Friday Fifty: May 26th, 2017

So while the Warriors and Cavs renew their now annual tradition until Lebron retires, the rest of us fans get to look forward to the draft in the hopes that we can find the future star of our respective franchises. I don’t want to sit here and say the lottery is fixed (it is), but how great a spot are the Boston Celtics in right now? While it was pretty clear from the start that they were among one of the weakest 1 seeds in NBA playoff history, their highway robbery of a trade with the Brooklyn Nets a few years ago virtually gave them house money to play with. What do they do with the first pick? If I’m the Celtics I gotta say you take Markelle Fultz and let Isaiah Thomas walk after next season. Markelle Fultz is GOOD. Like, really good… He can literally do everything on the offensive end, and the majority of his weaknesses are on defense. But we’re talking the NBA here. I don’t think I’ve seen “defense” in the last 17 years. James Harden is currently employed. Defense at this point is an added bonus to a player’s skill set. He was wasted on a bad Washington team, so folks never saw him play. I was a delusional Knicks fan that hoped and prayed, so I took some time to watch his game and it’s absolutely electric, though I’m sure Phil would have screwed it up somehow. But I completely understand the thought of trading the pick for Paul George. It definitely gives the Celtics the ability to compete with the Cavs legitimately, not just a “wow they may win 2 games this series” type of competition. But with what Boston has to give up, will they really be able to overcome Lebron? Judging by Lebron’s performance this playoffs, it’s safe to say we’re going to be watching him be GREAT for another 2–3 years, which is a scary thought. Even if they do, they’ll most likely play the Warriors and please…I don’t even want to entertain that argument. If you’re in the East, the only hope you have is to wait out Lebron. It’s literally his world, the eastern conference is just living in it…

So I’ve been shirking my duties recently when it comes to the tunes. You guys passed me the rock, and I dropped the ball. I told you all I had a special edition for the playlist last week, however a little snafu at Newark Airport put a hold on that. So I went the extra mile this week and am giving you guys the Friday Fifty. Fifty of my favorite hip hop tracks from the 2000s. I gotta be honest, rap these days has become almost insufferable. Gone are the days of Big Pun, Ja, Outkast, and…BUBBA SPARXXX. Let’s bring it back people. Enjoy.