Not quite Korean

An artist's rendition of Jason Smith.
We can't end writing about a 4-game winning streak with a Korean food recap, can we? Last night the Wolves came out against the Sixers team with all the energy of a koala on lithium and promptly turned a team with Willie Green, Jrue Holiday, and Jason Smith into the Masters of the Universe.
The quick recap goes like this: Low energy, D-League bench, front-court manhandled, Willie Green and Jrue Holiday actually making shots.
That's it. Thank you and good night.
I wish there was more to say about the game, but...
...that's pretty much it. What an anti-climatic way to end a winning streak. It's one thing to get run off the court by a team with superior talent (a'la Cleveland or LA) but it's quite another to simply not show up, quickly run out a deep (an ineffective) bench on the front end of a back-to-back, and essentially roll over for a belly scratch. I get that this is a job for the players and everybody has their bad days at the ol' grindstone, but that doesn't remove the disappointment for a lack of effort in the 1st half.
That being said, I really can't find it in myself to be too upset after seeing such good shooting and solid play over the last 5 games so I'm not going to put up a Korean cooking game wrap. Instead, here's a little something to brighten your day and get your spirits up for what should be an even tougher challenge tonight, Charlotte. Here's Snooks Eaglin and George Porter Jr. tearing up Lipstick Traces:
Snooks passed away almost a year ago to this day (Feb 18th, 2009). He's one of those guys who makes you completely understand that no matter how long you play the guitar, you will never really play the damn thing like it was meant to be played.
Snooks was a New Orleans music legend and he is the number one performer on the list of people I would go back and see if I had a time machine. Why? Well, aside from the playing...
The digits on Mr. Eaglin's right hand flailed at seemingly impossible angles as he finger-picked and strummed a guitar's strings. A set by the so-called "Human Jukebox" could range from Beethoven's "Fur Elise" to Bad Company's "Ready for Love."
He thrived on feedback from onlookers, gleefully took requests and challenged his musicians to keep up. Utterly unselfconscious, he would render fellow guitarists slack-jawed with a blistering run, then announce from the stage that he needed to use the bathroom.
He also played at a bowling alley, which warms the heart of someone who spent many a night at Omaha's Ranch Bowl (now a WalMart) during the 90s.
It was Robert Plant, in fact, who first made Blancher aware of Mr. Eaglin.
In 1990, not long after he took over the Mid-City Lanes, Blancher received a call from Plant, who wanted to throw an after-party at the bowling alley. He asked Blancher to book Mr. Eaglin, whom he met years earlier when the guitarist performed at a party in New Orleans for Plant's former band, Led Zeppelin.
The after-party didn't happen, but the Mid-City Lanes became Mr. Eaglin's preferred venue. He played as frequently as once a month.
"He's an irreplaceable guy," Blancher said. "More celebrities came to see Snooks than anyone. His reputation was as big as anyone's in New Orleans. And he wouldn't travel, so if you wanted to see Snooks you had to come to Rock 'n Bowl."
During the 2000 Jazz Fest, Bonnie Raitt showed up at the Mid-City Lanes to hear Mr. Eaglin. He exclaimed from the stage, "Listen to this, Bonnie! You gonna learn something tonight, girl!" She later lent a hand by replacing a broken string on his guitar.

Led Zep after parties, Bonnie Raitt on the guitar tech duty, getting people to come to him...Snooks was so well respected that he got sent out in style:
No matter how long you play, you aren't going to play like that. You aren't going out like that.
Oh yeah, go Wolves.
BTW: If you look carefully at the Bonnie Raitt picture you will see Jon Cleary at the piano. Jon is one of the best performers carrying on the NOLA blues tradition and you could certainly do a lot worse than to go out and pick up one of his records...right after you get one of Snook's. If you want a quick snippet of Cleary's work, check out the January 31st edition of Le Show, where he performed a few tunes in studio. Also, if you finish the first YouTube video, queue up "Red Beans" and you will see Cleary at the keys behind a blistering guitar performance from Mr. Eaglin.
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25 comments
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Comments
Koala bears are bipolar?
No wonder the ones I’ve encountered actually seem like potential nasty cusses.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
by feral on Feb 10, 2010 7:33 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I was just looking at an interesting chart
over at Blazersedge
It shows the top 50 players in the league in raw number of possessions used, which is defined as FGAs+fouls drawn+turnovers. It charts those players by number of possessions and by points per possession.
First of all, there are 5 players who are completely separated from the rest of the group in terms of possessions used; no surprise really—James, Durant, Bryant, Wade, and Ellis, with James and Durant at the top in terms of PPP, Wade and Bryant, and then Ellis lagging behind these other 4 in PPP. (Melo would be up with this group as well if he hadn’t missed a bunch of games).
What’s interesting from a Wolves perspective is that Flynn is actually on the list of top 50 players in possession usage in the league. That strikes me as notable given he plays less than 30 minutes a night. Among these players, he has the 3rd worst PPP, ahead of only Trevor Ariza and Russell Westbrook.
Al is also on the list, a little below average for the group in terms of PPP, but it’s Flynn that interests me. On the one hand, it takes a certain amount of talent to use that many possessions; on the other hand, his inefficiency is glaring.
By the way, I bet you would never guess who has the highest PPP among this group of 50 high usage guys. I certainly wouldn’t have in a million years. One Mr. Corey Maggette.
by Eric in Madison on Feb 10, 2010 8:28 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
By "usage percentage," which may be what you mean, Flynn
is at a 24.3% clip. Pretty high, yes, and it puts him in company with names like:
Carlos Boozer,
Charlie Villanueva,
Al Jefferson,
Zach Randolph,
Jonny,
Chauncey Billups,
Antawn Jamison, and
Carl Landry.
Those are all the current NBA players with significant playing time and USG%s between 24 and 25.
Wade, Melo, LeBron, Kobe, Durant, and Gilbert Arenas are the top of the USG% list for the league right now, with Wade at 35.1% and Arenas at 31.8%, to put that in perspective. Flynn’s 37th on that list.
He’s a young point guard.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
by feral on Feb 10, 2010 10:12 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
The young PG part:
Brandon Jennings is 16th on the same list, using 26.9% of his team’s possessions.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
by feral on Feb 10, 2010 10:13 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Our standards are different
I think we definately should have gone with Korean cooking after last nights disaster. Maybe I had higher expectations after watching the past couple of games, but seriously I thought I was watching the Minnesota Gophers play last night. Pathetic. Uninspired drivel. I had high hopes to come here and find inspiration in some good grub for tonights game only to have my dreams and aspirations dashed against a rocky shore. Sigh.
by nocturnalstinger on Feb 10, 2010 8:48 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
This game is why every NBA fan needs a DVR
I was able to come back from Dog Obedience class and begin watching the game. Once we fell behind by about 15 I began Fast Forwarding and watching the score. If we begin to come back, I can begin watching again…if we don’t get within 17…then I can fast forward through the game and do something else useful with my time. During season’s like this, DVR is the only way to go.
by Blakeley on Feb 10, 2010 9:19 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Wow
A dog that can use a DVR and the internet. That’s impressive.
Or maybe you’re the human learning to obey your dog?
by Eric in Madison on Feb 10, 2010 9:26 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Nope the first was right
I’ve taught her how to use the DVR. I’ve also taught her to read the score, and if the Wolves ever get down by 30 while we’re fast forwarding she will take a dump on the remote. That’s my cue to give up on us ever coming back.
by Blakeley on Feb 10, 2010 10:25 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You must go through a lot of remotes.
You were a daydreamer, a sass-mouth, and, not infrequently, a bit of a gigglepuss. Somehow I doubt twenty years of amphetamines and failure have done anything to improve that.
by Kevin Loves McHale's Navy on Feb 10, 2010 10:43 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
My dad owns a TV Remote Inc.
He hooks me up.
by Blakeley on Feb 10, 2010 10:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
What brand DVR?
I’m in the market and yours is obviously getting a good workout.
"Never make predictions, especially about the future." Casey Stengel
by uncle rico on Feb 10, 2010 11:17 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I just go with the basic Comcast package
It’s only like 15 bucks extra a month, and once you get DVR it’s very hard to ever go back. Well worth the money.
by Blakeley on Feb 10, 2010 11:25 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks
currently I have Time-Warner, which is much worse than Comcast in terms of speed. But for an extra 10 bucks a month tacked onto rent for internet and cable, it’s a good deal.
"Never make predictions, especially about the future." Casey Stengel
by uncle rico on Feb 10, 2010 12:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
If you’re looking at switching services, the Dish Network DVR is far superior to Comcast’s. Unless Comcast has upgraded since last fall, the DN one has way way more space and is much more responsive and the menues are more user friendly.
When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story.
by Xand1 on Feb 10, 2010 2:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
My parents tried both, and DN is vastly superior
by Oceanary on Feb 10, 2010 2:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
DirecTV
I was with comcast, directv works much better but sometimes I have problems when the temp drops below zero which is very odd.
by TheMorningAfter on Feb 10, 2010 4:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Especially the manhandling of our front court struck me. We couldn’t buy a bucket in the paint and yet they got plenty of ’m.
First of all, when I threw lateral passes on the perimeter that got picked off and converted into two easy points I got hooked .. and that was at a very low lvl of basketball. How NBA players can throw 4-5 of those a game is absolutely beyond me. Lateral passes are dangerous, that’s basic.
The other reason was off course our bigs protecting the paint.As good as they protected it against Memphis, as bad they did it now…
Imagine that, our wings being our strong point … Ellington was the only one with some energy (in the 2nd half) and Brewer also had a little run of his own.
Official Kahn/Rambis band-wagon rider since 2009
by Wim (Belgium) on Feb 10, 2010 9:38 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I thought the same thing.
How Damien Wilkins kept making lazy passes and still wasn’t yanked was beyond me.
by BVP on Feb 10, 2010 9:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
same with Love
Seems like as soon as someone gets moved to the bench they no longer want to play well. It has been a few weeks since Love has played like he did when he first came back, maybe one or two decent games since he was made the 6th man.
by TheMorningAfter on Feb 10, 2010 4:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
snooks
I can’t believe I’ve gone through these about 40 years without having heard snooks.
… and I can’t believe I’ve had how many hundreds of wolves losses without getting a return on my investment like the prosepect of exploring this guys music for the next n months.
Thanks for more than making up for the disappointing game
by midlife crisis on Feb 10, 2010 9:52 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
That right hand is unreal
Reminds of the time I checked out a George Benson “How to” DVD and had my eyebrows curl back trying to keep track of his fingers. What…. the…. How is that possible?
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
by feral on Feb 10, 2010 10:03 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No problem...
…I suggest checking out his New Orleans Street Singer album.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
by Stop-n-Pop on Feb 10, 2010 1:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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