Beasley vs. Rose
All of the talk at the top of this year’s draft doesn’t make much sense to me. Throughout the history of the NBA, and this can even be evidenced in last year’s draft, the thought is to always go with a big over a guard.
All of a sudden, Chicago and several other pundits are all the rage of Memphis PG Derrick Rose instead of Michael Beasley. This is a huge head scratcher for me.
First, Beasley fits in with what the Bulls need. He could start right away, with Luol Deng and Joakim Noah on the front court and he would give them a double-double almost right away.
Meanwhile, drafting Rose would mean Kirk Hinrich would have to go. He’s a great player, but after a bad year last year his stock is down. Not to mention the demons Rose would face playing at home. Not to mention, he’s not the pure point guard everyone says he is.
The thing that made his stock jump this high was his performance in the NCAA final this year. He was nearly unstoppable on offense, but he was more like a short 2-guard than a 1. I think everyone is overestimating his ability as a pure point guard and I could see him more as a Jamal Crawford type than the next Deron Williams.
On the other hand, Beasley is like David West with a three-point shot. He will be an all-star within the first three years of his career guaranteed. I don’t know why anyone would want to pass that up.
The rest of the crop:
Headscratchers
O.J. Mayo – I’m not a big O.J. Mayo fan. In the game his team got eliminated from the Pac-10 tourney, I watched O.J. Mayo dribble off the last few seconds of the clock with his team down by three, and throw up a wild three-point shot at the buzzer. Ever since then, I’ve always put him in the category of overrated or poor basketball IQ.
Jerryd Bayliss – He never impressed me at Arizona this year. I saw him play live in their tourney game against West Virginia in D.C. this year and he didn’t do squat.
Brook and Robin Lopez – Stiffs in the making.
Danilo Gallinari – Don’t know enough about him to make an opinion.
D.J. Augustin – I think he’ll be good, but a lot of people think his size will be a problem for him, especially on defense. At the same time, wasn't he the best point guard in the nation last year?
Future Busts
Anthony Randolph – As much college basketball as I watch, I should have heard of this guy at least once.
DeAndre Jordan – Ditto
Eric Gordon – I loved his game initially, but I think he should have stayed in school and developed more endurance and became more of an assassin. He’s the next Rashad McCants.
Kosta Koufus – Should’ve stayed in school as well
Roy Hibbert – Stiff.
Solid Picks
Kevin Love – He’s short, fat and slow for a power forward. But he has NBA 3-point range, can rebound with the best of them and he passes like Chris Webber. He will be a lot better than people think.
Russell Westbrook – He’s not, and will not, be a point guard. He’s a 2. But he’s a heck of a defender and he can make up for his height with his athletic ability.
Joe Alexander – Might end up being the best player from this draft. He can do it all on the court and he might even be the best athlete in this draft.
Brandon Rush – He’s a bit spacey, but without the pressure of having to be the number one guy, he would become a solid contributor to an NBA team.
Chris Douglas-Roberts – He was the most dangerous scorer on Memphis last year and can be really unstoppable off the dribble. He has a sleek game and is a tad unorthodox, kind of like a right-handed Manu Ginobili on the offensive end. I don’t know why he’s not going to be a lottery pick, but he’ll put up lottery pick numbers on the right team.
Sleepers
JaVale McGee, Donte Green, DJ White, Kyle Weaver, Courtney Lee
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
A Bad Rap for Kobe
TMZ.com has footage of Shaq freestyling about Kobe Bryant posted on their website.
First, its a pretty bad freestyle.
Second, its probably not the big deal that ESPN is going to try to make it. Stephen A. Smith was right when he told the Sportscenter anchors on the 6 PM edition that Shaq probably had to resort to dissing Kobe because he didn't have much other material.
In a freestyle, you say the first thing that pops in your head. Its also good to either have complicated lyrics or say something funny. In Shaq's case, it was funny to pick on Kobe.
Without the celebrity involved, its just another bad rap.
First, its a pretty bad freestyle.
Second, its probably not the big deal that ESPN is going to try to make it. Stephen A. Smith was right when he told the Sportscenter anchors on the 6 PM edition that Shaq probably had to resort to dissing Kobe because he didn't have much other material.
In a freestyle, you say the first thing that pops in your head. Its also good to either have complicated lyrics or say something funny. In Shaq's case, it was funny to pick on Kobe.
Without the celebrity involved, its just another bad rap.
Quick Hits 6/23
NBA
Kudos to Jerry Colangelo and his crew on their picks for this year's USA basketball squad.
Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Tayshaun Prince have been named to the team.
The only one of those guys who I don't agree with is Jason Kidd, whose best days are far behind him. He could have been replaced with another big man. Besides that, they have a lot of unselfish players and perhaps Kobe will play unselfishly in this setting. Most of them are at least average at defense and most of the wing players, except for Kidd, can shoot with consistency.
I'd be really surprised if they don't come home with the gold this year, unless of course, the weather in Beijing takes them down.
MLB
Not much to say here, but I've watched a lot of the Tampa Bay Rays this year and I have to say I like what I see. They have one of the best, young rosters and are definitely for real.
As it's the only game in town, I'll have more baseball thoughts (finally) throughout the summer.
WNBA
This might be the first and last WNBA post on the blog. Honestly, I'm a big fan of the women's game. My senior project was about the Drexel Women's basketball team.
However, the hype about Candace Parker's dunk and the reaction is part of the reason why the game will never get the same respect. They are in perpetual comparison to the men's game, which regularly features dunks. If they want their game to get a similar level of respect, they need to present themselves as a separate product. And when someone does dunk, act like its happened before, because its happened before.
Kudos to Jerry Colangelo and his crew on their picks for this year's USA basketball squad.
Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Tayshaun Prince have been named to the team.
The only one of those guys who I don't agree with is Jason Kidd, whose best days are far behind him. He could have been replaced with another big man. Besides that, they have a lot of unselfish players and perhaps Kobe will play unselfishly in this setting. Most of them are at least average at defense and most of the wing players, except for Kidd, can shoot with consistency.
I'd be really surprised if they don't come home with the gold this year, unless of course, the weather in Beijing takes them down.
MLB
Not much to say here, but I've watched a lot of the Tampa Bay Rays this year and I have to say I like what I see. They have one of the best, young rosters and are definitely for real.
As it's the only game in town, I'll have more baseball thoughts (finally) throughout the summer.
WNBA
This might be the first and last WNBA post on the blog. Honestly, I'm a big fan of the women's game. My senior project was about the Drexel Women's basketball team.
However, the hype about Candace Parker's dunk and the reaction is part of the reason why the game will never get the same respect. They are in perpetual comparison to the men's game, which regularly features dunks. If they want their game to get a similar level of respect, they need to present themselves as a separate product. And when someone does dunk, act like its happened before, because its happened before.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
NBA Finals Recap
1. Anything is Possible. Kevin Garnett is a lunatic. Just wanted to put that out there.
2. Just a reminder; No more Kobe/MJ comparisons. Stop it. The Lakers lost by 39 in a close out game. Really? Imagine MJ and Pippen losing to Utah by 39 in a crucial Game 6 or 7. You can't can you? I couldn't either.
3. Doc Rivers made me look like a fool. Worst coach in the NBA? Lakers in 5 because of Phil Jackson's advantage over Doc Rivers. Oops.
Building on that point, in my mind going into this thing I had Lakers in 5. I got caught up running errands and such and couldn't do the breakdown before Game 1. When I sat down to do the breakdown I realized that the teams were closer in talent than I realized and that if Ray Allen wasn't done then Boston would probably have an advantage.
4. Well Ray Allen wasn't done after all, giving Boston that advantage.
5. What's next? Well before I get into that, I want to say something about the draft. Imagine if the Celtics got the #1 pick in last year's draft. They probably take Kevin Durant and don't trade for Ray Allen, which set everything off. That said, the Bulls have the #1 pick this year. There have been rumors of the Heat dangling Dwayne Wade for that pick. I say they should definitely take D. Wade and use him to lead all the young talent they have instead of drafting someone who may or may not be good (Although Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley look like locks.)
Alright, that had nothing to do with the Celtics and Lakers. You have to wonder if both of these teams will be back next year. For the Celtics, their chief contenders seem to be the Pistons and Cavs. However, the Pistons are probably going to get broken up and the Cavs' role players are getting older and are trash anyway. Plus they're coached by the worst coach in the league Mike Brown. (Yea, that's who I meant to pick).
For LA, you have to wonder about their chances though. Does Phil Jackson want to coach them again? Is Phil Jackson a good coach for this team? Will Andrew Bynum make that much of a difference? The Lakers toughness inside was exposed by Boston, which is surprising since it wasn't exposed by the Spurs. They also can't play defense, besides Kobe Bryant. And one thing I did get right in my preview is that Pau Gasol isn't the superstar people have made him to be.
The Spurs probably have one more run in them. The Hornets will continue to get better. Utah will also be a tough team to defeat. Even the Rockets, if Yao and T-Mac can hold it together will give them a run for it.
Also, has Kobe been exposed as well? This is his second straight Finals appearance where he came up short. Besides Phil over Doc, one of the main reasons why I expected the Lakers to win was because I figured Kobe would average 35 + points in this series. Instead, he averaged a little over 25. Not going to cut it.
If the Lakers and Celtics make it back, I hope it will live up to the hype this time. Honestly, this series wasn't that exciting for me. I'm sure Lakers and Celtics fans ate it up, but for everyone else it was decent at best.
2. Just a reminder; No more Kobe/MJ comparisons. Stop it. The Lakers lost by 39 in a close out game. Really? Imagine MJ and Pippen losing to Utah by 39 in a crucial Game 6 or 7. You can't can you? I couldn't either.
3. Doc Rivers made me look like a fool. Worst coach in the NBA? Lakers in 5 because of Phil Jackson's advantage over Doc Rivers. Oops.
Building on that point, in my mind going into this thing I had Lakers in 5. I got caught up running errands and such and couldn't do the breakdown before Game 1. When I sat down to do the breakdown I realized that the teams were closer in talent than I realized and that if Ray Allen wasn't done then Boston would probably have an advantage.
4. Well Ray Allen wasn't done after all, giving Boston that advantage.
5. What's next? Well before I get into that, I want to say something about the draft. Imagine if the Celtics got the #1 pick in last year's draft. They probably take Kevin Durant and don't trade for Ray Allen, which set everything off. That said, the Bulls have the #1 pick this year. There have been rumors of the Heat dangling Dwayne Wade for that pick. I say they should definitely take D. Wade and use him to lead all the young talent they have instead of drafting someone who may or may not be good (Although Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley look like locks.)
Alright, that had nothing to do with the Celtics and Lakers. You have to wonder if both of these teams will be back next year. For the Celtics, their chief contenders seem to be the Pistons and Cavs. However, the Pistons are probably going to get broken up and the Cavs' role players are getting older and are trash anyway. Plus they're coached by the worst coach in the league Mike Brown. (Yea, that's who I meant to pick).
For LA, you have to wonder about their chances though. Does Phil Jackson want to coach them again? Is Phil Jackson a good coach for this team? Will Andrew Bynum make that much of a difference? The Lakers toughness inside was exposed by Boston, which is surprising since it wasn't exposed by the Spurs. They also can't play defense, besides Kobe Bryant. And one thing I did get right in my preview is that Pau Gasol isn't the superstar people have made him to be.
The Spurs probably have one more run in them. The Hornets will continue to get better. Utah will also be a tough team to defeat. Even the Rockets, if Yao and T-Mac can hold it together will give them a run for it.
Also, has Kobe been exposed as well? This is his second straight Finals appearance where he came up short. Besides Phil over Doc, one of the main reasons why I expected the Lakers to win was because I figured Kobe would average 35 + points in this series. Instead, he averaged a little over 25. Not going to cut it.
If the Lakers and Celtics make it back, I hope it will live up to the hype this time. Honestly, this series wasn't that exciting for me. I'm sure Lakers and Celtics fans ate it up, but for everyone else it was decent at best.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I prefer the term African American Express
Willie Randolph was fired last night by NY Mets GM Omar Minaya. I always thought Willie was a good manager, although he's been a source of ridicule for his teams colossal collapse at the end of last season.
However, I don't really think he was on the hot seat until he played the race card. After he wondered if race was the reason he was being criticized, he had to apologize for invoking color and the "Willie Randolph Watch" was on.
Race is something people in American don't want to talk about. In sports especially, if you use the race card, you're likely to get roasted. I don't understand. Race is a reality, and considering the plight of African Americans I can't blame someone for being at least a little paranoid that their race matters to other people.
A lot of times, they might have legitimate cases. With Willie, I'm not sure, but he wasn't ridiculous for asking the question. I guess for his sake he should have kept his mouth shut. He'd probably still be guiding the good ship Metropolitan. Hopefully he'll be able to bounce back on his feet and get another position.
However, I don't really think he was on the hot seat until he played the race card. After he wondered if race was the reason he was being criticized, he had to apologize for invoking color and the "Willie Randolph Watch" was on.
Race is something people in American don't want to talk about. In sports especially, if you use the race card, you're likely to get roasted. I don't understand. Race is a reality, and considering the plight of African Americans I can't blame someone for being at least a little paranoid that their race matters to other people.
A lot of times, they might have legitimate cases. With Willie, I'm not sure, but he wasn't ridiculous for asking the question. I guess for his sake he should have kept his mouth shut. He'd probably still be guiding the good ship Metropolitan. Hopefully he'll be able to bounce back on his feet and get another position.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
While We're At It
Can we stop with all the Kobe and MJ crap? Seriously, check out Kobe's numbers from his five Finals apperances:
Kobe Bryant
2000 Finals (He only played 9 minutes in Game 2, which affected his stats) LA def Indy 4-2
13.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.5 APG
2001 Finals – LA def Philly 4-1
20.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.8 APG
2002 Finals – LA def NJ 4-0
26.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.3 APG
2004 Finals – Det def LA 4-1
22.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.4 APG
2008 Finals – Boston 3-1 over LA
26.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.25 APG
Now peep Jordan's numbers from his six Finals apperances. Its not even close.
Michael Jordan
1991 Finals – Chi def LA 4-1
31.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 11.2 APG
1992 Finals – Chi def Por 4-2
35.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.5 APG
1993 Finals – Chi def Phx 4-2
41.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 6.3 APG
1996 Finals – Chi def Sea 4-2
27.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.2 APG
1997 Finals – Chi def Utah 4-2
32.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.0 APG
1998 Finals – Chi def Utah 4-2
33.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG
31, 6 and 11 in '91? 41, 8 and 6 in '93? 32, 7 and 6 in '97? And well all remember how he went out in '98. Nuff said.
Kobe Bryant
2000 Finals (He only played 9 minutes in Game 2, which affected his stats) LA def Indy 4-2
13.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.5 APG
2001 Finals – LA def Philly 4-1
20.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.8 APG
2002 Finals – LA def NJ 4-0
26.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.3 APG
2004 Finals – Det def LA 4-1
22.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.4 APG
2008 Finals – Boston 3-1 over LA
26.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.25 APG
Now peep Jordan's numbers from his six Finals apperances. Its not even close.
Michael Jordan
1991 Finals – Chi def LA 4-1
31.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 11.2 APG
1992 Finals – Chi def Por 4-2
35.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.5 APG
1993 Finals – Chi def Phx 4-2
41.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 6.3 APG
1996 Finals – Chi def Sea 4-2
27.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.2 APG
1997 Finals – Chi def Utah 4-2
32.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.0 APG
1998 Finals – Chi def Utah 4-2
33.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG
31, 6 and 11 in '91? 41, 8 and 6 in '93? 32, 7 and 6 in '97? And well all remember how he went out in '98. Nuff said.
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