NFL Draft Recap

Saturday I pulled a Joe Thomas and instead of watching the NFL draft, went golfing with my dad. We teed off at around 11 which was approximately the same time the draft started, and I figured that it would be a pretty predictable first round with the headliners all going in the top 10. What happened instead was a base jumping free fall by Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. While I was teeing off from the first hole, Brady sat and waited. While I pushed my drive right off the 4th tee box, permanently denting the aluminum siding on somebody's house, Brady sat and waited. While I three putted nearly every green on the back nine, Brady sat and waited.
I personally am not Brady Quinn guy. I think he's smug, pompous, and full of himself. His three publicly stated goals: to win a national title, win the Heisman trophy, and be drafted first overall, all proved to never come true and now that he's been drafted by one of the most unsuccessful franchises of the past decade, is his confidence completely shot to the point where his career is over before it even started (a la Tim Couch)?. I don't think this is the case with Quinn who definitely should have been drafted higher than 22.

In my last article on the NFL draft, my biggest bust was Ted Ginn Jr. who was hands down the dumbest pick of the draft. In an organization that is known for having big franchise quarterbacks (Bob Griese, Dan Marino) the Dolphins had an opportunity to take Quinn at 9, but passed. Then in the second round they could have easily just grabbed a guy like Dwayne Jarrett (the second best receiver in the draft) and the two could have been the next Manning/Harrison combination. Instead they decided a gimpy Ginn and John Beck out of BYU were serviceable answers to their teams needs. It's looking like Cam Cameron's tenure as the Dolphins' head coach might end up being a south beach vacation.

Say what you want about Randy Moss and Brandon Meriweather's character issues being risky decisions for the Patriots, but all I know is on paper, the Patriots go undefeated. On paper is a big if though. The Carolina Panthers last year are a good example of a team that gets better on paper by adding a wide receiver (Keyshawn Johnson) and expect to win the Super Bowl...of course the Panthers don't have Tom Brady. Moss and Dante Stallworth streaking down the sidelines, Ben Watson catching balls over the middle as the go-to TE, a healthy Lawrence Maroney stiff-arming his way to a 10+ touchdown season, if your not a fan of the New England Patriots you must be shaking. What team can stop this offense? Who I ask?
Yes, Meriweather did stomp on somebody in the Florida International game, but Rodney Harrison was voted the dirtiest player in the entire league in a Sports Illustrated poll last year...my point being as long as he produces on the field, he's OK in my book. The Patriot's dynasty was said to be dwindling, but after this year's draft it's looking like we just took a break.

NFL DRAFT

The draft is here and questions will finally be answered. Who will go number 1? Who will be the biggest bust? Who will be the biggest surprise? Who will be the best player 7-10 years down the road? Why does Brady Quinn lobby for himself? and of course, who will the Patriots take?
Lets get to it.

Number 1 pick- First things first...If I were Al Davis and desperately wanted the Raiders to win right away while still thinking about the future, I'd make a deal with the Buccaneers. Draft Calvin Johnson and send him along with Andrew Walters to Tampa for their number 4 overall pick and Jeff Garcia. After the season was over and Jeff Garcia was clearly one of the most coveted free agents, I expected him to end up in Oakland because he offers an immediate solution to the losing atmosphere. With the number 4 pick, the Raiders could still get either Brady Quinn or JaMarcus Russell. Just something to think about.

Biggest Surprise- There's way too much stock being invested in a player based on one game performance. Everyone has a bad game, but you've got to evaluate them by what they did in their entire career. For example, JaMarcus Russell played a great game against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl as compared to Brady Quinn who wasn't so nice. Russell played against Notre Dame's defense which was AWFUL against the pass while Quinn had to play against an SEC defense (the fastest conference in the country) and face more than a couple future NFL defensive backs. This brings me to Troy Smith whose stock plummeted after going 4-14 against Florida in the National Championship. He never lost to Michigan and let his team to that game after they played an entire season with a bulls eye on their chests. He's said to be too short to play quarterback in the NFL, but that's what they said about Drew Brees. If Smith is given an opportunity to start in the NFL, he will surprise a TON of people.

Biggest Bust- One dimensional college superstars usually don't translate to the next level where teams are able to focus in on their one strength and render them useless. This year's classic example will be Troy Smith's fellow Buckeye Ted Ginn Jr.
He's very, very, very fast but that's pretty much all he's got going for him. He played in the Big 10 which is notorious for being a power conference as opposed to one filled with speed and finesse. Once he faces the cornerbacks and safeties that the NFL has to offer, his speed won't make much of a difference.

Best Value- Whenever you have the opportunity to draft a 19 year old college senior who happens to be the best defensive tackle in the draft, you take him. Louisville's Amobi Okoye is just that. By taking him, you've locked down a very important position for your franchise for the next 10-15 years! That's unbelievable and a godsend for whoever gets the incredibly talented Okoye (Not to mention the fact that he's only going to improve).

Best player nobody is talking about- Patrick Willis, ILB from Ole Miss. If I were Scott Pioli, I'd seriously consider packaging our 28th overall with a 3rd and 4th rounder to move up and snag this guy.

7-10 years down the road, who is the best player?- The two safest selections here are Wisconsin's Joe Thomas and Penn State's Levi Brown (both left tackles). Both of those guys will have very successful NFL careers, but I'm gonna pick someone who is the exact opposite of safe...running back Adrian Peterson from Oklahoma. What most people don't realize is that had Peterson not been injured his sophomore and junior seasons, he would've broken just about every collegiate rushing record. This is seen as one of the weakest running back classes in a long time, but Peterson is an extremely rare talent who will make everyone forget that 10 years from now.

Patriots' Picks- A few months ago when I wrote my first NFL draft article, the Patriots looked like they were too far back to get safety Reggie Nelson from Florida (the next Troy Polamalu). With the draft tomorrow, it's looking like he could fall right into our lap at 24. The Patriots eliminated the need for a wide receiver after their free agency pick ups (Dante Stallworth and Wes Welker) so they should focus on getting an outside linebacker with pick #28. The New York Giants (who have the 20th pick) will most likely be looking at that very same position and it's pretty thin. Possible guys who the Pats could take are Lawrence Timmons, Paul Posluszny, and Jon Beason.

The Lakers Can't Bring Kool-Aid to a Grown Man's Party

As most expected, after two games played in the Phoenix Suns/Los Angeles Lakers series, the Lakers find themselves in a 2 game hole. The Suns dominated 3 out of the 4 halves played and unless Kobe's number changes from 24 to 23 or Leandro Barbosa tears his ACL, the series is over.
After game 2, Kobe Bryant stated the obvious by saying his team isn't the most talented in the league and therefore need to play harder than their opponent for all 48 minutes if they want to win. After watching last night's game, Kobe and Lamar Odom seem to be the only players who understand that philosophy.
On a positive note, Jordan Farmar looks like he can be the starting point guard for the Lakers...in 2009. Smush Parker is awful, whenever he's on the floor I swear Barbosa licks his lips. Farmar is clearly a defensive upgrade (he's actually willing to take a charge), but if the Lakers want to win this series they NEED to stop Barbosa. With 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Phil Jackson put Kobe on him...don't be surprised to see that matchup earlier in game 3. Kobe is easily the Lakers best perimeter defender, but guarding Barbosa could exhaust him on the offensive side of the floor.

Here's a few more notes from game 2...

• Late in the game after a Barbosa steal led to a 2 on nobody Shawn Marion dunk, the series felt like it was over. I know they've only played two and I know they're headed to L.A., but even if the Lakers manage to tie it up and win the next couple of games, they can't win in Phoenix.
• Raja Bell is incredibly overrated defensively, especially in transition. He shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Bruce Bowen, Shane Battier, or even his own teammate Shawn Marion. Guarding Kobe Bryant is no easy task, but if your gonna foul him, please make sure he doesn't make the shot.
• Lamar Odom's strange hard foul on Steve Nash with the Lakers down by 79 points followed by Nash kissing his biceps and showing everyone he can't be intimidated, to me, settles the MVP race. After witnessing this play and reading last weeks Sports Illustrated article on Nash and Dirk's friendship has me liking Nash for the first time in his career. There was a nice little side story told by one of Nash's long time buddies about how during the off season, the only way they could get Nash to drink with them was if they ran from bar to bar. They ended up running 6 miles before the night was over. That right there embodies what an MVP should be.
• Looking towards the next round, the biggest matchup problem with the Phoenix Suns is that after going up against 18 year old Andrew Bynum and Kwame "Unspeakable" Brown, Amare Stoudemire will have to face either Marcus Camby or Tim Duncan (both defensive player of the year candidates).
  

Laurence Johnson's Obscure Team of the Day

A club in the Icelandic Football league Landsbankadeildin, Valur has a rich history in Icelandic football. The club was founded on May 11^th 1911, also if you remember on that day the U.S became a signatory to the Buenos Aries copyright treaty. What a day that was. Valur’s grounds are located in Reykjavik, Iceland and have kept the same stadium since 1911, now if that’s not being economic I don’t know what is.

They don’t just play football, around 1940 they began to play handball and won a national title that year. That my friends is impressive, only the best Iceland has to offer could pull off that. They won titles in the same year in both sports in three different occasions, sometimes having to play both competitions the same day. What makes you feel gayer then kicking balls around one minute then beating them off a wall the next? If that doesn’t do it for you, they also took part in team skiing. I guess they needed to do something after they won handball and football titles. I’m online looking for a bookie to take bets on their next game whatever competition it is, and don’t tell me you can’t bet on skiing. How do you think we got our president? You make me proud Valur; you’re my obscure club of the day.

(This article was written by the one and only Laurence Johnson...hats off to him)

Playoff Predictions

Eastern Conference:

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Orlando Magic- Pistons in 4
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Washington Wizards- Cavs in 4
(3)Toronto Raptors vs. (6) New Jersey Nets- Raptors in 6
(4) Miami Heat vs. (5) Chicago Bulls- Bulls in 6

Western Conference:
(1) Dallas Mavericks vs. (8) Golden State Warriors- Mavericks in 6
(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) L.A. Lakers- Suns in 6
(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Denver Nuggets- Spurs in 6
(4) Utah Jazz vs. (5) Houston Rockets- Rockets in 6


Second Round Eastern Conference:
(1) Pistons vs. (5) Bulls- Pistons in 6
(2) Cavs vs. (3) Raptors- Cavs in 5

Second Round Western Conference:
(1) Mavericks vs. (5) Rockets- Mavericks in 7
(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs- Spurs in 7

Eastern Conference Finals:
(1) Pistons vs. (2) Cavs- Cavs in 7

Western Conference Finals:
(1) Dallas Mavericks vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs- Spurs in 6

NBA Finals:
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs- Spurs in 5

NBA Champion- San Antonio Spurs
Finals MVP- Tim Duncan


It took Michael Jordan 7 years before he finally hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy. In year number 4, Lebron James will get his first shot at the crown but his dreams will be crushed by the defensive dominance of Tim Duncan and the blistering Manu Ginobili.

The Bulls are Eliminated Before the Playoffs Start

Last Wednesday night, the New Jersey Nets and the Chicago Bulls played in the most meaningful regular season basketball game I've ever seen. The stakes were extremely high for the Bulls, if only they could find a way to win a game in New Jersey (the Bulls had lost 10 straight games there), they would be rewarded with the number 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. What this means is that the Chicago Bulls would have had the easiest road to the conference finals, even more than the 1 seed. In the first round, the Bulls would get to face the worst team in the world (not an exaggeration), the Washington Wizards who are without 2/3 of their big 3 with injuries to Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler.

Break out the broom for that one.

Then the Bulls would've gotten the winner of a brutal Toronto/New Jersey series. Believe me, the winner of that series is going to be beat physically and mentally. After wearing down the winner the Bulls would've been met in the conference finals by either the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Detroit Pistons. Similar to the Raptors/Nets series, the Bulls would've been able to relax and let those teams beat up on one another. This seems like a cake walk doesn't it...but because Chicago lost to the Nets on Wednesday night, they're being reduced to the 5 seed and a first round re-match against the defending champion Miami Heat.

Before Wednesday I had Chicago going to the NBA finals. I realize they lack a low post presence and don't have a real go to scorer who can take over a game in the 4th quarter, but if Ben Wallace can neutralize Shaquille O'Neal and Kirk Hinrich can hold Dwyane Wade to his scoring average in Chicago (12 a game) then the Bulls might escape the round.

Next they'll have a rested Detroit Pistons team lurking in the shadows and although the sub plot is very interesting, Ben Wallace must earn his 60 million dollar contract and lead Chicago to the promised land.
Since the Bulls choked against New Jersey, a different team was rewarded with the cruise control 2 spot. That team is the Cleveland Cavaliers and I'm picking them to emerge from the East.

Pick Numbaah 32

With the hopeful/dreaded lottery making time move like molasses, I turn my head towards what's certain. Since the season has officially ended and the Celtics finished with the second worst record in the league, they are given the 2nd pick in the second round aka numbaah 32. In a draft as loaded and deep as this one, the 32nd pick could give the Celtics a first round caliber talent. What it also does is create the possibility of trading for a quality veteran. Of course, using the pick is much more interesting. One player out there who absolutely nobody is talking about (and currently the Celtic's choice in a mock draft), is Rodney Stuckey out of Eastern Washington. He has officially declared for the draft as a sophomore and even though I've never actually seen him play (did I mention he attended Eastern Washington?), after doing some research he got me pretty excited...without furthering the suspense another minute, let me tell you why.
Ronald Stuckey is 6'5", 205 pounds, and can play the point or the two at the NBA level. Stuckey averaged 24.6 points a game which was 7th in the country; putting him in front of Alando Tucker, Chris Lofton, Nick Fazekas, Al Thornton, Jared Dudley, Tyler Hansbrough, Acie Law, and Nick Young. I know that this means nothing to you because...

(wait did I mention he played at Eastern Washington?)

I'll dispel that theory shortly, but first more eye popping statistics.

Stuckey dropped 30 or more points NINE times including 31 against a 5-0 University of Washington squad. He put up 25 against UNLV, a very talented team that made it to the sweet 16, and 29 and 10 assists against conference champion Weber St. He's stroking 85% from the charity stripe and finished 4th in the country in FT made, ahead of Hansbrough and Kevin Durant.
As a freshman, Stuckey won the Big Sky Conference player of the year award (the first freshman to do so).

With a name like Ronald Stuckey, you just know he's good at defense. He averaged 2.4 steals a game last year which was 17th in the country and puts him ahead of Mario Chalmers, Mike Conley Jr., Darren Collison, and Corey Brewer (11 more in 2 fewer games).

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but the biggest knock on Stuckey is that he played for Eastern Washington.

Let me assure you that basketball skills aren't what kept him from enrolling in a big name school, coming out of high school his grades simply didn't measure up. University of of Washington Head Coach Lorenzo Romar is on record saying he would've loved to have Stuckey, same goes for Washington State Head Coach (of the year) Tony Bennett.
What makes Stuckey such a great NBA prospect is his ability to finish in traffic. He's able to shift his body in mid-air, twisting and turning before putting the ball through the net. With that being said, it shouldn't surprise you that his favorite player is walking Sportscenter highlight clip Dwyane Wade.
The possibility of landing a player like Ronald Stuckey with the 32nd pick is what makes it such an appealing situation. Now if only we can win the whole thing and get KD or GO, then we'll really be in business.

Mavs/Spurs recap

Before the whistle blew and these two Texas sized juggernauts could clash at the house Mark Cuban built, Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Avery Johnson made a subtle attempt to tone down the intensity and importance of a meaningless regular season game by saying he wouldn't play anybody more than 25 minutes. Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitski played 37 minutes each in the contest. Right behind them are DeSagana Diop (34), Jason Terry (32), and Devin Harris (31). Having already clinched a 1 seed in the playoffs, Johnson didn't want to publicly show how important this game psychologically was for his team. In order to win the first championship in their franchises history Dallas will most likely do battle with San Antonio (they have the best record in the NBA after the All-Star break) in this year's post-season. The winner of Sundays game would most certainly obtain the upper hand in a rivalry that seems to sway back and forth like a Chicago skyscraper.
After watching the game, I walk away with mixed feelings as to who would have a leg up in this years western conference finals if the two were to mix things up, so I decided to compare them based on 3 different categories:

Star Player- I don't understand why Tim Duncan's name never comes up when the MVP race is discussed. I previously wrote that I believe Kobe Bryant should receive the league's greatest individual award, but the case can be made for Duncan. He's having a defensive player of the year type season and is the key difference maker in any playoff series the Spurs compete in. Everyone's been talking about Nash's run for a 3rd straight MVP trophy and how such an achievement would catapult him to a very special level, but what people are forgetting is that Tim Duncan nearly won 3 in a row (Duncan won the award in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons and finished second in 2003-04 to Kevin Garnett). If Duncan wasn't inexplicably ejected by the Napoleonic Joey Crawford, the Spurs would have most likely walked away with a victory. Regarding the Mavericks Dirk Nowitski, there is nobody in basketball right now that I expect to make every shot they take, but Dirk would be the closest. Whenever the ball leaves his hand, I'm shocked if it doesn't go in. With that being said, he doesn't finish around the basket with the consistency and efficiency someone of his size should be capable of.
Edge- San Antonio Spurs

X-Factor- After watching yesterday's game, I've come to the conclusion that Devin Harris is the fastest player in the NBA (a hair quicker than Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa). If Dallas is ever playing in a slow grind it out game, inserting Harris in the lineup gives the Mavericks a jolt that usually results in a quick scoring spurt. Also according to Avery Johnson, Harris is one of the best defensive point guards in the entire league. San Antonio doesn't have anyone coming off the bench like Harris or Barbosa, but what they do have are a core group of veterans who consistently and unselfishly take the best shot available.
Edge- Dallas Mavericks

(Side Note: Michael Finley, currently a San Antonio Spur role player, is owed more money by the Mavericks than they are giving Dirk Nowitski. He was cut 2 seasons ago by Mark Cuban after the league made it possible for each team to cut one player they believed to be making too much money. The result is Finley will still receive his 20 million, but the Mavericks get rewarded with a 50% reduction in their luxury tax payment...to sum things up, the Dallas Mavericks are paying Michael Finley to beat them...I guess this makes sense.)

6th man- This category would pit Manu Ginobili against Jerry Stackhouse. Stacks a great player and vital to the Mavericks success, but Ginobili is the type of player who can take over a game. There aren't too many players that can come off the bench and have the impact Ginobili has. He flops like an Italian soccer player, but he's second to only Dwyane Wade in acrobatic finishes.
Edge- San Antonio Spurs

Dirty Player- Each of these teams has a player on their roster that has been deemed "dirty" by opposing players, coaches, and fans. The San Antonio Spurs have the defensive specialist Bruce Bowen who can be a tad unorthodox with his tactics at times (Laker Coach Phil Jackson once referred to Bowen as "Edward Scissorhands". ) He's been accused by many players of sticking his feet under a jump shooter so when they land, their defenseless ankles are in danger of rolling. If that's not dirty, I don't know what is. Bowen has been dreadful all season on the offensive side of the ball, but he's still one of the league's most notorious players on defense.
Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks isn't yet as accomplished a player as Bowen, but the physicality and intensity that he shows every time he laces up his sneakers has caused people to say he's a dirty player. Phoenix Suns Head Coach Mike D'Antoni is one of them, accusing Howard of intentionally attempting to trip his players when they come off ball screens. In yesterday's game, exactly one play after Tim Duncan was ejected, San Antonio's Fabricio Oberto set a screen on Josh Howard...everyone who saw the play/knows the game of basketball would agree that you can't hit an opposing player in the face when fighting through a pick. For some reason Howard DREW the foul! All of this is mounting evidence in the Mark Cuban conspiracy that he pays referees.
Edge-Dallas Mavericks (actually I'm not even sure this category can be used as evidence to determine which team is better, but it was fun to write.)



Oh by the way...Pavano and Moose are on the DL, Derek Jeter has 6 errors (he had 15 all last season), Phil Hughes ERA is currently 6.50, and the Sox are 2 games up...life's not all that bad

Basketball Talk

With the playoffs looming, here's some basketball related thoughts...

-Lebron James is as dominant a player as there is in professional sports, but what people have to realize about his game and the NBA as a whole is that nobody has or ever will win a championship by them self. Right now, the only criticism that can be bestowed upon King James is that he's too unselfish. He wants to be the next Magic Johnson, but Magic had Karim Abdul-Jabbar down low, Michael Cooper playing more than stellar defense (selected to the NBA All-Defense team 8 times), and James Worthy as the second option, all while running the showtime offense. The current Cleveland Cavalier roster has no point guard, no shut down perimeter defender, no consistent low post presence, and no number 2 option on offense. This isn't Lebron's fault at all, last year in the playoffs he was beyond unbelievable, but I don't see an improvement happening this go round. To make clear just how far James is from winning a championship, right now Aleksandar Pavlovic is one of the top scoring options on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Pavlovic has recently taken the roll of Lebron's Pippen, when he needs to be his Toni Kukoc.

-One of the greatest things associated with the National Hockey League (besides Jarome Iginla) is the Conn Smythe Trophy. For those who aren't familiar, this award is given to the most valuable player during the Stanley Cup playoffs, and what makes it so wonderful is its uniqueness. Football has the Superbowl MVP, Basketball has the Finals MVP, and Baseball has the World Series MVP. I've always felt that these post season awards were flawed due to the fact that any random player can get hot in the finals or have a good championship game, but not be the "Most Valuable" to his team. An example of this would be David Eckstein winning the World Series MVP last October when clearly there were more valuable and better players in last year's post-season.
Bringing this point to the NBA, I feel as though there should definitely be a Conn Smythe equivalent added, possibly even naming it after the late Dennis Johnson...an appreciated player known for elevating his game in the post-season.
The obvious favorites to win an award like this would be those select few who don't need their entire names displayed for you to know who I'm talking about: Dirk, Kobe, Lebron, Nash, Timmy, maybe even Shaq. However if I were predicting right now who would win this award, I'd throw names at you like Chris Bosh, Josh Howard, Manu Ginobli, and Shawn Marion (shown below). None of these guys are heralded as household names like the superstars in the first list, but they are extremely important to their teams chance at winning a championship.

-I read an article a couple of weeks ago in the Boston Globe that offered a pretty good solution to the Celtics youth problem. That solution happens to be a 34 year old, 7 time all-star free agent who has battled tough injuries throughout his entire career. The man I speak of is Grant Hill. Not only would he be a great locker room influence, but his guidance would also extend to the court. He's the second leading scorer for the Magic this season averaging 14.4 a game.

(I just watched Grant Hill and the Orlando Magic pound the Philadelphia 76ers and have a few thoughts on the game...)

• The 76er color man and former NBA player Steve Mix really outdid himself in proving to me that he has no clue what he's talking about. His list of the top 10 players in the NBA today did NOT include Lebron James. This is inexcusable. The Aflac Trivia question for the game was "Name the 2 players selected ahead of Grant Hill in the 1994 NBA draft". I've known this answer since the second grade...Mix thought it was David Robinson. (The correct answer is Glenn Robinson and Jason Kidd)
• I really wouldn't have been so critical towards Steve Mix had it not been for his unnecessary criticism of 21 year old Dwight Howard in the first quarter. For some reason Mix doesn't see why Howard was an all-star this season. Just a hunch, but maybe it was because he's among the league's best in rebounding and field goal %. Howard has become a modern day Moses Malone the way he absolutely dominates the offensive glass. (Side Note: Howard had a career high 35 points in the game including 8 dunks).
  

Lottery

Coming off a 48 hour whirlwind that included Durant declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft, the Boston Celtics losing (tanking) another game (they're currently on a 4 game skid), and Paul Pierce officially ending his season, the NBA lottery has caused a serious disruption in my REM cycle.
As of this moment, the Boston Celtics have a 19.9% chance to get the number one pick in the 2007 NBA draft. With the drastic in-season development of Rajon Rondo, Al Jefferson, and Gerald Green, and the East being as weak a conference as there is in professional sports, with a little help from lady luck and a ping pong ball, the Boston Celtics could soon return to title contender form.
After witnessing an NCAA championship game that featured Greg Oden dominating everyone from the University of Florida, I had my mind made up that whoever receives the number 1 pick would be a fool not to take him. He's a 7 footer who is almost guaranteed to be a premier player at his position for years to come. With that being said, after looking at the other teams battling it out for a victorious lottery, maybe the number 1 pick is Durants for the taking.
If the Milwaukee Bucks or Charlotte Bobcats win the lottery, taking Durant would be a no-brainer. Both teams have recently used high draft picks on big men: Milwaukee took Andrew Bogut with the first pick in 2005, and the Bobcats took Emeka Okafor in 2004. It wouldn't make sense for either team to draft at the center position. I recently read an article by Chad Ford who brought up a great point when analyzing this years draft. The parallels between 1984 and 2007 are eerily similar (the first pick in the second round of the '84 draft was a guy who went by the name "Devin Durrant"...). Hakeem Olajuwon was considered the obvious number 1 pick, being the dominant big man that Houston could build their franchise around. He ended up getting 2 rings, but only when Michael Jordan decided to play baseball. Jordan was selected 3rd that year, ended up with 6 rings, and is arguably the greatest player to ever dribble a basketball.
Everyone knows barring injury that Kevin Durant and Greg Oden are future all-stars, but at the same time everyone keeps saying that the big man is what you build dynasties around. What if Michael Jordan didn't retire (the first time)? Would Olajuwon have won any rings? Patrick Ewing, the player most often compared to Oden, has NO rings at all! What if Kevin Durant is the next Michael Jordan and ends up breaking just as many records as he did in college? The guy won 6 awards reserved for the best player in college basketball...as a freshman! I feel these things need to be shouted from a mountain top.

• If Milwaukee gets the number one pick and Durant becomes the number one option on a team that already boasts Michael Redd, that franchise could be a championship contender in a few years.
  
• For those who have forgotten, Michael Jordan owns a piece of the Charlotte Bobcats. The knowledge he would give to Durant would be priceless in the development of his young career.
  

If your going to follow the conventional wisdom that says drafting a big man=the promised land, then why not pluck Roy Hibbert over Durant too? He's one of the hardest working players in college basketball, constantly improving with his back to the basket, and 7'2" (although I don't buy the argument that he's still growing). The point I'm making here is just because a guy is 7 feet doesn't necessarily mean you can put a franchise on his back. With that being said, If I were Danny Ainge, I'd still take Oden.

Red Sox, Masters, Entourage, and Phillies

A few points that I needed to say regarding Easter Sunday.

The Red Sox were featured on ESPN playing the Texas Rangers for Sunday Night Baseball. A few notes on this game that I thought were interesting.

1. In the top of the 9th inning with a 1 run lead, men on first and second, 2 outs, and Jason Varitek up to bat, J.D. Drew who was standing on second, attempted to take third on a fumbled ball by Texas's catcher. Drew was thrown out and the inning ended. What scared me here was that the Red Sox let the world know just how little confidence they have in Varitek's bat. That J.D. Drew was willing to steal third on a play where he had no chance at success...if Papi, Manny, heck even Kevin Youkilis were up to bat, I guarantee this would not have happened.
   
2. Papelbon's 5 out save was remarkable. He embarrassed Michael Young (one of the best hitting middle infielders in the game) with increasing velocity on each pitch. What made this outing so special and important wasn't just his dominance or filthy stuff, but it was the way he went about getting the outs. When Papelbon returned to the closer role, doctor's said he couldn't be used nearly as much as last season, and that includes the 8th inning. Varitek called one helluvan 8th and 9th that allowed Papelbon to escape with only 15 pitches. Varitek knew the Rangers couldn't catch up with his mid 90's heat and because of this, Papelbon was able to efficiently get the save. Lets just hope these 8th inning appearances don't come back to bite the Sox in late August when Papelbon's shoulder flies off its hinges.
3. I'm very excited for the Dice-K/Ichiro showdown that should be the biggest match up in the history of Asian athletics! Far surpassing Godzilla vs. Rodan. But seriously, I don't see anyone having success off of Matsuzaka until they face him a second or third time. He's a lock to win AT LEAST 15 games.

The Philadelphia Phillies have become my national league team for several reasons...

1. They are the team I get to consistently watch on a nightly basis (until June) because I'm living in Delaware.
2. The Phillies are a lot like the Red Sox (before 2004). I respect their fan base which knows their stuff and I empathize with the pain that they're going through...I could write about this topic for the next 17 hours if I had to so I'll just move on to my next and most important point...
   
3. My girlfriend has amazing front row center field tickets to a good amount of games so I'll probably be spending more time at Citizen's Bank Park than Fenway. I've got goosebumps just thinking about it.

There was an interesting article I read over the weekend in a Philadelphia based newspaper called The Intelligencer. In it, an idea was proposed to switch Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in the batting order. The reason being, Ryan Howard has little to no protection behind him with Pat Burrell batting 5th. Concrete evidence that this is true will now be displayed...Utley and Burrell's stats last season:

Utley:
.309/32 HR/102 RBI

Burrell:
.258/29HR/95RBI


Right now, Utley is heads and shoulders above the other second basemen in the National League. It'd be an injustice to Howard and all of Philadelphia if Burrell was all the protection he gets. The guy is making $900,000 after coming off a season that concluded with a tight MVP race victory over Albert Pujols, the least Philadelphia could do is put a switch-hitting all-star behind him. Not to mention the fact that this would allow Utley to steal nearly twice as many bases. Albert Pujols has Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen, Ortiz has Manny acting like Manny, Mark Teixera has...um...Sammy Sosa...(cough)...(cricket in the distance), you get the point. I see this as being a very successful season for the Phillies, but only if they make this simple line-up switch, after all, both players said they were alright with the decision and Howard would get about 100 more ABs during the regular season. Every one's happy.


Onto the Master's...I wasn't able to watch most of it, but what I did see I didn't like. Zach Johnson crying before Tiger Woods had even teed off at 17 while just 2 back. I thought it was hilarious. Was he delirious into thinking he'd already won when the greatest golfer of all time was breathing down his neck. Personally, I'd be in a clubhouse closet, distancing myself from just about every human being on the face of the earth, praying to God Tiger didn't have his B game with him and birdie the last two holes. Today's reaction to yesterday's victory as meaning we're about to enter the Zach Taylor era is irrefutably laughable. He's the 56th best player in the world and now has 2 whole career victories! Woods lost the masters, Zach Johnson didn't win it.

A quick recap of Entourage's premier on Sunday night...

• There's no chance in hell Ari doesn't become Vince's manager by the summer. The new manager is pretty attractive, but acts like she's Vince's mother. The homework reference to reading scripts won't fly with the crew for too much longer.
  
• I would kill to see an Eric vs. Seth Green showdown part II. It could be one of the greatest rivalries in television history. Almost to a Jerry/Newman level.
• I've now adapted a saying for whenever Sloan first appears in an episode..."My $%@!# just hit the ceiling."
  

Stop the Over Reaction

Let's play word association. I say a word, you read it and think of the first thing that comes to your head. Ok here I go...O.J. Mayo

Hopefully you know who that is, if you do, your probably thinking arrogant, obnoxious, cocky, stupid, overrated, and the list goes on and on.

You've probably already seen the clip or at least heard about how O.J. Mayo's high school career ended. If not you can watch it here. That snippet of O.J. Mayo might back up the claim that he's cocky, maybe even a little obnoxious, but the guy is definetly not overrated. As a FRESHMAN, Mayo averaged 9 rebounds, 7 assissts, and 31 points a game, but controversy has followed him since. He's played at 3 high schools in 4 years including a senior year transfer to Huntington, West Virginia from North College Hill in Cincinnati. While in Ohio, he was suspended from school 3 times, including one incident that had Mayo allegedly choking a female classmate. Mayo acknowledged that there was an incident but downplayed the allegation. In a game earlier this season, Mayo was ejected for allegedly shoving a referee...everyone who was at the game says that this simply isn't true and that the ref just fell over, but regardless his name was in the news. Also his senior year he was cited for a misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Mayo is the most hyped player to come out of high school since Lebron James, but unlike James, Mayo doesn't have that golden boy image. I'm sure that once he's seen on a national stage next year, the media will be singing a different tune when Mayo leads USC to its best basketball season ever.
O.J. Mayo isn't just different, the kid is special. He could have gone to any school in the country: Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Florida...anywhere. Instead, Mayo went a different route and chose the University of Southern California, and when I say chose, I mean he called head basketball coach Tim Floyd and TOLD him he'd be playing there. It wasn't so much a recruitment selection as it was O.J. Mayo's decision. He's not like everyone else, he didn't want to follow in the footsteps of a Michael Jordan at UNC or a Grant Hill at Duke...Mayo wanted to start his own precedent at Southern Cal, a school that is clearly known for its football tradition. He wants to turn the program upside down.
When USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett walked out of his first meeting with Mayo, he said that out of all the athletes that have been in his office, O.J. Mayo was the most mature young man he's witnessed. Garrett has been the AD at USC since 1993 (say that outloud) and the athletes that have come and gone under him have included, Matt Leinhart, Reggie Bush, Carson Palmer, and Mark Prior. That's saying something.
A lot of people are saying that Mayo isn't a true point guard and will end up hurting USC more than helping them with his shoot first mentality and possible off the court distractions. To these people, I politely say shut up. He's entering a team that is coming off a fantastic and unexpected NCAA tournament run that included upsets of Texas and a near defeat of North Carolina. If Nick Young decides to stay, USC will have a 3 headed guard monster that if coached correctly won't be stopped. Gabe Pruitt who led the team in assissts last season should run the point with Young and Mayo having the offense run through them. If there were ever a case to show that the 1 year in college rule should be in place, it's with Mayo. A player with enough physical talent, but not enough basketball IQ to succeed at the NBA level. One year at USC should finely tune his game which right now has a few glaring holes. As proved evident by the end of the McDonald's High School All-American game, he's a pretty poor decision maker. With time running out and his team down by 2, Mayo decided to pull up for a 3 when his team had a 3 on 1 fastbreak advantage. Maybe he realized it was only an exhibition game and that the reward was far greater than the risk to take a wide open 3 pointer, but he will learn next year under the tutiladge of Tim Floyd that the no-look pass to his wingman striding in for a layup would have been the better decision. Settling for overtime, living to fight another day, it's the mentality that he'll learn to embrace in college. Mayo is a young pup continuing to grow, and by the time he gets to the NBA, he should be that guy who is team is looking for to take that 3 pointer... only this time he'll make it

Final NBA MVP pick

As the NBA season rounds the bend into the final straight away of the season, the MVP race has gotten far more interesting than it was at the all-star break. As I said in my 2nd half predictions article, the MVP would surely go to either Steve Nash or Dirk Nowitski unless a player like Lebron James or Kobe Bryant could put their team on their backs towards the very end and lead them into the playoffs. Well as it turns out, after averaging 40.4 points per game in the month of March (including four games of 50 or more in a row) Kobe Bryant has joined Dirk and Nash to turn the MVP race into threes company.
I wasn't completely sold on Kobe being a serious MVP candidate until March 27. On that night, Kobe went 7-26 from the field and scored a measly 23 points against the Memphis Grizzlies (the worst team in the league). The reason why this game validated his status as a legitimate MVP option is the simple fact that the Lakers lost. Kobe Bryant played poorly and his team lost. When Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitski have an off night, their team still has a more than likely chance of winning because both of them are surrounded by talent. Kobe Bryant is working with Andrew Bynum (a steadily improving work in progress who is 2 months and 10 days younger than I am), Luke Walton as the starting small forward (he should be a 6th man of the year candidate), and Lamar Odom who might be his Scottie Pippen. Dirk and Nash are both having great years, but Kobe simply means so much more to his team. Last night he posted 19 points and 13 assists in a 23 point victory over the Sacramento Kings, a desperate team fighting for a playoff spot. That game shows that he can either drop 60 or get everyone else involved and still walk away with the W.
Since this is a three man race, here are the reasons why Kobe beats out the other two by a hair.
Dirk Nowitski is statistically the best player on the best team, but has missed several big shots this season that an MVP type player can't afford to miss. He crumbled down the stretch in what has so far been the game of the year against the Phoenix Suns. I'm not expecting him to make every game winning shot that he is presented with, but the guy collapsed. He's an atrocious defender, but you wouldn't know it thanks to the wonderful help defense his coach Avery Johnson has instilled in the Mavericks. Every time Dirk is beat off the dribble, there's always someone there to take a charge or make a play and bail him out. In double overtime against the Suns, Amare Stoudemire showed the world just how bad Dirk is on the defensive side of the ball. If David Ortiz isn't winning an MVP because he doesn't play in the field, then Dirk can't win an MVP without playing any defense...I'm sorry, it's only fair.

Steve Nash is arguably the best point guard in the NBA. Offensively, he's as complete a player as you'll find: he can drive and kick, finish, shoot the three, get to the line, and with Amare Stoudemire, runs the best pick and roll since Karl Malone and John Stockton. Nash is a gamer who makes the plays necessary to put his team in a position to win. In this sense, he's far better than Nowitski, but defensively Nash is a liability to his team just like Dirk is. The Phoenix Suns have Shawn Marion (my pick for defensive player of the year), Raja Bell (Bruce Bowen with a better shot), and Amare Stoudemire protecting the paint. As a team, they aren't supposed to be defensive stoppers like the Mavericks. Phoenix is 25th in the league allowing 103.2 points a game and 27th in steals, but instead they try to outrun and outscore their opponent. They are first in the league in point per game, field goal %, and 3-point %. So basically, the reason I wouldn't take Nash as MVP for a third straight season, is because he's in a system that makes him a replaceable player. On his own team, Leandro Barbosa does more than a capable job of coming into the game and keeping the Suns running and gunning. If you wanted to put Baron Davis, Chris Paul, or Deron Williams on Phoenix, they might not be as good as they are now, but they'd definetly be a championship contender

On the other hand, Kobe Bryant is the most irreplaceable player in the NBA. Does anyone else have the ability to score 81 points in a game? No. Can anyone else put 50 up in four consecutive games? Probably not. I read an article written by former NBA player Jamal Mashburn about a week ago advocating Kobe for MVP. In his career, Mashburn put up 50 in a game twice. In both those games, he says that the game seemed to slow down for him and he was able to see things before they happened. Kobe Bryant can average 50 points a game if he wanted to. He doesn't because he knows that it won't equal a championship, but the point is that he could. The game slows down for Kobe every night, he sees things before they happen and is able to take over. Unfortunately, Kobe's off the court image will probably never allow him to win this award. It's a shame that voters look at what happened in Colorado and take his obnoxious attitude into account when they need to be looking at his numbers. Maybe even watch him take over a playoff series a la Dwyane Wade and silence his critics once and for all.