Sunday, May 30, 2010

The Definitive Absurdly Early NBA Mock Draft

Why hello... This is exactly what the title states... an absurdly early NBA "mock" draft... Let me state the guidelines...
  • This is NOT who I think the team's will actually take... I clearly have no inside sources... This is purely my opinion of who the team should take GIVEN that the guys ahead of them are gone, etc.
  • Clearly this is semi-fluid and I'm not, in any way, trying to peg actual picks... I could go 0 for 30 and not be surprised, because, frankly, NBA GMs and I don't always (or really, ever) agree...
  • I refuse to go through and denote why teams have multiple 1st rounders... it's on NBAdraft.net if you want to find out... the teams I'm picking for are the teams that hold the picks as of May 30
Done and done... and yes, it's May...
  1. Washington - John Wall, PG Kentucky - (Needs: Literally everything) Well... there are a few things in play here... I believe that Wall, based on potential ceiling and current impact, is the best player in the draft by a fair margin... let's get that out of the way... Now, the Wiz have an $80 million lead weight in the form of Gilbert Arenas currently holding down the "PG" spot... Gilbert is, by no means, washed up completely (to our knowledge) but he has a history of knee issues, already couldn't defend anyone to save his life, isn't a true point guard (never has been), and that small little gun fiasco.... Insert Wall... In a perfect world? You take Wall and shop Gilbert HARD... One scenario being floated is to the Knicks for Eddy Curry's corpse (expiring in 2011)... anything... get him out of there... but even if you can't, you take Wall should you choose not to trade the pick... I don't think Turner is enough value here
  2. Philadelphia - Evan Turner, SG/SF Ohio State - (Needs: Wing shooter, rid themselves of Elton Brand's contract) Another weird situation... Do I believe Turner is the 2nd best player in the draft? Yes I do... but the fit is a bit questionable... Andre Iguodala, the team's current best player, plays an extremely similar role to Turner... Turner is more of a ball-handler/creator than Iggy... but both are similar sizes, and neither can shoot particularly well... add that in with rookie PG Jrue Holiday (who also can't shoot) and that is weirdly troubling... in a vacuum with no trades? Turner has to be the pick I think... but if they could somehow rid themselves of Elton Brand's contract, I really do believe Derrick Favors would be in play...
  3. New Jersey - Derrick Favors, PF Georgia Tech (needs: Power Forward, wings) - This is about as automatic as this mock will be after Wall IMO... If Turner and Wall go 1-2 as the world expects, the only guy that fits here is Favors... I think he's actually underrated due to his lack of numerical output at GT this year... but if you saw them play, the guard play was utterly woeful and he couldn't sift the ball from Gani Lawal's cold dead fingers... the guy is talented... Also, Cousins wouldn't fit (Lopez already in place and I think Cousins is sort of a plodding 5) and I don't see Wes Johnson in this spot over Favors... Lopez/Favors would be pretty intimidating down the line in the frontcourt, and I think that's the pick barring trade
  4. Minnesota - Wesley Johnson, SG/SF Syracuse (Needs: Defensive-minded Big, Scoring wing) - Their best wing is Corey Brewer... isn't that enough? lol... Actually I've always enjoyed Brewer's game... and if Favors was around, I think they'd have to think about it (and then deal Love or Jefferson), but Wes Johnson would contribute right away... he's a polished wing option with a silky jump shot who would provide them with a legitimate scoring option on the perimeter to take some scoring heat off Flynn...
  5. Sacramento - Demarcus Cousins, C Kentucky (Needs: Wing, Point Guard) - Notice how this doesn't fit a need... this'll be one of the rare times in this mock that that happens... reason why? Well there simply isn't a guy that would fit a need for Sacramento worthy of taking anywhere near #5 in this scenario (since Johnson is gone here)... If Johnson gets to them, the Kings should jump on that... but with Cousins, they get what I think is the 2nd most "upside" player in the draft behind Wall... if Cousins had an average personality, there's no doubt in my mind he'd go 1 or 2 in this draft... he's a legit center with extremely polished post game and he has jump shooting range... but his attitude is questionable (and in my opinion terrible) so he lands farther down than he should... frankly I'd be terrified to take him here...
  6. Golden State - Ekpe Udoh, C Baylor (Needs: Bigs, sane Head coach) - This is a reach and I admit that... but I don't like the Aldrich fit in Golden State and they need a big that can protect the rim... solution? Udoh... very good rebounder/rim protector type that doesn't need shots but can finish... they have a bunch of semi-talented to talented perimeter players led by Steph Curry, and Anthony Randolph penciled in at forward but other than Biedrins, the middle is bare...
  7. Detroit - Cole Aldrich, C Kansas (Needs: Center, true point) - Aldrich is my favorite of the 2nd tier legit bigs... He's actually reasonably athletic, has a high basketball IQ, can protect the rim and he has extended range... the center position is a dearth for Detroit and he would give them an instant upgrade...
  8. LA Clippers - Luke Babbitt, SF Nevada (Needs: Small Forward, another big, PG of future) - The highest rated "3" on most people's boards here is Al-Farouq Aminu but I don't think he's a 3 and his strengths are the same strengths as Blake Griffin... Babbitt gives them a scoring wing who is underrated on the box, and can be hid a little on defense next to a healthy Griffin... if there was a point guard of note, it'd be a nice idea, but there isn't
  9. Utah - Greg Monroe, PF Georgetown (Needs: Boozer/AK replacement, wing) - Biggest no-brainer in the history of Earth as everyone knows... Monroe is the ideal high-post option in a half-court offense like Utah's... they are bracing for Boozer's departure and I also think Monroe could play together with Millsap effectively when necessary... wing would be a semi-need area as well, but with what they got from Matthews/Miles in the playoffs coupled with lack of options here, I'll go with the great fit and a guy I have #6 on my imaginary board...
  10. Indiana - Al-Farouq Aminu SF/PF Wake Forest (Needs: Point Guard, Granger compliment on wing) - This wouldn't be the typical Indiana pick... their recent track record (Hibbert, Hansborough, Rush) is guys who were highly effective older college players instead of projects... Aminu is somewhere in between... a lights-out athlete (something they severely lack upfront with Hibbert, Hansborough, Murphy) who can rebound and has a nice mid-range game... I don't feel like there is a point guard who is worthy of this pick so Aminu would be a nice fit
  11. New Orleans - Ed Davis PF/C North Carolina (Needs: Athletic Big, Wings) - Guys like Xavier Henry were in play here... but in the end the Davis value combined with a need (glaringly unathletic up front with Okafor and West) and this fits... he's got a big-time motor, very athletic and rebounds/blocks shots very well... he's raw but he wouldn't be in a position where they'd run sets for him anyway
  12. Memphis - Xavier Henry SG/SF Kansas (Needs: Athletic wing to replace Rudy Gay, Guard depth) - I'm going here assuming Rudy Gay leaves (and that's the wide-scale assumption across the league)... Henry has a developed NBA body already, can get his own shot, and finishes well, would be a nice OJ Mayo compliment down the line
  13. Toronto - Patrick Patterson, PF Kentucky (Needs: Defensive-minded front-court players) - Not the easiest fit here but hear me out... I'm higher on Patterson than most because I believe he can be an impact guy right away... his strengths are in his physicality and he was an excellent rebounder/defender in college (something Toronto desperately needs)... Also, I'm going to assume Bosh walks (sorry Ryan), and the only other place they could really go here is a project big like Orton or Whiteside... I'll take the sure thing
  14. Houston - Hassan Whiteside, PF/C Marshall (Needs: Potential Scola replacement, frontcourt depth) - Houston is a weird team fit thing because they really don't have many holes... Yao is coming back, and this should be an excellent team next year... the only potential departure? Ultra-valuable power foward Luis Scola... Whiteside wouldn't replace him because he's so raw... but I think Houston can afford to take a guy who they can develop slowly, and this guy is an athletic freak... I'm not quite sold on this one, and it'll really depend on where they are planning on going with Scola/Free Agency
  15. Milwaukee - James Anderson SG Oklahoma State (Needs: Wings, backup PG) - This is your "insert Salmons replacement" pick... I think Salmons walks and Anderson is easily the most ready NBA scorer on the wing after Turner and Johnson... he's a pretty solid defender although he's not an incredible athlete... would be able to shoulder some scoring and take the heat off Jennings...
  16. Minnesota - Solomon Alabi C/PF Florida State (Needs: Rim-defending Big) - This is a slight reach for Alabi but he fits their glaring need (assuming they have Wes Johnson like this Mock does)... Alabi is one of the best shot blockers in the draft, is a great athlete, and would be a nice compliment to Love or Jefferson... the knock on him is he's an average rebounder, but that might be an acceptable risk next to either of those guys
  17. Chicago - Paul George SG/SF Fresno State (Needs: 2-guard/power forward) - Another difficult team to project without knowing who they land in free agency... alas.... George was a virtual unknown to most (me included) coming into this year... I saw him play a couple of times and was very impressed... I've seen him as high as #12 in various mocks/top 100s... he's very long and has extended range on his jumper with the ability to rebound from a guard spot... would be a nice fit next to Rose
  18. Miami - Damion James SF/PF Texas (Needs: Darn near Everything) - This Miami roster is a mess... so I'm going best player available a little here... he's a very tough, physical guy who rebounds exceedingly well for his size, and will defend... he's also extended his range well in college... would be a nice fit next to Beasley because he does all the things that Beasley doesn't do... Point guard wouldn't be a bad idea here (Bledsoe) but I'll go with the immediate help...
  19. Boston (who could be the champs and pick at 19, wow) - Quincy Pondexter SG/SF Washington - Not a whole lot of holes on this roster right now... but the upside of that is taking a guy who can play rotation minutes right away if you need him to (check) and possibly replace Allen or Pierce down the line (check)... I really, really like Pondexter... the knock is his jumper but its been much improved... he's a crazy good athlete who defends well, and has a high basketball IQ...
  20. San Antonio - Donatas Motiejunas PF Lithuania - (Needs: Young bigs, athletic wing) - This just smells like a Spurs pick... I won't pretend to know his game... but when the 2 comparisons I see over and over are Pau Gasol and Toni Kukoc... I'm in... There isn't a guy left (in this scenario with James and Pondexter gone) that I think could play immediate meaningful minutes for the Spurs... so they go the stash route.... again
  21. Oklahoma City - Craig Brackins PF Iowa State - (Needs: Another big) - One of the most talented offensive bigs in the draft... range to 18 feet, runs the floor and can really rebound... the knock is his defense... but the system there and playing next to Serge Ibaka could do wonders... difficult team to pick for because of all the young talent...
  22. Portland - Kevin Seraphin PF France - (Needs: umm... health?) - STASH ALERT! The Blazers are so deep that only a project really makes sense... I considered Gordon Heyward but I don't know how that fits... Seraphin is a supposed legendary athlete (lol) who is very raw and they can hide him and potentially end up with something by the time Camby leaves
  23. Minnesota (again) - Gordon Heyward SF Butler - (Needs: Wings still) - They would have just taken Wes Johnson as well... but their wing depth is pretty woeful and this is nice value for a guy like Heyward... he's very long, can really shoot, and the only knock on him is athleticism... Nice value pick
  24. Atlanta - Tiny Gallon PF Oklahoma - (Needs: Legit Center, swingman if Childress isn't back) - I'm tempted to take Eric Bledsoe here but I know that would cause an uprising (i.e. I don't like Jeff Teague... still)... but I'll settle on Tiny... Strong, physical player who can shoot mid-range jumpers, pass, and is generally skilled... weight issues are there and by no means is this a safe pick... but he's got some "upside" (there it is) and all the guys I like for the Hawks are penciled in already...
  25. Memphis - Eric Bledsoe PG Kentucky - (Needs: PG depth at this spot) - I think this is a slam dunk if Bledsoe is somehow still around... he's a pass-first PG that would (at worst) push Conley, and (at best) take his job... he has big-time athleticism, can really defend, and would give them another gear next to Mayo... love this pick
  26. Oklahoma City - Daniel Orton C Kentucky - (Needs: Depth at this point) - I finally found a landing spot for Orton... between him and Brackins, you have the ability to hit on one of them and both have big upside... I'm not sold (in any way) on Orton, as you can tell by me slipping him to 26... but there is athletic ability there and he's a legit center which you don't really find... definitely a project, but there's not anybody that can help them in 2010-11 here...
  27. New Jersey - Avery Bradley SG/PG Texas - (Needs: Wings, defenders) - A "best available" pick to be sure... Bradley is a backcourt tweener without elite athleticism and a 2-guard mentality in a 6'3 (maybe) frame... but he's been described as the best defender at the guard spot in this draft, and with Devin Harris being bigger than average at the point, it'd be easier to play Bradley at the 2... really good value for his talent level
  28. Memphis - Stanley Robinson SF UConn - (Needs: Rudy Gay 2.0) - With Randolph/Gasol/Thabeet/Mayo/Conley/Young and Lottery Pick X (Xavier Henry in this mock) there aren't any glaring "holes"... that said, Robinson is pretty much an exact clone of Rudy Gay and gives them another replacement option for Gay... he's not quite as athletic as Rudy, but he's very rangy, rebounds well, can block an occasional shot, and has consistent range to 20 feet... I like him... the knock is consistency and that's why he's ranked here... but between him and Henry, they'd have options
  29. Orlando - Jordan Crawford SG Xavier - (Needs: what do you give the team that has an 11-player rotation? lol).... I'll settle on Crawford... JJ Redick could very well leave as a Free Agent and Crawford could fit in to that role as a shooter in a bench situation... his stock rose from a couple big/clutch games in the tournament... but he's settling in the late 1st, early 2nd range and that's about what you get... he has defensive question marks, and has been kind of an enigma until March...
  30. Washington - Darington Hobson SF New Mexico - (Needs: Everything but guards) - I'm going best available non-guard here... and to me it's Hobson... he won't get in the way of the Blatche/McGee combo up front either... he's extremely versatile (playing up to 4 positions at NM), has long arms, and has point guard vision in the times that I've seen him... his long-range shooting is a bit of a question mark, but seems like a kid that could play right away and not kill you with how many things he can do...
Guys I like more than the experts do: Favors, Wes Johnson, Udoh, Monroe, Babbitt, Bledsoe, James, Patterson, Alabi, Pondexter, Elliot Williams, Jarvis Varnado, Hobson, Gani Lawal, Manny Harris, Sylven Landesberg, Jon Scheyer

Guys I like less than the experts do: Evan Turner (a little bit, I still like him just don't think he'll ever be a star), Aminu, Ed Davis, Daniel Orton, Whiteside, Terrico White, Willie Warren, Lance Stephenson

And there it is... Discuss... Please

Saturday, May 29, 2010

5/29: Boston in the Finals, Lendale White, etc.

Greetings...
  • Boston conquers the East.. an utterly dominant 3-quarter performance from the Celtics to be honest... Paul Pierce was fantastic (31 points on 15 shots, 13 rebounds), they got an unexpected explosion from Nate Robinson in the 1st half (13 points in 13 minutes total), and dominated the glass (45 to 35)... there is that small cloud hanging over their seeming inability to play a quality 4th quarter but it's pretty crazy when you think about their "standing" pre-playoffs and how dominant they've been... Dwight was pretty fantastic for Orlando yet again, but to say the Vince Carter experiment failed miserably would be an understatement, and Rashard Lewis disappeared for the great majority of the series.. I'm sure the offseason questions for Orlando will center around SVG, Dwight, and Vince... but how bout Otis Smith? Who spent 70+ million on Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass only to see them be ineffective/non-factors... Just a thought...
  • Lendale White cut by the Seahawks... this one caught me really off-guard... considering he never played a game there... but then the news broke that he had a pending 4-game suspension for substance abuse violation... now it makes sense... the running back situation for Seattle is kinda crazy...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Matt Cain... 9 IP, H, 0 ER, 9 Ks... you kinda knew I was going here when the guy throws a 1-hitter... dominant performance
  • Batting Line of the Day - Miggy Cabrera - 3 for 4, 3 HR, 4 RBI... my preseason AL MVP pick... the guy can rake
  • After 2 long rain delays... the Braves get another win over Pittsburgh... and beat a lefty in the process... Chipper is showing (some) signs of life... there's no power there still, but I'm not even asking for any... just hit .280 and walk alot...
What to watch for...
  • Lakers/Suns 8:30 TNT - I kinda buried Phoenix yesterday... I stand by it with a gun to my head... but at the same time, it wouldn't shock me if they won this one at home... the bench/shooters have been much better at home in Phoenix, and if they shoot like they are capable, they can get a win...
  • Cardinals/Cubs 4:00 FOX - Ottavino/Silva... not exactly the matchup the networks were envisioning I'd bet...
  • Braves/Pirates 7:00 SportSouth - Medlen/Burres... another lefty for Pittsburgh... Medlen has been very good, but hasn't gone deep into games... hoping he's stretched out a little more now
Aloha..

Friday, May 28, 2010

5/28: A Wild One Out West and More

Greetings...
  • The Lakers put the dagger into Phoenix last night in LA... the 103-101 final represented probably the craziest/best game in the playoffs in weeks... We've all seen the Artest rebound/putback already... a couple points on that... 1) it never happens if it's not an airball... 2) it wasn't a pathetic boxout but should've been better.... and 3) I need more people killing Kobe's heave.. he's gotta know with 3.5 seconds that he can do more than turn and heave, no?... Alas... Kobe was awesome yet again however (30/11/9) but the real story for LA? How bout Derek Fisher throwing up a 22 point night on 7 of 12 shooting... especially on a night when Artest and Bynum combined for 2 of 14 shooting and LA got nothing (again) from the Walton/Brown/Farmar trio... for Phoenix? What a damaging loss... the massive comeback... Jason Richardson finally getting something positive going in a late-game setting (the first missed 3 was pretty bad, he ends up missing the boxout... the guy has a propensity for late-game letdowns... remember the missed dunk?)... Nash going crazy on Isos down the stretch (29 and 11)... it was really the perfect storm for them until that last play... I'm going to go ahead and bury them... yes, I know anything can happen... but I don't think you come back from that...
  • UConn men's hoops is in big trouble... major violations alleged by the NCAA... count me unsurprised... somehow it's still underreported that the state university of Connecticut can suddenly become a powerhouse basketball program... alas...
  • The Raiders want nearly $10 million back from Jamarcus Russell... that's absurd.... yes, I knew Russell would be a dog... but you picked him, you paid him... and in the age of the NFL with non-guaranteed deals... get it where you can Jamarcus
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Jeff Niemann... 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER... guy has been tremendous for the Rays... they have a ton of pitching
  • Batting Line of the Day - Brendan Ryan - 4 for 4, HR... I'm giving him the nod because he may be the worst everyday position player (at the plate) in the majors... but he's awesome with the glove! lol
  • Another nice win for the Braves... Escobar seems to be awakening from his slumber and the bullpen was tremendous in the pinch of post-rain delay... Pirates coming to town for the weekend should be a positive as well... gotta take care of business against the wretched Bucs
What to watch for...
  • Celtics/Magic Game 6 - 8:30 ESPN - Well... this one kind of speaks for itself... I'm bullish on Orlando's chances... Boston is capable of the stinker at home... Orlando has the momentum, and sphincters will be tight at the Garden... that said, I'd pick Boston with my life on the line tonight... very entertaining...
  • Cubs/Cardinals 2:20 WGN - Carpenter/Wells
  • Braves/Pirates 7:35 Peachtree TV - Lowe/Duke... the Braves can't hit lefties... and Lowe's been pretty dreadful... not the best recipe
Until next time...

Thursday, May 27, 2010

5/27: Orlando is Alive

Hola...
  • The Magic are alive and kicking... 113-92 victory that was certainly eventful... Kendrick Perkins was ejected (and subsequently "suspended" for Game 6)... Orlando got stellar play from Dwight, Jameer Nelson, and JJ Redick... Vince Carter is still asleep somewhere... and somehow Rasheed Wallace had 21 points in 18 minutes? Just a weird game... couple that in with Glen Davis' wobbling concussion (awkward), and the prospect of an actual series? Just kind of a crazy night... On the subject of Perkins... both technicals seemed to be pretty absurd... and don't forget... the NBA has a history of rescinding technicals... it would actually surprise me if the automatic Game 6 suspension stands up because I feel like there's no way the NBA keeps both T's... Just a note... they'll need him in Game 6... Would I pick Orlando from here? No... but life is the wrong thing to give them if you're Boston...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Ubaldo Jimenez - 8 IP, 6 H, 0 ER... This guy is unbelievable... actually lowering his ERA to 0.88... it's comical
  • Batting Line of the Day - Adrian Beltre - 4-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R... One his bombs was hilarious... he almost hit it from his knees...
  • Tommy Hanson bounces back for ATL... a solid win after a 6 run explosion late, and an opportunity to win the series behind Tim Hudson on Thursday...
  • Stephen Strasburg is apparently being penciled in for June 8th... clear your schedules...
What to watch for...
  • Lakers/Suns 9:00 TNT Game 5... Obviously the pivotal game in the series... really interested to see how the Suns (especially guys like Frye) shoot on the road... the conventional thinking is shooters shoot better at home, and they'll need to score 110+ to have a chance... Kobe had that look in his eye after Game 4... something to keep an eye on...
  • Braves/Marlins 7:00 SportSouth - Hudson/Nolasco.. quality pitching matchup...
Done and done...

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

5/26: It's a Series out West

Aloha...
  • Phoenix 115, LA 106 - It's a series... Phoenix evens things at 2-2 behind a ridiculously balanced effort that included 10 guys with at least 6 points... 10!... Amare "led the way" with 21 and 8... but if you look at the +/- ratings for everyone (or if you just watched the game), the bench won this game for Phoenix... all 5 bench guys had a +12 or better, all shot 50% from the field or better and it was really something to see from those guys... For LA, they got their points, Kobe was incredible yet again, but the bench was non-existent except for Odom (Farmar and Brown shot 2 of 12 combined)... there will be alot of talk about the Phoenix zone defense "baffling" LA... that's over-hyped... yes, it was a quality adjustment by Gentry to hide the deficiencies of his stars (cough, Amare and Nash), and make LA make jumpers... it's definitely helped... but LA shot 50% from the field... they scored over 100 points... it was the Phx O beating up on the LA D that was the story...
  • New York gets the 2014 Super Bowl... this isn't that big of a deal to me... I do find it interesting that the NFL basically swore off another Atlanta Super Bowl because of the ice storm that happened in 1994... but that didn't affect the game on the field at all... and now they want a worse weather environment, and the game played outdoors? Good luck with that...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Ryan Dempster - 8 IP, 3 H, 7 Ks in a 3-0 victory of the super-hot Dodgers...
  • Batting Line of the Day - Vlad Guerrero - 3 for 5, 2 HR, 5 RBI... Vlad the Impaler is impaling pitching again... he's hitting in the mid .300's with 12 HR...
  • The Braves go down... despite the hilariously sparse crowd in Florida, the home team won thanks, in large part, to a 3 run 8th against Jesse Chavez... Chavez has been consistently the worst guy out of the Braves bullpen and he didn't disappoint... his 7.71 ERA speaks for itself.. decent outing by Kawakami, but the overall story to me remains the death of Chipper Jones... 0-5 and his average is .226... but at least he has pow... oh... no power either... well at least he's a great defen... oh... he's bad there too
  • The Phillies faced knuckleball starting pitchers in 2 straight games... that can't be common... they also got baffled by both of them...
What to watch for...
  • Boston/Orlando Game 5 - 8:30 ESPN - Orlando tries to actually get back into the series... I think Boston closes it out... weird because Orlando is playing at home, but Boston seems to be a different unit on the road, and despite how effective Orlando was and how bad Boston was in Game 4... that game went to OT somehow...
  • Braves/Marlins 7:00 SportSouth - Hanson/Robertson... Tommy looks to get it back on the rails...
  • White Sox/Indians Noon WGN - Buehrle/Westbrook... Buehrle has been brutal lately...
  • Twins/Yankees 7:00 ESPN2 - Pettitte/Liriano... any opportunity to see a potential Liriano start gets me intrigued... when he has it going, good luck to the opposition...
Stay tuned...

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

5/25: Orlando Gets One, Michigan Self-Imposes, etc.

Greetings... The brevity continues... my apologies...
  • Orlando 96, Boston 92 - Well, Orlando showed some pride... well, everyone except Vince Carter that is... behind a monstrous 32/16/4 blk effort from Dwight and Jameer Nelson's best game of the series on both ends... Orlando avoided the sweep and set-up the possibility this could be semi-interesting... Rondo had his first stinker in a long time, but the very interesting thing to me is how much Doc played his starters... Garnett 41 minutes, Pierce 47 minutes, Allen 46 minutes, Rondo 43 minutes... seems like he wanted to put that one away... alas, the series shifts back to Orlando, and I still expect the 5 game closeout...
  • I'm so tired of the Phil Jackson/Lebron/Calipari/free agent X talk already... and it's not even June... I'm going to need to be tasered by mid-June
  • I'm gonna semi-blast David Thorpe here... and I hesitate to do so... because the guy does great work normally... but in his recent NBA draft blog, he makes the "strong" case that New Jersey should pass on Derrick Favors and take Evan Turner... huh? Isn't Turner the consensus #2 guy? and isn't there a MAYBE 1% chance that both Favors and Turner are both available to them? Why even write this trash?...
  • The University of Michigan (cough, hail to the victors, cough) self-imposes probationary sanctions due to the practice violations from last summer... maybe this will put an end to this... if you don't know my opinion... it is as follows... 80% of football programs go over the allotted time-slots... Michigan happened to get caught... let's move on, this is not a fireable offense, this shouldn't even be talked about... lose some workout hours? sure... a scholarship or 2? meh.. sure... and that's it
  • Breaking News... Steve Nash won't sit due to a broken nose... uhh... thank you? There was no doubt he was playing...
What to watch for...
  • Lakers @ Suns 9:00 TNT Game 4... Win or go home for Phoenix essentially... can't go down 3-1 and expect to have a chance...
  • Braves/Marlins 7:00 SportSouth - Kawakami/Sanchez... Kenshin has lost or ND'd 7 straight starts...
I apologize for the sarcasm today... but it was a rough day for the media... hey... Steve Nash isn't going to sit out a do-or-die playoff game... that's news!... However... I did enjoy Trey Kirby's piece on Ball don't Lie about the Hawks and Dwane Casey... I'm being swayed a bit... here's the link http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/The-Atlanta-Hawks-need-to-hire-Dwane-Casey?urn=nba,243594

Monday, May 24, 2010

5/24: Phoenix is Alive, Mike Brown Fired

Aloha... My apologies for the brevity/lateness of this... working on the gigantic way-too-early mock draft still...

  • Phoenix 118, LA 109 - And this is apparently a series... Amare was unreal last night (42 and 11)... he was aggressive, used his quickness advantage, and was generally effective (obviously) with an assist to how Alvin Gentry limited his exposure on the other end with that zone... Phoenix also got highly efficient efforts from Lopez and Richardson with the typical Nash 17 pt/15 dime game... for LA? Kobe was absolutely masterful in my opinion... that's going to be overlooked today because they lost, but 36, 11 and 9 on 13 of 24 shooting is nothing to overlook, he was fantastic and so was Gasol... the supporting cast? not so much... 9 for 32 from 3-point distance as a team... and a combined 11 of 37 shooting from Odom/Artest/Brown/Farmar... that won't get it done... It's at least a competitive series now... something we aren't used to
  • Mike Brown fired by the Cavs... at first, I shrugged my shoulders... I've never found Brown to be particularly effective as an in-game strategist (that's putting it lightly), and that roster (and the star) speak for themselves... but he's a good defensive coach, went to the playoffs 5 times in a row (reaching the Finals in 07 with an undermanned unit), and won 60 games twice... a bit of a raw deal? Definitely... but I feel like Cleveland did what they thought they had to do to try to keep Lebron... this is new territory for the league...
  • Jose Lima dead at 37... the former 20-game winner had a heart attack... crazy stuff... I'll remember his vibrant on-mound antics and his personality but he had some good years including 1999 when he won 20+ and was an all-star... RIP
  • Tough 10th inning loss for the Braves last night... Saito has been kind of shaky lately, and that's a point of concern... but with the lineup they dragged out yesterday (no McCann, no Chipper, no Heyward), you can't be all that angry... especially with how effective Medlen has been... imagine if he was fully stretched out and could go deeper into games... Kawakami is pitching for his job the next couple starts...
What to watch for...
  • Celtics/Magic Game 4 8:30 ESPN - Orlando on the brink... I feel like a Boston letdown is very much in play here... but at the same time, that would mean Orlando has to bring an effort the likes of which we haven't seen this series... I don't see it... Boston sweeps tonight... and Stan Van Gundy gets murdered tomorrow
  • Red Sox/Rays 7:00 ESPN2 - Davis/Buchholz... 2 of the better young arms in the league.. and any opportunity to watch the Rays full-court press is worth tuning to... probably the most entertaining team to watch in the league... even without taking into account how good they are

Friday, May 21, 2010

5/21: Conrad's the Hero, Doug Collins, etc.

Kind of a weird/slow day in sports... alas...
  • The Braves score 7 in the 9th to win 10-9... hilariously, the least powerful position player on the Braves Roster (Brooks Conrad) hits the walk-off grand slam that grazed the left fielder's glove and sent Braves nation into a frenzy... I saw this live... and may or may not have run around at my place of business... it was a scene... buried in there is the fact that Tommy Hanson was woeful... 8 ER in under 2 innings... alas, it's a big-time win...
  • Doug Collins signs up to be the Philly head coach... this one kind of baffles me... at least he played there? but that's a flawed roster... Elton Brand is still there, their best player is Andre Iguodala (who can't be the best player on a winning team, IMO), and the clear #2 player in the draft does things that Iguodala does (Evan Turner)... I hope he does a good job... have always liked him on TV and will never forget the 2008 olympic team congratulating him... but this may end badly...
  • I still don't care about cycling... even if it is Lance Armstrong-related...
  • The Hawks are "still in talks" with Avery Johnson.... what does that mean? I have no idea... especially when considering the reported $2 million ownership-mandated cap on Head coaching salary... I hope that's not true... if it is, write Avery off now... I also have heard current analyst and former Knick/Pacer Mark Jackson is in the running... he's never coached a game at any level.... fantastic... Bring on Dwayne Casey!
Other baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Jon Lester - CG, 6 H, 1 ER, 9 Ks... he's been the dominant guy we know lately...
  • Batting Line of the Day - Nelson Cruz (TEX) - 4-5, HR, 4 RBI, 3 runs... guy has been raking pre- and post-injury...
  • Ken Griffey Jr. had a walk-off hit last night... I love that...
  • I'm not sure how anyone can pick against Tampa Bay right now based on anything that is within the lines of the field... they have everything... they're dismantling everything in their path and they are far and away the fastest/most athletic/most dynamic team in the Bigs... they have a 5 game lead on the Yankees...
What to watch for... on ANOTHER non-NBA night... sigh
  • Braves/Pirates - 7:00 SportSouth - Hudson/Ohlendorf... the only non-interleague series...
  • Uhh.. that's all I got? I may be missing more baseball... but I refuse to recommend Hockey until the cup finals and there's nothing else... maybe the WNBA is on... the Dream play their home opener tonight....
Until next time... and be on the lookout for the wayyyyy too early Mock draft from the Associaton

Thursday, May 20, 2010

5/20: Lakers 2-0

Abbreviated today...
  • Lakers 124, Phoenix 112 - Unbelievable offense from LA... fairly terrible defense from Phoenix... Kobe was masterful (again) with the way he quasi-ran the offense (21 points, 13 dimes), and Pau Gasol was a work of art on the box... Amare has absolutely no chance on that end... and it showed with Pau going 11 of 19 for 29 and 9... but, if you're Phoenix, you can handle a combined 50 from Pau and Kobe... what you can't handle is 54 points total from Artest/Farmar/Odom/Brown on 19 of 28 shooting... that's embarrassing... Phoenix can score... putting up 100+ points in both games against an above-average defensive team on the road can't be hated on... but stops don't seem to be coming, and if the role players keep making jumpshots for LA and missing them for Phoenix (ahem, Channing Frye and Goran Dragic), this'll be over fast...
  • The Braves get a walk-off win despite blowing a 4-0 lead... really the first full-scale bullpen implosion of the season (Saito, O'Flaherty, Wagner combined) so to get a win there is pretty big... Jason Heyward continues to be absurd... 3 extra base hits including the walk-off double... and even Kenshin Kawakami was good last night...
  • Cycling performance-enhancing drug use is of no interest to me... and I don't know anyone that cares...
  • HGH use in the NFL? That's of more consequence... seems like Santana Moss is getting singled out now... that's unfortunate...
What to watch for...
  • Somehow there isn't an NBA game til Saturday... that's absurd....
  • Braves/Reds 1:00 SportSouth - Business (Person)'s special... Leake vs. Hanson... love day baseball during the week
  • Cubs/Phillies 1:00 WGN - Dempster/Blanton
Embrace the day people... (copyright JE Skeets)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

5/19: Boston 2-0, Wiz hit the Lottery, etc.

Aloha...
  • Boston takes the 2-0 lead... pretty staggering result when you consider what we thought about these 2 teams a week or 2 ago... hearing alot of people killing Dwight Howard... I don't get that... 30 and 8 on 9-13 shooting (respectable 12-17 FTs) and his supporting guys (Jameer, Vince, Rashard) shot a combined 12-36 from the field... big-ups to Boston.. Rondo was masterful again, Pierce got in the wayback machine and they won the glass... add in "veteran"-type play down the stretch just using higher basketball IQ than Orlando, and you end up 2-0... is it over? ehh... I wouldn't say that just yet... Boston's home record is sketchy (ORL's road record is somehow better than Boston's home record)... I think Orlando takes this to 6 games still, but getting both in Orlando all but wraps this up it seems...
  • Washington wins the draft lottery... let the scenarios begin... First, for the Wizards... their best (and more importantly, highest paid) player is Gilbert Arenas... he's also a point guard... so is the best player in this draft, John Wall... that's an issue... What would I do? Take him, and shop Arenas, right? Well... Arenas' is darn near untradeable... so you can try that... or you can deal the pick... what I WOULDN'T do? Draft Evan Turner at #1... I just don't think that's a good value... someone will overpay for Wall if you are heart-set on not taking him... Philly at 2 has their own dilemma was a similar situation regarding Turner and Andre Iguodala... NJ will likely be choosing between Favors and Wes Johnson (Cousins would seemingly be out of play with Lopez there), and Minnesota will be hoping Wes Johnson gets to them since they can't possibly draft another power forward... I love the NBA... and the draft...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Josh Johnson - 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 9 Ks... guy has Cy Young stuff...
  • Batting Line of the Day - Luke Scott - 2 for 2, 2 HR, 2 BB... you get here when you face Zach Greinke 3 times... and bomb off him twice... that's big-time
  • This Hanley Ramirez story is baffling... I've always liked the guy.... he's exceedingly talented, plays the game with swagger, and has no discernable holes to his game... unless you count character it seems... he sounds like the biggest me-first prima donna imaginable with his comments following be pulled by Gonzalez the other day... I won't bury the guy for one incident... but he couldn't have handled it worse...
  • The Braves get a last-AB victory with some help from David Wright... Wright K'd with a man on 3rd and 1 out in the top half and then ended the game throwing the ball into right field on an admittedly tough play in the bottom half... rough night... was nice to see Franceour hit a home run in a Mets loss... best of both worlds for me
What to watch for...
  • Suns/Lakers 9:00 TNT Game 2... not necessarily a win or go home game for Phoenix... but they'd better get this one in my opinion... LA won't score 120+ again, but Phoenix has to get stops...
  • Braves/Reds 7:00 Peachtree TV... Harang/Kawakami... Kenshin trying to start the season 0-7... er... win his first game...
  • Rays/Yankees 7:00 ESPN - Wade Davis/AJ Burnett... best 2 teams in baseball going at it...

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Hawks Offseason Part 1

Greetings... Been asked to write some stuff on what the Hawks are encountering in the offseason...
  • Coaching - Mike Woodson is gone... and I'm a fan of that move... he couldn't co-exist with Josh Smith (who is apparently a franchise cornerstone), couldn't make in-game adjustments, and noted national acclaim for having guys quit on him in the playoffs.... The reported candidates? Avery Johnson, Dwayne Casey, Tyrone Corbin, and Dan Majerle... let me preface with this... I have no idea if this is the whole list, a partial list, or even correct at all... but I do know Avery Johnson interviewed yesterday and is the obvious "headliner" candidate... I liked the majority of Avery's work in Dallas, and felt like he got a bit of an overblown bad wrap for the 1st round loss to Golden State... he'd be a new voice that wouldn't take crap from Smith, et al... Casey is a hot name being that he has a relationship with Rick Sund and previous HC experience (where he was universally liked in Minnesota)... I won't pretend to know anything about his style.... same with Corbin and Majerle, both are "hot" assistant candidates with Corbin being a former Hawks player... Don't really have an opinion either way.... In a vacuum, I'd prefer Avery or even current NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy... but in basketball more than, say, football.. it's hard to tell what you're getting in a head coach because you can't champion a "new system" or "switching to the 3-4 defense".... Interested to see what happens obviously
  • Joe Johnson - We all know Joe is an unrestricted FA... there are a few levels here... Rick Sund has said publicly this week that they WILL try to re-sign him... dispelling any rumors that he's absolutely gone due to lack of interest... the Hawks (can) offer the most money, and provide one of the better "winning" situations that he could go to.... at the same time, I don't feel like he is worth a 6-year max deal... and I feel like that would be the only bargaining chip the Hawks have to work with... Sign and trade options? It really depends on the situation... most of the teams with cap room don't have any coveted assets to garner in a sign-and-trade, so it would almost have to be an under-the-radar team or a team that is so far under the cap that the Hawks could acquire a mid-to-high 1st rounder for him... I honestly have no idea... but if I had to put a % on it, I'd say he's less than 50% to come back considering his track record of following shots and dollar signs...
  • Josh Childress - Yes, the Hawks still own his rights... in a perfect world, I'd love to bring him back... but that assumes 2 things... 1) He wants to come to Atlanta (unlikely), and 2) Rick Sund, who didn't draft Childress, will have to change the organization's tune from 2 summers ago... I think he'll stay in Europe, or he'll sign a lucrative deal with a team that the Hawks will choose to not match...
  • Lebron, Wade, Bosh? - No, no, and 99% no... Here's something you need to know about the Lebron situation (not just as a Hawks fan)... this guy can go to literally any team he wants... and he's probably the first guy in league history that can.... hear me out... Because Cleveland would likely be forced to a situation where a sign-and-trade is their best option... Lebron can go to ANY team, because if he decides "I'm going to Denver", then Denver (because it's Lebron) will go through any means they possibly can to put together a sign and trade package for him.... same with Sacramento, Utah, Atlanta... anyone... he's that coveted... that being said, the only method of acquisition for an elite guy like this for Atlanta is the player simply deciding they can't be talked out of coming to Atlanta... that's very unlikely... so move on... we can't sign them because Joe leaves... we don't have the cap room... go to nbafaq.com if that doesn't make sense
  • 1st round pick - Atlanta picks at 24... just as last year's 19th pick isn't a slam dunk... 24 is a position where you can get a solid rotation player but very rarely an impact guy... For a smattering of names that I've seen around that area... how bout guys like Damion James, Quincy Pondexter, Larry Sanders, Salomon Alabi, Avery Bradley, Terrico White, Devin Ebanks...? Sound good? Eh...
What I'm saying overall is... there are alot of directions this can go in.... gun to my head? I think Joe walks away, we sign a middling free-agent with the 5-6 million in cap room, Josh Childress goes elsewhere for no compensation, and we come back with a rotation of Horford/Zaza/Josh/Marvin/Jamal/Teague/Bibby/1st rounder X/Middling FA X.... that's a 40 win team...

Obviously, I'll be right here for the duration breaking down the moves... the Hawks are a passion of mine, and I hope Rick Sund can steer this in the right direction... Letting Woody go was a nice first step...

5/18: Lakers Beatdown, Double-Plays, etc.

Greetings...
  • LA 128, Phoenix 107... well that escalated quickly... a throwback dominant Kobe performance (40,5, and 5 on 13-23) coupled with a fantastic first half from Lamar Odom (15 in the half, 19 total) will get the headlines... but as a team, LA shot 58/47/82 from the field, dominated the glass, and only made 9 turnovers... On the other side... Phoenix played efficiently on offense, but ran into the perfect storm of subpar defense and buzzsaw offense... Nash, Amare and J-Rich were very good offensively, but Amare had all kinds of issues with Gasol on the block, Grant Hill ran into foul issues and couldn't do anything to slow Kobe, and Channing Frye was utterly useless... on the bright side? Robin Lopez looked spry and good... at least there's that...
  • Hanley Ramirez benched for not hustling... if this wasn't in Florida, it'd be huge news when you consider Hanley is (at worst) a top-10 player in the Majors... can't excuse the play after seeing him jog after a ball that he misplayed...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Edwin Jackson.. back from the dead with 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 12 Ks for Arizona..
  • Batting Line of the Day - Justin Morneau - 3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI
  • The Braves go down at home.... wasting a decent Derek Lowe effort by hitting into 3 more double plays... yes, 3 more... 1 for 7 with RISP as well...
What to watch for...
  • NBA Draft Lottery ESPN 7:30 - Tons of scenarios here... New Orleans/Utah/Minnesota would all have giant decisions to make if they get #1 (i.e. they already have point guards and John Wall is the consensus #1)... Always great TV, and if you're a Lebron-following Zombie, it could affect where he goes as well
  • Celtics/Magic - 8:30 ESPN Game 2... Must-win for Orlando... can't lose both at home to start the series to have a legit shot...
  • Mets/Braves - 7:00 Peachtree TV - Santana/Medlen... On paper the worst pitching matchup of the series as a Braves fan... but Medlen is pitching well... Fun fact... Johan Santana is 1-5 lifetime against the Braves... but he has a 2.21 ERA with 38 Ks in 53 innings... weird

Monday, May 17, 2010

5/17: Boston Takes The Lead....

Greetings...
  • Boston takes the 1-0 lead behind a 92-88 victory in Orlando... Let me just say... this isn't Atlanta that Orlando is facing... they have a legitimate option to throw at Dwight (Perkins) and Dwight looked as though he wouldn't be the force he was last series... You look at the box score and find it hard to believe that Boston won... until you see 21 assists on 33 baskets... that's an excellent number and it helped them overcome underwhelming lines from Garnett and Rondo... for Orlando, they came out sluggish and it showed, but the 4th quarter (30-18 ORL) showed what they have... This is going to be a long series folks... and oh yeah, I can't wait to hear the deafening silence from all of the "Rondo is a top 3 PG" people now that he's nice facing the pu pu platter on defense...
  • First fantastic Lebron rumor.... him and John Calipari are a package deal... and this is "lead SportsCenter" news, huh?... fantastic
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Weekend - Ricky Romero (Saturday) CG, 5 H, 0 ER, 12 Ks... doesn't get much cleaner than that...
  • Batting Line of the Weekend - Martin Prado (Sunday) 4-6, 2 HR, 3 RBI... the do-everything 2B gets some love here...
  • Braves take 2 of 3 from hapless Arizona despite alternating blowouts on the weekend... just keep winning series...
What to watch for...
  • Suns/Lakers Game 1 TNT - This should be a classic... I'm already on the record taking the mild upset with Boston in the East... I've battled/wrestled with this one... I've had Phoenix in 6 written down for a while... but I can't pull the trigger... if I knew what I was getting from Robin Lopez (i.e. if he was the Robin Lopez from February), I'd be picking Phoenix... but if Kobe decides to play within the bounds of reasonable thought (and pounds it inside), i'll take LA in 7...
  • Braves/Mets - Peachtree TV 7:00 - Lowe/Pelfrey... ah, the circus of Derek Lowe....
  • Yanks/Sox - ESPN 7:00 - Dice-K/Hughes.... worth watching to see what Phil Hughes can put together... guy has been lights out... 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA

Friday, May 14, 2010

5/14: On to Celtics/Magic, etc.

Hey everybody... on the road today so this will be shorter...
  • Boston closed out Cleveland in 6 games.... notice I didn't say Boston closed out Lebron in 6 games... the hype/overcoverage of Lebron, the individual, here is predictably ridiculous... so let me say a few things... Boston played fantastic... Kevin Garnett came alive (partial thanks to Mike Brown for inexplicably putting Shaq on him out of the gate), Rondo was again fantastic (21 and 12) and they got unexpectedly good production from Sheed and Tony Allen... Big-ups to them... Lebron had a good game... 27, 19 and 10 in any world can't be knocked... yes, he had 9 TOs and couldn't strap them to his back late... it happens... Mo Williams went scoreless for the last 17 minutes of the game (although he was big early), Antawn Jamison put forth another stinker, and Mike Brown played Shaq and Big Z a combined 39 minutes.... for the SERIES... I'd put the highest order of blame on Mike Brown... baffling substitution patterns, inexplicable defensive matchups, and a lack of in-game adjustments (this isn't new) did him no favors... obviously Lebron's Game 5 can't be overlooked, but it's a 6 game series and for the other 5 games he was anything from good to fantastic... for the record, I don't have a prediction/opinion on where he lands... and you shouldn't either... because you don't know... but I'll move on to Magic/Celtics... should be a great series
  • Derrick Burgess re-ups with New England... former pro bowler who is productive... sounds like a Pats D-lineman to me...
  • The Royals fired Trey Hillman yesterday... and hired former Brave great (lol) Ned Yost... My question is... what was Trey Hillman supposed to do? Have you seen that bullpen? or the bottom end of the rotation? Or the lineup that features such studs as Mike Aviles, David DeJesus and JASON KENDALL!? Please... not his fault
  • George Karl plans to coach in 2010-2011... that's good news... get well soon...
No NBA basketball until Sunday at 3:30... tragic.... If I don't see you until then... Celtics in 7... and just know that if the 2-guard for Orlando wasn't named "Vince" or "Carter".. I probably would've gone the other way

Thursday, May 13, 2010

5/13: A Slow Day...

Greetings... Wednesday may have been the slowest sports day in months... no NBA game... lack of a huge baseball story, and talk of Lebron ad nauseum.... alas... some quick bullets...
  • Randy Shannon re-ups at Miami... the Hurricanes head coach had been rumored to be on the hot seat... talk of that ended with a 4-year extension... 21-17 records don't usually get you extended at programs like Miami... so I'm dubious... but he can certainly recruit and its his alma mater...
  • The Miami Heat launched a website to keep Dwyane Wade... that's not news... and should've been done a long time ago...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Homer Bailey (CIN) - CG, 4 H, 0 ER, 6 K.... it's been a big week for former hugely-touted Reds pitchers...
  • Batting Line of the Day - Miguel Olivo (COL) - 5-5, HR, RBI... 5-5 and a walk-off HR to beat the world-beating Phillies... and 3 of the hits were off Roy Halladay... done
  • The Braves get a sweep... and an encouraging showing from Derek Lowe... I'd say that's a positive day... and all of this without the incomparable (laughter) Chipper Jones...
What to watch for...
  • Cavs/Celtics - 8:00 TNT - I've heard this called the biggest game of Lebron James' career.... guy has been to the Finals so I'm not sure that's true... but it's certainly a huge one... I was asked yesterday if I thought Cleveland wins the series... I said yes... I don't trust Boston at home (only 24-17 in that building this year, which really isn't good for a team that won 50, i.e. they had a better road record) and I think Cleveland's supporting cast can't be this bad... that said, if Mike Brown continues to trot out Mo Williams for 35 minutes, buries Varejao again, and keeps running stuff for Shaq... Boston wins and it could be handily... Really intriguing obviously...
And a quick shout-out...
  • I was listening to sports radio in Atlanta this morning and heard an interview from a girl named Kaitlyn Dinkins that is a Junior in high school at Pace Academy in ATL... and basically, this was one of the most impressive-sounding young women I've ever heard... she had the idea to found a non-profit organization that allows under-privileged young women to continue playing AAU/traveling basketball after she realized the dwindling numbers of her friends that continued to play was caused by lack of funds... and she has (with family help) established a working relationship with Converse to fund the "Hope for Hoops" scholarship that, in part, has helped her to completely and fully fund 8 traveling basketball teams, and she has a fully-functional foundation called Peak Performance... just an outstanding young lady... you can read/see more about it at www.peakperformancebball.org or www.peakfoundation.org .... awesome stuff

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

5/12: Celtic Domination and More...

Greetings... To the top stories...
  • Boston 120, Cleveland 86.... still makes me do a double-take... I watched the majority of this game on tiVo even after knowing the outcome (I watched the 4th quarter live, bleh) and I was in awe... All you will hear about all day is Lebron's lackluster performance... and he was, in fact, pretty dreadful by his standards to the point where he should NOT be let off the hook for it by any stretch... but Cleveland loses that game even if Lebron throws up a 29-9-7 instead of his 15-6-7... his supporting cast and coaching were flat-out awful as well... they still haven't figured out a way to effectively use Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams is a complete defensive liability in this series (to the point where I wouldn't play him in crunch time), and I've yet to hear a reasonable explanation for the burying of JJ Hickson.... Credit to Boston for sure... the entire Big four played above-average on the same night, and that was a throwback performance from Ray Allen, he was great... I'm not burying Cleveland because Boston is a semi-bad home team and it's not as if Lebron is incapable of throwing up a 38-12-11 in Game 6... but it was a bad moment for him to be sure... I do wish the media would chill out a bit on the Lebron-solo focus...
  • The Griffey/sleep-gate is out of control now... players-only meetings... reported crying... and for what? The guy has a reported sleep issue.... so even if it was true... hey, why don't you wake him up?... This isn't a national story.. and it only is because he's named Ken Griffey Jr. and he's one of the 10 best baseball players ever (IMO)... move on
  • I'd like to take this opportunity to bash Jeff Schultz and the rest of the Atlanta media (mostly) for their ridiculous/outlandish Hawks sentiments following the sweep... Mr. Schultz singularly put together one of the worst columns I've ever read in his "6 steps to fix the Hawks" column or whatever it was... I won't even link to it again (I did on twitter immediately following)... baseless/useless chatter that serves no purpose other than to mislead the fan base into thinking Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade is likely coming... stop it... and please, for the love of anything holy... can these people check the salary cap before they print things?....
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Johnny Cueto... CG, 1 H, 0 ER, 8 Ks... the former ballyhooed prospect put together a dominant performance for the Reds...
  • Batting Line of the Day - Russ Branyan - 3-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI... hey, he'll hit .230 but he's got power
  • The Braves won again... and got reasonable offense again... Eric Hinske continues to put together professional ABs, Heyward has unreal plate discipline, and they are doing this without Chipper Jones and with Brian McCann still scuffling a bit... and I don't even wanna talk about Nate McLouth/Melky Cabrera... but hey, Troy Glaus is alive...
  • There are about 10 day baseball games today... that's awesome...
What to watch for...
  • No basketball tonight... and alot this week... sigh
  • Braves/Brewers 1:10 SportSouth... Lowe/Gallardo... Advantage Milwaukee pitching-wise as the Braves go for the sweep....
  • Yankees/Tigers (2nd game of double-header) 7:00 ESPN... Hughes/Bonderman it looks like...


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

5/11: Get Your Brooms Out...

Aloha.... It's been a long one...
  • Magic 4, Hawks 0... I think everything has pretty much been said... disappointed by the effort to be sure... but Orlando just magnified every weakness the Hawks have, and yet Atlanta continued to plow on with those same weaknesses... an abundance of isolation plays, deep 2-point jumpshots, and the inability to defend point guards (to name a few things) contributed to the downfall... Rashard Lewis' +/- rating in the 4 games? How about +110.... in 4 games! I'd like to thank Josh Smith for his performance on the defensive end... a real stopper... It's an overly negative time... but I'll recognize that the thought of 53 wins 4 or 5 years ago would've been a pipe dream, and there's something to be said for that.... but alas, this is the ceiling of this current roster teamed with the current coach... if Joe Johnson's rate comes down? Bringing him back wouldn't be the worst thing... I like his game, and I feel like if there was a capable tactician on the sideline, the iso-Joe game would be far more covered up... but what I can't support is bringing back Mike Woodson to coach this roster... I just can't see it... anyway... it is what it is... looking forward to seeing what happens this summer... mostly with terror....
  • The Lakers swept Utah as well.... less words here (lol)... too much size, too much Kobe.... done and done... Utah couldn't survive a subpar effort from Boozer and a non-world-beating effort from Deron Williams last night... it happens... Utah was competitive in the series, and really should've won Game 3... so the same sort of vitriol that the NBA community has for the Hawks rollover shouldn't apply here... it was an undermanned team facing a bad matchup...
Elsewhere...
  • The AP "re-voting" for Defensive Rookie of the Year because of Brian Cushing's positive drug test is ridiculous... the award was given 4 months ago...
  • Tiger Woods' swing coach Hank Haney steps down... there has been widespread bashing of him... and not just in recent days... even when Tiger was dominating pre-Thanksgiving, there were not-so-quiet whispers of his swing not being where it needs to be... interested to see what direction this goes in....
Baseball stuff....
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Tommy Hanson... 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 8 Ks... nasty stuff
  • Batting Line of the Day - Carlos Ruiz... the unheralded Philly catcher goes 4-5, HR, 2 RBI....
  • The Braves got a win... and their first Grand Slam since 2008.... wow is that ridiculous... anyway, nice to see the bats, and they really can't afford to lose games that Hanson and Hudson pitch right now with Jurrjens' injury getting worse and the Kawakami/Lowe blackhole...
What to watch for...
  • Celtics/Cavs... Game 5 8:00 TNT... pivotal for obvious reasons... I like Cleveland in the game... and interested to see what Mike Brown does on Rondo... it seems easy to put Lebron on him... but good luck handling Paul Pierce with Delonte West if Cleveland plays that small lineup...
  • Braves/Brewers - 8:00 SportSouth... Hudson/Bush... another favorable pitching matchup for Atlanta... and Heyward should be in the lineup

Friday, May 7, 2010

5/7: Magic 2-0, Russell Cut, etc.

Greetings... Abbreviated version today...
  • Orlando takes a 2-0 lead.... meh... an encouraging/competitive showing from the Hawks for 3 quarters... then Jameer Nelson hit the bank 3 at the buzzer of the 3rd, and suddenly it was a 19-point game... Jamal Crawford shot the Hawks out of it in the 4th along with some typical low basketball IQ play from Josh Smith, and the overall unimpressiveness (that's not even a word) of Marvin Williams... Dwight Howard was unstoppable pretty much every minute he was on the court (29 and 17), and I expect that to continue if and when he plays with this same aggression in Atlanta... Al Horford was the best player on the court for the Hawks... and that's 5 straight games where the best player wasn't Joe Johnson... 5-16 for 19 points isn't going to do it... it really isn't... and Vince Carter is showing him up to boot
  • Jamarcus Russell cut by Oakland... it's almost sad... fastest demise I can remember from a non-Ryan Leaf QB taken this high... not surprised... but what do you even say? He'll get another shot because someone will work him out and see his arm... but I just don't see it... he weighs 290 pounds, had 1 decent college season, and isn't accurate...
  • Lawrence Taylor... eh... I don't really have a comment... my only advice is not to convict people before they are convicted..
  • The Braves situational hitting is pretty bad... back-to-back innings with guys on 3rd and less than 2 outs in the 8th and 9th... double plays both times... and the subsequent implosion by Moylan in the bottom half of the 9th.. you can't lose series to Washington...
What to watch for tonight...
  • Cavs/Celtics - 7:00 ESPN... Please stop talking to me about Lebron's elbow... please
  • Suns/Spurs - 9:30 ESPN... obvious must-win for San Antonio
  • Braves/Phillies - 7:00 SportSouth... Lowe vs. Moyer in the battle of the ancient... and Jamie Moyer owns the Braves... count me excited...

Thursday, May 6, 2010

5/6: Suns 2-0, Milton Bradley, etc.

Aloha...
  • Phoenix 110, SA 102... the Suns get a big win and a significant advantage in the series... Jared Dudley was the key to the game IMO... from the time he entered, Phoenix woke up and he provided that spark... they got efficiency from Nash, another great game from Grant Hill, and won the glass (49-37)... for the Spurs? They got better-than-average production from Richard Jefferson, but that couldn't quite offset getting beat up on the glass and a 2 for 8 performance from Manu... This series isn't over by any stretch... but that was a big one for Phoenix
  • Milton Bradley dealing with "emotional stress".... he went to the Mariners and asked for help w/ personal issues... a huge step for a guy who is famously proud, and has blamed others for his issues previously... he's an overly talented guy who can't seem to get his head on straight... best of luck to him....
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - John Lackey (BOS) - 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER... seems like he's gotten past the early-season trouble
  • Batting Line of the Day - Miguel Cabrera (DET) - 3-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI... my preseason pick for the AL MVP has been fantastic... hitting .372 with 7 HR and 30 RBI so far...
  • Big extra-inning for the Braves... Matt Diaz came up big and the offense actually carried the day for the first time in a while... picking up the previously dominant Tommy Hanson and Takashi Saito (who blew a 2-run 8th inning lead)...
  • Which run differential will be larger for the season? Tampa Bay's current +75... or Pittsburgh's current -86? I think I'll take Pittsburgh...
What to watch for...
  • Hawks/Magic - 8:00 ESPN - The whole world gets to tune in here... count me excited... except the opposite... it's the only game on the schedule... and an opportunity for the Hawks to show some heart... I have no idea what's going to happen....
  • Braves/Nats - 7:00 SportSouth - Hudson/Olsen... Gotta win series'....

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

5/5: 114-71

This could get ugly...
  • 114-71... That was an NBA playoff game final score last night... I'm not going to give you any numbers or stats.... just know this... the Hawks absolutely quit last night... Josh Smith quit, Joe Johnson quit, Jamal Crawford quit... as soon as Orlando made a run in the 2nd quarter it was "la-di-da" we'll just take jumpers and play Game 2... they quit on Mike Woodson... The list of guys who I actually think DIDN'T quit last night goes like this... Zaza Pachulia, Jeff Teague, and maybe Al Horford (maybe)... that's the list... and in case you were wondering, those aren't the guys that I need to win this series... I've never been more embarrassed to be a Hawks fan than I am today... not during the 13-69 season when the talent level was so bad that it was unwatchable, not during the entire Billy Knight era... never... and making it worse... Mike Woodson looked like a guy who wasn't fired up in the least post-game.. I need you to call people out Mike... you lost by 43 points... I thought you were inept before, and as far as I'm concerned, last night should've been the final nail in your coffin in Atlanta... goodbye... I know I'm not rational... but I am angry/embarrassed/fired up and it's not okay...
  • Rant #2... This one is shorter... this Arizona immigration law is a joke... I know it's not sports... but with the Suns/Padres/D-Backs all being brought into it... I'll comment... Embarrassment seems to be a running term in this blog today... but it applies even deeper here... I'm embarrassed to live in a country where that law could actually pass... at what point as a Hispanic-American would I just be walking around the city carrying my immigration papers? Going to the bank? or a sporting event? or a movie? The profiling here is unbelievable/unethical, and I'm appalled.... and that's from a guy who doesn't usually get invested in things like this (at least in a public forum)
I guess I should discuss other sports...
  • LA 111, Utah 103... It was hard to watch more basketball last night but I made it through... LA dominated inside, and Kobe was efficient... couple that with the worst performance of the playoffs from Deron Williams (4-16 shooting) and you get this result... bright spot for Utah? Paul Millsap continues to do work inside and LA hasn't quite found a way to slow his bullish physicality down there...
  • Legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell passes at 92... an absolute icon in Sports broadcasting, and a guy who will live on in clips/stories forever... RIP
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - AJ Burnett... 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 8 K
  • Batting Line of the Day - Ryan Sweeney - 3-4, HR, 5 RBI... it was a slow day
  • The Braves go down on the road again... 9 straight road losses and 0-5 so far from Kenshin Kawakami... he hasn't been flat-out dreadful... but he hasn't been good, and that contract looks even worse than it did last year... while we're here, Livan Hernandez was VERY hittable last night... and they couldn't make him pay... I'd like to think the situational hitting will balance itself out (i.e. the Braves can't be this bad with 2 outs and/or with RISP)... but it hasn't happened yet
  • I'll credit my friend Taylor with this one... but doesn't Nyjer Morgan portray a spitting image of Delino Deshields?
What to watch for...
  • The first 1-game NBA night in a while... Spurs/Suns 9:00 TNT... At least it's the best series (IMO)... not a complete must-win for San Antonio, but they certainly need it... really interested to see what (if anything) Pop does to account for the Hill/Nash mismatch... start Parker? maybe...
  • Braves/Nats - 7:00 SportSouth - Hanson vs. Atilano... best pitcher for the Braves trying to bust the road losing streak... I like our chances
  • Cardinals/Phillies - 7:00 ESPN - Penny/Kendrick.. best 2 teams in the NL... and Brad Penny has been spectacular this year

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

5/4: Celtics Shocker, Del Negro, Etc.

Greetings... to the headlines..
  • Celtics 104, Cavs 86 - Count me shocked by this one... Rajon Rondo was the best player on the floor last night... in a game that featured Lebron James on the other sideline... 13 points, 19 dimes, and he controlled the flow of the game throughout while holding his point guard counterpart Mo Williams to 1-9 shooting... dominant... Lebron was Lebron (24, 7 and 4) but not the force he's capable of... and even Sheed got in on the act for Boston scoring 17 points in 18 minutes on the day that Doc Rivers had openly discussed benching him for Shelden Williams... Would it shock me if Cleveland won in 5? Not at all (Boston isn't good at home, etc.)... but for one night, Boston is in this thing
  • In what promises to be another classic series... Phoenix takes the 1-0 lead over the Spurs behind Steve Nash's ridiculous 33 and 10... startling efficiency (13 of 19 shooting) and really effortless control of the game... scary stuff from Nash... San Antonio needs more from George Hill, but I think the real key to last night (outside of Nash getting wherever he wanted)... Jason Richardson... another efficient 25+ point game from a guy who might be playing the best basketball of his career right now...
  • Vinny Del Negro fired by Chicago.... about 3 months too late IMO... but at the same time they played hard for him down the stretch... in the end, he just seemed overmatched at times and Chicago's off-season free agent recruiting efforts could use a new face, especially after the Paxson/Del Negro fight scenario...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Ubaldo Jimenez... This guy has been lights-out... he's now 6-0 after going 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 13 Ks last night... (Runner-up? How bout Rich Harden's re-emergence with 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 9 K)
  • Batting Line of the Day - Mike Lowell... he's still alive... 4-4, 4 RBI, 2 R
  • Forgot to mention this yesterday... is anyone more unlucky than Zach Greinke? Guy throws a complete game, allows 1 earned run and loses 1-0... again... sub 3 ERA with under 1.00 WHIP... and he's 0-3 in 5 starts... that's unreal
  • Early MVPs? Robinson Cano (.371, 9 HR) and Andre Ethier (.365, 9 HR, 26 RBI... and he's currently winning the NL Triple Crown)... yes it's May 4th
What to watch for...
  • Hawks/Magic - 8:00 TNT - Game 1... and a big one... can the Hawks compete in Orlando? This would be the one to steal IMO... possibly rusty Magic team....
  • Jazz/Lakers - 10:30 TNT - Game 2... Deron Williams needs to be 100% for Utah to have a chance...
  • Braves/Nats - 7:00 SportSouth - Kawakami/Livan Hernandez... is Eric Gregg behind the plate? no? Okay, the Braves have a chance...

Monday, May 3, 2010

5/3: Hawks Move On, 2nd Round Preview, etc.

Greetings... My apologies on the weekend hiatus... Here we go
  • Hawks 95, Bucks 74.... One of the most underwhelming series victories imaginable to be honest.... but on the other hand, the opposite result would've caused mass hysteria... Game 7 is what this series should've looked like... the talent of the Hawks running on (mostly) all cylinders and Milwaukee looking undermanned... Al Horford was the best player on the court and only took 8 shots... Joe Johnson scored 8 points and the Hawks won by 21 points... I could go on for days
  • Lakers hold serve... This could be a great series... An efficient (12-19) Kobe Bryant coupled with no answer for Pau Gasol gets LA the win... I tweeted this, but I am so unimpressed with Andrew Bynum every time I see him... maybe it's because of how he runs or the fact that he's more injury-prone than Greg Oden.... Deron Williams is going to do whatever he wants in this series... and I really like the wing tandem of Miles and Matthews... not that either of them are star players, just underappreciated guys who can play D and make shots
  • A non-Tiger golf story? Yes... Rory McIlroy (one of the 2 best players under 21 in the world with Japan's Ishikawa) shoots a ridiculous 62 on Sunday to win at Quail Hollow... and when he beats Phil Mickelson in the process? He gets a mention...
A quick 2nd round NBA preview...
  • Lakers/Jazz - Lakers in 7.... I got it on the record near tip-off on Twitter... I legitimately think the home team wins every game in the series... and after seeing Game 1, that's even more reaffirmed for me... I don't know that Utah has enough to steal one in LA, and it's as simple as that... p.s. Deron Williams may average 30 and 10 in the series
  • Suns/Spurs - Spurs in 6... I'm not off the bandwagon yet... with a healthy Robin Lopez, I would pick Phoenix in 7... but Robin Lopez isn't healthy... and what I saw defensively from the Spurs in the Dallas series really impressed me... Parker is going 100% now, and Phoenix has no one to hide Nash on defensively... San Antonio takes either game 1 or 2 in Phoenix, wins both at home, Phoenix wins game 5, and the Spurs close it out at home...
  • Cavs/Celtics - Cavs in 5.... Okay, I know Game 1 has been played... too much talent for Cleveland and I'm still really down on Boston... Rasheed is a trainwreck (to the point where Doc actually dropped a reference to giving SHELDEN WILLIAMS his minutes...) and they couldn't win even with Rondo playing his best possible game...
  • Hawks/Magic - Magic in 5... before I get the angry messages, I would hate this result... but this isn't a wishful thinking prediction... Orlando is deeper, the Hawks have had (and continue to have) no answer for Dwight Howard on the block, Jameer is playing out of his mind, and Mike Bibby has to guard Jameer, Vince, or Rashard... good luck with that... Only way Atlanta can be competitive? Keep Dwight under wraps (something they've never been able to do) and move....the....ball.... the iso-Joe offense isn't going to win you anything... especially when Joe has been underwhelming... and I can't believe I'm going to say this... but Josh Smith is the key... check out his #'s in the wins against Milwaukee... and then look at the losses... when was efficient/effective (aka playing his game) the Hawks look much better on offense... when he's content to shoot bad jumpers and not use his developing skills as a high-post passer, the offense gets even more stagnant... I hope I'm wrong...
To Baseball....
  • Pitching Line of the Night - Doug Fister... (again?!?).. 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER.. it's Greg Maddux-lite apparently... and oh, Seattle didn't get him any runs... shocking (sorry Ryan)
  • Batting Line of the Night - Hanley Ramirez - 3-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI... best shortstop in the game... top 5 player in the game...
  • The Braves get a sweep... 21-4 total score in the series... Houston was just what the Doctor ordered... the pitching has been good all year... I'm asking for 4-5 runs per game... seems like a simple request, yes? More encouraging? The defense all weekend... Only 2 errors... I can handle that... oh yeah... and Troy Glaus woke up...
  • San Diego is 16-9... I bet you can't name 3 hitters on that team... go ahead... try... don't cheat
What to watch for tonight...
  • Celtics/Cavs Game 2 - TNT 8:00... Celtics in an almost must-win already here...
  • Spurs/Suns Game 1 - TNT 10:30
  • Angels/Red Sox - ESPN 7:00 - Joe Saunders vs. Clay Buchholz... if you don't like basketball and enjoy 4.5 hour marathon baseball games.... this is for you!