Only 364 More Days Until the 2008 Draft!

Now that the 2007 NBA Draft is over and guys like Oden and Durant have gone to their respective homes, we can concentrate on more important things… like the 2008 NBA Draft. It's never too early to start, so let's take a look at the 20 prospects that will most likely be taken early in next year's draft.

1. O.J. Mayo, PG, Freshmen

Mayo has been followed since his freshman year of high school. He's one of those guys that would've skipped college and still be taken in the top 5 of the draft. With one year of college? He's going number one.

2. Michael Beasley, PF, Freshmen

What can't be said about him? This McDonald's All American, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, won the MVP award of the game. He has no doubt a bright future ahead of him. In the class of Karl Malone and Tim Duncan, Beasley will be an instant success in the NBA. Mayo and Beasley will go 1-2 in the draft much like Oden and Durant did in 2007.

3. Derrick Rose, PG, Freshmen

Another freshmen sensation, Rose is the definition of a pure point guard. He reminds me of a Jason Kidd type of player that will lead his respective team creating plays for average players. In both the McDonald's All American and Jordan All American games, Rose dished out 5 assists. Wouldn't it be hilarious if Atlanta landed here again and neglected to pick him up? Let's take a few seconds and pray that this happens.

4. Roy Hibbert, C, Senior

A lot of people rank Hibbert too low. I frankly don't understand why. He's a strong 7'2" guy who dominates the paint. He was supposed to be in the 2007 draft, but he felt that he was ranked too low. Last year, he had help from Jeff Green in leading the Georgetown Hoyas into the Final Four. I believe he will repeat next year without Green.

5. Joey Dorsey, PF, Senior

Dorsey will be the leader of a Memphis team that is heavily favored to appear in the Final Four next year. He is a great rebounder and shot-blocker. He has also proved that he can make shots (.61 field goal percentage) With Derrick Rose dishing him the ball all season, look for his points per game to spike (8.5 ppg in 2006-07).

6. Patrick Patterson, PF, Freshmen

This guy is my favorite player in the 2008 draft. He will be nothing less than awesome baby! (As Vitale would put it) He is a rebounding and shot-blocking machine. In his senior year of high school, Patterson averaged 18.8 ppg, 16 rpg, 4.2 apg, and 6 bpg. In the McDonald's All American game, Patterson had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks. In the Jordan All American Classic, Patterson had 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

7. Nicolas Batum, SF, France

Batum is the best international player in next year's draft. He was supposed to enter the 2007 draft and decided not to at the last minute. He has secured his stock with a 23 point performance in the Nike Hoop Summit in 2007.

8. Donte Greene, SF, Freshmen

This Jordan All American Co-MVP, 20 points in 17 minutes, reminds me a lot of Kevin Durant. He has a great jump-shot to go with good rebounding. Not to mention he's averaged 4.3 blocks per game in high school.

9. Corey Fisher, PG, Freshmen

Naturally, the other half of the Jordan All American Co-MVP would come next. Fisher put on a fantasic performance scoring 12 points and dishing out 10 assists. Not only can Fisher find teammates but he also loves taking the clutch shots. He can shoot from anywhere both driving in and shooting from the arch; this guy has superstar written all over him.

10. Derrick Caracter, PF, Sophomore

Caracter will be another leader of a NCAA Final Four contender. Last year, while averaging 13.3 minutes per game, Caracter averaged 8.1 ppg and 3.9 rpg. He will play a significant role in Louisville's Final Four run.

11. Brandon Rush, SG, Junior

Rush was supposed to be in 2007 draft but got injured during workouts. He was the leader of the Jayhawks last season as they grabbed the #1 seed in the tournament. Rush reminds me a lot of Rashard Lewis. He is an excellent shooter and has an excellent 3-point percentage (.431).

12. Gani Lawai, PF, Freshmen

Lawai has a great presence in the post and knows how to fight for the ball in the paint. In the McDonald's All American game, Lawai scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He has a few rough edges regarding his shot but one year in college will get that polished up.

13. Sean Singletary, PG, Senior

Here's another guy that I felt was ripped off regarding his prospect ranking. He, along with J.R. Reynolds led the Virginia Cavaliers to a birth in the NCAA Tournament. He entered the 2007 draft and left once he saw his stock lower than he expected. Singletary is a great combo guard that averaged 19 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 4.7 apg in his junior year. He does need to work on his shot selection and jumper. Last season he had a field goal percentage of .400.

14. Darren Collison, PG, Junior

Collison is a great passer and great perimeter shooter. He was a key piece in helping the UCLA Bruins reach the Final Four. He is also fast, but can't handle the ball too well. The doesn't really help the fact that you're fast because you won't be able to use your speed if you can't control the ball.

15. Gary Johnson, PF, Freshmen

Johnson, who has played in the Jordan All American Classic, is one of the lesser known names that will become mentioned in every Mock Draft next year. He is the next power forward in Texas following LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant. Look for him to fight hard for the spotlight next year in college. What I like about Johnson is that he doesn't try anything fancy. He knows his abilities and maximizes on them to get the job done. He's the type of post player that doesn't leave the paint to try and woo the crowd.

16. Danilo Gallinari, SF, Italy

Back to the international players, Gallinari is a good shooter and passer. With the right team, I see him as a good role player.

17. Ante Tomic, C, Croatia

Tomic is a weird scenario. He used to be a 7'2" that played the point guard position. That's the first time I heard of something like that. He was moved to the center position because of his height. This creates advantages and weaknesses. Advantages include mobility, ball-handling, & dishing out. He can also shoot from anywhere on the court (60% fgm) much like Mehmet Okur. Weaknesses include the fact that he is too weak and can be dominated in the paint.

18. Victor Claver, SF, Spain

Claver reminds me of a Peja Stojakovic type of player. He's a great 3-point shooter that is mobile as well. As a 6'11" small forward, Claver can only defend around the perimeter. He's too weak to defend in the paint, a seemingly common problem with all Europeans. On the flip side, Claver is very aggresive, a characteristic that is rare internationally.

19. DeVon Hardin, C, Senior

Hardin is a great rebounder but a poor shooter. I personally see him as the next Michael Olowokandi. The only reason I have him in my top 20 is because someone will most definitely take a chance on him only to have him turn out to be a bust, wasting their pick.

20. Rudy Mbemba, PG, Sweden

Mbemba reminds me of the next Nate Robinson or Spud Webb in that he is very short but can fly high. He's also a great jump shooter. The factor that has him falling down to #20 is that he is fast but can't handle the ball too well much like UCLA Junior Darren Collison.

Everyone saw how loaded the NBA Draft was a couple of days ago. Well, get used to it because this is how it will be from now on thanks to the genius of NBA Commissioner David Stern. Allowing high schooler's to get through one year in the NCAA, their skills will be tested and their hype will be greater. The 2008 Draft will only further prove this.

References: Nike.com/jumpman23/classic, McdonaldsAllAmerican.com, ESPN.com

Sports Moment of the Week

Greg Oden and Kevin Durant have been officially drafted to their selective homes joining the new wave of NBA superstars.

The Pittsburgh Pirates of the NBA

With the NBA Draft dawning on us in three days, perhaps the most intriguing story is not whether Greg Oden or Kevin Durant gets picked first, but what the Atlanta Hawks do with their draft picks. Stepping away from just an ordinary team-by-team draft analysis, I decided to dedicate my entire blog post on the team that needs the most help, the Atlanta Hawks.

The Atlanta Hawks have had a history of losing. The history is so long that they are among the teams that at the beginning of each season, everyone can confidently assume they won’t be contenders. They go in that category along with the Charlotte Bobcats, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Washington Nationals, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Cleveland Browns. Having a losing record for the 9th straight season, they desperately need help everywhere. The Hawks are the worst team in points per game and three-point percentage, 33%. They are also the third worst in field goal percentage with 44.4%. Their defense is not as horrific but still pretty bad. They are ranked 15th in points allowed and 22nd overall in rebounds per game, 40.1. While their offensive rebounding is good thanks to guys like Josh Smith and Josh Childress, 9th overall; their defensive rebounding is awful, 28th overall.

Before I go into what they should do in the upcoming draft and off-season, let’s take a look at what they have and what they need. Their small forward position is excellent with Josh Smith and Josh Childress as a backup; the last thing they need is another small forward. They also have an excellent shooting guard in Joe Johnson. He was out for a significant portion of the season which can explain why they were the worst team from beyond the arch. They can use a cheap quality backup at this position if Johnson continues to struggle with injuries. Their center, Zaza Pachulia is decent despite what his stats show. His presence is felt but it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade here. As far as their power forwards are concerned, both Marvin Williams and Shelden Williams are both young and thus have not been huge contributing factors. However, they were both drafted the past two years so the Hawks do not need to pull a “Detriot Lions” and try and draft at this position for a third straight year. That leads us to the point guard position which is on life support. Currently, an overpaid Speedy Claxton and a mediocre Tyronn Lue occupy the spot. The team cannot setup a play for the life of themselves which is why their field goal percentage is one of the worst in the league. They have to address this position, now.

Now to look at how they can improve these positions… The Atlanta Hawks have had a recent history of bad drafts. The highlights include passing on Brandon Roy, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Luol Deng. This needs to be stopped and Thursday would be an excellent time to do so with a loaded draft. The Hawks have two picks this year, both of them being lottery picks, the 3rd and 11th. The big debate is whether they should draft a power forward like Al Horford or Brandon Wright with the 3rd pick or go for a lower ranking player that would allow them to finally choose a point guard like Mike Conley Jr. I personally think this is a no-brainer; go for the point guard, but some feel differently. Here’s what can happen with each scenario.

With the 3rd pick, the Hawks could draft Al Horford (who looks to be favored over Brandon Wright at this point). Then, with the 11th pick they can either draft a point guard, or draft another player and find a point guard via free agency. I have been preaching Acie Law since the first time I saw him and I’m not going to stop now. Law is a terrific combo guard who will no question be an all-star and will be an absolute steal for any team that gets him. I’m talking Iverson skills with the Kobe clutch shot. This is definite possibility at the 11th pick since it doesn’t look like anyone will draft Law beforehand. If they decide to pursue a point guard in the market, they can draft C Sean Williams, C Spencer Hawes, or SG Nick Young. PF Joakim Noah and PF Yi Jianlian would be a stretch at the 11th position, but if they are available, they would be great picks at 11.

If the Hawks decide to learn from past mistakes and draft Mike Conley Jr. with the 3rd pick, they can pursue the people mentioned above with the 11th. This would guarantee them an upgrade at the point guard position as well as a quality extra. That way they don’t have to aggressively pursue players in the free agent market. The problem with picking Mike Conley Jr. here is that they would be neglecting what looks to be a promising big man in Al Horford. However, the consequences are greater in choosing him. They would not only have a lot of work ahead of them in free agency, but they would also be sending the message that they pretty much wasted draft picks with Marvin and Shelden Williams and they provide little use to the organization. Like I said, drafting Mike Conley Jr. is a no-brainer.

Unfortunately, either scenario does not greatly improve the Hawks for the next two seasons. They have to get involved with veteran players whether it be trades or free agent signings. The Hawks have a huge advantage here because they are one of the few teams that are significantly under the salary cap. They will be 6.6 million dollars under the cap after contracts expire July 1st. This leaves a lot of room to sign a player who can help out now. One option that sticks out like a sore thumb is Chauncey Billups who just announced today they he will opt out of his contract with the Pistons and enter the free agent market. If the Hawks decide to take Horford, Billups would make it all okay. An excellent player who can run the court, Billups not only provides leadership but also scoring as he can shoot the jumper or drive through the lane.

Other names include Rashard Lewis and Darko Milicic. Lewis can provide a three-point shooter which they desperately need being last in the category but is unlikely due to their depth at the small forward position. Milicic, age 22, is a more likely candidate as he has shown significant improvement as a rebounder and shot blocker. He can be a cheap improvement in the defensive rebounding area which the Hawks are terrible in. Another upgrade option at the center position includes defensive player of the year, Marcus Camby. The Denver Nuggets may be looking to trade a few players, namely at center since they have both Camby and Nene. Camby could provide the rebounding and shot blocker skills the Hawks need as well as veteran leadership.

Recently, the Atlanta Hawks released new jerseys and a new logo design to change the look of their team. This may be a sign of a change in winds in Atlanta. This off-season can be huge for the team if they execute the right moves and deals. Losing has to stop eventually, just look at the Golden State Warriors who were a joke not too long ago. If they can compete in the Western Conference, the Hawks can definitely win an Eastern Conference Championship a few years from now.

References: NBA.com, ESPN.com

Sports Moment of the Week

Juan Pablo Montoya won the Toyota/Save Mart 350, winning his first Nextel Cup race. He has now won a race in three of the major racing sports: NASCAR, Formula 1, and Indy Cars.

Random Basketball Thoughts

Now that I’ve had some time to dwell on the NBA Finals and a few other topics that have come up, I’m ready to discuss them with a clear mind.

The San Antonio Spurs

Let me just start off by praising the San Antonio Spurs and what they have accomplished. Many people don’t give credit to the team and it is understood. They didn’t win in style and finished the playoffs with two horrible performances. However one must not forget that they defeated tough competition which included a Nuggets team that had won 10 of their last 11 heading into the playoffs; a Suns team that a lot of people had winning the championship; and a Jazz team that had demolished the scorching hot Warriors. It’s true that they didn’t put on a show, but the bottom line is they got the job done. At the end of the day, they won the championship becoming a team that NBA fans will always remember. Are they a dynasty? This question will constantly be debated for years to come. I personally don’t think so because the bar was set so high by the 1950-1960’s Celtics who won 10 championships in 11 years. That said, I believe they deserve as much respect as the 80’s Celtics and Lakers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers looked absolutely terrible during the Finals; this is no news. The fact that the Finals were boring and had few viewers is also not news. The reason why the Finals were boring should be discussed. Many believe it’s the style of the play of the Spurs. This is absolutely false. All fault should be pointed at LeBron who was expected to play like a superstar. After game 5 of the Pistons series, LeBron had a turning point in his career; at least that’s what we all thought. Scoring 48 points, and 29 of the last 30 Cavalier points, the public was shocked. We all were witnesses as Nike billboards around the country put it. We all expected him to continue that stardom play in the Finals. The Finals passed and we were left with that empty feeling, like we spent big bucks to go to a boxing match only to have it end in the 1st round.

LeBron did not step up even when the Spurs were at their worst, shooting 41% from the field in game 3 and 43% from the field in game 4. Part of that should be credited to the San Antonio defense. However, part of it should be credited to LeBron. Game 5 should have been a lesson to him that true superstars take over the game at the end. They do not look to pass to a guy like Varejao to make some crazy spinning lay-up. LeBron will most likely learn from this embarrassing experience and take over the game accordingly in the future. At least, that’s what we all hope. Before he does that, the Cavs need to get a few things done in the off-season.

The good news about the Cavs, is that their defense is respectable. The bad news is that their offense is dreadful. During the finals, the Cavaliers shot 43% from the field in game 1, 41% in game 2, 37% in game 3, and 38% in game 4. The obvious answer would be to find shooters. However, the obvious answer can sometimes be wrong. The Cavs have a good squad with the exception of one key piece, a true point guard. The team currently has four point guards: Larry Hughes, Daniel Gibson, Eric Snow, and Damon Jones. Larry Hughes is not a point guard, he just tries to act like one. Daniel Gibson could turn out to be a great point guard and he could turn out to be a bench player who plays very well during certain games. Relying on him is a gamble. Eric Snow is old, and Damon Jones is not starter quality.

We saw how important the point guard position is with the Cavs. LeBron had to take on the role of being the superstar as well as setting up the plays. This doesn’t work because all the opposite team has to do is double-team LeBron causing turnovers and missed shots. The good news is that there are a few respectable point guards they can acquire in the off-season. However, with the Cavs’ salary cap issues (9.9 million over the cap), it won’t be so easy to resolve. The ideal choice of Chauncey Billups seems unlikely because of this problem. Other choices include Mike Bibby who has an early termination option in his contract and Mo Williams who is 24 years old averaging over 6 assists per game. Jason Kidd is another option through trade if the Nets decide to clear house.

The next thing the Cavs have to take care of is resigning Sasha Pavlovic and Andersen Varejao who are both restricted free agents. They are one of the main reasons why the Cavaliers defense was so successful. In order to do this, rumor has it, they are shopping Drew Gooden. They also need to get rid of the worst player on their team, Donyell Marshall, who shot 31% from the field and 18% from three point range, including missed wide-open three’s.

A lot of people think that head coach, Mike Brown, who coached very bad games not only in the Finals, but also in the playoffs, should be fired. They have good reason to think so; anyone who benches their superstar for an entire quarter in the Finals because of two fouls isn’t the greatest decision maker. However, the firing is unlikely to happen so there is no point talking about. LeBron has to simply listen to the coach for the first three quarters and takeover for the final quarter.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant has reiterated his demand to be traded over the last few days. With this, I’ve been hearing a few places that he could end up: Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago, and New York. I’m going to go ahead and eliminate Dallas and Phoenix from the discussion simply because I don’t believe the Lakers want to trade him to a western conference team, leaving Chicago and New York. These two organizations are completely different. Chicago is a good young basketball team that has made it in the playoffs with good draft picks. They also like to build slow and concentrate on role players. New York on the other hand is a really bad team who hasn’t had a winning season for quite some time now. They like to constantly make erratic trades creating chaos for newspapers across the country. I think you know where I’m going with this.

The chance the Chicago gives up several of their key players including Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and draft picks is unlikely. Of course they’ve expressed interest. You have to when you’re dealing with the best player in basketball; otherwise you’d lose your job. This also raises Kobe’s price for other teams. The Knicks meanwhile, are drooling all over Kobe and are ready to give up everyone besides Eddy Curry; general manager, Isiah Thomas has clearly stated this. I personally believe that neither team will get Kobe although it is more likely that New York grabs him over Chicago. Instead, Kobe will stay a Laker and the organization will somehow piece together a plan that involves either Jermaine O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, or Vince Carter. Rumor has it that Kobe was caught on video disgusted that the Lakers would not acquire Jason Kidd because they would have to part with Andrew Bynum. The way Kobe allegedly states his opinion makes it sound like he could care less whether Bynum is on the team or not. This could play a significant role in the entire process, if these rumors are true.

The NBA Draft

The draft is getting closer, and more information is arising everyday. Apparently, now Al Horford and Brandon Wright are jockeying for the third spot for most impressive prospect behind Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. With Atlanta picking third, I would find it very comical if they once again neglect the point guard position. The catch this year is that the Hawks get to pick again with the 11th pick. At this point, Acie Law might still be available. I’ve been following the Big XII very closely this past season and I’m very high on Acie Law. Although he’s not a pure point guard, he reminds me a lot of Kobe Bryant. He has made a lot of clutch shots at the end of games, and was in the run for the Naismith Trophy until the very end. The fact that scouts have dropped him that far has baffled my mind. The Atlanta Hawks could gamble picking either Horford or Wright with the third pick hoping that Law is still available with the 11th pick, but I believe that have to go with Mike Conley Jr. especially after they passed up Chris Paul a few years ago.

There has been a lot of talk involving the Celtics and their 5th pick. The organization seems like they are upset with the pick and rumors have come out that they maybe looking to trade it. Two possible trades include grabbing either Kevin Garnett or Shawn Marion. They have also been linked to taking part of a three-team deal involving Kobe and the Bulls. Whatever they decide to do, the worst possible decision according to Celtics fans would be to draft Yi Jianlian.

The draft seems as crazy as ever this year. Creating more hype than the NBA Finals, the suits at the NBA need to figure out a way of helping the NBA bring in more viewers. Whether they alter the format of the playoffs or do absolutely nothing, the issue will be discussed. Who knows what could come out of the meetings.

Reference: ESPN.com

Sports Moment of the Week

The San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers winning their 4th championship in 9 years.

Forget Fixing the NBA Playoffs, Let's Fix the NFL, Haka Style!

Over the past week, my brother introduced me to a few YouTube clips of what can go down as a movement that will make the NFL even more exciting than ever. The clips were of the national rugby team, the New Zealand All Blacks. I was so inspired by the clip, I decided to dedicate this weeks blog to the subject. As a result, the following blog will have several links to YouTube videos, all work-safe by the way.

Before I begin daydreaming about how more awesome the NFL could be, let me introduce the All Blacks and why they are so special. As you can see here, the All Blacks, have a ritual that kicks so much ass, Chuck Norris wouldn't be able to compete. The team performs a dance called "Haka", before every game to honor the native Polynesian tribes of New Zealand. Although there are many forms of Haka, I will concentrate on the one that relates to the subject at hand.

The Haka was originally performed before a battle to call on the god of war and frighten the enemy. According to a quote from Wikipedia, "It involved fierce facial expressions…, poking out of the tongue, eye bulging, grunts and cries, and the waving of weapons. If the haka was not performed in total unison, this was regarded as a bad omen for the battle… The aim of the warriors was to kill all the members of the enemy war party, so that no survivors would remain to undertake revenge." Whoever thought of adapting this tradition in a game of rugby is a purely a genius. This is exactly what sports are about, especially barbaric sports like rugby or football.

As far as what they are saying, they actually have two versions of the chant; one used for every match occasions, and one used for special test occasions. This following is the Haka performed at every match occasions followed by its English translation:

Ringa pakia
Uma tiraha
Turi whatia
Hope whai ake
Waewae takahia kia kino

Ka Mate! Ka Mate!
Ka Ora! Ka Ora!
Tenei te ta ngata puhuru huru
Nana nei i tiki mai

Whakawhiti te ra
A upane ka upane!
A upane kaupane whiti te ra!
Hi!!

Slap the hands against the thighs
Puff out the chest
Bend the knees
Let the hip follow
Stamp the feet as hard as you can.

It is death! It is death!
It is life! It is life!
This is the hairy person
Who caused the sun to shine
Keep abreast! Keep abreast
The rank! Hold fast!
Into the sun that shines!

This next one is used for special test occasions followed by its English translation:

Kapa o pango kia whakawhenua au i ahau!
Hi aue, hi!
Ko Aotearoa e ngunguru nei!
Au, au, aue ha!
Ko Kapa o Pango e ngunguru nei!
Au, au, aue ha!
I ahaha!
Ka tu te ihiihi
Ka tu te wanawana
Ki runga ki te rangi e tu iho nei,
tu iho nei, hi!
Ponga ra!
Kapa o Pango, aue hi!
Ponga ra!
Kapa o Pango, aue hi, ha!

Let me become one with the land
This is our land that rumbles
And it's my time! It's my moment!
This defines us as the All Blacks
It's my time! It's my moment!
Our dominance
Our supremacy will triumph
And will be placed on high
Silver fern!
All Blacks!
Silver fern!
All Blacks!

You can decide which one is more bad-ass but in my opinion they both work. The next question is, does this pre-game ritual actually make the team better? The only way to answer this is to look at their stats. The New Zealand All Blacks have a winning record against every country in the world. Their total winning percentage is 74% winning 309 games out of 418 against the rest of the world. Their worst record against one country is against South Africa with a record of 38-29-3. In their tri-nation league along with Australia and South Africa , they have won the championship 7 out of 11 times. As far as the Rugby World Cup goes, although they have not won the championship recently (they won the first world cup ever played in 1987), they are the only team to have played in the semi-final in all five world cups.

Now before anyone can accuse them of buying players to become the world's best, the national team is only allowed to have New Zealand citizens on it. So the only other explanations would be that they are the "Brazilians" of the Rugby world or that their ritual forms a perfect team chemistry allowing them to dominate their competition. To eliminate the speculation that they could be the Brazilians of soccer, we'll take a look at Brazil's stats in soccer. Brazil has losing records against France , Hungary, Norway , and Portugal and a .500 record against Italy, Yugoslavia , Netherlands, and Uruguay. They have won the World Cup five times since 1930, and have played in the semi-final 10 out of 18 times. The rest of the times include six years where they failed to reach the quarter-finals. These statistics prove that every team, no matter how good they are, has a period of a slump. How has the All Blacks national team gone without a slump? The only reasonable explanation is the Haka.

When your team puts fear into the other teams eyes by performing an intense ritual before every game, it's no wonder that they are this good. Not only that but, imagine how much time the team spends practicing that dance so they can all get it right with perfect timing. I guarantee you the coach doesn't allow them to work on that during team practices. This is worked on, on their own time showing their relationship with each other outside of practice is very strong. A group of people this close with one another probably know each other very well, making it all the easier to know how they will react in a certain situation on the field. This is key for sports like rugby and football.

This leads me to propose the NFL to lift the stupid rule of putting an end to team celebrations, but this is a whole other discussion. Men making millions of dollars shouldn't be whining like babies imposing a 15-yard penalty when a team is showing chemistry. Stop complaining about getting your feelings hurt and sportsmanship. If you want them to stop celebrating together, then prevent them from getting into the end zone. Beyond just celebrating in the end zone together, the NFL should encourage teams to perform pre-game rituals much like the All Blacks. The Patriots came the closest to doing so before Super Bowl XXXVI, when they decided to enter the stadium as a team rather than being introduced individually. What was the result? The Patriots pulled off one of the biggest Super Bowl upsets defeating the St. Louis Rams 20-17. Today, every team has entered the stadium together. If a team started performing a ritual together before every game, it would spread like wildfire throughout the league.

Here are a few teams just off the top of my head that could easily pull off something cool: the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens. Both the Chiefs and Redskins could honor the Native American tribes of that area by performing one of their dances. The Buccaneers and Raiders could chant some pirate sayings along with the Vikings doing the same for the barbaric Norwegians. The Patriots could sing a bar song from the 1700's; they would have plenty to chose from considering all the drunk Bostonians of the time. The 49ers and Steelers could do the same for what their teams are named after. The Ravens would of course do something different rather than flapping their arms around like idiots; they could all learn the Ray Lewis dance and continue his tradition throughout the team's history.

Would this not boost the ratings to football games tremendously? Not only that but people would tune into the game from the start rather than just trying to catch the 4th quarter. I could watch these clips over and over and over again and it would be just as entertaining as the first time I saw it. Plus it would solve to the problem of teams tanking at the end of the season for draft picks because once you perform the Haka, I truly believe it's impossible to play without intensity. I'm just watching these guys do it and it gets me pumped, if I actually performed it with a group of people, I would rip someone's head off. And that's exactly what the NFL needs more of, less roughing the quarterback penalties, and more of this.

References: YouTube.com, Wikipedia.com, NZAllBlacks.net

Sports Moment of the Week

Rafael Nadal won his third straight French Open denying Roger Federer once again. The French Open is the only major Federer has yet to win.

King James vs. blebleblahblebleblahblahblah TIMAH!

The 2007 NBA Finals are upon us and we are in for a great match-up. There are three factors that need to be discussed before analyzing the series, one of them being that the two stars that highlight the event obviously are LeBron “King” James and Tim “?” Duncan. That’s weird; arguably the greatest power forward in NBA history doesn’t have a nickname? I did some research and Chris Berman addresses this in one of his old columns on ESPN. Notable nicknames included Tim “Duncan Donuts”, Tim “Slam” Duncan, Tim “Demon” Duncan, “The Silent Assassin”, and “The Big Chill”. Seeing how this column was written six years ago and none of these names stuck, I really don’t think any of these work. I do remember Scott Van Pelt on Sportscenter a number of times calling him “TIMAH!” referring of course to other famous Timmy, the mentally handicapped character on South Park. I decided to take it a step further and include what “TIMAH!” says before saying his name which is a weird noise that sounds like “blebleblahblebleblahblahblah”. So there, from now on, every Tim Duncan poster should include the nickname “blebleblahblebleblahblahblah TIMAH!” on it somewhere.

The second noticeable fact of this year’s finals is that the San Antonio Spurs have never lost the series in the team’s history. The fact that Duncan has appeared in the three times the Spurs made the Finals makes this stat very significant. On the other side of the token, LeBron, making his first NBA Finals appearance, is widely-accepted as a future legend. Let’s take a look at some other NBA legends and how they did on their first visit to the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan won his first appearance in the Finals in 1991, Magic Johnson won his first appearance in 1980, Larry Bird in 1981, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, Tim Duncan in 1999, Kobe Bryant in 2000, and Bill Russell in 1957. Will LeBron follow in the footsteps of this great cast or will he join the company of Shaquille O’Neal, who lost his first Finals appearance in 1995 and Wilt Chamberlain, who lost his first appearance in 1964?

And finally, the third noticeable fact is that the Cavaliers faced the Spurs twice this season, and both times they have won. We saw what regular season match-ups can mean in the playoffs when the Golden State Warriors upset the Dallas Mavericks in the first round. No one gave the Warriors a chance (including me) despite the fact that they won all three games against the Mavericks in the regular season. Can the regular season match-up, factor again in the playoffs?

As far as individual match-ups go and what each team needs to do in order to win, let’s begin with the Cavaliers. Yes, the Cavaliers have a chance of winning the Finals. Everyone has written them off saying that they don’t have a chance. Some even think that it would be a miracle if the Cavs win one game, like this idiot right here who couldn’t even get Tony Parker’s name right (it is now edited, but when I first read it, he called him “Timmy Parker”). LeBron has to face another great defender for the second series in a row in Bruce Bowen. Against the Pistons, LeBron beat Tayshaun Prince by driving past him to the hoop. He must do this again versus Bowen. Although the Cavs begin and end with LeBron, believe it or not, LeBron does not necessarily have to win every game by himself. In the second game against the Spurs this season, LeBron scored only 19 points in the victory. Larry Hughes stepped up in that game scoring 18 points. In the sixth game victory against the Pistons on Saturday, LeBron managed to score just 20 points on 3 for 11 shooting.

The bottom line is that LeBron’s teammates have to step it up big time. The first guy that needs to perform is Sasha Pavlovic who has outdone himself in the playoffs emerging as a much underrated defensemen taking care of the Vince Carter threat in the New Jersey series. He will most likely match-up against Tony Parker; if he successfully eliminates that threat you can forget about the Spur’s fourth ring in eight years. Of course stopping Duncan is the biggest task for the Cavaliers which is easier said than done. A double team might give him trouble and the Cavs can afford it as the Spurs center is… um…what’s-his-face. Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao is an excellent offensive rebounder and if Duncan struggles, this means a lot of turnovers for San Antonio.

Another emerging role player is rookie Daniel Gibson who murdered the Pistons beyond the arch. Although he seems unstoppable right now, as he shot 9 for 15 from downtown in the four wins against the Pistons, he cannot be relied upon to keep shooting that way. The Spurs have an advantage in a sense because they saw what he can do. Don’t expect him to be open very much against the Spurs. On the flip-side, the Calvaliers cannot leave Bowen open in the corner which seems to be San Antonio’s tactic if someone is double-teamed. Although Bowen did not hit many threes against the Utah Jazz, it still killed Jazz because they were so timely.

One major advantage I see is that the Cavs’ bench is far more superior to the Spurs’. Yes, it’s true that Ginobili is a bench player and making a comment like that looks ridiculous, but who besides Ginobili can the Spurs count on? Besides, Ginobili often finds himself replacing Michael Finley for the rest of the game. Robert “Big Shot Bob” Horry can provide a legitimate threat in the 4th quarter but besides that, San Antonio falls short. The Cavaliers bench includes Varejao, Gibson, Eric Snow, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones; all guys who can keep the game steady while a starter is resting (which is pretty much all that is asked).

The Spurs have a much easier task than the Cavs. They have to concentrate their efforts on shutting down one guy whereas the Cavs have to concentrate their efforts on shutting down three guys. The only problem is that the one guy is LeBron James. The Spurs must double-team LeBron, especially down the stretch. They cannot allow LeBron to turn into a freak of nature in the fourth quarter. This means that Duncan can’t allow LeBron to dunk on him anymore like he did the first week of the season (see YouTube). Also, the Spurs have to take advantage of the inside. Duncan needs to get the ball and Parker and Ginobili need to look for the open lane. The immobile Zydrunas Ilgauskas will not be able to put up much of a fight creating a huge advantage for the Spurs.

Another advantage the Spurs have, as mentioned before, is that they have seen what Daniel Gibson can do. They won’t be taken by surprise if Gibson wants to go on a 100% shooting spree from 3-point land. They cannot underestimate his ability or the fact that he’s a rookie. They must defend him to stay in close games.

As far as role players go, Michael Finley needs to have a bigger role in the game. The big 3 tend to not act so big at times and it’s these situations where guys like Finley need to play well and get more minutes on the court. In the first game against the Cavs this season, Finley scored just 4 points in 19 minutes; the second game, he scored 5 points in 8 minutes. Finley is a better player than that and he needs to show this if he ever wants to win a ring.

Despite what everyone is saying around the sports world, I believe the Cleveland Cavaliers have a legitimate shot at winning the championship. LeBron’s ability to take over the game and lead his team to victory can never be underestimated after the historic game 5 performance against the Pistons. In fact, I’m going to go ahead and say it, I predict the Cavs to take it in 6. Whatever happens expect a great series that will highlight history books.

References: ESPN.com, Basketball-Reference.com, CBSNews.com

Sports Moment of the Week

The game that transformed Lebron James from an all-star into a superstar took place this week during game 5 as Lebron scored 48 points in a double overtime game, including 29 of the teams final 30 points. The Cleveland Cavaliers won that game as well as the next game to defeat the Detroit Pistons and move onto the NBA Finals.