.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Nerlens is putting a lot of pressure on himself this season by taking that qualifying offer. However, I think next to Dennis Smith Jr. in a season with little expectations, this could be the perfect environment for him to thrive.

CHRIS GREENBERG: I’m just here for the Tyson Chandler comps.

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56. Eric Bledsoe

Age in 2021: 31 (10 seasons)

KOFIE YEBOAH: This ranking is all about how well Bledsoe’s legs will continue to support his aggressive play style. It may seem rash, but with so many great young players entering the league, I can see why Bledsoe fell this far on the list.

I really hope Bledsoe and Devin Booker stay together for at least these four years, because win or lose, there will be highlights.

Everyone else’s reaction

TIM CATO: Bledsoe goes 56th. The league’s other Eric, Eric Gordon, was (spoiler!) not taken. Wondering which player is better in 2021 is a legitimate question, I think, though a lot comes down to health.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: What blatant disrespect to Eric Moreland.

TOM ZILLER: Bledsoe is way better than Gordon right now, I’d argue, because he’s a more complete player. But yes, health matters here.

TIM CATO: I believe we’re underrating Gordon.

But back to the point — Bledsoe’s a fine player, and this is a perfectly adequate pick, if a bit high for my tastes.

DAVE KING, BRIGHT SIDE OF THE SUN: By 2021, the 31-year old Bledsoe can still be near his NBA peak as long as he stays healthy, putting up 18, five, and five in his sleep.

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55. Thon Maker

Age in 2021: 24 (5 seasons)

MIKE PRADA: I’ve been a huge fan since I talked to the Bucks’ brass about him during his first Summer League. They expected Maker to play in the D-League his first year and slowly build up core strength.

Six months later, he was the starting center on a playoff team. Maybe that was true in name only since Greg Monroe played most of the minutes, but that’s still a much faster rise than the Bucks expected.

He still needs to bulk up smartly, but he’s already flashed a nice shooting stroke, plus terrific defensive instincts at the rim and on the perimeter. That last part is crucial and separates him from some of the other big men in this range. As long as the Bucks’ front-office dysfunction doesn’t swallow him up, he’s well on track to becoming the perfect post-modern NBA big man.

(I really want the Bucks to be good. Please don’t let me down.)

Everyone else’s reaction

KYLE CARR, BREW HOOP: ​Thon’s ceiling could be All-Defense level; he has the athleticism and work ethic. If he can put that all together and still shoot a respectable percentage from three-point range, he will shoot past a lot of people on this list.

TOM ZILLER: He could legitimately end up in the top 25 on this list even if his offense doesn’t develop much. That defense!

RICKY O’DONNELL: The world deserves Mixtape Maker by 2021.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: #MixtapeMakerForPrez

I think he’s gonna be much, much higher on this list in four years.

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54. Kevin Love

Age in 2021: 32 (13 seasons)

MATT ELLENTUCK: We still overlook how great Kevin Love is, though his 2016-17 finish was below Kevin Love-type standards. There is a legitimate argument to be had that he’s the second-best Cavalier, before and after Kyrie Irving his traded. On his own, Love showed the type of production he can maintain over the course of a season with the Timberwolves.

Love has the perfect build to thrive into his 30s too. He’s a true power forward who can slot into the five as he ages.

Everyone else’s reactions

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Where will Love even be playing in 2021?

CHRIS GREENBERG: Wherever gorgeous, half-court outlet passes are needed, he’ll be there.

TOM ZILLER: Good pick.

KOFIE YEBOAH: Droppin’ Dimes Droppin Dimes! I hope Kevin Love switches to that old man pickup style of play: annoying, but you can’t stop it.

CHRIS MANNING, FEAR THE SWORD: Provided his back and knees hold up, his shooting and rebounding should still make him a useful player for most teams.

MIKE PRADA: Still a good player now, but I worry about his long-term health. Also a little worried that players like him -- those once-elusive skilled big men that aren’t long enough to alter shots at the rim or quick enough defend the perimeter — are slowly going out of style in favor of converted 3s sliding up a position.

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53. Khris Middleton

Age in 2021: 29 (9 seasons)

RICKY O’DONNELL: I don’t think 3-and-D players will be out of style by 2021. There are few better right now than Middleton and he’ll only be 29 years old at this point.

Everyone else’s reactions

TIM CATO: This is a really good pick. I considered taking Middleton even higher than this, because I honestly think a Jimmy Butler/Paul George breakout year could be coming for him.

KYLE CARR, BREW HOOP: ​His two way ability will always be valuable, as he is still someone that makes your team better when he is on the court. Maybe as he increases in age, his three-point shooting rate will also increase.

MIKE PRADA: We sure Middleton can be the same player after that major hip injury? He didn’t quite look like himself down the stretch last year.

TOM ZILLER: I get nervous about low-profile 3-and-D players that basketball hipsters become enamored with all of a sudden. I remember Quinton Ross and Bobby Simmons.

TIM CATO: Yeah, but Quinton Ross and Bobby Simmons weren’t good. Middleton averaged 18 on 56 percent True Shooting two seasons ago, and looked as good as you’d expect coming off a major injury last season to me.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: I was in Brooklyn for the game Middleton returned to the Bucks. Giannis seemed very excited to have his teammate back. I believe he’ll still be a good shooter — spot-up and off-the-dribble — and a capable defender.

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52. Justise Winslow

Age in 2021: 25 (6 seasons)

ZITO MADU: This is admittedly a risky pick. Injuries cut Winslow’s season short at just 18 games, and in those 18, he wasn’t exactly a beacon of hope. But he’s only 21, and a good defender. There’s so much time left for him to improve his offense.

Everyone else’s reactions

TIM CATO: He may be a second coming of Tony Allen, but I’m not even sure that’s a top-100 player in today’s NBA. I mean, Andre Roberson sure ain’t.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Winslow is the dude you want to be this good, but it’s just not gonna happen for him.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I don’t buy much into Winslow’s future. He’ll play towards the end of a rotation, but he’s too limited offensively to be close to a top-50 player.

TOM ZILLER: I almost took Winslow higher. I believe. I can’t live in a world where neither Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Justise Winslow make it. The children of Gerald Wallace deserve more!

MIKE PRADA: This was only a year ago. I believe, too.

MATT PINEDA, HOT HOT HOOPS: If this is true, it means that Justise has become an elite defender. His offensive game isn't going to get him near No. 52.

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51. Isaiah Thomas

Age in 2021: 32 (10 seasons)

TOM ZILLER: The dude just averaged 29 points per game for a No. 1 seed. He has relatively low mileage because he once came off the bench for Jimmer Fredette and because he was a relatively old rookie.

He’ll be 32 in 2021 and his namesake was a small guard who didn’t age well, but times are different. If a 36-year-old Chris Paul is going to be the No. 77 player in the NBA in four years, Isaiah is sure as heck worthy of being here.

(For the record, I made this pick before Cleveland told the world Isaiah’s hip was a disaster).

Everyone else’s reactions

TIM CATO: I don’t like short point guards — or more specifically, point guards who can’t play passable defense. But let’s not let the backlash go too far. I like this pick.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I expected him to go a lot higher and for me to have to scream in this segment of the post, but nah, this seems about the right place for him.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: He’s 5’9 though.

CHRIS GREENBERG: According to him, he’s more like 5’8.

KOFIE YEBOAH: A 32-year-old point guard who is my height. I have mad respect for IT. It would be absolutely wild if he’s still this productive in four years.

CHRIS MANNING, FEAR THE SWORD: Let's see how his hips heals and how he plays this year before even considering how good he'll be in 2021.

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INTRO | FULL LIST | TOP 100 OF 2017 | HOW WE DID IN 2013 | SNUBS | 101-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1 | THE CASES FOR NO. 1