GoneTrending

Even if it seems like a lifetime ago, the NBA’s Orlando Bubble convened in late July and, on arrival, the Phoenix Suns were just 26-39 during the 2019-20 season. The Suns put together a highly impressive run at Walt Disney World, winning all eight games, but Phoenix fell just short of the playoffs, allowing the team to leave Orlando on a winning note. From there, James Jones and Phoenix’s front office were quite busy during the league’s condensed offseason, pulling off a high-profile trade for Chris Paul and remaking the roster in the image of a rising contender. Through the first 26 games, those efforts seem prescient.

The Suns are 17-9 after a stretch in which they picked up nine wins in ten games and, as of Monday, Feb. 15, Phoenix has an active six-game winning streak. Unsurprisingly, the team’s advanced statistics are very strong during that 10-game push, with a 115.4 offensive rating and a 108.7 defensive rating, and Phoenix is scoring 1.19 points per possession during the team’s six-game winning run. Using that impetus, the Suns are an above-average offensive team for the season, scoring 111.8 points per 100 possessions, but Phoenix’s real gains have come on the defensive end.

It is at least possible that Phoenix has benefitted from some noise defensively, if only because the team’s defensive personnel doesn’t quite match its results. In the same breath, the Suns have a top-five defensive rating (108.4) and the uptick isn’t too fluky, especially when considering the steady influence of Paul, the ongoing breakout of Mikal Bridges as an elite defensive wing, and the absence of real weaknesses for the opposition to target.

Devin Booker remains the face of the franchise and, even if he is an offense-first player, he is playing at an improved level on the other end. From there, Booker is scoring 27.4 points per game in his last eight appearances, shooting 53 percent from the floor and 41 percent from three with big-time value. He is a legitimate star creator and, with his backcourt partner in crime playing at a high level, Phoenix’s results are even less surprising.

Paul certainly appeared to ease into the season and, off the court, he’s been quite busy as the president of the NBPA. Still, his production has skyrocketed as the Suns began their winning binge, with Paul averaging 19.9 points and 7.3 assists per game while putting up a 53/45/96 shooting line for good measure. He isn’t the same level of game-changing defender that he was in his youth, but Paul remains an above-average point guard defender, and his influence on Phoenix can be felt in myriad ways.

After a Valentine’s Day win over the Orlando Magic, the Suns jumped firmly into the top four of the Western Conference standings. At this relatively early juncture, there is fluidity on a nightly basis but, in short, Phoenix appears to be a team that belongs in the mix and no one should be surprised if they stay in the mix for home court in the first round.

Where do the Suns fall in the NBA’s overall pecking order? Let’s explore in this week’s DIME power rankings.

1. Utah Jazz (23-5, Last week — 2nd)

It had to happen. The Jazz have been too good. Would I pick Utah over the healthy Lakers in a playoff series? Absolutely not, but the Jazz have the league’s longest winning streak (eight) and they have won 19 of the last 20 games. Read that sentence again. A 23-5 record is crazy enough, but it’s even crazier after a 4-4 start.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (21-7, Last week — 1st)

It’s weird to have the Lakers anywhere but No. 1. I could maybe argue for a longer drop, but this feels like the landing spot since they just won seven in a row before losing in Denver. The bigger concern is the expected absence of Anthony Davis for a few weeks, but the Lakers have every reason to be cautious. The regular season isn’t the focus here, but this may be just the beginning of their slide before a rebound in the second half of the season.

3. L.A. Clippers (21-8, Last week — 4th)

No one would suggest that the Clippers would be No. 3 on this list if we knew they didn’t have Paul George and Kawhi Leonard long-term. L.A. just won two games in a row without their stars, though, and that is encouraging, even in a one-off scenario. The Clippers are No. 2 in offense, No. 3 in net rating and rolling right along.
4. Phoenix Suns (17-9, Last week — 6th)

We’ve discussed the Suns quite a bit but, as a point of transition, Phoenix faces Brooklyn in a national TV game on Tuesday that will be telling of their stance among the NBA’s elite, even with KD sitting.

5. Brooklyn Nets (17-12, Last week — 7th)

Hey, speaking of the Nets, Brooklyn set a new franchise record with 27 three-pointers on Monday (without KD), once again showcasing the team’s obscene offensive ceiling. The defense is (quite) bad, but the Nets have won three in a row and their best is pretty impressive.

6. Denver Nuggets (15-11, Last week — 11th)

Denver’s three-game winning streak pushes them up to this slot in the rankings. The Nuggets should beat the Thunder and Cavs at home, as they did this week, but knocking off the Lakers by a lopsided margin is worth noting, even in a game in which Anthony Davis was sidelined for a half. If anything, the Nuggets’ record doesn’t match its top-five net rating, and I’m inclined to trust the point differential.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (16-11, Last week — 3rd)

There is no shame in losing on the road to the Suns and Jazz. Those are arguably the hottest teams in the NBA right now. Milwaukee drops this week because they followed up those defeats with a road loss in OKC. It was a narrow margin and, yes, Jrue Holiday has been out of the lineup. That matters, but it’s weird that the Bucks are only 16-11 right now with a +8.3 net rating.

8. Portland Trail Blazers (16-10, Last week — 16th)

Portland is barely above water in point differential (+0.2 per 100 possessions) and they are still 16-10. The biggest reason for that is that Damian Lillard is ridiculous. The Blazers have also won four in a row, including a home win over Philadelphia and a road win over Dallas. None of this seems sustainable given their injury situation, but that’s been said plenty of times about the Blazers in the past, and they often defy the odds.

9. Philadelphia 76ers (18-10, Last week — 5th)

There has to be a penalty for losing three straight games, even if they come on the road against playoff-caliber teams. That is what happened to the Sixers this week. Fear not, Philadelphia is still pretty good, but they continue to have hilariously large home/road splits.

10. San Antonio Spurs (16-11, Last week — 8th)

San Antonio’s next three games have been postponed due to an outbreak of four positive COVID tests on the Spurs roster, which is unfortunate and hopefully everyone is alright. The Spurs won their previous two games, including a drubbing of Atlanta in which they led by 42 points, to improve on a split against Golden State at home. Not only are the Spurs playing well, they are also pretty fun to consume on a nightly basis and hopefully they can contain this thing and not miss too much more than a week of action.

11. Golden State Warriors (15-13, Last week — 15th)

Stephen Curry had 36 points in three quarters on Monday. Granted, the Cavaliers were on the other side, but Curry has truly been preposterous this season. Is that MVP-worthy on a team that is 15-13? We’ll see, but we can all acknowledge that it’s fun to have Curry operating at this level on a nightly basis.

12. New York Knicks (14-15, Last week — 23rd)

The Knicks aren’t exactly known for their perimeter-based offensive attack. In fact, that is probably the worst part about the team. Naturally, New York hit a season-high 17 threes in a road win over Atlanta on Monday, and Julius Randle continues to play at an All-Star level. The Knicks have won three in a row and they remain firmly in the playoff mix.

13. Indiana Pacers (14-14, Last week — 17th)

Indiana rises in the rankings this week but, quite honestly, it isn’t because they are playing very well. The Pacers got two wins this week, toppling the struggling Hawks and Pistons, then lost at home to the Bulls. Overall, Indiana is 2-5 in the last seven, and it is wild that a .500 team with that recent track record is No. 13. It’s been a weird season.

14. Toronto Raptors (12-15, Last week — 14th)

I’m trusting the Raptors and leaving them here despite a home loss to Minnesota in their last outing. Like Indiana above them, that is really because no other team did enough to jump, but that’s a bad result for a team trying to climb out of an early hole.

15. Dallas Mavericks (13-15, Last week — 19th)

Dallas couldn’t quite keep their winning streak alive, losing a home tilt to Portland by three points on Sunday. Still, the Mavericks are playing (much) better basketball, winning five of the last seven after a shaky spell. In those seven games, Dallas is scoring almost 1.25 points per possession, and if that offensive onslaught continues, wins will follow.

16. Charlotte Hornets (13-15, Last week — 12th)

Charlotte’s home loss to San Antonio to end the week comes with an asterisk, as the Hornets were without Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington and others. Overall, the Hornets are playing reasonably well and… did you know Charlotte is leading the Southeast Division by 1.5 games?

17. Boston Celtics (13-13, Last week — 9th)

Boston is 5-10 in the last 15 games. That seems troublesome. The Celtics are without Marcus Smart, and he will help them immensely upon return, but Boston should be better than this even without him. There are warning signs, but at least the Celtics have the privilege of hosting the scuffling Hawks on both Wednesday and Friday.

18. Memphis Grizzlies (11-11, Last week — 22nd)

It was a status quo week for the Grizzlies. They beat the Hornets and struggling Kings. They lost to the Lakers by ten. Status quo just happened to be good enough to rise in the rankings.
19. Chicago Bulls (11-15, Last week — 26th)

A word of appreciation for Zach Lavine. Despite his shortcomings, LaVine now seems to be underrated. He is averaging 28.2 points per game on elite efficiency (51/43/85 shooting), and the Bulls are better than they probably should be offensively as a result. There is still noise in the on-off splits, but he’s been so good this season and, like Randle in New York, is a worthy All-Star selection in the East.

20. Miami Heat (11-16, Last week — 20th)

Miami recently won four in a row, dissuading some fears by beating some inferior opponents. The Heat lost the last two, though, including a troubling loss to the Kawhi-less, PG-less Clippers on Monday. Miami isn’t as bad as the 11-16 record suggests, but I’m not sure how good they are, either.

21. Washington Wizards (8-17, Last week — 25th)

This might be too high for the Wizards, and there is some mystery to solve with Washington. They just beat Boston and Houston at home, though, and Bradley Beal continues to lead the NBA in scoring. It’s almost as if the Wizards have given up on defense completely after a recent lineup change, but that might be their best path to respectability. Bombs away.

22. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-15, Last week — 24th)

In the last two weeks, the Thunder are 3-4. That isn’t wildly impressive, obviously, but Oklahoma City’s losses came by three, seven, one and two points. Two of the defeats arrived in overtime. It’s not as if the Thunder are good, but they are competitive. Oh, and they just beat the Bucks.

23. Sacramento Kings (12-15, Last week — 10th)

Of course the Kings lost four in a row, all at home, after we lauded them last week. That was inevitable. I’ll take the blame.

24. New Orleans Pelicans (11-15, Last week — 18th)

To say the Pelicans have been streaky is an understatement. Starting on Jan. 19, the Pelicans lost three in a row, then won two in a row, then lost two in a row. Not to be outdone, New Orleans then won four in a row before losing the last three. Good luck trying to figure that out.

25. Atlanta Hawks (11-16, Last week — 13th)

The Hawks do have key injuries, operating without four rotation players on the perimeter for a little while now. Still, Atlanta simply can’t win games down the stretch, posting the worst fourth quarter net rating (-8.8) in the NBA. The Hawks are better than 25th in the NBA, but they are 1-7 in the last eight games, including yet another disappointing loss to the Knicks on Monday.

26. Houston Rockets (11-16, Last week — 21st)

Houston’s post-trade run was really impressive, but the magic is officially gone. The Rockets just lost six games in a row and, while they’ve been dealing with absences and injuries, during that stretch they didn’t lose to a single top-10 team. They were also thrashed by 16 points per 100 possessions across 288 minutes. Yikes.

27. Detroit Pistons (8-19, Last week — 29th)

The Pistons have won three of the last four. Also, Detroit’s net rating (-3.7) is far better than their 8-19 record suggests. That isn’t to say that Detroit is good, because they’re not, but they are feisty at times. All eyes are also on Blake Griffin as he and the team look for “a resolution on his playing future,” but this is a team finally starting to see some positive results.

28. Orlando Magic (10-18, Last week — 28th)

Orlando has the worst record in the league over the last 20 games, going just 4-16. One of those wins did come this week but, in those 20 games, the Magic have been rather awful on both ends, scoring 1.04 points per possession and allowing 1.15 points per possession. It’s bad.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (7-20, Last week — 30th)

It’s possible the Wolves will be (much) higher than this soon, simply because Karl-Anthony Towns is playing. Minnesota is 3-4 with Towns in the lineup, and the Wolves just won on the road against Toronto. It’s hard to look past 7-20 (and 5-20 in the last 25), but they’re probably better than that with their centerpiece involved.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-19, Last week — 27th)

Remember when the Cavs were playing well defensively? It wasn’t that long ago. Well, Cleveland is on an eight-game losing streak and, during that downturn, the Cavs are allowing 126.2 points per 100 possessions. That is breathtakingly bad over that large of a sample, and they are now 24th in defense as a result. No team is playing worse than Cleveland, and they land in the basement despite 10 wins in the bank.

Our quest to find the best scotch whisky at every price point is starting to hit the really good bottles. Getting gradually closer to the “don’t you dare mix this stuff” stuff. Yes, we’re still talking about entry point whiskies for many of the featured brands, but, we’d argue, all of these scotch whiskies have layered flavors that will expand your palate.

Nothing on this list tastes typical or standard issue.

Remember that at the end of the day scotch is generally going to be more expensive than bourbon (sometimes by a lot). While we’re already talking about bourbons that contain 20-year-old expressions featured in their blends at this same price point, these scotches land squarely in the ten to 12-year range. Still, the featured bottles have unique flavor profiles and will give you a better understanding of just how broad Scotland’s whisky scene can be.

The prices below are averages on delivery sites. You may find some of these bottles for far less, depending on which state you’re in and which coast that state is on. Let’s dive in!

Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban Port Cask Finish

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $60

The Whisky:

This award-winning expression from Glenmorangie is all about the marrying of two distinct casks. The juice spends over a decade mellowing in ex-bourbon casks. Then the whisky is transferred to Port pipes from the Quintas wine estates from the Duoro Valley of Portugal.

Tasting Notes:

Spice and berries greet you with a slightly stewed plumminess with walnuts mingling in the mix. The taste has a rose water by way of a clove-studded orange vibe that touches on malts, oak, and a very distant hint of peppermint ice cream with chunks of dark chocolate. The end is just the right length and touches on the orange, mint, stewed and spicy plum, and malts as it fades away.

Bottom Line:

On paper, orange and mint shouldn’t work this well. Still, the chocolate really ties the sip together, creating an excellent sipper on a few rocks.

BenRiach The Smoky 12

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $63

The Whisky:

This is an interesting and subtle whisky. The base is a mix of unpeated and peated malted barley. Those juices are then mellowed for at least 12 years in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Marsala wine casks. The results are then blended by whisky icon Dr. Rachel Barrie into this arresting whisky.

Tasting Notes:

I say this in the best way but you’re greeted with fresh out of the package Band-Aids touched by cacao nibs and a hint of smoky sandalwood incense. The sip leans into the chocolate adding orange and spice as the Band-Aid stays prominent with hints at old, cold ashes from a campfire way back in the background. The end adds a spicy tobacco chew with a slight, warming buzz as it quickly fades away.

Bottom Line:

This is a great candidate for anyone looking to try a mild “smoky” whisky. The smoke is so subtle while highlighting more “peaty” qualities along the way. It’s also super easy to sip and doesn’t really even need water.

The Dalmore 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This Highland malt is a classic entry-point sipper to the wider wonders of The Dalmore. The whisky is aged for over a decade in old bourbon barrels before it’s transferred to hand-selected sherry casks for a finishing touch.

Tasting Notes:

This is rich from the first nose to the last drop as star anise, orange oils, dark chocolate, and a nutty/bitter/creamy espresso draws you in. The taste amps up all of that into a full-on Christmas cake full of candied and dried fruits, hazelnuts, malts, spices, and an almost rummy veneer. A little water brings about a creamy chocolate as the finish really embraces the roundness of the Christmas cake vibes while fading fairly quickly.

Bottom Line:

This feels like a digestif dram that you enjoy from a snifter next to a crackling fire. That being said, we really like this one in cocktails too, especially something like a Manhattan.

Ardbeg An Oa

ABV: 46.6%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This is a quintessential Islay peaty whisky. The juice is aged in a combo of Pedro Ximénez, charred virgin oak, and ex-bourbon casks before being married and rested again in Ardbeg’s bespoke oak “Gathering Vat,” allowing the whiskies to really meld into a cohesive dram.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine slow-smoked peaches, soft cherrywood on fire, and singed sage. That nose leads towards buttery but almost burnt toffee with hints of egg nog spices, savory leafy green veg with a bit of dirt, walnut shells, black tea, and a little bit of pancake syrup (the high fructose corn syrup kind). The finish is long, has hits of black licorice, and really brings the soft yet sweet smoke with an almost meat smoker edge.

Bottom Line:

If you don’t like smoky whisky, you’re not going to dig on this. If you don’t know smoky whisky and this is the first one you have, it might turn you off the style forever. If you dig on the smoke and peat and funk, this is going to be your jam for life.

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $67

The Whisky:

You can thank The Balvenie’s Malt Master David Stewart for the whole wood finishing movement and this signature bottle for starting it. This expression spends 12 years mellowing in ex-bourbon casks of varying sizes before it’s transferred to ex-Oloroso sherry casks for a final nine months of finishing. All of those whiskies are then dumped into a large oak “tun” where they spend another four or so months marrying before proofing with Speyside springwater and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This is very sherry in the sense that you get those sweet plum, nutty, and dried fruit notes next to classic Speyside honey and bourbon vanilla. The taste really embraces those notes while creating a sort of berry cobbler vibe with walnuts and buttery dollops of malty biscuits on top. There’s a long fade at play that touches on subtle dark spice, more berry, and a buttery end.

Bottom Line:

This makes for a hell of a cocktail base. It’s just a classic sweet whisky from Scotland that is very easy to understand while still providing clear notes in the flavor profile.

Talisker 10

ABV: 45.8%

Average Price: $68

The Whisky:

This is one of the most awarded single malts ever. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon casks in Talisker’s warehouse which is literally feet away from the sea. The subtly peated malts take on a real seaside feel as those years tick past, creating a whisky that will not disappoint.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a distance to Talisker that draws you in on the nose like campfire smoke from a few hundred yards down a rainy beach. The sea spray mellows the smoky peat to a fine point as oyster shells dance with almost sandy pears, dried apricot, and rich malt. The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and reminds you of oyster liquor and that there is a campfire somewhere far down that rainy beach.

Bottom Line:

I’m nostalgic for this scotch to my core. This is the bottle that got me “into” scotch almost 20 years ago. I can remember the exact college dorm bar I was in in Edinburgh when I first took a sip of this. It’s the perfect sip of very subtly peated whisky to get even the most novice drinkers into the really good stuff.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $68

The Whisky:

This whisky is designed to be the ultimate expression of Islay peated malt. The whisky utilizes that iconic Port Charlotte peated malt in its base. That juice then spends ten years maturing in first-fill and second-fill ex-bourbon casks along with second-fill French wine barrels. The results are married and just touched with Islay’s soft water to bring it down to a very approachable 100 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Yes, this is peaty and smoky from the first whiff but also allows for a lemon cake with vanilla frosting, a touch of toffee, and the sharpness of fresh ginger. The palate veers into smoked shellfish territory as the vanilla gets creamy while hints of sea-salt cured lemons grab your senses. A slight banana in browned butter essence arrives late as smoked whitefish and shellfish, earthy (almost manure-laden) peat, and a dark chocolate orange pop on the slow AF fade all leading towards a dry billow of smoke.

Bottom Line:

This is the bottle you go to after you realize you might like smoky whiskey to find out if you really like smoky/peaty whisky or not.

Balblair 12

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $69

The Whisky:

This entry-point single malt from the Highlands is an easy drinker. The juice is aged in a combo of ex-bourbon casks and “double fired” or charred used American oak barrels. The results are touched with a little water to bring it down to proof and then bottled.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a rich lemon pudding vibe on the nose that leads towards Granny Smith apple cores and plenty of malts. The taste veers into honey sweetness with dark spices (think cloves) and a touch of orange oils. There’s a light old oakiness with hints of worn leather and very mild tobacco on the short end.

Bottom Line:

This is the perfect introduction to sweet single malts. It’s easy, straightforward, and hits on just the right notes. If you’re a long-time scotch drinker, however, you might be past this already and ready for Balblair’s older expressions.

The Macallan 12

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $69.99

The Whisky:

Where many scotches spend time in ex-bourbon and then ex-sherry casks or some combination therein, this expression spends all 12 years of its maturation just in sherry casks. The barrels are imported from Jerez, Spain, and hand-selected for their excellence to mature this much-beloved whisky.

Tasting Notes:

Apple cider with a cut of cinnamon and clove in the juice greets you with a clear sense of vanilla, nuts, and plums. Those plums turn into prunes as orange peels mingle with sweet oak and a hint of tobacco spice. The end is long, full of that sherry dried fruit and sweetness, and hits back on the chewy tobacco spice.

Bottom Line:

This is a super easy sipper and a great introduction bottle for those interested in sweet scotch.

Glenfiddich IPA Cask

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $69.99

The Whisky:

This expression from Speyside’s Glenfiddich takes the idea of a beer cask finishing up a notch. The juice is aged in IPA casks that aged a brew made specifically to meld with this whisky. The result is a whisky that brings a sense of beer along for the whisky ride.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a full-on orchard with pears and apples hanging heavy from tree limbs next to florals just reminiscent of hops. There are orange zest and vanilla vibes to the body of the sip that leans into the bright florals with more pear and apple and a touch of bouquet garni. The fruits sweeten as the florals dry on the short but distinct finish.

Bottom Line:

This is more than a gimmicky bottle of scotch. It’s a great sipper that works as a highwater mark in the whole “beer barrel aged” genre of whisky.

Bad Bunny has been racking up the achievements lately. He’s going to be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this weekend, he’s acting in a movie with Brad Pitt, and he has the first all-Spanish album to top the Billboard 200 chart, and all those things have happened just since December. Bunny has proven he can do a bit of everything, and his latest accolade broadens his horizons significantly: He is now a WWE champion.

On Monday’s episode of WWE’s Raw, Bunny claimed the WWE 24/7 Championship belt, an unconventional title that can change hands at any point, whether the folks involved are WWE wrestlers or not, as long as a WWE referee is present. Here’s how it went down: During the broadcast, Bunny was being interviewed backstage alongside wrestler Damian Priest. The conversation was interrupted, however, when Tozawa pinned R-Truth to claim the 24/7 belt. R-Truth didn’t hold the belt for long, though, as Priest them slammed him into a crate and encouraged Bunny to pin him. That’s just what he did, and as it stands now, Bunny is the current holder of the 24/7 Championship belt.

Bunny got some props from wrestling legend Triple H, who wrote on Instagram, “A #RoyalRumble moment, an upcoming #SNL appearance and now @wwe #247Champion… @badbunnypr has been a busy man.”

Watch Bunny claim his first WWE championship belt above.

Despite having just released their album Imploding The Mirage, The Killers are already hard at work on new music. But vocalist Brandon Flowers’ health problems could put their work on pause temporarily. The singer recently revealed he was in a bicycle accident, and now he has to go in for surgery to correct a resulting injury.

Flowers and Killers drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. got together to answer fans’ questions in an Instagram Live Q&A. After one fan asked Flowers about his golf game, the singer shared the news about his upcoming surgery:

“I have not golfed in years. I miss it, sometimes. Ron hears about my gripes, but I got bad shoulders. I’ve had both shoulders… they call it ‘decompressed.’ They go in and shave some of the bone off to try and relieve some of the impingement, which causes you pain. So I’ve had that on both and some of you may have seen the picture I posted of when I went over the handle bars on my bike. An injury from that has manifested itself. I have a torn labrum from that shoulder, so I’m going under the knife in a couple of weeks to get that taken care of.”

Elsewhere in the interview, The Killers were asked if they had any special plans for the 20th anniversary of their debut album Hot Fuzz, which was released in 2004. “We’re coming up on 20-year anniversary of Hot Fuss,” Flowers said. “We still got a couple years. But I’m assuming there will be something where we play, celebrate the album and play it start to finish.”

Watch Flowers talk about his shoulder injury above, around the 15-minute mark.

Dwayne Johnson has been talking about running for president since at least 2016. “I can’t deny that the thought of being governor, the thought of being president, is alluring,” he said in the months before another WWE Hall of Fame inductee became president. In 2017: “I think that it’s a real possibility.” In 2018: “I have so much respect for the position. It’s something that I seriously considered. What I need is time to go out and learn.” And now, he’s finally the president... on the NBC sitcom, Young Rock, premiering tonight.

But could it happen in real life, too? “I would consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted,” Johnson told USA Today. “Truly I mean that, and I’m not flippant in any way with my answer. That would be up to the people… So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground.”

If the past four years (and the Reagan administration) have taught us anything, it’s that maybe celebrities shouldn’t become president. But I’m not going to lie, I would love to hear The Rock’s campaign slogans (“Can you smell what democracy is cooking?”) and ads (it’s him flexing so hard that a cast with “high health care costs” written on it explodes). The options are endless. Also, he should drop the “Dwayne.” Rock Johnson is the most presidential-sounding name ever.

(Via USA Today)

Ted Cruz, the much maligned senator from Texas, refuses to stop owning himself on Twitter, which is all well and good, other than him having a job to do. There’s the matter of him helping to incite the failed MAGA coup, and his defense of Trump’s pandemic response, and now, there’s the ice storm that’s crippling Texas. Still, Ted’s upset about a running beef that he’s got with the Internet that’s left him fuming over being laughed at for falling for a conservative parody article. On top of his lost battles with Seth Rogen and Cary Elwes, one would think that Cruz would take a break from Twitter, but nope. He’s back for more self-humiliation.

To briefly recap, Cruz was so mad about being called for falling for an article with an obviously fake headline (“Disney Posts Job Ad Looking For Strong, Fierce Women Who Are Also Obedient, Submissive, And Docile,” a reference to Gina Carano’s The Mandalorian firing), and he got defensive. He still didn’t acknowledge that he fell for the parody article, and now, he’s pointing people (and borderline trolling them) toward a Babylon Bee article that appears to mirror his situation.

In response to this headline, “Ignorant Senator Shares New York Times Article Thinking It’s Real,” Cruz tweeted, “Totally not fake.”

Cruz was still obsessing over his parody debacle on Monday night while Texans were (and still are) suffering through ice storm power outages. One could argue that at least he’s not pulling a Rootin’ Tootin’ Lauren Boebert (blaming it on the Green New Deal), but still, can’t Ted stop complaining to the Internet while his own constituents are literally freezing. This is not going over well at all with Texans.

Yep, pretty much everyone is laughing at Ted Cruz these days.

Voting for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game has already begun, and the names leading the fan voting are unsurprising. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo top the list, and everyone currently projected to start would be an All-Star Game veteran.

However, one of the great joys of this season has been the breakout starts for some of the NBA’s young stars, and there are a host of names that have worthy cases to be an All-Star for the first time this season. When the coaches select the reserves this season, there will be a lot of difficult decisions to make, but there are 10 players who would be first-time All-Stars that have made strong cases for consideration. Sadly, many of them won’t find their way to Atlanta, at least initially, but it’s possible the league has to dip deeper into reserves than usual given how many stars have pushed back on the fan-less All-Star.

Still, we’re going to look at the list of 10, fully understanding there are a number of names that have become perennial All-Stars that will be tough to beat out for spots, but at least some of these guys deserve to have their name called for All-Star honors.

EAST

Zach LaVine (28.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.3 apg; 51.9/43.0/86.3 shooting): LaVine should be an All-Star this season, full stop. The Bulls scuffled early, but have been clawing their way back into the playoff race in the East and it is in large part due to the exploits of LaVine. He’s averaging career highs in, well, just about everything on a per game basis: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, FG%, 3P%, and FT%. He’s become one of the NBA’s best scorers, developing his shot at all three levels and has established himself as an elite closer, as we saw on Monday in the Bulls overtime win over the Pacers.

Julius Randle (22.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 5.6 apg; 46.9/39.1/80.6 shooting): Like LaVine, Randle is posting career highs in just about every category this season and is the biggest reason why the Knicks are currently the 6-seed in the East. He’s not just scoring and rebounding, things he’s always been capable of, but he is legitimately running the New York offense a lot of the time, leading the Knicks in assists per game. That playmaking bump, along with the shooting efficiency from deep, has made him not just a stat sheet stuffer, but a guy who is impacting winning, shown recently by his 44-point outburst to beat the Hawks on Monday. The Knicks have been one of the NBA’s biggest surprises and no one on the team has contributed to that more than Randle, who deserves an All-Star nod for his efforts.

Jaylen Brown (26.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.4 apg; 51.3/40.9/75.2 shooting): Brown was on the fringe of All-Star contention a year ago and has made another leap with his playmaking on offense this season. The Celtics wing is posting a career-best scoring season in both volume and efficiency and is also facilitating more than ever, as he has stepped his offensive game up to match that of Jayson Tatum. The moments where he simply asserts his will on both ends and looks like an absolute dominant player in the league are incredible, and happen far more often this season than in years past. Without Brown’s contributions this season, the Celtics would be looking even worse than their 13-13 record and, like the first two names on this list, he should find his way onto the East squad.

Malcolm Brogdon (21.1 ppg, 6.6 apg, 4.3 rpg; 43.9/38.7/90.1 shooting): The Pacers have stumbled in recent weeks, in large part due to trading Victor Oladipo for Caris LeVert, who hasn’t played yet after having a cancerous mass removed from his kidney that was found in the trade physical. Losing your best wing without a replacement is always going to be tough to handle, but Indiana has at least been able to tread water a bit thanks to the continued strong play from Brogdon. He, along with Domantas Sabonis, have been the offensive engines for the Pacers and had they been able to keep up their early season winning pace, I think he’d be firmly in the race. Right now, he’s likely on the outside looking in, but should at least get consideration from the coaches for his contributions to the East’s current 5-seed.

Jerami Grant (23.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.0 apg; 43.5/38.4/87.7 shooting): The Pistons have been dreadful this season, but not for a lack of effort from their biggest free agent signing. I must repent here and apologize to Grant, who I feared may have made a mistake going to Detroit for a bigger role over signing for the same money in Denver for the more comfortable fit. He has thrived with the ball in his hand this season, producing his own shot at a rate and efficiency that he never has previously and has been among the few positives in Detroit thus far. The Pistons being at the bottom of the East will likely keep him out of real contention for a spot on the team, but he’s deserving of some love for what he’s done this season, exceeding expectations and more than playing up to his big contract.

John Collins (18.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg; 1.6 apg; 54.3/39.1/85.3 shooting): Collins’ production isn’t as gaudy as it was a year ago when he averaged 21/10, but the Hawks also have competent frontcourt pieces around him to take some of those touches away. He’s still a tremendously efficient player and is having a terrific season on both ends of the floor (he’s one of the few positive defenders on the Hawks), as he, Clint Capela, and Trae Young have been the lone constants for the Hawks this season amid a rash of injuries. Collins is unlikely to get the nod due to the Hawks just not being good enough so far, but he deserves some national love for his play and should they have to dip into the reserves in the East frontcourt he could get a look. Also, he’s built for the All-Star Game with his dunking and lob-finishing ability.

WEST

De’Aaron Fox (23.4 ppg, 6.8 apg, 3.3 rpg; 47.6/34.3/68.6 shooting): The Kings have been among the league’s most fun teams to watch this season and are hanging around the West playoff picture, thanks in large part to the continued improvement of fourth-year point guard De’Aaron Fox. Fox has been nothing short of tremendous this season, as he’s become more aggressive offensively and the Kings are benefitting from the confidence he’s playing with on that end. Defense is a nightmare for Sacramento, but that’s neither here nor there (and, hey, there’s no defense in the All-Star game anyways). The West backcourt race is incredibly difficult to sift through, but Fox should get serious consideration for a reserve spot.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22.6 ppg, 6.5 apg, 5.5 rpg; 50.6/38.2/77.1 shooting): Few would fault you for not watching a ton of Thunder basketball this season, but you have been missing out on one of the true rising stars in the NBA if you haven’t. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been good since he entered the NBA, but he continues to take leaps and in his third year as the clear leader of a team he has been absolutely sensational. SGA has this Thunder team that the entire world pegged for DFL in the NBA before the season at 11-15, tied with New Orleans and Houston for 12th in the West. He is an absolute maestro with the basketball, creating for himself and his teammates, and has steadily become an elite finisher and quality shooter. As mentioned earlier, the West backcourt is a tough group to crack but he has the numbers to match up with just about anyone who has buzz as a reserve and, compared to expectations, his impact on winning is on par with most as well.

Mike Conley (16.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, 3.7 rpg; 45.0/41.0/81.5 shooting): The Jazz are going to have two All-Stars for sure, but as the NBA’s best team thus far there will be a case made that they deserve a third and that that third All-Star should be the best veteran in the league who’s never made an All-Star Game. Conley doesn’t have the gaudiest counting stats and that will hold him back, but the Jazz have been sensational when he’s on the floor and while Donovan Mitchell is the offensive leader and Rudy Gobert is the defensive leader for this team, Conley is the glue that holds it together. I don’t think we’ll see him in the game and that’s both a shame and understandable, but if there were ever a year for him to get on an All-Star squad it’s this year with what he’s doing for the NBA’s best team. There’s also precedent for the coaches rewarding the best team with a nod like this, as we saw it with the 2015 Atlanta Hawks.

Zion Williamson (24.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.9 apg; 60.7/30.8/71.1 shooting): It took a little bit to figure things out under new coach Stan Van Gundy, but Zion has been preposterous of late for the Pelicans. The second year star is an absolute monster on the offensive end as teams have no idea how to keep him out of the restricted area and he simply bends defenses to his will. New Orleans is an abject disaster on defense and that has to be fixed for them to be a playoff team anytime soon, but it’s crazy how good the Pelicans offense is when Zion’s on the floor. The league would certainly be thrilled to see him in an All-Star Game, and whether that happens this year or next, he’s going to be out there soon.

Wild Pink has a new album dropping this week, A Billion Little Lights. The new release follows up the beloved 2018 effort Yolk In The Fur and the group has shared some tantalizing previews of the forthcoming project. Now, just days ahead of the album, they have offered one more preview: On “Pacific City,” John Ross’ hushed vocals complement the driving, heartland-inspired instrumental that’s a natural progression from the album that came before it.

Ross says of the track:

“Pacific City is named after the city in Oregon and I was watching Heat a lot while writing it. I wanted to write a few songs with a conventional song structure on this album and this was one of them — we spent a lot of time on the drum tones and used a Yamaha RX21 drum machine. The song is about time passing and realizing you’re not the same person you used to be.”

Ross also recently spoke with Uproxx about the album and said of it, “I wanted to have something very lush and just bigger than anything that I’d done before. And I got to play with amazing players, that was my favorite part.”

Listen to “Pacific City” above.

A Billion Little Lights is out 2/19 via Royal Mountain Records. Pre-order it here.

D’arcy Carden, who played both Janet and Bad Janet on The Good Place, in addition to Natalie on Barry, appeared on this week’s episode of Justin Long’s podcast, Life Is Short. On the podcast, she spoke about her years working as the nanny for Bill Hader, and also revealed that, though she was born “Darcy,” she was inspired to change her name to “D’Arcy” by the bassist for the Smashing Pumpkins (D’arcy Wretzky).

On Justin’s request, Carden also shared a terrific story about Harry Styles that she told a couple of years ago on Conan. On the podcast, however, she had more than three minutes to tell it, didn’t also have to promote a project, and had a delightful post-script.

For context: D’Arcy Carden is a huge non-ironic fan of One Direction and Harry Styles, and has been “obsessed” with them since their first appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2012. She’d also seen them in concert around 9 times, and she always went and saw them on SNL when they appeared (her husband works there). In fact, to illustrate what a big fan of Harry Styles and One Direction she is, this tweet is from 2014, long before Carden became a fairly well known comedic actress.

More recently — Carden originally told this story on Conan two years ago — Harry Styles was on James Corden’s show, and Carden was invited by a friend to come and watch from near the stage. Carden jumped at the opportunity.

After he performed, Styles entered the backstage area, where Carden and her sister were hanging out.

“He looks at me,” Carden tells Long, “and his eyes light up. He comes over and gives me a hug. And we’re chatting, and I can’t believe he remembers me. What a great memory! He’s giving all of these really sweet compliments about what a good job I have been doing, and I think, ‘Oh my god, he watches The Good Place,’ which is so nice of him. He’s so nice, and he’s so polite.”

After that, Styles moved along and began talking to other people. Later in the evening, however, the stage manager quiets down the entire room, and Harry looks over at Carden again and says, ‘What are you guys talking about?’”

“Nothing,” Carden sassily says, as though they are friends now. “Mind your own beeswax!”

And then, Harry Styles looks around the entire green room and teasingly makes an announcement. He says, “Everybody, Sue won’t stop talking about the promotion she got. Give it up for Sue! She’s doing so good!”

“When he says, ‘big promotion,’” Carden continues, “my heart drops. I’m like, ‘Please, get me out of here.’ [My sister] grabs my leg, and we both go [under our breath], ‘Oh nooo. Fuuuuuuuuu*k.’”

Carden very quickly realizes that Styles thinks she’s someone else, someone named Sue who recently got a promotion. Carden had no idea how to respond. Does she tell him that he’s confused her for someone else? Does she run away? What happens, however, is that she ends up talking to him three or four more times that night, never corrects him, and continues to let him believe that she is “Sue.”

“I just wanted to disappear into a ball of dust on the ground.”

Before the night was over, “he gave me a hug again, and said something like, ‘Good to see you again, Sue!’”

And that was the end of the story, as she relayed to Conan two years ago. However, the post-script is that she’s seen Styles a few times since she originally told that story on Conan. “He’s so sweet, and he’s so hilarious about the whole thing. It’s been cleared up. One of the first times I saw him after telling that story was at a party and he looked at me and said, ‘Hi Sue!’ and I thought, ‘Oh fu*k,” and he said, ‘Just kidding!’”

“He truly is the most wonderful person,” Carden said, completing the story.

Source: Life is Short with Justin Long

Trevor Noah wasted no time tearing into Donald Trump’s second impeachment acquittal as The Daily Show host kicked off Monday’s episode. While addressing the predictable outcome thanks to Republicans in the Senate desperately wanting to hold onto Trump’s supporters if not outright living in fear of them following the Capitol attack (“The GOP base still loves Trump and would turn on anyone who votes against him faster than Buffy fans turned on Joss Whedon,” Noah quipped.), he couldn’t help but notice the very strange celebration coming out of Trump world. Specifically, Eric Trump boasting that his dad is now 2-0, which prompted Noah to make a scathing comparison between the former president and O.J. Simpson.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about: two and oh,” Noah joked. “Obama never even won a single impeachment. Shit’s embarrassing! I mean say what you want, but Trump is the acquittal GOAT. Sorry OJ, you had a good run, but Trump got acquitted twice and he’s responsible for more deaths.”

Noah also made sure to get in a good dunk on the Senate vote, which was 57-43 in favor of convicting, but not enough to clear the two-thirds requirement to fully impeach Trump. “This dude just loves losing the popular vote.”

Despite Trump ducking yet another impeachment, The Wall Street Journal editorial board declared that the former president’s political career is over following the Capitol attack and the damning evidence that he ignored pleas from his own party to stop his supporters. “Mr. Trump may run again, but he won’t win another national election,” the WSJ Editorial Board wrote. “The country is moving past the Trump Presidency, and the GOP will remain in the wilderness until it does too.”

(Via The Daily Show with Trevor Noah)