New Orleans Food Recommendations for Anthony Davis

About half of the No Regard crew (and a few of our other best friends) took a trip down to New Orleans the weekend prior to the draft lottery. One of our old friends got married and it was wonderful. We ate and drank and lived far above our means and generally won the weekend. 

Then, wouldn’t you know it, just two days after we return north, the New Orleans Hornets snag the first pick in the draft, ensuring a future filled with Anthony Davis. I assume our trip to NOLA is mostly responsible. (Related: Next year I’m going to make everyone I know spend the weekend prior to the Draft Lottery in Park Slope to try and work our voodoo on the Nets' chances in the draft.)

Even though the profusion of “Free Payton” shirts made the town come off as more of a football town than anything, Davis will have run of the place after a few monstrous-block-to-more-monstrous-alley-oop highlights. Anthony, you’re going to own the city. With your popularity and bank account, you’ll be able to go anywhere you please. But sometimes having too many options can lead to uninspired choices. So I’m here to help you out, kid. Here are five dishes/drinks that you’ve got to enjoy when you get to New Orleans.

1. Barbequed Shrimp at Mr. B’s

It’s the sauce. Oh god is it the sauce. This right here is the crown jewel.

 

2012 No Regard Playoff Power Rankings

I don’t really remember anything from the first two rounds of the 2012 NBA Playoffs (except Rose). Pete probably doesn’t either. (Example: The Utah Jazz were in the playoffs? I had no idea.) But: This will not stop us from bringing you our 2012 No Regard Playoff Power Rankings! We are stubborn! We did this last year, so yeah, it’s annual.

As always, voice your displeasure in the comments, but just know that our algorithm has a higher PER than your algorithm.

25. Mike Miller
Miami might have won game five without Miller’s seven three-pointers, but they never got the chance to try. This single game burst alone is enough to land Miller in our 25… which is good because this was all Miller had. - Andrew

24. Amar’e Stoudemire
We’re really just putting him on this list so we get an opportunity to say this once and for all: None of your fire extinguisher jokes were funny, no matter who you are. - Andrew

23. Blake Griffin
You better believe that in his playoff debut, this boy did some dunking of the basketball. - Pete

22. Jeff Teague
While the movie ended like it always does for his Hawks, Jeffrey Demarco showed once again that he is not scared of the spotlight. He proved to be a serious pest in the backcourt too, gambling early and often. - Pete

21. Glen Davis

Filled in admirably for his buddy Dwight, throwing that doughy body all around the goddamn court on his way to a strong 19-point, 9-rebound series average. He grabbed 23 offensive rebounds in five games, which is no joke. But that doesn't mean the man himself isn't a bit of a punchline (and we love him for it). - Andrew

NBA Draft Prospects: Five To Pick, Five To Ignore

You know who's good at the NBA Draft? No one. Because the draft is an anarchic mess of guesswork, gaudy suits and guaranteed contracts. Some of us here at No Regard know nothing about the college players that are about to become our favorite NBA players, while others like to puff out their chests and act like they know so much. Kidding. Totally JK Rowling. We have two guys who actually do know what they're talking about: Adam and Mugsy2Manute.

Here, those two share their thoughts on five players who every team should target and try to pick no matter what, and five players who every team should avoid no matter what. I think you'll be surprised with the results! (I have no idea if you'll be surprised. I don't know any of these people. Oh, and they left out Anthony Davis because we're trying to enlighten, not waste your time.)

One Cool Dude Champion

Photo via @cjzero

Who'd You Get?!: Rasheed Wallace, EX-2000 (1997)

We at No Regard used to collect basketball cards. Convincing a parent to shuttle us and our friends to the local collector's shop was a consistently important victory. When we found out KMart was selling entire boxes for $20, we almost wore out our bike tires pedaling back and forth.

Now we've unearthed the cache, and the results are stunning. We've been reminded that players named Dino Radja and Wesley Person briefly and forcefully carved out steady roles for themselves in the league. We've been straight tickled by the goofy casual pics. And we've been touched and inspired by the relentless optimism of the copywriters. We hope you enjoy this odd time capsule, a Utopian angle from which to view the league, where everyone is the next somebody and context is pointless.

 Back of the card after the jump.

NBA Middle Names: Shane Battier

We at No Regard spend a lot of time in our NBA knitting circles trying to figure out the human side of these players. Whether it's musing about their commutes to work, how much "Call of Duty" they play, or what their favorite snack food is, we like to remind ourselves that NBA players are nothing more than young men with enviable jobs. What better way to humanize our heroes than look up their middle names?

Shane Courtney Battier

Why You Should Root For The Thunder: Everything Dies

"My next year is now." - William Gates

This is about Kevin Durant.

The first time I thought about death thorough enough to have a breakdown I was probably around 11. The panic was spurred by the "Make Your Own Time Capsule" book I had been reading. It took me a few minutes, but all of a sudden I was hit with eternity. When the time capsule would finally be opened, however many hundred years in the future, I would not be. There, then not there. One moment, next moment.

Things change for good, quickly. And how! I've attended enough funerals to know how these things work. The floor can drop out any second, and it relishes in doing so.

Yeah, I know. This is a Website about the NBA, so here you go...

No Regard Recap: Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan

One Game We Watched Last Night: Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

I think LeBron James gets tired. Which is fine, I guess. He does spend all day either running around or thinking about exactly how he’s going to run around later or worrying that people who’ve never met him will say rude things about the ways in which he’s been running around recently. And then he lifts heavy weights until he’s ripped through most of his muscles—and there are so many muscles to rip through—so his body can rebuild those muscles better, bigger than before. He must have to consume so many calories each day just to stay awake, let alone perform at the absolute zenith of athletic capability for extended periods. So yes, I think LeBron James gets tired.

I’m not trying to make excuses for James’ occasional fourth quarter lapses, just looking for reasons. And I think this may be one of them. He tries to win the game early and sometimes this leaves him gassed in the fourth, leading to too many flat, dizzy Wade jumpers. LeBron has always looked most self-assured, most confident in every muscle twitch when his team’s up by like eight in the fourth. These situations are when he always seems to hit that dagger three—the same three that seems to elude him when the game is tied. Being the best player on the floor—on both sides of the ball—for three quarters is probably very draining. Obviously he’s not the first player forced to live with this burden, but he’s the player that I’m talking about right now. He’s also the player that looked a few breathes away from heaven after the 45-point master class that was game six against the Celtics. He gets tired is my point.

If this is really the problem—and there's a good chance it's not because what do I know—then what’s the solution? I say LeBron inverts his world view, stop worrying, and learn to value the fourth quarter more. If you asked him, I bet he'd say that all quarters are created equal. That's kind of true, but also, the fourth quarter is the last quarter, the only quarter where if you're winning at the end, you win the game. So it's a little more important.

The Thunder, during this playoff run at least, seem to have the opposite disposition. They are often slow to get going. But then they get going and it's a real problem for their opponent. They seem little concerned with double digit deficits, especially in that crazy building they play in. They're fine pacing themselves. Surely there will be a game in this series, perhaps even game two, in which the Heat carve out a differential that OKC is unable to scale. But for the first game at least, the Thunder's interpretation of the NBA's temporal construct was the better one. Let's see if LeBron can find the wrinkle in game two.

Question Of The Day: Kendrick Perkins

Who is Perk rooting for tonight?

Does he want a shot at the team that traded him? Or would he rather not have to deal with the emotional baggage that comes with playing against Rondo and the guys? Or is he the type to ignore narrative altogether and just worry about actual basketball?

No Regard Recaps: Welcome Reminder

One Game We Watched Last Night: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

Ten years ago yesterday, the U.S. Men’s National Soccer team completed one of its biggest and most epic victories of all time, a 3-2 nail-bitter in the World Cup over Portugal. It had everything—drama, brilliance, grittiness and, most importantly, it gave the fans hope. Hope that a team nobody expected to do anything ever on the big stage could hang with some of the top footballing nations. I watched that match, alone by myself, at 5:00 am. You better believe the silent fist-pumps and muted fuck yeahs were abundant.

Fast-forward exactly 10 years later to yesterday’s epic Boston Celtics win. While the two teams are not necessarily similar in their makeup (Celtics are grizzled vets while that USMNT outfit sported two up-and-comers named Landon Donovan and DeMarcus Beasely) the games certainly had a similar feel for me.

For starters, due to work, I was forced to watch yesterday’s game alone on the DVR, late into the wee hours of the morning. Yes, last night’s game was by accompanied by something I could not swing as a 16-year-old—two glasses of vodka (isn’t growing up great!)—but you better believe the evening was once again filled with silent fist-pumps and muted fuck yeahs.

My favorite play—Rondo’s tip-pass rebound to Mickael Peaches for an ice-cold, momentum-shifting trey—encouraged flashbacks of Brian McBride’s gutsy, game-winning, diving header. Here are two guys, with no regard for their own human life, sacrificing their bodies for the name on the front of their shirt.

We all become jaded when we get older—in terms of just about anything, really, but particularly as far as sports go. I mean, how many NBA games have we all watched over the years? How many soccer games have I wasted my time freaking out over? Here we go, another pick-and-roll, another corner kick. Every once in a while though, we are reminded why we care so much about people we have never met playing a silly game.

That reminder: hope. Hope that a group everyone cast off as too old, injured, slow and tired can still hang with the Heatles. Hope that another title is still possible. And hope that teams playing as teams are still critical in a star-driven league.

Last night’s game pumped me so full of hope I could barely sleep. The Celtics can do this again, as a unit, like it should be. This win was a fun as that soccer game was 10 years ago.

Thank you, sports.

Good Job! Good Effort! Great Kid!

Hey! Maybe you're struggling right now. Maybe your job or school work or relationships have seemed especially rocky recently and you feel like it's your fault. But hey! Remember: You're giving it your all! Good job! Good effort! Optimism!

No Regard Previews: Brain Burner

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

After one disappointing and three amazing games, the Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics tonight in what has the potential to be a historic battle. An historic, even, if that's how you choose to speak. Then again, as my partner-in-crime, Andrew Abides, noted last night during a conversation we had over the Internet, it could potentially fall flat.

“I have no idea what to expect out of this series anymore,” he typed. Mr. Abides’ astute observation is well-noted. So far, this series has given us just about everything. And with a guaranteed two, potentially three more games, just about anything could happen.