aw man, i wanted to meet metallica...

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the phoenix suns are actually my pick to represent the west(and this isn't like the east, where i would like detroit to represent, but boston is somewhat of an equal for them; i think phoenix is right now the clear cut best team in the west). it's not what shaq does, it's how much pressure he's taken off of amare (kinda like how cwebb on the pistons last season wasn't so much about him, but how dice suddenly rediscovered how to play). scoop jackson said it best; you double shaq, and amare is going to get 40 and 18; there's not many teams that have the frontcourt balance to contain both shaq and amare. and normally i wouldn't buy into shaq being a team player, a role player, but if he's doing really well this way, i can't argue against that.

lakers, if they were at full strength, would probably be the best team in the west, but they aren't(i think?). the best team counter to the suns in the west imo would be the spurs, because they have more than 1 great backcourt creator. now that phoenix does not have shawn marion, ginobili and parker have to step up even further and expose that backcourt "weakness", because duncan's gonna have his hands full guarding and being guarded by shaq. although they do have thomas though, so maybe that'll take pressure off of duncan guarding amare or shaq.

to be honest though, western conference doesn't really excite me though(even though it's gonna be hecka competitive from the 1st round in), but i do like the hornets. that's just because i grew up liking more eastern conference teams than western conference. i'm just waiting for the results of pistons vs celtics. celtics and cavs are gonna be good too; lebron has stated he dislikes the celtics.

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spielburg is going to be directing a 3D "Ghost in the Shell" movie; are jews gonna be in it?

at least it won't be as cheesy as the new street fighter movie including kristen kreuk from smallville playing as chun-li; wth writes a street fighter movie with chun-li as the main character? i'll still watch it though; it just better be sloppily hilarious, like the 1st one.