my NBA power rankings 2015

qualification: player has to be a current star, a declining star still significantly productive or projected to become a star; player's strengths must clearly outweigh weaknesses.

Point Guards 

1. Steph Curry - they say the greatest players change the DNA of the game. the MVP's preference and efficiency from long range both defeats and demoralises. his habit of going on 8-, 9-point spurts at pace redefines "unplayable". the undersized guard doesn't need a body when you can't catch him. as if owning the best shot in the sport weren't enough, Curry is one of the best ball handlers too, a versatility that scares the hell out of opponents. he is still some distance from being a premier floor general and can be lackadaisical at times.

2. Russell Westbrook - a freak of nature, Westbrook always had the tools, but when he improved his efficiency, it instantly made him an MVP-level player. couple that with a relentless will and a clutch mentality. Westbrook quite simply does it all on the floor and only if you nitpick, he still doesn't come across as a natural playmaker.

3. Chris Paul - they say if you are playing one-on-one, you pick Westbrook or Irving; if five-on-five, it is unanimously Paul. even as other point guards rise in a point guard-heavy league, there is a reason Paul remains the Team USA starter. the best floor general since Steve Nash, Paul's shot-making has also often been underestimated, retaining the ability to take over games when necessary. analysts generally agree he has no weakness.

4. Kyrie Irving - often the smallest but brightest on the court, Kyrie is among the best finishers around. his ball-handling is right up there and he can also hurt you from distance. unfortunately Kyrie is a weak defender and he usually needs to dominate the ball to be effective. a true superstar of the league.

5. John Wall - for a long time all style and no substance, the explosive and athletic Wall has developed maturity around the rim and now plays every game like it is his last. it is one thing defending an opponent physically superior, it is another defending a team with a playmaker on steroids. when he takes off, literally no one in the league can catch him. supremely confident, bordering cocky. possibly has not reached his ceiling. with still-suspect shooting, if you collapse your defence and force Wall, you may just stop him. 

6...

Shooting Guards 

1. James Harden - easily the most single-minded scorer since Carmelo Anthony. his arsenal of weapons -- the unstoppable Euro step, premier shot-making and an unrivalled ability to draw fouls -- means opponents only seek damage control because you cannot shut him out. his style is an advantage in a league made for individuality. his defence remains horrendous.

2. Jimmy Butler - of that rare breed who can score and stop, Butler is fearless. he is strong in drives and cuts, and gifted at making buckets. also charged with marking the league's best players. equally comfortable being team-first or me-first.

3. Dwyane Wade - he has slowed and plays fewer minutes, but on any given night Wade can still give you an MVP performance. he had a variety of moves when he was "Flash" -- with experience he is still beating opponents with a variety of moves. allow Wade anywhere around the paint and he is virtually unstoppable. he remains a shooting guard who cannot convert 3s.

4. DeMar DeRozan - a natural scorer anywhere inside the arc who has fulfilled his potential simply by becoming more efficient. like Wade, he is not known for his perimeter shooting. DeRozan brings intensity at both ends of the floor. grew into a number-one option, which is always a huge sign of improvement.

5. Klay Thompson - Klay is the definition of simplicity. he is able to rank with other flashy wings because of his efficiency. shoots 3s for a living with a quick and high release, but surprisingly, gets a substantial amount of points near the rim too. ignore him and he could score loads in a hurry, but he is essentially a shooter so he can go cold. Klay is bigger than most 2s and is a dependable defender, but for a 2, he is also not the quickest nor most athletic. perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Golden State's system and playing alongside Steph Curry, and the verdict is still out on whether he is a reliable number-one option.

6...

Small Forwards 

1. LeBron James - still the most dominant player in the sport, and even after an 11-year career, still one of the fittest. a once-in-a-generation athlete who can play 1 through 5. the God-blessed physique, the talent and eventually the mental fortitude -- it's no wonder people talk about him as possibly the greatest ever. the irony is that the mentality has proven to be both a strength and a weakness - he clearly understands he's the best, yet at times it reduces him to a diva.

2. Kevin Durant - for a long time considered 'the best after LeBron'. this former MVP finds ever more ways to score and his efficiency combined with his high release leaves him almost unguardable. his desire is also at the highest level. a solid one-on-one defender, although for his length he should do a better job crashing the boards.

3. Carmelo Anthony - the classmate always in LeBron James' shadow, Carmelo is still nevertheless one of the most devastating scorers throughout his career, trailing only James for points among players who are not in their twilight. equally comfortable on the wing or in the block, face up or back in, Anthony is perhaps the league's best isolation player. his defensive game is sometimes overlooked.

4. Paul George - the fact that he went from role player to MVP candidate shows he has no ceiling (the volume shooter does need that room to improve his efficiency). the perfect physical specimen of a wing -- long, tough, quick and athletic. George can opt between blowing past you or firing 3s. he can also play multiple positions. on one end of the floor, George is one of the sport's best defenders; on the other, on his day, he is unstoppable. a true superstar of the league.

5. Kawhi Leonard - a player on the brink of MVP level, Leonard is one of those rare athletes who can fill up the stat sheet. his giant hands come to mind first, giving him not just a high release like Kevin Durant, but making him the first wing since 2004 to win DPOY. furthermore, there are very few defenders who can contest both the perimeter and the paint. Leonard is hardworking on court and off it, improving from 29% on 3s to around an unreal 50%. he always looks comfortable and is an excellent rebounder for a 3. his new burden as San Antonio's number-one option is taking a toll, and to become an elite wing, he needs another jump in his scoring repertoire.

6...

Power Forwards

1. Anthony Davis - seen as the most important player since LeBron James, in three years Davis is already the number-one power forward. his length and athleticism make him almost unplayable. apart from shoot 3s, there is nothing Davis can't do and he legitimately is able to lead a team in all categories. if all these were still not frightening, Davis also can probably beat most centres at their job.

2. Blake Griffin - the human highlight reel himself. above the rim Griffin is unguardable. with the quickness, brains and ball-handling, he is a 1 in the body of a 4. he has also improved his mid-range so much it is a certain bucket if he gets open. furthermore, he never slacks off. Griffin is big on highlights, small on details. he has an awkward post game and an awkward jumper, but he gets it done. it continues to puzzle how he is so athletic at one end but cannot really protect the rim. still not the best at creating his own shots, which could blemish his eventual legacy.

3. Chris Bosh - the best personification of a stretch-4 after Dirk Nowitzki, Bosh is a highly-productive player of whom you cannot ask for more. he has the ability to score from any situation and count on him for a clutch play. his length is freaky and he has excelled even as a centre. Bosh has declined as a rebounder but apart from that has scarily no real weakness.

4. LaMarcus Aldridge - arguably the league's best 4 for a few years. a guaranteed producer from mid-range and one of the best stroke among big men. if there were one criticism it is his lack of intensity. he often avoids the battles in the paint. he has played in a conducive environment all career so it remains to be seen if he can be as effective at Spurs.

5. Draymond Green - Draymond is quite good at everything. he has range, he can pass, he can defend, he is active, he has basketball IQ and he has an attitude. he is so valuable in this day and age because he is the epitome of quick ball, small ball and rotation. he is comfortable playing 3, 4, 5 and would even gladly play guard. a triple-double threat. being a master of not one trade may undermine him in the long run.

6...

Centres

1. DeMarcus Cousins - in an era where skills are required of even the centre, Cousins is number one. probably the most complete 5 in the game, he even started making 3s this season. his temperament continues to be an issue and only if you nitpick, Cousins racks up rebounds on the easier end.

2. Andre Drummond - since sorting out his offensive game, Drummond has been almost unstoppable in just his fourth season. still, he has no range and operates exclusively on the inside. combining body and athleticism, he is possibly the best rebounder in the game currently. remains an elite rim protector. a free-throw liability.

3. Brook Lopez - the best offensive 5 alongside DeMarcus Cousins, Lopez' sole responsibility is to score, which makes up for his mediocrity at the other end of the floor. he has bags of moves, and if you could emerge as a number-one option during the Nets' superstar era featuring Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, you're not too bad. Lopez also has the frame and a great mid-range shot.

4. Marc Gasol - you don't get a more reliable centre. Gasol is all-rounded -- he can post up, he can shoot, he can defend. he also happens to be the best passing big man in the sport. he can make a flashy point-guard assist or smash you up. Gasol will not give you 30-15 but he is productive every night. he is intelligent, humble and has a soft touch for a big man -- all the makings of a rare breed. not many players develop to become better than their own brother but Gasol did.

5. Hassan Whiteside - many players with talent fall off the radar, very few return with such statement. plucked from the wilderness, Miami now has the most feared shot blocker in the game and one of its best offensive rebounders. Whiteside has all the physical attributes, is absurdly confident but that attitude can be detrimental. offensively he is a put-back guy with no range. Whiteside is also not as strong as other centres.

6...

Kubrick

"Stanley Kubrick's attention to detail is legendary, and it's hard to argue with his results - nine of his 12 films appear in IMDB's Top 250.

For the war room in Dr Strangelove, he asked for the top of the table to be covered in green baize, like a poker table, because the President, the generals and the Russian ambassador are gambling on the fate of the world."

the cycle of cocks hiring cocks

"We’ve taught our students to treat exams like we treat job interviews: we tell them to be more worried about presenting the right answers than actually learning the topic. The culture of grade-chasing is mainly created by Singapore’s employers, not MOE. In fact, so long as companies refuse to look beyond paper qualifications, many parents will freak if MOE shifts emphasis off grades." (Ad-hoc tuition is reflecting our bad attitude towards education)

always felt tuition is a form of subverted meritocracy. kids sit for the same exams yes, but they're prepared for the exams in different ways; parents then argue meritocracy allows them the financial advantage to advantage their kids.

i've actually hired a person (shan't name names) who lied through the interview to get the job. and it's not uncommon to hear people condone that because they claim it's more important to get the job first then learn the required skills.

like i say, the many hirers who disregard extracurricular records and out-of-the-box thinking are probably robotic losers of the system themselves. don't be disheartened because you'll go further than them.

meeting Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate for Literature

the old purpose of education was the manipulation of knowledge towards a utopia of classlessness. but philistinism among others has turned education and re-education into a primary tool for indoctrination. statehood is artificial and a concept by victors. statehood breeds class divisions. class divisions mean hegemony and struggle. fundamentalism and extremism like the Daish emerge. people take flight to safety of states. states become stronger, and the vicious cycle continues. curiously, the "Islamic State" moniker reinforces both religion as divisions and the state as an ideal. the media, in that sense, "plays footsy with terror" by indulging their preferred name instead of the more degrading "Daish".

GE2015 post-mortem

A watershed is defined as a turning point, a critical change. The "new normal" referred to a supposedly new state of politics here. Clearly, 2011 is now just a wave of national anger, a protest vote. Not that much an endorsement of the Opposition and certainly not an enlightened democratisation of the people.

Granted, with its talent pool and advantages of the incumbent, the PAP has outperformed everyone else, both in policies (housing, welfare) and politics (ground-up, social media). I had forecast it's likelier Opposition support would fall than rise, because Singaporeans are conditioned to be pragmatic. And against the backdrop of SG50 and LKY there was a serious concern for the future versus the follies of the last decade. My worry over Aljunied was also founded on the simple fact that the biggest issue - AHPETC - would only erode support, impossible the opposite.

The silent majority have spoken. They don't care for ideals, they don't care for citizenry empowerment, they don't care for a balanced parliament.

When the first sample count of Mountbatten came in, it gave me an ominous shiver. How could a returning opponent, known for being a local girl who scored 41% the last time, concede over 70%, well a landslide?

With that, came streaming in seats that moved in sync with the national swing - Ang Mo Kio, Jurong, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Bishan-Toa Payoh, Tanjong Pagar, Sembawang, Nee Soon, Tampines, West Coast, Chua Chu Kang, Jalan Besar, Marsiling-Yew Tee, Radin Mas, Yuhua, Bukit Panjang, Hong Kah North, Pioneer...

Fengshan was touted a hot seat not just for its East Coast connection but as a proxy for party brands, as both PAP and WP sent new candidates. A longtime grassroots leader (un-PAP) versus a lawyer (un-Opposition). So if you thought the WP brand is now as strong as the PAP's, Cheryl Chan's 57% says a lot.

If "sacrifical lamb" Fengshan weren't gonna fall, East Coast sure wouldn't. The fact that WP won Aljunied in 2011 with an all-star team, more probably had to be done to the East Coast team, as credible as they looked. My personal dislike of Lim Swee Say and Lee Yi Shyan was somehow also not shared by voters.

If East Coast weren't gonna fall, Marine Parade sure wouldn't. WP's C team was unnecessarily hyped up and despite Goh Chok Tong's regular PR kamikaze, Tan Chuan-Jin is way too popular. The fact that WP cut 7% off 2011's NSP is particularly damning.

Potong Pasir was a non-story for me as I had forecast an easy win for Sitoh Yih Pin. Anti-establishment fervour there was always built around Chiam See Tong's cult of personality. Lina Chiam is not her husband, period. Sitoh looks like the best PAP man for this neighbourhood, not to mention he turned Potong Pasir residents into rabbits. As Leo said, "once tasted flight, forever look at sky". I think Singaporeans can forever banish to history books whatever "conscience of Singapore" and "my kind of town".

The shocker and disappointment for me was Punggol East. Is Lee Li Lian capable? Only the residents would know. But the fact that she was ousted after winning 54% just two years ago against a man probably more impressive than Charles Chong proves Singaporeans are more fearless in a by-election when nothing's at stake. Voters preferred a retiree over a breath of fresh air. Chong suddenly has a few more years of income, even if he does nothing in Parliament. Ah Lian is now unemployed.

I admire WP's policy to let candidates grow roots, but I felt Sengkang West was ripe for the picking, since the only issue there was unfavourable to the PAP. Maybe a bigger name would've performed better than Koh Choong Yong.

So clearly, the Easties are not as enlightened as we thought, the Potong Pasir kampung is not as dogged, and the Sengkang-Punggolites are not the progressive young families as described.

Another place ripe for the picking but overlooked was Bukit Batok - new place, inexperienced PAP candidate, history of Opposition support. Just imagine David Ong up against Chee Soon Juan or even Tan Jee Say or Benjamin Pwee. In the end most of the better-known non-WP candidates suffered from hubris. Chee's return from the wilderness very unfortunately ran into a national swing.

Kudos to PAP for letting Tin Pei Ling strike out on her own and shame on those who felt she was abandoned by Marine Parade. Tin has done good stuff in MacPherson. WP wanted it simply to flex its muscles in this part of the island. If it were politically opportunistic it wouldn't have dispatched a 29-year-old to challenge an incumbent who four years ago was flamed precisely for her youth.

How one sees WP's defence of Aljunied and Hougang depends on one's school of thought. Hougang showed its resolve, Aljunied survived - but on a whole, you can say both lost support or you can argue both took a conservative hit compared to PAP's national improvement. The question now is will Singapore's bluest precincts continue their slide from WP's grip? The common assumption is when opposition turns white, he seldom turns back.

One of the most incongruous things I heard this GE was PAP's call for votes so as to make the Opposition work harder, instead of the opposite. It was Uniquely Singapore Democracy, but ironically, it might have convinced a few. Indeed, even with a bizarre remark, some people probably identified more with the safety net of the incumbent.

Do Singaporeans in general want to help develop a credible Opposition? I suspect not. Some whine at them for being too quiet or too noisy, without acknowledging the field is not level and you just can't expect an untested Opposition member to be like a polished PAP man. Remember, the political awakening of the late 1980s was snuffed out by 1997 - see what the "mandate" did. Several Opposition members have now expressed Friday's results as demoralising. Let's hope Singaporeans' decision to punish the Opposition does not lead to an exodus. Live with your sacred vote and stfu if things go awry. If you want Hougang and Aljunied to bear the Opposition presence in Parliament, maybe we should rewrite the laws to make MPs only speak for their own constituents.

On the other hand, the government has no doubt resoundingly responded since 2011. If that was the moment PAP forever became sensitive to the people, we're better for it. Why am I willing to say this out loud? Because I can be rational regardless of my badge and I love my country as much as you do. If anyone can, it's the PAP. But more so, because Singapore can.

breaking down the ignition of the ST elections machine

so i heard campaigning will be during the week i'm at reservist. fml. elections come around every four, five years yet i'll be constitutionally locked away.

i can still follow now though. and Straits Times' day one coverage of the release of the boundaries report earns a fat zero from me. as long proven, they have a handful of good reporters who report well in isolation. but when something major comes around, especially when it's political, the whip falls and the tone falls in line. seven pages loaded with distasteful charade. 

choice of words

mild, modest, no gerrymandering - these were repeatedly used to describe the report. really? despite quoting stats (don't forget that stats can always be presented in favour of arguments) the committee clearly did (and didn't do) a few things.

1. Joo Chiat and Moulmein-Kallang, two spots the PAP could very possibly lose, disappeared.
2. don't believe for a second that maintaining Potong Pasir, Aljunied, Hougang and Punggol East shows the review was fair. if you're the incumbent PAP, that's the wise thing to do to not rile Opposition sympathisers.
3. the anomaly that's Potong Pasir SMC wouldn't have survived if the PAP weren't confident of repeating victory. Chiam is never coming back, Sitoh is not bad and Lina is bad, period.
4. the PAP found out that Tin Pei Ling is toxic, not as a person - because i really find her capable - but as an election topic. there's no other obvious reason MacPherson has been ejected. let the girl strike out on her own.
5. what's the logic in praising the minimal change when the PM himself had called for shrinking GRCs and increasing SMCs? retaining the giant Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRCs has no justification while SMCs only increased by a paltry one. voters were instead stealthily shifted from Pasir Ris-Punggol to Ang Mo Kio, Ang Mo Kio to Nee Soon, then Nee Soon to Sembawang.

cover story

the selection of a single, conservative "objective voice" is clearly intentional:

"By and large, it's a very modest shift, nothing too radical."

patronisingly featuring the Opposition is worse. here's Gerald Giam's quote:

"We have to study the report very carefully to decide which one we want to contest in."

the Chua sisters

if you haven't already seen through Mui Hoong's tricks, here's how she uses ST's opinion pages for propaganda: she slaps on a progressive headline and standfirst, in this case describing the report as "a few puzzles" and "Joo Chiat draws flak", and once she gets the eyeballs, proceeds to brainwash you with a different angle that's often heavily one-sided.

here she reasons that whatever your feelings, all is fair simply because Aljunied, Hougang and Punggol East remain. this completely ignores the fact that, like previous elections, such a move can be politically motivated in itself as a policy of containment and appeasement.

she also emphasised that the committee's TOR were "technical". but given the PM's very straightforward TOR, the report doesn't explain certain actions that appeared more political than technical.

the East Coast-Fengshan relationship

the paper likes you to think that retaining the shaky East Coast GRC shows the committee is fair to the Opposition and the PAP is willing to fight for it. but little that's constructive has been discussed about creating a Fengshan SMC.

the latter borders the blue Aljunied almost like a moat for the 45% blue East Coast. it's very possible that given the demographics and climate, the PAP prefers to play safe and cede one seat, instead salvaging the GRC. this one-step-back-two-steps-forward tactic will appeal to the moderates.

who's currently representing Fengshan? ex-minister Raymond Lim, a suitable sacrificial lamb.

where's the journalism?

instead of asking why Moulmein-Kallang has been completely undone, it celebrates the return of Jalan Besar, footnoting with sentimentality over Moulmein's breakup.

simi sai? machiam feel-good newsletter. sort of like everyone accuses you of stealing money and your clique celebrates you setting up a taskforce to investigate everyone but yourself.

err, Whampoa?

the day one coverage spends substantial column inches wondering why Whampoa SMC's gone, when the truth is it isn't important. safe ward means cannot redraw? as the incumbent, the PAP can redraw any wards they wish as long as they feel confident about it. they don't worry over single seats, they only target to form the government.

this already smells like an editor decided that due to the heavy coverage of lightning-rod constituencies and the Opposition, to be balanced let's try imagining some PAP pains.

more partisan reportage

"Not surprisingly, the release of the report has been accompanied by some calls from opposition politicians for the committee - in the name of fair play and transparency - to justify its decisions and show how the boundaries came to be determined."

this sentence sounds dubious. why must "Not surprisingly"?

a surreal argument in the media

soon after I started watching football, Havelange made way for Blatter. a lot seemed to have gone wrong in the world's most important sport since, according to the Western media. there's something sinister about him and his tenure, but I don't know if my impression is defensible. he can be really bizarre, I admit. a lot of questions have been asked, mostly about money, and I wish there were more answers. but I'm not sure accountability means you have to answer every question fired in your direction.

some of the things during Blatter's tenure were really suspicious and there's every chance there's wrongdoing. but what is this "free world" and "checks and balances" the West preaches?

what is this all-out assault on the one-federation-one-vote system that's called democracy? yes, Africa, Asia and some other parts of the world have a poor reputation with accounts, but apart from actually winning votes from the majority of the world, was Blatter's channelling of funds to football's lesser lights wrong in principle? is this the so-called "Western hypocrisy" so many in my side of the world have spoken about? what is this bigoted discourse in the Western media that power should return to the traditional base of Europe?

suddenly, they've succeeded, and I'm not certain football is better for it. what I do know is that much of European football is owned or sponsored by non-European money.

i like motion pictures

okay what a mindfuck, this Unlucky Plaza. it starts slow and has its flaws when taken against Hollywood, but good films are a journey and this one keeps you glued. thriller, mystery, comedy, caper, noir, Western, farce, whodunit, story within story, social commentary, Tarantino -- what's in a genre? refreshingly layered for a local film, with nuances that put Jack Neo to shame. he won't smash the box office like Neo, but after The Blue Mansion, Kidnapper, Sex.Violence.FamilyValues and now this, Ken Kwek is one to watch.

Off Centre (The Studios: fifty)

for a lack of words: "Off Centre breaks your heart in several places and salts open wounds. Its characters are often frustrating. But you emerge from it with an enduring empathy for all humankind."

so far, 'The Studios: fifty' has been good albeit slightly artificial. but this, one of the best productions i've seen in a while. seamless, a near-perfect script, very well directed, very well acted, down to the smallest part.

Emily of Emerald Hill (The Studios: fifty)

so tragic, this Emily of Emerald Hill. karen tan, good with all the code switch, even better with the simplest, subtlest drop in register to shake the audience with her son's death; but she remains a motormouth at times. the symbolism of the final quilt, a life's work yet used in solitude. and the paradox of control, where the more one has of it, after a certain point one stops being indispensable. likewise, those without power are free. those who say the text is dated and has lost its relevance need only look at the debates of the last fortnight.

i like motion pictures

even by jack neo's standards, ABTM3 is an epic piece of trash. it has no dramatic structure, it has no flow, it has narcissistic acting, it rips off the original ABTM, it lets NDU down, and "product placement" is a very generous compliment. pockets of humour are no redemption.

Oscars 2015 predictions

Birdman, Boyhood too close to call, while Selma, Whiplash deserve special mentions. Redmayne, Moore, Simmons for me. Whiplash, Inherent Vice, Nightcrawler and Birdman are probably the best screenplays. I hope Birdman doesn't get cinematography even though it's really wow.

i like motion pictures

superb Eddie Redmayne, not-so-superb film. five-star love story, one-star science story. less a tearjerking Bang than a cruel motor-neuron disease that slowly eats at you and fills you with sadness. pity for the excellent Felicity Jones, who pales in comparison. i also hope it's a reminder that the Big Bang Theory is not just an American sitcom.