The Ruler's Back

Gather 'round party goers as if your still livin
And get on down to the old Slick rhythm
Now this one here is called the Ruler my dear
Its a mere party booster that will set things clear
Its a hundred percent proof from champions of truth
And if you feel you need spirit I'll bring back your youth
Relax your mind, and folks unwind
And be kind to a rhythm that you hardly find
And off we go, let the trumpets blow
Well hold on, because the driver of the mission is a pro
The Ruler's back

- Slick Rick on "The Ruler's Back"
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The ruler is back! Which one? Well take your pick. Firstly, on prime time TV last night Andrew Johns was back in scintilating form, devasting the Maroons with his deft passes, kicking game and fancy footwork. Then there was the Deeeetroit Pistons, with Ben Wallace showing the way with 4 blocks in the first quarter. And last but not least the Zen Master, Phil Jackson returns to the Lakers.

Andrew Johns simply is the man. For someone that has only played 8 games in 2 years, he looked amazingly sharp and fresh. The more he played, the greater his confidence grew and the more his brilliance showed. I must admit that I was one of the doubters - whether he could be back playing at an elite level. I was cringing every time he ran with the ball and when got hammered in a tackle, I was really praying he better not come off second best. He showed in that one performance, that he's back baby, with a vengance. Whether he can maintain that for the rest of the season remains questionable, especially when your teammates aren't so crappy.

I think the biggest shock of the day was Phil Jackson going back to Laker land. My biggest question is why? They are in a shambles. This will test the ability and patience of Jackson. I've always thought that he was a decent coach but more a guy that was able to manage superstar personalities and get them to buy into a team concept. Whether he can do the same without such an all star cast remains to be seen. Perhaps he can turn Kobe into Jordan and Lamar Odom into Pippen. What the Lakers really need is a decent post presence. Maye if they had a guy like Shaq, everything would be cool.........