Philadelphia Nightmare to Begin... On Halloween Night

Before I get into the main topic of the article, let me take a moment to complain about the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies finished the season 13-4 and won the NL East title, but then got swept in the first round! They scored the most runs in the NL during the regular season, but they couldn’t average more than 2.7 runs against a Colorado Rockies pitching staff that stinks. They couldn’t even last long enough so that my article, explaining how awesome the Phillies could be, would be released in time of their postseason presence. A lesson then comes to mind, and that is that it’s okay to underestimate Philadelphia sports teams. I mean, they have been letting the city down since 1983, so what makes 2007 so special? Nothing. I have learned that lesson though, and I will apply it to the Philadelphia 76ers’ upcoming season. Unfortunately for Sixers fans, it’s not very difficult to figure out that the team will be awful this upcoming season.

The Philadelphia 76ers were in the media a lot last year as they traded away superstar Allen Iverson and bought out Chris Webber’s contract. They were one of the worst teams in the NBA and there didn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. The Sixers could have tanked the season to increase their chances of winning the lottery, but instead they did what most other teams would never do, play to win every remaining game even with the season in the toilet. The Sixers did just that and ended their season winning 17 of their last 26 games. If the NBA awarded the team with the best karma, the Sixers would no doubt receive the honor, unfortunately, that’s not how things work.

Despite how good they were finishing their season, it will not translate into wins this season. The Sixers were 26th in the league in points per game. It’s not that they can’t shoot, (they were 15th in the league in field goal percentage) it’s just that they don’t shoot enough (22nd in the league in field goals attempted). The team had several big holes to fill in their roster and for some reason they did little to fix this problem in the off season. It maybe because they were trying to get the taste of Iverson and Webber out of their mouths before spending more money on other players, or it could be because of the free agency frenzy that might occur at the end of the 2008 season (Elton Brand, Gilbert Arenas, Shawn Marion, Jermaine O’Neal, Baron Davis, Corey Maggette, and Ron Artest can all opt out of their contracts next year becoming free agents).

Whatever it is, it will ultimately mean that the team and the city suffer this season. They have SG Kyle Korver and PF Reggie Evans starting for them who are at best, backups. Korver is a great 6th man that can shoot but the problem is that the Sixers have him listed as a starter. Reggie Evans is a great rebounder, and he is exactly what the Sixers needed finishing 25th in the league in defensive rebounds. The problem is, he can’t score. The fact that the Sixers neglected to resign PF Joe Smith is very puzzling to me. He was a big factor in why the Sixers went on the 17-6 run at the end of last season averaging 10.6 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game in that stretch. Center Samuel Dalembert isn’t something to brag about either. Not only is he an average player, but he is also hurt. He suffered a stress fracture in his foot during the off season, which will not keep him out of the game, but will definitely slow him down. Playing with this kind of injury may result in the problem getting worse as the season moves on.

The Sixers do have a silver lining on their team and he is SF Andre Iguodala. Iguodala is one of the most athletic players in the NBA meaning he can move around the court, play multiple positions, defend, and also score. He can very well make the All-Star team this year now that Iverson is out of the equation. The problem is that teams will recognize that Iguodala is the only one that can hurt them and all they have to do is double-team him, thus making him irrelevant. Andre Miller, a veteran point guard, will do everything to try and stop this from happening. A true point guard, Miller is an excellent piece to the team who can create plays and pass the ball very well which means everything to Iguodala’s productivity. Miller averaged 13.6 points per game and 7.3 assists per game with Philadelphia last season.

The Sixers are relying on their draft picks to have an impact on the game as well, which is a problem in itself. Their first selection, Thaddeus Young, is a lot like Andre Iguodala, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. The fact that you have two young athletic small forwards who are almost exact replicas is a problem. The Atlanta Hawks tried to do this with their team and haven’t won more than 30 games in the past four seasons. The team also drafted PF Jason Smith which was a horrible decision as he will most likely be a bust. The fact that he’s a 7-foot tall shooter who’s too skinny and can’t rebound puts up many red flags. This is a kid that couldn’t help his team win in college playing for the Colorado State Rams (17-13 record, 6th place finish) in a weak Mountain West Conference. Does Sixers general manager Billy King, really think Smith can make a difference in a professional league? Not a very smart pick-up in my opinion, especially considering the fact that the Sixers traded away SG Daequan Cook, a great scorer, to get him.

Not only did Philadelphia not do enough to compete, but the rest of the Atlantic Division grew stronger as well; the Boston Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the New Jersey Nets resigned Vince Carter, the New York Knicks traded for Zach Randolph, and the Toronto Raptors were great already gaining one more year of experience.

76ers fans have a long season ahead of them because there is no way the Sixers are finishing better than last in the Atlantic Division barring opponent injuries. Statistics speak for themselves and the team did little to improve themselves based on the numbers. With little scoring capabilities, lack of 3-point shooting, and an insufficient presence at the post, this season will truly be a nightmare for Philadelphia basketball. It’s very appropriate that the season starts on Halloween night at Toronto, but at the end of a storm, the sun always shines… O.J. Mayo or Michael Beasley in 2008!!!

Sports Moment of the Week

Rob Bironas had the game of his life on Sunday against Houston when he went 8 for 8 on field goal attempts setting a new NFL record. He also set the record for most points by a kicker. His last field goal won the game for Tennessee with two seconds left as Tennessee blew a 25-point lead in the 4th quarter.

This is a tremendous achievement for a guy like Bironas as he has not been so successful in the past. Bironas transferred from Auburn (D-I) to Georgia Southern (D-IAA) during his college years. He was out of football in '01 and '02 working sales and marketing with his father. He kicked for the AFL team, the Carolina Cobras and worked at Best Buy before being cut from training camp with the Packers in '02, the Bucs in '03, and the Steelers in '04. He made the Titans team in '05 and was the team's leading scorer that year; but he continued to stay at an extended stay hotel the entire year because of the fear tht he might lose his job.

Suicide Watch in Effect for City of Portland

My NFL playoff predictions article will be cancelled simply because I don't feel like writing anymore NFL preview articles. I have the Baltimore Ravens over the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. The following article is set to appear in my school's newspaper.

The 2007 NBA Draft involved two names, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. The lucky winner of the lottery would have there chance to select either future superstar; that lucky team was the Portland Trailblazers. On the night of June 28th, Portland decided to select center Greg Oden over small forward Kevin Durant simply because it is so hard to come by a 7-foot big man these days. Oden’s skill has been compared to the great Shaquille O’Neal since his high school days, and his likeability has been compared to… well… Shaquille O’Neal. The city of Portland was in heaven as a trio of young stars was set to dominant the NBA for the next 10-15 years. Greg Oden would take up the center role, 2006 2nd overall pick LaMarcus Aldridge would take up the power forward spot, and 2006 6th overall pick and NBA Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy would take up the shooting guard spot.

The citizens of Portland’s dreams quickly turned into nightmares of past when it was announced that Oden underwent microfracture surgery after cartilage damage was found in the knee on September 13th, and as a result will most likely miss the entire 2007-2008 season. Portland’s heavenly dream ended abruptly as Oden’s fragile body betrayed him once again. While attended Ohio State University, Oden missed the first seven games of the season because of a wrist injury. He returned to the court with a brace and shot left-handed. Even with the brace, Oden’s dominance was felt throughout the college basketball world as he averaged 15.7 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game, and 3.3 blocks per game. Now, this all doesn’t seem to matter as Oden will sit on the bench and watch his team get thrown into the lion den that is the Western Conference.

This feeling isn’t very new to Portland. The team that is known for making the biggest draft mistake in the history of the NBA, once again made their fans suffer in 1984 when they decided to draft Sam Bowie, a center out of the University of Kentucky over a young man named Michael Jordan out of the University of North Carolina. Sam Bowie was a 7’1” center that averaged 13.4 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, and 2.3 blocks per game in his five years at Kentucky. Why five years? Bowie missed two entire seasons due to leg injuries. Apparently this didn’t scare the Trailblazers too much into settling for Michael Jordan, and it was understood at the time. The previous year the Trailblazers selected shooting guard and hall-of-famer Clyde Drexler in the first round; the need for another shooting guard was unnecessary. The selection haunted Trailblazer fans for the next 14 years as Jordan went on to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls and Bowie managed to stay in Portland for a total of four years playing only 139 games out of a possible 328 games.

Perhaps Oden’s injury problems should have been taken into consideration more as 7-footer’s throughout history have had their fair share of run-in’s with injuries. To list a few examples, there’s Wilt Chamberlain (knee), Vlade Divac (back), Patrick Ewing (Achilles, wrist), Pau Gasol (foot), Dikembe Mutombo (wrist), Shaquille O’Neal (ankle, foot, and knee to name a few), David Robinson (back, foot, wrist), Arvydas Sabonis (Achilles, knee), Rik Smits (foot), and Yao Ming (foot). All of these guys have had injuries that have caused them to miss significant portions of a season; sometimes seasons where their team was favored to win the championship.

With Greg Oden not having played one NBA game yet, his future looks as grim as Sam Bowie’s. Portland fans are in grief as they read headlines and will go to games only to see Oden sitting on the bench sulking. Maybe this injury isn’t a big deal and Oden will comeback in the 2008-2009 season. Maybe he will dominate opposing teams with spectacular dunks and block shots with authority. Maybe he will lead his team to go on and win multiple championships the way Shaq has done. Maybe he will go down as one of the greatest centers of all time and get inducted into the hall-of-fame. But maybe, he doesn’t. Maybe his career with Portland is cut short as he is traded to another team willing to give him a second chance. Maybe Portland is haunted by another Sam Bowie. Worst of all, maybe Kevin Durant becomes the next Michael Jordan. Maybe the Portland Trailblazers’ history with bad luck never ends. Time will tell as citizens of Portland pray to see Greg Oden’s cheerful smile in front of cameras once again.

Sports Moment of the Week

The Denver Broncos had one of the greatest finishes to their game as they defeated the Buffalo Bills 15-14. Down 14-12 with no timeouts and 14 seconds left on the clock, the Broncos kicking team rushed out on the field and successfully kicked the field goal as time winded down. Normally it takes a kicking team 20 seconds to get setup for a field goal kick.

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.

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.

No Need to Sulk, Memphis and Boston

The 2007 NBA Draft Lottery produced some shocking results as the Portland Trailblazers and Seattle Supersonics received the prized #1 and #2 picks giving them the opportunity to draft Ohio State center, Greg Oden, and Texas small forward, Kevin Durant. It was believed that the Memphis Grizzlies and the Boston Celtics would take home the prizes because they had the highest chance of winning the lottery due to their terrible seasons. The Portland Trailblazers in fact, had a 5.3% chance of winning the draft, very small compared to Memphis’ 25% chance.

After the results were announced, mass trauma spread through Memphis and Boston as many complained the system was not fair. Fear of setting the franchises back for more than ten years were being speculated if the teams were not able to select either Oden or Durant. Now that they will not get that opportunity, fans feel as if the messiah had come down from the heavens as they overslept and missed the event. However, Grizzles and Celtics fans need to calm down; this isn’t the end of the world, and it isn’t the end for your franchises. Welcome to the era of freshmen phenoms.

This is only the second year of the newly implemented rule by NBA commissioner David Stern stating that graduating high school players can no longer enter the draft. These seniors are forced to wait one year where they can attend college for one year and then be allowed to enter the NBA Draft. This has brought a new generation of basketball where high school players will be much more hyped than they were prior to the rule. Some players do not need the extra attention such as Lebron James or Greg Oden; these guys are exceptions to the rule. The rest can use the hype which will only make basketball better in both the NCAA and the NBA. I guarantee you that Kevin Durant would not have been hyped this much let alone be drafted in the top five if he come into the league straight out of high school. Also, think about the media coverage surrounding Dwight Howard for example if he attended one year of college. Howard was selected #1 overall by the Orlando Magic but he did not have nearly the amount of attention he could have received if he had attended college.

It would also do justice for the high school phenoms that were overlooked by many teams including such players as Amare Stoudemire (Drafted 9th overall after such players as Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Drew Gooden, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Dejuan Wagner, Nene, and Chris Wilcox), Tracy McGrady (Drafted 9th overall after such players as Keith Van Horn, Tony Battie, Antonio Daniels, Ron Mercer and Adonal Foyle), Kevin Garnett (Drafted 5th overall after Joe Smith, Antonio McDyess, Jerry Stackhouse, and Rasheed Wallace), Kobe Bryant (Drafted 13th overall after such players as Kerry Kittles, Lorenzen Wright, Samaki Walker, Todd Fuller and Vital Potapenko), and Jermaine O’Neal (Drafted 17th overall in the same year as Bryant). There would be no question that these guys would be one of the top five draft picks in their years if they had attended college.

More recent players that came straight out of high school that have not received the attention they deserve are Andrew Bynum (Drafted 10th overall), Monta Ellis (Drafted 40th overall; he won the 2007 Most Improved Player Award), Gerald Green (Drafted 18th overall), Al Jefferson (Drafted 15th overall), Josh Smith (Drafted 17th overall), J.R. Smith (Drafted 18th overall), and Shaun Livingston (Drafted 4th overall). Too early to figure out whether these guys are busts, if they had attended college, they would have a lot more attention allowing fans to get excited over these guys which would only sell more tickets. The new rule placed by the NBA allows for this to take place.

Back to the misfortune of the Grizzlies and Celtics, these teams will get plenty more opportunities to pick up potential upcoming all-stars. With the attention surrounding Oden and Durant, many are forgetting next year’s 1-2 draft picks, guard O.J. Mayo and forward Michael Beasley. These guys will receive just as much attention as Oden and Durant and if next year’s worst team gets unlucky in the lottery, they will be experiencing exactly the same pain Grizzlies and Celtics fans are experiencing right now. We should get used to the NBA Draft becoming a huge event from now on because opportunities to pick up franchise players will come more regularly.

Source: Basketball-Reference.com

Sports Moment of the Week

The Robert Horry shove to Steve Nash that affected the Suns more negatively than it did the Spurs causing the Suns to early an elimination, 4-2.

2007 NBA Playoffs Preview

With the exciting conclusion to the NBA season where five of the playoff spots were determined on the last day, it brings in a more exciting NBA playoff season. This year’s playoff match-ups were the hardest I’ve ever had to pick. There are so many good match-ups and very good teams that it took a lot of thought just to get out of the first round. So without further interruption lets move on to the predictions.


First Round

Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic
One of the easier match-ups to predict, the Detroit Pistons are again the #1 seed in the East. I love this Magic team, but the problem is that they are too young and inexperienced. This will be a great learning experience for Dwight Howard though who I believe will finish his NBA career with at least two rings. The Grant Hill/Darko Milicic return to Detroit will grab headlines for the series as well.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards
Perhaps the easiest match-up to predict simply because the Washington Wizards don’t even belong in the playoffs; the Cavaliers should easily sweep a team without their two top players (Arenas & Butler).

Toronto Raptors vs. New Jersey Nets
Getting into the harder match-ups of the tournament, the Raptors are my favorite team in the tournament. This is the true definition of a team that plays together. Every player fits perfectly together coached by the potential coach of the year in Sam Mitchell. The Nets are a very dangerous team right now winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Jason Kidd-Vince Carter 1-2 punch reminds me most of the Denver Nuggets. Vince Carter’s return to Toronto should make some news. I have the Raptors in six because of their ability to play as a team.

Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls
With a rematch of the first round last year the Chicago Bulls look for revenge, this time with Ben Wallace at center. The favorite pick would be to go with Chicago since they brought the Heat to game six last year without Wallace, and also because of the fact that Dwayne Wade has both a bum shoulder and knee. I do believe that this series will go to seven games but in that situation you can’t go against Wade if he’s on the court. Wade will light up Chicago in the seventh game with 42 points. Look for Chicago to setup pick-and-roll plays on Wade to wear out his shoulder in desperate situations.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors
The biggest story here is that Golden State won all 3 games they faced against Dallas this season. The second biggest story is that the mentor, Warriors head coach Don Nelson, will face against his pupil, Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson. I don’t think either story will have any impact on the series as Dallas handles Golden State in five games.

Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Another rematch of last years first round, except now Phoenix is an elite team and well, you can’t really consider Kobe an elite team. I don’t expect the Suns to demolish the Lakers because of the Kobe show we will all witness this year. Don’t look for him to hand over the game to his teammates; he learned his lesson last year, which caused them to lose three straight games costing them the series. Even though the Lakers are on a bad slump losing 6 out of their last 9 games, Phil Jackson will have them ready to give Phoenix a decent shot. The Raja Bell-Kobe match-up will be interesting to watch as last year it ended up with both a physical and verbal brawl. I have the Suns in six games.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are very impressive right now and the Carmelo-Iverson tandem seems to be working. The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 11 games with wins over the Mavericks, Spurs, Jazz, and twice Lakers. However, on the other side of the floor, the Spurs have been in this situation last year with the Kings and it worked out for them pretty good. Add the fire of Tim Duncan because of the whole Joey Crawford situation, and you have yourself a scary team. The Spur’s outstanding defensive display will take care of the Nuggets in five games.

Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets
The most exciting match-up of the first round can go either way. Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady are way too strong right now to discount them from the competition. However, the Jazz seem to have not one weak position in their starting five lineup. With Andrei Kirilenko back as small forward, the Jazz have Deron Willams (one of the top 5 PG’s in the game) as point guard, Derek Fisher (plenty of playoff experience and rings) as shooting guard, Carlos Boozer (all-star) as power forward, and Mehmet Okur (can shoot from anywhere on the court) as center. In seven games, I have the Jazz defeating the Rockets.

Conference Semi-Finals

Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat
This is my only upset by seed of the tournament this year (I’m not very proud of this, but I can’t seem to change any of my picks no matter how much I try). The Detroit Pistons look very impressive especially with Chris Webber looking good again. Chauncey Billups is also playing for a contract and their defense is almost as good as what it has been for the last three years. However, the only weak link is their coach, Flip Saunders who is the Marty Schottenheimer of the NBA; great regular season, terrible postseason. I see this going to a game seven which seems like Dwayne Wade’s specialty; Heat move on.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
Another exciting and unpredictable match-up that had me puzzled. That is until I noticed the fact that point guard Larry Hughes was injured last season and was not able to take part when the Cavaliers were up 3-2 against the Eastern-best Pistons. With Larry Hughes back to compliment Lebron I can’t see them being stopped. As much as I love the Raptors this season, Cavaliers in six.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz
The Jazz look impressive, but not impressive enough to compete with the defense of the Mavericks. Neither Boozer nor Okur can defend Nowitzki which will cause the series to end in five games.

Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs
The second best match-up of the entire tournament will take place between these two teams. Now normally, I would have the Suns running over the aging Spurs team, but Duncan’s fire will continue into the second round. The stat to look at is the fact that the Suns have the highest points per game in the entire league at 110.2, while the Spurs have a league best, 90.1 allowed points per game. Having said that, I don’t think the leagues best defense could stop the Suns who made it to the conference finals last year without Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas. Now that these two players are in the mix, I think the offense of the Suns is too powerful to be stopped four times by the Spurs; I have the Suns in seven.

Conference Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat
Lebron vs. Wade; this is no doubt the biggest story here. Except it’s not really fair because the crippled Wade has had to go through the Bulls and the Pistons by now, which will surely wear him down. The injuries of James Posey, Udonis Haslem, and Gary Payton have the Heat running at far less than 100%. The Heat’s hope to repeat will diminish as Lebron reaches the NBA Finals for the first time in his career; the Cavaliers defeat the Heat in six games.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns
The match-up everyone has been waiting for is here; the true championship game takes place in the Western conference finals as the two top team’s battle it out which will no doubt end in a seven game historical event. Last year the Mavericks took the series 4-2, but that was without the help of Stoudemire. With the season series tied up 2-2, the Suns and Mavericks are similar in more ways than one. They both have very good point guards (Nash and Terry) who can take shots and dish the ball; dominant big men (Stoudemire and Nowitzki) who can take over the game and rebound the ball; and very good forwards (Marion and Howard) who can drive the ball the play defense. The difference between these two teams is that the Mavericks can play defense all around which will be the ultimate deciding factor in the series. Not only will Nowitzki defeat Nash in the MVP race, but he will also defeat him on the court in seven games.

Finals

Dallas Mavericks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
In an anti-climatic finish to the most exciting playoff season I’ve ever seen, the Finals will be short and not very exciting the watch. Don’t count on the Mavericks to fall apart like they did last year after being up 2-0 against the Heat to ultimately lose in six games. I have the Mavericks defeating the Cavaliers in five games.

Sources: Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com

Sports Moment of the Week

Jackie Robinson Day where it seemed as if everyone who honored Jackie Robinson by wearing #42 had a great day.

Who Is Lebron James?

To start off my new blog, I had to think long and hard about what my first entry would be. I needed something to blast it off, a topic that involved something great. Who better to talk about, than the NBA’s current star and future legend?

Actually, what made me think about Lebron James was in light of unbelievable events that took place in my life not long ago. If you don’t know, I go to a school known for their design majors, students who act weirder than they dress (see movie, “Art School Confidential”). Of course most of these people have absolutely no interest in sports whatsoever. For the few that do, we like to stick together like Hootie and the Blowfish, wait, didn’t they break-up or something?

Anyhow, you get the point. My friend and I were talking in the lounge about the NBA and a topic involving Lebron James; I don’t exactly remember what it was, and it really doesn’t matter. The next few events that took place should shock you. A kid comes up to us and asks us “Who is Lebron James?” At first, we both chuckled because we thought he was joking… Nope, no joke here and our chuckles quickly changed to expressions of shock. How do you not know who one of the most talked about sports figures in the world is? I was stunned, but later on I thought, hey maybe, me being the sports geek I am, I overreacted, so I decided to ask around to people that attend other schools. Their reactions were the same.

To me, not knowing who Lebron James is, is like not knowing who the President of the United States is. You don’t just live under a rock, you live in the dirt below the rock. You are completely oblivious to not only sports culture, but pop culture and the business world. As a result, I felt like it was my duty to pay homage to a person that will someday be well known in villages deep in the Amazon rainforest. So… who exactly is Lebron James?

Lebron James, or as some of us like to call him King James, is a professional basketball player who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron is a 6’8”, 250 lb, 22-year-old small forward. These are the basics.

Now to talk about why he is so important… In his teenage years, while just a Junior in high school, this kid had more media coverage than 75% of current NBA players. I still remember his first cover picture of Sports Illustrated when he was in his green and white high school uniform with the ball held up to his face; the headline read “The Chosen One”. When he finally entered the NBA Draft at the age of 18, he was well known by sports fans across the country. He had never played one NBA game, yet he signed a multimillion dollar contract with Nike (I believe the figures were around 90 million dollars) and people labeled him, “King James”.

Don’t get me wrong, I was upset about crowning a player who never even played one NBA game as much as the next guy. But boy was I wrong… Now one thing you have to understand in the world of sports, whether it be basketball, football, baseball, or hockey, a player usually reaches his prime around the ages of 27-31. Look at these basketball greats and how they preformed in this age range:

Michael Jordan; Age 27; Won league MVP as well as Finals MVP.
Wilt Chamberlain; Age 30; Won league MVP and led his team to become champions.
Larry Bird; Age 27; Won league MVP as well as Finals MVP.
Magic Johnson; Age 27; Won league MVP as well as Finals MVP.
Bill Russell; Age 27, Won league MVP and led his team to become champions.
Shaquille O'Neal; Age 27; Won league MVP as well as Finals MVP.
Kobe Bryant; Age 27; Scored a career-high 35.4 points per game, including an 81-point game that shocked the world. Not to mention he got robbed of the league MVP award.

Lebron is in his fourth season as an NBA player. Let’s take a look at what he has done so far. He was the first overall draft pick in 2003. Stats wise, he has managed to score over 20 points per game in all of his years and he averages 6.6 rebounds and assists per game in his career. In his first playoff appearance last year, he led his team to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and lost to the Eastern-best Detroit Pistons 4-3. He won NBA Rookie of the Year and was in the hunt to become NBA MVP last season. He has represented the United States in international play twice and has been voted to the All-Star team three times. Last year, Lebron was named MVP of the game and this year, he was the leading vote getter with 2.5 million votes.

He is only 22 years old! We still have to wait FIVE MORE YEARS before we witness his greatness. With a resume like that and taking account his age, how could you not call him King? He’s also doing it in the business world; his Nike basketball commercials, “The Lebrons” are some of the best I’ve seen and yes, he has his own shoe. Recently James has announced plans to team with Microsoft in hopes to inspire the next generation of basketball players.

Although he has had a great start to his career, he still has a ways to go in terms of leadership and performing great to allow his team to win games. This year especially, he has allowed his teammates to do a lot of the work. Now this might seem to be a good thing but true great players take the ball into their own hands when the game is on the line. His points per game have dropped by five points since last season and his season high is just 39 points. In 54 games Lebron has played this season, he has only had 16 games in which he scored over 30 points.

Lebron has still played excellent this season and his team is in third place in the Eastern Conference. I just think he just needs to step it up a little more and learn how to take shots and allow his team to win. I do believe that during the playoffs he will step up and do even better than he did last season when he averaged 30.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

So it wrap up this extremely long blog about the future of the National Basketball Association, Lebron James is both significant in the sports world and as a world icon. I believe he will do more every year to expand his image throughout the world and lead his team to multiple championships. I hope that you now realize, if you didn’t already before, truly how great this player is. I sincerely believe that he is in fact “The Chosen One” and one day be listed among the top five greatest basketball players of all time. I just can’t wait until 2013 when we are left stunned day after day by such greatness. Ladies and gentlemen, let the countdown begin!

Sources: ESPN.com, Basketball-Reference.com
Photo: NBA.com

Sports Moment of the Week

While on the subject of basketball, Ron Lewis of Ohio State University blocked what would’ve been the game-winning shot by Wisconsin’s Kammron Taylor with one second left. #1 Ohio State defeated #2 Wisconsin, 49-48, to win the Big Ten title.