Terance Kinsey > Sasha Pavlovic, Part I

In light of Tarence (pronounced Torence) Kinsey's breakthrough performance last night and Sasha Pavlovic's botched inbound pass that nearly cost the Cavs a win vs. the Warriors, an objective comparison between the two bench-warmers is clearly warranted. I considered performing a simple statistical survey, but as any NBA fan can tell you, success on the court depends on a lot more than the ability to jump high and bounce a leather ball. A big part of the Cavs success this year is a product of team chimistry, which depends on personality, common interests, and character.

To properly judge whether Kinsey or Pavlovic would make a more effective contribution to team chemistry, I began by conducting some etymological research on the origin and meaning of Kinsey's and Pavlovic's names. As you'll see, there is a lot more to a name than letters. I've also delved into the educational backgrounds of Pavlovic and Kinsey to determine what each player brings in terms of basketball intelligence and decision-making capability. Lastly, upon interviewing several sources close to the team, I'm going to take a quick look at the musical and movie tastes of these potential contributors, to determine each player's potential compatibility with his teammates. As a disclaimer, I would like to clarify that several citations have been omitted and/or never existed.


Etymology:

Aleksander "Sasha" Pavlovic - Aleksander rougly translates from the Greek base "alexo" meaning "defender of men." Ironically, the surname Pavlovic is descendent from World War II Russian Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, who "defended" a run-down apartment building in Stalingrad by gunning down an onslaught of Germans from long range, similar to Sasha Pavlovic's on-court defensive strategy of shooting a lot of long-range jumpers.

Tarence Kinsey - Tarence, a variation in spelling and phoenetic pronounciation of Terence, was used in Ireland as an Anglicized form of Toirdhealbhach, meaning instigator, which is obviously the greatest name I have ever heard. The surname Kinsey can be traced back to sexologist and entomologist Alfred Kinsey, who is credited an one of the earliest American sado-masochists, and to Noel Kinsey, a Welsh soccer player who scored Birmingham's winning goal in the 1956 FA Final Cup.

Instigator of S&M and Soccer Success > Defender of Dead Russian General... Kinsey +1


EDUCATION

Sasha - Pavlovic attended one year of high school in Baltimore, MD. It is not clear whether he graduated. Rather than pursue educational opportunities at the collegiate level, he opted to play professional basketball in Serbia for the YUBA League. Pavlovic has also made known that he has never read a book and prefers not to read newspapers because information makes his head hurt.

Tarence - After graduating from high school in Tampa, FL, Kinsey went on to pursue a bachelor's degree at the University of South Carolina. In addition to a full aceademic courseload, several extra-curricular activites, ongoing volunteer work, and holding down an on-campus job, Kinsey also pursued an amateur basketball. A scheduling error, caused by an inattentive and now unemployed academic services counselor, has delayed the conferral of Kinsey's degree, which should be forthcoming in the near future. Tarence studied 17th century French literature in college and is widely considered the world's foremost scholar on Jean Desmarets, the first chancellor of Cardinal Richilieu's Academie Francoise.

(Near) College Degree + French Literature > Ignorant and Illiterate Serbian... Kinsey +2


Entertainment Choice

Pavlovic - Favorite musical artists include Yani, Michael Bolton, Air Supply, and Latoya Jackson. Favorite movies include Howard the Duck (1986), Dungeons & Dragons (2000), and Gigli (2003). Favorite basketball movie is Eddie, in which Whoopie Goldberg portrayed a fan-turned coach of the New York Knicks. Once overheard in the locker room telling LeBron James that he couldn't beleive that Whoopie has never won an Oscar. Also known to sing children's nursery rhymes in the shower after the game.

Kinsey - Prefers not to limit his musical tastes to any one genre. Said to enjoy classic rock staples, 1970s R&B, and several modern hip-hop artists. Cites James Brown, Bob Dylan, and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys as major influences in his life and career. Favorite movies include Casablanca, Godfather Part II, Citizen Kane, and Raging Bull. Favorite basketball movie is Hoosiers, but also has a place in his heart for Teen Wolf. Once overheard ripping on LeBron for agreeing to sing Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time in that NBA commercial.

Diverse and informed entertainment choices > Whoopie, Talking Duck, & Michael Bolton. Kinsey +3

Round 1 goes to Kinsey in a landslide. Part II, Community Contributions, to come next week.





Le Game - Brian Windhorst on the Cavs 106-105 victory against the Warriors on the heel of LeBron's last second jumper: "This is not the way the Cavs prefer to win: rely on LeBron James' contested outside jumpers at the buzzer. This is the second time in a week it came down to that and this time, unlike in Chicago, they escaped because LeBron is an immensely talented player. That said, the Cavs would prefer not to play with two starters out so they had to make the best of it. Now 3-2 since the Delonte West injury and 2-1 on this road trip, that's pretty strong. Before the trip anyone probably would've been happy with 2-2 and now they have a chance to go 3-1."

Le Shot - Although I can't confirm it, I believe this is the first time in LeBron's 6 year career than he has made a last second jumper to seal a victory. After the game, a friend expressed concern that this one-time phenomenon may give LeBron a false confidence in his jump shot in late game situations. Let's just hope this isn't the case. LeBron is at his best when he takes the ball to the rim, especially in late game situations. But in two games during the past week, LeBron has settled for last-second fall-away jumpers. This trend cannot continue.

Le Kinsey - Kinsey, who I presume is an avid reader of the Ohio LeBlog, was apparently fed up with my noting of his ineffectiveness so far this season. So when Mike Brown called his number, he responded with tough defense and an efficient performance on the offensive end, tallying 11 points in 15 minutes, shooting 3-5 from the field and 5-7 from the free throw line. He also pulled in 3 rebounds and made Sasha Pavovic look like, well, Sasha Pavlovic.

The Sasha Pavlovic Stat Line
Gave up 19 points while guarding Anthony Murrow (who?)
Highlight - Every one of Kinsey's 15 minutes
Postgame Quote - "I recognize that guy Biedrens. Wasn't he in Rocky IV?"