Larrok

I still enjoy following the NBA; there are still plenty of exceptional players out there... for fans of guards like Jordan, there are the masters Kobe and Wade, for shooting purists there's the heavenly Ray Allen, for playmaking enthusiasts, there's Deron Williams (soon to join Besiktas), Chris Paul, veterans Nash and Kidd, and the surprising Rondo. Then there’s the lightning-fast Derrick Rose, becoming more and more immense at just 22 years old. The overflowing offensive talent of Kevin Durant, already a two-time scoring champion, alongside his sidekick Westbrook. Among the more experienced players are Tony Parker, a master at driving to the basket, and Nowitzki, the legendary champion who has just fulfilled a lifelong dream. In Memphis, there’s a core of players who have proven they can give anyone a run for their money in these playoffs. The ups and downs of a New York team that has snatched two top-class talents like Stoudemire and Anthony, despite losing a heap of players to get the latter. The three Italians, Bargnani, Gallinari, and Belinelli: the first, despite being a ghost on rebounds and defense, has settled into a 21-point average (something unimaginable for an Italian just a few years ago); the second, in my opinion, is the strongest mentally and has the most potential; the third, a decent guard who did his part as a starter on a playoff team like the Hornets. Then there’s Howard, the most dominant center around, and the explosive Blake Griffin, the clear winner of rookie of the year... the melodrama of Portland, a team full of heart and injuries... two absolute masters of the FIBA area like Gasol and Scola, who enchant American audiences every night. And to conclude, LeBron James, the one carrying all the pressure because he has already shown he is the strongest, but hasn’t managed to win yet, two things that don’t really go well together. In short, I see some reasons to follow the NBA post-Jordan.

If one thinks that with Bynum the Lakers would have won the 2008 Finals, they probably don't understand basketball much. That was a massacre, and I say it as a Kobe fan. Having said that, the leadership on the 2008 Celtics was Garnett’s, for the simple reason that once he arrived, the team became a perfect defensive machine. How come the great leader Pierce didn’t accomplish anything the following year? Mysteries...

Nowitzki has never been known for his defensive skills, and it certainly won't be a series played with good intensity that turns him into a good defender; he has never been one and he never will be. I repeat, a mere box score filler or not much more. Garnett, on the other hand, is the Einstein of defense, a living manual on how to guard all five positions, but not only that, a player capable of changing the mentality of an entire team, truly different planets in this regard. Dirk rightly belongs in that group of champions almost exclusively because he has been absolutely unguardable on offense, a jumper he has hit in the face of anyone from any position, but when it comes to assessing: the best Garnett is 9 on offense, 10 on defense, the best Nowitzki is 9.5 on offense, 5.5 on defense. There is simply no comparison.

Garnett stayed too long with the Wolves, but that only speaks well of him, unlike Mr. "the chosen one," who had to "bring his talents" to Wade to win easily (which, by the way, won't be that easy anyway). KG spent all the best years of his career in Minnesota; as soon as he moved to a decent team (at 31, not 25), he won the ring while dominating and teaching basketball to everyone. In 2008-09, with him out due to injury, the Celtics exited in the second round...I wonder why...Duncan, as much as I consider him exceptional, must always be remembered as someone who arrived on a team that already had a certain David Robinson to mentor him, forming an incredible twin towers duo. No one can convince me otherwise that KG, under those conditions, would have won just the same. Nowitzki is the best European of all time, an inhuman scorer, the atypical big man par excellence, but I'd still be cautious about placing him ahead of Barkley, especially since he has always been just a bit better than a traffic cone on defense. Now Dirk has won a ring as a leading player, which, combined with the 2007 season MVP, propels him into the hall-of-fame, so much respect, especially for keeping Dallas at a stellar level for over a decade. But Sir Charles was Sir Charles, probably the strongest player to have never won a ring. As for Malone, his career speaks for itself, both positively and negatively unfortunately for him... he will be one of the greatest in terms of consistency during the regular season, but in crucial playoff moments, he got devoured by His Majesty Jordan. The turnover in Game 6 of '98 is the perfect summary of what was missing for the Jazz's 32.

Bosh??? Please, let’s not compare poop to chocolate.

But what a second violin! The best Garnett was one of the top 2 or 3 of all time in his role, alongside Duncan, Barkley, Malone, and Nowitzki. One of the most complete players ever, an insane defender both on the ball and for the team, a superb attacker capable of driving to the basket consistently but also with a mid-range shot that's a sure thing, a superhuman rebounder (6 consecutive years averaging over 12), an above-average passer for a big man, always making the ball move beautifully. I repeat, if instead of ending up in the basketball desert of Minnesota he had found himself in a San Antonio with 55, 62, and 59 wins in the three seasons from 1994 to '97... his fingers would be completely adorned with rings.

Garnett will be a bully, a jerk (see the episode with Villanueva), but as a player, he’s undeniable, a monster on both offense and defense, someone who changes the defensive dynamics of a team, with immense talent and incredible intensity… the idea that “the team was there” for the Wolves really makes me laugh... let’s put KG in San Antonio instead of Duncan and Timmy in Minnesota, it’s a whole different story (and I say this as a big admirer of the 21).

"Acqua e Sapone" with this arrangement is a delightful pop piece (also used masterfully by Verdone in the final scene of the film of the same name), but it's a shame that the usual lyrics by Vasco are filled with troglodyte clichés like "a woman no longer respects you if she is self-assured."

I apologize, I was referring to "Variations on a theme," which, while it doesn't have a guitar, has a bass sound that's quite guitar-like, as in "Annapurna"... anyway, "At Giza" seems to me the most inspired piece from both albums.

by eliminating the guitar, they gained intensity compared to the previous album, "At Giza" is a beautiful, immersive mantra, in "Flight of the Eagle" the saturated bass adds a bit more weight.