The incredible Rajon Rondo return game

Unfortunately my pregame intro Vine needed to be a few seconds longer:

Garden crowd anticipating Rondo's introduction @CelticsLife https://t.co/oIjZ2UZw7K
— Mark Vandeusen (@LucidSportsFan) January 3, 2015

Here's the rest on YouTube:



And then the game started, and Rondo couldn't miss:



He scored 15 points in the first quarter, his highest total ever in the first 12 minutes of a game.  Rondo made his first seven shots from the field, including four three-pointers.  He finished with a career-high five threes, along with 29 points--the most he's scored in any game since tearing his ACL two seasons ago.

Despite the spectacular show Rondo put on, this was still the best part:



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How can this really be a TV show?

I saw this TV promo last night:



If this can be a TV show, literally anything can be a TV show.  Next on Bravo, "Kitchen Sinks of North Dakota."

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2015 is here, where is my hoverboard!

Back to the Future takes place in 1985, with Marty McFly and Doc Brown travelling 30 years into the past to 1955.  In the sequel they fly the time machine forward 30 years to 2015.

This brings two things to mind:  One, I can't believe it's been 30 years since that movie came out.  And two, where is my hoverboard?  The actual date they visit is October 21st of this year, so I guess there's still a little time for technology to catch up?



Also in Back to the Future Part II, the Chicago Cubs win the 2015 World Series.  With Jon Lester and new manager Joe Maddon, they appear to be on the right track.

If you don't believe in the Cubs/Back to the Future 2 stuff, then I'm just gonna leave this: http://t.co/ABS0p4zMYJ pic.twitter.com/alNIMqubjA
— Mike Oz (@mikeoz) December 10, 2014

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I wonder if LeBron James' New Year's resolution is to get out of Cleveland?

(This photo isn't real)

Yesterday was LeBron James' birthday (Tiger Woods' as well, which is weird).  James celebrated by sitting out with a sore knee, and watching his title-favorite Cavaliers lose in Atlanta 109-101.

Cleveland is now 18-13 on the season, in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.  Over the last few days reports have surface that LeBron doesn't like his head coach, David Blatt.  There may be some evidence to support this theory:



Chris Haynes, a beat reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, wrote:

"James, who turns 30 today, has no intention of compromising his prime years playing for a sputtering organization. He can opt out of his contract at the end of the season and become a free agent.

Given the massive scrutiny he would endure if he departed Cleveland a second time, if his hand is forced, I'm told he won't hesitate to make the appropriate business decision if it means bolting."

I've been saying all along (even since before he signed a deal that gives him an option to be a free agent after just one year) that LeBron could get sick of Cleveland and bail if things don't go well.

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Who do I root for when Paul Pierce plays Rajon Rondo?

Tonight Paul Pierce's Washington Wizards head to Dallas to take on Rajon Rondo and the Mavericks.  Who do I root for?

The case for Rondo.
The case for Pierce.

For this evening's contest I think I have to take Pierce and the Wizards.  This is a huge game for them.  As I wrote about on HoopsHabit, the Wizards just got their best win of the year in Houston last night.  They're now 22-8 and close to proving themselves as a legitimate contender in the East.  A back-to-back victory in Dallas would really turn some heads.

On the other hand, Rondo is still learning how to play with Dirk Nowitzki and the other Mavs.  How good they are right now isn't too big a concern, as long as they've figured things out come playoff time.

There's an outside chance Pierce and Rondo could meet in the NBA Finals.  I discussed the possibility in a CelticsLife article today.  If that happens, I think I'll just enjoy the ride...

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Is it possible none of the top 7 teams in the NBA are championship contenders?

Last week I wrote an article for the "Stat Central" feature I do on HoopsHabit.com called What Each NBA Title Contender Needs For Christmas.  The hard part wasn't trying to find an area for each elite team to improve in, the difficulty was determining who the contenders are.

The top three teams in the East are Toronto, Atlanta and Washington.  But the overwhelming favorites in the conference are No. 4 Chicago and No. 5 Cleveland.

In the West it's even weirder.  Based on preseason odds, the three most likely championship candidates are San Antonio, the L.A. Clippers and Oklahoma City.  The Clippers are sixth in the Western Conference, the Spurs are seventh and the Thunder are 10th (still recovering from injuries to All-Stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant).  There's a very good chance everybody's preseason favorites out west will finish with the worst three playoff seeds in the conference.

Not only that, but in the fifth spot at the moment is Dallas, who just made a huge move to acquire Rajon Rondo.  The postseason is still a long way off, but we could end up with a scenario where seeds 1-4 (currently Golden State, Portland, Memphis and Houston) all lose in the first round to seeds 5-8.

At the moment the team with the best record in the NBA, the 24-5 Warriors, has only slightly better odds to win the title (pictured) than the 15-17 Thunder.

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Awesome $20 Yankee Swap Gift Idea of The Week (send me nominations)

This blog probably would have been more useful a few weeks ago, but hey, I just thought of the idea today.  And maybe now I can get some good responses from people as to the best/worst/ funniest Yankee Swap gifts they encountered this Christmas.  Here's my contribution:

That is a full-size shopping cart.  The chocolate box is big enough to hold a couple extra-large deep-dish pizzas stacked one on top of the other.

Post your nominations in the comments section below, on Facebook or on Twitter.

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