Matt Johnson

Great Point Guards of Humanity: California

Great Point Guards of Humanity: California

This was inspired by watching Beat Junkies/Stones Throw legend and California’s own J. Rocc throw down a set late in 2016. He looked just like a floor general in total command of the ball, his team, the crowd and the game—only with turntables and a mic. A video posted by Downtown (@downtownball) on Dec 8, 2016 at 3:50am PST In order… Read more →

Downtown’s 2016-17 NBA Predictions

Downtown’s 2016-17 NBA Predictions

A new NBA season begins Wednesday morning Australian time, making this a fitting moment for prognostication. Consequently, four Downtown writers are here with their guesses about what’ll go down in 2016-17. Conference Finalists Tom Hersz: Cleveland, Toronto, Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers Michael Collins: Cleveland, Boston, Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers Matt Johnson: Cleveland, Atlanta, Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers… Read more →

Dunk Control

Dunk Control

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Things happened:#hardballhttps://t.co/VSvXMM7hVX — #TheLockerRoom (@DT_LockerRoom) February 26, 2016 Recognising the inevitably of a verbal argument turning into physical violence underpins the case for gun control.  When words aren’t enough, so says the evolutionary text, one or both parties may choose to seek victory by harming the other. A gun, a thing designed for harming others, becomes an option. The easier… Read more →

The Greatest Highlights of All-Time, by the Disappointing Vince Carter

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This may be the most impressive individual highlight reel in NBA history.  Once it’s accounted for that the overwhelming majority of the sport’s best athletes and showmen play in the NBA, it’s conceivably the best reel in basketball history. Ranking these is obviously a contest of opinion, since there’s nothing more subjective than deciding whose dunks are the coolest – and, moreover,… Read more →

The Uncanny Rajon Rondo

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“Back injury” was the official diagnosis for what ended Rajon Rondo’s 2015 season. He purportedly suffered it during Game 2 of Dallas’ series versus Houston, in which he played just 10 minutes and his team lost convincingly. That was time enough to complete this memorable sequence for the Playoff Rondo mixtape: The NBA has seen it’s share of “unintentional” (intentional) poor play in… Read more →

PG-13 Back with a Bang

The Locker Room was fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to attend the USA Basketball Showcase last August. It’s become better known as the game Paul George suffered one of the more gruesome injuries in basketball history. On the play in question, in which he crashed into the basket stanchion and then into the seats, it was hard to see what actually happened -… Read more →

Special K

There’s always risk in extrapolating a hot start, which is why the English coined the saying flatter to deceive.  It’s early in Karl-Anthony Towns’ NBA career and human existence – 5 games and 19.5 years, respectively. It’s still early enough for him to do, or be, anything. Introducing perspective is important because if Town’s debut week were to follow a regular career… Read more →

Kobe vs Everyone

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There are individual and team sports – that’s the easy way to separate them, at least. Easy and, well, lazy. Applying a broad brush to anything, instructively, obscures the (important) detail. There are levels to this. Basketball is more of a team affair than, say, baseball, which is effectively bat (one guy) versus ball (one guy) in front of a… Read more →

Crash Through

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In the era of stretch 4’s, stretch 5’s and Draymond Green jumping tip in the Finals, it’s fair to say today’s NBA places a premium on shooting. There will always be minutes, of course, for legitimate big guys, but for everyone under 6’10” the message has been loud and clear for years: learn how to shoot 3’s if you want… Read more →