My first encounter with "Morning Glories" came at Baltimore Comic-Con last year. I was getting some Marvel stuff signed by writer Nick Spencer and we were talking about the Marvel Ultimate universe and the future of Ultimate X-Men (he was super accommodating). People kept coming up to him to get issues of Morning Glories signed. I'd seen the issues in my local comic shop (the covers are generally hard to miss), but I'd never picked it up. I asked Spencer about it, and I can't remember exactly what he said, but I know "Lost" came up as a comparison.
It wasn't until a few months later that I finally picked up the first two volumes of the trades, and immediately fell in love with the book. I know the "Lost" comparison has been made over and over again, but it's really a spiritual successor to the TV show -- moreso than any of the warmed over imitators that tried to capture the same feel of "Lost" -- and Issue #16, which came out last Wednesday, is a perfect example of that.
The issue focuses on Casey, who, when we last left her, had been transported through time and space to her father's army base, 13 years in the past. That cliffhanger happened at the end of issue #13, and yet Spencer felt he could go away from it for two issues to focus on Zoe, a storytelling technique "Lost" used often in the early seasons. This issue also uses the most famous "Lost" storytelling technique: flashbacks. In between scenes of Casey's interrogation in the past, we get to see what happened with her and her parents when she was accepted to Morning Glories Academy, which provided the emotional backbone and character developing moments the issue needed.
Because Casey's parents were murdered shortly after she entered the academy, this issue adds a level of pathos to her story. I can't imagine how much it must kill her to be so close to what she wants (to get her parents back) but not be able to really do anything about it. Except, later in the issue, it turns out she can, via some magic hypnotic power of suggestion that she shares with Ms. Hodge. It's not entirely clear if this is some ability she's always had or if it's something she only gained access to in the past, but she ends up having to use it on her father to aid in her escape -- an escape that leaves her in the past, headed to New York, with Ms. Hodge headed back to the present and the academy.
I can't imagine Ms. Hodge was really helping Casey without some nefarious purpose behind it, and I'll be interested to see where this story goes from here. This has continually been one of the great things about this series; every time it answers some questions and something amazing happens, it also brings up another set of questions and leaves the door open for more awesome things -- again, much like "Lost" did in the early seasons.
I know I keep focusing on the story, but it must be said that Joe Eisma's art is incredible. Every panel feels cover quality, with a nice mix of character models. I love how he uses slightly different angles in certain panels to give the impression that something is just slightly "off" with a situation -- it dovetails perfectly with Spencer's storytelling technique.
"Morning Glories" is regularly the best book I purchase each month, but it must be said that it's also the best value. It's 32 pages, with no unnecessary storytelling or artistic filler, for just $2.99. Considering I regularly pay a dollar more for books that are sometimes 10-12 pages shorter, I'm always impressed with what Spencer and Eisma are able to deliver each month, and issue #16 is no exception.
In case you haven't figured this out yet, let me give you a quick refresher on the Composite NBA Power Rankings: I've picked 11 representative weekly power rankings and two automated daily power rankings from around the web. I drop each team's highest and lowest ranking, then average out the remaining 11 rankings and sort the teams by lowest average.
For the second consecutive week, we've only got 12 rankings. This time it was Britt Robson of SI.com, doing midseason grades for each team, rather than ranking them. I'd recommended checking them out, especially if you're a Bobcats fan (no F!).
For full disclosure purposes, here are the 13 rankings usually included in the composite. If there's a major one you think I've missed, let me know and I'll be happy to add it, as long as it gets published on either Monday or Tuesday.
There's been some movement within the rankings, but not at the top or bottom, where the same teams come in where they did a week ago. But should they be? Let's take a look at all 30 teams and find out.
Composite NBA Power Rankings - Week of Feb. 7
1. Miami Heat (last week: 1)
High: 1, all
Low: 1, all
Average: 1.00
t-2. Oklahoma City Thunder (last week: 3)
High: 2, Complex/Sagarin
Low: 4, Sheridan/Hollinger
Average: 3.00
t-2. San Antonio Spurs (last week: 4)
High: 2, many
Low: 4, many
Average: 3.00
t-2. Chicago Bulls (last week: 2)
High: 2, many
Low: 5, Stein
Average: 3.00
5. Dallas Mavericks (last week: 7)
High: 5, many
Low: 7, Pincus
Average: 5.20
6. Los Angeles Clippers (last week: 5)
High: 4, Stein
Low: 7, many
Average: 6.00
7. Philadelphia 76ers (last week: 6)
High: 6, Sagarin
Low: 9, Ziller/Harper
Average: 7.80
8. Orlando Magic (last week: 11)
High: 6, many
Low: 15, Sagarin
Average: 7.90
9. Los Angeles Lakers (last week: 10)
High: 7, Moore
Low: 10, Ziller/Hollinger
Average: 8.70
10. Indiana Pacers (last week: 9)
High: 10, many
Low: 16, Sheridan
Average: 11.70
11. Houston Rockets (last week: 14)
High: 9, Moore
Low: 14, Sheridan/Complex
Average: 12.20
12. Atlanta Hawks (last week: 8)
High: 10, many
Low: 16, Stein/Hollinger
Average: 12.50
13. Memphis Grizzlies (last week: 18)
High: 10, Sheridan
Low: 16, Moore
Average: 13.10
14. New York Knicks (last week: 16)
High: 7, Ziller
Low: 22, Sagarin
Average: 13.70
15. Portland Trail Blazers (last week: 15)
High: 9, Hollinger
Low: 17, Moore
Average: 14.20
16. Denver Nuggets (last week: 12)
High: 9, Sagarin
Low: 18, Schumann
Average: 14.40
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (last week: 19)
High: 11, Stein
Low: 19, Complex
Average: 16.60
18. Boston Celtics (last week: 13)
High: 17, many
Low: 19, Hollinger
Average: 17.60
19. Utah Jazz (last week: 17)
High: 17, many
Low: 21, Hollinger
Average: 18.70
20. Phoenix Suns (last week: 21)
High: 20, many
Low: 23, Sheridan
Average: 21.00
21. Cleveland Cavaliers (last week: 23)
High: 19, Moore
Low: 24, Sheridan
Average: 21.90
22. Golden State Warriors (last week: 22)
High: 18, Hollinger
Low: 25, Sheridan
Average: 22.10
23. Milwaukee Bucks (last week: 20)
High: 20, Harper
Low: 26, Stein
Average: 22.20
24. Detroit Pistons (last week: 26)
High: 20, Sheridan/Stein
Low: 27, Sagarin
Average: 23.00
25. Sacramento Kings (last week: 24)
High: 24, Moore
Low: 28, Sheridan
Average: 25.70
26. New Orleans Hornets (last week: 29)
High: 21, Sheridan
Low: 29, Ziller
Average: 26.10
27. New Jersey Nets (last week: 27)
High: 25, Stein/Amico
Low: 27, many
Average: 26.30
28. Toronto Raptors (last week: 25)
High: 25, Harper
Low: 29, Schumann/Stein
Average: 27.50
29. Washington Wizards (last week: 28)
High: 28, many
Low: 29, many
Average: 28.80
30. Charlotte Bobcats (last week: 30)
High: 30, everyone
Low: 30, everyone
Average: 30 (forever)
Average calculated after removing highest and lowest ranking
AT THE TOP: For the first time ever (in the four weeks I've been tracking this), we have a unanimous #1, with the Heat getting all 12 first-place votes. They've separated themselves from the scrum for second, which sees the Spurs, Thunder and Bulls all in a dead heat (no pun intended).
HIGH RISER: Memphis Grizzlies, up 5
The Grizzlies are starting to put things together, even before Zach Randolph comes back, which has to be scary for the playoff teams in the west.
BIG FALLER: Boston Celtics, down 5
Boston and Memphis actually flipped spots this week, as the Celtics are falling apart both literally (with a litany of injuries) and figuratively (flinging balls at referees).
LOUD NOISES Team of the Week (least consensus): New York Knicks
As you can see above, the Lin-led Knicks came in as high as 7 and as low as 22. The 22 actually came from one of the computer rankings, and factors in the loss to the Nets, while the 7 is a human ranking pre-NJ loss. Still, some other Knicks rankings are 13, 15, 10, 14, 17... so no one really knows what to do with this team yet.
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW Team of the Week (most consensus): Miami Heat, Charlotte Bobcats
The top and bottom of the NBA are unanimous. Among the non-obvious picks, nearly everyone was in agreement on the Celtics, who were ranked 18 by six rankings, 17 by five, and an outlier of 19 by one of the computers.
On Sunday, in DDL, one of the commenters presented a question that intrigued me. I wanted to answer it in the chat, but I knew anything other than a snarky answer would require some actual research. The question? Who is the best 'last' pick in the draft in NBA history?
The NBA Draft goes back to the very beginning of the league, though early records don't have pick-by-pick data beyond the first round. It does appear the records for 1954 are complete, and Joe Holup -- picked 100th overall -- would seem to be the first "last pick" to play in the NBA. However, from then through the 1989 draft, the only last pick to even play in a single regular-season NBA game was Roland West, who was selected 162nd overall in 1967 by the the Baltimore Bullets and played four games for them that season, finishing with four career points (but 10.3 points and 12.9 rebounds per 36 minutes!).
The draft got insanely long following the ABA-NBA merger, making it highly unlikely that any last pick would even sniff a roster. In 1984, Dan Trant was the final selection of the draft, coming in at 228th overall. The next season, the draft was cut from 10 rounds to seven, which was still too many. It finally dropped to three in 1988, then two a year later. Finally in 1990, another last pick actually cracked a roster: Sean Higgins (who won a national title with Michigan in 1989) was selected 54th overall by the Spurs, and went on to play 220 games for six teams over seven seasons.
Still, even with the shortening of the draft, it's an uphill battle for the last pick to ever make an NBA mark. Since 1989, just 10 of the 23 players selected last overall have played an NBA game, and only five of those have a career win shares total higher than 1.0.
As of right now, the answer to the initial question "Who is the best 'last' pick in the draft in NBA history?" is probably Don Reid. Selected 58th overall out of Georgetown in 1995, Reid played seven full seasons in the NBA (plus one game in his 8th and final season), and was actually a regular starter for a Pistons team that made the playoffs as a rookie. Reid finished his career with 403 games played, 149 starts, and 13.7 career win shares, which puts him more than five ahead of any other player selected last overall.
But Reid may not have his place in history for long, which I'd assume is why the DDLer (who I can't remember at this point) was asking the question in the first place. Kings guard Isaiah Thomas was selected with the final pick in the 2011 NBA draft and is already making an impact on the league. He's averaging 7.9 points per game, but 15.5 points per 36 minutes, which is more reflective of his production, particularly now that he's getting more consistent minutes for Sacramento. Thomas's PER of 16.5 is well above any mark Reid posted in any single season of his career.
Despite a productive college career, Thomas was overlooked on draft day because of his size. He's listed at 5-foot-9, and is one of the shortest players in modern NBA history. It's tough to project how his career will end up, but considering where he was drafted, he's already been more productive than the Kings could have expected.
While Thomas probably only needs to string together a couple more seasons like this one to be considered the best last pick ever, he's got a LONG way to go to be the best 60th pick -- both Michael Cooper and Hall-of-Famer Drazen Petrovic were drafted 60th overall, back when the draft was longer.
I totally didn't mean to disappear from this blog for 10 days, but that's kind of what ended up happening. Whoops, my bad.
So, I'm back with Jersey Monday, now that I've finally taken pictures of the last few jerseys I purchased. I got this David Wright Mets jersey at a game last August, as part of a buy-one-get-one-free sale at the Mets team store (yeah, they were kind of desperate to move merchandise). I picked Wright over Jose Reyes, because I figured there was a better chance Wright would be back for 2012, and I was right (pun fully intended... I'm sorry).
While Wright is still on the team, this jersey is already out of date, because the Mets finally ditched the black drop shadow from their jerseys. Personally, I never had a huge problem with the drop shadow; I was more against the black alternate jersey in general, and sadly those are still around.
Spring training is starting soon -- pitchers and catchers are already reporting -- and it's supposed to represent a time of hope. Well, I'm personally not too hopeful about the Mets season, but I am looking forward to going to more games in 2012 than I did in 2011.
Jersey Monday will continue every Monday until I run out of jerseys to spotlight. And since I’ve got more than 190 of them, that could be awhile.
Since the NBA announced the change in format to the Rookie-Sophomore game, there's been speculation on how exactly the picks will shake out. Well, we can't possibly know what's going through the minds of Charles Barkley ("Weight Watchers... meatballs... turrbull... meatballs... Kenny looks stupid... meatballs") or Shaquille O'Neal ("ImSupermannotDwightHowardmumblemumbleShaqPun"), but we can certainly take a stab at making the picks ourselves.
Joining me for this exercise in futility is the incomperable Jared Dubin of Hardwood Paroxysm (follow him on Twitter @JADubin5), who took some time out from Linsanity to play the Shaq to my Charles. Or Charles to my Shaq. Who knows? Either way, I gave Jared the first pick, since he's on my home turf.
First Pick: Jared Dubin selects Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
Rubio's not the best overall player on the board, but his game is definitely most suited to the Rising Stars Challenge. Point guards always wind up controlling the flow and the pace of these games, and that's why I'm going with Ricky. His handles, his passing, his ability to find impossible angles, his flair and his unselfishness are exactly what you're looking for when building a team to compete in a high-flying, fast-paced exhibition. There are plenty of exciting finishers available to draft later on, so I wanted to lock up the best available set-up man with the first overall pick.
Second Pick: Adam Reisinger selects Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
Jared went exactly the same direction I was planning on going with the first pick, with exactly the same player, for exactly the same reasoning. Which means I already need to blow up my big board, because I refuse to let my team get run out of the building with Rubio-to-Griffin alley-oops all game. Plus, the Rising Star Challenge game flow will minimize Blake’s weaknesses (mid-range jumpers, free-throw shooting), while maximizing his strengths (dunks on dunks on dunks)
Third Pick: Jared Dubin selects Paul George, Indiana Pacers
I figured Blake slipping to me here in Round 2 was a long shot, but I was perfectly fine "settling" for Paul George anyway. He's efficient, he's explosive and he's got a great three-point stroke; and everyone knows these games pretty much solely consist of threes and dunks. He's a much better athlete than he first appears, and if the game gets close at the end, he can D up either 2s or 3s. Plus, I mean, there's this.
Fourth Pick: Adam Reisinger selects John Wall, Washington Wizards
This is about the point in the actual event where I expect Charles or Shaq to try and draft Jeremy Lin, but I’ll settle for the guy he lit up in Summer League in 2010. Wall hasn’t been great this season, but I’m hoping simply giving him a set of teammates who AREN’T the Wizards snaps him back into form. Plus, there’s always the chance we’ll get to see this again.
Fifth Pick: Jared Dubin selects Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons
I was hoping you'd let Wall slide because I had already picked a point guard! I was going to be unstoppable! But again, I'm happy to "settle" for Greg Monroe, who's having an incredible season. Since defense doesn't get played in this game anyway, I don't much care that he's not that good of a defender, because his versatile offensive game is what I'm looking for. Rare is the center who can handle the ball and be counted on to hit cutters from all angles, but Monroe is an excellent passer. Throw in his fine footwork on the block and good rebounding, he makes for an excellent choice.
Sixth Pick: Adam Reisinger selects DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
I expected Monroe to go much lower, because his offensive game doesn’t seem to be a great fit for the up-and-down pace of this game, but Jared reminded me of something: rebounding. Every year at some point, this game turns into a brickfest, and you need someone who can grab boards and put them back in. That’s what Boogie will do for my team. Assuming he and John Wall don’t defect back to Kentucky.
Seventh Pick: Jared Dubin selects Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
Well, I did say point guards are the key to this game. Irving is in the middle of one of the best rookie seasons of all time. If he makes a few more of his free throws in the second half of the season, he can seriously challenge for a 50-40-90 year AS A ROOKIE. He's a good enough scorer that he can play with Rubio in this type of game, and he's obviously a good enough distributor to run the point for me when Rubio is off the floor.
Eighth Pick: Adam Reisinger selects MarShon Brooks, New Jersey Nets
I was going to go point guard with my next pick, but there’s no way Jared goes point guard back-to-back at this stage of the draft with two already on the roster, right? (Fully expects Jared’s next pick to be Walker or Knight). Brooks has struggled a bit since coming back from his injury, but I expect that by this time next week, he’ll be back in the form that had him leading all rookies in scoring early in the season.
Ninth Pick: Jared Dubin selects Landry Fields, New York Knicks
This pick is probably a bit of a surprise, but Fields is athletic and versatile and doesn't do anything poorly. He and George can each guard 2s and 3s is the game gets close, and that kind of versatility is nice when most guys are playing pretty lax defense. Landry is exactly the kind of player that Rubio will love to run with and find on back door cuts in the half court. And he thrives when the game is being played at a fast pace, as you can expect this one to be. He'll fill in around the edges wherever my team needs and not care if he's not the main focus on the offensive end, which he won't be.
Tenth Pick: Adam Reisinger selects Brandon Knight, Detroit Pistons
OK, I’m not pushing my luck on the point guard thing any further. Really, it’s a toss-up between Knight and Walker, both of whom have similar surface stats for really bad teams. Knight’s PER is worse – like replacement-level worse – but as much as he can’t shoot (40.1% from the field this season), Walker REALLY can’t shoot (36.0%). Knight is a much better finisher at the rim than Walker, and I wouldn’t feel right if I left him out of my Kentucky mini-reunion.
Eleventh Pick: Jared Dubin selects Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers
You keep uniting college teammates, so I'll unite NBA ones as I take Thompson to go along with Kyrie Irving. As you said earlier, eventually this game will turn into a brickfest at some point, so having guys who can bang and get rebounds is important. Rebounding is probably Thompson's best skill, especially on the offensive end. He can keep possessions alive on one side of the floor while ending them on the other. He's athletic and a good finisher too, which fits in with what I'm looking for in this game.
Twelfth Pick: Adam Reisinger selects Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns
This game is definitely going to turn into a brickfest, in part because of a derth of catch-and-shoot 3-point specialists (no, Blake Griffin and his 50% 3-point shooting doesn’t count). You’ve already grabbed one of the best in George -- who is shooting 42.1% on 3s, with more than 80% of them assisted -- so I’ll snag Morris. He’s one spot ahead of George on the 3-point accuracy list, shooting 42.2%, and an amazing 96% of his 3s have been assisted. I wouldn’t have pegged Morris as a sharpshooter, but the Numbers Never* Lie (weekdays, 3:30 ET on ESPN2 /company man’d!).
Thirteenth Pick: Jared Dubin selects Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
I really don't know how Kawhi lasted this long. This is a guy who can do a little bit of everything; defense and rebounding are his specialties, but he's got a pretty decent handle and has flashed surprising 3-point range this year (37.8%). He's an excellent athlete and finisher in the open court, and like Fields he's another guy who doesn't really need plays run for him to get involved. He fits right in on my squad.
Fourteenth Pick: Adam Reisinger selects Evan Turner, Philadelphia 76ers
I totally had Leonard typed in as my previous pick, but then I got distracted by Morris’s three-point shooting (ooh, shiny!) and was hoping you’d go point guard again. I’m going to go with Turner here. He’s slumping of late, and I’m not even sure he should be in this game (hint, hint, Jeremy Lin…), but none of the names left on the board really excite me, and Turner at least has that No. 2 overall pick pedigree.
Fifteenth Pick: Jared Dubin selects Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves
Like Turner, Williams has the pedigree of being the draft's number two pick. He hasn't been as good as fellow Wolves rookie Rubio, and he's not shooting (or doing anything, really) especially well, but he's another big time athlete and finisher. With Rubio and Irving dishing him dimes in an open-court dunkfest with little defense, I really think Williams can shine. He flashed a lot of potential in the 2 games that Kevin Love sat out, and I can definitely see him turning into a really nice player.
Sixteenth Pick: Adam Reisinger selects Tiago Splitter, San Antonio Spurs
Here’s the thing: among qualified rookies or second year players, Splitter has the fifth-best PER this season, behind only Monroe, Griffin, Irving and Cousins. But he just doesn’t FIT in this game at all. He’s got no game outside of the direct rim vicinity to speak of, and he’s a strong fundamental defender who shines in the help defense game. That’s awesome for the Spurs and pretty much useless in a glorified And-1 game. But I’m totally throwing him out on the court with Wall, Morris, Griffin and Cousins at the same time, just for the hilarity of it.
Seventeenth Pick: Jared Dubin selects Kemba Walker, Charlotte Bobcats
It's him or Gordon Hayward, and I just kind of like Walker better, I guess. Hayward's a shooter who's not having an especially good year shooting the basketball. Walker hasn't looked so great himself shooting the ball, but at least he has other skills, like the ability to take guys off the dribble. His flair for the dramatic is a good fit for this type of exhibition game too. So yeah, I'll take Kemba.
Eighteenth Pick: Adam Reisinger “selects” Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz
Oh, God, we left the white guy for last. Have we made no progress since “White Man Can’t Jump”? In all honesty though, Hayward is a shooter who is having a pretty bad shooting year, and has a below-league-average PER. I’m honestly surprised Derrick Favors isn’t here in his place. Or Jeremy Lin. Who is as much a lock to “accidentally” get drafted by Charles or Shaq as Hayward is to go last.
For those of us who could be classified as basketball elitists (or, if you prefer, "nerds"), Wednesday was something like Christmas and Independence Day and New Year's and Arbor Day combined.
The popular statistics site Basketball-Reference.com added a new layer to its play index database tool, Play Index+. The feature allows you to search through play-by-play data for the last 11 seasons to break down stats based on event type, shot type, time of game, score situation and even five-man lineup. It's incredible information, and now fans have accuess to short it however they'd like.
For example: since 2001 (which is as far back as the database goes, for now), there have been 76 game-tying or go-ahead baskets made in the last 10 seconds of fourth quarter or overtime of the postseason (I'd link to that query, but it actually required doing a year-by-year query and summing them manually). Two players have made four of those baskets, the most in the NBA. Those players? Kobe Bryant, which would've likely been everyone's first guess, and LeBron James, which might surprise people.
The level of detail in Play Index Plus is the kind of thing you can lose yourself in for hours at a time. For example, did you know that all but one of Ryan Anderson's 3-pointers this year have been assisted? Or that Anderson Varajeo leads the NBA in highest percentage of assisted dunks (min. 10 attempts) with 100%. Or that Norris Cole has attempted the most shots in the NBA with his team leading by at least 25 points?
I could go on and on, but really you're going to want to dive in and play with this thing yourself. You can use it to amuse yourself (Garbage time is fun!) or use it to be a smarter fan (Chris "Mr. Clutch" Bosh?), there's really something for everyone in there. Mostly, though, it allows all of us the OPPORTUNITY to be smarter fans.
You don't have to take advantage of the opportunity. There's nothing wrong with preferring to be an observer of the game, someone who loves it for its asthetic beauty. But if you're going to be the kind of fan who wants to draw conclusions about things that happen on the court, it's nice to be armed with as much evidence as possible, and Play Index Plus is like having your own team of hoops paralegals doing discovery for you.
In case you haven't figured this out yet, let me give you a quick refresher on the Composite NBA Power Rankings: I've picked 11 representative weekly power rankings and two automated daily power rankings from around the web. I drop each team's highest and lowest ranking, then average out the remaining 11 rankings and sort the teams by lowest average.
However, we've only got 12 rankings this week, because Tom Ziller of SB Nation ranked the teams based on lovability, rather than power. I highly recommend you check them out, but for obvious reasons I couldn't include them in the composite.
For full disclosure purposes, here are the 13 rankings usually included in the composite. If there's a major one you think I've missed, let me know and I'll be happy to add it, as long as it gets published on either Monday or Tuesday.
There's been some movement within the rankings, but not at the top or bottom, where the same teams come in where they did a week ago. But should they be? Let's take a look at all 30 teams and find out.
Composite NBA Power Rankings - Week of Feb. 7
1. Miami Heat (last week: 1)
High: 1, many
Low: 3, Sheridan/Complex
Average: 1.50
2. Chicago Bulls (last week: 2)
High: 1, many
Low: 3, Stein
Average: 1.70
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (last week: 3)
High: 1, Complex
Low: 5, Stein
Average: 3.30
4. San Antonio Spurs (last week: 6)
High: 2, Stein
Low: 6, Complex/Harper
Average: 4.60
5. Los Angeles Clippers (last week: 5)
High: 3, Helin/Pincus
Low: 7, Amico/Hollinger
Average: 4.80
6. Philadelphia 76ers (last week: 4)
High: 4, many
Low: 7, Robson
Average: 6.73
7. Dallas Mavericks (last week: 14)
High: 5, Robson
Low: 11, Pincus
Average: 7.60
8. Atlanta Hawks (last week: 9)
High: 7, Complex/Pincus
Low: 14, Hollinger
Average: 8.60
9. Indiana Pacers (last week: 7)
High: 7, Stein/Moore
Low: 13, Robson
Average: 9.00
10. Los Angeles Lakers (last week: 10)
High: 8, Stein/Robson
Low: 15, Sheridan
Average: 10.70
11. Orlando Magic (last week: 13)
High: 8, Pincus
Low: 14, Sagarin/Hollinger
Average: 11.40
12. Denver Nuggets (last week: 8)
High: 10, Helin/Sagarin
Low: 13, Sheridan/Pincus
Average: 11.70
13. Boston Celtics (last week: 12)
High: 10, Stein
Low: 16, Complex/Sagarin
Average: 13.10
14. Houston Rockets (last week: 17)
High: 9, Sheridan
Low: 16, Stein
Average: 13.20
15. Portland Trail Blazers (last week: 11)
High: 5, Hollinger
Low: 16, Helin/Pincus
Average: 14.00
16. New York Knicks (last week: 21)
High: 15, Helin
Low: 21, Sagarin
Average: 16.80
17. Utah Jazz (last week: 15)
High: 13, Complex
Low: 21, Hollinger
Average: 17.10
18. Memphis Grizzlies (last week: 18)
High: 14, Sagarin
Low: 20, Moore
Average: 17.60
19. Minnesota Timberwolves (last week: 16)
High: 15, Stein
Low: 20, Pincus/Amico
Average: 18.50
20. Milwaukee Bucks (last week: 19)
High: 19, Moore
Low: 23, Stein
Average: 20.70
21. Phoenix Suns (last week: 22)
High: 19, Pincus
Low: 23, Moore
Average: 21.10
22. Golden State Warriors (last week: 23)
High: 19, Amico
Low: 25, Sheridan
Average: 21.20
23. Cleveland Cavaliers (last week: 20)
High: 22, many
Low: 25, Stein/Robson
Average: 23.00
24. Sacramento Kings (last week: 24)
High: 22, Stein
Low: 26, Sheridan/Hollinger
Average: 23.90
25. Toronto Raptors (last week: 25)
High: 24, many
Low: 26, Helin/Harper
Average: 24.70
26. Detroit Pistons (last week: 27)
High: 23, Sheridan
Low: 28, Sagarin/Hollinger
Average: 26.50
27. New Jersey Nets (last week: 26)
High: 25, Harper
Low: 28, Stein/Robson
Average: 27.00
28. Washington Wizards (last week: 29)
High: 26, Stein
Low: 29, Hollinger
Average: 27.90
29. New Orleans Hornets (last week: 28)
High: 25, Hollinger
Low: 29, many
Average: 28.70
30. Charlotte Bobcats (last week: 30)
High: 30, everyone
Low: 30, everyone
Average: 30 (forever)
Average calculated after removing highest and lowest ranking
AT THE TOP: Once again, the Bulls and Heat come in at a virtual dead heat (no pun intended... or is that LINtended?) at the top, with Miami edging Chicago by just two tenths of a point. More rankings had the Heat (2) than the Bulls (1) outside the top two, but seven rankings had Miami on top, compared to just four for Chicago (OKC got the other first-place vote this week).
HIGH RISER: Dallas Mavericks, up 7
Dirk Nowitzki has his mojo back, thanks to a well-timed "conditioning" break, and he has the Mavs moving quickly up the rankings.
BIG FALLER: Denver Nuggets/Portland Trail Blazers, down 4
Denver had lost five straight prior to Saturday's win at Indiana, while Portland has dropped four of its last six, with the wins coming against the similarly struggling Nuggets and a dismal New Orleans team.
LOUD NOISES Team of the Week (least consensus): Orlando Magic
I'm ignoring the Portland Trail Blazers for this week, because outside of the computers, they're actually pretty stable across the board. The same can't be said for Orlando, which checks in as high as 8 and as low as 13 among the 10 human rankings (and 15th in Sagarin's computer ratings).
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW Team of the Week (most consensus): New Orleans Hornets
Again, ignoring the Bobcats, because the disaster going on in Charlotte isn't worth writing about weekly. What's interesting is that all 10 human rankings had the Hornets at 29, meaning we've now got consensus about the two worst teams in the NBA. If only the top was as orderly.
It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since the first meeting between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. On Feb. 10, 2002, 'Melo led his Oak Hill team against LeBron's St. Vincent-St. Mary's squad, in one of the most hyped meetings of high school basketball players ever. Anthony was considered one of the best players in the Class of 2002, while James was the no doubt No. 1 player in the Class of 2003. And while at the time of this meeting, 'Melo was dead set on going to college, there was already talk about LeBron's ability to jump to the next level.
I had the opportunity to interview 'Melo one-on-one about a month before this game, and he was very complementary of LeBron. It was clear the two were friendly rivals and there was no animosity between them. It was also clear that while Carmelo knew LeBron wasn't likely headed to college, he had no intention of going the prep-to-pro route -- he spoke glowingly about wanting to play in front of huge crowds at the Carrier Dome and how much he'd loved Syracuse's campus when he visited.
LeBron outscored Carmelo 36-34 in that first meeting, but 'Melo's Oak Hill team, stacked with eight future Division I players, won the game. Looking at that highlight video above, a few things stand out.
The game itself was played in Trenton, NJ, in front of a stunningly sparse crowd. It wasn't until the next season that LeBron was such a phenom that he was playing in front of packed houses every game.
I don't know what's stranger: LeBron with no headband or Carmelo with that hairstyle.
Also, LeBron had to cover up his tattoos back then, because of state rules, but it's weird to see how few he had. There's no covering paper on his forearms or legs at all. Now he'd pretty much have to wear long sleeves and tights.
I remember all the talk about LeBron around the draft was how he had an NBA ready body, but look at how rail thin he looks compared to now.
Seriously, Carmelo's hair...
One of my few disappointments with the documentary "More Than a Game" is how it glossed over this meeting, which was a huge deal in 2002. It wasn't televised nationally, but it was on in the northeast (again, for some reason it was in New Jersey), and I remember watching it. It was pretty clear who the two best players on the court were, and it's pretty impressive that 10 years later they've become two of the best players in the NBA.
The short-lived ABC series was probably one of my favorites of the last decade, and I'm still disappointed it didn't last longer. It was really a brilliant show, but one that because of its religious themes probably turned off a lot of casual viewers.
Hilty was only in one scene of the finale, but apparently struck enough of a cord with me that I vaguely remembered it three years later. Looking at that picture, it's not hard to figure out why. She's strikingly beautiful, and her vocals on the premiere of "Smash" were impressive. As I said in my review earlier this week, I'll definitely keep tuning in.
The issue opens with '70s slayer Nikki Wood fighting a vampire during her cruciamentum (the Slayer turning 18 ritual that we saw in Season 3), also while pregnant. The vampire threatens the unborn baby, which gives Nikki the strength to fight back. Nikki's watcher arrives and says she shouldn't have undergone the test in her condition, but she says it's just what she has to do.
In the present, Buffy is talking to Dawn about being pregnant, and confirms she doesn't know the identity of the father. They go over the list of people at the party it could be, and Dawn says she and Xander will support her in this tough time, especially with Willow gone.
Out in San Francisco, officer Dowling is waiting for Spike so he can learn more about vampires, and Spike arrives in his spaceship.
Back in '73, Crowley (Nikki's watcher) asks if the father could raise her baby, and she says she doesn't know who it is (symmetry!). She wants to keep it, because it could give her a reason to fight, but Crowley questions if that would be too much of a burden for the child.
In the present, Buffy meets with Robin, and he talks about growing up as the child of a slayer. He was closer to Crowley than Nikki (who, notably, he calls "Nikki" and not "mom") and often had to wait up late for her to return from patrolling... until one night she didn't return. Buffy says she knows what she has to do, and Robin reminds her that if Nikki hadn't chosen to keep the baby, he wouldn't be there today to talk to Buffy about this.
Back in the past, Nikki is fighting off vampires, and is having some trouble, but Crowley shows up to help. It's the first time he's actively gone out on patrol, because she's pregnant. He says she can stay in his cabin while he fulfills her duties, but she's more concerned about the mission, and what the council will do when they find out she's pregnant.
In San Francisco, Spike and Dowling are out on patrol and Dowling wants to take on some vampires in combat, but Spike says he's not nearly ready yet. The conversation turns toward Buffy, and Spike fills Dowling in on the backstory, in typical Spike fashion. Spike suggests Dowling should make a move on Buffy, but he's worried about her dating a cop. Spike says if anything, Buffy's the one who goes through the stuff that a regular person couldn't handle.
Buffy and Robin are still talking and Robin fills in the rest of the backstory. Crowley tried to get Nikkie to retire from slaying, and she did, briefly, but she was drawn back to it. It was her calling, and she couldn't ignore it. But Robin says Buffy isn't Nikki and she has so much more going on in her life that she could walk away from it.
Buffy texts Spike, and Dowling picks up that Spike isn't really over her. He tells Spike to be honest about his feelings with Buffy, since, as Spike just pointed out to him, she can handle anything. And now, spoiler time...
First things first, I love the episode titles of this show. It's even better if you know the title going into the episode, since every title is taken from a line from the episode. It becomes a game when you try to guess who says the title, who the title applies to, and when it'll be said in the episode (note: I would've only been right on one of the three for Tuesday's episode. I figured Juliet had to be the one to say "What Are You Doing Here, Ho-Bag?", but I'd assumed it would be directed at Shivette, possibly in a school setting.).
This is the second episode of "Ringer" to air following the show's two-month-long winter hiatus, and like last week, this week's episode keeps adding layers of mystery to the primary deception at the core of the show. And while I'm still enjoying the episodes, I can't help but wonder if the plots are beginning to be weighed down by all the layering of misdirections on top of deceits on top of questions on top of questionable motives.
To wit, I tried to lay out all the various lies and deceptions between the characters and how they interconnect with each other, and ended up with a spiraling maze that I couldn't decipher. It makes me wonder just how out of control the big board in the writers' room is at this point in the season.
At its most simplistic, everything ties back into the question of why Siobhan Martin -- the real one -- faked her death in the pilot episode. We know that at that time, she didn't know she was pregnant, her relationship with Andrew was rocky at best, she was carrying on an affair with Henry, on the brink of one with Tyler, and apparently had someone after her trying to kill her. In this episode, we also learned that at some point before the events of the series, she'd gone to Wyoming, which meant she knew where Bridget Kelly was and probably what she was involved in.
Along those lines, this episode saw the revival of Agent Machado's interest in finding Bridget Kelly, who is now also a person of interest in the death of Gemma Butler (which, if you missed it last week, was ruled a murder committed by Charlie Young, who was then ruled to have committed suicide, when in reality he was murdered by Siobhan). Henry thinks Bridget killed Gemma, and so he's interested in finding Bridget too. That means that Siobhan's "memory lapses" in regards to the last few months make Henry think she's Bridget, and he turns her in to Machado, who then discovers that she's not Bridget (but doesn't get quite to the point that she's also not the Siobhan that he's met previously). On top of that, there's a false confession from the jailed FBI agent, adding to the layers of confusion with this plot.
Beyond that, there's the Juliet plot -- which turns toward "she made up the rape story" then back toward "she's telling the truth" -- and now a twist involving anagrams, which feels like something straight out of "Lost", and not in a good way. Basically, the show has abandoned any hope of picking up viewers midstream, even with its lengthy "previously on" segments, and is hoping that despite the growing complexity, the audience it has sticks with it to see the lies and deceits unravel. I'm definitely in that group, and I'll continue to enjoy the ride, but I can't help but wonder if "Ringer" is a one-and-done series at this point.
Normally when a show gets as much pre-premiere hype as "Smash", I'm inclined to dislike it before even seeing it. But something about the "Smash" ads kept drawing me in, and when I read the feature story in Entertainment Weekly, I knew I'd have to check out the first episode, regardless of how overhyped it was.
Hype aside, I was beyond impressed with the first hour of "Smash". It just felt like something special, from start to finish, something that wasn't quite like anything else I watch on TV. It's not "Glee" for adults, it's not "High School Musical: The Professional Years" and it's not "Fame 2012". There are levels of complexity to the show that, even in the limited time in the pilot, made the characters feel like three-dimensional people and not just parts in a play.
Obviously the show is setting up the battle for the role of Marilyn between Katherine McPhee's Karen and Megan Hilty's Ivy, but it's not like that was the dominant storyline of the episode. Hell, the two characters never even interacted. It was really just two individual stories about two different types of girls taking two different paths to stardom, and the way the show played the two characters off each other without forcing them into direct competition was incredibly well done.
There were plenty of real world Broadway references, but it felt like "Broadway Insiders for Dummies" -- and I mean that in a good way. It wasn't so bogged down with inside references that someone who doesn't follow the ins and outs of Broadway (read: me) wouldn't get it. And I thought the characters did a good enough job selling what they were referencing that it didn't matter if the references were 100% accurate or not; it's about believing they're accurate to the world the characters exist in, and I believed that.
I did think there were some pacing issues, not necessarily with the shot itself, but with the timeline of the events in the show. I wasn't quite sure exactly how quickly or not plot points were actually unfolding in relation to real world timelines, but it didn't take away too much from the show. Also, the "casting couch" scene with McPhee and Jack Davenport's Derek Willis was a bit absurd, but I'm willing to let it slide.
As for the musical numbers, I thought they were impressive, but the show would have drawn me in without them, which is something I can no longer say for "Glee". Whether that will be the case going forward remains to be seen, but I'll definitely be watching.
In case you weren't around for last week's installment, let me give you a quick refresher on the Composite NBA Power Rankings: I've picked 11 representative weekly power rankings and two automated daily power rankings from around the web. I drop each team's highest and lowest ranking, then average out the remaining 11 rankings and sort the teams by lowest average.
For full disclosure purposes, here are the 13 rankings included in the composite. If there's a major one you think I've missed, let me know and I'll be happy to add it, as long as it gets published on either Monday or Tuesday.
There's been some movement within the rankings, but not at the top or bottom, where the same teams come in where they did a week ago. But should they be? Let's take a look at all 30 teams and find out.
Composite NBA Power Rankings - Week of Feb. 7
1. Miami Heat (last week: 1)
High: 1, many
Low: 3, Hollinger
Average: 1.45
2. Chicago Bulls (last week: t-2)
High: 1, many
Low: 2, many
Average: 1.55
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (last week: t-2)
High: 3, many
Low: 7, Stein
Average: 3.55
4. Philadelphia 76ers (last week: 5)
High: 3, Sagarin
Low: 6, Sheridan
Average: 4.36
5. Los Angeles Clippers (last week: 7)
High: 3, Helin/Pincus
Low: 10, Hollinger
Average: 5.18
6. San Antonio Spurs (last week: 10)
High: 5, many
Low: 11, Harper
Average: 6.73
7. Indiana Pacers (last week: 8)
High: 3, Stein
Low: 12, Ziller
Average: 6.82
8. Denver Nuggets (last week: 4)
High: 6, Complex/Ziller
Low: 11, Pincus
Average: 8.09
9. Atlanta Hawks (last week: 6)
High: 7, Harper
Low: 14, Stein
Average: 9.09
10. Los Angeles Lakers (last week: 13)
High: 8, Moore
Low: 15, Sheridan
Average: 10.91
11. Portland Trail Blazers (last week: 12)
High: 2, Hollinger
Low: 16, Amico/Robson
Average: 11.73
12. Boston Celtics (last week: 18)
High: 8, Sheridan
Low: 16, Sagarin
Average: 12.18
13. Orlando Magic (last week: 15)
High: 7, Pincus
Low: 19, Hollinger
Average: 12.36
14. Dallas Mavericks (last week: 9)
High: 9, Amico
Low: 17, Moore
Average: 13.45
15. Utah Jazz (last week: 14)
High: 10, Harper
Low: 21, Hollinger
Average: 14.45
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (last week: 17)
High: 12, Stein
Low: 20, Amico
Average: 15.64
17. Houston Rockets (last week: 11)
High: 14, many
Low: 20, Stein
Average: 15.91
18. Memphis Grizzlies (last week: 16)
High: 13, Sagarin
Low: 19, Robson
Average: 17.45
19. Milwaukee Bucks (last week: 19)
High: 17, Hollinger
Low: 20, Complex
Average: 18.91
20. Cleveland Cavaliers (last week: 20)
High: 17, Stein
Low: 24, Hollinger
Average: 20.55
21. New York Knicks (last week: 25)
High: 18, Amico
Low: 25, Stein
Average: 21.00
22. Phoenix Suns (last week: 21)
High: 20, Robson
Low: 25, Sheridan/Harper
Average: 22.27
23. Golden State Warriors (last week: 24)
High: 20, Hollinger
Low: 26, Schumann/Moore
Average: 23.18
24. Sacramento Kings (last week: 26)
High: 22, Stein
Low: 27, Hollinger
Average: 23.91
25. Toronto Raptors (last week: 22)
High: 22, Schumann
Low: 27, Sheridan
Average: 24.55
26. New Jersey Nets (last week: 23)
High: 22, Sheridan
Low: 27, Sagarin
Average: 25.27
27. Detroit Pistons (last week: 29)
High: 26, Sheridan
Low: 28, Sagarin/Hollinger
Average: 27.09
28. New Orleans Hornets (last week: 27)
High: 24, Sagarin
Low: 29, many
Average: 28.18
29. Washington Wizards (last week: 28)
High: 28, many
Low: 29, many
Average: 28.55
30. Charlotte Bobcats (last week: 30)
High: 30, everyone
Low: 30, everyone
Average: 30 (still)
Average calculated after removing highest and lowest ranking
AT THE TOP: If you look at the average score, the Bulls and Heat are closer than you'd think. In fact, they'd be even closer if not for the dropping of the highest and lowest score, which knocked the Heat's lone 3 -- the only non-1 or 2 ranking for those two teams -- out of the calculation. And by "closer", I mean "tied exactly." Essentially, Miami and Chicago have separated themselves from the pack in everyone's eyes (note: Hollinger's computer doesn't have eyes, at least not that I know of).
HIGH RISER: Boston Celtics, up 6.
Remember all those "OMG teh Celtics are EPIC FAIL" stories from earlier this season? Yeah, those seem to be going away. Boston has won four straight, and appears to be getting things together after its slow start.
BIG FALLER: Houston Rockets, down 6.
Houston actually has a couple wins in the last week, but half the rankings used in this couldn't account for Monday's win over the Nuggets. Two losses to the Wolves didn't help matters, nor did the general closeness of the teams between 11 and 18.
LOUD NOISES Team of the Week (least consensus): Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers checked in as high as 2, and as low as 16. Even taking Hollinger's computer out of the equation, they made multiple appearances in the top 10 and multiple appearances outside the top 15. Basically, no one knows what to make of this team, which has alternated wins and losses in its last eight games.
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW Team of the Week (most consensus): Charlotte Bobcats
They've pretty much locked down this award, along with their 30th position in the rankings. The schedule doesn't get any easier, so I'm just gonna go ahead and assume they'll be back here after another winless week.
When I was a kid, I would go to basketball camp every summer. I dreamed that if I worked hard enough on my skills, I might have a future in the game. Not in the NBA, or even at the college level; I was never the type of kid who allowed myself to dream quite that outlandishly. But I thought maybe, if I just put in enough work, I could at least play high school ball, maybe do something special on that level.
As the years went by, that dream faded. By the time I got to high school, I was already slow and overweight, with bad knees and even worse natural vision. I tried out for my high school team, but my cut was a foregone conclusion. I played a couple more years of organized basketball, then the occasional pick-up game, but I haven't gotten in a full run in years, and hadn't set foot on a court with a ball in hand since 2008.
Until today.
I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, at which I was expecting some not so good news. I didn't get it. I wouldn't say I got good news -- I'm still a badly out-of-shape 31-year-old with two bad knees, an arthritic hip and more excess weight than Shawn Kemp after a 10-year lockout -- but when you've braced for the worst, anything less than that seems like the best. For some reason, in response to this, I was struck with the sudden urge to grab a basketball and head to a court.
And that's when it hit me: all my courts are gone.
Growing up, I played basketball in countless gyms, various parks and, on one crazy evening, the same arena where I'd first seen Larry Bird play (no, not The Garden, the Hartford Civic Center, as strange as that may seem). But there were two courts where I played most often. Well, in all honesty, calling them courts is generous.
The first was the driveway at my childhood home. Baseball may be the American pastime, but for me there's nothing in sports quite as American as a basketball hoop nailed up to a garage. The one at my house had a soft rim, a wooden backboard with flaking paint, and was probably a foot higher than regulation, but it was my hoop.
The driveway was shared with our neighbors, which meant when they weren't home, I had all kinds of extra room to practice my long-distance jumpers, but when their cars were there, I had to hustle for every rebound. On top of that, the driveway was sloped downhill, and if a long rebound wasn't chased down, the ball would eventually bound into the street, then, if I was really unlucky, down the driveway across the street, which also went downhill, and ended in a retrieval that was more than a full court away and a solid 30 feet below rim level. That downhill driveway probably contributed more to my hustle on the court than any coach's encouragement.
Even though the driveway was repaved a few years ago, I can still mentally pinpoint the two horizontal tar lines that ran parallell to the garage. The closer one was what me and my friends used to mark free-throw distance, even though in reality it was probably only about 12 feet from the rim. The further one was our three-point line, though again it was more like 18 feet. Still, the day I hit a running hook shot from "three-point" range was one of the highlights of the pickup games of our youth.
The "three-point" line was even less accurate at the other court I grew up on, at the backyard of my friend Phil's house. Again, "court" isn't really the appropriate term, especially since it wasn't even an asphalt driveway, but a cement patio. But when his mother had an adjustable hoop installed at the edge of the patio, it turned into our Madison Square Garden. We'd lower the hoop to seven feet to have dunk contests, where I usually played the role of Shaquille O'Neal -- two hand power jams to try and tear the rim down.
The court itself was tiny, which didn't matter much when we were in elementary school, but definitely became a detriment as we grew older. But when we were on it, it didn't matter that it was basically three-point distance from end to end, or that it was barely wider than a regulation FIBA trapezoid. The quirkiness of our court only led to creativity when it came to house rules: throwing the ball off the back of the garage counted as "passing" the ball, and allowed you to re-establish your dribble; stepping over the line where the stairs from the house ended was an intentional foul, which resulted in a one-and-one, and was the best way to prevent your opponent from shooting 3s in an attempt to come back (and yes, we played by 2s and 3s, despite all pickup courts on the planet going by 1s and 2s). Even the tree that overhung the court became part of the game. We called it "Dikembe", and if you could funnel your man toward the tree defensively, you picked up a great shot-blocking weapon.
Neither Phil nor I live in our childhood homes anymore. My parents took down the hoop from their garage years ago, and if Phil's hoop is still up, it's probably in disrepair -- it was in bad shape as I was finishing college, which is around the last time I was over there.
After my doctor's appointment, I grabbed a basketball and drove around for a bit, just looking for a court where I could take a couple shots. I had no delusions of jumping into a game, or even playing a little one-on-one. I just wanted to stand at the free throw line, look at the basket, and pretend it was my old driveway for just a minute. I finally found one, and when I got there, I lined up and started my free throw routine -- three dribbles, two spins, line up my index finger with the air hole, same as it's been since I was 8 years old -- and then I looked down. And just for a brief second, the white stripe of the free throw line looked like black tar. And I thought, maybe I have a future in this game after all.
The issue picks up with the sisterly reunion continuing in the attic. While Phoebe, Piper and Prue/Pat look in the book for an idea of what's going on, Paige orbs to a frozen Henry. She talks at him, in a deeply emotional way, despite the fact he's completely frozen.
Meanwhile, Leo attempts to fend off Rennek, but the darklighter has the magical upper hand, and admits to being behind the machinations that led Paige to find Prue. Paige orbs back to the manor, everyone hugs, and they realize they need to contain their magic, which is still out of control. It's also happening at Magic School, where they've put a sleeping spell on the kids, but Leo is gone, and Piper can't scry for him. As it turns out, Rennek wants to get the magical information out of Leo's subconscious, since he's been a whitelighter, elder and Avatar, and he has a creepy helper to do it.
Back in the manor, the sisters decide to have Phoebe work some spells, Paige make some potions and Piper and Prue head to the front line. While Prue and Piper are on the attack, Paige is in the kitchen questioning if, with Prue back, she's really still part of "the Power of Three".
Phoebe is studying the book when Cole visits in the attic. He admits to having made mistakes during their relationship. apologizes, and Phoebe accepts. Prue and Piper arrive back in need of new ideas, and Paige has one: strip her of her powers. She says it's the only way to get the Power of Three back in check, and it'll give her a normal life with Henry. With some helpful encouragement from Cole, Prue intervenes and says she should be the one to have her powers stripped. It's Paige's time to shine and Prue's time to let go.
She does, and the sisters find Leo, who is nearly unconscious, and Rennek's ally is dead. They all go back to the manor, where Prue helps Piper put the front door back on while Leo recuperates (and they still don't know what Rennek did to him). Cole and Phoebe say their final goodbyes, as Cole agrees to go back to Salem with Prue and help new witches. As he leaves, he gives Phoebe one final message: she's pregnant. Prue says her goodbye, and Piper tells her to leave the door open. While that's happening, Rennek looks on from the bushes.
