No bandage can cover my scars
It’s hard living a life behind invisible bars
Searching for the face of God
I’m only inspired by the poems of Nas
Take the emotion of Maya Angelou, add in the creative wit of Shel Silverstein, and stir it with J.J. Redick’s great basketball mind, and find yourself in a world never seen before. But not only does the junior manage to create seamless and original lines that rhyme and elicit strong emotions, but he also conveys how well he thinks Duke will do in postseason play in his writings.
So, where does the Duke basketball team stand now?
I can’t see what my future has in store
but I move forth with the strength of a condor
Redick has no idea and neither does anyone else. After the Blue Devils lost to UNC Sunday, they severely damaged their chance at a number one seed in the tournament and opened themselves up to the unappealing idea of having to possibly be a No. 2 seed or worse in Illinois’ quarter of the bracket.
A lot will still be decided in the ACC Tournament, where the Blue Devils are scheduled to play the winner of Virginia and Miami Friday at 9 p.m. If they advance, they might have to take on Wake Forest in the semifinals.
The cause and effect of a thousand actions
The mathematical breakdown of micro-fractions
These two lines require a proper dissection. The first line, loosely translated means that specific events throughout the year have really shaped the direction of the team today. Starting from when Luol Deng and Shaun Livingston declared for the NBA draft and including Shavlik Randolph’s bout with mono, Sean Dockery’s season-ending injury and North Carolina’s 11-0 run with three minutes to go Sunday, many events in the past have really affected the mental and physical state of the Blue Devils heading into the postseason.
The second line is too deep for you or me to understand. When you break down micro-fractions you are in such an abstract realm that only Redick and maybe Steven Hawking can comprehend it.
It’s difficult to fathom the coming of the rapture
What if I awoke in an empty pasture?
The empty pasture seems to be a metaphor for losing in the NCAA Tournament. It’s hard to think about this likely event for Redick, but there will be many questions for Duke if it loses in the Big Dance. Will his big man Shelden Williams leave him and declare for the draft? How good will Josh McRoberts and Greg Paulus really be? If Redick and Williams stay, will Duke have its highest expectations for a national championship since the days of Jay Williams?
I wanna reach the top floor, but I’m stuck in the basement
With not enough juice to burst through the chains that have shackled my brain
So long as the Blue Devil managers provide Gatorade instead of juice during timeouts, everything will be fine. Redick, lead the way.
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