In one of the most-anticipated NBA match-ups this season the Philadelphia 76ers take on the L.A. Lakers at 8pm tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly. Both teams are young and exciting. “The Process” has the 76ers at 13-10, and in fifth place in the eastern conference. The Lakers are 8-15 and in 11th place in the west. The Lakers are much-talked about due to rookie point guard Lonzo Ball and his father Lavar Ball, CEO of Big Baller Brand. All as will be on Lonzo tonight in his match up with Ben Simmons. Accord to Shannon Sharpe of Fox Sports News, Simmons gon’ cook Lonzo’ like “catfish on a warm southern night:
I expect Ben Simmons to cook him again. You remember what happened at the Staples Center. Ben Simmons – 18 10, nine rebounds, six steals … Lonzo 2 points, 1-9 shooting, 0-6 from three, two assists and he “DNP’ed” the fourth quarter … Every man must know his limitations. Ben Simmons knows “I’m not a three point shooter. I’m not an outside shooter.” He has mastered other facets of the game, “Let me try this ball to the rim. Let me get fouled.” I might not shoot free throws all that well, but at least I’ll go to the line.
Lonzo, half the games he’s played in he hasn’t even taken one free throw attempt. Lonzo right now Skip is very unsure of himself. He’s shooting 31% from the floor, 25% from three, and his father isn’t doing him any favors … Ben Simmons is 6’10 with a grown man’s body … There’s only a year difference in age, but if you look at Ben Simmons’ body, and you look at Lonzo Ball’s body … one is a grown ass man … You [Skip] know what’s gon’ happen … Ben Simmons gon’ start fryin’ him like catfish on a summer night.
Ben Simmons has other-worldly talent. He also has the ability to fry anyone “like catfish on a summer night.” That said, despite Lonzo’s slight frame and seemingly aloof demeanor, the Shock Exchange senses a sneaky sort of competitiveness within Lonzo. The pundits thought he would get roasted by Steph Curry last week but Lonzo responded with a double-double, and the Lakers took to the Warriors into overtime before succumbing.
Lonzo’s shooting has been abysmal. Earlier this week Luke Walton benched him in the fourth quarter of the Phoenix Suns game for Jordan Clarkson. Now Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and the 76ers await. Lonzo is hated by his contemporaries, particularly Embiid, an the 76ers will key on him. Simmons will punch him in the mouth; it all depends on how Lonzo responds. The Shock Exchange believes he will make like a dragon, grow a tail and fight back. He had better. Otherwise, there will be the smell of catfish throughout the Wells Fargo center.
On Trump And The Global Economy
The second installment of Trump And The Global Economy Town Hall took place October 24th in Fort Greene. It Featured Professor Lance Brofman, Coconut Rob (Coconut Rob Smoothies), Wuyi Jacobs (AfroBeats Radio) and Ralph Baker, author of Shock Exchange: How Inner-City Kids From Brooklyn Predicted the Great Recession and the Pain Ahead.
The event was well-received by the community. We parsed through President Trump’s proposed tax plan and [i] how it was pure economic folly and [ii] high net worth individuals could potentially game the system by shifting income around. Apparently, Kansas Coach Bill Self did this when the state of Kansas cut taxes in the past. We discussed the pros and cons of technology on workers and the economy. How will the economy and country prosper under Trump’s leadership vis-a-vis Obama? What’s behind the verbal sparring with black athletes, ESPN’s Jemele Hill and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un?
