What Dreams May Come...

I had a dream last night that I felt needed sharing.  If you'll allow me to indulge...

It's 6:30 PM on Saturday July 8th.  The weather has been perfect all weekend.  The sun is still shining but beginning to show the earliest signs of setting over a beautiful blue Pacific ocean.  All the basketball has been played.  I have just finished getting ready for what will be our final grand finale of a night on the town.  I walk out of the bedroom and into the kitchen...

Immediately I notice Jeffrey aka The Juice standing at the kitchen counter.  He has spectacles down over his nose and is closely inspecting a grapefruit.  He takes a whiff.  He looks up at me and says knowingly, "You're looking for that perfect balance of acidity and sweetness." He begins to slice.  "Nice color on the pulp," he mumbles to himself.  Jewelers don't inspect precious stones with the rigorous intensity that The Juice works a piece of citrus. 

The Juice is surrounded by several members of the QP.  They are anxiously awaiting their next full craft to be handed to them by The Juice, so they can pour liquor into it and continue pregaming.  "We bout to turn up BOI!" yells A Hop.  Spotlight and Abe chest bump and then stare into each others eyes for a few seconds too long.  I wonder...

I turn and wander upstairs, not knowing where the cool Pacific breeze is taking me.  I turn right, into a bedroom where I find Beas transitioning flawlessly from Warrior I into Downward Facing Dog. "What up Smo man?" he asks me as the sunlight dances off the beaded sweat forming on his chiseled abdomen.  "Coolin' fam," I reply as I turn to leave.  

I walk outside onto the deck and am greeted warmly by Joe and BC.  Joe has just got done rolling up some of California's finest Devil's lettuce and asks, "You trying to hit this?"  I hit this.  I turn to look as BC pulls an unlit cigarette from behind his ear and lights it with his current cigarette.  He takes a long drawl, blows a smoke ring, and exhales the rest through his nostrils.  "What it look like?" he asks.  "I can't call it," I say as I dap him up and turn to leave. 

I hear shouting and as I enter the living room I see Dan the Boy and Sabin screaming at the television.  They are both intensely watching the games that took place less than an hour ago.  "Where's the help side D?!" Dan yells almost loud enough so the IV in his arm comes loose.  Sabin scribbles furiously in his notebook and mutters "That's sure to hurt his draft status next year."  Dan takes a long swig of his 45th coconut water of the day that will undoubtedly be credited towards the "collective weekend tab" to be paid for by everyone else.  "Only 364 more days until PCTI9!!" Dan screams at me as I hastily leave the room with genuine concern for my safety.

I decide to step outside for some fresh air.  I walk past Ben Wilson, and keep walking.

As I step outside I see TP, who is on the phone and in a shouting match with an Indian man.  The man has clearly missed yet another pick up for FreshPoint Dallas.  Par for the course, I think to myself.     

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.  Be present in the moment, I tell myself.  As I feel the breeze on my face, I look up towards a beautiful sunset, and think to myself that for the first time in my life, I am exactly where I need to be. 

Team Comparisons vs. Last Year

A lot has been said about Team Pods scoring prowess and Team Weakness Leaving Body's Rebounding... When you break it down by averages in PCTI7 (using Smo's historical data), there are definitely some inaccuracies as it relates to perception.

Call Outs:

• Pod's hold a steady lead in every category except rebounding.
• Add in Donley and Wes's stats and they have a lead in boards as well.
• Abe's productivity is ridiculous.
• Team Weakness Leaving Body has a lot of on-court weaknesses.  

The Donley Impasse

Hey fellas,

Let's jump straight to it, if you haven't heard already, I am no longer able to make it to PCTI this year. I found out on Friday and was hopeful for something to change, but it doesn't seem that this particular timeline is adjustable. I'm going to take some time in this post to talk a bit about what's come up, mostly about what's going on with me, and finally about what PCTI means to me (as I imagine it means something just a bit different for everyone) - and let's be honest, I've been pretty vacant this offseason. If you're frustrated and annoyed after reading thus far, feel free to send me a GFY emoji and end it right here, but regardless of what percentage of people stop here, I'm going to trudge on because this exercise will be therapeutic to me if nothing else...

WHAT CAME UP
For those that are like me and don't keep up with the details of everyone else's lives, I recently took a new job (still with Starbucks) at headquarters in Seattle. It is a great opportunity for me and a big step within the supply chain world to set the stage for the rest of my career, so all in all good news. But as the saying goes 'with great power comes great responsibility", now that may be a bit egotistical of me to use 'great power' when referencing myself, but fuck it, half of you are pissed at me as it is. So on Friday an opportunity came up for us to further our business in a big way with a fairly large corporation that lives just down the road from us here in Seattle - they being the ones that just dropped a quick $13.7 Bill to acquire everyone's favorite over-priced organic food grocer. As Director of CPG supply chain strategy, I'm running point on both this relationship and understanding the capital investment it will take to 'win big'. So a bunch of work-speak to get to the point, the top-to-top proposal meeting is set for next Friday (insert gut-punch and one of the most blood sucked out of your face moments of my work life). For those involved in these you know that it's built off executive availability, which means my ability to influence is jack-shit...so much for that 'great power'. I had a prep meeting with my boss this morning hoping to hear that it is just too short notice and that it would be pushed out, but to no avail...

WHY I NEEDED PCTI, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR
I've been pretty vacant in the email chains, blog space, or just any interaction regarding PCTI. It's not that I'm not paying attention, but just that life has overtaken me a bit. I'm going to give some insight into what's been going on with me and why this has changed the way I think about PCTI, staying in shape, and having things to look forward too.

The reason I moved to Cincinnati was to help take care of my mother as her health declined. I was prepared for that undertaking, but what I didn't expect is all the other dog-shit that happened in the last 12mo. Here's the timeline of cunty-ness:

1. Nov 2016 - - I spent 3mo cleaning, packing, moving and selling my moms house and moving her into a condo. She lives alone and is physically is disabled not able to lift more than 15lbs, this became a full-time second job.
2. Dec 2016 - - my brother-in-law passes (wife's bro) away due to liver failure caused by alcoholism, this on top of my mother-in-law passing less than 18mo prior from cancer. If you haven't had to go through loss with your spouse or loved one, it's one of the hardest things to endure and to have two within 2yrs has really taken it's toll on our family
3. Dec 2016 - my dad's wife was diagnosed with early onset dementia (Pat Summit disease) and starts to get lost frequently and not remember people 
4. Feb 2017 - LARKIN MASSEY DONLEY was born! New baby, they aren't much work right?
5. Feb 2017 - received an offer I couldn't refuse to move to Seattle despite knowing how hard it would be on the fam 
6. Mar 2017 - my mother has a sever health episode and I spent 4 nights in the hospital with her away from the new baby, wife, and G - - all while listening to her tell the doctors she messed up her medication after receiving distressing news (that news, her son is moving to Seattle...)
7. Mar 2017 - on the doctors recommendation, I had to inform my mother she was no longer fit to live on her own and needed to move again, into assisted living
8. Mar 2017 - dad's wife's situation escalates into stage 6 creating a situation where she can no longer live outside of an assisted facility
9. Apr 2017 - filed for power of attorney of mother's finances and health, then had to repack, prep for sale her condo
10. Apr 2017 - start new job, doing one week in Seattle and one week in Cincy until move at end of May (the promptly added a direct flight the week after I moved, fuckers)
11. May 2017 - move to Seattle
12. June 2017 - received an acceptance for an offer on a house 

So, a lot going on and if you've ever read the top 10 life stressors I think I have 11. I put this in bullet point-ish format and scaled it down so I didn't ramble on and on, but know that each of these things takes so much share of mind and thought that it's been a bear on me personally. Now, life happens and I don't tell you this for sympathy but moreso to get to the next part:

WHAT PCTI MEANS TO ME, AND HOW THAT MEANING HAS CHANGED

PCTI has expanded in what it represents for me this year. It represents an escape from life, it represents an escape from the mundane, it represents a brotherhood, it represents an endgame to push me to be in better shape, it represents relief in the form of relaxation and the ability to laugh, it represents a beacon of light in 12mo of unwavering despair, it represents commitment to something and to people that I am proud of, it represents insight into just how few things bring me pure joy in this world outside of my wife and kids, it represents my love for competition and the game, it represents my fuck you to father time for as long as I can manage, it represents the transformation of an idea into an event, it represents continuous improvement and the commitment to growth of experience, it represents something that I need. It represents...me.

I've not needed PCTI more than I need it this year and now I have to come to terms with the fact that I don't get to partake. So if it's all the same to you, I'm going to slip back in the shadows as I'd rather not hear about the experience this year. But I do wish you all luck and hope everyone stays healthy. 

With sincerity, godspeed. 

Your brother,

Scott D.

10 Burning Questions Heading into PCTIEIGHT

1.       Can Dan continue his scoring uptick?

The reigning MVP had a coming out party on the offensive end last year. Averaging double digit points for the first time ever (he came in averaging 4.5 ppg in his career). His scoring did fall off the last 3 games, but if he is forcing the Pods to put a top defender on him, this would open things up for the rest of the team. Being the “Abe stopper” is a draining task. If he can do that and be the same threat as last year on O, team Bored will have the advantage.

2.       Can Abe and Ben play at their top levels at the same time?

It’s no secret that Abe and Ben can fill it up (1 and 2 in all time points). While they can both score in bunches, they both have similar styles of doing it. They are ball dominant players that use a combination of strength and skill to gain an advantage on most any defender. They also both have the same weakness at times and that is forcing the action too much and turning the ball over (also 1 and 2 in all time TOs). The biggest challenge is each team needs that guy that can create offense when the games go into the lull that happens every PCTI. For our team, Ben and Abe will most likely be that fill, while BC and Joe tend to fill that for their team. Which team will have the most mistakes during this time and which team will get good opportunities that turn into a run?

3.       How will Andy C. fit in to Team Pods?

New guy to PCTI is always a huge wildcard. He would have had much more of an advantage coming in on the other team since Dan and Rainbow (occasionally Sabin) play with him. Figuring out the flow of the game and how your new teammates play within a few hours must be very tough. I always look forward to seeing how people fit in both on and off the court and this year is no different. I hope Andy can bring some of his smoothness to the court.

4.       Can Sabin and/or Joe rebound from last year?

It was a less than ideal year for Sabin and Joe last year. Sabin shot well game 1 and 6 but not that well in the middle games. Joe average 6.33 ppg last year, about half of his career average. Don’t get me wrong, these guys bring a lot to the table. Sabin is solid on D and the boards (11 boards in game 5) and rarely turns the ball over. Joe creates havoc on D and uses his athleticism to get O boards and get fouls. While they bring a lot to the table, their team this year will need them to be the scoring forces of old and average double digits.  

5.       How will Spot, Smo and Bruiser come in to 8?

A bit of the unknown with these 3. 1 is coming from England, the other is coming from Spring Hill, and the third I believe still lives in Dallas. How will these guys come in physically to PCTI? Do any of these guys play basketball throughout the year?  Conditioning is usually a key in these weekend marathons and both teams need these key players to be ready. Will Team Pods get good shooting and timely back cuts from Spot? Will they get solid defense and easy put backs from Smo? Will Team Bored get solid post play and midrange jumpers and control of the boards from Bruise? All answers to come.

6.       Will BC win MVP?

BC is a top tier player. No question about it. He can score with anyone, gets to the FT line, is one of the top rebounders, solid defender in multiple positions, and is one of the best in the efficiency rating (1^st) and SPERM (3^rd). Some of his stat lines in games are just GAWDY (26-10, 26-14-4, 21-16). His team will need him to have a big tournament. If Team Bored wins, he is the heavy favorite to win MVP.

7.       Will Beas continue his defensive performance from last year?

Already touched on Joe’s offensive performance last year and many thought it had to do with Beas playing lock down D nearly the entire weekend. His scoring was down from previous years, but his assists and A/T were up. While still performing well offensively, many people walked away talking about his D and how much he owns Joe T (still do to this day). Will Beas be locked in again or will the Doc get his revenge?  

8.       Will Donley be a force or detriment?

Donley is one of those guys that can easily swing an entire weekend at PCTI. He is strong, athletic and can guard most anyone you assign him to. He also has the ability to score inside and outside. So why has he fell in the draft recently?  I looked at his numbers of his last 2 PCTIs vs the 3 that he played in before and cannot find any glaring discrepancies. His EFG is down (maybe Sabin can tell us what that may mean). In fact, there has been a small increase in boards, assists, blocks, and steals. There is one thing that popped out at me: after compiling 10-6 record from PCTI II-IV, he had to miss V and his teams in his return have gone 3-8. Did his team need a scapegoat or did his game not mesh with his teams?  Is he getting a bad rap or is it justified? Could Scotty Hustle break out of his slump and help get his team to a winning way?

9.       Can TP and Rainbow propel their team to another series win?

The two rookies from last year came in with a little hesitation and ended much stronger. Rainbow didn’t fill up that stat sheet but he was much more comfortable with our team and a greater threat by the end. TP’s game 5 has had plenty of documentation and may have swung the series completely. These two are back together again with Dan and BC to see if they can be the difference maker. I will say this to try and prep my team as best as possible: if we can’t keep TP off the glass, we won’t win. If we take Rainbow lightly, even with his funky passes, we could be in BIG trouble. Keep in mind, I played with Rainbow and DK in Dallas last year Bow was dominant on the offensive end.

(FYI, I was looking at Rainbow’s stats and I didn’t realize that the only shots he made were 3s. No made FTs, no made 2s. For some reason, I found this incredible.)

10.   Will AHop and Smo continue their reign as “winningiest” participants?

Did I make that word up? YUP. Did I ask this question just so I could make it look like me and Smo are more valuable than we are? Of course. I am the leader in PCTI history for most overall wins. Of course, I have an advantage against some because I have been able to play in all the PCTI series. Some say it’s because of luck, or that I buddy up to really good players. I have some theories but mostly have gotten lucky with my teams. I have 2 guys in DK and BC that would love to de-throne me this year. Smo on the other hand is 4-1 in PCTI series. His one loss was the massacre in Dallas. Outside of that, his teams are 16-7. The only explanation is that his killer instinct he brings to his team pushes them over the top in PCTI.

Pumped to see everyone in a week!

Must and Must Not's Heading Into 8

Some thoughts from my point of view on what each player must do to help his squad get a Dub.  As a response to Smo's criticism of my grammar, it's not that I don't have the time to re-read my posts, it's that I don't care to.  It's like listening to yourself talk, really awk.

White Bests (Clueless Shout Out)

Abe: 

• Must: Rebound at a high level.
• Must Not: Take less shots than Donley.

Wilson: 

• Must: Score in bunches when everyone else is tired.
• Must Not: Get down on himself.

Nature: 

• Must: Get reps in before PCTI8.
• Must Not: Wait until the final game to erupt offensively.

Spotlight:

• Must: Facilitate the offense.
• Must Not: Lose site of his abilities moving without the ball.

Hops:

• Must: Continue his emergence as a 3-point threat.
• Must Not: Shoot layups.

Donley:

• Must: Make plays in the trenches.
• Must Not: Take more shots than Abe.

Smooth:

• Must: Find four shots a game from deep.
• Must Not: Try to over-attack.

Smo:

• Must: Protect his rim.
• Must Not: Be passive offensively.

Team Weakness Leaving the Body

The Beast: 

• Must: Establish the mid-range game.
• Must Not: Melt down.

The Actor:

• Must: Have a MVP level PCTI.
• Must Not: Lose focus defensively.

Sabin:

• Must: Get a win.
• Must Not: Show up with that shit eating grin from PCTI7.

TP:

• Must: Convert offensive rebounds into points.
• Must Not: Spend too much time on the perimeter.

Juice:

• Must: Be aggressive offensively.
• Must Not: Gamble too much defensively.

Stickman:

• Must: Take advantage of his skill set that he wastes every year.
• Must Not: Show up not ready to play.

The Boy:

• Must: Limit Abe's open shots.
• Must Not: Revert back to the 30% shooting days.

PCTI8 Official Itin Stick--San Diego, CA

Fellas: I can't put into words how much I'm looking forward to seeing the boys in San Diego... Last year was incredible, and see no reason we can't build off that momentum.

Below is your 2017 PCTI Official Itin Stick.  As I'm sure you will notice, there aren't a ton of meals planned, and will try to utilize our full service kitchen to be as cost effective as possible.

Need to Know:

• Van: We WILL be renting a van, but not making pickups throughout the day.
• Distance from Airport to House: 10 Minutes (Uber upon arrival, repeated below).
• House: Has 6 bedrooms and 14 beds... Thank God.  

Location:

• Home Address: 2621 Imperial Avenue San Diego, CA 92102. 
• Gym Address (Day 1 and 2): 10455 Pomerado Road, San Diego, CA 92131.
• Alliant International University University Gym.
• Gym Address (Day 3): 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110.
• USD Sports Center Gym
• Link to House: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/10474562.
• Logistics of Note:
• Balboa Park and Downtown: 10 blocks.
• Airport: 10 Minunits(Uber upon arrival).
• Pacific Beach: 15 Minunits.
• San Diego Zoo: 12 Minunits.
• Gym (Alliant): 20 Minunits.
• Gym (USD): 18 Minunits.

Money In The Bank Wednesday:

• 7:00 am: Smooth, Smo, The Boy, The Juice, Nature arrive.
• 10:30 am: The Beast arrives.
• 1:00 pm: Hops, Sabin, Abe arrive.
• 3:00 pm: TP arrives.
• 4:10 pm: Stickman and Wilson arrive.
• 4:30 pm: Spotlight arrives (LAX) and Actor picks him up.

Royal Rumble Thursday:

• 7:30 am: Breakfast @ Richard Walker's Pancake House (520 Front Street, San Diego, CA).
• 9:15 am: Depart to Gym.
• 10:00 am: Game 1 Tip.
• 11:00 am: Game 2 Tip.
• 4:00 pm: Private Tour @ Green Flash Brewery.
• 7:00 pm: Grill out at the house/relax/open night.

Survivor Series Friday: 

• 9:30 am: Depart to Gym.
• 10:00 am: Game 3 Tip.
• 11:00 am: Game 4 Tip.
• 3:00 pm: Depart San Diego Zoo.
• Open Night.

Wrestlemania Saturday:

• 9:30 am: Depart to Gym.
• 10:00 am: Game 5 Tip.
• 11:00 am: Game 6 Tip.
• Noon: Game 7 Tip.
• 1:00 pm: Depart Pacific Beach.
• Lunch, Beach, Volleyball, Drink.
• There is a ton to do in "PB" and knowing how exhausted we all get, I left it open for people to do what they want.  
• Options:
• Surf Lessons: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60750-d1453946-Reviews-San_Diego_Surf_Lessons-San_Diego_California.html
• Bike Rental: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60750-d10050073-Reviews-Surf_Monkey_Bikes-San_Diego_California.html
• Segway: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60750-d1730666-Reviews-Segway_of_Pacific_Beach-San_Diego_California.html
• 8:00 pm: Dinner in Gaslamp Quarter (location and details of the night TBD).

Day 1 & 2 Gym:

Downtown (Gaslamp Quarter):

Pacific Beach:

Favorite Pic of the House:

PCTI8 Outlook

First off, shout out to Hops who I somehow managed to miss his Preds masterpiece... For those who haven't been following them, you're missing out... I (used to) hate hockey as much as anyone, but damn is that team fun.

With 26 days until tip off (sorry I can't figure out the countdown clock) it's time to crank up some chatter, analysis, etc as we begin slowing down our offseason training (or for Bruise, time to get it started), and turn our focus to the actual weekend.

It's no secret Ben Wilson is the superior captain in PCTI history.  What's most impressive is how he's shown an ability to build multiple winners with many different identities.  His squad in Denver was a high octane offense, then to Portland comes a balanced attack built on ball movement, followed by a defense/rebound/grit unit who resembled his favorite Grizzly teams a few years back.  Wilson came under scrutiny following the PCTI8 draft with his now famous claim that he "Likes Guys that Give a Crap," promoting his draft picks and slighting the guys he passed on.

When you think about that statement, how could a guy like Actor or Sabin be called someone that doesn't care?  I'm not sure there are two people that care more.  However, after a deep dive into the advanced stats, the well educated Wilson shows he is right again...

At the end of the day, it's very clear what his definition is... What guys know how to show up to PCTI and come out with a win?  If you have a guy like Sabin that can produce a 10 and 4 with no wins, or a Hops who's 6 and 3 has yielded the most career wins, who do you take?  Even down the line Wilson was able to pluck Smo Orr, a guy who hasn't taken a loss since PCTI4 who has more PCTI wins than Sabin and Stickman combined despite missing two PCTI's.

Already lacking an explosive scorer, Team Weakness Leaving Body will have some major hurdles to overcome as it relates to closing out games.  Is this the year a team finally knocks Wilson off his thrown?  Early indications don't look good with his stacked offense lead by him and Abe, quality teammates/athletes in Donley, Spot, Beas and Smooth, and the winning pedigree of Hops and Smo.

Editor's Note: Wes Murray will not be playing in PCTI8 due to a family event, but his stats bring more credibility to the post.