On the eve of the 2006 NBA Draft this is an open letter to the GM of the Chicago Bulls. I beg and plead with you to use your pick (the #2 overall) to take Brandon Roy. I know that Tyrus Thomas and LaMarcus Aldridge have more upside and possibly more potential, but Brandon Roy is the better player. He knows how to play and he knows how to lead. He may not have that "upside", "freak athleticism", or "motor" that the other two do, but I guarantee you, he will be the best player to come out this draft. He dominated and the college level and he knows how to win. Don't take my word for it, take the word of the experts. The following are taken from Scouts Inc., the scouting reports for ESPN Insider.
Brandon Roy: " Roy might have been the most complete player in college basketball last season. He has great height, length and athleticism for the guard position. He did not play the point for Washington, but that may be his best position at the next level. Roy has excellent quickness, and is wiry strong. This kid will be a lottery pick because he has no major flaws in his game. He will be ready in his rookie year to contribute, because his game is so complete. Look for him to go in the first 5-7 picks. "
Tyrus Thomas: "Thomas is a "freak" athlete. He has great hops, is extremely long and is one of the quickest jumpers in the college game. He is a high-flyer and incredibly explosive around the rim. In college, if the ball was thrown anywhere up near the rim, he got it. He is weak physically and needs to gain more strength for the NBA game. He may be stuck initially between the 4 and 3 positions. He does not have enough of a low-post game to play the power forward, and his perimeter skills are lacking to be a small forward. However, because of his size, athleticism, energy and ability to score in other ways right now, he will go in the top 1-3 picks in the draft."
LaMarcus Aldridge: "Aldridge has a tremendous upside because of his great length, excellent reach and athleticism. He runs the floor every time in transition, both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. He is very active on missed shots; and he goes to the glass. He's a little weak in his upper body and hands going for rebounds. Will improve with added strength. Big-time shot-blocker; very active defensively. Appears to have quick enough feet, to be able to make rotations in defensive assignments. Aldridge will be a lottery pick, and quite possibly the No. 1 pick of the 2006 draft. He has the athleticism and tools to be an impact player as a rookie. Needs added strength to deal with the physical play of the NBA to be effective and so he will not break down. "
Now having read those three descriptions, who would you pick? The guy who was the most complete player in college basketball and who can contribute now, or the guy who needs added strength for the NBA game? That's what I thought. The Chicago Bulls have gotten back to the playoffs by drafting proven college players and proven winners. Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, and even Andres Nocioni who won the gold medal with Argentina the last Olympics. Don't thwart that progress with a project. Draft the guy who is proven and is one of the more exciting players to watch. He went to battle every game in the NCAA Tournament. He did his best to win those games, and had it not been for UCONN getting in the way in the Double OT game and the lack of help to Roy, Washington might have gone farther. This to me is eerily reminiscent of the 2003 draft. There is definitely not as much talent as the 2003 draft, who had Lebron, Wade, Carmelo, and Chris Bosch, but it does remind me of it because of how Wade was underrated. Wade went behind Darko Milicic for goodness sakes. I remember watching Wade in Marquette's Final Four run and thinking, "that kid is going to be special." That's the same feeling I got with Roy. Look how Wade turned out, he just dominated the NBA Finals and was responsible for the Heats NBA Championship in only his 2nd season. If the Bulls pick Roy, the have a lot of pieces in place...... One last reminder, Mr. Paxson, for every project drafted, like Kobe Bryant, there is a Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, Sam Bowie, Michael Olowokandi...the list goes on and on. Do the right thing, pick the one who is proven.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Friday, June 23, 2006
Zeke Has Made His Bed Now It's Time To Sleep In It
With Larry Brown getting fired yesterday, it is now time for Isiah Thomas to meet his maker. Thomas who is the General Manager for the New York Knicks, has bloated the Knicks payroll to the highest in the NBA. What did $125 Million get him? The second worst record in the league, and a glutton of players who are way over paid. Many would argue, and I am one of them, that the Knicks pitiful record has nothing to do with Larry Brown and everything to do with Isiah Thomas, yet Knicks owner James Dolan can't get over his man-crush on Zeke, and decided to side with Thomas instead of Brown.
Why wouldn't Dolan choose Thomas? Isiah was only responsible for the terrible Raptors when he was GM there from 1994-1997 as they went 51-113. He also single handedly killed the CBA which folded while he was owner. Now he has given one of the marquee franchises in the NBA with the highest payroll no viable players and no cap room to work with. What is he going to do when he's the coach, run a 5 guard set-up on the floor. On his roster he has Stephon Marburry, Steve Francis, Quentin Richardson, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, and Jalen Rose. All guards, all selfish, and all shooters. They could be the first team to shoot 20% from the floor for the year. Thomas is also the genius who signed Jerome James, and maxed out there entire mid-level exception on one louzy player. Oh yeah, he also traded away the now #2 overall pick and Michael Sweetney (8.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg) for Eddy Curry (13.6ppg and 6.0 rpg), who at the time didn't even know if he could play.
It goes without saying that Isiah Thomas is the worst GM in the NBA. Say what you will about Larry Brown, but the man knows how to win. He always makes his teams into contenders, as long as the players are willing to play by his rules. The rag-tag team assembled by Thomas would rather make an appearance with the AND1 Team than play fundamental basketball. That's why Brown was never a good fit for Knicks, but Thomas is perfect. Thomas has made this bed, now he can sleep in it. It's like the old Bible adage you reap what you sow, and I can't wait until the Knicks win 10 games next year.
Why wouldn't Dolan choose Thomas? Isiah was only responsible for the terrible Raptors when he was GM there from 1994-1997 as they went 51-113. He also single handedly killed the CBA which folded while he was owner. Now he has given one of the marquee franchises in the NBA with the highest payroll no viable players and no cap room to work with. What is he going to do when he's the coach, run a 5 guard set-up on the floor. On his roster he has Stephon Marburry, Steve Francis, Quentin Richardson, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, and Jalen Rose. All guards, all selfish, and all shooters. They could be the first team to shoot 20% from the floor for the year. Thomas is also the genius who signed Jerome James, and maxed out there entire mid-level exception on one louzy player. Oh yeah, he also traded away the now #2 overall pick and Michael Sweetney (8.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg) for Eddy Curry (13.6ppg and 6.0 rpg), who at the time didn't even know if he could play.
It goes without saying that Isiah Thomas is the worst GM in the NBA. Say what you will about Larry Brown, but the man knows how to win. He always makes his teams into contenders, as long as the players are willing to play by his rules. The rag-tag team assembled by Thomas would rather make an appearance with the AND1 Team than play fundamental basketball. That's why Brown was never a good fit for Knicks, but Thomas is perfect. Thomas has made this bed, now he can sleep in it. It's like the old Bible adage you reap what you sow, and I can't wait until the Knicks win 10 games next year.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Weekly Baseball Thoughts
Today I got to drive down to San Diego and go to Petco Park for the first time to see the Dodgers take on the Padres. I have never really been a big baseball fan until about a year ago. Since I never really was a fan, I never really had a team. I have always struggled with who I should tie my allegiances too, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a resident of Central and Southern California the vast majority of my life, i've never rooted for a Cali team, and I figured baseball was the best time to start. The Dodgers never really had a player I could really get behind. They have had a revolving door of players and none of them seemed as if they really would be worthy of another fan (Jeff Kent comes to mind). The Angels however, had one Mr. Vladimir Guerrero. He will swing at anything, and always seems like he is giving 110% out on the field. So a few months back, I decided to officially swing my allegiances towards the Angels as I let my fiance buy me an Angels hat that I sport proudly.
Today, however, I may have found another new player, and he happens to be on the other team, the LA Dodgers. Since we arrived early to the park we decided to walk around and take in the scenery (a great new park in downtown San Diego a must do if you are in the area in the summer time). At the same time batting practice was going on. We (me and my roommates) proceeded to head down towards batting practice to see if maybe we could get a ball. One of my roommates is a die hard Dodger fan and know just about everything about them. One recent Dodger call-up, named Matt Kemp has made an impressive explosion on to the scene. Since his debut on May 28, the kid (he is younger than me after all being born in September of 1984) has hit 7 bombs in that short span of time.
That's not what really impressed me however, it was his demeanor during the batting practice. My roommate, being a hardcore Dodger fan, has a shirt of all the Dodger minor league teams. This particular night he was wearing a Jacksonville Suns shirt. The Padres fans had been heckling him prior to us arriving, because they too wanted a ball, the only difference is they had no idea who he was. Kemp, being quite playful with the oppositions fans, kept telling them that he was just the waterboy, hoping someday to get a chance to play the game himself. Since I have lived with this Dodger fan for quite sometime I knew who Kemp was. My roommate got to the bottom of the stands, and Kemp saw his shirt.
"Nice shirt," said Kemp. "Thanks, I know you played there earlier this year, Matt," said my roommate. "I was there for a little while, yeah," Kemp said. "Yeah what did you hit like 27 bombs when you were there or something," said my roommate. At this statement Kemp got a huge grin on his face, and turned around to shag another ball. He promptly turned around and tossed it towards my roommate. Unfortunately for him the desperate Padres fans swarmed him and tore the ball out of his hands. Kemp, watching the entire time, turned to my roommate and said "Don't worry Jacksonville, i'll get you one." The next ball that came to him, he got into the hands of my roommate, and my roommate left with a big smile on his face.
While this may seem juvenile to some who read this, to me, it's refreshing. A player who actually cares about his fans, and who is actually having fun playing in the bigs, quite frankly I don't ever see it anymore. I'm sick of hearing about Barry Bonds and how big of a jerk he is, and how he'll never talk to fans or media. I sick of hearing about ball players taking too seriously. Yeah it's your job, but your getting paid to play the game. Matt Kemp understand that. Sure the guy is 21, and sure he hasn't even been in the Majors for a month, but he gets it. He gets that it's a game, and he gets that the fans make the game fun.
When I saw how Kemp was interacting I immediately became a fan. He was never disrespectful with the Padres fans, but merely playful. When it came time to appreciate his own fans, he knew how to handle it. Kemp didn't start the game, but he did get in. He pinch hit in the 7th inning and hit a monster shot into deep center field, a blast which was estimated at 433 feet. This kid is good, and he may become a superstar. Even if he doesn't count me as a fan (even if I have to root for him when I have my Angels hat on).
Today, however, I may have found another new player, and he happens to be on the other team, the LA Dodgers. Since we arrived early to the park we decided to walk around and take in the scenery (a great new park in downtown San Diego a must do if you are in the area in the summer time). At the same time batting practice was going on. We (me and my roommates) proceeded to head down towards batting practice to see if maybe we could get a ball. One of my roommates is a die hard Dodger fan and know just about everything about them. One recent Dodger call-up, named Matt Kemp has made an impressive explosion on to the scene. Since his debut on May 28, the kid (he is younger than me after all being born in September of 1984) has hit 7 bombs in that short span of time.
That's not what really impressed me however, it was his demeanor during the batting practice. My roommate, being a hardcore Dodger fan, has a shirt of all the Dodger minor league teams. This particular night he was wearing a Jacksonville Suns shirt. The Padres fans had been heckling him prior to us arriving, because they too wanted a ball, the only difference is they had no idea who he was. Kemp, being quite playful with the oppositions fans, kept telling them that he was just the waterboy, hoping someday to get a chance to play the game himself. Since I have lived with this Dodger fan for quite sometime I knew who Kemp was. My roommate got to the bottom of the stands, and Kemp saw his shirt.
"Nice shirt," said Kemp. "Thanks, I know you played there earlier this year, Matt," said my roommate. "I was there for a little while, yeah," Kemp said. "Yeah what did you hit like 27 bombs when you were there or something," said my roommate. At this statement Kemp got a huge grin on his face, and turned around to shag another ball. He promptly turned around and tossed it towards my roommate. Unfortunately for him the desperate Padres fans swarmed him and tore the ball out of his hands. Kemp, watching the entire time, turned to my roommate and said "Don't worry Jacksonville, i'll get you one." The next ball that came to him, he got into the hands of my roommate, and my roommate left with a big smile on his face.
While this may seem juvenile to some who read this, to me, it's refreshing. A player who actually cares about his fans, and who is actually having fun playing in the bigs, quite frankly I don't ever see it anymore. I'm sick of hearing about Barry Bonds and how big of a jerk he is, and how he'll never talk to fans or media. I sick of hearing about ball players taking too seriously. Yeah it's your job, but your getting paid to play the game. Matt Kemp understand that. Sure the guy is 21, and sure he hasn't even been in the Majors for a month, but he gets it. He gets that it's a game, and he gets that the fans make the game fun.
When I saw how Kemp was interacting I immediately became a fan. He was never disrespectful with the Padres fans, but merely playful. When it came time to appreciate his own fans, he knew how to handle it. Kemp didn't start the game, but he did get in. He pinch hit in the 7th inning and hit a monster shot into deep center field, a blast which was estimated at 433 feet. This kid is good, and he may become a superstar. Even if he doesn't count me as a fan (even if I have to root for him when I have my Angels hat on).
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Big Ben
I couldn't have a sports blog and be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and not post about my main man Big Ben. Ben holds a special place in my heart that I reserve for special athletes. He brought the first Super Bowl, since i've been alive, to my favorite team, and he did it in his second year. I was ecstatic when he dropped all the way down to the Steelers in the draft three years ago. I can remember all week long, wishing and hoping we didn't have to suffer another year of the not so great XFL MVP Tommy Maddox. When we landed him I new he'd be special, and he hasn't disappointed since. I have never been able to make it over to Pittsburgh just quite yet, but from what I read and see he's all ready a living legend. As a matter of fact one of my roommates is living in Pittsburgh for the summer and he told me the city about stopped yesterday. It was all that was on the news casts, kids in school were watching the updates while in class, and business were having people come in to sign get well cards for Ben.
Having said all that, it's time for some responsibility on the part of our modern day athletes. Of course athletes are always going to push the envelope, and when they get money handed to them by the boatloads, when they are fresh out of college, watch out. We've seen this before, Jay Williams only got to play one year with the Chicago Bulls before he ruined his career by getting into a motorcycle accident. Kellen Winslow did the same thing when he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Big Ben is lucky to get out of this with a broken jaw, nose, facial bones, and a laceration to the back of his head. Terry Bradshaw came out and said that he was putting the team at risk, but more importantly to me he was putting his life at risk especially without a helmet.
I am thankful that Ben's injuries weren't too bad, not just because he can lead us to back to back Super Bowl wins, but because he didn't lose his life.
Having said all that, it's time for some responsibility on the part of our modern day athletes. Of course athletes are always going to push the envelope, and when they get money handed to them by the boatloads, when they are fresh out of college, watch out. We've seen this before, Jay Williams only got to play one year with the Chicago Bulls before he ruined his career by getting into a motorcycle accident. Kellen Winslow did the same thing when he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Big Ben is lucky to get out of this with a broken jaw, nose, facial bones, and a laceration to the back of his head. Terry Bradshaw came out and said that he was putting the team at risk, but more importantly to me he was putting his life at risk especially without a helmet.
I am thankful that Ben's injuries weren't too bad, not just because he can lead us to back to back Super Bowl wins, but because he didn't lose his life.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Soccer Fever
Normally I would be the last person to care about soccer. When I was a kid I despised "the beautiful game," but for some reason when this years World Cup began to come around, I got a little excited. Yes in the past, I probably would have rather count the blades of grass in front of my apartment then sit down and watch a soccer game, but that was all before I began to understand the nuances of the game. Yesterday morning I even woke up at 9 a.m. (hey I'm a recent college graduate and when you don't have to be up until the afternoon to get to work on time, that's quite a feat) to watch the U.S. take on the Czech Republic. I should have just stayed asleep.
Yes I am someone new to soccer, and no I can't really say i'm a fan, and no I don't know too much about the game, but I was embarassed by the play of the U.S. yesterday. The Czech's wanted it more. Their passes were crisper, they hustled more, and they actually got some shots on goal (three of which went in). After all the hype surrounding the U.S., coming into the World Cup with a #5 world ranking, they surely dissapointed those who decided to watch.
Maybe that is why soccer is not as popular in the U.S. It's not a sport we dominate. Look at the sports that are popular. Football only Americans are great at the game. Basketball, despite our recent flops at the World Championships and the Olympics we still know that our superstars could take anyone if they actually went and played at the World Championships and Olympics. Baseball could be the one abberation, but then you could still make an argument that had more of America's superstars played in the World Baseball Classic then they could have made a run for the title (not to take anything away from the eclectic countries that have superstars in the MLB). All of this is to say one thing. The U.S. soccer team may continue to drown in anonymity until they learn to dominate. Just look at hockey and the NHL. No once cares, except for Canada (and that's because they dominate). As much as true fans hate bandwagoners, it's the only way for soccer to get a mass following here in the U.S.
Yes I am someone new to soccer, and no I can't really say i'm a fan, and no I don't know too much about the game, but I was embarassed by the play of the U.S. yesterday. The Czech's wanted it more. Their passes were crisper, they hustled more, and they actually got some shots on goal (three of which went in). After all the hype surrounding the U.S., coming into the World Cup with a #5 world ranking, they surely dissapointed those who decided to watch.
Maybe that is why soccer is not as popular in the U.S. It's not a sport we dominate. Look at the sports that are popular. Football only Americans are great at the game. Basketball, despite our recent flops at the World Championships and the Olympics we still know that our superstars could take anyone if they actually went and played at the World Championships and Olympics. Baseball could be the one abberation, but then you could still make an argument that had more of America's superstars played in the World Baseball Classic then they could have made a run for the title (not to take anything away from the eclectic countries that have superstars in the MLB). All of this is to say one thing. The U.S. soccer team may continue to drown in anonymity until they learn to dominate. Just look at hockey and the NHL. No once cares, except for Canada (and that's because they dominate). As much as true fans hate bandwagoners, it's the only way for soccer to get a mass following here in the U.S.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Weekly Baseball Thoughts
Since baseball season is in full swing I will try and get my thoughts out about what is going on in and around the major leagues. This week there has been no shortage of sensational stories coming out about the MLB.
Roger Clemens coming back will be the best thing for the Astros. Right now as they speak they sit 6.5 games back of the NL Central Leading Reds and Cardinals. The Cardinals will be lost without Albert Pujols and the Red's can't continue their torrid pace behind the arms of Harrang and Arroyo. After the 'Stros put Roy Oswalt (single handedly keeping my fantasy team in last place), the solid arm of the 43 year old will be a much needed asset for the Astros.
Speaking of Pujols, Pujols going on the DL not only kills the Cards it kills the MLB. Pujols had been setting a blazing pace by all ready hitting 25 bombs, could have brought America back its feet if he could have challenged Barry Bonds' single-season home run record. It would have made baseball fans feel as if they could once again trust their national pastime as being a clean and game full of people who are just athletic not illegally enhanced, but then again..............
Comes the news today of Jason Grimsley. Grimsley of course was busted by the feds for buying HGH (Human Growth Horomone). According to his affidavit (which can be seen here at the Arizona Republics website) he's not the only one. Just when we think it's over something else comes up. When will it end? Is anyone clean? If you are a baseball fan, then you have to be dissapointed with what is going on. Just when the game claims to be cleaning itself up something else happens. As fans we may just have to come to terms with the fact that everyone should be suspected, because you never know who is going to get caught next. Maybe this is the dark ages for the MLB. Maybe we will never be able to trust those athletes we put on a pedestal. One thing is for sure, we haven't seen the last of this story, and we won't for quite some time.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
The Maddening Idiots Who Call Themselves Laker Fans
Over the past four years I have had the privilege of attending a private university in the Los Angeles area. Over those four years I have taken a particular liking to the AM Sports Talk Channel 570. While I understand that because I live in LA, most calls will be about the Lakers, it drives me crazy me how idiotic most of these fans that call in are. The most recent influx of calls to this radio station deal with how the Lakers can improve this off-season, and more specifically how everyone in LA (besides the radio hosts) seems to think they can land Kevin Garnett.
First off the Lakers have no cap room. They will not see any relief from the salary cap until at least another year. According to hoopshype.com, this past year the Lakers had the 6th highest payroll in the NBA at $72,962,790. Kevin Garnett alone makes $18,000,000, a number that Lakers could nowhere near afford. Secondly, the Lakers have no assets to trade. They would never give up Kobe, Lamar Odom would be a good start, but you would have to package him with someone else, but the only problem is there is no one else. Kwame Brown? Smush Parker? Aaron McKie? Please. Kwame Brown is a bum who will never be more than a filler in the lane. Smush parker disappeared down the stretch, and Aaron McKie only scored 7 points the entire season (quite possibly the most worthless player in the NBA as brought up on Good Times on AM 570 on Friday).
While I don't think Garnett will even be traded the only possible place for him to go would be.... to my beloved Chicago Bulls. While I know this may sound biased hear me out. Only two other teams had lower payrolls this year in the NBA. Those two teams were in the worst five teams in the league, the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks. The Bulls used started to use their air pumps on their shoes the last two months of the season and really made a strong showing in the playoffs giving the Miami Heat a run for their money. They are a youthful team that has the cap space to sign Garnett to a long term deal, and they have the assets. They have the #2 Overall Draft Pick (thanks to the ultimate game killer Isiah Thomas) and the #16 Pick in the first round, as well as a glutton of guards where they could be willing to give someone up (Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, and Chris Duhon). The one thing the Bulls were sorely missing during the playoff series was an inside presence. If I were John Paxson I would even give up Gordon (arguably their best player) and my first round draft choices, for one of the top 5 players in the league. Tyson Chandler will never be a proven scorer in the paint, only possible a good rebounder and a threat to block shots, after him Michael Sweetney won't be able to cut it for too long despite some of the flashes he showed in the playoffs. They just plain need the inside presence.
My gut tells me that Garnett will stay in Minnesota, but I just wished the Laker fans would shut up about him coming to LA. It's not going to happen. No if's, and's, or but's about it. It's just not possible........then again they have the second worst GM in the game in Kevin McHale.
First off the Lakers have no cap room. They will not see any relief from the salary cap until at least another year. According to hoopshype.com, this past year the Lakers had the 6th highest payroll in the NBA at $72,962,790. Kevin Garnett alone makes $18,000,000, a number that Lakers could nowhere near afford. Secondly, the Lakers have no assets to trade. They would never give up Kobe, Lamar Odom would be a good start, but you would have to package him with someone else, but the only problem is there is no one else. Kwame Brown? Smush Parker? Aaron McKie? Please. Kwame Brown is a bum who will never be more than a filler in the lane. Smush parker disappeared down the stretch, and Aaron McKie only scored 7 points the entire season (quite possibly the most worthless player in the NBA as brought up on Good Times on AM 570 on Friday).
While I don't think Garnett will even be traded the only possible place for him to go would be.... to my beloved Chicago Bulls. While I know this may sound biased hear me out. Only two other teams had lower payrolls this year in the NBA. Those two teams were in the worst five teams in the league, the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks. The Bulls used started to use their air pumps on their shoes the last two months of the season and really made a strong showing in the playoffs giving the Miami Heat a run for their money. They are a youthful team that has the cap space to sign Garnett to a long term deal, and they have the assets. They have the #2 Overall Draft Pick (thanks to the ultimate game killer Isiah Thomas) and the #16 Pick in the first round, as well as a glutton of guards where they could be willing to give someone up (Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, and Chris Duhon). The one thing the Bulls were sorely missing during the playoff series was an inside presence. If I were John Paxson I would even give up Gordon (arguably their best player) and my first round draft choices, for one of the top 5 players in the league. Tyson Chandler will never be a proven scorer in the paint, only possible a good rebounder and a threat to block shots, after him Michael Sweetney won't be able to cut it for too long despite some of the flashes he showed in the playoffs. They just plain need the inside presence.
My gut tells me that Garnett will stay in Minnesota, but I just wished the Laker fans would shut up about him coming to LA. It's not going to happen. No if's, and's, or but's about it. It's just not possible........then again they have the second worst GM in the game in Kevin McHale.
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