2019 NBA Finals Game 5 Recap + Game 6 Prediction

Perhaps sports predictions aren’t my calling in life. I have been incorrect about the last three NBA Finals games. I could chalk that up to unpredictable variables like injuries, which have plagued this year’s ultimate series, but I’ll just own the fact that I may not be a basketball genius. That being said, my analysis has proven to be fairly accurate, so let’s do some more of that looking back at Monday night’s Game 5 before predicting tonight’s game 6.

What a bummer for all (except maybe not some questionable Toronto-based) NBA fans. Seeing any player go down with what looks to be like a severe injury, such as KD’s ruptured achilles, is heartbreaking. Injuries cast a cloud of doubts and “what-ifs” from sports analysts and fans alike. Watching the first quarter of Game 5 proved how truly dominant Golden State’s offense is when operating at full health, as they made their first five three-pointers and just seemed looser on both ends of the court. As soon as Durant fell again, the Warriors’ offense got tight and so did their lead. Although the splash brothers were able to make some clutch shots down the stretch to give the Warriors the push they needed late, the game was uncomfortably close. As home-court advantage has proven not to make much of a difference in this series, with the road team winning the last four games, it will be interesting to see how things go down tonight. If Nick Nurse manages his time carefully, the Raptors protect the basketball, and Kawhi stays as cold-blooded as he has been as of late, it’s possibly that the Raptors will close out the series tonight. I just can’t see that happening.

Tonight’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals is the last game that will ever be played at Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. All of the Warriors players know the significance that this game has - to send off their legendary arena properly, to avenge KD, and to keep three-peat hopes alive. I said in my last post that the Warriors’ “backs-against-the-wall” mentality would eventually not get them to where they need to go, but Game 6 Klay may have something to say about that. I predict another nail-biting game that forces a must-see Game 7 on Sunday night, which I don’t even know how I will predict if it happens. Coin flipping may be a very real possibility.

Prediction: GSW 116, TOR 113

How Chess Has Impacted The Way I See The World

I am beginning to think that if you were to give a complete stranger a list of my hobbies, they would come to the rational conclusion that, even though I am really only 20 years old in reality, that I am an elderly person. These hobbies include reading, writing, keeping up with current political happenings, listening to classical or lyrically complex music, and playing chess. I play a lot of chess and always have. In elementary school there was a chess club that I happily joined and quickly realized how truly complicated yet enjoyable chess is, with supplementary lessons being given by my parents. Being as competitive as I am, I dedicated a lot of my free time to it and became one of the better players in the club. Continued playing led me to eventually participating in some over-the-board tournaments, even placing (but never winning) in them and holding my own against others who had made chess a focal point in their lives. As the years went on basketball became more of a priority for me, but chess has always been an enjoyable hobby. Since I’ve been in college, I’ve played less basketball and a lot more chess. I’d consider myself an intermediate player who can hold his own against anyone in person, but there’s still so much to learn as just a ~1700 rated player. Chess is not only just a very enjoyable and thought-encouraging game, but it parallels life in many ways, and teaches players lessons such as discipline and focus, planning, and time-management which I will talk about in this post.

To get good at anything, especially anything competitive, you need discipline. It is easy to mindlessly play chess while doing other things like watching TV or talking to people as they come and go in and out of the room, but that will not lead to improvement. Approaching other tasks such as work, assignments, or even workouts without giving complete attention will lead to also diminishing returns and stunted progress (I need to get back into the home gym soon!). Instead, I play chess the same way that I approach the other to-do list items in my life — by tracking progress, giving them my complete undivided attention, and never biting off more than I can chew while accepting that some days will simply be more productive than others.

To simplify effective chess strategy to its most minimal form is to advise players to simultaneously attack and defend, while keeping in mind a plan of their own while anticipating their opponents potential responses. As a student of English rhetoric, I’ve learned that this approach is often a good one to take in conversation and writing as well. Anticipating rebuttals to your own assertions and arguments makes you a better debater and communicator in general. Understanding that your actions have concrete and irreversible consequences encourages you to think more carefully before acting whether it’s on the checkered board or in real life. Making a plan and sticking to it while adapting to the challenges being thrown your way is the recipe for good chess play, and for intelligent behavior in the outside world.

Chess also teaches careful time management. During my days as a basketball player I was almost paranoid in my awareness of the clock and of the protocols around it. This trait of mine has translated well to chess in that I am able to use my time as a form of currency and spend it wisely, and understanding that it is non-renewable (unless you’re playing with an increment, of course). Playing chess has taught me to give the proper amount of time to things that are more complicated in real world tasks, and to trust myself to not have to overthink when I find something easy, but to simply act on that initial gut feeling. All of these strategies when combined have absolutely changed the way that I view the world for the better.

Chess boards are typically thought to symbolize intelligence which is a stereotype that I can’t complain about as a player myself. Chess is a worldly game that doesn’t judge its players on anything but strategy and willingness to win, which is made much easier when employing all of the tactics listed in this post. Chess has led me to new friendships, fun interactions with who would otherwise be strangers (who sometimes who have destroyed me like the man pictured below at Whole Foods), and has taught me valuable lessons that have impacted and changed the way that I see the world. I strongly recommend giving chess your full attention and looking for ties to the outside world yourself - you too will see why it is one of the world’s most popular games.

2019 NBA Finals Game 4 Recap + Game 5 Prediction

Tonight, the Toronto Raptors have the chance to achieve any franchise’s or player’s ultimate goal by securing an NBA championship title. Confident after stealing two games at Oracle Arena in Oakland and coming into game 5 with a “Just hold on, we’re going home” mentality, it seems likely that Toronto will close out the series tonight regardless if Kevin Durant makes a return to action which is still in the air, considering that he is listed as questionable as of the time of this post.

It isn’t lost on me how poetic it would be for Kevin Durant to avenge himself by coming back from being down 3-1 to win an NBA finals, but that just doesn’t seem likely against such a strong and confident Raptors team. As we saw in game 4, the return of Klay Thompson had little impact on the game overall, and almost none in slowing Toronto’s offense. Though Danny Green didn’t show up in game 4 as much as he did in game 3, other Raptors like Kawhi Leonard and Serge Ibaka gave their best effort and sustained momentum enough to put this series just out of reach for Golden State. The Warriors’ lack of depth is being exposed in this series, especially in the frontcourt. DeMarcus Cousins is still rusty, Kevon Looney’s return had little impact, and Andrew Bogut is an absolute liability defensively. The Raptors need to be given the credit that they deserve so far in this series - they are simply playing better basketball than their opponents, which is all that is being asked of them.

Instead of hedging my bet and saying that Golden State will win if Kevin Durant returns for game 5, I’m going to double down and say that the Toronto Raptors will secure the NBA title tonight even if Kevin Durant returns. Nick Nurse is demonstrating hyper-efficient coaching through the adjustments he’s willing to make, and the Warriors’ “backs-against-the-wall” mentality simply isn’t cutting it. I expect Jurassic Park to erupt with excitement this evening, and Kawhi Leonard, now certified dynasty-killer (see Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs Finals in 2014), taking home another finals MVP.

Prediction: TOR 109, GSW 102

The Importance Of Living In A Clean And Aesthetically Pleasing Space

Months ago, at the peak of its popularity, I decided to listen to Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s best-selling book 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote For Chaos and I, like many, found some helpful tidbits which I’ve incorporated into my daily routines. While I may not agree with Peterson about everything, especially politically, I did find his self-help book helpful, and this post is communicating the concept that resonated the most with me when reading about it, which is “Rule Six” entitled “Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.”

While this chapter title is rather commanding and upfront, it also has a complexity and depth that works on multiple levels of analysis. Firstly, and most broadly, Peterson is asserting that one has no room to make criticism about their findings in the world if they haven’t already addressed all of the skeletons that may be in their own closets. On this level of analysis, Peterson is making clear that those who are listened to are those who have already proven that they can effectively practice what they’re preaching. The second layer of analysis ties in nicely with lectures that Dr. Peterson has given in the past about cleaning your room. By making the space around you clean and aesthetically pleasing, you prepare yourself a place to leave from and return to that provides stability and pleasure. The first step toward orienting yourself toward a greater goal is laying a unshaken foundation for yourself that inspires a more active lifestyle, including keeping a tighter schedule, maintaining a healthy diet, and finding a goal greater than yourself for that you are able to contribute to daily. Peterson is making a bigger point here, but at the very least to me, keeping a clean space inspires productivity and makes me feel slightly better than if things were askew.

When things are in a chaotic state around me, especially those things that I do have control over but for some reason am not disciplined enough in that moment to take control over, either anxiety, indifference, or general laziness kicks in. Taking control of the space that I live in, keeping things tidy and clean, and making my living space not only aesthetically pleasing for myself but for those I allow in it, make me feel more in control of my environment and encourage greater action, the checking of more to-do list boxes, and better, more creative thinking.

Try to incorporate this idea of cleanliness and productivity in your own life - I hope it helps.

2019 NBA Finals Game 3 Recap + Game 4 Prediction

I definitely should’ve waited longer before posting before game 3. Every excruciating camera shot of Klay Thompson sitting anxiously on the bench and his teammates missed open shots, had mindless lapses on defense, and were unable to ever pull ahead of their opposition twisted the knife in me knowing that my prediction for game 3 would end up completely inaccurate, which it did. But that is the unfortunate reality of professional sports: injuries happen. What’s frustrating as a former player and viewer about game 3 is that Stephen Curry not only lead his team in scoring, but in exertion and effort. Diving for loose balls, playing active defense, and making precision passes that lead to high-percentage shots for teammates is exactly what every role-player should have been doing throughout the night at Oracle, but instead, it was as if they accepted defeat far too early. If Klay Thompson doesn’t return for game 4, this series is effectively over in favor of Toronto. The other splash brother is expected to be active tonight, so that is what my prediction for tonight’s game will be based on. If not, I expect a result similar to game 3.

The Raptors won a game that they were supposed to win on Wednesday night. Kawhi Leonard was dominant on both sides of the floor, Danny Green went nuclear and was knocking down what felt like every three-pointer he shot, Serge “I-Block-Ya” Ibaka was ruthless defensively, and Fred VanVleet continued to demonstrate his impressive basketball IQ, as well as making some tough lay-ups and that last ridiculous three-point shot (good lord). Toronto took advantage of the mismatches created from Golden State’s injuries and played at a pace fast enough to tire Golden State, slowing rotations and forcing sluggish offense. The Golden State Warriors are arguably facing their most difficult matchup of the playoffs so far in these finals having to deal with the depth of Toronto while managing so many injuries. This is a very winnable series for the Raptors, and if tonight goes in Toronto’s favor, it will likely end in game 5 barring a miracle return from Kevin Durant.

The Warriors are champions with a level-headed and rational mentality only rivaled by the robotic and machine-like stability provided by Kawhi, The Klaw. If Klay Thompson is able to go tonight, I expect the Warriors to regain some confidence as their talent depth increases, leading to a much-needed victory in game 4 this evening. If not, Toronto takes this one with ease. We shall see - hopefully I’m not blindsided by an inactive listing again.

Prediction: GSW 111, TOR 107