Random Wax: 2021-2022 Hoops Blaster

21-22 Hoops: LaMelo Ball is good.  He and the Hornets seem to be on the upswing.  They have a solid team with surprise rookie Kon Knueppel really helping them this season.  When I was young, I subscribed to Slam magazine, and I have always liked these inserts.  Good job Hoops.

KAT is now a Knick and in a really good photo here.  The Phoenix Suns are a surprise team this year after trading away KD in the offseason and we get LaMelo's base card.  This design has always been a solid Hoops look.

Evan Mobley has developed into an excellent big man for the Cavs and is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Lights, Camera, Action are favorites of mine and the only horizontal options in Hoops.

A Purple and a Blue Parallel.  De'Aaron fox is great at getting to the basket with his speed and here he gets a nice photo.  Jalen Green is now a Phoenix Sun.

I picked up this blaster in 2022 and I'm just getting around to sharing it.  Yep, 'Melo was a Trail Blazer for two seasons before ending his career in LA.  Chris Paul recently announced his retirement after a Hall of Fame career.

Skyview, Class of 2021, and Pure Players inserts.  Plenty of variety in Hoops which is always good.  I like the Class of 2021 inserts design.  

Another good-looking Lights, Camera, Action insert.  Pascal Siakam has since become an Indiana Pacer helping them get to the NBA Finals last season.

A fun box of cards and lots of good photos.  I enjoy going through these after time has gone by and seeing what a difference 4 years can make in this instance.

BREAKDOWN:
88 – Total Cards
11 – RC
2 – Blue Parallel
2 – Purple Parallel
2 – Lights Camera Action
1 – Slam
1 – Skyview
1 – Pure Players
1 – Arriving Now
1 – Class of 2021

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Hoops Blaster

21-22 Hoops:   Stephen Curry and the Warriors are back on track for the playoffs which start this weekend.  There's a little more hair on this version of Steph than what we are used to today.

I picked up this blaster in May of 2022.  As always, it can be quite random as to when I finally get around to sharing cards so here we are almost three years later.  Great pull in this box amongst the veterans.  Back then, we didn't see Donovan Mitchell going to the Cleveland and taking them to the #1 seed in Eastern conference.

Jared Butler has had a solid career in a reserve role while Toscano-Anderson had some fun moments with the Warriors on their run to the 2022 Championship.  David Johnson is on a Red Parallel #/75 while Butler's card is a Blue Parallel

Great photo on the CJ McCollum card which is to be expected on Lights Camera Action inserts.

Paul felt long in the tooth even back then.  He's been around forever.  Fox and Booker are no longer youngsters but they are still great players in the league.  I picked up quite a bit of this set when it came out.

That Purple Parallel goes great with Bam Adebayo and his Heat alternate uni.  Tre Man has had a good career and is averaging 14 a game for the Hornets this year.  Lonzo Ball's career has taken him to New Orleans and is now in Chicago still trying to play a healthy season.  That is my Rookie Remembrance relic.

LaMelo on the other hand has been nothing short of great and one of the best young players in the league.  He's averaging a career high 25 points per game this season.

And we finish it off with a bang.  Klay was no longer needed in Golden State and is a Maverick.  Sounds like Dame's injury won't be as bad as feared in Milwaukee.  Luka is now a Laker and KAT is killing it with the Knicks.  Great KAT photo as well.  So many fun cards and the play-in games start today.

BREAKDOWN:

88 – Total Cards

13 – RC

3 – Blue Parallel

2 – Lights Camera Action

1 - Skyview

1 – Class of 2021

1 – Pure Players

1 – Purple Parallel

1 – Slam Magazine

1 – Red Parallel #/75

1 – Rookie Remembrance Relic

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Hoops

21-22 Hoops:  Giannis is off to another great start this season.  The Bucks aren't undefeated, but I think they look better this season.  Hopefully them and Dame can figure it out and be true contenders in the East this year.

Plenty of star power in this pack including Anthony Edwards who was coming off his rookie season in Minnesota.

My RC pull did leave a little to be desired.

Lights Camera Action are a favorite of mine each year, and pulling one of my favorites in the league is a big plus.  Great photo and it feels like Panini could go horizontal on some base cards.

Good looking Frequent Flyers inserts.  The backgrounds of some of these cards take us back to when there weren't fans in the stands for the 2020-2021 season.

John Wall has looked strong in the first week of the season.  If he can keep that up the Suns will be title contenders again this year.  Well Durant and Booker will have a lot to do with it too I know.

Bam rocking the Miami Vice alternate I believe.  I need him to pick it up this season.  My fantasy team needs him to be his 3X All-Star self.  Always fun going back and posting older packs I've never posted before.  You see how much things have changed or stayed the same.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
6 – RC
2 – Lights Camera Action
1 – Holo Parallel
1 – Purple Parallel
1 – Frequent Flyers

 

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Hoops Blaster with 2500 Panini Points

21-22 Hoops:  Devin Booker had another outstanding season, but he and the Suns still struggled to stay healthy and assimilate Bradley Beal into the lineup.  Nice photo of Michael Porter Jr. trying to chase Booker down.

Purchased plenty of this when it came out.  Beal is a Phoenix Sun, Ayton is a Trail Blazer and LaMelo is hurt.

Cade Cunningham is a star in the league but the Pistons are just bad.

All three of these are pretty nice though the Skyview inserts don't give you much space for the photos.  I used to subscribe to Slam magazine and I like these cards.  This Gary Payton Slam is a Yellow Parallel.

I really like these horizontal Lights Camera Actions cards and I think basketball cards could do more like this.

Nice photos of Fox and Zion.

Brook Lopez, Star Wars fan extraordinaire.  

That red parallel is #/75.  I also pulled 2500 Panini Points.  I sold it pretty quickly on eBay when I pulled it.  I've never collected enough of those to make it worth my while and I haven't found much that interested me when I did think I wanted to use them.

Fun box of cards.  Hoops has done well in recent years, and this is one of those examples.

BREAKDOWN:

88 – Total Cards

12 – RC

2 – Blue Parallel

2 – Lights Camera Action

1 – Slam

1 – Skyview

1 – Class of 2021

1 – Retired Great

1 – Purple Parallel

1 – Frequent Flyers

1 – Red Parallel #/75

1 – Panini Points (2500)

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Hoops

21-22 Hoops:  A couple of games on tap tonight as the season kicks off.  Trae Young gets the start here.  I can't say I'm confident Atlanta will be any better this season but as a fan you always have hope before the season starts.  I love the NBA and I'm excited for the new season.  Plenty of good teams and storylines to watch play out.

None of these guys are on the same teams now.  I scanned these in two years ago.  McCollum is in New Orleans, Chris Paul is on the Warrior and Dillon Brooks is in Houston.  I like this set's design and I've opened plenty in the past.

Kuminga is the standout amongst these young players averaging 9 PPG for Golden State in each of his two seasons.

I like Lights Camera Action inserts.  John Wall's time in Houston was short but this card is evidence he was there.  I don't think he's signed with a team for this season.

Andre Drummond on a Teal Explosion parallel.  Grimes had a solid season in New York while Russ is taking his game back to LA with the Clippers.

I love Kawhi.  When he's on the court he's one of the greats in the league.  Unfortunately, he hasn't played more than 60 games in a season since the 2016-2017.  Fingers crossed this is the season his body lets him play a full season.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
6 – RC
1 – Arriving Now
1 – Frequent Flyer
1 – Lights Camera Action
1 – Teal Explosion Parallel

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Hoops Blaster

21-22 Hoops:  Kick off today with some basketball and a set I like.  I also like Giannis though he and the Bucks "stole" Dame from my Blazers.  Ugh.  That said, I'm curious what the Bucks look like.  Khris Middlton needs to be healthy and find his long range shot again but otherwise Milwaukee really is set to make a deep run into the playoffs.

I like this set's design sand I've opened plenty of the set and showed it off here and have plenty more to show off over time.  Some good star power in the box and some personal collection guys like DeMar DeRozan.

None of these three have stamped their mark on the league.

Slam inserts are always a favorite of mine and we get to see retired greats as well as current league greats.  That Payton cover looks really good.  Nice LeBron photo on that Frequent Flyers insert as well.

Never thought of Franz Wagner as a guard unitl I saw this insert.  Probably more of a 3 but no matter where you play him the man has skills. Corey Kispert has had a solid two seasons with the Wizards.  And KAT is maybe the best shooting big man in the league.

Lights Camera Action is always a favorite of mine.  Kyrie is no longer in Brooklyn and Mavericks fans are really hoping he and Luka can figure it out in Dallas after Irving signed a new deal.

Loe that photo of Clint Capela.  Nurkic recently packed his bags for Phoenix as part of the Lillard three-team trade.

What happens with James Harden is the big story left of the preseason.  Philly is in a no-win situation.  Harden, though still a star, is looked at much differently than Lillard is and won't be easy to trade for value.

Everyone loves Boban Marjanovic even if he's not a star on the court.  Embiid probably can't wait for the Harden situation to play out and find out what the 76ers will look like come opening day.

BREAKDOWN:

88 – Total Cards

11 – RC

2 - Slam

2 – Blue Parallel

2 – Purple Parallel

1 - Skyview

1 – Arriving Now

1 – Class of 2021

1 – Frequent Flyers

1 – Lights Camera Action