Here’s the beginning of my post over at Blazersedge.com.  I’ve been a member over there for a while…its a great place for Blazer fans…of which I am the most diehard.  Dave, one of the site editors, asked for fan takes on the lockout as a part of a larger effort as bloggers to make our fan voice be heard.  So I had to weigh in on that one.  Enjoy…or catch the whole post over at Blazersedge.

We all know that the lockout is affecting workers…bars…the everyman.  Much has been said on the topic about how this goes beyond just fans wanting to see the games.  I really want to highlight our youth.  We were all there once.  And as a fan…a young fan…almost nothing beats interacting with the players on your team, taking pride in your city/town, and most importantly rooting your team on to a win!  That would be enough…but trust me…it goes way deeper than that.

Dave asked us to contribute to his collective post…I just wanted to remind them (us) that few things matter most than making a difference in the life of a child.  The NBA has a tremendous history of doing so.  Why stop that…even temporarily…over money?

Take this story as evidence:  Previously, I was the director of an after school program focused on technology.  We were three blocks from a high school with a dismal academic record.  Our most successful approach in building relationships and getting kids to commit to the disciple of learning new things was centered around video games…primarily NBA Live (and yes…I know 2K is better…now).

I’m a big basketball fan…both of the sport, but especially the video games based upon THE NBA. I’ve played official NBA video games all the way back to the Electronic Arts classic DR. J AND LARRY BIRD GO ONE ON ONE. Currently I’m playing NBA Live…cause if it’s in the game…well you know the rest. Truth is NBA 2K has been killing NBA Live the last couple of years…and I hope NBA Live can turn it around because while I like NBA 2K (its got that swagger)…NBA Live has most of my friends and family still holding on. Remember, gameplay is great… but its the people you play with that can make all the difference. Besides, anyone can play NBA 2K, but it takes true basketball fans to understand and appreciate how NBA Live creates the most realistic NBA experience in a basketball video game. My man Sahaan, a self proclaimed NBA expert, has a great review of NBA Live over on PDXBOX.NET. Check it out.

Back to this time of year.  March Madness is fun…but with April comes the NBA Playoffs.  The drama, the excitement…it all starts today.  I’m watching the games, and gaming it up all weekend to kickoff the NBA Playoffs.

Of course, I got to show some love to the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS. As you can see in the  ABOVE CHART…they have had injuries plague the team all year…and yet nothing could stop them. They play Phoenix in the first round…so lets go people and show some support for the ONLY NBA TEAM LEFT IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.  Thanks to DAN SWEET for the sweet graphic.

4/19 UPDATE: BLAZERS TOOK GAME 1 OVER THE SUNS.  They were the only road team to win the first game of the series.  LETS GO!!!!!!!

PS…here’s another reason why I love the NBA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfkyhmN1TA0

There are numerous basketball gaming fans out there and among true gamers who also happen to be true fans of NBA basketball; the EA Sports NBA Live line had fallen many steps behind its rival counterpart in the 2K series.  I have always been a Live proponent, though the last few years I can admit that my loyalty was due to comfort and stubbornness.  However, with Live 10 I may be able to ascribe my loyalty to quality once again.

Live 10 is a big upgrade in terms of game play over Live 08 and Live 09.  There are significant changes in the way game play feels and long time Live players will go through an adjustment period becoming accustomed to the new controls and feel.  Everything new is not always better and that is the case in some instances with Live.  I prefer having two buttons to control jump shots vs. dunk/layup attempts; and ball handling even with good ball handlers is much more precarious in the 10 version (almost any attempt to reverse dribble/spin will result in a turnover).  However, generally speaking Live 10 is a tremendous improvement over its predecessors and game play is much more realistic than it ever was before.

One of the biggest game play improvements is in the utilization of off the ball movement and offensive flow.  In previous Live versions it was easy to be rewarded for ignoring any semblance of organization and simply charging forward and shooting with your best player.  In the Live 10 version you are rewarded for utilizing simple sets on offense and you can see plays developing and the defense adjusting to cover your players off the ball.  For example, if you want to simply isolate your best player and let him shoot every time; it would be much more beneficial to call an isolation play or a down screen that allows him to work free on the wing before attacking.  Simply charging into the defense with no plan creates results more in line with what would happen in real life.  Sometimes the great players will simply “out talent” the competition, but more often than not the defense will be able to stop 1 on 5 forays to the basket and isolated attempts to score.  This development gives advantages to gamers who have a basic understanding of basketball and it will also build basketball understanding in those who “play the game” but don’t “play the game.”

Overall, I think that Live 10 is a hit and EA Sports finally has put a competitive product out there that NBA enthusiasts can be proud to enjoy.  Of course we all know what Charles Barkley says about opinions so if you have a different one then that is fine.  However, my basketball experience has led me to believe that often times talent equals enjoyment.  So if you have an opinion that Live 10 is not as enjoyable as I think it is then that may simply be because I am better at it than you.  It is also a very distinct possibility that even if you do agree with my evaluation of Live 10’s enjoyability I am still better at it than you.  If you disagree with that assessment then feel free to bring your “A game” in our NBA Live tournament (more details to follow) .  I will be available to convince anyone who needs convincing that my opinion is the right one.

So bring it on!  And remember: Don’t play, Compete!