6/30: Get Out the Broom...

Greetings all... lots to get to on this Thursday...

• The Braves finish off an impressive road sweep in Seattle with a 5-3 win... This was probably the most impressive win simply because any time you can beat a top-5 pitcher alive in Felix Hernandez, it's an accomplishment... Felix helped out the Braves offense significantly with wildness, but Freddie Freeman had 3 huge hits with 2 RBI and a run scored, and Brian McCann was Brian McCann with another late RBI... the oft-maligned Derek Lowe got back on track yesterday with 6 innings, allowing only 1 ER, and effectively out-pitching Felix... craziest part about the sweep? It came at the expense of Seattle's best 3 pitchers in Bedard, Pineda, and Felix, and that's one of the best trios in the entire major leagues this season... 8 of 10, and the offense (may) be coming alive a bit... one negative note... Jonny Venters had his 2nd bad outing of the week, allowing a 2-run homer to Dustin Ackley... no panic from me on Venters with the exception of his ridiculous work-load... 46 appearances already, and I have NO idea why he was pitching with a 4-run lead against a putrid offense... none...
  
• A quick rant... I keep hearing people (I'm looking at you ESPN and MLB network) talk over and over again about "how deep" the Phillies rotation is... I don't understand this... do they have the best trio of starters in the Major Leagues? Absolutely they do... but "depth" isn't a luxury they have without Roy Oswalt... Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick?... without Oswalt, I'd rather have Atlanta's rotation, and to say that the "depth" of Philly's is so fantastic defies all logic... thanks....
• It's CBA Armageddon day in the NBA... I have zero confidence in a deal getting done before that deadline, so don't hold your breath... and there are certainly conflicting reports about the "closeness" of the talks going forward... but one thing is certain, the NBA is MUCH more likely to miss games than the NFL ever was... so buckle down...
• Speaking of the Association... the Blazers have officially tendered Greg Oden his $8.8 million qualifying offer... what does that mean? Well, Oden could sign the 1-year deal (not happening), but basically, it ensures that he becomes a restricted free agent and Portland has the ability to match any offer... I personally can't see them letting him get away simply because 1) they wouldn't be under the cap anyway, 2) Paul Allen has more money than God, and 3) Oden is still a premium asset IMO, and his upside if he can actually stay on the court outweighs the risk for a franchise that's already going to be good....
  

What to watch for on Thursday....

• Red Sox @ Phillies - 1:00 MLB Network - Lester vs. Hamels - Game of the day for sure... Philly has it going right now, and Boston is suddenly struggling...
  
• Giants @ Cubs - 2:20 WGN - Cain vs. Zambrano - Nice pitching matchup...
• Wimbledon - All day ESPN Family

Enjoy it...

6/28: Beachy, Russell Wilson, etc.

Greetings all... sorry for the weekend absence... the 5-figure word count on the draft probably wore me down a little bit... here we go...

• The Braves get a 3-1 road win in Seattle last night... Brandon Beachy was electric for the 2nd straight start, going 6 innings, allowing 1 ER and striking out 9... I can't emphasize how good he's been recently, and that's a huge bright spot... Freddie Freeman dealt the decisive blow with a massive 2-run homer to dead-center (not a small feat in Safeco) that showed off some big-time power, and Kimbrel slammed the door striking out the side in the 9th in blitzing fashion... that's a nice win, especially with Pineda and Felix on the docket the next 2...
  
• The College World Series isn't an event I care anything about... but if you haven't seen the highlights of South Carolina's defense in the 9th and 10th innings last night, you should at least check that out...
• Former NC State QB Russell Wilson is on his way to Wisconsin... Wilson has been the best QB in the ACC for a couple years IMO, and it's huge news that, post-graduation, he's decided to attend Wisconsin for a year of grad school (think of Jeremiah Masoli)... that could swing the Big 10 race, and they're immediately the favorite if they weren't already...
  
• 1983 NCAA Championship hero Lorenzo Charles passed away yesterday in a bus accident... RIP... the finisher on one of the most famous plays in NCAA history (aka the one where Jimmy V wanders around trying to find someone to hug)....
• Wimbledon is in full swing, and the women's draw got turned upside down yesterday with both Williams sisters and Wozniacki going down... just an FYI there....
• And finally, the Dodgers are in bankruptcy... that's big news for many reasons, but MLB is going to have to run things over there for a while... in the meantime? they stroked 25 (!) hits and scored 15 runs last night led by Matt Kemp and his 4-5 with a HR... he's been the best player in baseball this year....

What to watch for on Tuesday...

• Braves @ Mariners - 10:10 SportSouth - Hanson vs. Pineda - 2 of the most big-time arms in the Majors... young or otherwise... looking forward to watching Pineda work
• Giants @ Cubs - 2:20 WGN - Vogelsong vs. Davis - Day baseball from Wrigley...
  
• Wimbledon - All day ESPN Family - It's starting to heat up...
• Women's World Cup - All day ESPN Family - High-level women's soccer, if you're into that sort of thing...
• College World Series Game 2 - ESPN 8:00 - South Carolina on the verge of the title...
  

Enjoy...

6/24: Draft Wrap...

Greetings all... first off, check out the live blog (no longer live of course) in the previous post... got to about pick #25 before frustration about computer issues set in... let's go team-by-team to break down what happened...

• Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks were without a first rounder and claimed Keith Benson at #48... now, it's pick #48 so let's not get crazy, but it was a rare occasion where I actually liked what they did... Benson may not be the prototypical center type they need, but he's a skilled 6'11, and you can't argue with that at that point in the draft... the overall discussion centers on whether they sent too much to Washington in the Hinrich deal (#18 pick ended up being Chris Singleton with Kenneth Faried on the board also)... but that's a discussion for another day...
  
• Boston Celtics - Boston traded down 2 spots from 25 to 27 to get an additional 2nd rounder next year, and took JaJuan Johnson at 27 out of Purdue... he's really, really long and skilled... kind of a tweener, but they sort of went best available, and he could be a long-term option... Hilariously, they took his teammate E'Twaun Moore in round 2, and he's a guy I've always enjoyed, but he's just a guy who's not great at anything... could be a nice bench guy down the road...
  
• Charlotte Bobcats - The Bobcats dealt Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston in order to obtain the #7 pick and Corey Maggette... then went on to select Bismack Biyombo at 7 and Kemba Walker with their actual pick at #9.... Biyombo is a classic high-upside/high-risk pick with insane athleticism, but no one knows whether he's really 18 years old (there's a birth certificate issue) and whether he'll ever develop any offensive game... Kemba fell in their lap, and will immediately be their 3rd guard I'd imagine... I don't love his game because he's a combo guard and doesn't have a great jumper, but he's a winner, and there's something to be said for that...
• Chicago Bulls - They snagged 2 late-first round picks thanks to a trade with Minnesota... they gambled on Nikola Mirotic at #23... he would've gone much higher reportedly, but there's a severe buy-out issue... thankfully for Chicago, that's a good roster, and they can afford to wait... at #30, they took Jimmy Butler out of Marquette... good athlete, can guard multiple spots, and may be as good or better than Ronnie Brewer right now... nice pick...
• Cleveland Cavaliers - You know about Kyrie Irving... he was the slam-dunk #1 pick IMO and that's where they went... but they threw a curveball at #4... Tristan Thompson out of Texas was the pick... there seems to be wide-ranging thoughts on that pick, but I'm of the mind that I really actually like him, but it's a bit of a reach... that said, at #4, if he's the guy they wanted, I have no issue with it because no one else stood out to me once Kanter went to Utah... they also obtained someone named Milan Macvan at #54... I got nothing on that...
  
• Dallas Mavericks - They basically didn't have a "pick" in this draft... they swapped their #26 selection (Jordan Hamilton) to Portland in a 3-way deal that we'll touch more on later, but they acquired Rudy Fernandez in the deal... I'm not a Rudy guy... he's a streak shooter, and when he's on, he's scary, but I think I would've rather had Hamilton...
• Denver Nuggets - Busy night for the Nuggets... the biggest news is that they've traded Raymond Felton for Andre Miller in a bigger deal that involved picks... that exchange is one I actually like for them just because I think Miller/Lawson is a better fit than Felton/Lawson was... you can play Miller with Lawson easily because Miller has the size/strength to defend 2-guards instead of trotting out 2 smallish points... additionally, they pick up Jordan Hamilton from Dallas in that deal, and that's a nice addition of a guy who fell big-time in the draft, but has top-10 ability... at #22, they went with Kenneth Faried... one of my favorite guys in the entire draft... insane motor, great rebounder, and a guy who can play right away in the league... love it... They took someone I've legitimately never heard of named Chukwudiebere Maduabum at #56... I didn't make that up...
  
• Detroit Pistons - Point guard is a need for Detroit IMO... and they filled it with Brandon Knight at #8... I have a feeling they were surprised he fell to them, but he was the best available player, and didn't fall into a logjam, so it's a nice move... at #33, they took Kyle Singler, who's a guy I like, but I'm not sure where he fits with guys like Villanueva/Daye/Prince... also, they added Florida's Vernon Macklin at #52... I'm underwhelmed by that one... don't see NBA talent from him in what I've seen
• Golden State Warriors - This pick made me laugh out loud... hear me out... they went with Klay Thompson at #11, and I'll say this first, I like Klay Thompson... okay, now that that's over... that's an awful pick IMO... what does Golden State need? A shoot-first wing!... um.. no... I would've gone with Singleton or Leonard in this spot, because they'll basically have the worst perimeter defense imaginable barring an Ellis trade... yeah.... At #39, they went an acquired the pick to take Jeremy Tyler, which I loved for them just because I think Tyler has lottery upside, with absolutely no risk, and he'd fit in their system... Also, they acquired Chuck Jenkins at #44 via trade from Phoenix/Chicago and he's a scoring combo guard... stop me if you've heard this before...
• Houston Rockets - They're always busy, huh?... the highlight move was a trade that acquired Jonny Flynn, #20 pick Donatas Motiejunas, and Chandler Parsons... I like the Flynn pick-up alot because he's a nice contrast with Lowry, I'm underwhelmed by the other 2, but Motiejunas can be stashed... oh, the #14 pick... they went with Marcus Morris, which I honestly don't understand... I'm not a fan of his work anyway, but he's a tweener forward who thinks he's a 3 (he's not), and is a 4, but they have a logjam there with Scola, Patterson, and Jordan Hill... I would've gone elsewhere...
• Indiana Pacers - They officially opted out of the draft... choosing instead to deal their #15 pick to San Antonio for George Hill... in a vacuum? George Hill is better than the #15 pick in this draft, no question about it in my mind... but with Darren Collison in place, I'm not sure how much upside this move has... and the guy they moved (Kawhi Leonard) would've been nice for them... I can't hate it though, because that's good value at where they were picking...
• LA Clippers - Somehow, they ended up taking both UGA players (Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins) in the 2nd round... both upside picks... but both with tremendous bust potential... Thompkins is wildly skilled, but seems to have a conditioning issue, and those don't usually get better when you make money and live in LA... and Leslie is one of the better athletes/leapers in the draft, but he's not particularly skilled, and I can't seem him making it...
• LA Lakers - I was all set to rant and rave about Darius Morris isn't a triangle fit... until I realized LAL isn't going to be using the triangle... I like Darius a lot (Michigan bias aside) because he's a pure point, but he's about 6'4-6'5, and can do a lot of things well... think Andre Miller.. but he certainly can't shoot... they picked up Andrew Goudelock at #46 who's an absolute bomber, but I'm not sure what else he can do... and they went with Ater Majok from UConn late... hated that pick, but hey, it's a wash...
• Memphis Grizzlies - Only one pick... and at #49 they went with Josh Selby... it's a definite value because he's got lottery talent and there's no risk this late... I'm not convinced he ever gets it together, but they don't need him right away, and if they can sort his knee issues out (the reason he fell this far), he could be a steal...
• Miami Heat - The Heat dealt for Norris Cole... an underrated PG out of Cleveland State... I do like the move because PG is still a need (sorry Chalmers fans) and he's a guy with decent upside this late in the 1st... I'm not sure what they'll do for next year (veteran?) but he could be better than Chalmers... quickly...
• Milwaukee Bucks - They were busy... involved in the 3-way deal discussed earlier with Charlotte and Sacto... they add Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, and Beno Udrih in that move... Jackson gives them a better wing scorer than Salmons will ever be, and Udrih/Livingston gives Jennings some help in the backcourt... at #19 they picked up Tobias Harris, who's a guy I'm not in love with, but he's got the advantage of being very, very young, and he's got a high basketball IQ... not a tremendous athlete, but if he matures behind Jackson, that could be a value pick... I love the Jon Leuer pick at #40 as a stretch four... he's huge, smart, and can fill it up
• Minnesota T-Wolves - We'll focus on the Derrick Williams pick mostly because Kahn was so busy, it's difficult to explain it all... I thought Williams was the 2nd best player in the draft, but the fit is exceedingly questionable in Minnesota... Kevin Love is their best player, and he's not moving from the 4 spot (where Williams is best IMO), and they already have 2 bigger small forwards in Beasley and Randolph... they can't help but to play Williams, but they're going to have to make a move or bury someone capable to do it... Malcolm Lee was the highlight of their 2nd round, but I don't particularly get that pick either... defensive stopper PG, but they couldn't ever play him with that logjam... even after dealing Flynn...
• New Jersey Nets - The Nets want to compete right now, and they moved up to get Marshon Brooks... they think the Providence 2-guard can play right away, and I don't love him (at all), but he can certainly score, even if that's the only thing he does... they picked up a Euro guard in Bojan Bogdanovic who isn't coming over for a years at #31, and went with Maryland's Jordan Williams at #36 in a tough, rebounder mold, but I'm not sure he's big enough...
• New Orleans Hornets - Probably the most lackluster night for anyone... they had only one pick (#45) and ended up selling it to New York... moving on...
• New York Knicks - The head-scratcher of the night award goes to... the Knicks!... Iman Shumpert was the play at #17... positives first... he's a great athlete, has great size for the PG spot, and might be the best perimeter defender in the whole draft... now that we're done with that... he's a disaster offensively... bad decision-making, bad shooting... and they already have their defensive stopper guard in Douglas... if this had been at #37? Fine with it... but not here... and they purchased the #45 pick from NO to take Kentucky's Josh Harrelson... he's big and rugged... but not a great athlete at all, he'll be a borderline roster guy at best...
• OKC Thunder - They went with Reggie Jackson at #24... he's a big-time talent, but he's a combo-guard and they already have Westbrook/Maynor/Harden... so I'm not sure where that's going fit-wise.. definitely a "best available" pick... or maybe they're shopping Maynor... not sure...
• Orlando Magic - They moved up to #32 to get Justin Harper out of Richmond... a 6'10 pure shooter in the Rashard Lewis mold... nice fit if it works out... and they got DeAndre Liggins at #53 out of Kentucky... don't see him sticking, but he's a long, long perimeter defender, just don't see much offense...
• Philadelphia 76ers - They went need over best available... pure and simple, in selecting Nikola Vucevic, the 7-footer out of USC... people seem to think he can be a legit 7-foot center in the league, but there's not a lot of upside... they went with Lavoy Allen at #50 in Round 2, typical 2nd round pick of a 4-year senior from Temple... nothing exciting
• Phoenix Suns - Picked up Markieff Morris at #13... couple things here... #1) NO one thought Markieff would go ahead of his brother a few months ago, and #2) I like Markieff more.... that being said, this is a slight reach based on them wanting some athleticism/rebounding up front, and I'm okay with it... they are young and mobile on the front line with Gortat/Lopez/Morris now...
• Portland Trail Blazers - Obviously, their headline is dealing Andre Miller and Rudy Fernandez for Ray Felton essentially... not a move I love for them.. they get out from under Rudy and open the logjam a bit at the wing, but I'm not convinced that Felton and Roy are a match in the backcourt... seems like the new regime was just set on moving Miller... at any case, Portland also picks up Nolan Smith at #21... lower upside guy, but he's ready to play right away and would be a nice backup option off the bat for Felton... at #51, they picked up Jon Diebler, who can shoot with anyone on Earth, but doesn't provide much else... could be a guy who makes a club to stand still and shoot
• Sacramento Kings - They were busy as well... in the aforementioned 3-way trade... they basically exchanged the #7 pick and Beno Udrih for the #10 pick and John Salmons... not a deal I would've made because I want nothing to do with Salmons, and he's clearly declining... anyway, at #10 they went with Jimmer... you know someone would... I like Jimmer as a player, but I'm not crazy about the fit with Evans, and there's HUGE pressure for him to start at the point right away (because there's no one else... like at all)... best of luck with that... they'll be a steep learning curve... and the bigger issue is that the coaching staff didn't even want him, this was clearly an ownership/ticket sales pick... not a good recipe for him starting off... oh yeah, and he has to play with Evans and Cousins... welcome to the NBA!... Sacto did pick up Tyler Honeycutt at 35 who has a chance to be very good once he gets away from Ben Howland, and I love that they took a flier on Isaiah Thomas with the 60th pick... he's too short, but he does a lot of things well and deserves a shot (and will get it in that depleted backcourt)
• San Antonio Spurs - They had an interesting evening... trading a legit rotation guy in George Hill for the rights to Kawhi Leonard... Leonard was probably my favorite guy in this draft, and to get him at 15 is a steal... he's a "Spurs-type" of guy... gritty, plays D.... but he'll bring an athleticism to that front line they haven't had in a while, and his hands are unbelievable... the loss of Hill will hurt them, but they weren't paying him down the line anyway with Parker in place, and they felt like they could sure it up elsewhere... like in drafting Cory Joseph at 29... same sort of feel that the Hill pick had in that everyone was like, "huh?" and then everyone thinks... well, it's the Spurs, they know something... Joseph was a one-and-done at Texas, and guys generally get better after they leave Rick Barnes... we'll see... also, picked up Davis Bertans (42) and Adam Hanga (59) as typical Euro-stashes...
• Toronto Raptors - Puzzling pick here... they went with Jonas Valanciunas at #5... he's a legit 7 footer from Europe with big-time upside, but he's not coming over for at least a year, and did they really need another Euro big? Keep in mind they took Ed Davis in the lottery last year, AND signed Amir Johnson for the full mid-level... I don't really know what Colangelo is doing...
  
• Utah Jazz - Despite being in rampant trade discussion... Utah kept their picks and got good talent... Enes Kanter may be the most talented player in the draft and they get him at #3... I question the fit with Jefferson, Millsap, and Favors already in place, but they probably weren't in love with Brandon Knight, and there wasn't another clear option on Kanter's talent level... at 12, they took the best 2-guard available in Alec Burks... nice contrast with Gordon Heyward on the wing, and he should play right away... not a bad draft
• Washington Wizards - 3 of the top 34 for Washington... they went with Euro Jan Vesely at #6... he had been rumored there for days and they followed through... he's a non-Euro in that he's not soft, and not a shooter, but more of a athlete/leaper type up front... should be interesting to see how NBA-ready he is, and how he fits on that crazy front line with McGee and Blatche... Chris Singleton at 18 is a steal... he's the best defender in the draft, and really helps them guard on the wing (which they desperately need)... at #34, they went with Shelvin Mack... he's a guy I like, and I think he could be a primary backup as a rookie... really like the last 2 picks, indifferent on Vesely without knowing much...

And there it is... probably 5-figure word count on the NBA draft... take it all in folks, and start praying for a new CBA...

2011 NBA Draft Live Blog

Greetings all... we're taking this live starting at 7:00 with the NBA Draft... I'll be posting every few minutes and you can refresh as you wish!

• 4:55 PM - Breaking News before we even get started!.... Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo reporting that there's a 3-team deal in place to send Beno Udrih, Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston and the 19th pick to Milwaukee; John Salmons and the 10th pick to Sacramento, and the #7 pick and Corey Maggette to Charlotte... wow... I like the deal initially for Milwaukee in that they get 2 decent guards, an upgrade over Salmons in Jackson, and while they swap 10 for 19, that shouldn't kill them in this draft... I hate it for Sacto, moving down 3 picks AND giving away Udrih just to get the overrated Salmons... and Charlotte obviously has a target at 7 they felt was big enough to justify swapping Jackson for Maggette... we'll see about that.... alright then, see you at 7:00 when we can fully evaluate this...
• 7:05 PM - Coming to you live from an unknown locale... accompanied by my confidants Ryan and Josh... One note before we get started with draft stuff... gotta address to rumors about an impending Hawks sale... I have no idea if it's legit, but it DOES make some sense of the Josh Smith fire sale rumors... hear me out... say, you were a new Hawks owner, would YOU be the one that wanted to have to unload salary? or would you want to pin it on the previous guy? Just a thought when considering Smith makes 8 figures and a potential high draft pick makes $4 million or so... file that away...
• 7:17 PM - There's no way Irving doesn't go #1... right?... I can't see a scenario... maybe if Kanter was proven and you went "big over small" but with Williams as a tweener, I think you go best available and take the sure thing in Irving... worry about flipping Baron and/or Sessions later and hope/pray that Baron's work ethic doesn't impact Irving from the jump.... 11 minutes until start time...
• 7:27 PM - Fascinated to see what David Kahn does at #2... is it weird that I'm thinking about that already with #1 "not certain"?... I'd be pretty shocked if they didn't take Irving... snooze fest until Kahn shows his face....
• 7:30 PM - We have no audio at the establishment we're at... and I'm going to say that's a blessing... no Stu Scott... no use of the word "upside" or "length".... all positives...
• 7:34 PM - We went with the purple tie, Commissioner?.... Bold choice... that's all I got on that one... no audio limits what I can make fun of about the intro speech... how 'bout a pick?...
• 7:39 PM - We have a pick... and it's Kyrie Irving!.... shocker... anyway, I really, really like his game from what I've seen... no holes... seems to lack the athletic explosion of a Wall or Rose, but then again, so does Chris Paul, and that's the hope of every Cleveland fan... more Chris Paul comps....
• 7:41 PM - Sidenote after watching the Irving highlight package... how is Nolan Smith not a lock 1st-rounder? is it because he's a tweaner? How many times are we going to need to underrate the proven college senior guy before they realize it's gone too far?
• 7:45 PM - Minnesota takes Derrick Williams... I don't get it... is he the #2 player? probably... but I don't see the fit with Kevin Love.... like, at all... and there's already a logjam of tweeners with Beasley and Anthony Randolph... there's gotta be a trade there somewhere, but I would've moved the pick or taken Kanter... not to say I don't like Williams, because I do, but I think he's a 4 and they're pretty set there...
• 7:50 PM - Utah takes Enes Kanter... 2nd straight "fit" question... like everything I hear about him... but why go with Kanter when you already have Jefferson, Millsap AND prized young guy Derrick Favors?.... They must've been wholly underwhelmed with Brandon Knight... but this does set them up for the Jimmer sweepstakes when they pick again at 12...
• 7:55 PM - I have no idea what Cleveland does here... or what I'd do if I was Cleveland... that's always entertaining...
• 7:57 PM - The Cavs take Tristan Thompson.... pretty big surprise here... but he's actually my favorite guy of the remaining top tier... really like his game, and feel like he's a lower-risk guy than the Euro contingent... most experts thought Valanciunas was the pick, but Cleveland deked everyone... I like it
• 8:02 PM - I laughed aloud just now... Toronto takes Jonas Valanciunas... I'm still laughing... another Euro? and not even the physical one in Vesely... I don't get it... at all... would've gone with Knight, Leonard, even Biyombo over the Euro with the buyout issue... I look forward to the Bargnani/Jonas frontcourt tandem of terror!.. I heart Bryan Colangelo...
• 8:07 PM - Jan Vesely to the Wizards... this was the consistent theme all week, and a surprise to no one... not your typical Euro as he's more of an athlete/finisher type... interesting to see how he fits next to McGee and Blatche... yeah... that's always entertaining... I think I would've gone Leonard, but ho-hum...
• 8:09 PM - Remember that trade I talked about in the first post of the day?... it rears it's ugly head at #7... the NBA has Sacramento picking here, but this is reportedly heading to Charlotte, so we'll act as though it's their pick... and they go with?.... Bismack Biyombo!... probably the guy we know least about in this draft, but he's an explosive athlete from the Congo with reported freakish defensive upside... I don't know who scores the ball for Charlotte next year... but yeah... for now? I don't mind it... they have a lot of holes...
• 8:16 PM - Detroit is a calamity... had an interesting convo with Ryan about their perceived lack of holes... before settling on point guard... and who do they take? Brandon Knight... nicely done Joe D... he's a nice fit for them because he's about 6'4 which allows him to play with Ben Gordon and guard 2 guards (because Gordon can't)... I like Knight's game... and esp. his basketball IQ... decent young foundation with him and Monroe...
• 8:21 PM - Charlotte (picking for themselves this time) goes with Kemba Walker.... Not in love with the fit because, well, I'm not loving the whole scoring/combo guard thing that Kemba provides... but the value is decent at 9, and I'm not sure where I would've gone elsewhere...
• 8:27 PM - Back to the trade from earlier... #10 has Milwaukee picking for Sacramento (we think)... it's Jimmer time!.... I'm actually a fan of his at the next level... but playing alongside Tyreke Evans? Leery... but it'll certainly be interesting... no other point guard available and with that being the GLARING need with the trade of Beno, it makes sense here... Jimmer a top-10 pick... wow... do have to wonder if this was an owner-driven pick to sell tickets...
• 8:31 PM - Jimmer looks ridiculous in the suit he's wearing... and THEN they add the hat?... good luck with that... also hilarious to see them use "capable passer" as a trait to assign to a lottery pick point guard... that's epic...
• 8:34 PM - The Commissioner re-appears... and Golden State Klay Thompson.... as I scream (literally) OLE!!!!... yet another pick for Golden State that can't guard a chair... alas, I actually like Thompson, and have all year... he's the best scoring wing in this draft and probably presents good value, but I can't possibly see a scenario where it'd be beneficial to play Curry, Ellis, and Thompson as your perimeter... you're giving up 140...
• 8:39 PM - Finishing an argument about whether Kawhi Leonard can be classified as a wing... I say yes.... These are the tirades we go on.... at any rate... Utah on the clock... consensus at the table is that they need to take a wing...
• 8:41 PM - The pick is in... consensus best 2-guard available in Colorado's Alec Burks heading to Utah... sound pick... fills a need... didn't reach too much... that's not a bad roster at all when you think about the corner that D-Will backed them into...
• 8:47 PM - Markieff Morris goes to Phoenix.... that's weird.... Marcus was the higher rated prospect all year... anyway, he's the twin I like more of the 2... better rebounder, better defender... better fit for Phoenix for sure... kinda like that front-line going forward with Gortat, Lopez, and Morris... they're long...
• 8:51 PM - Houston on the board... always interesting to see what Morey does... that's a team with so many assets that it's hard to monitor... they kinda need a point guard with Brooks on his way out (although I like Lowry) but there isn't one to take... I'd go Leonard or Singleton....
• 8:55 PM - Houston takes Marcus Morris... I hate that pick... there, I said it... Morris is a 4 who thinks he's a 3, and they have a logjam at the 4 (Scola, Patterson)... not a fan.... and I usually loves Houston's stuff...
• 9:01 PM - Indiana picks up Kawhi Leonard... one of my favorite guys in the draft... can't believe he fell this far, and it's a nice add for Indy... they were somehow "need-less" so they went best available, and he should take some minutes away from Brandon Rush (mercifully)... love that pick...
• 9:05 PM - Breaking news from Yahoo! that San Antonio may be swapping George Hill to Indiana in a package for Kawhi Leonard... of course they are... San Antonio usually likes guys that I like... I'll update when and if this goes through...
• 9:09 PM - Philly locks up the biggest player in the draft in Nikola Vucevic... the 7-footer from USC... a bit of a project, but their biggest hole is in the middle and that's a worthy flier in the mid-1st...
• 9:11 PM - Ohhhhhh the Knicks.... always an adventure... the worst pick of the draft so far in my opinion is Iman Shumpert at 17... he can't shoot, he's wildly inconsistent, and his only discernible skill (athleticism/defense) is replicated by Toney Douglas... I honestly had visions of Isaiah...
• 9:16 PM - Pick number 18... what's the significance you ask? Oh... this is the spot that the Hawks would occupy had they not dealt it to Washington... 2 guys I like are still available in Christ Singleton and Kenneth Faried... just putting that out there... I like Kirk Hinrich still...
• 9:18 PM - Washington takes Chris Singleton... I like that for them.... he's maybe the best defender in the entire draft, and they'll need all the help they can get with guys like Nick Young, Blatche, and Crawford... plus, he doesn't need the ball... solid from them
• 9:20 PM - Looks like the George Hill-to-Indiana deal is done... Kawhi Leonard and the #42 pick heading the Spurs way... leaves the Spurs without a backup point, but Leonard gives them some valuable athleticism and defense in the front court.... gonna be very very interesting to see how that roster looks... and a coup for Indy in that Hill is a proven starter-caliber PG that can play some 2 behind Collison...
• 9:27 PM - I'm officially wearing down on the live blog... anyway, Milwaukee takes Tobias Harris (via Charlotte)... not a big fan of his work, but that's suddenly a position of need for Milwaukee who's done a total overhaul today... John Hammond has been busy....
• 9:30 PM - It's David Kahn time again!.... Donatas Motiejunas is the pick... I know absolutely nothing of his work... but that seems about par for the course for Mr. Kahn... I absolutely would've taken Jordan Hamilton here... I don't understand why he's still available
• 9:34 PM - Ryan's on pins and needles with Portland on the clock... this ought to be entertaining...
• 9:36 PM - Nolan Smith! Im really glad he went this early... like the fit for Portland... he's ready to play right now and won't kill them anywhere... best guard available... that's, as usual, a very good roster...
• 9:37 PM - Reading about a deal where Houston would send Brad Miller and the 23rd pick to Minnesota for Donatas Motiejunas and Jonny Flynn.... a steal for the Rockets IMO... they need another guard with Lowry, and Flynn is a great buy-low candidate once he gets out of the triangle...
• 9:42 PM - Denver takes Kenneth Faried.... love, love, love him... best rebounder in the draft, unlimited motor, and he can play right away... not a ton of upside, but that's a steal at 22... only one guy from the upper tier left for me (Hamilton)... may shut it down once he goes...
• 9:48 PM- Kinda shocked at Hamilton's freefall... gotta be all those bad shots from this year catching up with him... only explanation, but in his defense, it was team-based why he was jacking IMO... and Rick Barnes never helped anybody
• 9:49 PM - Nikola Mirotic to Minnesota (via Houston).... that makes no sense at all... so why wouldn't Kahn be involved?!.... the last thing they need is a 6'10 forward...
• 9:54 PM - Reggie Jackson to OKC.... interesting non-fit situation there where he'll be sitting behind WEstbrook and Maynor... weirdest pre-draft situation there was in that Jackson basically shut it down 2 months before the draft and didn't work out... getting killed for it, but gets the guaranteed contract
• 9:56 PM - Mirotic is actually going to Chicago... that makes a little more sense than Minnesota but I digress... Boston just picked Marshon Brooks ahead of Jordan Hamilton... I'm shutting it down for the night... its been a pleasure... stay tuned in this space for updates later tonight and into tomorrow...

NBA Draft Mini-Preview...

Greetings all... I'll be doing a massive write-up/live-blog on the Draft on Thursday night... so we're taking it easy on the preview... enjoy...

• Who's number one? Mr. Irving for me.... I think it's a point guard league more than it's ever been, and I can't fathom a world in which Irving FAILS in the league (barring Jay Williams-type injury of course)... he has all the tools, and while he may not have the upside of Rose or Wall, he's an upper-tier PG in the league... Derrick Williams isn't a bad consolation prize, but I wish he'd realize he's a power forward...
  
• Who's the best international player? Give me Enes Kanter... the biggest crapshoot of all for anyone who doesn't watch Euroleague (cough, me) is projecting these international guys... you're basically going off scouting reports, trusting the people you choose to trust, and deciding which traits you value more... Kanter seems to be the most talented guy... he doesn't have the question marks of Valanciunas (who won't be over for a year or 2), he can actually shoot a basketball (unlike Jan Vesely), and Biyombo's ceiling is Serge Ibaka, and while that's a helluva ceiling? He can't play offense... like at all...
• What do you think of Jimmer? I actually like Jimmer's upside... he's the best shooter in the draft, he can create his own shot (comparisons to Redick are warranted because they are both 1) white, and 2) great shooters, but Redick is a natural 2-guard who can actually defend someone, Jimmer has to have the ball and is a much better creator), and in the right system, I think he can be a good pro... can he guard? nope... but neither can Steve Nash... I'd love to see him fall to Phoenix, spend a year or 2 under Nash, and then get unleashed in that type of system... in the wrong spot, he could easily fail...
• What about the Hawks? Well... they shed their first rounder in the Hinrich/Crawford deal... so that's out... perfect world? I'd like to see them go out, spend $3 million, and buy a late first/early 2nd rounder and target someone like Jeremy Tyler who has huge upside as a big... but in reality, I can see them taking a college senior or a Euro at 48... blah...
• Who has the keys to the draft? Always fun to see where the pendulum swings... I think Cleveland is taking Irving, and while David Kahn is insane, I think he either just takes Williams or deals the pick... leaving Utah with the keys... I don't know where they go... I'd probably take Brandon Knight there, but if they don't? chaos will ensue...
  
• Guys I like: Brandon Knight (upside, but kind of a combo guard), Kawhi Leonard (huge hands, great motor), Alec Burks, Jordan Hamilton, Chris Singleton (best defender in the draft), Tristan Thompson, Kenneth Faried (can't teach an elite skill like rebounding), Tyler Honeycutt, Norris Cole, Darius Morris, Jeremy Tyler, Shelvin Mack, Jimmy Butler, Keith Benson, David Lighty (lock-down defender, role player)
• Guys I don't like: Kemba Walker (not a point guard, not a great shooter), Jan Vesely (can't shoot at all, screams of a euro Stro Swift), the Morris twins, Iman Shumpert (although he has huge defensive upside), Marshon Brooks, Trey Thompkins (he's fat), Josh Selby, Tobias Harris

Should be fun... stay tuned on Thursday for full blow-out coverage... one of the best nights of the year...

6/21: Pujols, Tim Hudson, etc...

It's getting to be that time of the year when baseball dominates all...

• Albert Pujols leads the way this morning... the best player alive will miss 4-6 weeks (or longer depending on who you believe) with a fractured arm... the most devastating news? His injury adds to the remarkable list of injuries my fantasy team has endured... but in real life? He'll be back by August, and hopefully the Cards will still be in the race when he gets there...
• Tim Hudson had one of the best games of his life last night... 8 shutout innings to lead the Braves to a 2-0 win... oh... I forgot... he also drove in both runs with a majestic (lol) blast off of Ricky Romero for his 2nd career home run and all of the scoring in the game... about as dominant as it gets... and props to Craig Kimbrel for slamming the door by striking out the side after Hudson put the first 2 guys on in the 9th...
• The Cavs are "weighing" the #1 pick... one report had them promising Kyrie Irving early in the day on Monday, but by midnight, it was back to square one... I personally don't see a scenario where they don't take Irving, but Dan Gilbert is ultimately in charge... comic sans...
• The Dodgers ownership situation takes another turn... after a reported divorce settlement for the McCourts looked to end the chaos, MLB turned down a proposed TV deal with the Dodgers and FOX, basically throwing it for a loop again... the nightmare continues...
• Ricky Rubio arrived in Minnesota on Monday... to a superstar welcome? seems a bit strong for me... but he was a top-5 pick and he's a European "star" so I guess I can see it... I'm wildly interested to see how the T-Wolves roster turns over, and if they're crazy enough to continue to try to run the triangle with Rubio at the point...

What to watch for on Tuesday...

• Jays @ Braves - 7:00 Peachtree TV - Stewart vs. Minor - Not exactly the elite pitching matchup from Monday, but the Braves need to win this series, and the bullpen should be fresh after what Hudson did on Monday...
• Cubs @ White Sox - 8:00 WGN - Garza vs. Buehrle - This series is always riveting for me...
• College World Series - 2:00 and 7:00 on ESPN - Ping!
• Wimbledon - ESPN Family - All Day - The championships continue...

Enjoy...

6/20: McIlroy Dominates...

Greetings all...

• Rory McIlroy dominated the competition from the gun on Thursday morning at the US Open, and finished with a record-breaking 16-under 268... winning by 8 shots is Tiger-esque, and I do think the most appropriate comparison is to that of Tiger in the 97 Masters... obviously, the cultural/social impact doesn't even approach what happened in Augusta that weekend, but as far as domination from a 1st-time winner, this was it... that said, comparisons to Tiger circa 2000 are insane.. the guy won 4 straight majors and set 3 scoring records doing it... stop it... but big-ups to Rory who was about as good as you can be in avenging his meltdown from Augusta in April...
• The Marlins have a new manager... Edwin Rodriguez "resigned" (depends on who you believe) after Florida lost 18 of 19, and he'll be reportedly replaced on an interim basis by... 80-year-old Jack McKeon... I don't even have a joke... or maybe I have too many jokes... it's even funnier that the team in Florida would do this...
• The Braves avoid being swept on Sunday behind Jurrjens... for the 2nd series in a row, Atlanta found themselves on the verge of embarrassment, but with some timely hitting, a 4-2 victory emerged... nice to see Freddie Freeman with 3 hits, Heyward with 2 RBI, and even some bright spots from Uggla lately, but one underrated thing... any time you can see a Kimbrel appearance without a walk, it's a blessing... bring on the Jays...
• The NBA Draft is in 3 days... if you don't think I'm live-blogging, you've lost your mind...

What to watch for today...

• Wimbledon - All Day on the ESPN Family - The most prestigious of all tennis tournaments kicks off... this is really for you James....
• Blue Jays @ Braves - 7:10 Fox Sport South - Romero vs. Hudson - I'll be at the ballpark... heckuva pitching matchup... eager to see if Huddy can get right
• Yankees @ Reds - 7:00 ESPN - Nova vs. Cueto

There it is...

6/17: US Open, Rubio, etc.

Greetings all...

• The US Open is in full swing at Congressional... although they've already teed off this morning (whoops), Rory McIlroy had the clubhouse lead by 3 shots after he fired a 6-under 66 in the opening round... you may remember that McIlroy collapsed on Sunday at the Masters, but this guy is a legit top-flight player... I can already FEEL the lack of interest... it's kind of crazy what happens when Tiger isn't around, but I'm invested
• Ricky Rubio will be a Timberwolf... it's about time!... Reportedly, Rubio will be holding a presser in Spain today to announce the move, and David Kahn rejoices... but it still remains to be seen how effective he'll be... he seemed to stall as far as development over in Europe the last 2 years, but I like the make-up of what he brings (pass-first, insane vision, etc.)... I have a feeling that Minny's roster composition will be a lot different in November than it is now...
• The Braves won on a walk-off balk last night... yes, it was as weird as it sounds... Atlanta jumped to a 4-run lead after a big inning that featured a Chipper Jones 3-run blast, but Mike Minor promptly put 2 guys on, and Scott Proctor did what Scott Proctor does... allowing the game-tying home run to a Hairston (lol)... in the end, Atlanta made enough plays led by Brooks Conrad's pinch-hit game-tying blast in the 9th off K-Rod... but Fredi Gonzalez made an absolute mockery of the game last night... here's the list... 1) Inserting his worst relief pitcher and allowing him to face the tying run with a full bullpen, 2) Pitching Venters a 2nd inning despite facing 6 batters in the first inning (his arm is going to fall off, and please don't tell me about 3 days rest...), 3) Double-switching with Conrad going to 2B in the 9th which was inexcusable because the pitcher's spot would've been up SIXTH in the following inning... there it is, I'm sure I'm missing something glaring, but that'll happen... one more note... Chipper left the game with a groin strain... insert joke here about his frailty and the absolute hilarity of him calling out Jason Heyward about playing through injury...
  

What to watch for...

• US Open - ESPN 10:00 - Live coverage of Round 2...
• Rangers @ Braves - 7:30 Peachtree TV - Lewis vs. Delgado - The unexpected debut of Randall Delgado thanks to Hanson's shoulder stiffness... Delgado isn't the elite prospect of Teheran, but he's reportedly impressive... pitching against the Rangers is a test for anyone...

Enjoy..

6/16: Stanley Cup, Braves, etc.

Greetings all... Quickly today...

• Congrats to the Boston Bruins on winning the Stanley Cup... and simultaneously setting off wide-scale riots in Vancouver (scary stuff)... I didn't see much of this, but Tim Thomas apparently stood on his head for the better part of 2 months... first title in 40 years for the B's, and now the city of Boston has won a title in all 4 sports in the last 7 years... Heart-breaking for Vancouver who is still without a title, and their national hero (Luongo) let them down in a big way in this series...
• The Braves lost an ugly, rain-filled 4-0 game to the Mets last night... the bats never awakened vs. Dillon Gee before the rain, or against the bullpen after it... One note from this one: I have no idea how Angel Pagan hit that ball as high/far as he did on the home run in the 3rd... nice to see Heyward in the lineup...
• The US Open is in full swing today... no Tiger?... loss of interest immediately, but I'm still in... it's a major at a big time venue (Congressional) and it'll be compelling golf... and I can root against Phil!
• I'm so tired of NFL lockout talk... the talks reportedly "almost blew up" yesterday... I have no idea what that means... wake me when there's free agency...

What to watch for...

• US Open - ESPN 10:00 am - As mentioned above... it's a major... so it'll be on
• Mets @ Braves - SportSouth 7:10 - Dickey vs. Minor - Atlanta trying to avoid an inexcusable home sweep loss to the Mets... good gracious

Enjoy...

Wrapping up the NBA Finals...

Greetings all... sorry for the late post... a bit under the weather this morning coupled with a lack of internet access earlier... but alas, here we are with a few points to consider...

1. Congrats to the Mavs... you already knew what the reaction in the media would be to a Heat Loss and a Mavs win... Miami dominating the coverage... so let's lead off with a big ups to the Mavs... it helps them as far as coverage to have the always entertaining Mark Cuban in the mix, but guys like Dirk, Terry, Chandler, Kidd, etc. deserve this win, and speaking as someone who continuously has crapped on the Mavs roster, I'll give them all the credit...
2. Dirk the MVP... the big German was masterful in the playoffs... despite starting 1-12 in Game 6, he finished with 10 points in the final 7 minutes, and in carrying his squad to the title, he cements his legacy as a top-5 power forward ever, and a probable top-30 player... seems crazy to me to even type it, but when you look at his body of work? Why wouldn't he be in the discussion with Barkley and Malone?... Probably the most consistently unguardable player in the league today, and that's a heckuva statement at his age...
3. The Jet... Jason Terry... wow... 19 in the first half in Game 6 to carry that offense through Dirk's struggles, and while I don't want to always quote Bill Simmons in this space, his words around Terry as an "irrational confidence guy" are absolutely spot-on... I think JET thinks he's an elite player, and while that's completely false, it certainly helps him to have confidence and swagger to be the type of player that he's been for them... and he's got a little crazy in him...
4. Tyson Chandler... probably the only thing that's been UNDER-covered (in this age of 24/7 media) has been the impact of Chandler... I thought he was the difference in this team from every other Dallas team in this era... he was flying around for 2 months, disrupting on the defensive end, finishing with a vengeance on offense, and I thought the late sequence where he seemed to get about 5 tipped offensive boards in a row was indicative of everything he's brought that team... can't be slept on...
5. J-Kidd and Rick Carlisle... Lastly for Dallas... Jason Kidd was sort of an afterthought in this series (and rightly so), but alas, he seemed to make big plays when they needed them whether it was the huge 3 in Game 5, or just generally making life difficult for Lebron (don't worry it's coming)... he's not the player he once was, but for him to get a ring (finally) is huge for his legacy you'd have to think... and while we're here... Rick Carlisle was great in these playoffs... I'm not a fan of the "because he wins, he's great", but Carlisle consistently impressed me with his in-game adjustments, and willingness to go with the flow of the game (i.e. burying Peja, playing Cardinal, starting Barea)...

On to Miami...

1. Coach Spo... Had to throw in the gratuitous reference to what Lebron and Wade call him... I feel like Spoelstra is going to get crapped on, but I'm not sure why...?.... It's not his fault that his stars didn't show up in Game 6 (and Lebron for the duration), and with that roster, I'm not sure what he could've done... the Eddie House move worked (even though I would've pulled him quicker), and when your other options are Bibby and the pu pu platter, he did all he could do...
2. Bosh... Chris Bosh... is an enigma.... that's the best word for me... he was ultra-efficient in this series signified by him shooting 7 of 9 in Game 6, but you never really feel like he's out there... I'll give him credit for battling more in the paint in this series, but he's not a guy they're ever going to run sets for (and why would they?) and when he makes open jumpers (like he did late in this series), he's deadly, but should that really be the key for a guy making the max?... I won't kill him... he's playing a supporting role... but the "big 3" label isn't playing out like a big 3 on the court...
3. Wade... I'm going to say this... but doesn't Wade's reputation have to take a small hit?... Wade's star shot into the air after the 2006 finals, and rightly so, when he carried an undermanned team to the title... I get that... and he was HUGE early in this series... but let's not forget... he missed a giant free throw in Game 4, fumbled away a potential game-winner in that same game, and shot 6 of 16 for a lackluster 17 points in the series clincher... now, clearly the reason for the lack of focus on Wade is the absolute CIRCUS around Lebron's play, but it's worth noting that the "clutch" guy in Wade didn't exactly show up big this time around... Just putting it out there... he was still the best player on his own team though... and okay... here we go...
4. Lebron... Here we are... what do you even say about this guy? I was one of the people banging the drum about how he's the best player alive even going into Game 6... riding with him because of what I've seen... he completely shut down Derrick Rose in the Chicago series, he carried them offensively in key moments against Boston... we all remember the 48-point game against Detroit, and LBJ single-handedly keeping them in that Orlando series back in 2009... but what does it all mean?... He was flat-out indefensibly terrible in this series... don't let the triple-double or the 21 points in Game 6 fool you... he disappeared... he wasn't assertive, he didn't seem like he wanted to be there, Jason Terry LIT HIM UP (an underrated sidebar), and this is officially a trend... As a society, we're definitely too quick to anoint or tear down these type of guys, but I do feel like we have the evidence now where no one can reasonably EXPECT (not hope) that he'll be taking over and carrying anyone to a title in clutch spots... can he do it? Absolutely... will he? I have no idea... but we can't bank on it... not anymore... I'll say this about Lebron... he's absolutely lived up to the hype in a way that the great majority of people wouldn't have... he's been unreasonably hyped since he was a junior in high school, and for him to actually ascend to the "best player alive" status is pretty remarkable when considering some of the other hype jobs we've seen... but it's time now... you're in your 8th year, you've lost the finals twice, and not-so-graciously bowed out the last 2 years... no more Jordan comparisons (they were patently absurd from the jump)... no more "hands down" arguments about who the best player alive is... show me...

And that's it... what an amazing NBA season... probably the highest-level of play in the league that I can remember (I'm only 24, but still)... and I'll say this... if this league locks out on the heels of the best season (and playoffs) in over a decade? They're insane... the NBA is fannnn-tastic... I love this game...

6/10: Game 5 Recap, etc.

Greetings all... slightly short today...

• Dallas 112, Miami 103... Another really, really good game last night... let's start with Dallas... Dirk was brilliant again with 29 points on 9 of 18 to lead 5 guys with 13+ points for the Mavs... it was easily their best offensive output of the first 5 games, and scoring 112 on this Miami team is no small feat... Jason Terry created the 2 biggest shots of the game, one on a kick-out to Jason Kidd, and the second on the absolute dagger three to seal it (although that was an awful possession from start to finish...) finishing with 21 points on 8 of 12, and doing things that Jason Terry does... on Miami's side, Lebron re-emerged a bit with a 17/10/10 triple-double, but still failed to generate much offensively down the stretch, Wade finished with 23 points but went to the locker room twice for injury (kind of muddy reporting there), and I'm sure Miami is STILL trying to figure out how they shot 53% FG, 40% 3s, made 21 of 26 FTs, outrebounded Dallas by TEN, and still lost the game by 9... One note on the Lebron charge call... 1) I thought it was the wrong one, 2) That was the single biggest play of the game, and maybe of the series... that's a 3-point play that went the other way and finished with a Dallas triple... I firmly believe Miami wins that game if that is called a block.... What does it all mean? Dallas needs to get Game 6... I don't see Miami dropping a Game 7 at home, but this series is very much in doubt... riveting hoops...

Elsewhere...

• The A's fire Bob Geren... manager since 2006, I don't really get this one... he's been victimized by injuries to Anderson and Bailey, he can't make Hideki Matsui hit, and if the reason stemmed from Brian Fuentes? That's a Fuentes issue, not a Geren issue... alas, he's out and Bob Melvin is in...
  
• The Red Sox swept the Yankees after a 3 hour rain delay... Boston has owned NYY all year, and let's just say we'll continue to hear about that...
• Venters closed last night for the Braves... with Kimbrel available... I'm absolutely fine with this, and I would've been fine with going matchups all year in the 9th inning... but I'm not sure this is the approach I would've taken (i.e. "pulling back" the commitment to Kimbrel that was obviously made)... but wins are wins, and Venters has been the best reliever on the planet in 2011...
  

What to watch for on Friday...

• Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 - Boston @ Vancouver - NBC 8:00... Yeah...
• Braves @ Astros - Hudson vs. A. Rodriguez - SportSouth 8:00

One PSA for everyone... check out ESPN's new creation (led by Bill Simmons) over at grantland.com... some outstanding longer-form writing so far... Until next time...

Re-Evaluating the MLB Season

Greetings all... MLB teams have played 60-ish games a piece thus far, and we haven't gone back to evaluate where we've been and where we're going... let's do that in this space, division-by-division so that we can see how unintelligent I am...

AL West
Preseason pick: 1) Texas, 2) Oakland, 3) LAA, 4) Seattle

• Gun to my head? I still like the Rangers... at 35-28, they have a 2.5 game lead on surprising Seattle, and 5.5 on the Angels... Oakland is 8 back, and just lost their rising star pitcher Brett Anderson (possibly for the season with an elbow issue)... I think it's fairly safe to write off the A's, so let's talk about the other 3.... Texas is now healthy with the returns of Hamilton and Cruz, and they have the best offense in the division by leaps and bounds... we know that... but the key for them is that pitching staff, and they've gotten the pleasant surprise of Alexi Ogando starting 7-0 in his first 12 starts... That won't continue, but he's definitely above-average, and when teamed with Wilson/Lewis and the suddenly good Matt Harrison, I like them... Also, Mitch Moreland (.890 OPS) is breaking out.... the Angels were carried by Haren and Weaver early, and while they (especially Weaver) have cooled off, LAA has managed to stay competitive even with Vernon Wells being injured (and sucking out loud) and with Morales not coming back at any point in 2011... I'm not sure guys like Aybar, Izturis, and Trumbo can continue at their current paces, but I think they'll get better production from Hunter and Wells... Seattle? Wow... what do you say about Michael Pineda? He's the catalyst for their turnaround as they suddenly have an elite 1-2 combination, and he's been ridiculous... Erik Bedard also deserves a lot of credit for their start, but consider this... this team STILL doesn't hit... Ichiro is only hitting .256, they only have 1 legitimate power source (Smoak with 10 homers), Chone Figgins is a DISASTER (.187 avg, .247 slugging), and they have a revolving door in the outfield... I don't think they can finish at .500, but there's hope in Seattle with that pitching staff...

Revised pick: 1) Texas, 2) Anaheim, 3) Seattle, 4) Oakland

AL Central
Preseason pick: 1) Minnesota (yikes), 2) Chicago, 3) Detroit, 4) Cleveland, 5) KC

• Well, this was my most disastrous selection... I always, ALWAYS crap on Minnesota preseason and they always prove me wrong... well, it went the other way this year... the Twins have been a disaster from the jump... from injuries (Mauer most notably, Morneau, Nathan, Young) to lackluster performance (Pavano, D. Young, etc.), they haven't gotten it together at all, and at 11.5 out, I don't think they will... Cleveland has been the lone bright spot in the division, but I just don't see the pitching (i.e. Tomlin and Masterson's underlying numbers show a very likely regression), and guys like Asdrubal Cabrera can't sustain MVP-type numbers for 4 more months... will they fall off a cliff? I say no, but they won't finish .500... Detroit is tough to read because they have a very good offense, but after Verlander, the pitching is sketchy (Scherzer has been bad at times), their middle relief is awful (read: Joaquin Benoit), and I think Magglio Ordonez may be done... the White Sox have my favorite offense in the division, so it basically begs the question of whether Rios, Dunn, and to a lesser extent John Danks, can get it together... I say they can and will... KC will become infinitely more entertaining as the season goes along because of their vast array of prospects (Hosmer is already impressing), but they'll be so young that they won't hang in... I think the winner of the division finishes with like 84 wins... give me CWS...
  

Revised pick: 1) Chicago, 2) Detroit, 3) Cleveland, 4) KC, 5) Minnesota

AL East
Preseason pick: 1) Boston, 2) Tampa, 3) NYY, 4) Toronto, 5) Baltimore

• Best division in baseball... I know everyone gets sick of the AL East (myself included) but you can't deny the depth of talent... I still believe that Boston has the best roster in the Majors, and I'm sticking with them... the Tampa vs. Yankees debate rages on, and I was (and continue to be) on the Tampa side of things simply because I can't buy into a Yankees team with exactly ONE starting pitcher that I trust... Phil Hughes was a disaster, AJ Burnett is AJ Burnett, Bartolo Colon has been electric but all signs point to a slowing down (or even a shutting down), and the Garcia/Nova combo doesn't inspire anyone... I still like Tampa's core of pitching with Price, Shields, and Hellickson better, and give me the pitching in the end... Toronto and Baltimore might both win the AL Central, but there's too much in front of them here... Baltimore is very exciting to watch with the Matusz/Britton/Arrieta trio in the rotation though...
  

Revised pick: 1) Boston, 2) Tampa, 3) NYY, 4) Toronto, 5) Baltimore

NL West
Preseason pick: 1) Colorado, 2) SF, 3) LA Dodgers, 4) San Diego, 5) Arizona

• I was starting to turn toward the Giants.. I really was... until their best offensive player was lost for the season and replaced by? Eli Whiteside!... Yeah... so while I know San Fran has it going in the standings, in the long haul, I just don't see where the runs come from, so I'm rolling with Colorado... they've gotten underwhelming production from CarGo and Ubaldo so far and are still competitive... I believe in the Rockies... Arizona is the most fascinating team out West... currently 2 back of SF for the division lead it doesn't seem TOO fluke-ish... Collmenter can't continue at this pace (and certainly won't once he's been seen by the league), and the pitching will regress... I think the D-Backs offense is legit, and they won't fall into the toilet, but not a serious division contender... the Dodgers are a disaster from the top down with the ownership situation... I see them selling at the deadline, and the injury bug seems to hit them as well... but most of all? that bullpen is a mess... and San Diego got some positive reinforcement with the call-up of Anthony Rizzo, but their pitching isn't as good as it was in 2010 and their offense is far worse... they'll stay where they are...
  

Revised pick: 1) Colorado, 2) SF, 3) Arizona, 4) LAD, 5) San Diego

NL Central
Preseason pick: 1) Milwaukee, 2) Cincy, 3) Chicago, 4) St. Louis, 5) Houston, 6) Pittsburgh

• The league's only 6-team division is, predictably, wide-open... St. Louis is scorching right now at 37-26, but they're doing it without Wainwright, with Pujols having started slowly, and with Holliday on the DL? How?!... It's always a team that plays above their head, but I don't think they sustain this... Milwaukee is 1.5 games out and has the best pitching in the division with Greinke/Marcum/Gallardo... I'm banking on them to pull it out... Cincy has been a bit underwhelming so far (5.5 out at 32-31) but with Cueto back healthy and Volquez pitching better in the last few starts, I see that staff returning to division-winning form, and they'll compete to the end, that offense is too good led by Votto, Stubbs and Phillips... I liked the Cubs coming into the year... I was wrong... too much dysfunction... Marmol has taken a step back, they don't have the offense (although Soriano is quietly coming alive), and the starting pitching just isn't very good... Pittsburgh has been a pleasant surprise, playing .500 ball into June, and I don't think it's a fluke... their pitching is much better with Morton (who's legit), Maholm and McDonald, and that lineup is better than you'd think even without Alvarez doing anything... Houston is a disaster... yeah...
  

Revised pick: 1) Milwaukee, 2) Cincy, 3) St. Louis, 4) Pittsburgh, 5) Chicago, 6) Houston

NL East
Preseason pick: 1) Philly, 2) Atlanta, 3) Florida, 4) NYM, 5) Washington

• Philly is the class of the NL... but it isn't by the margin you might think... Oswalt has taken a step back this year (across the board, from peripherals down), the offense isn't terribly impressive with a regressed/injured Utley, Rollins and Ibanez in the twilight, and a banged-up Ruiz, but the Halladay/Lee/Hamels trio is just too much, and Ryan Madson has been a God-send for them... Atlanta can't seem to score runs (well-documented in this space), but I firmly believe that Heyward will get right and produce, Uggla will finish the year hitting .220-ish (meaning he'll hit .260-ish the rest of the way), and the offense will be at least mediocre... but here's a secret... the Atlanta starting pitching has been just as good as the Philly starting pitching... now, don't get me wrong... 1 through 3, I firmly believe Philly has the clear edge, but depth-wise, Atlanta makes up some ground... Jurrjens isn't THIS good, but it's clear that he's an upper-echelon guy when he's throwing strikes like he is right now, Hanson is a superstar, and they're doing this with Hudson having regressed from 2010... Atlanta is still my wild-card pick... Florida is the 3rd team by default, sitting 5 back of Philly at the moment, and with simply more talent than Washington and New York... I'm going to flip-flop the bottom 2 for this one because I think the Mets are selling at the deadline... Beltran or Reyes (maybe both) will be gone, Washington will get Zimmerman back, and at that point? advantage Nats... not that it matters...
  

Revised pick: 1) Philly, 2) Atlanta, 3) Florida, 4) Washington, 5) NYM

So there it is... just wanted to take a step back and look at things fresh now that we're past that magical Memorial day point in the season... for what it's worth...

6/8: A Dead-Locked Finals, Pryor, etc.

Greetings all... a busy Tuesday...

• Mavs 86, Heat 83... a really interesting game here... on the Mavs' side, yet another impressive 4th quarter from Dirk (with a 102 fever) finishing with 21 points and a very important 11 boards to lead the way for Dallas... I thought he was limited compared to his normal output, but he was gutty late... Jason Terry was pretty brutal for the majority of this one (finishing 6 of 15) but made a couple big shots late as well as 2 huge FTs in the final minute... but the key for Dallas? Tyson Chandler was everywhere... 13 points, 16 boards, showing well on every screen and roll, and generally wreaking havoc... I thought he was fantastic and made up for the eggs that Kidd and Barea laid... for Miami? Wade was spectacular (13 of 20, 32 points), but was bottled up a bit late, and couldn't make up for how passive/uninspired Lebron was... LBJ shot just 11 times, finished with 8 points, and was generally underwhelming throughout... kind of inexplicable other than maybe he's just fatigued? You can only play 46 minutes a night for so long I guess, but I don't think there's any excuse for 8 points in a Finals game... Basically, Miami can't afford a stinker like that from him, simply because of lack of options... Bosh played reasonably well (9 of 19 for 24 points), but at no point was I overly impressed with his output, and that's about all you can ask of him... if Lebron plays this way? Dallas will win this series... one nuts-and-bolts thing... I'm outright confused by Spoelstra's willingness to have Lebron guard Stevenson down the stretch... if you're going to single Dirk (which I wouldn't), at least have the decency to put the most athletic guy on the planet (and your best defender) on him....
  

Elsewhere...

• Bye-bye Terrelle... the Ohio State QB is no longer the Ohio State QB... I'm taking a little bit of personal joy in the turmoil in Columbus for obvious reasons, but this is getting better by the day... he almost single-handedly torpedoed the best coach in the country (IMO), and now leaves them with no legitimate option at QB this year... Michigan would've won a lot more games in Rich Rod's first season (or two) with Pryor under center, but thank goodness he went to Columbus...
• Tiger to miss the US Open... that's bad news for the tour... I'll still tune in because it's a Golf major, but the zest certainly isn't there without Tiger in the field... get right, Eldrick...
  
• The Braves got a 1-0 win last night... after a spent the afternoon crapping on Alex Gonzalez at the plate, he supplied the game's only run on a 4th inning blast, and Tommy Hanson (with Venters and Kimbrel) slammed the door on Florida... the bats are still asleep, but the pitching has been remarkable...

What to watch for on Wednesday...

• Stanley Cup Finals Game 4 - Canucks @ Bruins - Versus 8:00 - I really have no interest, but it's still the Cup Finals...
• Red Sox @ Yankees - ESPN 7:00 - Wakefield vs. Burnett - A 5-hour marathon! Good luck!
• Braves @ Marlins - SportSouth 7:00 - Lowe vs. Nolasco - Ricky Nolasco can be beaten... that's all I got on this one...

Enjoy...

6/6: Game 3, Plaxico, Nadal/Federer, etc.

Greetings all... my apologies on the absence... let's get it going...

• Heat 88, Mavs 86 - Dwayne Wade's 29 and 11 led Miami to a W to take the 2-1 lead... Dirk had a fadeaway go begging at the buzzer, and that felt like about the only thing he missed in the 4th quarter (he had 15 in the frame)... the story for me was the utter lack of offensive help that Dirk got in this one... Terry shot 5-13, Barea 2-8, Marion 4-12, and they couldn't even play Peja (just 6 minutes)... Dirk was herculean in the 4th, but it really shouldn't have been as close as it was with how bad the rest of that offense was... on Miami's side, Wade was spectacular throughout, and I still FIRMLY believe that if Miami didn't go away from him in Game 2, this thing would be 3-0 and over... I thought a similar thing happened again for Miami in the late 4th in this one as well... a lot of weird long jumpers from Lebron and company, but they held on to this one... Bosh gets credit for knocking down the game-winner and finishing with 18, but I didn't like the game he played (3 boards? really?)... This is still a series, but Dallas has to get the next 2 or it's bye-bye....
• Plaxico Burress is a free man... what does this mean? I don't want to go over the debate about his sentencing, etc... but now that he's out, SOMEBODY will take a shot on him... he's 34 years old (ancient for a receiver), and I'm not sure what he'll bring, but he's still a huge, proven target, and teams like Washington, St. Louis, etc. gotta look at him...
• Rafael Nadal knocks off Federer to win his 10th major... not a huge tennis guy, but you have to appreciate the rivalry here... Nadal kind of owns him on clay, and this was no exception, but the level of tennis in the first 3 sets was, by the evaluation of tennis "analysts", pretty crazy... it's one of the best rivalries in sports...
• The Big 10 will play it's football championship game in Indianapolis... no surprise here... now if they could only change the division names...
• Paging the Braves offense... they did scratch 4 runs last night... but managed only 1 run in 8 innings off of RA Dickey... Dan Uggla is an unmitigated disaster at this point (.172, .240, .312), but even outside of that, it hasn't been great... I'm a tad worried about Tim Hudson as well; he doesn't look like the dominant guy he was in 2010 (4+ runs in 4 of his last 10 outings)...

What to watch for on Monday...

• Dodgers @ Phillies - ESPN 7:00 - Lilly vs. Lee - Nice pitching matchup here for ESPN... go Dodgers...

Light slate tonight... enjoy...

Back tomorrow...

Sorry everyone... whirlwind of a week... back in full effect on Monday with a Game 3 recap and more... stay tuned