Wednesday, June 30, 2010

6/30: NBA FA Predictions and more...

Greetings... The world is bracing for tomorrow's free agent explosion... I'm following it closely simply because I'm a giant NBA fan, and not allowing the fact that I absolutely detest this coverage to push me away... With that in mind, here's my quick predictions...
  • Lebron to Chicago - Alot is being made of the 3-way Miami plan with Wade and Bosh, but I don't see that working, because I don't believe Lebron will go into Miami to play with a guy who already has the title in that city... for Chicago? Great supporting cast (Rose and Noah in place, and the ability to get another big gun, preferably Dirk or Bosh), and the 3rd largest TV market... done and done
  • Wade to Miami - Not alot of suspense here...
  • Bosh to Chicago - This was the toughest one for me... but in the end, I think he's blindly following LBJ and that team will be absurdly talented in a way that nobody else could be simply because they have more talent in place than any of the other options
  • Dirk to Dallas - I'll say this, I think I'd rather have Dirk (for the short term) than Bosh as a support piece to Lebron or Wade, but he's older and he'll still demand that contract... He's hard to read because of the lack of data, but he has loyalty to Cuban, and the opt-out just ensures he'll get locked up wherever he lands
  • Amare to Miami - No Bosh, no Lebron, no Dirk.... Wade needs a big and the best one out there is Amare in this spot... the runner-up here? Phoenix...
  • Boozer to New Jersey - The Russian billionaire has money... and cap space... but I don't think he's getting one of the top-flight guys, and Boozer is known for taking the money and running...
  • Joe to NY - I've heard alot of Joe and Amare going to NY together... people seem to forget that these 2 guys hate each other... I'd be shocked if they signed in NY together, but in the end I think Joe goes there because they'll pay him, and that's all it takes
  • Gay to New Jersey - The Russian wants to win now... and Gay is the biggest reasonable name left.. I'd want no part of him, but a Harris/Gay/Boozer/Lopez 4-some gets you to the playoffs in 2010-11
  • Pierce to Boston - News of his opt-out sent waves this morning... I think it's a cash-grab and he'll re-sign in Boston for 3 more years... but if someone (cough, cough New Jersey or New York) is dumb enough to max him out? He could be gone...
  • David Lee to NY - They strike out on the big guys, lock up Joe Johnson and come crawling back to Lee... needless to say, the fans won't love this outcome
  • EDIT! - Carmelo on the Block - Melo and the Nuggets have reportedly stalled on contract talks, and he'd certainly be available via trade to a team with cap space if they can't lock him up... Just something to keep an eye on
Please remember this after these guys sign... after all, it's the lesson as always... I'm an idiot

Elsewhere..
  • Roger Federer goes down in the Wimbledon quarters this morning... that's a big deal when you consider his overall dominance in Majors, but when you think about it being Wimbledon... it's bigger
  • PK's decided a World Cup knockout round game last night... there's nothing better from a drama standpoint than a shootout...
  • Cliff lee is getting dealt this summer... but the Yankees talk makes me uneasy... I don't think he's going there (yet)... it's been their custom recently to let some unsuspecting team pay the Prospect price for a half-season rental, and then overpay in the summer to take the guy away... that'll continue
What to watch for...
  • Braves/Nats - 7:00 SportSouth - Jurrjens/Martin - the return of Jair Jurrjens... a big story for the Braves... he was fantastic in 2009, but there's a growing suspicion that he pitched over his head... we'll see
  • Cubs/Pirates - 2:20 WGN - Gorzelanny/Lincoln
  • Mets/Marlins - 7:00 ESPN2 - Pelfrey/Volstad
  • NBA Fastbreak - Midnight ESPN - Special FA edition... I have no idea why they're even showing this, because nothing will happen at midnight... but hey, it's basketball talk

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

6 years... $119 Million...

The above title is the max offer that Joe Johnson can receive from the Hawks... if you take away the term "max" and just look at the numbers... doesn't it make it even crazier? Consider...
  1. Joe Johnson isn't one of the top 15 guys in this league... here's proof... stop me when you get to a guy you wouldn't rather have... Lebron, Wade, Kobe, Bosh, Dirk, Duncan, Durant, Paul, D. Williams, Rondo, Carmelo, Howard, Nash, Rose, Roy... there's 15 right there... not even counting young guys you'd rather have on your team going forward...
  2. The "average" salary in this deal is just under $20 million... but that doesn't tell the story... the deal starts lower and escalates with raises every year... basically, by the end of this deal (when he'd be in his mid-30s and not even as valuable as he is now) he'd be making in the neighborhood of $23 million per... he's not worth the starting salary in his prime, much less that number on the downside...
  3. $20 million a year is insanity
  4. Al Horford isn't locked up yet... he's still on a rookie deal and they only have FULL control over him through 2010-11 (qualifying offer in 2011-12, etc. but you get the idea)... I can't imagine him getting less than $10 million per season on the open market right now, so add that in to the pending salary cap and a luxury tax threshold that the Atlanta Spirit would never consider crossing... what happens then?
What am I saying? There are 2 sides to this issue... one side is the "keep Joe" camp that thinks (and I agree with this sentiment) that if he walks for nothing, the Hawks will be a mid-30's team as far as wins next year, and that's the extent of their foresight on the issue... they haven't possibly considered the future with a tightly financed ownership group, and the ramifications of such a lock-up of Joe.... The other side? Get rid of Joe... don't make an effort, etc... or even the "sign and trade" camp... for those people? I'd point you to http://www.hoopinionblog.com/2010/06/unsolicited-advice-on-eve-of-free.html (and I agree) for the reasons that may not work... for one? We don't want a less talented, equally bad contracted player to clog minutes... Most sign and trades are not talent equal, and we will, with a 90%-plus likelihood be losing this trade from a pure talent standpoint if it happens... Read the above blogpost from Bret LaGree for the full breakdown...

What side am I on? Here it is simply...
  • If the Hawks can resign Joe Johnson a deal similar to the one they offered him previously (4 years, 60 million), I'd be on board... that's reasonable in this market for his talents because the length isn't outlandish and $15 million per, while still overpaying for him, isn't crazy... Likelihood here? Slim-to-none
  • If he can get the 5-year max elsewhere, and brings it to the Hawks and says, "I'll come back for the 6-year max"? Tell him to walk....
  • If he is holding another team hostage for the full 6-year max and comes to the Hawks and says "sign and trade me", I'm fine with that... provided we take back a) a young, cheap asset and draft picks if it's with a team with cap room (i.e. New Jersey, New York, Chicago, LAC, Minny, Sacto) and b) NOT an overpaid wing with a bad contract (Caron Butler from Dallas) or cap-filler that can't help us... the best deal I've seen tossed out? Houston offering Kevin Martin and a small contract or pick for Joe... I'd be all over that deal... Martin is relatively fairly priced (averaging $12 million per for 3 more years), is efficient, and isn't a ball-stopper/iso guy... do I think that deal is real? Probably not... but the model is a) don't clog the cap, and b) if you're taking back pieces, make sure they help you... there's no rule stating you HAVE to sign-n-trade him just because he asked...
Alot of this is scatter-brained analysis, and there's limited info to go on.... I encourage you read that Hoopinion blog link above, as he is well-reasoned and informed in a way that most Hawks fans never see by following the Hawks via the AJC or some other more mainstream form... We will know alot more on Thursday...

6/29: A Strasburg Sighting

Aloha... First with a bunch of Braves thoughts...
  • Stephen Strasburg came to town last night, and I was lucky enough to be in attendance (well played, James)... Any time you can get 43,000 people at Turner Field on a Monday against the Nats, something is going down... and he lived up to the billing... sort of... he wasn't sharp early in the game (first 3 innings or so) but then he struck out 6 batters in a row, and was generally dominant until he ran into the buzzsaw in the 7th...
  • I led with Strasburg, because he was the hype machine that generated the 2nd-largest crowd of the season for the Braves... but Tim Hudson was, again, masterful... 7 shutout innings including a gutsy 7th where he stranded a guy on 3rd despite being well over 100 pitches... the crowd was legitimately good (a welcome change), and there was a clear atmosphere...
  • Jason Heyward headed to the DL... it looks like it'll be a short (aka the minimum 15 days) stay there, but he'll wear a cast on that thumb for 6 days or so... not a huge cause of concern, but judging by his numbers for about a month now, it was bothering him...
  • Jair Jurrjens is returning... and Kenshin Kawakami is paving the way by moving to the pen... most people thought this was the outcome we were headed towards with Medlen pitching so well, but Bobby confirmed it last night... I like the decision, and KK becomes the long relief guy
Elsewhere in sports...
  • Lebron, Wade, and Bosh reportedly "meet" to discuss all 3 of their plans to play in Miami... I can't wait for this to be over... I don't believe a single thing I read anymore... but quietly, there's an almost as ridiculous player movement saga around Joe Johnson, he's been linked to 6 different teams in the last 36 hours... six!... take a deep breath and brace for 38 wins, Hawks fans...
  • There is absolutely no chance Portland can hire a comparable GM to Kevin Pritchard... and I need to hear more people bashing Paul Allen today... yes, he's the richest owner imaginable... but if you have a guy who completely made over your roster and transformed you into a model basketball operation, and then you fire him in a league that only has 8-10 good GM's? I don't understand...
  • I'm not surprised by this at all... but the general World Cup interest (in following social media, talking to people, etc.) has bottomed out after the US loss... This was one of the most interesting subplots of the entire thing for me, and I hope I'm misreading it for the general fact that I'd love to believe this world-wide event of epic proportions would actually be followed by the American sports fan... look at me? No soccer interest... but this is an EVENT... I compare it to the olympics... raise your hand if you'd watch a swim meet on TV at any other time... did you watch Michael Phelps in the '08 olympics? Yes, yes you did...
What to watch for...
  • World Cup Round of 16 - Paraguay v. Japan - 10:00 AM ESPN
  • World Cup Round of 16 - Spain v. Portugal - 2:30 PM ESPN
  • Wimbledon (all-day) on ESPN2
  • Braves/Nationals - 7:00 Peachtree TV - Lowe/Stammen - Last 3 starts for Lowe? 20.2 IP, 17 H, 5 ER... he's been quite good lately
  • Pirates/Cubs - 8:00 WGN - Karstens/Lilly
And here are my extensive thoughts on the College World Series (an event which I have never, and will likely never have interest in).... PING!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

6/26: Edwin's No-No, World Cup

Aloha...
  • Edwin Jackson through an 8-walk (wow) no-hitter last night... these are always fun... 8 base-runners in 9 innings is still very good, but at what point is it "meh"? At any rate, he gets credit for a no-no the same as a guy who walks none and has an error charged to his team... the crazy part? He threw 149 pitches... Paging Tommy John... I'll give him credit though, this was a 1-0 game where he no margin for error in the 9th.. props
  • Carlos Zambrano threw an epic clubhouse tirade on Friday afternoon resulting in his immediate suspension... sounds like Big Z to me... the guy he challenged in the dugout? Derrek Lee... pretty much the last guy I'd get in the face of on that team...whoops...
  • Portugal and Brazil play to an uninspiring 0-0 tie... this is what I hate about soccer sometimes... not the sport itself... but it lends itself to uninspired play at times in situations like this where this game was pretty much meaningless... both were advancing and they played like it... and don't get me started on the concept of a "friendly", but that is for another day... The heat is on everyone now... knockout round kicks off on Saturday, and that is what the world's "futbol"-consuming public can beat their chest over, I'm actually excited...
  • USC appeals most of their NCAA sanctions but accepts their 2010-11 bowl ban... no surprise here... No one thought they'd take this lying down, but how much can they really get this knocked down?
  • Memo to Mike Vick: Stay... in... your... house... even if you had done nothing wrong in that restaurant/club... you should've been chillin at home
What to Watch for...
  • World Cup Round of 16 - USA vs. Ghana 2:30 ABC
  • World Cup Round of 16 - Uruguay vs. South Korea 10:00 ESPN
  • Braves/Tigers - Kawakami/Scherzer - 4:00 SportSouth
  • Yankees/Dodgers - Burnett/Kuroda - 7:00 FOX
Enjoy it! Go USA

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The 2010 NBA Draft!

Greetings all... After a fantastic night of NBA discussion/insight with my confidant Ryan... I've come away with this... for my thoughts as the draft unfolded live? Look me up @browismyhero on twitter...

Pick-by-pick analysis...
  1. Washington - John Wall (PG) Kentucky - To say this wasn't shocking is an understatement... the big question for me? They just got Kirk Hinrich... giving them FOUR 6'4 PG's in their best 5-6 players... that's kind of a wild mix, eh?... I'm gonna need Randy Foye to get dealt ASAP... maybe 2 of them... But everyone loves Wall, and while I'm not convinced he's as good a prospect as Derrick Rose or that he'll ever be in the Paul/Williams class, he's the clear #1
  2. Philly - Evan Turner (SG/SF) Ohio State - The "foregone conclusion" 1-2 pick scenario actually went down despite some late-ish Favors love... I don't like the fit... at all...mostly because I don't see how the Turner/Iggy thing works, and suddenly Thaddeus Young has to play the 4 more... and I'm on record in saying Turner will never be a star... but Philly is one of those rosters with no "holes" but they have alot of holes... so it was a coinflip either way...
  3. New Jersey - Derrick Favors (PF/C) Georgia Tech - I really like Favors game... and I like the pick more because he gets to go play next to Lopez... they compliment each other well (Lopez is the polished scorer, Favors the rebounder/defender) and that gives them a legit imposing tandem up front both under 23-24 years old... Nice young core depending on who they can get in Free Agency and what happens with Harris...
  4. Minnesota - Wes Johnson (SF) Syracuse - Natural fit with Favors off the board... silky smooth wing, and the wing shooter they need... Cousins would be a weird fit with the Jefferson/Love combo in place, and other than him, I can't make a case elsewhere... I'm cool with it
  5. Sacramento - DeMarcus Cousins (C) Kentucky- Best player available here... I'm terrified of the Cousins/Evans marriage though (apologies to those who read my twitter) for this reason.. both guys are hugely talented but Cousins is an obvious maturity risk, and there are reports that Evans isn't easy to play with... I guess they had to go that way... and Cousins has the highest upside in the draft (Wall Included) in my opinion... it's going to be wild out there I think...
  6. Golden State - Ekpe Udoh (PF/C) Baylor (via Michigan) - I really like Udoh... let me say that... he has a legit NBA skill (shot-blocking) and will be a presence from the jump on that end.. but this reeks of a reach... classic Golden State though... Monroe is a better player, and this team doesn't have a frontcourt scoring presence in any way... I don't hate it like I would've had they taken Aminu... but I question it...
  7. Detroit - Greg Monroe (PF/C) Georgetown - Big Monroe fan... the fit is "meh" because they need a legit center and he isn't that... but pencil him in at the 4, and I really like his passing ability... if he played in a more suited offense for him in college, I feel like he could've been a top-3 pick (as he was slated when he got to Georgetown).. Like the pick, esp. when considering the best "center" prospect was Aldrich who'd be a reach here...
  8. LA Clippers - Al-Farouq Aminu (SF/PF) Wake Forest - Umm... I hate this pick... but I understand it... their glaring "need" is at the 3... and they probably, like most, had Aminu the highest on their board here... but I don't think he's a 3... his offensive game is so raw, and his best attributes are on the glass and defensive end... Good luck to the Clips.. typical for them though... I think I would've gone elsewhere... especially when considering I can't picture him and Griffin playing with each other
  9. Utah (via NY and Phoenix) - Gordon Heyward (SF) Butler - To say he'll fit right in is an understatement (laughter)... at any rate... there aren't many glaring holes on that roster... I would've taken a big but I can understand the lack of urgency to go snatch Ed Davis... I like the kids game, and he'll be their best shooter immediately... It feels like a reach... but with as good as Utah was last year, they can afford it a bit...
  10. Indiana - Paul George (SF/SG) Fresno State - This one I don't really understand unless Granger is imminently on the way out... they are very similar players... George is a long, athletic wing with deep range and tons of talent... but he was 2nd team All-WAC last year... 2nd team... and I'm not sure you can justify this one with Babbitt/Henry/Davis on the board...
  11. OKC (via New Orleans) - Cole Aldrich (C) Kansas - I was all ready to kill New Orleans on this pick... until they dealt it to OKC... really interesting for the Thunder here.. they take on Mo Pete's 6.6 million for next year and give up 18 and 21 for Aldrich... Sam Presti must be sold... I really like Aldrich's game and it gives them 2 legit young bigs with him and Ibaka to play alongside the Durant/Westbrook/Green/Harden core... and it's a straight money dump for NO... makes some sense on both sides
  12. Memphis - Xavier Henry (SG/SF) Kansas - Struck me as weird... but I'm guessing Memphis thinks Henry is a 3... I would've gone Babbitt because I KNOW he's a 3... but I do like Henry's game... he has very efficient offensive game with a smooth jumper, and he was the consensus best scorer coming out of HS in 2009... I don't hate it, but there were safer picks.... Babbitt in free fall...
  13. Toronto - Ed Davis (PF) North Carolina - This makes all kinds of sense... Davis free-falled a bit and it's very good value for Toronto at 13... and they suddenly have a 6'10-ish left-handed power forward for when Bosh walks away... if they could guarantee they'd be rid of Turkoglu, I would've gone Babbitt, and Patterson was in the mix.. but I think I agree with this pick... he's a shot-blocking presence that they haven't had too...
  14. Houston - Patrick Patterson (PF) Kentucky - I like this pick alot for Houston... they don't have any "pressing" needs... but front-court depth is chief among the things I would've gone with when factoring Yao's injury status and Scola's contract issues... I really, really like Patterson and feel like he's been undervalued.... he can play right away, and while they don't need him to, it'd be a nice asset
  15. Milwaukee - Larry Sanders (PF/C) VCU - Really like him... Milwaukee needs help up-front after Bogut, and this was the best big available IMO... his upside isn't as high as Whiteside's but he's certainly more apt to play right away, and they'll probably need him this year off the bench... Another nice move from Milwaukee...
  16. Portland (via Minnesota) - Luke Babbitt (SF) Nevada - 2 layers here... Portland traded Martell Webster to the T-Wolves for the pick to take Babbitt and Ryan Gomes... Minnesota needed a 2-guard and there wasn't one available so Portland filled that need to go up and grab the best player left in the draft... obviously the fit of Babbitt is a question mark with the unfathomable depth that Portland still has... but I gotta believe Rudy Fernandez is gone, and suddenly the logjam is down to Batum and Babbitt... I love Babbitt's game, and he should've gone 5 picks ago.... add in Gomes who is an instant upgrade as a backup to Aldridge, and I'm sold
  17. Chicago (from Milwaukee) - Kevin Seraphin (PF) France - This threw me for a loop because I forgot it was going to Washington in the pending Hinrich trade.. I won't pretend to know much about him... but he's reportedly a tough, athletic big... more of a project than anything else, but I don't see why Washington needs him around with guys like Blatche and McGee... That's a really, really weird roster right now...
  18. OKC (from Miami) - Eric Bledsoe (PG) Kentucky - TRADE: Bledsoe to the Clippers for a future 1st rounder... I was all set to murder this pick by OKC because I thought they made a mistake... but in the end, it's probably good value to snatch a first rounder from LAC when OKC doesn't really have any pressing needs that could've been filled at this point in their building process... for the Clips? I really like it... Baron has 3 more years, but he's semi-movable and Bledsoe gives them a highly-talented option to build behind him....
  19. Boston - Avery Bradley (SG/PG) Texas - I initially didn't get this... but if they are taking him to backup both guard spots I think I can see it... he's very talented, probably the best defender in this draft, and they won't ask him to run the show... Based on what's left in the frontcourt (not much), I don't mind it...
  20. San Antonio - James Anderson (SG) Oklahoma State - Maybe the best pure scorer on the wing in this draft... an interesting fit in San Antonio because of the guard log-jam, but the highest rated guy left on alot of people's boards here... definitely opens up the Hill-or-Parker trade scenarios even more IMO... I like his game, and he certainly has an NBA-ready skill... with the window closing on the Spurs, this makes alot of sense
  21. New Orleans (via Oklahoma City as part of draft-day deal) - Craig Brackins (PF) Iowa State - Makes some sense... I didn't love the trade-down from a basketball standpoint... but if they had to do it financially, this is the type of guy they needed to grab with one of the picks in the 20s... high upside, athletic big that gives them depth and stretches the floor... after West and Okafor, their frontcourt is jokingly bad (Songaila, Gray, etc.); Given what's out there, I don't mind it
  22. Portland - Elliot Williams (PG/SG) Memphis - What do you take on a team with this kind of depth? Euros are an option but if there was a "hole" it was at PG... they take the best available (IMO) in Williams... there are questions on his true PG skills, but there wasn't alot out there, and really not a Euro-stash candidate either... I like his game alot, and it gives them a developmental option at the point
  23. Minnesota (via Philly) - Trevor Booker (PF) Clemson - Undersized, upperclassmen power forward who rebounds and does the little things... this is the type of player that's been undervalued in recent drafts, but with Millsap/Blair/etc. performing as they are, Booker went where he should've... also, Minny dealt Ryan Gomes... and Booker is virtually the same type of player... makes some sense, and they have a bucket load of picks to work with... UPDATE: Dealt to Washington for #30 and #35... I really have no earthly idea what Washington is doing... but Booker is more NBA-ready than Brackins... so there you go
  24. Atlanta - Damion James (SF/PF) Texas - I really like his game... rebounder/defender who I think can play right away... and basically, his name isn't Daniel Orton... so I'm pleased... it's about as NBA-ready as I could've imagined, and he'd help the bench right away if needed... I like it alot... more to come on this obviously... UPDATE: Traded to NJ for picks 27 and 31... I like it for the Nets because he's ready to play now and they've gotten rid of CDR and Yi is probably gone too...
  25. Dallas (via Memphis per outright purchase of pick) - Dominique Jones (SG) South Florida - Makes more sense now that we know it was picked for Dallas... pure scorer that they could use on the wing.... Interested to see how much he plays... but he can flat-out score and gives them a legitimate 2-guard when Jason Terry is more of a tweener...
  26. New Orleans (via OKC) - Quincy Pondexter (SG/SF) Washington - love, love, love this pick for the Hornets... one of the more NBA-ready wings in the draft... can come in and contribute right away... not alot of upside to him, but he'll be strong, defend and be efficient from the jump... and they have no wings.... still..
  27. Atlanta (via New Jersey) - Jordan Crawford (SG) Xavier - Let me say this... I actually like Crawford as a player... but I hate the fit.. he's a pure scorer at a position that already includes Jamal Crawford (a commentating nightmare) and could very well be occupied by Joe Johnson for 5 more years... he doesn't offer much more... I'm perplexed... We'll obviously discuss this further in this space...
  28. Memphis - Greivis Vasquez (PG) Maryland - Not a big fan of Vasquez at the next level simply because I don't think he can cover any PG in this league... but he's big for the position, crafty, and very good offensively... if he can even be acceptable on defense, I'd like him... I just don't see it... but the flier makes sense here
  29. Orlando - Daniel Orton (C) Kentucky - This wowed me... on one hand, this is a no-pressure situation to slowly develop a young big behind Dwight Howard... that'd be all well and good... until you realize they vastly overpaid to lock up Marcin Gortat for 4 more years... I don't understand why you pick him when he has almost no chance of seeing minutes for 3 years... but maybe that's my anti-Orton bias coming in... wouldn't touch the guy with someone else's team...
  30. Minnesota (via Washington) - Lazar Heyward (SF) Marquette - A bit of a surprise that he ends up in Round 1... but a tough, gritty guy who was a proven winner at Marquette... pretty low upside, but it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up being a rotation guy for someone... he's very long for his height, and he can knock down jumpers... not wowed by him, but a guy I like
And there's the first round... Some notable 2nd round picks...
  • Sacramento gets Hassan Whiteside at 33 - Crazy value here... guy was in alot of people's top 10's because of crazy length and athleticism, and they can bring him along very slowly behind Cousins, great fit
  • The Knicks take Landry Fields at 39 - This says it all... Chad Ford didn't have Fields in his top 100... and that's the first time "in years" anyone has even selected someone not in the top 100... much less at 39
  • Phoenix takes local product Gani Lawal - A rare pick I liked from Phoenix... nice value.. he can rebound and score immediately, and is about as ready as anyone they could've gotten to help them
  • The Clippers take Willie Warren at 54 - In the plummet of the year... Warren was in everyone's top 10 preseason and he falls this far... extremely talented, but positionless guard who underperformed for Jeff Capel at Oklahoma... I like taking the flier here because of the talent
  • Orlando gets Stanley Robinson at 59 - One of the best athletes in the draft who has real promise if he can get his head on straight... glad someone picked him
Here are the teams that I liked from last night... and the teams I hated... and yes, it's early...
  • Liked - Houston (Patterson gives them another body inside, i was high on him), LA Lakers (without a 1st-rounder, got Ebanks and Caracter who both have upside), Milwaukee (got 3 big bodies, will likely hit on one, and Hobson is nice value), New Jersey (Favors and James are both guys I liked alot, and they needed to get a legit SF after ridding themselves of CDR), New Orleans (Brackins gives them an athletic big that they don't have, and Pondexter helps right away), OKC (Went up to get Aldrich, really the only guy who could've gotten minutes for them at that spot unless they went into the top 6, and stashed some talent late), Portland (Pritchard went out with a bang... I really like Luke Babbitt, and they took 2 point guards, which is their only real need position), Sacramento (Suddenly a scary team on paper, they managed to get Cousins AND Hassan Whiteside, dividing the risk a bit), San Antonio (Anderson can help them right away, they did the typical Euro-stash in Round 2), Toronto (Davis is good value at 13, and they managed to get Solomon Alabi at 50 which is crazy value IMO, and both guys are defensively skilled bigs)
  • Teams I hated - Atlanta (more to come), Golden State (I actually like Ekpe Udoh, but that's a reach at 6, and when you only have one pick, wouldn't it have made sense to try and go down?), Indiana (They took 2 wings with "upside" but they already have Danny Granger... I don't really get either pick, but especially George), Orlando (as much as I liked the 2nd round pick of Robinson, I really, really don't understand the Orton pick... they are over-committed to Gortat, and I don't like Orton at all anyway), Utah (Not necessarily anti-Heyward, but I felt like Babbitt was a better player/fit, and I'm not sure Heyward helps them quickly), Washington (Slow down... I like Wall, everyone does... this is more about taking Seraphin at 17 and Booker at 23... where do all these young bigs go? They already have Blatche, McGee, and even Al Thornton... seems clogged)
Guys I can't believe went undrafted...
  • Manny Harris and Sylven Landesburg - 2 guys that I saw in various FIRST rounds in mocks... Harris is the devastating one because he's an early entry, but Landesburg was one of ESPN's John Hollinger's top 10 guys... pretty crazy that neither got picked with guys like Landry Fields flying off...
  • Ben Uzoh and Jon Scheyer - Both combo guards with high skill levels and positional question marks... but there wasn't a single guard (outside of high-upside Willie Warren) taken after Andy Rautins in the mid-2nd round...
  • Brian Zoubek - alot of pre-draft buzz about him as a legit 7-footer who had an NBA ready skill (rebounding)... he'll latch on somewhere I'm sure
  • Sherron Collins - this tweet I read says it all... "5 foot 10... 229 pounds"
And now for the fun part... the Hawks breakdown...
  • I like Jordan Crawford... if we would've taken him at 24 and said nothing else... I would've been un-moved by it... but not angry... he's a legitimate scorer who does things (i.e. shoot/score) that the organization values alot... also, if Joe walks away, he could step in off the bench in 2010-11 and get buckets... but if the "plan" is to bring Joe back... he's buried... here's a quote from Bret LaGree of ESPN's Hoopinion blog... "The resources wasted in acquiring Crawford reminds one, on a much smaller scale, of the deal that brought Johnson to Atlanta in a first place, a deal in which sound player evaluation was undermined, at least in terms of building a championship-quality team, by the cost of the acquisition." Basically, the Hawks are cheap... The initial pick (Damion James at 24) made me quite pleased... it would've been an immediate contributor who can really defend and rebound (2 big weaknesses of the roster), and provide legit front-court depth and flexibility... the real issue? You moved from 24 to 27 (saving about $100,000 a year, wee!) and then outright sold the #31 pick for 3 million dollars (not helping the product) with guys like Whiteside/Alabi on the board... I wasn't a huge Whiteside fan, but when you've already snatched a ready-to-contribute guy in Crawford, take that flier on a legitimate center... and I can't speak rationally on Pape Sy at #53 yet... he was ranked somewhere between #77 and #121 on the 6 "big boards" I've seen... he barely played on a bad French pro team, and he's a point forward type in the Boris Diaw mold... I thought Billy Knight moved on... passing on guys like Harris/Landesburg/Caracter is a bit disconcerting... In the end, I realize the ownership is financially strapped, but it's hard to support a trade-down when it's simply to sell off a pick and (in my mind) downgrade on the guy you select... But, welcome to the fold Jordan Crawford... I hope we don't need to play you in year one because that means Joe is back... but if you can fill the Jamal role in year 2 when he walks as a free agent... that'd be lovely
There it is... the 2010 Draft is completed... July 1 starts free agency and the next step... the NBA is FANNN-tastic... I love this game

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

6/24: It's Draft Day, etc.

Greetings all... It's NBA Draft day... wonderful.... First? Scattered draft thoughts... then we'll get to other news...
  • I want a big-man in this draft for the Hawks... the more I look, the more I'm convinced that SOMEBODY I like could drop... various places have Aldrich, Udoh, or Patterson dropping, and I'd even like to snatch Alabi... If those 4 guys are off the board, then you start looking at the James/Pondexter/Brackins/Sanders crew... To be short? Here are the guys I'd be unhappy about coming out of the 1st round (provided the Hawks stay at 24): Devin Ebanks, Dominique Jones, Jordan Crawford, Daniel Orton, Terrico White, Greivis Vasquez, Willie Warren... those are the guys I've seen in that general range that I want no part of... short of that, I'll talk myself into it...
  • John Wall is going #1....
  • If I was Philly, I'd take Favors unless I was sure I could move Iguodala... the contract is too immense, and I don't think Turner and Iggy are good compliments of each other... they strike me as similar and maybe that's why...
  • If Minnesota ends up with Cousins, I will laugh...
  • This is a draft in which I believe the drop-off is after the top 5 (Wall, Turner, Favors, Cousins, Wesley Johnson), but I think Monroe is in a class by himself at 6.... translation? I don't want the 7th pick, cough, Detroit...
  • Above all... I can't wait...
To the other pressing matters of the day...
  • Landon Donovan scored in the 91st minute to take the US from out of the knockout round completely to outright winning their group... one of the biggest moments in US soccer history it seems like, and a really cool moment... I think it exploded Twitter...
  • There was a 1st-round Wimbledon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut suspended due to darkness... no big deal right? How about if I told you the score was 59-59 in the 5th set? 59 to 59.... in games... in tennis... that's the craziest thing I've ever heard and it's not even over 10+ hours in...
  • Phil Jackson reportedly leaning toward retirement... I can't begin to think who LA would hire to replace him... With that roster in place, you can't afford to miss...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Chris Carpenter (STL) - 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 7 Ks
  • Batting Line of the Day - Michael Young (TEX) - 3 for 4, HR, 4 RBI, 3 Runs
  • The Braves go down again thanks to 2 home runs by Carlos Quentin and some bad situational hitting... numerous "runner on 3rd less than 2 outs" situations that went unsuccessful (most memorably Martin Prado's strikeout on a pitch at his eyes)... First series loss in a long, long time... but still a half-game lead on NY going into today...
What to Watch for...
  • NBA Draft - 7:00 ESPN - Mentioned above... but always a fantastic night...
  • Braves/White Sox - 2:00 - SportSouth - Lowe/Floyd
  • World Cup - 10:00 AM (Paraguay/New Zealand on ESPN2, Slovakia/Italy on ESPN) and 2:30 PM (Cameroon/Netherlands on ESPN2, Denmark/Japan on ESPN)
Full breakdown tomorrow...

6/23: Chris Paul, Baseball, etc.

Greetings everyone... It's a special time... the NBA Draft is tomorrow... my "mock" thoughts were up a couple of weeks ago and I'm not going to change that... it's futile at this point with "experts" having tons more info than I'll ever have... but be sure, I'll get my two cents in after the fact...
  • Chris Paul "open to be traded"... In an interview from London, CP3 stated a desire to stay in New Orleans but only if they're committed to winning... what does that mean? I have no idea... but I do know his name is out there and just gave them an out to deal him... Kind of big news for the best PG on earth...
  • France, Greece, South Africa and more eliminated from the World Cup... now we're getting down to business... teams actually going home...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Mat Latos (SD) - the rookie went 7, allowing 3 hits, 0 ER, and had 8 K's... he's been ridiculous for about 6 weeks now...
  • Batting Line of the Day - Angel Pagan (NYM) - 4 for 6 with 4 RBI and 3 runs
  • The Braves go down behind another Tommy Hanson stinker... Hanson has been fantastic at times, but this is his 2nd 8+ ER game this year... I don't know if he's prone to this sort of blow-up but it's certainly not good... Also, the Braves scored 5+ runs and lost for the first time since mid-to-late 2009...
  • Baltimore is 19-51... 19-51! That is an utter embarrassment... to be almost 25 games out in mid-June... I don't even know where to start...
What to watch for...
  • World Cup - 10:00 am (Slovenia/England on ESPN2, US/Algeria on ESPN) and 2:30 pm (Ghana/Germany on ESPN, Australia/Serbia on ESPN2)
  • Braves/White Sox - 8:00 PM Peachtree TV - Hudson/Buehrle... a nice matchup there
  • Tigers/Mets - 7:00 ESPN - Bonderman/Dickey... watch if you like Knuckle-ballers...
Enjoy the day... Go USA..

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

6/22: Steve Smith, Baseball, etc.

Greetings all... I'm back in the country... and back on the grind...
  • Steve Smith, of Carolina Panthers' all-pro WR fame, broke his arm playing flag football over the weekend... that's a story for 2 reasons... 1) His agent and himself couldn't get on the same page as to their story (hilarious)... and 2) Because he's really good at football and it's not THAT far away from training camp...
  • The World Cup is heating up... I think you know this already...
  • The NBA Draft is this Thursday! It should be a national holiday anyway... but all the talk/dominos center around what Philly does at #2... they'll either go Turner or Favors... but the domino effect starts with them, and no one can seem to make out what the Dalembert/Nocioni/Hawes trade actually means for them...
  • The best tennis tournament in the world is on and popping... not a big tennis guy, but Wimbledon is one of those special events that catches the attention... I compare it to the Masters for non-golf fans... it gets people buzzing a bit... especially when Roger Federer goes down 2 sets in his 1st round match... and wins
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Night - Gio Gonzalez (OAK) - 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 9 Ks for the young gun...
  • Batting Line of the Night - Full-on man crush of this blog... Justin Upton of the D-Backs... 3-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 runs and a stolen base... the kid is bad...
What to watch for...
  • Braves/White Sox - 8:00 Peachtree TV - Hanson/Danks... a pretty darn good pitching matchup... Danks is one of the best starters in the AL that no one talks about...
  • World Cup - 2 games at 10:00 AM (France/RSA on ESPN2, Mexico/Uruguay on ESPN), and 2 games at 2:30 PM (Greece/Argentina on ESPN, Nigeria/South Korea on ESPN2)
  • Wimbledon all day on ESPN2 and ESPNU...
Enjoy it...

Thursday, June 17, 2010

6/17: Game 7 Is Here...

Greetings everyone... This may be my last full-scale post for the weekend... I am traveling internationally (Canada) and can't be held accountable for any internet issues... alas...
  • Game 7 is upon us... there is a huge injury (Kendrick Perkins has been ruled out), a fairly epic stinker in the air (Boston's game 6 performance), and the "best clutch player alive" in Kobe Bean Bryant... I'm contractually obligated to give a prediction, so here it is... I'm on record saying LA in 7 (pre-series) and Boston in 7 (post Game 5)... so here's the tiebreaker...I'm taking LA.... Between Perkins injury (losing one of the best defenders in the L) and the replacement players that could see minutes in his stead (the immortal Shelden Williams, or Brian Scalabrine), that put it over the edge... I still don't trust anyone on the LA roster (Kobe included, really) in a Game 7... but they are playing better, are at home, and Boston's trotting out a roster without a Center... Conviction in this pick? none... but hey... writers make picks
  • The Pac-10 formally invites Utah to join... hurray? It's a fit because they can compete in both football and basketball... so it makes sense, and they need 12 teams...
  • Chad Ford's newest mock draft has the Hawks taking Lance Stephenson of Cincinnati at #24... I have mixed feelings about that potential reality... with Joe Johnson's possible departure, Stephenson presents a high-upside swingman with the potential to become an elite scorer (especially if he can fix his jump shot)... but at the same time, I really don't like his game as constructed (dominates the ball, can't shoot, etc.), and I feel like there's a very high bust capability here... it's very un-Hawks-like (swinging for the fences here), and if Joe returns, this would be a pick I'd hate... but if he leaves, it makes some sense...
  • Spain lost their opening World Cup match to Switzerland... that's, by all measures, a fairly big upset... and the 2nd (if you count the US/England tie) semi-surprising result of the Cup so far...
  • The US Open starts today at Pebble Beach... I'm rooting for Tiger because I always do... and I also feel like, with the seas quieting just a bit for him, that he'll be locked in and perform well...
Any time there's a game 7 it's a big deal... when it's the NBA Finals? it's a huge deal... pretty awesome sports day on the horizon... enjoy it everybody...

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

6/15: Texas Stays, Finals Talk, etc.

Greetings... It's been a minute...
  • Texas (and subsequently A&M, Oklahoma, etc.) decides to remain in the Big 12... I'm not a fan of the giant shifting so this was refreshing... funniest part of it all to me? The "big 12" has 10 teams... and the "big 10" has 12 teams... good luck with that...
  • Vince Young beat somebody up in a nightclub... but because he apologized for it quickly, he's supposed to go unpunished by Roger Goodell? We're okay with this?
  • The US Open (golf version) starts Thursday.... Pebble Beach is the sight... one of the most famous courses in the world... and the buzz is... ehhh... Tiger being "down" a bit will temper it somewhat... but it's a major at Pebble Beach...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the (sparse) night - Randy Wolf... 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER... he had been dreadful so far this year... a positive for the Brew-crew
  • Batting Line of the Day - John Buck... 2-3 with 2 HR for the Blue Jay catcher... that team is a steroid-era throwback in how they are hitting...
  • After last night... Adam Wainwright has 21 consecutive "quality" starts at home (6+ innings with 3 or less ER)... that's a major league record... 21 in a row... that's absurd
What to watch for...
  • NBA Finals Game 6 - 9:00 in LA - Well... we're officially at Elimination game stage here... my quasi-prediction? I think LA wins Game 6.. and Boston wins game 7... there's no rationale there other than I think Boston is mentally tougher (outside of Kobe for LA) and are typically a pretty awesome road team... Pau Gasol has to show up.. I said it before the series... he needs to throw up a 27/14 game tonight... come on Pau...
  • World Cup - Ivory Coast/Portugal 10:00 ESPN - One of the intriguing games I talked about pre-Cup... I'm at work like normal people... but if you can watch live sports at 10:00 am? In..
  • World Cup - Brazil/North korea 2:30 ESPN - Brazil is always must-see TV apparently...
  • Braves/Rays - 7:10 Peachtree-TV - Kawakami/Price... I'll be in the building at the Ted tonight... David Price is one of the best young pitchers in the league (9-2 record with sub 3.00 ERA)... Kawakami is 0-8... advantage Rays lol
Enjoy..

Saturday, June 12, 2010

6/12: College Football Madness, Larry Drew, etc.

Aloha...
  • The College football scene is out of control... officially... Colorado and Nebraska are officially gone... there are wide-scale reports of Texas/A&M/OU/Okla St. heading to the Pac-10 possibly... and now there are reports of Kansas and Missouri going to... the mountain west?! Huh? Can you even imagine Kansas playing Mountain West basketball? That's insanity... It's almost to the point where I don't wanna talk about it until things are done...
  • The Hawks name Larry Drew as head coach... okay, go ahead everyone... "WHO!?!?!"... Now that is out of the way... Coach Drew has been Mike Woodson's lead assistant for his Hawks stint... he's a former NBA point guard who's been an NBA assistant for 20 years.. what do we know about his coaching philosophy? Absolutely nothing... I tweeted this.. but I have 2 requests for Coach Drew... 1) Don't switch every screen on defense... and 2) Please, please rid me of the iso-Joe/iso-Jamal offense.... I have two semi-rational thoughts... hiring Drew can't be a bad thing for Jeff Teague's progression... Drew's reported specialty is PG development... and secondly, I hope that the Atlanta Spirit took Joe into account with making this move ONLY because they profess their undying love for him almost daily in the media... and hiring Coach Drew if Joe isn't a fan would be short-sighted after doing so...
  • The World Cup is in full swing... and I have one thought today... It's fairly comical/interesting/cool/absurd how the general public in America is responding... suddenly there are live-and-die soccer fans all over Facebook and Twitter even when the US isn't playing... I find it... off-putting? Yea that... but at the same time it's fairly cool to see the sporting landscape sort of dominate the general conversation... I'm torn
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Francisco Liriano... unfortunately against the Braves... but 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 11 Ks can't be ignored... he struck out 7 guys in a row at one point
  • Batting Line of the Day - Gaby Sanchez (FLA) - the young 1B went 4-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI... monster night
  • The Braves go down again... Hudson was very good in his own right but gave up a barrage of singles in the 7th that led to 2 runs and a subsequent 2-1 defeat... they just couldn't touch Liriano all night...
What to watch for...
  • World Cup - England/USA 2:30 ABC - This will be the highest-rated soccer telecast in US history...
  • Braves/Twins - 7:10 SportSouth - Lowe/Blackburn
  • Phillies/Red Sox 4:00 FOX - Blanton/Dice-K

Friday, June 11, 2010

6/11: Celtics Even the Series, World Cup, etc.

Here we go...
  • Boston evens the series at 2-2... story of the game? The 30 combined points Boston got from Glen Davis (18) and Nate Robinson (12)... Other than that? Fairly typical nights from Kobe and Gasol... Pierce was efficient... Rondo had a subpar game for him (5 of 15, 10 points, 3 dimes, 5 boards)... but the Lakers got nothing from Bynum or any non-Odom bench guy (and Odom basically is a starter when Bynum plays 12 minutes).... moral of the story? It's officially a long series... and that's a great thing
  • The World Cup opened this morning with a 1-1 tie between Mexico and South Africa... just wanted to let everyone know... it seems to be underreported...
  • The NCAA is allowing USC juniors & seniors to transfer without sitting out a year... this is probably the best news in years for former #1 recruit (in the country, no less) Mitch Mustain... run for your life Mitch!
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Jon Niese... CG 1-hitter with 6 Ks for the Mets
  • Batting Line of the Day - Brandon Philips... the undervalued Cincinnati 2B went 4-5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs...
  • The Braves get a scratching/clawing victory... 11-7 finals don't indicate that... but Jonny Venters had his first career implosion to blow a 7-4 8th inning lead and the Braves immediately put up 4 more in the 9th to put it away... nice resolve there... I ranted a bit about the Nate McLouth black hole in center on Twitter yesterday... conclusion? Not really panic time IMO... he's playing defense... they can afford to play Melky against lefties in center if they want to (as long as they don't play Melky and Hinske together they'll be fine defensively with Melky/Blanco or Melky/Infante)... and he's not going to hit .180... he's never hit below .250 for a full season, and you didn't get him for his average anyway... I don't think a panic move is the answer simply because they are (for their own reasons) convinced that Jordan Schafer is their guy in Center... so I don't expect a move...
What to watch for..
  • White Sox/Cubs - 2:20 WGN... Peavy/Wells... Interleague play, everybody... interleague play
  • Braves/Twins - 8:10 SportSouth... Hudson/Liriano... pretty darn good pitching matchup...
  • World Cup - Uruguay/France 2:30 ESPN

Thursday, June 10, 2010

6/10: USC Sanctions, Nebraska to the Big 10, etc.

Aloha...
  • The USC football program will reportedly face a 2-year postseason ban (among other things like scholarship reduction) after the NCAA drops the hammer this week... that's kind of a big deal when you realize that they have guys like Matt Barkley who may now never see a bowl or a chance at the National Title... I can't wait to read that full report though...
  • Multiple sources reporting Nebraska as a "done deal" to the Big 10 to be announced on Friday... well, first of all... that makes 12 teams in the Big 10 and 11 teams in the Big 12... which is funny... anyway, a good get for the Big 10, prestigious football power with good academics and it expands the brand... for the big 12? There could be carnage coming... the Pac-10 has reached out to 6 Big 12 teams (six!) about joining a new Pac-10 mega-conference... blood in the water...
  • Avery Johnson gets the Nets coaching job... a blow for the Hawks who interviewed him 3 times (and I thought they should hire him) but about as big of a name as the Nets could get without waiting for Phil Jackson or hiring a college coach...
  • The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup... first time since 1961... nice story for them.... see? I mentioned hockey
  • John Wall inks a 5 year/25 million dollar endorsement deal with Reebok... I think it was said best by my buddy Ryan who said... "Reebok still makes shoes?"
  • A homer story for me... Demar Dorsey, Michigan's #1 defensive recruit in the upcoming class, has "reopened" his recruitment... seems a little late, no? Let me explain... Mr. Dorsey has qualified academically under NCAA standards... but the University of Michigan won't let him in... sigh... guy was a 5-star DB that would have likely started as a true Frosh... hey Board of Regents... throw Rich-Rod a bone?
Baseball..
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Justin Masterson - CG, 2 H, 6 Ks... over his old team in the Red Sox for good measure
  • Batting Line of the Day - Geovany Soto and Marlon Byrd - Both guys hit 2 HR for the Cubs on the same day...
  • The Braves lost a gut-wrencher last night... a 2-run inside-the-park-homer was the game winner for Arizona after Nate McLouth and Jason Heyward collided in right-center field... Kawakami pitched very, very well... but is still without a win... need a win this afternoon to get a road split...
What to watch for...
  • NBA Finals Game 4 - Lakers/Celtics 9:00 ABC - Absolute must-win for Boston... that's all...
  • Cubs/Brewers 2:10 WGN - Dempster/Bush... Day baseball ftw...
  • Braves/D-Backs 3:40 SportSouth - Hanson/Willis... Nice to see Dontrelle on a mound... I hope we win 1-0 instead of batting him around...
That's it for today

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

6/9: LA Takes the Lead, Strasburg, etc.

Aloha...
  • Lakers 91, Celtics 84 - Really a very weird game.... Ray Allen was legendarily bad shooting the ball (0 for 13 after his outburst in game 2)... Pierce wasn't good despite seeing a steady diet of Luke Walton... Kevin Garnett got in the wayback machine (and even threw in a few McHale post exhibitions)... Kobe couldn't make a jumper and finished with 29 still... and of course, Derek Fisher was the MVP with 16 points and big play after big play... 6 of 33 from 3-point land combined for the 2 teams as well, pretty crazy stuff... ugly game but still compelling because of the intensity level and the volume of "big plays"... By the way... Andrew Bynum is overrated and injury-prone, even if I seem to be the lone voie in the wilderness here.... back to the point...2 must-wins now for Boston back to back here... series isn't over by any stretch... but LA's in the driver seat
  • Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 guys in 7 innings last night... with 0 walks... he also hit 103 MPH on the gun reportedly... all 3 of those things are absolutely insane... yes, he gave up a 2-run homer to Delwyn Young... but let's not hold that against him.... Get ready for the full-scale hype machine folks
Other baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day (non-Strasburg) - Jeff Niemann (TB) - CG shutout... 2 hits, 6 K's... that'll do it
  • Batting Line of the Day - Kurt Suzuki - the newly healthy A's catcher went 4-5 with a HR and 4 RBI...
  • The Braves get back in the win column... our old friend Kelly Johnson was huge for Arizona... but the Bullpen was good again, Heyward woke up a bit from his slump, and Melky Cabrera seems to be coming into his own... even Nate McLouth went 1 for 1!
What to watch for...
  • Cubs/Brewers 8:00 ESPN - Zambrano/Wolf... Always fun to watch Carlos Zambrano pitch... he's a crazy person
  • Braves/D-Backs 9:40 SportSouth - Kawakami/Kennedy... Is this the night for Kenshin?
That'll do it for today... read and comment on the World Cup Preview below as well!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

2010 World Cup Preview

You're thinking.... huh? Don't you hate soccer?... Well, that's a little true... but hear me out...
  1. For some reason, there's been clamoring for me to write a World Cup Preview...
  2. It's a gigantic world-wide sporting event that, by nature of how I live my life, is pretty unavoidable considering it's on ESPN/ABC, I read blogs, etc.
  3. USA! USA! USA!
So let's get to it... as a natural disclaimer... I know absolutely nothing soccer apart from what I've researched specifically for this...

GROUP FAVORITES
Group A: France & Uruguay (This may be the tightest group with Mexico also highly thought of)
Group B: Argentina is the clear leader, Greece and Nigeria to battle for 2nd
Group C: England is the front-runner; Most consider US at #2 followed by Algeria
Group D: Germany is the front-runner; Serbia considered #2
Group E: Netherlands are the front-runner; Cameroon and Denmark battling for #2
Group F: Italy #1, Paraguay #2
Group G: Brazil is Brazil... Portugal considered #2, but hearing/reading alot of Ivory Coast buzz
Group H: Spain #1, Chile #2

What is that based upon? Reading and rankings... Because, again, I know nothing...

Legit Candidates to win this Thing
  • I consistently hear Brazil as the best team in the world... that seems to be in line with their talent level (apparently absurd across the board), and their pedigree as the soccer power dating back decades...
  • Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, England, and Argentina are the other teams that are in high regard for various reasons....
Other themes
  • The best player in the world (apparently unanimously) is Lionel Messi of Argentina... he's the only guy capable of a Pele/Maradona performance that would carry his team on his back to the Cup title... but apparently his coach (Diego Maradona, the famous and CRAZY former player for Argentina) is the wild card and the reason most don't think they will win...
  • England is sending their best team in recent memory led by Wayne Rooney (a consensus top-5 player in the world), but it seems like English soccer is like the city of Cleveland/Chicago Cubs/Phoenix Suns ... something always goes wrong and the fans know it... add in the sex scandal thing from earlier in the year... yea....
  • Apparently northern hemisphere teams don't win in the southern hemisphere and vice versa... taking that into account blindly... the favorites become Brazil and Argentina...
  • 11 of the last 13 world cup finals have involved Brazil (not shocking) or Germany... the Germans are considered a "grind-it-out" team... winning 50-50 balls, and being generally gritty and strong... seems like my kind of thing
The United States
  • Clearly my only allegiance is with the US... because well, I'm not invested in soccer, but I can name 10+ guys on this team, and I know who's good and who isn't...
  • I've literally read the gamut of predictions/info on the US chances... they range from not making out of the group by losing to Algeria and England both... to possibly making a run as far as the semi-finals... Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey (along with goalkeeper Tim Howard) are the best players... Donovan has been a disappointment in the last 2 world cups... Jozy Altidore is widely discussed, but hasn't fulfilled his athletic potential, and only had 1 goal in the premier league...
  • Realistic winner? No... Vegas has them at around 50-to-1 to win the whole thing, but getting out of the group (an easy draw) seems to be a reasonable expectation when they are the 2nd ranked team in their 4 team group with 2 teams per group advancing....
Games To Watch
  • I can't watch bottom-feeders play soccer... so I'm going to try this plan....
  • Every game the US plays that my schedule allows me to watch is in... Saturday June 12 at 2:30 vs. England; June 18 10:00 am vs. Slovenia, and June 23 10:00 vs. Algeria...
  • June 15 at 10:00 am; Ivory Coast vs. Portugal... I think I'm rooting for Ivory Coast for some reason...
  • Brazil/Ivory Coast June 20th, 2:30 pm
  • Spain/Chile June 25th, 2:30 pm
  • That's just a smattering of games that caught my eye... I'm in blindly from the semi-finals on regardless of who is playing...
Am I in on soccer? Ehh... hardly... but I've succumbed to the fact that the World Cup is unavoidable to me... and there is certainly a mystique about the event from a worldly perspective that draws you in... Coolest part for me? How wide open the event is... once you get past the group stage (3 games per team), it is basically a single elimination 16-team tournament march madness style where ANYTHING can happen... it's hard to predict... and that's actually a good thing from an American viewpoint both because our team isn't a favorite AND from a ratings bonanza point of view (i.e. march madness) because the Public wants suspense/drama...

You win soccer... I'll try my best

6/8: MLB Draft, Derek Lowe, etc.

Aloha...
  • The MLB Draft was last night... when did this become national news to the point it is now? I'm not really sure.. but it was broadcast live... and the #1 pick Bryce Harper has gotten ridiculous coverage... kid seems to be the real deal at 17... but any non-baseball-scout that weighs in doesn't really get much credit from me...
Current Baseball Happenings...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Derek Lo.. err.... Daisuke Matsuzaka - 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 5 Ks... Derek Lowe could never do that!
  • Batting Line of the Day - Jay Bruce - 3 for 4, HR, 2 runs... he's a large, large man
  • Derek Lowe imploded on Monday for the Braves... as referenced earlier... 7 earned in 4 innings... and without question the most misleading 8-4 record in the bigs... that's what you get with an ERA over 5... and even then, the bats could've bailed him out if they didn't leave 12 on base...
What to watch for...
  • NBA Finals Game 3 (Lakers/Celtics) 9:00 on ESPN - I really, really dislike the 2-3-2 format...
  • Braves/D-Backs 9:40 SportSouth - Medlen/Jackson... in my opinion, Medlen's already earned the job over Kawakami upon the return of Jurrjens... but it couldn't hurt for him to keep it up until then

Monday, June 7, 2010

A Long Weekend...

Greetings everyone... Please forgive my lack of content over the Thursday thru Sunday period... Was a bit of a whirlwind and I had very minimal TV/internet access allotted to follow sports... back in full either later today or tomorrow! Tell a friend! But a few quick points while we're here...
  • Ray Allen can still do his thing... what do you say about 8 triples in the NBA finals? This thing is going 7 it seems... and that can only be a good thing...
  • I hate the thought of Tom Izzo being in play in Cleveland... I love him as a college coach... but if there's anything we've learned, it's that college coaches don't translate... if he ends up there, I wish him success though...
  • The college football expansion landscape needs more discussion... in the end, it could be the biggest realignment in history, and really there's nothing that would surprise me here... oh yeah, and I'm vehemently against it all... simply because the arms race could ruin the game...
  • Rafael Nadal is good at playing tennis on clay courts...
  • The Braves split with LA on the road... that is certainly a satisfying outcome... playing a good team on the road, you will turn and run with a split... In other news, Nate McLouth died in mid 2009..
Until later...

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The 2010 NBA Finals

Aloha... Here's my quick NBA Finals preview...
  • Perimeter Matchup - Rondo/R. Allen/T. Allen/Pierce for Boston vs. Fisher/Kobe/Farmer/Brown/Artest for LA..... We'll state the obvious first... Rajon Rondo should have a field day... there's no one on the LA roster outside of Kobe that can keep Rondo in front of him, and I seriously doubt LA is putting Kobe on Rondo for the entirety of the game... Ray Allen is a career 20+ ppg guy against the Lakers and Kobe always seems to bring out the best in him... that's a plus for Boston as well... For LA, Kobe should/will get his 30 per no matter who guards him (I saw Bruce Bowen and others say that Ray Allen will get the chief assignment, and I agree, I don't think Boston can burn Pierce on the defensive end for 40 minutes), and he's the best player in the series (obviously)... the keys here IMO are Derek Fisher (and his ability or inability to knock down open 3's in this series) and whether Ron Artest can keep Pierce under wraps... Advantage: Boston slightly across the board, but Kobe is capable of even-ing it up
  • Frontcourt Matchup - Garnett/Perkins/Sheed/Davis for Boston vs. Gasol/Bynum/Odom for LA... Pretty star-studded on both sides... THE key in this series is Pau Gasol... he was flat-out bad in the 2008 finals and was the reason IMO that LA lost that series... he has to be assertive and be the 20/10 guy he's capable of... Lamar Odom is the enigma (as he always is) but he needs to pick up the slack for Gasol if Pau doesn't show up again... Bynum is sort of a wash... I don't expect much from him at all when you combine the knee with lack of any sort of pedigree at this stage of the playoffs... for Boston, they're gonna need Kendrick Perkins on the floor... the technical foul situation didn't go away and if he gets another one, that's huge in that he'd miss a game, and he's one of the best post defenders in the league... KG was spotty in the Orlando series, and he'll need to at least show up on the defensive end... Advantage: LA on paper...
  • Coaching Matchup - Doc vs. Phil - 2 years ago? Would've been Phil by a mile... it's still Phil... but Doc has shown the propensity to step his game up lately... his rotation is settled... he now rides with lineups that are effective instead of blindly sticking guys in on a schedule... but Phil Jackson has 10 rings... done and done... Advantage: LA
While that isn't a "comprehensive" look at the series... it'll have to do... as stated above.. I think Pau is the key to the series... Boston can single him up (and they will) effectively, and it's going to be on him to assert himself on the block, I'll also throw it in that I fully expect Kendrick Perkins to miss a game in this series due to T's.... Kobe is playing on a different court than anyone else right now... and I expect that to continue.... In all, I'll say that Gasol shows up, Kobe goes off, and Rondo/Pierce/Allen don't quite have enough bullets in the tank... LA in 7

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

6/1: Baseball!

Hola... it's kind of a dead period in the NBA world... and although I know the Stanley Cup Finals is in full swing (Blackhawks up 2-0), I have nothing insightful to say on that... so an all-baseball entry...
  • The Braves are in first place!!.... Okay that's a little false excitement... am I thrilled that the Braves are 16-4 in their last 20 games? Absolutely... am I thrilled that for this moment, they are 0.5 games ahead of the vaunted Phillies? Absolutely... but it's June 1... It's not pessimism, moreso realism to think that Philadelphia isn't necessarily the benchmark for this Braves team... preseason, I'd say 95% of "experts" agreed that Philly was the NL's best team... they've sustained injuries to Rollins, Lidge, Madson and Happ, and are still a starter short IMO... but top-to-bottom? Better roster than Atlanta... However(!), there are signs of life... Martin Prado is still raking, Chipper is coming alive (at least a little), and Nate McLouth... oh, wait, he's still bad... anyway... I'm excited, and so should you be... but the fist-pumping should slow down a little... I do find it funny though, that the old "wisdom" of not looking at standings until Memorial Day coincides with the overtaking of the Phils
  • Ubaldo Jimenez is borderline absurd... 10-1 to start the season... a sub-1 ERA... and a current 26 inning scoreless streak... nothing phases this guy it seems like... But if you look around... you'll see he's getting his due... a guy who isn't?....
  • How bout Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals? This ROOKIE has thrown 61.1 innings in his 10 starts... he's 5-2 despite bad run support numbers, and his ERA is... 1.32! That's crazy stuff when you consider he's fresh off Tommy John surgery and is a rookie... For all the talk about Ubaldo and Jason Heyward (and rightfully so)... I need more discussion of Garcia... I'm not so sure (although it seems like sacrilege in this town) that Garcia wouldn't get my ROY vote...
  • Stephen Strasburg to debut on June 8... officially now it seems... Mark your calendars...
Quick MLB Predictions from this point forward (refer to my archives for my pre-season looks, which I stand by)
  • The Rays will slow down a little... they have to... but they're winning 100 games...
  • San Diego isn't winning the NL West (not going on a limb here but alas)
  • The team with the worst end-of-year record isn't going to be the Orioles or Pirates... it'll be the Astros
  • The Nationals won't finish last in the NL East... the Mets will
  • And finally... Roy Halladay will still win the NL Cy Young despite Ubaldo's start
What to watch for tonight...
  • Braves/Phillies - 7:00 ESPN or Peachtree TV - Hudson/Hamels... Best pitching matchup of the series
To say it's a slow day would be an understatement... Tomorrow I'll get up my NBA finals mini-preview... until then