Chain of Thoughts: Most Interesting Details (So Far) About the 'All-New, All-Different' Marvel Universe

Based on the information from the previews that Marvel has officially released, as well as from the recent leaks of the titles shipping in October, we now have a general idea on what the new, post-Secret Wars Marvel Universe will look like.  And I’m really looking forward to it.  Personally, I’m enjoying this Secret Wars mega-event so far, but I really can’t wait for the new status quo to arrive.  Here are what intrigues and/or excites me the most about the “All-New, All-Different” Marvel Universe:

    

 

→ Deadpool finally gets an Avengers gig!

→ There are three Avengers teams.  Now, this isn’t the first time that there are multiple, independent Avengers teams, but I’m nonetheless intrigued by the new Avengers dynamic.

→ A rift seems to have happened between Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson, and I guess their respective teams – Uncanny and All-New, All-Different respectively – will have some sort of rivalry.  And, yet, I think these two teams will nonetheless be allied and/or centralized somewhat since the Avengers lineup featured in Rage of Ultron graphic novel – which was obviously set in the new Marvel Universe – were made up of members of both Avengers teams.

→ Meanwhile, over at the New Avengers lineup, I’m happy that some prominent Young Avengers are finally graduating into Avengers, and that A.I.M. (which Sunspot bought pre-Secret Wars) will seemingly play “support” for this team.

→ Aside from Avengers, an “Ultimates” – which was originally the name of the Ultimate Universe’s version of the Avengers – team is also interestingly existing in the new Marvel Universe.

→ And -- Whoa! Galactus is in this new Ultimates’ line-up????!!!

→ The Justice League is coming to the Marvel Universe… sort of.  This amalgam of the Justice League has been around for quite some time already and has undergone different incarnations (and this new Squadron Supreme team is going to be composed of members from these different incarnations), but, I think, this is the first time that a Squadron Supreme team is having this kind of prominence.  And I approve.
→ All that said, I prefer for Hyperion to stay with the Avengers. 

→ Having an “Ultimates” team and a “Justice League” (a.k.a. Squadron Supreme) team co-existing with the Avengers in the same universe is a funny but fascinating editorial decision.

→ Spider-Woman is pregnant.  Of course, the first question that pops to mind is “Who’s the father?”

→ There’s still no concrete confirmation that Tony Stark is still the person behind the Iron Man armor, but my curiosity about it is minimal compared to my curiosity on the identity of the new Hulk.  I just feel that the reveal about the latter is going to be bigger, more mindblowing than the former (it could still be Tony Stark after all).  And the way Marvel is handling it, it seems that it’s going to be a secret until, at least, a day before the book is released.

→ And why is the left arm hidden along with the face?  Is that a clue to his identity?  Is he someone with an amputated left arm? Bucky Barnes?  Thor Odinson?  Daken? 

→ We know that the Thing will become a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Human Torch is going to hang around with the Inhumans.  But the Richards family – Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Valeria, and Franklin – as well as the Future Foundation members seem to be MIA.

→ Other notable MIA characters are the Punisher, Loki, Red Hulk, Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, Luke Cage, Nick Fury, and Black Widow.

→ Gambit is Daredevil’s new sidekick?!  It’s not confirmed yet, but the guy with Daredevil in the preview really looks like Gambit.  If true, Gambit as Daredevil’s apprentice is plain crazy!

→ There will be multiple versions of a character existing simultaneously in the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe.  The time-displaced original, teenage X-Men are still around, so there should be teenage and adult versions of Cyclops (the elder is confirmed to be MIA eight months post-Secret Wars), Angel, Beast, and Ice Man (adult Jean Grey is, apparently, still dead).  A new female Star-Lord – which some mentioned is going to be Kitty Pryde – is part of the new Rocket Racoon-led Guardians of the Galaxy, but Peter Quill is still around and in a solo series.  There have always been two Hawkeyes and Human Torches.  There will be more than one Wolverine and Spider-Man.  And I believe there are going to be other cases.  It’s no big deal for regular fans, but new and casual readers might find this confusing.

→ Old Man Logan – who will be getting a solo series and be part of an X-Men team – is joining the Marvel Universe, and along with X-23, they will now serve as the Wolverines of the Marvel Universe (after the original was killed off last year).  I’m not yet sure if this concept will work, but I really find it cool and unique.

→ Miles Morales is joining the Marvel Universe.  Hence, there will be now two different Spider-Men runningswinging around.  Three, if Miguel O’Hara remains stranded in the present timeline.

→ The existence of Web Warriors – a new series featuring the Secret Wars’ Spider-Verse line-up – is strong proof that a Marvel multiverse will still exist post-Secret Wars.

→ Also, will we ever know what Peter discovered when he Googled Miles at the end of Spider-Men?

→ “Big Time” was the title given to The Amazing Spider-Man’s run of storylines from 2010-2011 due to the fact that Peter Parker – whose financial woes had been part of the character’s status quo from the start until that point – finally got a high-paying job as a scientist/researcher/inventor for Horizon Labs.  But this post-Secret Wars status quo of Peter Parker is definitely the real moment wherein the character hit “big time.”  He’s now going to be a rich, successful businessman/inventor, and Parker Industries – which came to being while Otto Octavius occupied his body – will become a flourishing multinational company.  Basically, Peter Parker is going to be the new Tony Stark – but more wholesome and light-hearted and awesome.

→ I’m happy about Peter Parker’s good fortune.  Those like me that grew up on Spider-Man – following Peter Parker’s struggling with a continuous barrage of problems – have learned to deeply sympathize with the character.  Yes, this aspect really made the character more relatable and appealing, but we nevertheless wished that he would eventually catch a break as well.  That’s why we rejoiced when he was employed at Horizon Labs, and are now rejoicing about Peter Parker’s post-Secret Wars status quo.  This is something earned after years of struggling with life problems.

→ Besides, though he’s now rich, I’m pretty sure the notorious (but charming) “Parker luck” will continue to come at play to make life difficult for him.

→ Moreover, we have Miles Morales around now to play the part of the classic “dealing with life problems” Spider-Man.
→ In addition, the classic, ludicrous Spider-Mobile is coming back.  Now, I find this silly, but I’m nonetheless very intrigued.  To see this in action is reason enough why I can’t wait for the debut of the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe.    

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'Danny Collins' Is a Funny, Heartfelt Comedy-Drama About Second Chances

Danny Collins is inspired by the real-life happening on English folk singer Steve Tilston in which he was unaware for 34 years of a 1971 letter written to him by John Lennon.  This comedy-drama tells the story of an aged rock legend named Danny Collins (Al Pacino) who experienced the clichéd, hard-living rock star lifestyle of drugs, booze, and women during the entirety of his decades-long musical career.  However, after he receives a birthday gift from his best friend/manager (Christopher Plummer) – an undelivered 40-year old letter written to him by John Lennon when Danny was at the beginning of his career – he was inspired to radically turn his life around.  He journeys to New Jersey, settles in a local hotel, flirts with the manager, begins writing an original song for the first time in decades, and – most importantly – makes an attempt to reconcile with his estranged son (Bobby Cannavale).

Danny Collins is Al Pacino’s best movie in a long time.  The story is fresh, charming, and contains a healthy amount of heartfelt and funny moments.  The excellent acting from Al Pacino and his supporting cast, combined with the well-written script, ensured that Danny Collins, the central character, is sympathetic, likable, and develops effortless and instant chemistry with every character he interacts with.

I quite liked this movie in general.  Though the drama and tension felt forced at times, and there was a slight derailment of the story’s magnetism in the third act, it nevertheless offers more to enjoy about.  Danny Collins is definitely one of 2015’s most overlooked gems.

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'Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest' Is Shallow, Nostalgic Fun

As a kid, Tom and Jerry – a property that has been universally beloved by children for generations –  and The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest (as well as the re-runs of the original show) are among the cartoons I enjoyed in Cartoon Network (which heavily featured Hanna-Barbera properties back then).  So it’s understandable that I was easily intrigued by this crossover.  The plot is pretty simple: Tom and Jerry, while having another episode of their cat-and-mouse rivalry, meet Johnny Quest and co. and found themselves entangled in one of their adventures.

I like the old-school animation, and the details of its production – music, action scenes, opening credits, stereotypes (that are borderline racist in today’s standards), etc. – delivers an overall throwback appeal.  The story is predictable and one-dimensional, but it’s not really a disappointment since I wasn’t expecting the quality of the story to be smart.  This is intended to be for kids after all (I showed this movie to my elementary students, and they were enthralled).  However, I still hope there was an effort to put some sophistication since the original fans are – like me – adults already.

This movie has plenty of the usual slapstick fighting between Tom and Jerry (this is their direct-to-video feature after all).  As a kid, I remember these two making me laugh out loud.  Now, it felt that it’s just stale and stupid.  And just like other adults who enjoyed Tom and Jerry as a kid, I’m now capable to notice that Jerry is much of a jerk – if not more so – as Tom.  This makes Tom and Jerry’s style of humor no longer as funny as it was thought to be.  The only part where I chuckled was when Johnny asked Tom and Jerry, “Have you ever been in a chase before?”, and the duo gave each other fleeting glances that seem to mean, “All the time.  We made our career out of it.”

Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest offers nothing of substance and importance.  I felt that if it was longer, it would have become tediously unbearable to watch.  Thankfully, it’s only around an hour long, ensuring an overall fun time.

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Photo Biography Update (06-26-15)

Some notable photos taken during the period of January 1 to June 26, 2015...

Boss.

Valentines card making.  Joy YP February activity.

Congratulating the graduates.  Joy YP March activity.

Joy YP boys having lunch fellowship at Pastor's house.

My graduating Sunday School class.  Been with them for about four or five years.

Treating my beautiful SY 2014-2015 students.  

Last pic with my high school boys cell group.

@ Godfather.

During preparation for the 2015 VBS Teachers' Seminar.

Once again part of the team for the VBS Teachers' Seminar that Joy Church annually hosts.  The theme this year was "Celebrate!"

This year, we were also invited to conduct the seminar in Naga City.

Afterwards, we unwinded at SM Naga.

Joy Church's summer church outing this year was at Amater Spring Resort, Malinao, Albay.

Last May, went with friends to Quitinday Hills, Camalig, Albay.

We got to hang out with Albay Governor Joey Salceda (along with  the mayor of Camalig) during our visit to Quitinday Hills.  Gov. Joey even treated us with 1k.

Participated in School of Tomorrow's 2015 Christian Educators' Training in preparation for the new school year. 

I got awards for Highest PACE Average, Most No. of 100's, 1st to Complete Training Requirements, and Best in Scripture Recitation.

With my new Sunday School students.

Independence Day shot with SY 2015-2016 students and teachers.

Joy Church 2015 Bible Quiz Champion!  Successfully accomplished a three-peat!

First photo at 26.

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‘Hyde, Jekyll, Me’ Gratifies, Then Dissatisfies

I just finished binge-watching Hyde, Jekyll, Me a few days ago. 

I think it’s still early to say that I’ve become a bona fide fan of Koreanovela (Filipino term for Korean TV series).  Hyde, Jekyll, Me is just the third Koreanovela that I was compelled to watch in its entirety.  Hence, the pool size is still small to make a definite conclusion.  But I guess this won’t probably be the last Koreanovela that I will binge-watch.  I think I Hear Your Voice really started something.  I extremely loved I Hear Your Voice, and I wondered if another Koreanovela could impact me as much.  My curiosity in replicating the experience with I Hear Your Voice led me to watch Pinocchio (which had the same lead actor and writer as IHYV).  I thought it wasn’t nearly as great, but I still enjoyed the show enough to see it through until its last episode.  Subsequently Pinocchiosomewhat led me to Hyde, Jekyll, Me, since the latter succeeded the former’s SBS time slot, and Hyde, Jekyll, Me might send me to follow another Koreanovela.

Anyway, Hyde, Jekyll, Me is a mix of romantic comedy and psychological thriller, and the premise is – as what the title implies – loosely inspired by the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  It tells the story of Gu Seo-jin – the executive director of the theme park Wonder Land, and the next in line to be CEO of his family’s conglomerate, Wonder Group – who contracts DID (dissociative identity disorder), or most commonly known as “multiple personality disorder”, after experiencing a traumatic kidnapping when he was a kid.  The twist is – instead of a “Hyde” monster-personality emerging from a “Jekyll” normal-personality – the original personality Seo-jin is grave, heartless, cynical, and only cares for what benefits him, while the personality that emerged from his illness – who took the name “Robin” – is kind, cheerful, pleasant, possesses a Messiah complex, and creates comics.  Seo-jin and Robin have an understandable conflict with each other, but they nonetheless observe a set of protocols they have agreed on in order to survive and to keep Seo-jin’s condition a secret, one of which is to pretend that they’re twins.

A major shakeup in the existence of Seo-jin and Robin occurs at the arrival of Jang Ha-na, the new commandant of the circus show of Wonder Land.  Jang Ha-na becomes the key witness to the abduction of Dr. Kang, Seo-jin’s psychologist who, prior to her disappearance, revealed to him that she has found the cure to his condition.  But before he can get to her, she disappears, and Ha-na was the last to see her.  However, due to a traumatic encounter with the kidnaper, Ha-na can’t remember his face.  Desperate to find Dr. Kang, Seo-jin’s arranges for Ha-na to be kept protected as well as have hypnosis sessions with Dr. Kang’s talented protégé, Yoon Tae-joo, in order for her to remember the face of the abductor.

Amidst this, a love triangle ensues between Seo-jin, Robin, and Ha-na.  Initially unaware of the truth between Seo-jin and Robin, she buys their assertion that they’re twin brothers.  She gets closer to and develops feelings for Robin, whereas, on the other hand, butts heads with the insufferable Seo-jin.  However, later on, Seo-jin finds himself getting attracted to Ha-na, while she finds herself caring for him and be confused about it since she loves Robin.

This unique love triangle – two different personalities in one body loving the same girl – was the initial draw of this series on me.  This is the first time that such concept was explored (I don’t count Me, Myself, and Irene as a real love triangle involving split personalities), and I was intrigued.  The series was indeed able to use this fresh romantic scenario to create a delightfully complex dynamic... most of the time (I’ll get back to this later).

Another intriguing element of Hyde, Jekyll, Me is the suspense and mystery brought by the psychological thriller aspect of the story.  The utilization of psychological concepts in the plot was nicely done.  The science is obviously wobbly, but it did have an enjoyable presence, which reminded me of the psychology books I’ve enjoyed in the past (including Sybil which detailed the real-life story of Sybil Dorsett, who suffered from 16 different split personalities). There were a couple of well-done twists but these can be predicted if one would carefully observe the details being provided as the narrative progressed.  Nevertheless, the storytelling was gripping in respect to this aspect of the series.

During, the first 16 or so episodes of Hyde, Jekyll, Me, I felt that the series had a good chance of catching up with my fondness for I Hear Your Voice.  There was a lot of dumb in it, but there was a sufficient dose of smarts in it, too.  The dilemma of the multifaceted romance was also seemingly going into a gratifying resolution.  The message that the story was trying to sold us on were working well, too.  There were flaws that I nitpicked for a while, but they didn’t linger in my mind long since I was enjoying it much.  It was in good position during those 16 episodes or so.

But all that good was not sustained till the end.  I was much unsatisfied of where the story went.  I was frustrated that a story that was generally well-told at that point is ruined by bad writing in its closing episodes.  There were parts that were stretched which I felt weren’t necessary to stretch, and parts that were rushed which I felt should have been mined and expounded more.  The resolution of the dilemma of the romance was disappointing in so many points.  The narrative spent a lot of time on the side of the love triangle the audience was definitely least interested on.  Sure, it eventually shifted to the more interesting side, but the transition towards it was poorly and limitedly executed.

The bulk of Hyde, Jekyll, Me is pretty good.  The characters are pretty likable.  The romance was riveting (before it got to its closing episodes).  There was enthralling things in many parts of its narrative.  The themes explored were thoughtful.  The humor, drama, and tension have good chemistry.  The acting was fantastic – especially by Hyun Bin (Seo-jin/Robin) and Sung Joon (Tae-joo).  So there’s enjoyment to be found in this series.  Unfortunately, the bad ending significantly diluted the story.

Hyde, Jekyll, Me was like getting a seven course dinner in which you find the first six courses scrumptious, but an awful dessert was served in the end.   It was a generally pleasing meal, but you still left with a bad taste in your mouth.

Miscellaneous musings – WITH SPOILERS:

• Gu Seo-iin is, by far, the best character in the series.  The characterization and character development were so well-done.  I was rooting for him all series long.
• Han ji-min was a descent actress.  However, her character, Jang Ha-na, suffered the most from the bad writing.  I was hoping that Ha-na would find herself being in love with both Robin and Seo-jin, and after her struggles, she would eventually figure out a way to reconcile her feelings for the two personalities, and be the ultimate factor in making them whole.  For a while, it felt like the story was indeed going there.  But that didn’t happen.  Instead, Ha-na focused her love on Robin, and kept on insisting that her love was solely for the Robin personality.  Heck, they even got married (so dumb).  She doesn’t seem to comprehend – as well as most of the characters around them – that though Robin is a distinct personality from Seo-jin, he is nonetheless a creation of Seo-jin’s subconscious, and still a part – an extension – of Seo-jin.  All those things she loved about Robin is basically hidden somewhere inside Seo-jin.  And if ever Seo-jin gets cured from his DID, he and Robin should merge (just like the case with Sybil Dorsett.  When she got cured, she recovered or absorbed every memory and quality of her other 15 selves).  Sure, in the end, that exactly what happened – “Robin” was integrated into Seo-jin, and the two got together.  However, there was no real development about it.  I never really see Ha-na identifying Seo-jin himself as the man she loves.  It felt like she only get to love him because the qualities of Robin emerged from him.  Throughout the last episodes, it seemed Ha-na would have even preferred for Robin to fully take over Seo-jin’s body and life rather than for Seo-jin to get cured from his illness.  All of these kind of portrayed Ha-na as dumb and superficial.
• Sung Joon delivered a very compelling performance as the “big bad” of the story.  His transition from a pleasant, caring Yoon Tae-joo to a vengeful, obsessive Lee Soo-hyun was nearly as impeccable as Hyun Bin’s distinctive portrayal of Seo-jin and Robin.
• Detective Na’s Conan O’Brien hairstyle was enough to make me laugh at the character.  But actor Lee Joon-hyuk is legitimately funny.
• Min Woo-jung’s cheer dance routine was pretty amusing and charming.
• A gorilla named Bing Bing – which was seemingly brought to life by a mix of bad CGI and an actor in an ape suit – played a big part during a significant scene in the pilot.  I was a bit disappointed she (he?) never appeared in the series again.  Come to think of it, there was no other circus animal featured.  And I never saw an official performance from the Wonder Circus.
• An element of the story which I hoped was further explored in detail was “Terry”, the third personality that came out when Robin was brought to the edge.  In connection, it was revealed that Ha-na isn’t the first girl that Seo-jin and Robin loved at the same time.  But these details merely had fleeting referencing, and didn’t have any substantial contribution to the plot.  Thus, in the end, it felt like a needless plot detail resulting from bad writing.
• I didn’t like the music at first, but it eventually grew on me.  “♪ Because of you… Because of you-uuuuuu…  ♪ lalalalalalalalalala… ♫ Because of you…. Now I can say, ‘I love you’…. ♫ Lalalala. ♪”
• Interesting note: MBC’s Kill Me, Heal Me – a Koreanovela that has a similar premise of a woman falling in love with someone that has multiple personalities – aired at the same time slot as Hyde, Jekyll, Me.  Intriguingly, according to what I read, the former is better than the latter.  Hmmm.  I might check it out.  Might.
• I welcome any recommendations on what Koreanovela I should try next.  Just take note that I’m looking for something that can recapture the magic of I Hear Your Voice. 

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Dubs' Domination (and Other Thoughts on the 2014-15 NBA Season)

The Golden State Warriors owned the 2014-2015 NBA season.  Amazingly, they were first in defensive efficiency (98.2) and a close second (they only trailed by .1) in offensive efficiency (109.7).  They finished the regular season with a league best 67-15 record (which is also the franchise’s best).  They never lost three straight all season long.  Stephen Curry broke his own record for most three-pointers in a single season and then broke the record for most three-pointers done in a playoff run, as well as winning the regular season MVP along the way.  Klay Thompson broke the record for most points in a quarter with 37 (Curry and Thompson, the “Splash Brothers”, also broke the record for most three pointers by a pair of teammates in a single season).  Draymond Green nearly won the Defensive Player of the Year award.  There were All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive selections among the Warriors roster.  Throughout this season, it was fairly obvious that the Warriors this season was definitely a championship pedigree team.

The championship was principally theirs for the taking.  The only way they could have failed was if they have an epic playoff meltdown.  But throughout the playoffs, the Warriors basically played the way they did when they dominated the season: poised and purposeful.  Even when down 2-1 during the series against Memphis and in the Finals itself, I never ever felt that this team was going to lose (okay, maybe a bit during the Finals).  It is because throughout this season, in dealing with any conflicts or setbacks, the Warriors never lost cool and focus.  If there were any worries, internal squabbles, or voicing out of displeasure, it was quietly dealt in the locker room.  There was no drama.  No distractions.  This was a team that never showed any signs of implosion.

Moreover, the Warriors were a real team-centric team.  Sure, Stephen Curry is the face of the Warriors, but it can never be truly said that the excellence of this team was an extension of his individual excellence.  This Warriors team actually functioned similarly to last year’s star-less Spurs mold rather than a team revolving around a superstar.  Sacrifices defined this team as scoring opportunities, starting positions, and rotation minutes were willingly given up to provide match-up advantages and development of younger players; which led to different players stepping up at different points during the season and playoffs (that’s why there was an opportunity for another Warrior aside from Curry or All-Star Thompson to win the Finals MVP). The Golden State Warriors’ whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts.

The Golden State Warrior’s domination of the season and the first title for the franchise in 40 years tells us several things.  First, though their championship-clinching “small ball” lineup isn’t the first to show us that a “small ball” team can win a championship – that would be the Miami Heat three seasons back – this Warriors proved that a team using an offense that heavily relies on jump shots over inside scoring – as long as it’s complemented by a topnotch defense, fast pace, and smart ball movement – can win a championship.  Second, contrary to what LeBron thinks, this basic basketball truth is validated: championships aren’t necessarily won by the best player but by the best team.

STEPHEN CURRY

Ever since his performance in the Warriors’ first round series against the Nuggets back in the 2013 playoffs and discovering that he’s a professing Christian, I’ve been a fan of Stephen Curry.  Hence, I was thrilled when Stephen Curry won the championship and the regular-season MVP.

First and foremost, as a Christian myself, it always cheers me whenever a Christian artist or athlete receives success since they are able to get the opportunity to direct the glory to God in front of the world.  And that’s what Curry has done amidst his accomplishments this season.  Being a Christian athlete, Curry displays the same attitude as fellow Christian NBA player Jeremy Lin to be the best basketballer he can possibly be so that the excellence of his talents would ultimately point towards the glory of God.  As Stephen Curry declared:

“I love that basketball gives me the opportunities to do good things for people and to point them towards the Man who died for our sins on the cross. I know I have a place in heaven waiting for me because of Him, and that’s something no earthly prize or trophy could ever top.  There’s more to me than just this jersey I wear, and that’s Christ living inside of me.”

Moreover, there is genuine joy in watching Curry play.  His skills in ball handling, passing, and – especially – shooting are so spectacular.  Despite his fragile stature, he has this noticeably formidable presence on the court.  Can’t help but be awed of the guy.

FINALS MVP

I’ve always liked Andre Iguodala.  A few years back, I was even hoping my Lakers would trade for him (instead, he was part of a multi-team trade that brought Dwight Howard to the Lakers and sent him to the Nuggets).  Hence, I really am glad that he got the Finals MVP.

This isn’t really the first time that someone unexpected won the Finals MVP, but Iguodala winning the Finals MVP is still a delightfully remarkable happening.  It’s quite ironic, actually.  He got this individual glory by sacrificing his pride and settling with a supporting player role.  At the start of the season, Iggy, a starter for his entire career, was asked by Coach Kerr to come off the bench and give his spot in the starting five to developing young forward Harrison Barnes.  And he unselfishly agreed to do so for the sake of the team’s success.  Throughout the season, he would play the role of the Dubs’ sixth man.

The voters could have gone the clichéd approach by awarding the Finals MVP to the winning team’s star player – in this case, regular-season MVP Stephen Curry – regardless of the fact that a teammate has been more consistently impactful as far as the games of the Finals are concerned.  Or the Finals MVP could have gone to LeBron (appropriately and interestingly, only Iggy and LeBron received votes for Finals MVP, with the former edging the latter 7 to 5) since his spectacular performance and stats had established him as the best player in this Finals and there was a legitimate cause to believe he was set to become the first Finals MVP belonging to the losing team since Jerry West in 1969.

But I believe the voters got it right picking Iggy.  A bench player from the start of the season until Game 3 of the Finals, Iggy proved to be the piece on which Warriors’ success in the Finals was hinge on.  The Cavs’ defense dared him to shoot, and he obliged, making them pay dearly, contributing heavily on offense.  But what made him Finals MVP is being able to be an impact in defense as much as offense.  He was given the task to guard LeBron, but though LeBron was a dominant force in the Finals, Iggy was able to defend him well enough to prevent his dominant play into translating into wins.  LeBron did score a lot as well as assisted on much of the Cavaliers’ points, but Iggy made him work hard to get them – depleting his energy down the stretch.  Also, LeBron had to take a lot of shots to get his points, and Iggy made him miss a significant amount.    Meanwhile, other Warrior defenders like Barnes and Thompson always got bullied whenever they found themselves guarding James.  Basically, if Iggy wasn’t around, the already dominating LeBron would actually have dominated much more, and could have probably carried the Cavs to a championship.   As someone who loves defense, I really appreciate what Iggy accomplished on the defensive end in this Finals.

COACH KERR

I have always known that Steve Kerr has a brilliant basketball brain.  When he was still an NBA player, he got the chance to be coached by Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich – arguably two of the greatest coaches of all time – and this definitely contributed much in giving him the deep understanding of the game that he possesses.  He was my most favorite basketball writer/analyst when he still worked for Yahoo! Sports, and his basketball smarts were apparent by how his articles oozed with thoughtfulness and insight.  He was also pretty sensible and eloquent when he worked as a TV analyst.

Hence, when he replaced Marc Jackson as head coach of Golden State Warriors, I was intrigued.  I felt that this team under Kerr could become something special.  Employing the principles he learned from his mentors – Jackson and Popovich – as well as the principles of his assistant coaches Ron Adams (one of the best defensive coaches now) and Alvin Gentry (known for his up-tempo offense), Coach Kerr did just that, developing the Golden State Warriors into a team that excelled in both ends of the floor.

Moreover, he successfully established a culture of sacrifice and teamwork (as mentioned earlier) in the team.  He willingly listened to suggestions, and give credit to whom is due.  Thus, his players and staff considered Kerr “the best boss in the world” (words of assistant coach Luke Walton), and trusted him enough to completely invest into every detail of whatever game plan he would prepare – even if it was pretty unconventional or perplexing.  And since Kerr’s decisions and adjustments generally proved to be masterful and yielded results, the team would trust him some more.

Unfortunately, Kerr lost to Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer in consideration for Coach of the Year.  Nevertheless, a championship is much more important.  And by leading the Warriors through a history-making season, Kerr has established himself as the most successful rookie head coach in NBA history and a legitimate, elite head coach to be reckoned with in the future.

* * *

Miscellaneous thoughts about the 2014-2015 NBA season:

• Interesting trivia and image from Bleacher Report: Stephen Curry is the first player in history to beat every other member of the All-NBA First Team on his way to a title.
• For a while there, the depleted Cavs had me worried a bit that they could actually pull off an epic upset of the Warriors.  LeBron James on “basketball god mode” putting up phenomenal numbers in the Finals made it seem that Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellavedova were enough to fill in for injured Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.   Nonetheless, even when the Cavs were up 2-1, I was confident the Warriors would still win for two reasons: a.) Coach Kerr’s knack of making successful adjustments kept the Warriors from losing three straight all season long; and b.) exhaustion should eventually set in on the Cavs’ short rotation.  As it had proven to be in Game 4, I was right in both counts.
• I’m first and foremost, an LA Lakers fan.  But as an NBA fan as well, I need a team to root for in the playoffs, and after I became a Stephen Curry fan, I have always rooted for the Warriors come playoffs time since the Lakers are unavailable in the playoffs in the past few seasons.
• I’m happy with Kawhi Leonard winning Defensive Player of the Year.  At last, a perimeter defender wins for the first time since Ron Artest in 2004.  I was tired of big men winning the DPOY year in, year out. 
• We never saw what Julius Randle – the pick Lakers earned for their awful 2013-2014 season – can do since he was brought down by a season-ending injury at opening night.  It was an indication on where this Lakers team was going for the rest of the season.
• The 2014-2015 Los Angeles Lakersturned out to be the most horrible team in franchise history.
• It’s official: time and wear-and-tear have already caught up with Kobe Bryant, and he’s simply isn’t the player we have been spoiled of knowing.  He no longer has the capacity to carry a subpar roster by himself as he did during the 2005-2007 seasons.  He still averaged 22.3 ppg but got there at 37.3 FG%.  I would love to see him back to elite form next season, but that looks unlikely at this point.    
• During the season, Kobe overtook Jordan as the 3^rd all-time leading scorer, but he also earned the record for missing more shots than any other NBA player in history. 
• Thank God for Kobe Bryant’s Muse, however.  
• And there’s some nice silver linings resulting from another failure of a Lakers season.  First, Jordan Clarkson, the 46^th pick of last year’s draft, was given ample playing time and proved to be a promising Laker.  And by being part of the All-Rookie First Team, Clarkson is basically the fifth best rookie of the batch at least.  Not bad for a second-rounder.
• Also, the Lakers’ awfulness earned them the second pick for this year’s draft!  With that draft expected to turn out being a talented center in Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, the Lakers’ future looks bright with a trio of young potential franchise players in Randle, Clarkson, and whoever the result of the 2^nd pick be (just don’t mess it up, Mitch and Jim).
• Of course, I want the Lakers to win the championship next year.  But if that won’t be the case, I prefer the Dubs to repeat.

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