How to stop Lebron James

This is how its done

Bucks making weird moves

The Bucks came into this offseason knowing that they had to deal with the free agencies of both Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva. Both players had decent seasons, and could probably get deals for at least the mid-level exception. And since the Bucks already had Dan Gadzuric, Mike Redd, Andrew Bogut, Richard Jefferson and Luke Ridnour under bigtime contracts, they were pushing to close to the luxury tax to really have a chance of keeping both. Once they traded away Jefferson and drafted Brandon Jennings, you figured they would keep Villanueva, and let Sessions go. But despite having Ridnour, and using a lottery pick on a young PG, they decided they weren't even gonna ma Charlie a qualifying offer. I wonder what he did that rubbed the Bucks so wrongly that they decided, "you can score, but we don't want you for even a cheap 1 year deal"? And are they gonna keep three point guards on the roster, considering Ramon isn't gonna come dirt cheap? Have to say, the team seems a bit rudderless right now.

Villanueva to the Cavs?

ESPN is reporting that the Bucks won't be making an offer to Charlie Villanueva and that the Cavs may have some interest in him. Methinks the two parties may need to iron out some differences first...

Villanueva grasps Big Z's neck and attempts to restrict the blood flow to his brain during a Feb. 20, 2009 matchup between the Bucks and Cavs.
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)

Lebron's Best Big Man Options

I've heard rumors flying by about a few names coming in to fill the inside void at the Cavaliers and more than one of them has made me cringe, though some might have what it takes to boost the Cavaliers' season hopes.

Yao Ming: Yao's a mega-baller, but I think he's too injury prone for the Cavs right now. What the Cavs need is a solid big-man who will have no doubts about surviving the season and playoffs. Who knows how many years Yao has left anyways, with that inhuman body frame? I just see Yao carrying on the legacy of Big Z as an older, taller-than-average center plagued with injuries. I suppose if the Cavs are looking for a "quick fix" for next year, Yao might do the trick, but I'm not even sure if the Cavs could pull of any deal for Yao (I'm pretty sure this rumor is solely based on the new Chinese part-owners of the Cavs).

To be honest, Yao might be a good option for the Cavs if they were to play him limited minutes and try to preserve him, much like they probably would with Shaq - more on that later.

Rasheed Wallace: Please, no. We really don't need this right now. Another old, apathetic center coming into his last few injury-ridden years in the NBA as a big man (kind of like Ben Wallace).
I understand the potential upside in acquiring a Sheed, but it still makes me cringe, especially given his apathetic reputation.

Shaq: I've heard the naysayers, but I'm actually in favor of this option. Shaq is getting older, but he's still a beast and has the will of a champion. Having carried many teams to the Finals in the past, Shaq can bring the experience to do it again at the Cavs. Plus, Shaq managed to last the entire 08-09 season. People are saying he'll clog up the lane for Lebron James, but please remember who you're talking about here - the King will figure out what it takes to handle his business, and, frankly, I'm salivating at the idea of a King James-Superman (the OG Superman) combo. We can only hope that Shaq will last without injuries if he comes to the Cavs, but I think the Cavs would be much-improved even if we just got 24 minutes a game out of The Big Cactus.

Tyson Chandler: I probably like this option more than any of the others I've heard (except maybe the Shaq trade). Tyson is still relatively young, he's a bruiser inside, and he'll fit right in with the Cavs defensively. The Cavs are a team that likes to bang it out, play physical in a halfcourt setting, and Tyson will help inside. He'll be quicker on his feet than Z and a step up on O from Ben Wallace.

Marcus Camby: Same issues with the injuries, age, etc., but aren't all big-men basically injury-prone anyways? I kind of like this option, cause like Tyso, Camby is a defensive-minded player who'll fit in at the Cavs. But Camby is a skinny dude, and ultimately, I'd rather have some more muscle inside.

Lamar Odom: I'm not sure if I've heard this rumor anywhere, but if it hasn't been put forth already, I'll say it - I think Lamar Odom would be an excellent addition to the Cavs. We can finally make him play consistent defense, and he'd add some bruising power inside. Plus, imagine running the break with LO and Lebron - that'd be insane. I think Lamar has a lot of years left in him, but I'm not sure if I see him leaving the Lakers at this point. Perhaps we can throw some candy in the deal.

UPDATE: Cleveland...please welcome Shaq aka Witness Protection.

On the Trades

After a small lull right after the Finals, we got two big trades to liven things up right before the draft. The Spurs and Wizards made moves for next season, and the Bucks and T-Wolves decided that they would take their time rebuilding.

First the Spurs/Bucks trade. It was a good move for both teams, since the Bucks would be terrible with or without Richard Jefferson, and the Spurs could really use an athletic veteran in their rotation. Both teams accomplished their aims. The Bucks cleared some space to keep one or both of Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions. Neither is great, but they are solid starters. It also clears up some space in the rotation for Joe Alexander, who still has time to prove his worth as a #8 overall pick. They have another lotto pick this year, so another rotation player should be on the books. I don't really see them doing anything special with this core, but they should not be terrible either.

The Spurs are really going for another ring while Tim Duncan and Manu are still young enough to carry them. Tony Parker is still young, but the team that features him will probably be a different iteration of the Spurs. In Jefferson they finally got the athletic wing they have needed for quite some time. He also offers cover if Manu is not back to his best. However, the Spurs are paying a ton of money for a player who is closer to average than all-star level. It also eats up the Spurs cap space for 2010, so this is probably the team for the next two seasons, plus a few midseason buyouts.

The Wizards probably should have tried to rebuild rather than try to go toe to toe with the East's elite. But after the Magic got to the Finals this year, I guess they wanted to give the high octane offense ensemble approach a shot. They are kind of like a bizzaro version of the championship Pistons, with a bunch of solid players and no bonafide superstar. If they are healthy, Gil, Twan, Tough Juice, Brendan Haywood, Mike Miller, Randy Foye and Nick Young make this a team full of bucket makers. Andre Blatche and Javell McGee provide some athletic bigs off the bench. but still, this team is not realistically going to challenge a healthy Celtics, or the Cavs. They still don't have a low post option, so it will be interesting to see if Gil and Caron Butler draw enough double teams to get the other players easy shits. But if KG and Lebron get hurt next year, lookout for Agent Zero's crew.

For the Wolves, it essentially means that they are starting over. Al Jefferson is a solid player, plus they have Kevin Love. The two might be a bit to similar, but Love can shoot enough for them to play together sometimes. They now have the 5th, 6th, 18th and 28th picks in the draft, and Kevin McHale isn't there to fuck it up. David Kahn is though. So for the Wolves this draft is really their make or break moment. The can put together the core of a real nice team. There is also talk of them putting the 18 and 5 picks together for Memphis' #2. Any way they should be able to get a point guard, and wing, and possibly a center. They are hoping all the players grow together, since no one in the core is over 24.

Warriors on the Cusp

The Warriors are a very interesting team heading into the NBA Draft and I was going to write about what they should do with the pick.

By now its clear the Golden State Warriors need a lead guard (for the record I think Monta could play the point, but he is much better suited to be an off-guard, and their is just so much lead guard talent in this years' draft). I'm certain the Warrior draft board is full of point guard possibilities. I love Brandon Jennings, but he bring too much of what Monta Ellis already provides, and his jumper needs a few years of work. He's also not very patient on defense, and the Warriors need someone to make up for Monta's lack of defensive prowess. I would love to take Jrue Holiday if he drops that low. Big, tall guard he loves to play defense. Offense needs some work, but Ellis will be shouldering that load. Also, he may not be a point guard at all, so that's an issue. It was Darren Collison who ran the point at UCLA with Holiday played the 2.

Another possibility I thought about was Rajon Rondo to the Warriors. The Celtics are shopping him (why???), and he would fit right in at G-State. Sadly, I don't see anyway the Warriors give up their top flight talent for him.

Then I was going to explore the Warriors' roster; which I think is chock full of talent and has few stars in-the-making on it. Namely Monta Ellis, Anthony Randolph, and Andris Biedrins. Then I read this. An absolutely great in-depth look at every Warriors player currently on payroll. Do read that article, its bloody brilliant.

In conclusion, the Warriors will make the playoffs next year and possibly upset the top seeded Lakers.

2009 NBA Champions: The Los Angeles Lakers

Awesome Quote from Game 4

Alright, Derek Fisher and Trevor Ariza (Kobe and Pau too) gave LA a critical Game 4 victory over Orlando. While we aren't yet sticking the fork in them just yet, they are almost ready to eat. Here is one choice quote that I felt describes Kobe's feelings on his past.

From Kobe: (allegedly and first read on LakersGround.net)

Reporter (Kevin Hartman): "Kobe, how does it feel to go up against Superman?"

Kobe: "I love Dwight, but there is only one superman long ago and he wore number 34."

From Stan Van Gundy:

Reporter: "Stan, what do you think about Lakers?"

SVG: "They are who we thought they were!!!! THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!! You wanna crown em, then !@^$%# crown them. We let em off the hook!!!!"

I made that last one up. Also what did Kobe say to Dwight when they got tangled up in the 4th battling for a rebound. And because I am in a particularly chipper mood and hate when away fans chant "Beat LA" here's a little something for LA fans to wear on the road.

Lil Dez has Arrived

While Lil Dez began his career as a nuisance in Lebron/Kobe Nike commercials (which are a blatant rip off of Crank Yankers), he has finally come into his own. And during yesterdays game, he got a commercial of his very own. Word indeed.

Get Your Basketball On With Charlie Murphy

Check the whole slew of videos at Get Your Basketball On's youtube page.

HoopTrop Finals Induced Hiatus

Apologies for the lack of updates. It just seems the blogging/media world descends on the finals and floods the world with useful and repetitive information. I was taught that if I had nothing constructive to say I should keep my yap shut. So thus far my yap has remained somewhat shut. More frequent and substantive work to come. Promise. Meanwhile, here are some thoughts thus far:

• As it stands I'm not completely sold on the Magic. Even though the series stands at 2-1 LA (with an almost 2-1 Orlando). Also, why are the Orlando Magic the team everyone loves to doubt?
• Courtney Lee is using the most effective weapon against Kobe that there is. Kobe. For as brilliant as Kobe is, he sometimes listens to the little devil on his right shoulder and lets him call the shots. This usually means he forces up way too many shots (I'm talking about his 3-14 second half job). It all started after Lee ripped him of the ball on a drive in the third. The ricocheted off Bryant and into the stands. The next play down he backs Lee down and throws up a garbage shot. Garbage in that the position featured no passes and it ate up 5 seconds of the shot clock. Honestly, that's probably the best way to defend him, and it won't work all the time. If he's hot he's going to make you look like the rookie that you are. But what followed was ill advised shots, turnovers, over dribbling, over penetration, and other less than effective plays down the stretch. Sometimes he connected, but more often than not he was frustrated.
• Stan Van Gundy lets Rafer Alston run the offense, and plays him starter minutes. Less Jameer Nelson and no JJ Redick. Result: an NBA Finals record 62% shooting night, Alton goes for 20 points on 8-12 shooting. Coincidence? Maybe.
• Aggressive Lamar Odom (see Game 1 and Game 2) and the Lakers are nearly unbeatable.
• It seems the Lakers have made the decision that containing Dwight Howard is more important than containing Rashard Lewis. Thus far, mixed results. More often than not the quick or delayed doubles that Howard sees come from Pau Gasol or Lamar Odom help. When Dwight makes the correct pass out it usually ends up in Lewis' hands. Late close...three or if he's smart pull up in two-point territory.
• Hedo is clutch, and has one move, maybe two. Step back and a floater/runner.
• Kobe did not play well in the second half of Game 3 and was terrible (by his standards) from the line. He is not "tired," stop that right now. He had a bad game. Watch him kill it in Game 4.

That is all.

The Magic Unearth a New Star

From ESPN's Chris Sheridan:

"29 percent. But look, J.J. was 1-for-2.", said Howard.

Not only that, but Redick held Kobe Bryant scoreless the first three times he defended him one-on-one, and Redick also buried a 3-pointer from well behind the arc.

Once upon a time JJ Redick was compared to Adam Morrison. Debates raged across the land about who was better. But JJ has clearly established himself now. Kobe scored 40 points in 35 minutes when other players were guarding him. JJ "The Mongoose" Redick held him scoreless. While JJ was on the court, the Magic played the Lakers to a draw. Without him, they were outscored by 25 points in 40 minutes. That gives hima +/- per 48 minutes of +30.

Adam Morrison on the other hand was sitting on the bench. The Laker's wouldn't even let him soil the purple and gold by putting on a uniform. Think about that. The Lakers have let JR Rider put on a uniform. Smush Parker and Kwame Brown used to start on the same team. Yet Ammo doesn't even get to dress. There are rumours that Adam was crying about it with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter.

So props to the new Kobe-stopper. And his career .750 true shooting percentage for the NBA Finals. That has to be a record.

One Prediction(s) to Rule Them All

Our Playoff Party Crash continues. Here are the breakdowns for the NBA Finals:

GetYouAStanceLo: Magic in 7

I flipped a coin and it came up Magic, but I really could have good reasons to pick either team. The Lakers actually have the players to match up with the Magic, between size inside (Bynum, Gasol, Odom) and size on the perimeter to match up with Hedo and Rashard (Kobe, Ariza), but as always with the Lakers, the concern is about which squad will show up (Jekyll or Hyde). The Magic played well against the Lakers during the season and appear to be coming on strong. Orlando plays great defense, and they have a solid offensive formula. I have a lot of questions though about this series. Will Dwight be as dominant offensively? A player like Bynum can match up physically with Dwight more than Big Z, but Bynum has his known deficiencies on the defensive end. Similarly, will the Lakers as a whole show up on the defensive end? When the Lakers play to their potential, they're unbeatable, but they often don't play to their potential and lose to the Bobcats. But like I said earlier, I have no idea who to pick for this series and call it a coin toss.

MVP: Superman

The Real Alex G: Lakers in 6

Kobe's time has finally come. Interestingly enough, I think this series will not be about Kobe at all, although I'm sure he will try to steal the show. This series is all about the Laker frontcourt the three-headed mosnter of Pau-Bynum-Odom against the frontcourt of Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, or as I like to call them, thunder and lightning. The Lakers have all the tools necessary to just run away with this, but so do the Magic.

In the end, I think too many things have to break the Magic's way for them to win it. They have to make Bryant a scorer and not a facilitator. They need for him to forget about Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum in the post. They need to stay hot from three point land. They need for Jameer Nelson not to be a distraction and to contribute in a way that doesn't hurt their current rotation. They need to keep Dwight Howard in the game and have him make his free throws. One or two of these might happen and even translate into a few wins, but I can't see the Magic sustain the effort they need to, in order to win this series.

That said, the Magic are a great road team, and homecourt matters more to the Lakers than it does to them. The Lakers benefit greatly from being here last year, the Magic will be facing these lights for the first time. The Lakers are healthy and hungry. Everyone is talking about potential mismatches, but the Lakers and Magic actually matchup quite well. Ariza is playing with a ton of confidence, if he can have sucess guarding Hedo then the Magic have a huge hill to climb. Ariza's matchup with Denver's go-to man Carmelo Anthony in the West Finals is huge now. Hedo does not have nearly the quickness that Melo had, and anything Ariza learned against Melo will surely help him stop the Magic's go-to scorer. Fisher will probably get lit up by Rafer Alston, and I haven't decided how important that will be. The Lakers have dealt with Fisher's defensive deficiencies all year, what's one more series?

Then of course, there's the candyman. I expect Lamar to eat up most of Bynum's minutes in the second half, and for Pau to switch to Dwight. Lamar is important in that he matches up best with Rashard Lewis and can also make him work on the defensive end. Lewis had a great series against the Cavs, but he wont be afforded the space and the room to work offensively that he had in that series. If Odom can give the Laker anything near 14-10, I think the Lakers control the series rather comfortably. In the end, Kobe will be Kobe, and Howard will be Howard. They'll be slowed, but I dont think they shift the series in either direction. The Magic have the ultimate ace in the hole, the three-pointer. If they shoot it well, they are going to make LA earn their title.

Oh yeah, KB24 also gets the mark of all great players: the Finals MVP.

Chuck The Noteboom: Lakers in 5

Dwight vs Kobe. Young Shaq vs. Old Shaq. Master of Zen vs Master of Panic. Disney World vs Disneyland. Vujacic vs Gortat if Kobe and Dwight get T'ed up enough. The plotlines are endless.

I feel the big issue is how the Lakers deal with the Magic frontcourt. While the Lakes ain't exactly the most reliable frontcourt defensively, they do have the bodies to deal with Hedo, Shard and Superman. Bynum, DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell have the size, and fouls, to give Dwight some trouble. Pau is about as mobile a 7 footer as you'll find, and Lamar is guard like in his moves, so they can stick with Rashard on the perimeter. Lewis ain't gonna shoot over them either. Finally they have Kobe and Trevor "Switchblade" Ariza and Sasha "Nuisance" Vujacic to stick on the Turkish Delight.

On the other hand the Lakes are weak on their pick and roll D, which is the bread and butter of the Magic. However, it is usually speedy point guard that give them fits, not 6' 10" Euros. The overload on the strong side that is the basis of the Lakers D will leave them susceptible to some threes, but they can recover while the ball swings around. Its not like the Magic have Lebron flingin cross court passes to open shooter. And the Lakers are happy as hell about that.

On offense, I don't see the Magic having an answer for any combo of Lamar/Pau or Bynum/Pau. Fortunately for Orlando, no one has an answer on how to get Bynum/LO to perform consistently.

The Magic do have the ultimate wildcard, the 3 ball. And they love the three ball.

Given that LO, Bynum, three pointers and Rafer Alston are all involved in this series, predictions are not really worth making. But I'm going with the Lakers in 5. Kobe will get the MVP if the Lakes win (whether he deserves it or not). So that's the pick. Given my picks in the last round, hopefully I jinx LA.

J-Jigga Man: Magic in 6

Man, this shit is rough. I really don't know what is going to happen, and I feel like there are so many possibilities (especially because I spent so much time daydreaming about how awesome Lebron vs. Kobe would be and about if Ariza could guard puppet Lebron--I mean the actual puppet--for most of the game). I think that LA may be the better team, and they are definitely more experienced. Over the course of a season, I go with LA, for sure. But, when Orlando is hot, I'm not sure any team in the league can stop them because of the serious matchup problems they cause. And, I think Orlando is firing on all cylinders right now, having just dethroned the King. Dwight is taking more control and the Orlando bomb-squad keeps making it rain. LA will need a HUGE performance from Bynum defensively to try to slow down Dwight (he doesn't need to shut him down, just slow him down, like the way we judged Battier vs. Kobe). But he's been streaky, and I don't see how anyone else on the Lakers could slow him. If I were Phil Jackson, I'd try some hack-a-shaq with DJ Mbenga, Josh Powell, and Adam Morrison. Howard is also athletic enough to give Pau trouble when Pau is on the offensive end. And how do you guard Rashard Lewis and Turkoglu on the perimeter? I guess with Ariza and Odom, but it will be a challenge. Jameer Nelson coming back can't hurt Orlando, unless he messes with Alston's mojo or flow. But, at worst I see him as a non-factor and I think he could be a decent influence, putting even more pressure on D-Fish.

In all likelihood, LA could take control and run with this series. But, I think Orlando has the ideal combination of inside-outside weapons and size to give any team, including the Lakers--who have not been defensive superstars this playoffs and who dont have a certified big anchor like they used to in Shaq when they last one a championship--trouble. Now just start the games already! And someone make a cape-wearing Howard puppet!

2009 Playoff Party Crash: Finals Edition

We are finally approaching the final legs of our playoff party crash. I've updated the results, and I must say, there are more zeroes than I thought I would see. First off, no one (and I mean no one) gave the Orlando Magic a shot. Coincidentally, not many folks are giving them a chance in the NBA Finals. 

Hindsight is 20/20, but I was surprised by a few things in these conference finals. 

One, how many people picked the Denver Nuggets to beat the Lakers. The media and the bloggers (is it weird that I think bloggers now deserve mention next to the media? I say no. They own the Internet and they are slowly seeping into more mainstream medias) were quick to jump on the Denver Nuggets bandwagon. The Nuggets beat a poor Hornets team (thin bench, hurt Tyson Chandler) and a Mavericks team without Josh Howard's ankles. The Lakers gave up big leads to Utah, and at times had trouble with a pesky Rockets squad. The fact still remained, Kobe Bryant is the best closer in the game, the Lakers had homecourt and Nuggets had not faced any real adversity. Everyone jumped on this Jekyll-Hyde Lakers team, but every time the Lakers faced a game they absolutely had to win, they answered the bell. Game 3 on the road in Houston, Game 7 against Houston come to mind. What made anyone think it would be different with this inexperienced Nuggets team?

Second, I was surprised at how little a chance the Magic got. Its understandable to pick the Cavaliers, best player in the world, best record in the regular season, and an 8-0 onslaught in the playoffs. Still the Magic weren't chopped liver, they dethroned the Champs (depleted as they may have been) in Game 7 at home, and they were shooting lights out from three. Unfortunately we lost sight of some simple facts. The Cavaliers are still Lebron James. They have role players who played above their means because James made things so much easier on them. Compound the fact they had not played in any tight games in these playoffs and had not faced any adversity this year. The East Finals ended 4-2, but they could have easily ended 4-0. I'm not saying this outcome was easy to predict, but no one seemed to believe it was even a possibility. 

But, without further ado, our predictions. 

The NBAFinals

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Orlando Magic

GetYouAStanceLo: Magic in 7

The Real Alex G: Lakers in 6

Chuck the Noteboom: Lakers in 5

J-Jigga Man: Magic in 6

Breakdowns to come.

2009 Playoff Party Crash Complete Scoreboard
	Round 1	Conference Semis				Conference Finals		TOTALS
	Total	ATL-CLE	ORL-BOS	HOU-LAL	DAL-DEN	ORL-CLE	DEN-LAL
HoopTrop
The Real Alex G	41	7	5	5	5	0	5	68
Chuck The Noteboom	31	7	5	5	7	0	0	55
GetYouAStanceLo	25	5	0	5	5	0	5	45
J-Jigga Man	29	5	0	5	5	0	5	49
TrueHoop Stat Geeks
David Berri (Wages of Wins)	41	7	7	5	5	0	5	70
John Hollinger (ESPN.com Guru)	43	5	5	5	5	0	0	63
Stephen Ilardi (KU Stat Consultant)	31	7	5	5	7	0	0	55
Jeff Ma (Citizen Sports Network)	45	5	0	5	7	0	5	69
Neil Paine (Basketball-Reference.com)	32	5	5	5	7	0	7	61
Kevin Pelton (Basketball Prospectus)	37	5	5	5	5	0	5	62
Sandy Weil (sportsmetricians.com)	29	5	5	5	5	0	0	49

Will the Finals Start Already

I'm going into withdrawal and I need my fix. After 40 games in 40 nights, I can't wait for the NBA Finals to start of Thursday. 

A few quick thoughts pre-Finals to tide you over:

• The coaching matchup is actually quite interesting. Stan Van Gundy aka the Master of Panic versus Phil Jackson aka the Zen Master. Has there ever been such opposites meeting in the Finals? During timeouts I would remember SVG yelling up a storm at his players trying to motivate them, Phil on the other hand, doesn't even call timeouts. SVG is up and squawking at the officials all game while Phil merely sits on his elevated chair and calmly twirls his moustache.
• Can the Magic really win the NBA title with three point shooting? I know they were red hot versus Cleveland, but can the really keep it up?
• Is there any reasoning behind he 2-3-2 format in the NBA Finals? Are there any advantages/disadvantages to either the homecourt team or the non-homecourt team? Both the Magic and the Lakers are excellent road teams. If the Lakers cede home court in the first two games I can easily see the Lakers taking it back. 
• How does Dwight's presence in the paint affect Kobe Bryant's drives to the basket. Kobe is much more effective when he mixes up his perimeter onslaught with some penetration, but will that change with the Superman guarding the cup? 
• Rafer Alston is no Jameer Nelson, but he is a speedster that will give Fisher trouble. How long does Jackson stick with Fish if he is struggling to defend Alston?
• If Andrew Bynum really wants to play for the USA national team he better have a halfway decent showing against Dwight Howard, Team USA's starting center for the foreseeable future. Bynum has the size and length to alter Howard's shot around the basket, but his number one goal should be to keep him from getting deep position. 
• I wonder if Phil Jackson's experience coaching Shaq helps him come up with a good scheme for stopping Howard.
• Kobe will likely see a lot of Hedo and Mikeal Pietrus. That's the Turkish MJ and the French MJ. I fully expect Kobe to be aware of this when he lights them up. 

That is all, until Thursday.