Boo's were raining down from the rafters of the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on Thursday evening throughout the NBA draft. However, the fans weren't booing the players. They were booing David Stern, commissioner of the NBA. I don't think I have ever seen someone enjoy getting booed as much as Stern did last night.
There are always going to be teams that draft better than others. Whether it be in the NFL draft, the MLB draft, or in this case, the NBA draft, some teams always come out better than others. I'll start with the positives from last night.
--The New Orleans Hornets had no problem at the top of the pecking order, selecting Anthony Davis with the overall number one pick, and then getting a dynamic guard in Austin Rivers at the tenth pick. I'm not quite sure where Rivers fits in on this roster, but I believe this was a situation where they drafted talent, not a need. Eric Gordon will likely resign with New Orleans this offseason, which is why I somewhat question where Rivers will play, but overall a fantastic draft for the Hornets. Throw in Darius Miller in the second round and things are looking up for this troubled franchise. Anthony Davis is the kind of player that can change a franchise with his defensive intensity and his improving offensive skillset.
--I absolutely LOVED the Raptors taking Terrence Ross at number eight. He will fill an opening that this team truly needs. He is extremely athletic, and improved his rebounding tremendously last season averaging over six boards a night. Watch out for this Raptors team next season. They will likey throw the kitchen sink at Steve Nash in free agency, and will pick up Jonas Valanciunas, their 5th overall selection from last year's draft. A healthy Andrea Bargnani will move to the power forward position, a spot he is more comfortable in. I could see the Raptors contending for a playoff spot next season.
There were a host of other teams that succeed in last night's draft, but now on to the less fortunate teams.
--Let's start with the Memphis Grizzlies, who only had one selection in last night's draft. This team needs help in a couple of places: shooting guard, and at point guard. They decide to draft Tony Wroten Jr, the PAC-12 freshman of the year. I'm not a big fan of this pick. Wroten has a lot of talent, don't get me wrong, but he just doesn't fit in with this team. Wroten shot SIXTEEN percent from behind the arc last season. He is the kind of player that likes to drive to the basket, with the opportunity to kick it out to a shooter. After all, Wroten shot only 44 percent from the field overall last season. If the Grizzlies had shooters, he could be a nice backup guard that could come in and find the open guy on the wing for a shot. However, the Grizzlies don't have shooters, which makes this selection irrelevant to me. Wroten will join the other young, inexperienced point guards on the Grizzlies roster that Lionel Hollins refuses to trust or even play.
--I also thought Portland wasted a couple of top eleven picks. They drafted Damian Lillard in the sixth spot, and Meyers Leonard at number eleven. Generally, if you have two picks this high in the draft, you would like to get a couple of players that are franchise defining players. To me, they are taking a major chance on both of these players turning out to be stars. Lillard played in a weak conference and faced no top 25 teams last season, but put up incredible numbers at the point guard position. Leonard is a true center that has a lot of upside, but isn't a great scorer. He improved dramatically at Illinois over two seasons, and rebounds the basketball pretty well. I just don't trust either of these picks by Portland, which is why I view their draft as a poor one. Throw in Will Barton and Tyshawn Taylor in the second round and you now will have nine guards on that roster next year. Yikes.
It was an amazing night for the SEC, as we saw the top three selections come out of their conference. It was also a big night for Kentucky and North Carolina, who each had four players selected in the first round. That will be a pretty decent recruiting tool for John Calipari and Roy Williams.
The NBA draft provides optimism for many teams headed into next season. It is always nice to pick up players that can make an immediate impact in the win/loss category. There were many teams that added crucial pieces to their rosters. Most teams are just hoping that their guys don't bust. There will be players that fan out, which is unfortunate, but this is a business. It is pretty simple: perform and get paid, or flop and you'll be looking for another job.
--GM
Friday, June 29, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Lebron James is the King
“This fall, I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat. I feel like this is going to be the best opportunity to win, and not just this season, but in multiple years." -- LeBron James on "The Decision," 2010.
That seems like a long time ago. I remember sitting at my parent's house watching "the decision" unfold. I wasn't happy. I loved Lebron James in Cleveland. I loved the fact that he was playing in his home state of Ohio, and that he was going to be the savior of that franchise.
When he left, I was disappointed. I now shifted my focus toward cheering against the Heat, especially after the celebration in Miami, before training camp had even started. I didn't care about how many titles that they believed they were going to win, but how many they could actually win. The Heat opened up the 2010-11 season 9-8 through 17 games. I was loving it. Building a super team seemed wrong to me. I lost respect for Lebron because he took the easy way out of Cleveland. He went to the players, the players didn't come to him.
When Miami made the Finals after surviving the most scrutinized season any team has ever played through, I thought they would win it. Dirk and the Mavs stole the show. Lebron and company went home without a ring, and more questions than answers. The mockery was on.
This season was different. Sure, the scrutiny still existed, but the Heat played their role as villains differently. Lebron went back to the basics, and played the game with joy and passion, not out of spite like the previous season.
I guess it paid off. Lebron is now a champion. The Heat were on the brink of elimination long before the Finals, trailing 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers, and 3-2 to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, nothing was going to stop this team. Lebron put up one of the more classic performances in playoff history in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals scoring 45 points, along with 15 rebounds and 5 assists. This was his time to shine.
Still, most had doubts heading into the Finals. Questions surrounded the bench of the Heat, as well as their inferior frontcourt in comparison to the Thunder. The Heat slammed the door prety easily on those questions as their bench put up an impressive 80 points over the five game stretch in the NBA Finals. They also out-rebounded the Thunder in the final three games of the series. Not bad eh?
I'm happy for Lebron. My opinion has changed on putting a team together to win a title. Every great player has had help. Magic had Kareem and Worthy, Jordan had Pippen, Kobe had Shaq, and now Lebron has Wade and Bosh. That's just the way the game goes. You can't win a title by yourself. It takes a complete team effort to take home the hardware.
I said it before the Finals, but I'll reiterate once again. We are on the precipous of history in the NBA. As long as these two teams stay together, we could see Heat-Thunder in the Finals for a while. This could be our modern day Bulls-Jazz rivalry. How special would that be?
The pressure now shifts to Kevin Durant to win that elusive title. However, I don't think we will hassle him to win quite as much as we have Lebron. After all, it took Lebron eight seasons to finally get a ring. Durant has only been in the NBA for five. He still has plenty of time to get it done.
The Miami Heat have accomplished the most difficult thing: getting the first title. The NBA should beware, because the flood gates may have opened for Lebron James and company. The Heat will now try to match some of the NBA's greatest teams and win a handful of titles together. Shaq and Kobe won three together, Magic and the showtime Lakers won three, Jordan and the Bulls won six, and now the Heat will try to make their mark on the NBA forever.
Can this team continue to win titles? Of course. Does it get harder from here? Most likely. Lebron has established himself as the greatest player on the planet. He averaged 30.9 PPG in the postseason, as well as 9.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Those kind of numbers are staggering.
We can longer question if Lebron is going to win a championship. We now must wonder, how many more will he deliver? I can't wait to find out.
--GM
That seems like a long time ago. I remember sitting at my parent's house watching "the decision" unfold. I wasn't happy. I loved Lebron James in Cleveland. I loved the fact that he was playing in his home state of Ohio, and that he was going to be the savior of that franchise.
When he left, I was disappointed. I now shifted my focus toward cheering against the Heat, especially after the celebration in Miami, before training camp had even started. I didn't care about how many titles that they believed they were going to win, but how many they could actually win. The Heat opened up the 2010-11 season 9-8 through 17 games. I was loving it. Building a super team seemed wrong to me. I lost respect for Lebron because he took the easy way out of Cleveland. He went to the players, the players didn't come to him.
When Miami made the Finals after surviving the most scrutinized season any team has ever played through, I thought they would win it. Dirk and the Mavs stole the show. Lebron and company went home without a ring, and more questions than answers. The mockery was on.
This season was different. Sure, the scrutiny still existed, but the Heat played their role as villains differently. Lebron went back to the basics, and played the game with joy and passion, not out of spite like the previous season.
I guess it paid off. Lebron is now a champion. The Heat were on the brink of elimination long before the Finals, trailing 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers, and 3-2 to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, nothing was going to stop this team. Lebron put up one of the more classic performances in playoff history in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals scoring 45 points, along with 15 rebounds and 5 assists. This was his time to shine.
Still, most had doubts heading into the Finals. Questions surrounded the bench of the Heat, as well as their inferior frontcourt in comparison to the Thunder. The Heat slammed the door prety easily on those questions as their bench put up an impressive 80 points over the five game stretch in the NBA Finals. They also out-rebounded the Thunder in the final three games of the series. Not bad eh?
I'm happy for Lebron. My opinion has changed on putting a team together to win a title. Every great player has had help. Magic had Kareem and Worthy, Jordan had Pippen, Kobe had Shaq, and now Lebron has Wade and Bosh. That's just the way the game goes. You can't win a title by yourself. It takes a complete team effort to take home the hardware.
I said it before the Finals, but I'll reiterate once again. We are on the precipous of history in the NBA. As long as these two teams stay together, we could see Heat-Thunder in the Finals for a while. This could be our modern day Bulls-Jazz rivalry. How special would that be?
The pressure now shifts to Kevin Durant to win that elusive title. However, I don't think we will hassle him to win quite as much as we have Lebron. After all, it took Lebron eight seasons to finally get a ring. Durant has only been in the NBA for five. He still has plenty of time to get it done.
The Miami Heat have accomplished the most difficult thing: getting the first title. The NBA should beware, because the flood gates may have opened for Lebron James and company. The Heat will now try to match some of the NBA's greatest teams and win a handful of titles together. Shaq and Kobe won three together, Magic and the showtime Lakers won three, Jordan and the Bulls won six, and now the Heat will try to make their mark on the NBA forever.
Can this team continue to win titles? Of course. Does it get harder from here? Most likely. Lebron has established himself as the greatest player on the planet. He averaged 30.9 PPG in the postseason, as well as 9.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Those kind of numbers are staggering.
We can longer question if Lebron is going to win a championship. We now must wonder, how many more will he deliver? I can't wait to find out.
--GM
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
"Major" Change
Tiger Woods took the 36 hole lead at the Olympic Club in the 112th United States Open last week. He fired scores of 75 and 73 on the weekend to finish six shots back. Wait, what? Tiger Woods? Yep, that wasn't a misprint.
Golf is in a transition stage. We have now seen fifteen different players win the last fifteen majors, including the last nine by first time winners. Those kind of things just don't happen. It began with Graeme McDowell at Pebble Beach in 2010, as he stole the title from a headline of players including Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson. Most recently, Webb Simpson took the title at the Olympic Club, beating out McDowell and a host of other great players.
The era that I have grown up in has been dominated by one player: Tiger Woods. This "balance of power" is just not something we are used to seeing. Even the players at the top of the World Golf Rankings aren't dominating the game. Luke Donald, the world's top ranked player, has yet to win a major. Even Lee Westwood, who is ranked third, still lacks that elusive major title as well.
Indeed, having nine different players win the last nine majors has been strange. However, I urge golf fans to be patient. This is an auspicious beginning, not an ominous one. Each of the nine previous winners are all relevant at this point in golf, with the exception of Darren Clarke. Players like Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, and Keegan Bradley are going to win more majors. These players are emerging at young ages and are going to be the faces of golf for a long time.
I truly believe that we are past the days of Tiger Woods dominating the game of golf. Woods isn't going to win nine times in a year anymore like he did back in 2000. He isn't going to win four consecutive majors at a time. Unfortunately, we are past that time in his career. Let's be happy for what we had with Tiger, and just hope there is something left in the tank to thrill us a few more times. I'm sure there is.
Don't get me wrong. Tiger is going to win more majors and a plethora of other tournaments on the PGA Tour. I just don't see him winning at the ridiculous level as he did in past years. I would be foolish to count out a player that has won 73 times on tour, and 14 major titles. So, I'm not going to count him out.
Golf may never be the same. If you are one of those people that tunes in to watch the majors and maybe a few tournaments other than that, you probably aren't happy with the way the game is evolving. "Oh Tiger's not winning? I'm not watching that," is what we will continue to hear. But for those of us die hard golf fans, this change in power is not so bad. There are more first-rate players than ever in the game today including six Americans in the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings.
I enjoy seeing parody and new faces emerge to rule the game of golf. We are on the verge of having 25-30 really super players battle it out every week. It is only a matter of time before one of these nine first time majors winners closes out their second major title. It may even come as soon as next month at the Open Championship in England. So watch out golf fans, new faces are emerging to lead the charge in this great game we all love. If you've got a problem with a host of players leading the way, rather than just one, I suggest you get ready for Wimbeldon.
--GM
Golf is in a transition stage. We have now seen fifteen different players win the last fifteen majors, including the last nine by first time winners. Those kind of things just don't happen. It began with Graeme McDowell at Pebble Beach in 2010, as he stole the title from a headline of players including Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson. Most recently, Webb Simpson took the title at the Olympic Club, beating out McDowell and a host of other great players.
The era that I have grown up in has been dominated by one player: Tiger Woods. This "balance of power" is just not something we are used to seeing. Even the players at the top of the World Golf Rankings aren't dominating the game. Luke Donald, the world's top ranked player, has yet to win a major. Even Lee Westwood, who is ranked third, still lacks that elusive major title as well.
Indeed, having nine different players win the last nine majors has been strange. However, I urge golf fans to be patient. This is an auspicious beginning, not an ominous one. Each of the nine previous winners are all relevant at this point in golf, with the exception of Darren Clarke. Players like Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, and Keegan Bradley are going to win more majors. These players are emerging at young ages and are going to be the faces of golf for a long time.
I truly believe that we are past the days of Tiger Woods dominating the game of golf. Woods isn't going to win nine times in a year anymore like he did back in 2000. He isn't going to win four consecutive majors at a time. Unfortunately, we are past that time in his career. Let's be happy for what we had with Tiger, and just hope there is something left in the tank to thrill us a few more times. I'm sure there is.
Don't get me wrong. Tiger is going to win more majors and a plethora of other tournaments on the PGA Tour. I just don't see him winning at the ridiculous level as he did in past years. I would be foolish to count out a player that has won 73 times on tour, and 14 major titles. So, I'm not going to count him out.
Golf may never be the same. If you are one of those people that tunes in to watch the majors and maybe a few tournaments other than that, you probably aren't happy with the way the game is evolving. "Oh Tiger's not winning? I'm not watching that," is what we will continue to hear. But for those of us die hard golf fans, this change in power is not so bad. There are more first-rate players than ever in the game today including six Americans in the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings.
I enjoy seeing parody and new faces emerge to rule the game of golf. We are on the verge of having 25-30 really super players battle it out every week. It is only a matter of time before one of these nine first time majors winners closes out their second major title. It may even come as soon as next month at the Open Championship in England. So watch out golf fans, new faces are emerging to lead the charge in this great game we all love. If you've got a problem with a host of players leading the way, rather than just one, I suggest you get ready for Wimbeldon.
--GM
Monday, June 11, 2012
NBA Finals: Heat vs. Thunder
It was a Wednesday night in April. There were twelve NBA games being played that night, but there was one in particular that caught the attention of most. This was the second meeting of the season between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Talk about a headline matchup. As I sat there watching this game, it was hard not to imagine what an NBA Finals would be like between these two teams. I desperately hoped that these two teams could keep it together and battle it out for a title in June. My dream has come true.
This has set up one of the sexiest NBA Finals we have seen in a long time. What's not to like? We have two superstars that will go head to head in Kevin Durant and Lebron James, two excellent guards in Russell Westbrook and Dwayne Wade, and then of course good inside players such as Chris Bosh and Serge Ibaka.
I continue to look at these teams on paper and there aren't a lot of differences. However, the production from the Thunder bench could cause a lot of problems for Miami. James Harden, the NBA's sixth man of the year, is averaging 17.5 points per game in the playoffs coming off of the bench. The Heat don't have a player that can match that level of production, which has to worry Heat fans. I think if Miami is going to win this series, they are going to need more from guys like Norris Cole, Mike Miller, or even James Jones.
Miami will also need to attack the basket. If Lebron James and Dwayne Wade settle for outside jumpers, rather than getting into the paint, this series could end quickly. Miami must attack Ibaka and Perkins and force them to either foul or give up the easy score. Miami clearly can't matchup physically with Oklahoma City, but if they can force the front court of the Thunder to make decisions, I think Miami could do some damage.
Russell Westbrook has an opportunity to have a special series. Dwayne Wade can't guard Westbrook for 48 minutes a night, so there are going to be situations that he has Chalmers or Cole guarding him. This is a major advantage for the Thunder. Westbrook is stronger and quicker than anyone the Heat can throw at him. If he plays like he did in the final four games of the San Antonio series, look for Russell Westbrook to go off against the Heat.
For the first time in a while, we have the league's MVP squaring off against the league's scoring champion in an NBA Finals. We saw it in 1997 with Carl Malone (MVP) and Michael Jordan (scoring title) battling it out for a championship with the Bulls coming out on top. Kevin Durant is a three time scoring champion in the NBA. Thats quite an accomplishment at age 23. Lebron James is now a three time MVP of the league at the age of 27. James is likely the best all around player the game has ever seen. He can guard any position on the floor from the point guard, to the center, all while averaging 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists per game throughout the regular season. Impressive right?
The Thunder have to frustrate Lebron as much as possible throughout this series. Force Lebron to take jump shots and harass him whenever he enters the paint. It's not easy to stop a guy with incredible strength, skill, and size, but the Thunder have to get him out of a groove and force someone else to beat them. Its not going to be easy, as Lebron has improved his play in the postseason this year. He is averaging 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in the playoffs. Those kind of numbers aren't comparable to anyone else in the league. The guy is a freak and nearly impossible to stop.
What a series this should be. I can't wait to sit back and watch these games unfold. The series could go either way really. I have had a difficult time making a pick, so I went back to see what I thought about the finals, prior the the playoffs beginning.
PICK: Heat in 7
If you go back and see my entry that I wrote on the NBA playoffs before they began, I predicted this finals matchup and it came true. I also predicted that Lebron James would finally get the monkey off of his back and get a ring this season. I'm going to stick with my gut as I have for most of the postseason. I think the fact that Lebron James and Dwayne Wade will each be playing in their third finals will play a role in this series and that they can steal a game early on the road. With the Finals format of 2-3-2, it is crucial for the Heat to win one of the first two. If Miami falls behind 2-0 early, that puts a lot of pressure on them to win three in a row at home, which lets be honest, will be tough to do against the Thunder. If Miami can take a 3-2 lead back to OKC for the final two games, I think they can win the series. I truly believe that Lebron is going to be unstoppable in the finals and silence the critics that believe he isn't clutch. It's time for Lebron to get that ring he covets so much. Both the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged as legitimate finals contenders for years to come. Buckle up NBA fans, because we are about to see a run with the Heat and Thunder that we may never experience again.
--GM
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Blackmon booked for DUI
Well, another athlete has found himself in the slammer on a DUI charge. And for Justin Blackmon, this is the second time in just two years. What is this guy thinking? He was a star in college, drafted 5th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars who were looking to make him a franchise wide receiver. But now, he has been arrested on a DUI charge twice since 2010, which will certainly jeopardize his entire career.
How do you get a DUI on that stage? You are about to become a multi-millionaire and potentially the face of a franchise, but you can't call a friend or a cab for a ride home when you have had too much to drink? Come on man.
The Jags traded up for Blackmon, knowing the level of talent that he possesses. He scored 38 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Oklahoma State. Blackmon closed out his college career in the 2011 Tostito's Fiesta Bowl where he caught eight passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. This performance had NFL scouts foaming at the mouth. His performance last night? Not so much.
I guess I've just never understood the DUI thing. It is a pretty simple thing to just call a cab when you have had a few too many, but yet we see athletes at the highest of levels, arrested all the time on DUI charges. From Charles Barkley, to Hines Ward, to most recently Nick Fairley, it's puzzling to see these guys make such a dumb decision to drive home drunk when you have so much on the line.
Its pretty simple: Call a cab. When you are in the position to become a franchise player, and especially when you are starting your career, you want to make a good name for yourself around the league. Justin Blackmon is not off to a good start. Sounds like this guy needs some serious help if he wants to obtain longevity in the NFL.
--GM
How do you get a DUI on that stage? You are about to become a multi-millionaire and potentially the face of a franchise, but you can't call a friend or a cab for a ride home when you have had too much to drink? Come on man.
The Jags traded up for Blackmon, knowing the level of talent that he possesses. He scored 38 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Oklahoma State. Blackmon closed out his college career in the 2011 Tostito's Fiesta Bowl where he caught eight passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. This performance had NFL scouts foaming at the mouth. His performance last night? Not so much.
I guess I've just never understood the DUI thing. It is a pretty simple thing to just call a cab when you have had a few too many, but yet we see athletes at the highest of levels, arrested all the time on DUI charges. From Charles Barkley, to Hines Ward, to most recently Nick Fairley, it's puzzling to see these guys make such a dumb decision to drive home drunk when you have so much on the line.
Its pretty simple: Call a cab. When you are in the position to become a franchise player, and especially when you are starting your career, you want to make a good name for yourself around the league. Justin Blackmon is not off to a good start. Sounds like this guy needs some serious help if he wants to obtain longevity in the NFL.
--GM
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