SBNation.com User Blog: RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com

MIN-BKN Musical Preview: Cегодня из Pоссии.

RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:24:42 -0000

Today I have the pleasure of presenting the musical preview. Since the Wolves play Brooklyn, we thought New York could share its spotlight with some Russian music today. I have lurked in many of the musical previews' because they show a nice variety of mostly non-mainstream (at least, to my knowledge of American music) so it's great to finally contribute a little myself. I tried to be as versatile as possible and asked two friends with slightly different musical taste to help me out. We had fun listening to a bunch of Russian songs and came up with a list which is waaay to long. Pick the genres you’re interested in and (as we hope) enjoy the short trip through the recent Russian music history.

I will spare you t.A.t.U. and the Tro-lo-lo-man. But have you met the Dap-da-dap-dap-lady yet?

Dmitri Shostakovich & Sergei Prokofjev

Let’s start classical. The Bolshevik revolution fell within their productive period which constituted problems for both. While Prokovjev left Russia to find a home in the US and different places in Europe because he feared artistic dependence in the new state, Shostakovich thought that the classic sector would be left alone by the Soviet rulers because it was too important as a patriotic stimulant/cultural factor to sanction. Therefore, he chose to satisfy the state department’s need for pro-soviet conformist music, and do some not-so-conformist work once in a while… which still got him in trouble every now and then.

It really wasn’t that easy for the composers of that time though. You didn’t really know how conformist conformist actually was. Even if you did an opera which got great reviews from the public and the press, it would be enough for an official (let’s say Stalin) to hate it because for example the image of the ‘oppressed woman in tsarist Russia’ wasn’t highlighted strongly enough. It had to be ‘conform’ or ‘in form’ all around. Since it was music it had to sound like music and since it was a work within the Soviet context it should be in line with the ‘centrilized’ view. If word got out that the officials hated it, the experts would hate it too… aaand the composer might get into a lil trouble and his good work would be burried. Artists like Rostropovich had to leave the country, not because they were harassed personally, but because it was just impossible for them to perform.

After being a globetrotter, Prokofjev returned to Russia at some point and his work reached its peak. The different experiences are quite mirrored in their music too. While Prokofjev is a much more consistent composer, you can feel the uncertainity and frustration in Shostakovich’s music much more. However, he has more genius moments which are levels above Prokofjev IMO.

Here are two works by both of them, some of their most acclaimed work. I’m sure you heard it already, maybe hadn’t known that it was by a Russian composer:

JAZZ / SWING

It didn’t take long for Jazz to become popular in the CCCP. The first bands formed around the 1920’s yet the art state department had an ambivalent position towards it. At first it wasn’t prohibited to play or perform jazz music but it sure wasn’t well-received because It was labeled as sophisticated upper class music. The fact that it was American made Jazz’ fate on the Russian market worse. Around 50-1960’s it was very hard for jazz ensembles to get concerts because of the increasing tensions between the US and the CCCP.

Here are songs by some of the pioneers of Soviet Jazz who all were quite pissed off by soviet culture politics:

ROCK

Russian Rock music in its early stages, around the 1960’s was heavily influenced by the Beatles, the Stones and different Psychedelic bands whose tapes were smuggled into Russian metropoles. At first, bands could only perform in the underground mostly because the lyrics were pro-western anyway. However, few non-critical bands were able to have mainstream success as early as the late 60’s. Most of the early stuff was an awkward attempt to mimic the Beatles sound with psychedelic elements though.

PUNK

Leningrad & Grazhdanskaya Oborona

Leningrad has had quite some success in and outside Russia. They have even toured the United States and released a live album from that tour. The lyrics are pretty ridiculous and often mock Russian society or revolve around genitalia. They added a female background singer a few years ago and ever since, the genitalia lyrics seem to have increased.

Founded by young dissident Igor Letov, Grazhdanskaya Oborna was one of the earliest Russian punk bands and released its first album in 1985.

Oh… and just for reference, there’s Pussy Riot. You've heard a lot, but have you heard their music yet? Much like their protest, good effort, terrible sad effort.

BARD

Similar to the Beatniks in the US, bard musicians were singer-songwriters outside the establishment. Traditionally just one signer with a guitar. Because of the political nature of their music, they were exclusively performing artists, not recording ones. People in the audiences used to tape their concerts and distribute the tapes to spread their music & message. Vladimir Vysotsky with his raw voice is my favorite.

THE 60-70’s FILM MUSIC

In the mid-60’s to the end of the 70’s, a director had a series of huge blockbuster comedy films in Russia that featured mostly the same cast over and over as well as a jazzy/swingy soundtracks that mirrored the absured and feel-good character of these movies. It’s nothing groundbreaking and by far not as good as the jazz of the 40’s and 50’s but is very popular today.

Here’s 10 minute footage of a tv show where some of the music was played with some comedy elements. The blonde glassed guy was a gigantic star in that era. I don’t think there was anybody in Russia in the 80’s who didn’t know who he was.

"Спят курганы темные" (1939) is a lil older but nonetheless of my fav songs and was written for a movie. The song has become the unofficial anthem of the Donbas region among miners & as well as for the billionaire owned Ukranian football club Schahtar Donetsk (Miners of Donetsk).

Tayciya Powaliy (Таисия Повалий) - "Спят курганы темные"

HIP HOP

Hip Hop is a sad topic in Russia lately. It has always had few success in Russia. It blew up to some extent in the last years but unfortunately in connection with racist/pro-nationalist organizations who try to appeal to Youngers. The genre is getting a terrible image from that... some of those kids's are quite talented in what they do, but the content makes it just unbearable. But there is some good rap music over here.

Gordey is a street drummer in Moscow who is a little older now and fell in love with Hip Hop at a young age. He's what you would call a 'old school head' and he tries to make his music sound like the early '90s stuff from America which he listened too when he was younger. Track suit, dance moves, no swearing - just all around positivity and activity. This might be my favorite Russian rap song. Zazhigai means 'Light it up!'

Other artits:

Taking an old school approach can go all wrong though as ‘Мальчи́шник’ proved. They tried to be the Beastie Boys but ended up a bunch of Russian Vanilla Ice’s. They were pioneers though so they deserve a mention. And there just isn’t that much good Russian hip-hop.

ELECTRONIC

Eduard Artemyew (Эдуард Артемьев)
A student of Yuri Shaporin who wa a classical composer and at a time director of the Bolshoi Theatre. Artmyew however was a little bored by regular instruments so he turned his attention to electronic music devices which haven’t been really established at that point. His early interest in electronic music (around the 60’s) made him a pioneer and led to acclaimed scores as the ones for Solaris and Stalker. I’m sure it’s quite useful as therapy music nowadays.

Pavel Dovgal, DZA & The National Fanfare of Kadeboastany

Sasha DZA & Pavel are not partners, but their music is somewhat similar and both are some of the most hyped young electronic musicians/’beatmakers’ in the European scene right now. The National Fanfare on the other hand is not really Russian. Some of them are Belarussian and they use a good portion of Eastern European & Eurasian elements in their music so I thought it was fitting to put them here.

NATIONAL

Can’t go wrong with the Red Army Choir. More badass than the Spetsnaz IMO.

I’m really not a patriotic person. Sure, rooting for your nation at sports events is great and it wouldn’t be bad if Russia stopped being a joke politically, but apart from that I don’t really care all that much. But I always get chills when I hear our anthem. There are many great anthems in this world, but I totally love the enthusiastic nature of our.

In this vid, see a few thousand soldiers sing it acapella in front of a few thousand army veterans.

TIMBERWOLVES MUSIC

Okay, uhmmm what? Well, see this as an extra. Our two Russian Timberwolves have their fingers in the music biz too… sort of. Andrei is proud to have assisted his wife Masha in maybe the most boring loungy pop song eeeeever. Oof.

Also… You see, it's not easy to be the average joe brother of a multimilionaire athlete. It kind of makes you question your identity sometimes. Well, either that or it is super easy and the deepest thought you'll have is 'Should I spend my brother's money on the benz or the BMW?". Our beloved Alexey Shved's brother, Dmitry's identity seems to be that of a Minnesota representing Russian rapper.... yeah, really. In this track, he's all like "Yo, I'm from Minnesota." Watch out, Atmosphere, new sheriff in town.

That's it! Hope you found something you like. Now proceed with your goodies.

I will spare you t.A.t.U. and the Tro-lo-lo-man. But have you met the Dap-da-dap-dap-lady yet?

Dmitri Shostakovich & Sergei Prokofjev

Here are two works by both of them, some of their most acclaimed work. I’m sure you heard it already, maybe hadn’t known that it was by a Russian composer:

JAZZ / SWING

Here are songs by some of the pioneers of Soviet Jazz who all were quite pissed off by soviet culture politics:

ROCK

PUNK

Leningrad & Grazhdanskaya Oborona

Founded by young dissident Igor Letov, Grazhdanskaya Oborna was one of the earliest Russian punk bands and released its first album in 1985.

Oh… and just for reference, there’s Pussy Riot. You've heard a lot, but have you heard their music yet? Much like their protest, good effort, terrible sad effort.

BARD

THE 60-70’s FILM MUSIC

Tayciya Powaliy (Таисия Повалий) - "Спят курганы темные"

HIP HOP

Other artits:

ELECTRONIC

Pavel Dovgal, DZA & The National Fanfare of Kadeboastany

NATIONAL

Can’t go wrong with the Red Army Choir. More badass than the Spetsnaz IMO.

In this vid, see a few thousand soldiers sing it acapella in front of a few thousand army veterans.

TIMBERWOLVES MUSIC

That's it! Hope you found something you like. Now proceed with your goodies.

The Return of Rubio [Full Highlights in HD!]

RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:15:11 -0000

Some people here said they couldn't watch the game against Dallas which marked Ricky's return and didn't have any option of rewatching it afterwards. Also, I couldn't find a good little summary vid of the game (either some tv guy brabled all over it with music playing in the background or the vid creator messed up the audio layers) which focused on Ricky so here you go! HD, stadium sound, but unfortunately Dallas feed:

[by the way, sorry that this is not a FanShout... but as mentioned, some people might have not seen this yet and the FanShout section is so dead anyway.]

And as a little easter egg something that I noticed when looking through the vid:

That's Shved little entourage from Russia supporting him with Shvedheads :)

P.S.: When I uploaded the video, YT blocked the vid at first and wanted me to make a statement that I am allowed to post the vid (copyright issues). I don't see how this vid is any different to the other highlight reels that focus on players over a game. I shouldn't be concerned or even delete the vid, should I?

[by the way, sorry that this is not a FanShout... but as mentioned, some people might have not seen this yet and the FanShout section is so dead anyway.]

And as a little easter egg something that I noticed when looking through the vid:

That's Shved little entourage from Russia supporting him with Shvedheads :)

My Euro Pipedream for the Wolves - Dario Šarić

RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:26:13 -0000

(Do you believe in destiny?)

I'm sure that many of you have heard of 18 year old Dario Saric already. It's way too early to think about the draft especially with the team making the Playoffs this year. But, in my opinion, Wolves management should keep a close eye on Saric because, shockingly, he might be available late in the first round next year and the Wolves could hit a big home run with this rare, underappreciated talent.

There are a number of reasons why I think he would make perfect sense for the Wolves. Most of them are reasonable. However, some of them might either seem absurd to you or sound like indices of a divine plan which started to unfold in a little Spanish town called Linares in 2006. Before I give you all the 'basketball reasons', I would like to tell you a story about me, Dario, Russian point guards and a certain floppy-haired individiual on the Wolves roster. With all the tie-ins and the Minnesotan' twist at the end, It would have been great material for an episode of LOST. If you prefer to skip this because it is long, there's a little scouting report on Dario and a few recent highlight clips below.

I always loved basketball, but I stopped following any ball alltogether for various reasons around 2000. Due to Kirilenko's succes, I became intrigued by basketball again around 2005. However, I was more interested in Russian ball, especially the youth circles. While I watched the NBA occasionally , me and two partners in crime tried to attend nearby higher-quality youth league games and follow international youth competitions, eager to find the first potentially great Russian guard to complement a young AK47.

Two competitions caught our eye in 2006. After a disappointing defeat in the U20 Cup we shifted our attentin to the U16 Euro Championship just a few months later. Our squad played well and went to the final which was played in Linares, Spain. The games were not televised so we had to check the boxscore after each game. So we did after the final. A life-altering moment right there. Why you ask?

This is why.

Of course, I don't have to mention how that game went. You know what Ricky did. You've seen his shot that forced overtime. Sad loss for our team and all, but I was so intrigued by Ricky's performance that I spent the next months looking for any information I could findon him. Online translation was joke back then, and I remember having used Altavista's Babelfish to translate Spanish news stories into Russian with horrendous results.

There wasn't much to be found about Ricky Rubio around 2006/2007. So even though I only saw a few crazy passes on highlight clips, Ricky became my favorite player. In 2008, I rearranged a holiday trip to Germany to make sure that I could see him play against Alba Berlin in the Euroleague. Unfortunatelly, Ricky was injured and didn't play. But hey, at least he was in the building. I think I might have watched him watch the game more than I watched the game myself...

No need to mention that Ricky is special! There was no doubt in my mind that he was the real deal after watching him play in the Olympics. Even after people starter doubting him during his Barcelona stint, I kept annoying people by bragging about how great Ricky would be.

Now back to the present. My favorite player is a Wolf. As well as the best Russian basketball player ever, Andrei Kirilenko, whom I was trying to find a guard. In 2007, I knew I had found the guard. A cocky kid named Alexey who couldn't get off the bench for CSKA. He didn't play much but the potential was obvious. I was shocked to see him go undrafted in 2010. My friend, who can't stand Lyosha and doesn't leave out any opportunity to mock him said if he can't cut it with CSKA, he won't be an option for the NBA and Russia. "You just wait", I said. "One day, he will play in the NBA." Now he's a Wolf. My three favorite euro ballers on the same team. Luck? Destiny? Does it end here?

Let's go back in time again. 2010 certainly was disappointing for Shved, but it was also an up-and-down year for Ricky. He played well in his first year for Barcelona, but his scoring deficiencies became glaringly apparent at the World Championship where he shot 27% from the field and made 2 of 17 three pointers. What Wes Johnson would call a decent shooting month seemed to down Ricky who was partly blamed for Spain's embarrassing result. and labeled a bust prematurely. After all the accolades and Barcelona's ridicolous decision to buy him out, some people just loved seing the Golden Boy finally fall. For the first time in his career, he wasn't a magician no more. After two good shooting seasons in Badalona and Barcelona, his figures wouldn't recover to an average number ever since.

Just a week before the World Championship, a subplot was unraveling at the 2010 U16 Euro Championship. Russia managed to survive the group stage despite terrible guard play and faced Croatia in the Quarterfinals. Croatia played great team ball with no player standing out in the group stage. However, into the K.O. Round, this kid named Dario Saric took over. He scored 34 points and grabbed 9 Rebounds to sink our boys. 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists against Spain in the semis. And after the Unicorn, he went on to become the second player to get a triple-double in the final with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Just like Ricky, he was one of the youngest players in the competition too. Same story all over again. A new star was born?*

2012 again. Dario Saric is 18 years old. Three months ago, Croatia won the U-18 European Championship and Saric took MVP honors. In the semifinal, he kicked Russia's ass again while leading his team in points, rebounds and assiststs throughout the tourney. He scored 39 points, grabbed 11 boards and had 5 assists in the final.

Right now, he's not playing basketball because he wants to get out of the inferior Adriatic League and his team won't let him go without a big buyout (sounds familar, huh?). This could be a blessing in disguise though as his stock will automatically drop to late first round if he decides to enter the NBA next year after only playing half a season in the Adriatic. If he goes to Spain, Greece or Russia next year, and decides to enter the draft in 2-3 years, he'll be a lottery pick. But given his contract situation, the crazy ties to Ricky, Russian guards and me, I can't see how he couldn't end up falling into the wolf's lair.

On to my little scouting report...

Here is why it would make sense to have him on the roster:

So many paralells to Ricky:
- Man among boys. Absolutely destroyed same-aged competition.
- Absolutely destroyed same-aged Russian competition.... -_-
- BEST RICKY RUBIO PASS IMPERSONATION EVER!!!! (against Kirilenko no less)
- Had a similar winner mentality. Does not shy away from taking his teams on his shoulders for long, long stretches, but doesn't break offensive flow constantly.
- He's white -_ -"
- Many people doubt him. And I don't understand the aspects that are doubted. (I don't think he'll be a superstar but I would guarantee that he'd be a productive NBA player.)
- Second player to emerge from the U-16 Championship with a triple-double in the final, become MVP and find his way into my heart.
- Stylish haircut
- Like Ricky, he doesn't rely much on his explosiveness or athletic ability to get into the lane but on good fakes, hesitations and instincts. However, Ricky was able to dominate opponents in his youth years and get to the rim because he actually was phyisically superior to them, quicker, longer and much much craftier. It's way different now and thats a part of his struggle offensively. This shouldn't happen with Dario.
- Buyout drama!
6'10" who has played the 1, 2, 3 and 4 for Croatian youth NT's.
Excellent ballhandler for his size.
Has played in Portland (Hoop Summit)
Can do it all on offense. Be a ballhandler, create for himself and others, hockey passes.
Since he's clearly the best player in these type of competitions, his usage is often iso-heavy. Especially if he is playing against bigger/heavier guy he can shake off. However, his instinct, passing and ballhandling ability as well as his improving decision making seldom break the offense in a way other so-called tweeners do which Minny has/had recently (Beas, D-Will).
His shot hasn't been falling as well as one would like to see, especially if utilized as a three, but his shooting form looks good and he is becoming more assertive with his long range shots.
He won't be able to join the NBA before 2014. If everybody on the team is healthy and D-Will will be traded for a solid 1-2 option, there won't be that many minutes for rooks next year anyway, right?
Everytime Kahn mentions "Dario", he'll be forced to think of signing Darko.
By playing Saric, Adelman could appease the gost of Drazen Petrovic who keeps visiting him, mocking him for the bad shooting of his team.

I see him as COMBO Forward opposed to a Tweener. Still, there are some of the usual deficincies that come from being an in-between. Yet he's very intelligent and knows how to adjust to what defenders give him. In this years final, Lithuania tried to guard him with a physical player and Dario realized immediatly that he could exploit him by luring him out into the perimeter and blowing by him. Unfortunately, his character could be a concern. He was arrested on DUI charges after crashing into a few cars and fleeing the scene. At least he didn't kill nobody. Also, emotions are a big part of his game. But 5 minutes of conversation with Saint Ricky about beautiful colors and rainbows and stuff should excorcize all his demons.

He has shown improved toughness this year but defense is still a concern no doubt. It's hard to tell whether he's just not good at defense or just doesn't care. So far, he seems satisfied with concealing his lacking 1-on-1 defense with blocked shots and rebounding numbers.

The Wolves have three first round draft picks, right? (Their own, MEM, OKC). One of them will go to Phoenix. Another one might be traded. I know I sound a little like Givony here (OMG!!! TALL, CAN SHOOT N DRIBBLEZ!! NR ONE PICK!!). He's young, he has a lot of work to do and he has yet to prove himself in a good European league as well as the Euroleague. But I hope he's on the Wolves radar in case of being projected a late first rounder next year. Wouldn't it be awesome if the Wolves could bring him alongside an aging Kirilenko in two years and get a Lamar Odom type player?

Dario Saric 2012 U18 Euro Championship Highlights (embed. doesn't work for me)

*Actually it was a quadrable double! 12 Turnovaz! Can't beat that, Ricky Rubio, can you...?

(Do you believe in destiny?)

This is why.

On to my little scouting report...

Here is why it would make sense to have him on the roster:

So many paralells to Ricky:
- Man among boys. Absolutely destroyed same-aged competition.
- Absolutely destroyed same-aged Russian competition.... -_-
- BEST RICKY RUBIO PASS IMPERSONATION EVER!!!! (against Kirilenko no less)
- Had a similar winner mentality. Does not shy away from taking his teams on his shoulders for long, long stretches, but doesn't break offensive flow constantly.
- He's white -_ -"
- Many people doubt him. And I don't understand the aspects that are doubted. (I don't think he'll be a superstar but I would guarantee that he'd be a productive NBA player.)
- Second player to emerge from the U-16 Championship with a triple-double in the final, become MVP and find his way into my heart.
- Stylish haircut
- Like Ricky, he doesn't rely much on his explosiveness or athletic ability to get into the lane but on good fakes, hesitations and instincts. However, Ricky was able to dominate opponents in his youth years and get to the rim because he actually was phyisically superior to them, quicker, longer and much much craftier. It's way different now and thats a part of his struggle offensively. This shouldn't happen with Dario.
- Buyout drama!
6'10" who has played the 1, 2, 3 and 4 for Croatian youth NT's.
Excellent ballhandler for his size.
Has played in Portland (Hoop Summit)
Can do it all on offense. Be a ballhandler, create for himself and others, hockey passes.
Since he's clearly the best player in these type of competitions, his usage is often iso-heavy. Especially if he is playing against bigger/heavier guy he can shake off. However, his instinct, passing and ballhandling ability as well as his improving decision making seldom break the offense in a way other so-called tweeners do which Minny has/had recently (Beas, D-Will).
His shot hasn't been falling as well as one would like to see, especially if utilized as a three, but his shooting form looks good and he is becoming more assertive with his long range shots.
He won't be able to join the NBA before 2014. If everybody on the team is healthy and D-Will will be traded for a solid 1-2 option, there won't be that many minutes for rooks next year anyway, right?
Everytime Kahn mentions "Dario", he'll be forced to think of signing Darko.
By playing Saric, Adelman could appease the gost of Drazen Petrovic who keeps visiting him, mocking him for the bad shooting of his team.

Dario Saric 2012 U18 Euro Championship Highlights (embed. doesn't work for me)

*Actually it was a quadrable double! 12 Turnovaz! Can't beat that, Ricky Rubio, can you...?

Kirilenko, Shved & cat in big, empty houses (translated vid interviews)

RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 20:20:56 -0000

Kirilenko, Shved & cat in big, empty houses (translated vid interviews)

I hope this works as a FanShot.
A friend and me have translated two recent interview vids that Kirilenko & Shved did for their ex-club, CSKA Moscow.

The vid of Kirilenko was made in late October, the Shved one was a few days after the Dallas game.
It's nothing special, just shows them in their new homes as they share their first impressions of Minny. The interviewers don't care that much about the basketball aspect, it's more like a chat between friends.
Shved claims getting a haircut was his idea...

the vids:
AK47 RATATATATA (new window)
Da Shved (new window)

The translations are not perfect, rather lenghty since the vids are rather long.

Kirilenko transcript:

Kirilenko: Hellooooooo, here's Andrei Kirilenko appearing on CSKA.TV. Maybe you'll see me more often in the future. As often as you'll call me that is.
Interview Bros: So how did you settle in Minnesota? Is it better than Utah?
Kirilenko: So far, I haven't settled in [laughs]. Furniture should arrive on Tuesday. If 'MTV Cribs' was here... nope, they wouldn't be impressed [laughs].
Interview Bros: [laugh]. But is it better than Salt Lake City?
Kirilenko: Better than Salt Lake City? How can it be better to live in a rented house than in a house you own?
Interview Bros: So far you're just renting a place?
Kirilenko: Yes... and what do you mean by 'so far'? I will keep renting it. I live outside the city actually so it doesn't bother me much.
Interview Bros: Where's that?
Kirilenko: The town is called GRAWWGHRAGGHRAAR!!
Interview Bros: .. ??... what?
Kirilenko: ....O - RO - NO. It's very pleasant because you can get on the Highway and be at the Target Center within 15 minutes.
Interview Bros: Nice. As I look into your living room/kitchen I don't really see anything there.
Kirilenko: Of course it's empty because the furniture hasn't arrived yet. I was lucky enough to get hold of a chair so I can sit during the interview.
Interview Bros: Wait wait wait... you seemed to have a couple of chairs when I first called you. [RBEditor - Russian investigative journalism at its finest.]
Kirilenko: Yeah, I put one away and took one with me for the Interview.
Interview Bros: So you spent that one hour looking for a chair?
Kirilenko: Not only, I am also doing some stuff on my own.
Interview Bros: I'm imaging you doing all the construction work on your own, doing furniture and stuff.
Kirilenko: Oh yeah, but it's good to know that if something breaks... you're to blame.
[Epic change in perspective so that the bros can't mock Andrei's empty appartment no more.]
Interview Bros: When will your family arrive in Minnesota?
Kirilenko: My family will arrive next week. [Cut – talking about preseason]. In the preseason there is not much of an emphasis on the result but on finding out who the best players are, which rotations and lineups work best. There is a lot of variation with some guys playing more minutes, some guys playing less minutes. At the end of the day, if you're a leader or bring energy, you can get about 35 to 40 minutes.
Interviewer: This is making us happy though since you're in the starting five. Alexey is coming off the bench playing lots of minutes too so far. Do you think this will remain as the regular season starts?
Kirilenko: Yes, sure, at the start of the season. But from then on it's all about how you play. If we start the season like we started the game in Chicago, none of us will get minutes [laughs].
Nike Shirt Interviewer: In the US, is there a lot of talk about how many white guys there are on the team?
Black Shirt Interviewer: That question is so Russian...
Nike Shirt Interviewer: But I'm really interested in that! Nine white guys on the team.
Kirilenko: I haven't heard anything here so far... as you say, in Russia... 'ooh, that team is so white'. What does it matter? White, grey, whatever. I don't concern with that.
Interview Bros: So what's the coaches first impression of Shved?
Kirilenko: Honestly, I don't know. If I'd have to interpret their reaction towards him... they seem to like and value him. But of course, they want him to work out, right? They see his potential, but they want him to add a few things to his game. It's not even about his skillset or his body. They want him to become a more mature and intelligent player. That he understands what the coaches want to see from him given the situation.
[Shved video bomb.]
The rest of the vid shows the prince exploring his new castle.

Shved transcript:

Interviewer Bro I: Uh, listen, If I just call him, Lyosha won't see us.
Interview Bro II: I don't give a shit...
Interview Bro I: Wh... why you don't give a shit?
Shved: …
Interview Bro II: Man, Lyosha saw us like a million times.
Interview Bro I: Okay, okay...
Shved: I can call you. You've seen me a million times too... [laughs].
Interview Bros: [Laugh and keep quarreling like an old couple].
[CUT!]
Shved: I went to the barber because I wanted to get a haircut.
Interview Bros: So nobody told you to go to the barber?
Shved: Hell no. Nobody came to me and told me nothing. It got so long... at that point I didn't know how to keep it to prevent it from bothering me on the court.
Interview Bros: Yeah, you could see how much easier it was for you without that mop against Brooklyn.
Interview Bros: Hey Shved, did your gilfriend join you in Minnes...?
[Cat video bomb!!!]

Interview Bros OMFG!!!! SHOW US THAT CAT! AWESOME!!! [RBEditor - yes, we really REALLY love cats in Russia...]
Shved: My girlfriend is here and my brother sits right next to me right here. They brought my cats too. I have ordered a few things. There's lots of chairs, beds and couches all over the place now. Also, I got hooked up with cable tv.
Interview Bros: Are you going to watch a lot of NBA basketball on tv?
Shved: It's not really about basketball... you know how much I love television [ironic]. I barely ever turn on the tv. I have to practice my English anyway so I can turn on the tv and be surrounded by the English language. Watching movies in English, you might not understand everything but it's just good to have something here to listen to and it helps me practicing the language.
Interview Bros: But you seem to be quite comfortable in giving interviews in English already.
Shved: Well, but.... no... [looks at brother, grins]... I think I don't look very good at that [laughs].
Cat: [laughs].
Interview Bros: You and AK, they call you the 'Russian Connection' . Is he's the one you feel most comfortable with playing?
Shved: Of course. We are playing together for how long now. The Russian team, the season in Russia. It's going to be easier to adjust with him here. He's an intelligent player and always knows where to be and I just have to find him.
Interview Bros: Alexey, we have to talk about something. You had three blocks in the game against Dallas. I don't remember you ever having that many in a Russian league game ever. What has posessed you there?
Shved: [Laughs] I don't even remember that. Well, it just happened, I guess.
Interview Bros: Was it because O.J. Mayo is so small?
Shved: Well that one time he only had about 3 seconds on the clock so he tried to fake me out but I didn't fall for it and got him on the shot attempt.
Interview Bros: Have you noticed any fans wearing your jersey in Minnesota yet?
Shved: No, I haven't. I have my two loyal fans from Russia here [looks at brother, laughs].
Interview Bros: Have they bought jerseys yet?
Shved: My brother has bought one for himself and Nastya [RBEditor - girlfriend] has made herself a dress with 'Timberwolves' and my number on it.
Interview Bros: You should dress your cat too.
Shved: No need. Kitty is inside all day guarding the house.
Shved: What I really like about the NBA is that there is more contact. In Europe, you can get foul calls by drawing weak, minimal contact. Here, you only get a foul when there really is a foul. Sometimes, even if a defender holds you or hooks up your arm, you usually don't get the call. They allow you to have contact. There are very few flops and they have even begun penalizing flops.
Shved: Also, there is obviously more room. The 3 second rule makes it easier to get to the rim.
Shved: The more you play, the more you love it. I'm happy that the team trusts me and of course, I want to meet their expectations. There's no chance that the coach gives you playing time if you don't play well or don't do what he expects from you. Of course, there are bad games, but you still have to make an effort to do your best... to show that... well, not to show anything specifically about you, but that you can bring something to the team when you're out there.
Interview Bros: Let's get serious for a moment. What happened to your shooting percentages?
Shved: Man, I have no idea! [Laughs.]
Interview Bros: Free throw shooting is looking good! I have noticed that they have made you their technical foul shooter.
Shved: Yeah, but seriously, I don't really know... I'm thinking, haha... actually, I am shooting the ball very well in practice, but not in games. Maybe I shoot it a little bit too... well, no I feel like the stroke is fine, it's just not falling right now.
Interview Bros: Has the coach told you anything about that? You must have some specialists there who works with you with that?
Shved: Yeah, we're working on it, shooting the ball, in pick-and-rolls and the spots were we usually like to shoot during the game. I think I just have to make them during the game, no excuses. Well, I'll have to figure it out. [Laughs]
Shved: [RBEditor - talking about gaining weight] I did a little bit, but right now, during the season I don't have much time to work on my body because I have to work on other things. I hit the gym for longer stretches about twice a week. But.. I have to work on that of course. I don't want to be super tall and super thin. It would be great to gain some strenght.
Interview Bros: So have you gained any weight during the offseason?
Shved: No, I haven't gained any weight.
Interview Bros: But your muscles look more cut now.
Shved: Well, maybe [laughs].
Interview Bros: [laugh].
RBE: [laughs not].

ESPN's Haberstroh: " Minnesota defense a mirage..."

RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 01:18:08 -0000

ESPN's Haberstroh: " Minnesota defense a mirage..."

Here's le part about the Wolves:

Flukes and for-real teams:
Minnesota defense a mirage while Brooklyn's offense looks legit

2. The fluke identity change category
For a while last season, the Celtics looked like the Mike D'Antoni-led Phoenix Suns, who took the "outscore your opponent" philosophy to the literal extreme. At the 10-game mark, the Celtics' offense ranked 11th while their defense ranked 19th. Not exactly Beantown's brand of basketball. The team's ranks from then on: 28th in offense and first in defense. Now that's more like it.

If you're looking for a team that will undergo a midseason makeover like Boston did, I give you the Minnesota Timberwolves. Did you notice that they have a top-five defense right now? Yes, the Timberwolves, who ranked 21st on defense last season, have been nasty on that end of the floor.

But of course it's not the same team. The Wolves have missed the offensive magic of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, but the young duo should rejoin the team sometime in December. And their return should dramatically improve the team's bottom-10 ranking on offense.

Secondly, the oft-injured defensive savant, Andrei Kirilenko, has missed at least 10 games in each of his past eight seasons in the NBA. Though the Timberwolves have caught a nasty case of the injury bug, it somehow hasn't plagued Kirilenko yet. If and when that happens, expect their offensive and defensive rankings to fly in opposite directions.

How to pronounce Алексей Швед

RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 02:53:45 -0000

How to pronounce Алексей Швед

Since this came up in the game thread today here is an example which should settle that topic.
His name is mentioned at 00:10 & 00:40.
I don't have a problem with how his family name is pronounced actually. It's his first name is totally off. It's not "allak-see" but "al-x-SAY" ('al' as in allah). Hope this helps!

ESPN 2012 NBA Player Rankings (Updated)

RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 21:13:57 -0000

ESPN 2012 NBA Player Rankings (Updated)

"ESPN.com and the TrueHoop Network are ranking every NBA player -- and counting them down on Twitter (@NBAonESPN), from No. 500 to No. 1.

#NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along. You can also follow along here: @NBAonESPN"
-----------------------------------------------

I am intrigued to see how much love Pek and K-Love wll get this year. These voters better not anger Pek since he knows where they work now.

Malcolm Lee at 404 is the first Тимбервулв on the list. Next will surely be Швед. Favorite of some CH guys here, Will Barton is at 409. I'm surprised to see Kyle Singler THAT low.

UPDATES:
2012 NBA Player Rankings: 400-381 - No Wolves player listed.
NBA Player Rankings: 380-361 - No Wolf. But Telfair. And Tobias Harris is underrated.
NBA Player Rankings: 360-341 - Швед one spot behind Darko... an omen? Wayne Ellington at 344. Von Wafer commented on his own rank.
NBA Player Rankings: 341-320 - Counting them down...

Another reason to be skeptical about NBA potential of Алексей Викторович Шведa

RussianBeesnyestEenterest.com — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:13:13 -0000

Another reason to be skeptical about NBA potential of Алексей Викторович Шведa

My new, young, deer friends here at Canis Hoopus.
I have lurked site for more than a year now and have decided to register and engage with fans of Тимбервулвз from Миннесота on regular basis now that ~~our national industry has reached out its tentacles to~~ the very capable Миннесота front office was wise enough to add two exciting Russian ballthrowers to the Тимбервулвз team.

Unfortunately, as is tradition with russian-american communication, I come with bad news. If there is something I learned in studying NBAsketball, it is the fact that good musical rhytm and skilled dancefloor moves translate well to the basketball court (just think of LeBron James, Dwight Howard, John Wall and hey, even Ricard Rubio is not bad at 'the dougie').
After you have seen Lyosha's underwhelming play in some of the Olympiskiy games, you might ask yourself how his dancing fundamentals are... well... uh.... look for your selves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUDNEgEbspQ (unfortunately, I don't know how to make this a direct link. Please click on the title to be redirected. Thanks)

If this has been posted before, I appologize greatly. Here's hoping to have great discussions about the Timberwolves and all the other important things in life on this very nice Fanboard in the forseeable future.