Lakers' Weekly Roundup (12/30): Fallen King and Fallen Floor General

How much did it cost for the Lakers to get a convincing win against the almighty Golden State Warriors? Everything. It's as if the Purple and Gold made a deal with the Devil before Christmas that if they win against the Warriors, they'd need to sacrifice LeBron James and Rajon Rondo for a couple of games. LeBron sustained a groin injury and is out for an indefinite period of time. Rajon Rondo needs hand surgery again to repair a ligament in one of his fingers and is expected to miss one month of the season. As shorthanded as they are without their unquestioned leaders, it was time for the Laker youth to step up and be the next generation of Laker greats they are projected to be. Let's see how the fared here as they run the "California Gauntlet" in this week's Lakers' weekly roundup.

12/25: @ Golden State 127-101 [W] (20-14)

Full postgame recap HERE

Merry Christmas Dub Nation! Here's a lump of coal. The Lakers pulled out a convincing win against the two time defending champs. But at a cost, LeBron pulled his groin and will be out for an indefinite period of time. Have no fear Laker Nation, Playoff Rondo and ZuPac are here to save the day as they destroyed the Warriors in pick-and-roll action. "Wait until Boogie gets back." They said. As if 4 All Stars weren't enough.

12/27: @ Sacramento 116-117 [L] (20-15)

HIGHLIGHTS

Don't let this distract you from the fact that the Lakers blew a 104-89 lead in the middle of the 4th quarter this game. I was keeping track of this game during a hangout. About 10 mins later, I found out that the Kings made a monster run to pull within as little as three. The Lakers were gonna be super shorthanded with LeBron and Rondo out. But, the Laker youngins played compelling games until when it was time to close the Kings out. Brandon Ingram had 22 points, but decided to play hero ball in crunch-time moments, which lead to critical mistakes and misses. Ivica Zubac was nowhere to be found, which says a lot on how much he needed Rondo and LeBron to be effective. Kyle Kuzma lead the team with 33 points, but missed a free throw that'll ultimately doom them as Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a dagger three to steal a game from the Lakers. Lonzo Ball was the only one who didn't crumble under the pressure as he kept the Lakers in it with a near triple-double of 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists. Way to waste another rare excellent game from Zo Lakers!

If that tells us something, Lonzo is much more effective when he's given command of the offense. He hasn't had that luxury since he's third in the pecking order with LeBron and Rondo. With LeBron being ball dominant, Zo has had a tough time to adjust playing off ball. Maybe, this game will tell us something down the line and if Luke can make the correct adjustments.

12/28: vs. LA Clippers 118-107 [L] (20-16)

HIGHLIGHTS

Prior to the season, Lou Williams claimed that the Clippers are still L.A.'s team even if LeBron joins the Lakers. Put that crackpipe down Sweet Lou. No question, the Clippers are a surprise team so far in what should've been a rebuilding year. They don't have an established All-Star, but they are a deep team in the league. It was a slugfest for three quarters until the Clippers pulled away with their depth. To add more salt to the wound, Lou Williams went off for 36 points and lead the Clippers to the win here against a short-handed Lakers squad. Congratulations, you beat a Lakers team missing LeBron, Rondo, and let's throw in JaVale McGee too. You're definitely the team in LA.

To throw even more shade, Montrezl Harrell added some more fire. He said: "Y'all try to overlook us just cuz everybody in that purple and gold and the history of it. Yeah, I respect it. But, that don't mean shit to me. We are gonna make you understand who we are." Yes, you are the Clippers, a cursed franchise that is living in the shadow of the Lakers. And also, a team who'll forever be known as that "other LA team." They are a team that wasted their best years behind a prime CP3, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan by choking in the playoffs year after year after year. They are a team that still hasn't lost their Western Conference Finals virginity. And want to know more? They cover the Lakers' championship banners every home game with selfie banners because clearly they are salty that they can't win the hearts of LA. That's who you Clippers are and who you'll forever be until further notice. World Peace (no pun intended to Metta World Peace) will be attained before the Clippers ever win an NBA Championship for Los Angeles.

12/30: vs. Sacramento 114-121 [W] (21-16) 

HIGHLIGHTS

Happy 34th birthday LeBron! Your present? The Lakers young core finally showing up and winning without you having to bail them out. I mean, it only took three tries. This game did look like the Kings were going to pull away. But, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and KCP came to the rescue to save the Lakers from skidding down further in the standings. KCP lead all scorers off the bench with 26 points. Unfortunately, his own inconsistency will make this performance forgettable in a couple of days. SlenderIngram took over the game and this time, he did right unlike Thursday night. And he only committed 1 foul as prone as he is committing a whole lot of fouls before realizes he's going to get DQ'd. The Lakers erased the pains of "Yes-Thursday." They made the right adjustments, putting a body on anybody from beyond-the-arc when it mattered the most, especially not giving Bogdan Bogadanovic any air space to hit an open three. The result? The Kings didn't shoot the ball well from deep, connecting on only 13 threes on 34 attempts. And other note, JaVale McGee returned to the lineup last night. He was definitely missed.

The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 9 - "Ode to Oakland" (FINAL CHAPTER)

*Readers' Discretion is advised*

In this final chapter of the Silver and Black Shitshow,
A farewell to Oakland against a familiar foe.
As the City that once housed them files a lawsuit,
The Raiders' stay in Oakland becomes more moot.

By all accounts, this means Oakland and the Raiders are done,
Now, the Raiders start temporary home-searching from San Francisco to London.
As the Vegas stadium isn't opened until 2020,
The team's search for a temporary home remains steady.

True, the City of Oakland had ample time to get the ball rolling,
But the fact that Mark Davis didn't even speak to the City one bit, had us all groaning.
When you have two incompetent parties working together,
Raider Nation, on both sides of the spectrum, voice their displeasure.

However, to talk about relocation isn't the time,
The fact that the Raiders played their last game at the Oakland Coliseum is a crime.
The Coliseum may be a dump,
But it is a place where you, as a Raider fan, can get pumped.

Lighting the Al Davis torch in the Coliseum for the last time was Oakland's own Marshawn Lynch.
Everybody in that Coliseum was in a pinch.
The final opponent for the Raiders in the Coliseum: the Denver Broncos.
For the Oakland fans, put one last curbstomp on them Donkos.

The most frequent matchup on Monday Night Football, on the Eve of Christmas Day,
Started off with a Dwayne Harris 99-yard punt return big play.
A quick 0-7 lead against the Ponies.
C'mon Raiders, keep your foot on the gas against those Denver Phonies!

Throughout most of the game, Derek Carr and the Raiders kept their foot on the gas.
They stomped a mudhole on the Broncos' ass.
It got worse for Denver as Doug Martin scored a 24-yard rushing touchdown.
It was just like the Sunday Night game in 2016, wear out Denver's defense with the "ground and pound."

The Broncos tried to rally in the 2nd half,
But it's clear as day, that they want Vance Joseph to get the ax.
You can see the look on disgust from John Elway, as he salivates on getting Vance Joseph fired.
Let's hope he causes more pain on Broncos fans by getting another idiot head coach hired.

Case Keenum made one last effort to make things click,
But instead, all he threw was a series of picks.
One last time for Oakland, the Raiders just won baby.
The entire Black Hole in the Coliseum went crazy.

The first year in Tank Commander Jon Gruden's return was a disaster.
This season couldn't end any faster.
When the Shitshow traded Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper,
You can say that this year was a pooper.

But this one game was all that mattered,
An Ode to Oakland, leaving the Broncos battered.
As the Raiders prepare to wander out of "The Town" by season's end,
The Raiders in any location other than Oakland, will never blend.

Signing off, I proudly shout "fuck Mark Davis,"
For the move to Las Vegas.
Leaving Oakland and all of Cali after 2019 is a huge blow,
Courtesy of the Silver and Black Shitshow.

Lakers Silence "Roaracle" With Convincing Win vs. Warriors

Welcome in to the first full recap in a long while for the Lakers' most-anticipated Christmas Day matchup vs. the Golden State Warriors where the Lakers put the clamps on the Warriors for the most part of the game and they blew it open in the 4th quarter, sending bitter Warriors fans home in a 127-101 rout.

From me to the rest of my Lakers fans, Merry Christmas. Hope you guys had a chance to spend time with your family and watch a couple of great NBA games. And this one was a beauty to watch. We've heard the media talk about the Lakers that when it comes in comparison with the Warriors, the Lakers are more the inferior team even if they have LeBron James. I could not believe that despite that the Lakers team taking the same Warriors team to the limit in three out of four competitive games last season, they were getting disrespected. The Warriors will handle them with ease, they said. Clearly, they did not watch the tape. The downfall on the Lakers against the Warriors last year was that they didn't have LeBron James nor any gutsy veterans that thrive in big game moments to close games out. Now, they have a plethora of them and we saw a very big difference between this year and last year. The Lakers were more than capable of giving the Warriors a handful. They have the blueprint of countering the Warriors near-invincible "small ball" with a tall and lengthy lineup and to expose them where they're most vulnerable: the paint. Now granted the latter point will change whether or not DeMarcus Cousins gets back to 100%, but the paint has been the achilles heel of the Warriors for a long time. The Lakers exposed that this game and they've successfully executed the anti-Warriors operation to perfection with a resounding victory that hopefully boosts their confidence from here on out.

(+)

Ivica Zubac, 18 points, 11 rebounds, 9-10 shooting, 2 blocks. I'm impressed with Zubac's efforts the last few games. If we remember from last season, he looked like an absolute slouch his sophomore year. He was super slow in terms of quick, lateral movement and reaction time to a play. This season, he looks more conditioned and he's active on both side of the ball. Zubac is just at the right place at the right time, especially in screen and roll action. Let's be clear here, the Warriors without Boogie are vulnerable in the interior and Zubac did one hell of a job to expose that and just flat out dominate in the paint. Defense and rim protection was on point too. The Warriors just couldn't buy a bucket inside as Zubac made them work for it. He absolutely made them work for it and they couldn't get the right angle on the basket. Zubac's performance makes the Center position interesting again, especially once they get JaVale back from illness.

Rajon Rondo, 15 points, 10 assists, 6-11 shooting. Thank goodness Rondo recovered in time from his hand surgery to put up this throwback, virtuoso performance. When LeBron went down, it looked like things were gonna go South for the Lakers. The Warriors just turned a big Laker lead into a 4-point game in the 3rd quarter. I was like "uh-oh, not this again." Rajon Rondo kept the situation under control with his leadership and tenacity as a pure floor general. If he needed to score, he kept attacking the paint. I remember when he was playing with the Celtics, he used to fluster me as a Laker fan when he blew by Derek Fisher and the teeth of the Laker defense then to get to the hoop. That's the same thing that happened tonight and I was on the other end of cheering. Life works in mysterious ways guys. Playoff Rondo came to play tonight.

Lance Stephenson, 11 points, 4-6 shooting, 3 three pointers. Make 'em dance Lance! He made an impact off the bench with a triplet of on-point three pointers. Two of them he connected to balloon the Laker lead. The third one was much needed when the Warriors were going on their typical monster run in the 3rd quarter to put the lead back up by nine points.

Warriors foul trouble. I think getting the Warriors in foul trouble early on was a big difference maker this game, especially getting two out of their big four to sub out early. Draymond Green and Steph Curry had to go out because they committed two fouls early. Green fouled out. He was a non-factor. Steph Curry had 5 fouls. He almost gave us a scare in the third quarter, but luckily he wasn't able to get that much into rhythm with his quick release. LeBron helped trigger most of that contact and why he was able to get most of his points from the free throw line.

(-)

Third quarter. In-game, this was a significant negative. When LeBron went out, the Lakers momentum fizzled out. The Warriors were able to get on a run sparked by Curry's two 3-pointers. The Lakers saw their 15-point lead evaporate into a 4-point game at one point of this quarter. That is until Rondo, Lance, and Ingram came in and settled things down with a couple of buckets.

LeBron James' groin injury. We all know LeBron is the definition of Most Valuable Player because when he's on the floor, he brings a different edge for the team. When he's not there, the team just doesn't know what to do. LeBron awkwardly split his legs and knees while he was diving for a loose ball in the 3rd quarter. According to him, he heard something pop and never returned to the game. He tried stretching it out, but clearly something was bothering him. From what I heard, it's nothing serious. But, groin injuries can be really tough to evaluate, especially when it comes to NBA players. We hope LeBron gets well soon. But how this game went, this should give some confidence to this team that they can step in without his presence.


MVP

Rajon Rondo, 15 points, 10 assists, 6-11 shooting

Lonzo Ball still has a long ways to go to reach like that of Rondo's PG stature. It was tough to choose between either Rondo or Zubac. But, Rondo was the glue to keep this team poised as he controlled the flow of the offense and got players to get on their assignment on defense. As Chris Webber would shout: "RONDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...."


Conclusion

Okay back to reality, it's just one game against the Warriors. But this win should have the Lakers' confidence soar at an all-time high. They came into a very hostile crowd, going up against the 2x defending champs. And they took the air out of the building with a very convincing win without the best player in the world for 1 1/2 quarters. If we've been following, consistency is the Lakers' biggest ailment. They beat some of the best teams, but they lose to some inferior teams. Hopefully, this game is a harbinger for the Lakers to build some consistency. They're 33 games into the season now, things should've gotten figured out this game. At the same time, this sends a message that the Lakers are coming back and they will do whatever it takes to regain that status among the NBA's gold standard. This was fun to cover for one night. Given my tight schedule now, I won't be around to do as much open thread and full recap. Hence why I implemented the Weekly Roundup posts. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning the blog. I'm still the following the games. I have a life outside this blog and I couldn't do much as I used to back in the day. But I'm still around. Look for the Weekly Roundup post for this week by next Monday. I will post up an all new chapter of the "Silver and Black Shitshow" by tomorrow night. I can confirm that this week's chapter is the last chapter of that segment. I feel it was only fitting since last night was the last game at the Oakland Coliseum against the Denver Broncos. On top of that, I'll see you guys later.

12/25: NBA Christmas Special - LAKERS @ Warriors 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Warriors Christmas Day matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

LAL 127 GSW 101

When it looked like all hope was lost when LeBron went down, in comes Rondo to save the day! Great team effort all-around. Everybody stepped up when needed the most. That third quarter was quite a scare and we're like, yup just another run. But, Rondo played some peacemaker to control the game. Playoff Rondo was in full display. Zubac too contributed. I know it's three games in since he made the start, but we might have ourselves a headache at the center position with Zubac and McGee. What a game. We Laker fans got ourselves a hell of a Christmas present. Stay tuned for the full recap!

Q3

LAL 91 GSW 82

Yes, that LeBron injury changed the whole momentum of the game. The Warriors won that quarter. The Lakers played a little out-of-control this quarter, which was pretty disappointing. It was the moment that the inexperience on this team was starting to show once again against the 2x defending champs. Luckily, Rondo and Ingram stepped up to control the Laker lead down the stretch. Both of them and Kuzma got to pick up the slack as if LeBron is not going to return for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, Lance Stephenson with a huge three to end the quarter helped as well. He continues to have a solid game from deep. 4th quarter without LeBron? Time to gauge the moxie of this young Lakers squad.

12/25: NBA Christmas Special - LAKERS @ Golden State Warriors 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! Open thread is back for a day! 1st half of the Lakers-Warriors most anticipated matchup. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game!

Q2

LAL 65 GSW 50

Tremendous half by the Lakers. I'm impressed with the way they controlled the tempo for the majority of this game. You're not going to beat the Golden State Warriors by playing undisciplined basketball. They will beat you. But, the Lakers stayed at home especially on the defensive end and that helped set up the fast paced offense. Even greater, players are stepping up. Lance Stephenson connected on a couple of huge threes to balloon the lead even further. They're feeding Zubac inside the paint. No McGee. Chandler is barely playing. Yet, Zubac is earning his minutes on both ends of the floor. Great start from Kuz and Ingram. Hope we get to see more as they gotta help take pressure off LeBron. But so far, looks like LeBron don't need them to do much as he's having his way against the Warriors. If you're wondering why the Warriors are getting into foul trouble, look no further. LeBron has put up point on the free throw line, which is a major difference. So far, so good against the Warriors. The only negative, Andre Iguodala is stepping up for the Warriors. He's surpisingly off to to a good start with a couple of threes. The Lakers have to do a better job accounting for him on defense when he's about to cut to the basket. We'll live with Iggy having a nice game rather than the combined scoring potency of Curry, Thompson, and Durant. They've had quite a funk this first half. Lakers have to keep pounding this team inside and if an open shot is there, take it. Defensively, stay disciplined and make the Warriors uncomfortable by forcing them to turn the ball over. This is far from over. The Lakers took them to the limit last year and couldn't finish. They have LeBron and a couple of veterans to help in that category this time around hopefully. The second half will open up shortly.

Q1

LAL 32 GSW 25

Great pace from the Lakers this game. When they started with a turnover that set up a KD three, I thought I sense that was going to be a microcosm for this game. But, the Lakers recovered and controlled the pace of the game. Very encouraging to see that B.I., Zo, Kuz, and Hart hit some threes early. Definitely they need to step up to take some pressure off LeBron. Speaking LeBron, he did a great job going to the free throw line early, putting the Warriors in early foul trouble. Draymond and Steph in particular, they were absent midway through the first quarter, which gave the Lakers a big time advantage to build this lead.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (12/23): Readiness vs. Warriors = 50%

The most anticipated Christmas Day matchup is upon us. Last year, the Lakers took the Warriors to the limit in all four games. Talent disparity was the Lakers' downfall as they couldn't close out the Warriors at home twice in regulation. At Oracle? Much different story, but same result. With the addition of LeBron James, the man who got swept in the finals, there's nothing but revenge here. This is a test for the Lakers that they can dethrone the Warriors. But before we get into that, there's no denying that the Lakers have had their share of struggles as of late. The trade talk of Anthony Davis is heating up. LeBron's patience meter is, well, close to below zero. Drama and the bright lights of Los Angeles go hand-in-hand. One cannot separate from the other. Let's see how the Lakers' fare in the past week in the latest Lakers' Weekly Roundup.

12/18: @ Brooklyn 110-115 [L] (18-13)

HIGHLIGHTS

One year ago, the Lakers made a shocking trade that sent their then-rising star D'Angelo Russell and overpaid Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and a 1st round pick. So far, it has worked out well for both teams, but it looked like the Lakers got the better end of a deal. Timofey Mozgov had to be unloaded. $68 million for a guy who hasn't played much is by all accounts wasted salary. At the cost of one of the promising young cores, the Lakers shed much-needed cap space and got three young players for the price of one. This trade in particular helped the Lakers land a steal and a stud in Kyle Kuzma to go along with Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Since then, two teams were going opposite directions. The Lakers secured the services of LeBron to put the Lakers back into conversation among the elite and the Nets were still in purgatory with a whole lot of unknowns. But to this point of this game, the Nets were riding a 5-game winning streak.

This spelled "trap game" for the Lakers like two nights before against the Wizards. And hook, line, and sinker, the Nets set up the surprise attack. The Lakers did all they can behind valiant efforts from LeBron, Zo, and Kuz. Lonzo Ball had a nice game with 23 points and an efficient 9-16 shooting and 5-9 from three-point territory. Too bad this effort was wasted on a loss and this kind of stat line from Zo is once in a blue moon. The major difference for the Nets was their bench and the former Laker who was to receive the keys to the franchise, D'Angelo Russell. D'Lo netted 22 points and a career-high 13 assists. Perhaps the most daunting observation was that Zo wasn't even matched up against him. D'Lo was defended by Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma and he put them on roller skates. As the Lakers rallied, D'Lo rallied the Nets, taking over the game as a scorer and facilitator of the offense. We can blame Magic and Rob as they had the final say, but let's not forget who the real culprit of the Lakers was when they were forced to trade D'Angelo.  It was the offseason idiocy of the Lakers' previous regime that got D'Angelo traded. Timofey Mozgov $68 million. Luol Deng $72 million. One of the worst tandem of free agent acquisitions ever! I know it's been one year now and by all accounts, we've gotten over D'Angelo Russell. The phone snitching incident was a thing of the past. Yet, good to see "RussellMania" succeed elsewhere. What could've been with a Zo-D'Lo backcourt.

12/21: vs. New Orleans 104-112 [W] (19-13)

HIGHLIGHTS

We've heard all this before about trading for a star player in his prime to come to the Lakers. It hasn't happened yet. The latest of the talks, Anthony Davis. Let's connect the dots here, Anthony Davis is signed to the same sports agency as LeBron James. The addition of Davis would give the Lakers a franchise-altering star big man since Shaquille O'Neal. But of course, there are hurdles as the small market GMs came out of the woodwork to cry wolf on the Lakers and LeBron that they're tampering with AD. I mean seriously, LeBron just commented that him pairing up with AD would be "amazing." How the hell can that be tampering?

Onto this game, this was pretty much the Lakers' audition for the AD to LA hype train. The good news about this game is the return of Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo. The Lakers did all they could with a short-handed roster and it did experience some success. But since JaVale McGee contacted pneumonia, the Lakers' depth suffered even more. It was a sight for sore eyes to have SlenderIngram and Playoff Rondo back as they made quite an impact. B.I. is back to provide some length and another scoring option. Rondo restored order to the bench, but that also means Zo is back on the leash. JaVale McGee missed this game as well, but a forgotten man has stepped up: Ivica Zubac. Zubacalypse was back from the dead as he was the recipient of many passes from LeBron, Rondo, and Zo off pick and roll situations. He held his own against the likes of AD and another former-Laker in Julius Randle. Last year, Randle probably bullied Zubac inside and Zubac hasn't forgotten that as he made a key block on Randle late in the game. After this game, will that be a yes or a no AD? This talk escalated further when LeBron and AD had a postgame dinner after this game. That's another fine on the Lakers for "tampering."

12/23: vs. Memphis 107-99 [L] (19-14)

HIGHLIGHTS

In the first meeting between the two, the Lakers put a curbstomping against the Grizzlies in Memphis. After this game, that seemed like a distant memory. I'll give the benefit of a doubt, the Lakers were super thin in the front court without JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler, so we get to see extended action of Zubac and Mo Wagner. Zubac more action definitely. But despite the Lakers' rally, they couldn't extend the Grizzlies' 5-game losing skid. I didn't see this much of the game, but my goodness, Lonzo Ball had a trainwreck of a game last night. It's absolutely bad when he finishes 0-7 from beyond the arc and he throws a bullet pass over the first row in the stands. In fact, some of those misses were in crucial moments when the Lakers needed a bucket to stay alive. Don't get me wrong, I love that he's shooting it, but my goodness, drive to the hoop goddammit to get yourself going! We want to see aggressive Zo, not passive Zo who looks like he doesn't give a crap about the game.

After this skid, the readiness against the Warriors has significantly drop. Too much inconsistency. Free throws are still bad in particular. However, they are a bit short-handed and I expect to see them at full strength. Although, I'm not sure about JaVale McGee though. He just got out of the hospital after being contacted with pneumonia. It'll be unfortunate that he's going to possibly miss out on this revenge game since he's still recovering. Tomorrow night, it's going down on Christmas against the defending champs here in the Bay Area. And for my present? Open Thread and Full Recap is back for this particular game. See y'all tomorrow.

The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 8 - "Fumble in the Jungle"

*Readers' discretion advised*

Last time on the "Silver and Black Shitshow," the Raiders scored yet another upset victory in Oakland against the Black and Gold Brigade (UrinatingTree, 2018). The loss was so embarrassing, that the Raiders earned a special appearance on the #1 sports soap opera webseries "Days of Our Steelers." For one day, the Silver and Black weren't a shitshow as Derek Carr and the Tank Commander lead the team to their biggest win this season.

But the jubilation wasn't meant to last. The following day, the Raiders have fired the Fat Freckle Face after 7 years as the GM of the Raiders. Let's make one thing clear, we need to take out the first two years of the Reggie McKenzie era. Prior to his arrival, the Raiders were financially strapped and they didn't even draft until Round 3 in 2012. They were stuck with the salaries of a washed up Richard Seymour and a disgruntled Carson Palmer that the Hue-Man (Hue Jackson) foolishly mortgaged the future for just to acquire him. The 2013 draft class, outside of Le'Veon Bell, is considered as one of the worst draft classes of all time.  It wasn't until the 2014 Draft where Reggie finally righted the ship. Reggie had a 5-year plan enacted to restore the Raiders back to contention. He did so in 2016. 2017 was significant down year marred by injuries and division in the locker room due to the anthem protests. And now 2018, the team that Reggie worked to achieve in a 4-5 year span was destroyed in an instant, courtesy of Madman Gruden. (Honestly, how many nicknames have I given him already?) This season, Reggie was not the GM. He was nothing more of a puppet, a "yes man", a punching bag, and a scapegoat to the epic fail moves the Chuckster executed behind-the-scenes. His firing was imminent. The Chuckster had assumed direct control of the team since the day he returned from the booth.

The Shitshow raged on. In a season full of lies, deception, and false hope, a city bounded its community together and rose up to the occasion that it is tired of being the epicenter of the Shitshow. That would be the City of Oakland. After a long period of staying silent, the City of Oakland finally filed the lawsuit against Mark Davis, the Raiders, and the NFL for damages in the relocation to Vegas. Let's not forget that Oakland is still paying off the bonds for the construction of Mt. Davis in the Coliseum in 1995. They need every penny to squeeze out of the Raiders to pay that off if the team is going to leave them in dust. An added bonus, the City could retain the Raider name and colors in and keep it in Oakland. Let's get facts here, Oakland came up with the "Raiders" name during the franchise's inception.

In another sense, the lawsuit indicates that the Raiders have played their last season in Oakland. Effective, Christmas Eve against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football could be the last time the Raiders play in the Oakland Coliseum. Mark Davis and the Raiders have rescinded their lease extension proposal until 2020 when the Las Vegas stadium is complete in response to Oakland's lawsuit. Yes, after this season, they're essentially homeless. So homeless, yet so wretched that I won't even sing "Paradise" by Phil Collins to them. The Raiders do have options to remain in the Golden State for at least one more year before they move to the Silver State: Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Levi's Stadium in my home town of Santa Clara, AT&T Park in San Francisco, and even Bulldog Stadium in Fresno. Oh if they ever choose Levi's Stadium or AT&T Park, it would be the biggest definition of hypocrisy from the Raiders and Mark Davis.

The rest of Raider Nation still has to open their eyes and recognize the real problem: Mark Davis is writing checks that his ass can't cash. If we look at his net worth compared to other NFL owners, he is a little fish in the big ocean swimming with the sharks. He blew $100 million for Jon Gruden. He's borrowing a big loan from BofA that is bigger than his net worth of $500 million to finance the Las Vegas stadium. We get more insight from Amari Cooper (yes, I know you guys are tired of him), insisting that Mark Davis was the one who wanted him traded. We all know Mark is a sensitive piece of shit, so when someone or something gets in his feelings, he acts irrationally. Does firing the timeless Raiders radio play-by-play announcer Greg Papa because of his criticism of Mark wanting to bring Mike Shanahan back at the expense of a deceased Al Davis ring any bells? Now that we hear a little bit more from Coop, that adds more firewood to the flame. If we can just get some more testimonials from Khalil Mack, Reggie McKenzie, and Jack Del Rio, Mark Davis is on the verge of being exposed as the snake that he is. The lawsuit from Oakland is a must-buy for Pay Per View as Mark Davis is about to get cornered like the scowl, broke owner he is. Oh and even if he successfully goes to Vegas, he still has to deal with a pissed off Las Vegas casino mogul in Sheldon Adelson. All I can say to Marky Mark is "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

So much drama has unfolded over the last few days since the Raiders pulled out the victory against the Steelers. The one thing that could remedy this is another win. And the Raiders have no better opportunity against the Cincinnati Bungles. The Bengals have to play the rest of the season without the Andy Dalton-A.J. Green connection. Marvin Lewis somehow still has the head-coaching job with Cincinnati. Oh, and look who it is? Hue-Man, Hue Jackson. This should be easy picking. Hue has brought nothing but bad juju since returned to Cincinnati after being let go by the Browns. Long overdue, now the Browns can win games.

They couldn't seize the opportunity that presented itself. The Shitshow found themselves in a 0-17 hole early. Derek Carr, to no surprise, kept getting sacked behind a patchwork O-line and rookie tackles that couldn't hold up penetration if their life depended on it. Let's make some things clear, Kolton Miller sucked major ass being a blindside protector. Brandon Parker is the 2nd coming of Khalif Barnes with all these false start penalties he committed this game. It also doesn't help that Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson are injured, so they had to be replaced by two nobodies whose names that even die hard Raider fans don't give an absolute shit about. Oh yeah and turnovers. Jalen Richard reminded all of us of his fumblerooskie ways dating back to his sophomore campaign last year. There was a reason why he was on the roster bubble this season. The strip-sack on Carr was all she wrote as the Bengals scored early and never looked back.

However, the Raiders did keep themselves within striking distance behind the big leg of Daniel Carlson, trailing by 10 points or a touchdown. Derek Carr kept the offense churning as much as he could. Long without Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree, long without the Great Wall of Oakland that was destroyed courtesy of the Cable Guy, Carr kept the wheels of the patchwork offense moving like it was 2014 all over again. What a difference four years make. Unfortunately, the Bengals went for the knockout punch late in the 4th quarter, behind a haymaker from Smokin' Joe Mixon. While Jeff Driskel did make plays as he had competent receivers like John Ross and Tyler Boyd, it was Joe Mixon who carried the Bungles' dead carcass to victory.

Back to the Shitshow indeed after this loss. They say football is a funny game sometimes. The Raiders had a big win last week. The following week, they lose to the Bungles. I've lost count how many times Derek Carr has been sacked this season. Truly, he is dying for the Tank Commander's sins. Derek is literally his brother David Carr his first two seasons with the Texans. Promising quarterback, but had a shitty O-line around him that ended up scarring him for his first two seasons. Derek is lucky that he is still relevant than his brother was in their first five seasons. Speaking of O-line, it could get worse as Gabe Jackson is lost for the season. Barring a return from Kelechi Osemele, that leaves Rodney Hudson as the only competent O-linemen remaining. The Great Wall of Oakland has been torn asunder. The same can be said about the Coliseum as the Raiders could play their final game there against the Donkeys on Monday Night Football. Cleveland '95 part two could be brewing regardless of the outcome.

The final results of the Khalil Mack trade are in! The Bears clinch the NFC North and Mack has made the Pro Bowl yet again. As for the Raiders? No Pro Bowlers were selected, only alternates as Jared Cook, Hudson, and K.O. were selected and they're tanking. Perhaps, this should serve as a valuable lesson in life: YOU DO NOT TRADE YOUR ONCE IN A GENERATIONAL PLAYER FOR 50/50 DRAFT PICKS! Thus far, the Tank Commander had no significant moves to respond to one of the dumbest trades ever executed in Pro Football. Not even one addition. Let's see the latest move he made:

Nathan Peterman? The Nathan Peterman? The man, the myth, the living meme? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..........