4/17/15: Theme Songs for the NBA Playoffs, Part One - The West
Hit the music.
8. New Orleans Pelicans
The Warrior — Scandal feat. Patty Smyth
The New Orleans Hornets appeared in the NBA Playoffs as recently as 2011. For the now-Pelicans, that seems like a decade ago. Chris Paul is long gone. The only player remaining from that team is Quincy Pondexter, back after a three-and-a-half year sojourn in Memphis.
The Pelicans making the playoffs has a feeling of newness to it — much like it felt two decades ago when the Heat, Hornets, Magic, and finally, Timberwolves hit the postseason stage for the first time. Three of those four teams boasted a future Hall of Famer at the beginning of his prime: Shaq, Zo, and KG, while the Heat had Hall of Very Good candidates Glen Rice and Steve Smith. Three guys who looked like future Hall of Famers thrived as postseason rookies: Larry Johnson, Penny Hardaway and Stephon Marbury, but their stories didn’t end so well.
Will Anthony Davis one day land in Springfield or will he go the way of Penny Hardaway? Doesn’t matter right now. The kid is doing things we haven’t seen in years. At 22, he carried the team on his shoulders. He is The Warrior.
Fun facts: Did you know Patty Smyth is married to John McEnroe? Did you know Eddie Van Halen wanted her to replace David Lee Roth as the lead singer of Van Halen? Did you know this song was featured in an 80’s NBA Superstars video, set to about a hundred Charles Barkley dunks?
You’re welcome.
7. Dallas Mavericks
Lost in The Supermarket — The Clash
This Clash song uses a bad shopping experience as a metaphor for society. In the case of the Mavs, Mark Cuban’s groceries (Rajon Rondo and Amar’e Stoudemire) have ripped through the bottom of the paper bag and spilled all over the floor. The failure of this year’s team to gel begs the question as to whether the window has officially closed in Dallas. Sure, 36-year old Dirk Nowitzki continues to chug along, but Tyson Chandler and Rajon Rondo are free agents, Monta Ellis looks lost, and unless the Mavs somehow figure things out immediately, it’s another franchise-altering trip to the store this summer for Dallas.
6. San Antonio Spurs
Still D.R.E. — Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
This song came out in 1999, which just so happens to coincide with the first of five Spurs world championships. Fast facts on the Spurs franchise: they haven’t dipped below 50 wins since the season before Tim Duncan was drafted (1996–97). They’ve made the playoffs 25 out of the last 26 seasons (going back to David Robinson’s rookie season — the miss was that ’96–97 campaign when The Admiral was hurt and a 37-year old Dominique Wilkins led the team in scoring).
The 2014–15 edition is no nostalgia act. After hanging around for much of the season, they ran off victories in 21 of 24 games (including 11 in a row) down the stretch to vault to second in the conference. A loss to the do-or-die Pelicans in the season finale dropped them all the way down to sixth, but just like Dre and Detox, don’t tell me you’d bet against that being the #1 album in the country if it ever dropped. The Spurs have the talent to take the top spot if they want it.
X-Factor: Kawhi Leonard scoring in bunches and wrecking things for the opposition on the other end of the floor. He’s the Nate Dogg of this team; usually just singing hooks but entirely capable of carrying Warren G to the top of the charts when called upon.
5. Memphis Grizzlies
Grindin’ — Clipse
This early 2000’s cut has a menacing air to it, a horror movie soundtrack before the beast emerges with the BAM of the drums. That’s Memphis. They tried to go finesse; the fan base completely rejected Jeff Green. Just like this video doesn’t feature any dancing girls or shiny suits, it’s grit and grind or the highway for the Grizzlies.
4. Portland Trail Blazers
Rappin’ Rodney — Rodney Dangerfield
Ever notice how the Blazers are kind of the West Coast version of the Raptors in that no one expects them to go anywhere? Cue the chorus of no respect, no respect. Their star, LaMarcus Aldridge is just like rappin’ Rodney in that he can’t do anything right: despite four All-Star selections, he’s not magnetic as a personality or a player because he plays a game that’s 20 years out of date.
No respect, no respect.
Damian Lillard has stepped forward as an electric sidekick and frequent leader, but serious injuries to their depth threaten to rob this team of what looked like their best chance to get past the second round.
3. Los Angeles Clippers
Hate Me Now — Nas feat. Puff Daddy
The Clippers just annoy everybody, which is kind of like Puff Daddy and Nas in 1999. That was the year Nas released the uneven I Am and the lackluster Nastradamus, both of which people hated because they weren’t Illmatic 2.0. Meanwhile, Diddy dropped Forever, which had some hits but was noticeably lacking the presence of Notorious B.I.G. These two guys ruled East Coast rap for much of the 90’s and the people were just tired. Hence, the bleep you tag team effort and a way, way over the top Hype Williams video with Nas nailed to a cross (they originally put Diddy up there, too, but he requested the scene be pulled; when the video made it to air, he and his bodyguards allegedly crowned Nas’ manager with a champagne bottle).
Though “Lob City” first elicited joy four years ago, the Doc Rivers Clippers find themselves played out in 2015. Blake Griffin is the Diddy of the NBA; he’s all in the videos (with multiple commercials). The Clips are a little dirty, complain about everything and they’re the PERFECT heel for these playoffs. The best heels have the talent to go all the way, making it even sweeter when someone gets close to knocking them off. We’ll see what happens.
2. Houston Rockets
Weird Science — Oingo Boingo
The Rockets might have the least top-to-bottom talent of any playoff team out West: Donatas Motiejunas is third on the team in minutes played. 38-year old Jason Terry is fifth. Other rotation players include Corey Brewer, Joey Dorsey and Kostas Papanikolau. Patrick Beverley is out. Dwight Howard missed 41 games.
And yet, Kevin McHale managed to steer this team to second in the West as part of Daryl Morey’s ongoing experiment to eradicate the mid-range game from the NBA. What’s more, a cyborg named James Harden has changed the fate of our protagonists and gotten them into a situation no one expected them to be in.
Pow! Movie plot.
1. Golden State Warriors
Until We Rich — Ice Cube feat. Krayzie Bone
A lot of people think the championship is Golden State’s to lose. 67 wins will do that for you. But nobody on this roster has been to the top of the mountain before. Thus, the champagne dreams of this Cube track. Plus, I needed an excuse to talk about Krayzie Bone in 2015.
This post was originally published to TheDropStep.com on April 17, 2015.
