I wanted to have this up yesterday, but again life is just too busy. Even today I really don't have the time, but I will do my best to belt this out in the short time that I have.
The NBA tipped its 2009-10 season last night with a quartet of games, including the LA Lakers being awarded their championship rings and also awarded the chance to start their season against the LA Clippers (minus top pick Blake Griffin).
So much happened in the offseason with the draft and a great many players switching teams. Did the Cavaliers get better with the addition of Shaq? Did the Celtics improve with Rasheed Wallace coming off their bench? Is Ron Artest an upgrade over Trevor Ariza for the Lakers?
With the great many moves that happened this offseason it was still sort of a surprise because, well, the rich got richer. There weren't too many great moves happening with the lower echelon of teams, but the top teams getting even better players. Now, of course this can all back fire with lack of chemistry, but it might also be a safe bet that the great teams from a year ago will again be great this year.
A few teams to watch out for and moves I have loved:
San Antonio Spurs: I have never been a fan of the Spurs and I mock them whenever I get the chance because their brand of basketball is just so boring. I cringe whenever I think of that horrible Spurs-Pistons finals from a few years ago. But, the Spurs not only got a bit younger, but they got better. They bring in a quality small forward in Richard Jefferson and a decent veteran in Antonio McDyess. Not only that, but they may have gotten a steal on draft night with DaJuan Blair falling to them in the second round - he has looked like a beast so far in the preseason.
Washington Wizards: I had the luxury of seeing this team play already last night as the knocked off the Dallas Mavericks, and one thing is for sure - Gilbert Arenas is back. The Wizards defeated a pretty darn good Mavs team with Caron Butler giving a subpar performance and Antawn Jamison missing the game due to injury. That bodes well for this team. If Gilbert stays healthy this is a team to watch.
Orlando Magic: Talk about a team not wanting to settle. Coming off an NBA Finals appearance the Magic blew up their team, but kept three of their main players (Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis). Gone is premier rookie Courtney Lee, backup point guard Rafer Alston and do-it-all Hedo Turkoglu. But, they bring in Vince Carter to replace Turkoglu, Ryan Anderson to replace Lee, and a move that isn't getting talked enough about is the return of Jason Williams to backup Nelson. And all three (including newcomer Brandon Bass) have looked great in preseason.
Predictions:
East Playoffs (in order)
Boston Celtics
Orlando Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers
Washington Wizards
Chicago Bulls
Atlanta Hawks
Miami Heat
Toronto Raptors
West Playoffs (in order)
LA Lakers
San Antonio Spurs
Denver Nuggets
Portland Trailblazers
Utah Jazz
New Orleans Hornets
Dallas Mavericks
Oklahoma City Thunder
MVP: LeBron James
ROY: Blake Griffin (if healthy)
COY: Flip Saunders
DEF: Dwight Howard
6th: Rasheed Wallace
UPDATE: I realized after I sent this that I didn't finish it. So here are my final predictions.
All-NBA
First Team
Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant
Second Team
Dwyane Wade, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce
Third Team
Brandon Roy, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol
NBA Finals
Orlando Magic over San Antonio Spurs
Showing posts with label Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Basketball. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Revisit: NBA Predictions
OK, I have slacked again with the postings - yet another job has been due here at work, plus I have been in the middle of getting everything completed for summer/grad school.
No excuse, I know, but I have a handful of ideas for blogs over the next few days. Here is the first and if I have time another will follow today.
Back in October at the beginning of the NBA season I, like I do in most sports, selected my playoff and award predictions for the season.
So here were my predictions:
The playoffs began this weekend and out of my selections, I didn't do half bad.
For the East, I was exactly correct in my division winners with Boston, Cleveland and Orlando. As for my playoff teams, I was off by two - Chicago, Detroit and Miami all made the playoffs, but so did Philadelphia and Atlanta. My selections of New Jersey (finished 12th) and Toronto (finished 13th) were a bit off.
As for the West, I was only able to correctly select the Lakers as a divisional winner. However, both New Orleans and Utah made the playoffs. My lone miss for the West was Denver, who actually captured the Northwest division, while Phoenix just missed the playoffs in finishing ninth.
As of now, the only individual award handed out was Coach of the Year and that was given to Mike Brown of Cleveland - who definitely deserved it. The way the Hornets fell into the bottom half of the Western conference bracket, my selection of Scott was a bit off.
I believe I will get my MVP selection correct with LeBron James. My Rookie pick is going to be wrong, as Derrick Rose of Chicago will most likely win. Rodney Stuckey for 6th man blew up in my face as he ended up starting, so Jason Terry of Dallas will be the winner this year. I am not sure about my defensive selection - it could be him or it could be Orlando's Dwight Howard.
Playoff predictions:
WEST
LA vs. Utah - LA
Denver vs. New Orleans - New Orleans
San Antonio vs. Dallas - Dallas
Houston vs. Portland - Portland
EAST
Cleveland vs. Detroit - Cleveland
Boston vs. Chicago - Chicago
Orlando vs. Philadelphia - Orlando
Atlanta vs. Miami - Miami
No excuse, I know, but I have a handful of ideas for blogs over the next few days. Here is the first and if I have time another will follow today.
Back in October at the beginning of the NBA season I, like I do in most sports, selected my playoff and award predictions for the season.
So here were my predictions:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics
Central Division: Cleveland Cavaliers
Southeast Division: Orlando Magic
Other Playoff Teams: Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets.
Champion: Orlando Magic
Western Conference
Northwest Conference: Utah Jazz
Pacific Conference: L.A. Lakers
Southwest Conference: New Orleans Hornets
Other Playoff Teams: Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers.
Champion: New Orleans Hornets
NBA Champion: New Orleans Hornets
Individual Awards
MVP: LeBron James
6th Man: Rodney Stuckey
Rookie: Michael Beasley
Coach: Byron Scott
Defensive Player: Ron Artest
All NBA
First Team
Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul
Second Team
Tim Duncan, Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Roy
Third Team
Paul Pierce, Yao Ming, Chris Bosh, Tony Parker, Kevin Martin
The playoffs began this weekend and out of my selections, I didn't do half bad.
For the East, I was exactly correct in my division winners with Boston, Cleveland and Orlando. As for my playoff teams, I was off by two - Chicago, Detroit and Miami all made the playoffs, but so did Philadelphia and Atlanta. My selections of New Jersey (finished 12th) and Toronto (finished 13th) were a bit off.
As for the West, I was only able to correctly select the Lakers as a divisional winner. However, both New Orleans and Utah made the playoffs. My lone miss for the West was Denver, who actually captured the Northwest division, while Phoenix just missed the playoffs in finishing ninth.
As of now, the only individual award handed out was Coach of the Year and that was given to Mike Brown of Cleveland - who definitely deserved it. The way the Hornets fell into the bottom half of the Western conference bracket, my selection of Scott was a bit off.
I believe I will get my MVP selection correct with LeBron James. My Rookie pick is going to be wrong, as Derrick Rose of Chicago will most likely win. Rodney Stuckey for 6th man blew up in my face as he ended up starting, so Jason Terry of Dallas will be the winner this year. I am not sure about my defensive selection - it could be him or it could be Orlando's Dwight Howard.
Playoff predictions:
WEST
LA vs. Utah - LA
Denver vs. New Orleans - New Orleans
San Antonio vs. Dallas - Dallas
Houston vs. Portland - Portland
EAST
Cleveland vs. Detroit - Cleveland
Boston vs. Chicago - Chicago
Orlando vs. Philadelphia - Orlando
Atlanta vs. Miami - Miami
Sunday, March 29, 2009
March Madness Round 4.2
Final two spots filled for the Final Four today. Higher seeds listed first.
Louisville/Michigan State - Louisville
Michigan State 64, Louisville 52. 0-1 for Elite 8. Michigan State certainly proved me wrong, whom I had going out in the second round to USC. An amazing effort against arguably the best all-around team all season long.
North Carolina/Oklahoma - North Carolina
North Carolina 72, Oklahoma 60. 1-1 for Elite 8. 1-3 Total. And the Tar Heels are my lone correct selection for the Final Four. Thank goodness for them. Blake Griffin is going to make one NBA team very happy, despite being triple teamed most trips down the floor he literally kept his team in the game.
Note: North Carolina is the lone Final Four team that I selected from the beginning to still be alive after Pitt's loss last night. I selected the Tar Heels to win it all - so with my luck this year I am probably thinking a Sooners victory, but I went with my original selection.
Louisville/Michigan State - Louisville
Michigan State 64, Louisville 52. 0-1 for Elite 8. Michigan State certainly proved me wrong, whom I had going out in the second round to USC. An amazing effort against arguably the best all-around team all season long.
North Carolina/Oklahoma - North Carolina
North Carolina 72, Oklahoma 60. 1-1 for Elite 8. 1-3 Total. And the Tar Heels are my lone correct selection for the Final Four. Thank goodness for them. Blake Griffin is going to make one NBA team very happy, despite being triple teamed most trips down the floor he literally kept his team in the game.
Note: North Carolina is the lone Final Four team that I selected from the beginning to still be alive after Pitt's loss last night. I selected the Tar Heels to win it all - so with my luck this year I am probably thinking a Sooners victory, but I went with my original selection.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
March Madness Round 4.1
The Elite Eight gets underway today and will put two teams in the illustrious Final Four. My picks of the games are listed below - the higher seed is listed first.
Pittsburgh/Villanova - Pittsburgh
Villanova 78, Pittsburgh 76. 0-1 for Round 4. This game will probably go down as a classic, due to Scottie Reynolds near buzzer beater to send Villanova to the Final Four. Pittsburgh finally played closer to their potential, but is still a better team than Villanova is - especially to lose to them twice.
Connecticut/Missouri - Missouri
Connecticut 82, Missouri 75. 0-2 for Round 4. Missouri was in the game the entire time, but just couldn't get themselves over the hump. Two Big East teams in the Final Four - with another possibly heading there tonight.
Notes: Despite Pittsburgh playing horribly so far, and losing to Villanova already this season, I feel this is a great game for them to wake up and show their true colors. I selected Purdue to win the Connecticut region, but with them going out and Missouri showing just how good they can be - I am going with the upset.
Pittsburgh/Villanova - Pittsburgh
Villanova 78, Pittsburgh 76. 0-1 for Round 4. This game will probably go down as a classic, due to Scottie Reynolds near buzzer beater to send Villanova to the Final Four. Pittsburgh finally played closer to their potential, but is still a better team than Villanova is - especially to lose to them twice.
Connecticut/Missouri - Missouri
Connecticut 82, Missouri 75. 0-2 for Round 4. Missouri was in the game the entire time, but just couldn't get themselves over the hump. Two Big East teams in the Final Four - with another possibly heading there tonight.
Notes: Despite Pittsburgh playing horribly so far, and losing to Villanova already this season, I feel this is a great game for them to wake up and show their true colors. I selected Purdue to win the Connecticut region, but with them going out and Missouri showing just how good they can be - I am going with the upset.
March Madness Round 3.2
Round 3's Second Day games. Higher seed listed first.
Louisville/Arizona - Louisville
Louisville 103, Arizona 64. Round 3 Day 2 1-0. Once and for all I believe we can put to rest that Arizona truly belonged in this tournament. What a shellacking Louisville put on them - which makes 4 Big East teams into the Elite 8.
Michigan State/Kansas - Kansas
Michigan State 67, Kansas 62. Round 3 Day 2 1-1. In probably the only good game of round three's second day, the Spartans clawed their way back to knock off the defending champion Jayhawks.
Oklahoma/Syracuse - Oklahoma
Oklahoma 84, Syracuse 71. Round 3 Day 2 2-1. Too much Blake Griffin, not enough 3-point makes for the Orange. Syracuse lived and died by its outside shooting, and were 0-10 in the first half of the contest. Too hard to climb back from. (Note: This was the lone part of the bracket that I was near perfect in with my original picks - my only loss was selecting Temple over Arizona State in the first round).
North Carolina/Gonzaga - North Carolina
North Carolina 98, Gonzaga 77. Round 3 Day 2 3-1. A game of runs definitely went in favor of the Tar Heels as a huge run sealed the deal for North Carolina (my winner is still alive).
Louisville/Arizona - Louisville
Louisville 103, Arizona 64. Round 3 Day 2 1-0. Once and for all I believe we can put to rest that Arizona truly belonged in this tournament. What a shellacking Louisville put on them - which makes 4 Big East teams into the Elite 8.
Michigan State/Kansas - Kansas
Michigan State 67, Kansas 62. Round 3 Day 2 1-1. In probably the only good game of round three's second day, the Spartans clawed their way back to knock off the defending champion Jayhawks.
Oklahoma/Syracuse - Oklahoma
Oklahoma 84, Syracuse 71. Round 3 Day 2 2-1. Too much Blake Griffin, not enough 3-point makes for the Orange. Syracuse lived and died by its outside shooting, and were 0-10 in the first half of the contest. Too hard to climb back from. (Note: This was the lone part of the bracket that I was near perfect in with my original picks - my only loss was selecting Temple over Arizona State in the first round).
North Carolina/Gonzaga - North Carolina
North Carolina 98, Gonzaga 77. Round 3 Day 2 3-1. A game of runs definitely went in favor of the Tar Heels as a huge run sealed the deal for North Carolina (my winner is still alive).
Thursday, March 26, 2009
March Madness Round 3.1
We have reached the second weekend of March Madness - and tonight begins Round 3.
Here are my selections for tonight's games, with the higher seed being listed first. Synopsis and results should be listed tomorrow.
Connecticut/Purdue - Purdue
Connecticut 72, Purdue 60. 0-1 for Round 3. Purdue had a shot in this game, but were limited in their 3-point shooting - against a team like Connecticut you have to continue to do what you do best. The Boilermakers just didn't have enough.
Pittsburgh/Xavier - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh 60, Xavier 55. 1-1 in Round 3. A huge run to open the second half helped Pittsburgh get back into the game. For some reason the Panthers just do not like to blow out their opponents, but luckily they are clutch down the stretch.
Memphis/Missouri - Missouri
Missouri 102, Memphis 91. 2-1 in Round 3. Wow, an extremely lucky pick for me - I knew that Missouri was talented, but I had no idea that Memphis was being overrated. Memphis had no answer for Missouri's spread offense - and despite giving up 91 points, Missouri's defense was much better than Memphis'.
Duke/Villanova - Villanova
Villanova 77, Duke 54. 3-1 in Round 4. And Villanova makes it three Big East teams to make the Elite 8. For all the naysayers who thought the ACC was better than the Big East - you better look again. Anyway, the Wildcats completely dominated the Blue Devils. Duke's lack of a true ball handler really came back to haunt them in this game.
Note: I have also seen three movies over the weekend, but have not had time to put anything down yet - hopefully things will be less chaotic next week.
Here are my selections for tonight's games, with the higher seed being listed first. Synopsis and results should be listed tomorrow.
Connecticut/Purdue - Purdue
Connecticut 72, Purdue 60. 0-1 for Round 3. Purdue had a shot in this game, but were limited in their 3-point shooting - against a team like Connecticut you have to continue to do what you do best. The Boilermakers just didn't have enough.
Pittsburgh/Xavier - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh 60, Xavier 55. 1-1 in Round 3. A huge run to open the second half helped Pittsburgh get back into the game. For some reason the Panthers just do not like to blow out their opponents, but luckily they are clutch down the stretch.
Memphis/Missouri - Missouri
Missouri 102, Memphis 91. 2-1 in Round 3. Wow, an extremely lucky pick for me - I knew that Missouri was talented, but I had no idea that Memphis was being overrated. Memphis had no answer for Missouri's spread offense - and despite giving up 91 points, Missouri's defense was much better than Memphis'.
Duke/Villanova - Villanova
Villanova 77, Duke 54. 3-1 in Round 4. And Villanova makes it three Big East teams to make the Elite 8. For all the naysayers who thought the ACC was better than the Big East - you better look again. Anyway, the Wildcats completely dominated the Blue Devils. Duke's lack of a true ball handler really came back to haunt them in this game.
Note: I have also seen three movies over the weekend, but have not had time to put anything down yet - hopefully things will be less chaotic next week.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
March Madness Round 2-2
Picks for Second Round, Day Two. Higher Seeds listed first.
Syracuse/Arizona State - Syracuse
Syracuse 78, Arizona State 67. 1-0 for Round 2 Day 2. Syracuse had too much on both the inside and the outside for Arizona State. The Sun Devils were superb this season from beyond the arc - but couldn't seem to find the range. Losing your star inside presence to fouls at the 10-minute mark of the second half also didn't help.
Xavier/Wisconsin - Xavier
Xavier 60, Wisconsin 49. 2-0 Round 2 Day 2. I didn't originally select Xavier to win this game on my bracket - as I had Florida State defeating Wisconsin in the first round, and also being able to move past Xavier - got that one wrong.
Kansas/Dayton - Kansas
Kansas 60, Dayton 43. 3-0 Round 2 Day 2. The defending champs appear to be hitting their stride - it also helps to have one of the few triple-doubles ever in the history of the NCAA Tournament to propel you into the round of 16.
Arizona/Cleveland State - Arizona
Arizona 71, Cleveland State 57. 4-0 Round 2 Day 2. I had this one selected another way as well, as I had Wake Forest beating Arizona in my original bracket. Arizona probably shouldn't even have made the tournament, but a nice draw in round one and Cleveland State's upset of Wake Forest has them moving on.
Pittsburgh/Oklahoma State - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh 84, Oklahoma State 76. 5-0 Round 2 Day 2. I don't think Pittsburgh has played to its full capability yet in this tournament - so if they do they could be a major factor. Oklahoma State was unconscious from 3-point land in the first half, but only managed to be tied a 49 at halftime. The Panthers showed their true grit in the final moments - and Sam Young tallied 32 points.
Missouri/Marquette - Missouri
Missouri 83, Marquette 79. 6-0 Round 2 Day 2. I have to admit I got scared when I noticed Dominic James was cleared to play Marquette after being thought to be lost for the season - not from a playing standpoint, but for an emotional boost. But, huge foul shooting in the final moments helped Missouri sneak past Marquette.
Michigan State/USC - USC
Michigan State 74, USC 69. 6-1 Round 2 Day 2. I have not been very high on Michigan State all season long, and after seeing USC finally come together as a team I thought for sure they would get by the Spartans. But, a late missed layup knocked the Trojans out and completely messed up that side of my bracket.
Louisville/Siena - Louisville
Louisville 79, Siena 72. Round Two: 14-2. Siena was almost this year's Davidson, and how great it would have been. Siena is only 2 1/2 hours from me, so it would have been nice to see them make a run in the tournament. They played against the best very well, even holding a lead with seven minutes remaining. And - this would have messed up everyone's bracket in the Midwest - which would have put me back in the mix.
NOTE: In my original selections I had teams that had already lost moving on here as well, I make those in my notes as the games conclude.
Syracuse/Arizona State - Syracuse
Syracuse 78, Arizona State 67. 1-0 for Round 2 Day 2. Syracuse had too much on both the inside and the outside for Arizona State. The Sun Devils were superb this season from beyond the arc - but couldn't seem to find the range. Losing your star inside presence to fouls at the 10-minute mark of the second half also didn't help.
Xavier/Wisconsin - Xavier
Xavier 60, Wisconsin 49. 2-0 Round 2 Day 2. I didn't originally select Xavier to win this game on my bracket - as I had Florida State defeating Wisconsin in the first round, and also being able to move past Xavier - got that one wrong.
Kansas/Dayton - Kansas
Kansas 60, Dayton 43. 3-0 Round 2 Day 2. The defending champs appear to be hitting their stride - it also helps to have one of the few triple-doubles ever in the history of the NCAA Tournament to propel you into the round of 16.
Arizona/Cleveland State - Arizona
Arizona 71, Cleveland State 57. 4-0 Round 2 Day 2. I had this one selected another way as well, as I had Wake Forest beating Arizona in my original bracket. Arizona probably shouldn't even have made the tournament, but a nice draw in round one and Cleveland State's upset of Wake Forest has them moving on.
Pittsburgh/Oklahoma State - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh 84, Oklahoma State 76. 5-0 Round 2 Day 2. I don't think Pittsburgh has played to its full capability yet in this tournament - so if they do they could be a major factor. Oklahoma State was unconscious from 3-point land in the first half, but only managed to be tied a 49 at halftime. The Panthers showed their true grit in the final moments - and Sam Young tallied 32 points.
Missouri/Marquette - Missouri
Missouri 83, Marquette 79. 6-0 Round 2 Day 2. I have to admit I got scared when I noticed Dominic James was cleared to play Marquette after being thought to be lost for the season - not from a playing standpoint, but for an emotional boost. But, huge foul shooting in the final moments helped Missouri sneak past Marquette.
Michigan State/USC - USC
Michigan State 74, USC 69. 6-1 Round 2 Day 2. I have not been very high on Michigan State all season long, and after seeing USC finally come together as a team I thought for sure they would get by the Spartans. But, a late missed layup knocked the Trojans out and completely messed up that side of my bracket.
Louisville/Siena - Louisville
Louisville 79, Siena 72. Round Two: 14-2. Siena was almost this year's Davidson, and how great it would have been. Siena is only 2 1/2 hours from me, so it would have been nice to see them make a run in the tournament. They played against the best very well, even holding a lead with seven minutes remaining. And - this would have messed up everyone's bracket in the Midwest - which would have put me back in the mix.
NOTE: In my original selections I had teams that had already lost moving on here as well, I make those in my notes as the games conclude.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
March Madness Round 2-1
My selections for Round 2. Higher Seed listed first.
Villanova/UCLA - Villanova
Villanova 89, UCLA 69. 1-0 for Round 2. After getting a huge scare from American in the first round, Villanova has awoken for round two as it destroyed UCLA to move into the Sweet 16.
Memphis/Maryland - Memphis
Memphis 89, Maryland 70. 2-0 Round 2. Memphis came out on fire, unlike its previous game against Cal-State Northridge. Maryland tried to rally back, but the Tigers wouldn't flinch.
Connecticut/Texas A&M - Connecticut
Connecticut 92, Texas A&M 66. 3-0 Round 2. Texas A&M hit its first 10 shots in the first round, but had trouble connecting against the No. 1 seeded Huskies. Too much all-around talent for Connecticut for the Aggies to handle.
Washington/Purdue - Purdue
Purdue 76, Washington 74. 4-0 Round 2. Purdue had a handle on this game for most of the contest, but a rally from Washington left the game in peril. Luckily some good defense and free thrown shooting propelled the Boilermakers to the win.
North Carolina/LSU - North Carolina
North Carolina 84, LSU 70. 5-0 Round 2. The Bengals gave the Tar Heels a huge scare as they held the lead midway through the second half, and never truly fell behind until late. Thank goodness for the return of Ty Lawson for North Carolina, or they could have been the first No. 1 seed out.
Oklahoma/Michigan - Oklahoma
Oklahoma 73, Michigan 63. 6-0 Round 2. The Wolverines were hanging with the Sooners for nearly the entire night, but too much Blake Griffin. Although, Oklahoma revealed a huge chink in its armor - free throw shooting.
Gonzaga/Western Kentucky - Gonzaga
Gonzaga 83, Western Kentucky 81. 7-0 Round 2. Another Cinderella goes down, but not without a fight. Western Kentucky battled Gonzaga until the very end - but it's the former Cinderella that moves on.
Duke/Texas - Texas
Duke 74, Texas 69. Round 2: 7-1. And the lone chink in my armor on Saturday was the Dukies. I thought a tougher Texas team would slide past them, but Duke proved to have a little more hustle in them than the Longhorns did - as they narrowly edged into the Sweet 16.
Villanova/UCLA - Villanova
Villanova 89, UCLA 69. 1-0 for Round 2. After getting a huge scare from American in the first round, Villanova has awoken for round two as it destroyed UCLA to move into the Sweet 16.
Memphis/Maryland - Memphis
Memphis 89, Maryland 70. 2-0 Round 2. Memphis came out on fire, unlike its previous game against Cal-State Northridge. Maryland tried to rally back, but the Tigers wouldn't flinch.
Connecticut/Texas A&M - Connecticut
Connecticut 92, Texas A&M 66. 3-0 Round 2. Texas A&M hit its first 10 shots in the first round, but had trouble connecting against the No. 1 seeded Huskies. Too much all-around talent for Connecticut for the Aggies to handle.
Washington/Purdue - Purdue
Purdue 76, Washington 74. 4-0 Round 2. Purdue had a handle on this game for most of the contest, but a rally from Washington left the game in peril. Luckily some good defense and free thrown shooting propelled the Boilermakers to the win.
North Carolina/LSU - North Carolina
North Carolina 84, LSU 70. 5-0 Round 2. The Bengals gave the Tar Heels a huge scare as they held the lead midway through the second half, and never truly fell behind until late. Thank goodness for the return of Ty Lawson for North Carolina, or they could have been the first No. 1 seed out.
Oklahoma/Michigan - Oklahoma
Oklahoma 73, Michigan 63. 6-0 Round 2. The Wolverines were hanging with the Sooners for nearly the entire night, but too much Blake Griffin. Although, Oklahoma revealed a huge chink in its armor - free throw shooting.
Gonzaga/Western Kentucky - Gonzaga
Gonzaga 83, Western Kentucky 81. 7-0 Round 2. Another Cinderella goes down, but not without a fight. Western Kentucky battled Gonzaga until the very end - but it's the former Cinderella that moves on.
Duke/Texas - Texas
Duke 74, Texas 69. Round 2: 7-1. And the lone chink in my armor on Saturday was the Dukies. I thought a tougher Texas team would slide past them, but Duke proved to have a little more hustle in them than the Longhorns did - as they narrowly edged into the Sweet 16.
Friday, March 20, 2009
March Madness Day 2
Day Two Picks: Synopsis and Scores to Follow. Higher Seed listed first.
Syracuse/Stephen F. Austin - Syracuse
Syracuse 59, Stephen F. Austin 44. 1-0 for Day 2. No surprise here. The Orange were on a large role coming out of the Big East and this game as never in doubt.
Oklahoma State/Tennessee - Tennessee
Oklahoma State 77, Tennessee 75. 1-1 Day 2. A rough loss for the Vols who played very well, but came up just short. Oklahoma State, however, proved to be the only eight seed to move on during this tournament.
Marquette/Utah State - Marquette
Marquette 58, Utah State 57. 2-1 for Day 2. Marquette struggled down the stretch in the Big East, but I figured they had enough power to get through the first round. And the did - barely. Utah State was a strong team and gave Marquette all they could handle.
Kansas/North Dakota State - Kansas
Kansas 84, North Dakota State 74. 3-1 for Day 2. I very good showing for North Dakota State who just moved into Division I this season. They put a small scare into the defending champions, but in the end the Jayhawks pulled it out.
Arizona State/Temple - Temple
Arizona State 66, Temple 57. 3-2 for Day 2. I thought it would be another Christmas showing in the first round. I watched Dionte Christmas put on a show in the A-10 championship game, but he alone couldn't get the Owls past Arizona State.
Pittsburgh/East Tennessee State - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh 72, East Tennessee State 62. 4-2 for Day 2. Horrible. That is all I can say for my Panthers' performance. A team that prides itself in taking care of the basketball had 13 turnovers in the first half, compared to just eight field goals. They snuck by upset minded East Tennessee State, and hopefully this scare wakes them up.
Missouri/Cornell - Missouri
Missouri 78, Cornell 59. 5-2 for Day 2. I am putting a lot of my eggs in Missouri's basket, so this was a good showing and held my faith with them.
West Virginia/Dayton - Dayton
Dayton 68, West Virginia 60. 6-2 for Day 2. This was a gut pick for me. For some reason I felt the Flyers could get past West Virginia - despite how great West Virginia looked in the Big East tournament. And I was glad my gut was correct for once.
Louisville/Morehead State - Louisville
Louisville 74, Morehead State 54. 7-2 for Day 2. Louisville also received a scare as a number one seed, but not as big of one as Pittsburgh. The winner of the play-in-game, Morehead State, played very well in the first half and even held a few leads before the Cardinals pulled awau in the second half.
Utah/Arizona - Arizona
Arizona 84, Utah 71. 8-2 for Day 2. Arizona had no right even making this tournament, as St. Mary's, Creighton and Penn State had better resumes - but they did receive a favorable matchup in the first round so I felt they could get the upset.
Boston College/USC - USC
USC 72, Boston College 55. 9-2 for Day 2. This game scared me because I had USC going pretty far in the tournament. I thought they had finally matured and woken up in the Pac-10 tournament - but the Eagles held close for most of the contest.
Xavier/Portland State - Xavier
Xavier 77, Portland State 59. 10-2 for Day 2. Another pretty easy game for the higher seed. They got the lead early and never relinquished it.
Ohio State/Siena - Siena
Siena 74, Ohio State 72. 11-2 for Day 2. It took two overtimes and multiple comebacks but the Saints managed to pull off another upset in the first round - their second in as many years. This game was great to watch - and even better as I picked Siena.
Wake Forest/Cleveland State - Wake Forest
Cleveland State 84, Wake Forest 69. 11-3 for Day 2. If you thought Pittsburgh played horribly - no one laid a bigger egg than Wake Forest in the first round. I had the Demon Deacons making it all the way to the finals this year - so that side of my bracket is destroyed. Wake Forest was the lowest (No. 4) seed to lose in the first round.
Michigan State/Robert Morris - Michigan State
Michigan State 77, Robert Morris 62. 12-3 for Day 2. Robert Morris pulled North Dakota State or a Binghamton and got off to a good start against Michigan State. However, the Spartans proved to be too much and pulled away for a 15-point win in the end.
Florida State/Wisconsin - Florida State
Wisconsin 61, Florida State 59. Day Two: 12-4. First Round: 25-7. In another overtime contest the Badgers and Seminoles played a pheomenal contest that came down to a spinning layup and free throw to give Wisconsin the victory.
Syracuse/Stephen F. Austin - Syracuse
Syracuse 59, Stephen F. Austin 44. 1-0 for Day 2. No surprise here. The Orange were on a large role coming out of the Big East and this game as never in doubt.
Oklahoma State/Tennessee - Tennessee
Oklahoma State 77, Tennessee 75. 1-1 Day 2. A rough loss for the Vols who played very well, but came up just short. Oklahoma State, however, proved to be the only eight seed to move on during this tournament.
Marquette/Utah State - Marquette
Marquette 58, Utah State 57. 2-1 for Day 2. Marquette struggled down the stretch in the Big East, but I figured they had enough power to get through the first round. And the did - barely. Utah State was a strong team and gave Marquette all they could handle.
Kansas/North Dakota State - Kansas
Kansas 84, North Dakota State 74. 3-1 for Day 2. I very good showing for North Dakota State who just moved into Division I this season. They put a small scare into the defending champions, but in the end the Jayhawks pulled it out.
Arizona State/Temple - Temple
Arizona State 66, Temple 57. 3-2 for Day 2. I thought it would be another Christmas showing in the first round. I watched Dionte Christmas put on a show in the A-10 championship game, but he alone couldn't get the Owls past Arizona State.
Pittsburgh/East Tennessee State - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh 72, East Tennessee State 62. 4-2 for Day 2. Horrible. That is all I can say for my Panthers' performance. A team that prides itself in taking care of the basketball had 13 turnovers in the first half, compared to just eight field goals. They snuck by upset minded East Tennessee State, and hopefully this scare wakes them up.
Missouri/Cornell - Missouri
Missouri 78, Cornell 59. 5-2 for Day 2. I am putting a lot of my eggs in Missouri's basket, so this was a good showing and held my faith with them.
West Virginia/Dayton - Dayton
Dayton 68, West Virginia 60. 6-2 for Day 2. This was a gut pick for me. For some reason I felt the Flyers could get past West Virginia - despite how great West Virginia looked in the Big East tournament. And I was glad my gut was correct for once.
Louisville/Morehead State - Louisville
Louisville 74, Morehead State 54. 7-2 for Day 2. Louisville also received a scare as a number one seed, but not as big of one as Pittsburgh. The winner of the play-in-game, Morehead State, played very well in the first half and even held a few leads before the Cardinals pulled awau in the second half.
Utah/Arizona - Arizona
Arizona 84, Utah 71. 8-2 for Day 2. Arizona had no right even making this tournament, as St. Mary's, Creighton and Penn State had better resumes - but they did receive a favorable matchup in the first round so I felt they could get the upset.
Boston College/USC - USC
USC 72, Boston College 55. 9-2 for Day 2. This game scared me because I had USC going pretty far in the tournament. I thought they had finally matured and woken up in the Pac-10 tournament - but the Eagles held close for most of the contest.
Xavier/Portland State - Xavier
Xavier 77, Portland State 59. 10-2 for Day 2. Another pretty easy game for the higher seed. They got the lead early and never relinquished it.
Ohio State/Siena - Siena
Siena 74, Ohio State 72. 11-2 for Day 2. It took two overtimes and multiple comebacks but the Saints managed to pull off another upset in the first round - their second in as many years. This game was great to watch - and even better as I picked Siena.
Wake Forest/Cleveland State - Wake Forest
Cleveland State 84, Wake Forest 69. 11-3 for Day 2. If you thought Pittsburgh played horribly - no one laid a bigger egg than Wake Forest in the first round. I had the Demon Deacons making it all the way to the finals this year - so that side of my bracket is destroyed. Wake Forest was the lowest (No. 4) seed to lose in the first round.
Michigan State/Robert Morris - Michigan State
Michigan State 77, Robert Morris 62. 12-3 for Day 2. Robert Morris pulled North Dakota State or a Binghamton and got off to a good start against Michigan State. However, the Spartans proved to be too much and pulled away for a 15-point win in the end.
Florida State/Wisconsin - Florida State
Wisconsin 61, Florida State 59. Day Two: 12-4. First Round: 25-7. In another overtime contest the Badgers and Seminoles played a pheomenal contest that came down to a spinning layup and free throw to give Wisconsin the victory.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
March Madness Begins
March Madness got underway today, so I thought I would toss out my selections for today's games.
I will update later with a brief synopsis and the winner. The higher seed is listed first.
LSU/Butler - Butler.
LSU 75, Butler 71. And I am 0-1 to start the tournament, a nice start. Butler was actually down a lot in this game, including falling behind 9-0 to start the game. They came back to take the lead on a few occasions, but couldn't hold that lead at all.
Memphis/Cal State-Northridge - Memphis
Memphis 81, Cal State-Northridge 70. I am back to .500 for the tournament, although this game had to have had many people scratching their heads and hyperventilating. Cal-State Northridge put up a heck of a fight against the No. 2 seeded Tigers from Memphis - which some believed to have been good enough for a No. 1 seed.
BYU/Texas A&M - Texas A&M
Texas A&M 79, BYU 66. 2-1 for the tournament. There wasn't much doubt in this one as Texas A&M hit their first 10 shots of the game and got out to an 18 point lead at one point. BYU did its best to post a comeback, but the damage had been done. It's the second consecutive year the Aggies have bounced BYU from the tournament.
Purdue/Northern Iowa - Purdue
Purdue 61, Norhtern Iowa 56. 3-1 for the tournament. This one had me scared as Purdue got out to a good sized lead in the first half, but Northern Iowa hung around the entire contest. I have the Boilermakers making a long run in this tournament, so a loss here could have hurt my bracket a lot.
North Carolina/Raford - North Carolina
North Carolina 101, Radford 58. 4-1 for the tournament. This one was never close. Despite the fact that the Tar Heels played the game without possibly its best all-around player in Ty Lawson.
California/Maryland - Maryland
Maryland 84, California 71. 5-1 for the tournament. A small upset as Maryland was a No. 10 seed to California's No. 7. Maryland held the lead for most of the game and never relinquished it despite a close contest near the middle of the second half.
Connecticut/Chatanooga - Connecticut
Connecticut 103, Chatanooga 47. 6-1 for the tournament. The most lop-sided first day game goes to the Huskies. Connecticut was without its coach for this game as he was stricken ill. So the Huskies unleashed a 'win one for the Gipper' type game against the poor Mocs.
Washington/Mississippi State - Mississippi State
Washington 71, Mississippi State 58. 6-2 for the tournament. This was one of my large upset picks. I felt Mississippi State was rolling after winning the SEC tournament while Washington fell early in the Pac-10 tournament. I guess the SEC truly is as down as it looks.
Texas/Minnesota - Texas
Texas 76, Minnesota 62. 7-2 for the tournament. This was another game I had to keep a close eye on as I have felt Texas could do some damage in the tournament, but was worried with a Minnesota team led by Tubby Smith, but the Longhorns prevailed.
Clemson/Michigan - Michigan
Michigan 62, Clemson 59. 8-2 for the tournament. Another 10 over a 7 which I was unaware I actually selected. I was back-and-forth on this game and in the end wasn't aware who I took. But, I am happy I went with the Wolverines who got their first tournament victory in 11 years.
Villanova/American - Villanova
Villanova 80, American 67. 9-2 for the tournament. Much like the Memphis game this one had to have many scratching their heads. A lot of people have Villanova going far in this tournament, and for American to not only play them well, but hold a 10-point lead at the half was phenomenal. In the end, the Wildcats just had too much depth and fire-power for the Eagles to hold on.
Gonzaga/Akron - Gonzaga
Gonzaga 77, Akron 64. 10-2 for the tournament. I was actually up in the air with this pick as I felt Akron could give Gonzaga a very good game - and they did. But, the Bulldogs proved their worth and their tournament experience in the end to hold of the Zips.
Duke/Binghamton - Duke
Duke 86, Binghamton 62. 11-2 for the tournament. Binghamton came out like gangbusters, but it was only a matter of time before the Dukies took control of the game. I am not a huge fan of this Blue Devils team, but no way Coach K goes out to Binghamton.
Oklahoma/Morgan State - Oklahoma
Oklahoma 82, Morgan State 54. 12-2 for the tournament. Too much Blake Griffen (28 points, 13 rebounds) for Morgan State to handle. The Sooners coast past the Bears.
UCLA/VCU - VCU
UCLA 65, VCU 64. 12-3 for the tournament. This was many people's glaring upset bid for the first round as VCU had knocked out Duke two years prior - and returned a very mature senior point guard in Eric Maynor. It almost came to fruition, but a Maynor jumper at the buzzer fell short and the Bruins live another day.
Illinois/Western Kentucky - Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky 76, Illinois 72. First day record: 13-3. This was another upset with the No. 12 seed knocking off the No. 5. Most people were seeing this as well, but were still thinking Illinois could pull it off - even with an important injured player. But, I felt Western Kentucky had enough to get by and they were just able to pull it off.
Second Day picks sometime afternoon.
I will update later with a brief synopsis and the winner. The higher seed is listed first.
LSU/Butler - Butler.
LSU 75, Butler 71. And I am 0-1 to start the tournament, a nice start. Butler was actually down a lot in this game, including falling behind 9-0 to start the game. They came back to take the lead on a few occasions, but couldn't hold that lead at all.
Memphis/Cal State-Northridge - Memphis
Memphis 81, Cal State-Northridge 70. I am back to .500 for the tournament, although this game had to have had many people scratching their heads and hyperventilating. Cal-State Northridge put up a heck of a fight against the No. 2 seeded Tigers from Memphis - which some believed to have been good enough for a No. 1 seed.
BYU/Texas A&M - Texas A&M
Texas A&M 79, BYU 66. 2-1 for the tournament. There wasn't much doubt in this one as Texas A&M hit their first 10 shots of the game and got out to an 18 point lead at one point. BYU did its best to post a comeback, but the damage had been done. It's the second consecutive year the Aggies have bounced BYU from the tournament.
Purdue/Northern Iowa - Purdue
Purdue 61, Norhtern Iowa 56. 3-1 for the tournament. This one had me scared as Purdue got out to a good sized lead in the first half, but Northern Iowa hung around the entire contest. I have the Boilermakers making a long run in this tournament, so a loss here could have hurt my bracket a lot.
North Carolina/Raford - North Carolina
North Carolina 101, Radford 58. 4-1 for the tournament. This one was never close. Despite the fact that the Tar Heels played the game without possibly its best all-around player in Ty Lawson.
California/Maryland - Maryland
Maryland 84, California 71. 5-1 for the tournament. A small upset as Maryland was a No. 10 seed to California's No. 7. Maryland held the lead for most of the game and never relinquished it despite a close contest near the middle of the second half.
Connecticut/Chatanooga - Connecticut
Connecticut 103, Chatanooga 47. 6-1 for the tournament. The most lop-sided first day game goes to the Huskies. Connecticut was without its coach for this game as he was stricken ill. So the Huskies unleashed a 'win one for the Gipper' type game against the poor Mocs.
Washington/Mississippi State - Mississippi State
Washington 71, Mississippi State 58. 6-2 for the tournament. This was one of my large upset picks. I felt Mississippi State was rolling after winning the SEC tournament while Washington fell early in the Pac-10 tournament. I guess the SEC truly is as down as it looks.
Texas/Minnesota - Texas
Texas 76, Minnesota 62. 7-2 for the tournament. This was another game I had to keep a close eye on as I have felt Texas could do some damage in the tournament, but was worried with a Minnesota team led by Tubby Smith, but the Longhorns prevailed.
Clemson/Michigan - Michigan
Michigan 62, Clemson 59. 8-2 for the tournament. Another 10 over a 7 which I was unaware I actually selected. I was back-and-forth on this game and in the end wasn't aware who I took. But, I am happy I went with the Wolverines who got their first tournament victory in 11 years.
Villanova/American - Villanova
Villanova 80, American 67. 9-2 for the tournament. Much like the Memphis game this one had to have many scratching their heads. A lot of people have Villanova going far in this tournament, and for American to not only play them well, but hold a 10-point lead at the half was phenomenal. In the end, the Wildcats just had too much depth and fire-power for the Eagles to hold on.
Gonzaga/Akron - Gonzaga
Gonzaga 77, Akron 64. 10-2 for the tournament. I was actually up in the air with this pick as I felt Akron could give Gonzaga a very good game - and they did. But, the Bulldogs proved their worth and their tournament experience in the end to hold of the Zips.
Duke/Binghamton - Duke
Duke 86, Binghamton 62. 11-2 for the tournament. Binghamton came out like gangbusters, but it was only a matter of time before the Dukies took control of the game. I am not a huge fan of this Blue Devils team, but no way Coach K goes out to Binghamton.
Oklahoma/Morgan State - Oklahoma
Oklahoma 82, Morgan State 54. 12-2 for the tournament. Too much Blake Griffen (28 points, 13 rebounds) for Morgan State to handle. The Sooners coast past the Bears.
UCLA/VCU - VCU
UCLA 65, VCU 64. 12-3 for the tournament. This was many people's glaring upset bid for the first round as VCU had knocked out Duke two years prior - and returned a very mature senior point guard in Eric Maynor. It almost came to fruition, but a Maynor jumper at the buzzer fell short and the Bruins live another day.
Illinois/Western Kentucky - Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky 76, Illinois 72. First day record: 13-3. This was another upset with the No. 12 seed knocking off the No. 5. Most people were seeing this as well, but were still thinking Illinois could pull it off - even with an important injured player. But, I felt Western Kentucky had enough to get by and they were just able to pull it off.
Second Day picks sometime afternoon.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Rookie All Star Guesses
The 2009 NBA All-Star game will be played in Phoenix this season during the three-day period of February 13-15.
For the most part, I try to take in as much of the festivities as possible - but my favorite events are the NBA Rookie All-Star game and the 3-point shootout. To a lesser extent, I also enjoy the slam dunk contest and other events, but not as much as the other two.
So, before the team is announced I thought I would look over the two classes and see who would be making it to the rookie challenge this season.
For those that do not know, a few years ago the rookie challenge changed from an all rookie event, to the Rookies vs. Sophomores. Therefore, only nine players are usually selected from each class.
Also, as you will see, I am not totally sure about the rules for selection - but I will explain that after my picks.
For the Sophomores:
Kevin Durant (Thunder)
Daequan Cook (Heat)
Rodney Stuckey (Pistons)
Al Horford (Hawks)
Wilson Chandler (Knicks)
Luis Scola (Rockets)
Mike Conley (Grizzlies)
Jeff Green (Thunder)
Aaron Brooks (Rockets)
For the Rookies:
Derrick Rose (Bulls)
Michael Beasley (Heat)
OJ Mayo (Grizzlies)
Brooke Lopez (Nets)
DJ Augustine (Bobcats)
Eric Gordon (Clippers)
Greg Oden (Blazers)
Kevin Love (T-wolves)
Rudy Fernandez (Blazers)
Now, my main concern is for Oden - who technically would have been a sophomore had he not been injured for his entire rookie season - in my mind he is a rookie, but I am not sure where the league stands on this. That being said, I may also include Marc Gasol in the rookie list of the Grizzlies, who is having a great year as well.
That's funny, the rookie list was a lot harder to select because there are so many rookies on the cusp. So many on the fringe of being great, so narrowing it down to nine was difficult.
The sophomore list was actually hard as well, but for another reason - most of them just aren't having great years. It was difficult finding nine able bodies - in fact Al Horford is injured right now but should be able to play. Yi Jianlian of the Nets would have been eligible, but as of now is injured as well - and I think too injured to be able to play in this game.
Well, those are my predictions. I was looking to see when the announcement would be made, but I can't find it anywhere - so when they are announced we'll have to compare my predictions.
For the most part, I try to take in as much of the festivities as possible - but my favorite events are the NBA Rookie All-Star game and the 3-point shootout. To a lesser extent, I also enjoy the slam dunk contest and other events, but not as much as the other two.
So, before the team is announced I thought I would look over the two classes and see who would be making it to the rookie challenge this season.
For those that do not know, a few years ago the rookie challenge changed from an all rookie event, to the Rookies vs. Sophomores. Therefore, only nine players are usually selected from each class.
Also, as you will see, I am not totally sure about the rules for selection - but I will explain that after my picks.
For the Sophomores:
Kevin Durant (Thunder)
Daequan Cook (Heat)
Rodney Stuckey (Pistons)
Al Horford (Hawks)
Wilson Chandler (Knicks)
Luis Scola (Rockets)
Mike Conley (Grizzlies)
Jeff Green (Thunder)
Aaron Brooks (Rockets)
For the Rookies:
Derrick Rose (Bulls)
Michael Beasley (Heat)
OJ Mayo (Grizzlies)
Brooke Lopez (Nets)
DJ Augustine (Bobcats)
Eric Gordon (Clippers)
Greg Oden (Blazers)
Kevin Love (T-wolves)
Rudy Fernandez (Blazers)
Now, my main concern is for Oden - who technically would have been a sophomore had he not been injured for his entire rookie season - in my mind he is a rookie, but I am not sure where the league stands on this. That being said, I may also include Marc Gasol in the rookie list of the Grizzlies, who is having a great year as well.
That's funny, the rookie list was a lot harder to select because there are so many rookies on the cusp. So many on the fringe of being great, so narrowing it down to nine was difficult.
The sophomore list was actually hard as well, but for another reason - most of them just aren't having great years. It was difficult finding nine able bodies - in fact Al Horford is injured right now but should be able to play. Yi Jianlian of the Nets would have been eligible, but as of now is injured as well - and I think too injured to be able to play in this game.
Well, those are my predictions. I was looking to see when the announcement would be made, but I can't find it anywhere - so when they are announced we'll have to compare my predictions.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
NBA Predictions
Well, it's finally here.
The 2008-09 NBA Season kicked off last night with three games - and the premiere of 2007 No. 1 pick Greg Oden.
Of course, Oden didn't make it through the first half of the game as he injured his foot sometime during the first quarter - I am hoping he is not doomed to be on the injured list his entire career.
Anyway, basketball is my favorite sport, but much like football it can be a crapshoot when selecting the various winners. Almost every year a team comes of out of nowhere to make the playoffs, and sometimes even makes a run. And every year, teams suffer through injuries and/or make terrible trades.
So, take all of this with a grain of sand - but here are my predictions for the season.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics
Central Division: Cleveland Cavaliers
Southeast Division: Orlando Magic
Other Playoff Teams: Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets.
Champion: Orlando Magic
Western Conference
Northwest Conference: Utah Jazz
Pacific Conference: L.A. Lakers
Southwest Conference: New Orleans Hornets
Other Playoff Teams: Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers.
Champion: New Orleans Hornets
NBA Champion: New Orleans Hornets
Individual Awards
MVP: LeBron James
6th Man: Rodney Stuckey
Rookie: Michael Beasley
Coach: Byron Scott
Defensive Player: Ron Artest
All NBA
First Team
Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul
Second Team
Tim Duncan, Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Roy
Third Team
Paul Pierce, Yao Ming, Chris Bosh, Tony Parker, Kevin Martin
There you have my predictions - they are in stone. They will not come to fruition.
Enjoy the season - or if you're a baseball fan, wait two weeks because Spring Training is about to start.
The 2008-09 NBA Season kicked off last night with three games - and the premiere of 2007 No. 1 pick Greg Oden.
Of course, Oden didn't make it through the first half of the game as he injured his foot sometime during the first quarter - I am hoping he is not doomed to be on the injured list his entire career.
Anyway, basketball is my favorite sport, but much like football it can be a crapshoot when selecting the various winners. Almost every year a team comes of out of nowhere to make the playoffs, and sometimes even makes a run. And every year, teams suffer through injuries and/or make terrible trades.
So, take all of this with a grain of sand - but here are my predictions for the season.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics
Central Division: Cleveland Cavaliers
Southeast Division: Orlando Magic
Other Playoff Teams: Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets.
Champion: Orlando Magic
Western Conference
Northwest Conference: Utah Jazz
Pacific Conference: L.A. Lakers
Southwest Conference: New Orleans Hornets
Other Playoff Teams: Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers.
Champion: New Orleans Hornets
NBA Champion: New Orleans Hornets
Individual Awards
MVP: LeBron James
6th Man: Rodney Stuckey
Rookie: Michael Beasley
Coach: Byron Scott
Defensive Player: Ron Artest
All NBA
First Team
Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul
Second Team
Tim Duncan, Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Roy
Third Team
Paul Pierce, Yao Ming, Chris Bosh, Tony Parker, Kevin Martin
There you have my predictions - they are in stone. They will not come to fruition.
Enjoy the season - or if you're a baseball fan, wait two weeks because Spring Training is about to start.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Goodbye, Jason Williams
I was watching ESPNEWS the other night as I always do before falling asleep. For those of you who are not familiar with the programming, there is a small ticker on the bottom of the screen that announces the most important sports news throughout the day, or at least some of the most recent.
Well, like most people, my eyes go back and forth from the actual programming to the ticker, but sometimes I usually miss something.
The other night while I was watching, I could have sworn I saw something pertaining to Jason Williams, who just so happens to be my favorite NBA player.
Knowing that I had missed it, I waited until the news presented itself again - and it did.
To my surprise, my favorite NBA player had decided to retire just 10 years into his playing career.
As of today, no true news has been announced for the reasoning of this retirement. Williams has had a few years in a row where knee injuries has limited his playing time, and perhaps hindered his ability, but he was still a very capable NBA player - and still ahead of most point guards in the league.
The news is rather sudden, as I announced a month or two ago that Williams had signed a new contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, and would be backing up Baron Davis. So it sort of bewilders me that he has decided to call it quits without even heading into training camp.
Williams came into the league in 1998 as the No. 7 draft pick of the Sacramento Kings. Thanks to his street ball-like abilities, Williams became an instant hit with the fans, and with Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber, led a talented Kings team into the playoffs for the first time in awhile.
After three seasons in Sacramento, the Kings gave up on Williams as they thought a player with turnover problems would never be able to lead them to the championship. So, Williams was shipped to Memphis for Mike Bibby.
While a Grizzlie, Williams helped lead a franchise who had never been to the playoffs, nor had a winning season, win over 50 games and make the playoffs. The Grizzlies were swept in both playoff contests, but were finally relevant.
That is until Memphis shipped Williams to the Miami Heat in one of the biggest trades ever. Williams became a member of the Heat along with James Posey and Antoine Walker, who joined Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. In that season, Williams would win his first NBA championship.
To this date, the Sacramento Kings nor Mike Bibby have even been to the NBA Finals.
The past few seasons, Williams has been struck with the injury bug and his play had deminished because of it. He was still the eighth best in assist/turnover ratio last season, and even had a 34 point game against Orlando.
Although I hope this retirement is that via Brett Favre or Roger Clemens (meaning he'll be back soon), I am happy I got to see him play. He was very fun to watch, and his maturation as both a person and a player was great to see.
I'll miss you J-Dub.
Well, like most people, my eyes go back and forth from the actual programming to the ticker, but sometimes I usually miss something.
The other night while I was watching, I could have sworn I saw something pertaining to Jason Williams, who just so happens to be my favorite NBA player.
Knowing that I had missed it, I waited until the news presented itself again - and it did.
To my surprise, my favorite NBA player had decided to retire just 10 years into his playing career.
As of today, no true news has been announced for the reasoning of this retirement. Williams has had a few years in a row where knee injuries has limited his playing time, and perhaps hindered his ability, but he was still a very capable NBA player - and still ahead of most point guards in the league.
The news is rather sudden, as I announced a month or two ago that Williams had signed a new contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, and would be backing up Baron Davis. So it sort of bewilders me that he has decided to call it quits without even heading into training camp.
Williams came into the league in 1998 as the No. 7 draft pick of the Sacramento Kings. Thanks to his street ball-like abilities, Williams became an instant hit with the fans, and with Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber, led a talented Kings team into the playoffs for the first time in awhile.
After three seasons in Sacramento, the Kings gave up on Williams as they thought a player with turnover problems would never be able to lead them to the championship. So, Williams was shipped to Memphis for Mike Bibby.
While a Grizzlie, Williams helped lead a franchise who had never been to the playoffs, nor had a winning season, win over 50 games and make the playoffs. The Grizzlies were swept in both playoff contests, but were finally relevant.
That is until Memphis shipped Williams to the Miami Heat in one of the biggest trades ever. Williams became a member of the Heat along with James Posey and Antoine Walker, who joined Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. In that season, Williams would win his first NBA championship.
To this date, the Sacramento Kings nor Mike Bibby have even been to the NBA Finals.
The past few seasons, Williams has been struck with the injury bug and his play had deminished because of it. He was still the eighth best in assist/turnover ratio last season, and even had a 34 point game against Orlando.
Although I hope this retirement is that via Brett Favre or Roger Clemens (meaning he'll be back soon), I am happy I got to see him play. He was very fun to watch, and his maturation as both a person and a player was great to see.
I'll miss you J-Dub.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Future
Well, I made a pretty important decision about my life over the past few weeks. I have been thinking about it for awhile now, and finally this week I took the plunge.
I have registered for a few classes at Clinton C.C. in order to get the criteria needed to get into the Plattsburgh State elementary education master's program. Yes, I am planning to become a teacher.
I have already graduated once with a B.S. in communications mass media and a minor in professional writing. And, I absolutely loved writing for the local newspaper (loved the writing part, hated everything else about it). But, my family always comes first in my life, so when it became apparent that my night hours was wearing on my family I took a day job in the mechanical contracting field as an estimator.
There were rumors that I would be groomed to take over the office down the line - so I was kind of excited about that. But, nearly a year since changing careers - I have come to realize that there is no way I can do the job of my boss - nor do I even want to, this job is definitely not my cup of tea.
So, for most of the summer I have been researching and talking with numerous people to figure out if I should get into the teaching field - and I am pretty excited about it. It's been nearly five years since I have taken an actual college class, so I am a little apprehensive, but I think I will do alright.
Anyway, wish me luck as I journey into my new career.
EXTRA: Last night was my last summer basketball game. Our team, which finished third during the regular season with a 6-2 record, won our first playoff game last week. This week, however, we were down two players - and the other team had around 12. So they really ran us down and we fell in the semifinals. Still, finishing in third place isn't so bad with the competition in our league. We shall see if I will continue on in this league next summer or not. Time will tell.
I have registered for a few classes at Clinton C.C. in order to get the criteria needed to get into the Plattsburgh State elementary education master's program. Yes, I am planning to become a teacher.
I have already graduated once with a B.S. in communications mass media and a minor in professional writing. And, I absolutely loved writing for the local newspaper (loved the writing part, hated everything else about it). But, my family always comes first in my life, so when it became apparent that my night hours was wearing on my family I took a day job in the mechanical contracting field as an estimator.
There were rumors that I would be groomed to take over the office down the line - so I was kind of excited about that. But, nearly a year since changing careers - I have come to realize that there is no way I can do the job of my boss - nor do I even want to, this job is definitely not my cup of tea.
So, for most of the summer I have been researching and talking with numerous people to figure out if I should get into the teaching field - and I am pretty excited about it. It's been nearly five years since I have taken an actual college class, so I am a little apprehensive, but I think I will do alright.
Anyway, wish me luck as I journey into my new career.
EXTRA: Last night was my last summer basketball game. Our team, which finished third during the regular season with a 6-2 record, won our first playoff game last week. This week, however, we were down two players - and the other team had around 12. So they really ran us down and we fell in the semifinals. Still, finishing in third place isn't so bad with the competition in our league. We shall see if I will continue on in this league next summer or not. Time will tell.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Dream Team Vs. 'Redeem' Team
With the United States men's basketball team finally back on track, there have been some rumblings that this version of the team - who have nicknamed themselves "The Redeem Team" - might be the best since the original Dream Team crushed all who took them on in Barcelona in 1992.
So, it got me thinking, if that '92 U.S. Basketball Team were to take on this current one - who would win?
The quick response would obviously be the Dream Team, but that may not be the case - or at least not as easily as one would think.
Let's run down the team members:
In 1992 the consisted of:
If I were to match the players up, it would have to look like this (with '92 team going first)
In my opinion, I think if the teams were to play 10 games, that the '92 team would win six. But, that is a lot closer than I bet most people would think. Jordan has that extra something special that made everyone around him play that much better - which I think gives them the edge. Bryant has been compared to Jordan - but he has yet to show that he has that special something.
Either way, I am glad the United States has finally realized that the world has gotten a lot better. There is no way you can throw a group of all-stars on to the court for a handful of practices and expect them to gel in time to win the gold medal. The U.S. finally did something right with the selection process and three year commitment plan. It guarantees that we will at least be players for years to come.
So, it got me thinking, if that '92 U.S. Basketball Team were to take on this current one - who would win?
The quick response would obviously be the Dream Team, but that may not be the case - or at least not as easily as one would think.
Let's run down the team members:
In 1992 the consisted of:
- Larry Bird
- Michael Jordan
- Patrick Ewing
- Magic Johnson
- Clyde Drexler
- John Stockton
- Chris Mullin
- Scottie Pippen
- Charles Barkley
- Christian Laettner
- David Robinson
- Karl Malone
- LeBron James
- Kobe Bryant
- Dwayne Wade
- Carmelo Anthony
- Carlos Boozer
- Chris Bosh
- Dwight Howard
- Tayshaun Prince
- Michael Redd
- Jason Kidd
- Deron Williams
- Chris Paul
If I were to match the players up, it would have to look like this (with '92 team going first)
- Jordan vs. Bryant
- Pippen vs. James
- Robinson vs. Bosh
- Ewing vs. Howard
- Johnson vs. Wade
- Barkley vs. Anthony
- Malone vs. Boozer
- Stockton vs. Paul
- Laettner vs. Prince
- Bird vs. Kidd
- Drexler vs.Williams
- Mullin vs. Redd
In my opinion, I think if the teams were to play 10 games, that the '92 team would win six. But, that is a lot closer than I bet most people would think. Jordan has that extra something special that made everyone around him play that much better - which I think gives them the edge. Bryant has been compared to Jordan - but he has yet to show that he has that special something.
Either way, I am glad the United States has finally realized that the world has gotten a lot better. There is no way you can throw a group of all-stars on to the court for a handful of practices and expect them to gel in time to win the gold medal. The U.S. finally did something right with the selection process and three year commitment plan. It guarantees that we will at least be players for years to come.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Top 10: Things to Look Forward to this Summer
I apologize for missing the Top 10 last week, obviously I had another blog that I wanted to write instead.
I have to admit, it is getting pretty difficult coming up with these Top 10 lists each and every week. But, I will continue to try and do my best.
This week's is a little different. Summer is my all-time favorite time of year, despite the ungodly heat and the amount of sweat pouring off of my body. But, when you live where I live, and winter consumes about eight months out of the year - you learn to love the heat.
This Top 10 list is in honor of the things I am looking forward to for this summer - some have actually already happened, but I still include them.
I have to admit, it is getting pretty difficult coming up with these Top 10 lists each and every week. But, I will continue to try and do my best.
This week's is a little different. Summer is my all-time favorite time of year, despite the ungodly heat and the amount of sweat pouring off of my body. But, when you live where I live, and winter consumes about eight months out of the year - you learn to love the heat.
This Top 10 list is in honor of the things I am looking forward to for this summer - some have actually already happened, but I still include them.
10) 4th of July
Explanation: Each year we have a big to-do at our house for the 4th of July. It actually was just this past weekend. Rouses Point has a parade that goes right by our house, and fireworks follow at dusk. So, we invite friends and family to the house for a nice BBQ.
9) Green Grass
Explanation: Living in the frigid North, the grass is usually covered with a thick blanket of snow. So, when the summer months finally do come and the grass is allowed to grow, there is nothing prettier than a perfectly mowed lawn with no weeds or brown spots (which mine currently is filled with).
8) Barbecues
Explanation: I am pretty decent on the grill. I am not much of a cook on the inside of the house, I leave most, if not all, of the cooking to my wife. But, when it comes time to grill I actually enjoy it. And who doesn't love a nice cooked burger or steak off the grill?
7) The Sun
Explanation: This is an oddity, because I am a fairly skinned person (OK, I am see-through), so actually enjoying the sun is pretty difficult to do. I guess I don't really like laying out in the sun, but having it out really brightens (pun intended) up your day.
6) Cold Drinks
Explanation: Now obviously you can enjoy a nice, cold drink any day of the calendar year. But, how nice is that ice cold drink on a warm day? I love coming in from the warmth of the outside and enjoying a nice cold drink.
5) Summer Basketball
Explanation: As I have stated in previous blogs, I am playing on a summer basketball team. I have always enjoyed the game, and miss playing competitively. So I enjoy when the summer finally rolls around and I can enjoy playing at least once I week.
4) Outer Banks Vacation
Explanation: Every other year my entire family on my father's side gets together in the Outer Banks for a family reunion. This will be the third year we are going, and the first for Kasey. I am pretty excited to see how much he enjoys the beach - because I know he'll love the pool.
3) Anniversary
Explanation: June 4th was our 3rd anniversary. Still starting out, we didn't get to do too much, but we spent a good amount of time together, which is pretty rare nowadays. We went to Lake George for the night, and went to the Great Escape for the day.
2) Friends
Explanation: No, not those friends, but my friends. During the summer months there seems to be a little more time, and a little more to do, to spend with your friends. I have a handful of really close friends who I wouldn't trade for the world.
1) Family
Explanation: Family is very important to me, and during the summer months you can actually get out and do a lot more. My son absolutely loves the outdoors, and spent a good amount of time outside this weekend. Although we don't do a whole lot outdoors, it's nice to know that when we want do that we can.
Explanation: Each year we have a big to-do at our house for the 4th of July. It actually was just this past weekend. Rouses Point has a parade that goes right by our house, and fireworks follow at dusk. So, we invite friends and family to the house for a nice BBQ.9) Green Grass
Explanation: Living in the frigid North, the grass is usually covered with a thick blanket of snow. So, when the summer months finally do come and the grass is allowed to grow, there is nothing prettier than a perfectly mowed lawn with no weeds or brown spots (which mine currently is filled with).8) Barbecues
Explanation: I am pretty decent on the grill. I am not much of a cook on the inside of the house, I leave most, if not all, of the cooking to my wife. But, when it comes time to grill I actually enjoy it. And who doesn't love a nice cooked burger or steak off the grill?7) The Sun
Explanation: This is an oddity, because I am a fairly skinned person (OK, I am see-through), so actually enjoying the sun is pretty difficult to do. I guess I don't really like laying out in the sun, but having it out really brightens (pun intended) up your day.6) Cold Drinks
Explanation: Now obviously you can enjoy a nice, cold drink any day of the calendar year. But, how nice is that ice cold drink on a warm day? I love coming in from the warmth of the outside and enjoying a nice cold drink.5) Summer Basketball
Explanation: As I have stated in previous blogs, I am playing on a summer basketball team. I have always enjoyed the game, and miss playing competitively. So I enjoy when the summer finally rolls around and I can enjoy playing at least once I week.4) Outer Banks Vacation
Explanation: Every other year my entire family on my father's side gets together in the Outer Banks for a family reunion. This will be the third year we are going, and the first for Kasey. I am pretty excited to see how much he enjoys the beach - because I know he'll love the pool.3) Anniversary
Explanation: June 4th was our 3rd anniversary. Still starting out, we didn't get to do too much, but we spent a good amount of time together, which is pretty rare nowadays. We went to Lake George for the night, and went to the Great Escape for the day.2) Friends
Explanation: No, not those friends, but my friends. During the summer months there seems to be a little more time, and a little more to do, to spend with your friends. I have a handful of really close friends who I wouldn't trade for the world.1) Family
Explanation: Family is very important to me, and during the summer months you can actually get out and do a lot more. My son absolutely loves the outdoors, and spent a good amount of time outside this weekend. Although we don't do a whole lot outdoors, it's nice to know that when we want do that we can.Monday, July 7, 2008
4th of July Weekend
The 4th of July has morphed into an all-out weekend, especially this year thanks to the 4th falling on a Friday.
I was let out of work on Thursday and had a softball game at 6:30. I wasn't able to play because I also had a basketball game at 7:45, so I would have had to leave early. The softball team fell, but apparently the women on the team were carrying the men.
I am starting to get the feeling that our basketball team is pretty good. On Thursday we played Peabody's - or the team from Chateaugay. They have been a powerhouse in our league for awhile now, but we actually controlled the game from the opening tip. I kept waiting for them to take the lead - but it never happened.
I am still not contributing very well on the scoring front - in fact I was the only player not to score on Thursday (only shot twice though). But, I think I am contributing in other aspects. I have been really strong defensively, my passing has been pretty decent - and I have even been rebounding - which has surprised even me. We are now 3-0, but play another undefeated team on Thursday, so we will see where we are at.
On Friday Erika, Kasey and I went to Plattsburgh for the 4th of July parade. I am getting pretty tired of the lack of real imagination in this city. The parade pretty much sucked right from the start. I was pretty appalled that they didn't close off the street in terms of parking. Cars were parked up and down the street, and it was pretty much impossible to see the parade unless you were lucky enough to get there in time (like we were) to sit in a parking spot.
As for the parade, I don't call throwing a bunch of ambulances, fire trucks and vintage cars in a line and letting them drive down the street a parade. Not one band - at least the year before we had bagpipe players. The lone highlight: a small cement truck that was actually filled with candy - and dumped a crapload out for kids to enjoy.
We went over to our friends Mark and Danielle's house for a little volleyball/picnic action. Their house is in perfect viewing of the city fireworks - so we had some s'mores and watched the fireworks before heading home.
Saturday was pretty much used for cleaning the inside and outside of the house. My sister and Cyle came up later in the day and we played some Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for awhile before heading to bed.
Sunday was our 4th of July party in Rouses Point. We had a lot of friends and family come up and I think it went pretty well. I grilled up some burgers and hot dogs, and everyone brought a little something to the table. We watched our parade (which was a lot better: 3 different bagpipe bands), then those that remained went in and played a little Wii before heading over to the fireworks.
All-in-all it was a pretty fun and eventful weekend. We didn't get to bed until late last night, so I am pretty exhausted this morning. I hope everyone had a good time - and I look forward to doing it all again next year.
I was let out of work on Thursday and had a softball game at 6:30. I wasn't able to play because I also had a basketball game at 7:45, so I would have had to leave early. The softball team fell, but apparently the women on the team were carrying the men.
I am starting to get the feeling that our basketball team is pretty good. On Thursday we played Peabody's - or the team from Chateaugay. They have been a powerhouse in our league for awhile now, but we actually controlled the game from the opening tip. I kept waiting for them to take the lead - but it never happened.
I am still not contributing very well on the scoring front - in fact I was the only player not to score on Thursday (only shot twice though). But, I think I am contributing in other aspects. I have been really strong defensively, my passing has been pretty decent - and I have even been rebounding - which has surprised even me. We are now 3-0, but play another undefeated team on Thursday, so we will see where we are at.
On Friday Erika, Kasey and I went to Plattsburgh for the 4th of July parade. I am getting pretty tired of the lack of real imagination in this city. The parade pretty much sucked right from the start. I was pretty appalled that they didn't close off the street in terms of parking. Cars were parked up and down the street, and it was pretty much impossible to see the parade unless you were lucky enough to get there in time (like we were) to sit in a parking spot.
As for the parade, I don't call throwing a bunch of ambulances, fire trucks and vintage cars in a line and letting them drive down the street a parade. Not one band - at least the year before we had bagpipe players. The lone highlight: a small cement truck that was actually filled with candy - and dumped a crapload out for kids to enjoy.
We went over to our friends Mark and Danielle's house for a little volleyball/picnic action. Their house is in perfect viewing of the city fireworks - so we had some s'mores and watched the fireworks before heading home.
Saturday was pretty much used for cleaning the inside and outside of the house. My sister and Cyle came up later in the day and we played some Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for awhile before heading to bed.
Sunday was our 4th of July party in Rouses Point. We had a lot of friends and family come up and I think it went pretty well. I grilled up some burgers and hot dogs, and everyone brought a little something to the table. We watched our parade (which was a lot better: 3 different bagpipe bands), then those that remained went in and played a little Wii before heading over to the fireworks.
All-in-all it was a pretty fun and eventful weekend. We didn't get to bed until late last night, so I am pretty exhausted this morning. I hope everyone had a good time - and I look forward to doing it all again next year.
Friday, June 27, 2008
NBA Draft - Recap
The 2008 NBA Draft was held last night, and like I predicted in my previous article, freshmen were the keys to this draft.
First off, I just want to commend - myself. I had a summer basketball game last night at 7:45, and managed to not only play the game, but had dinner afterwards and made it all the way home without hearing a single word on what was happening during the draft. So, I am pretty proud of myself - and somewhat surprised. I thought for sure someone would let it slip who Chicago picked at #1.
So, I got home late last night and fast-forwarded through the insanely annoying Stuart Scott, who was the host of the draft for ESPN, and caught up on the picks.
No real surprises in the top three picks: Derrick Rose (Memphis) goes #1 to Chicago; Michael Beasley (Kansas State) goes #2 to Miami; O.J. Mayo (USC) heads to Minnesota at #3.There were some concerns that Miami was planning on not selecting Beasley at #2, but you have to take him when he is considered one of the best two players in this draft.
Some highlights throughout the night:
- Darrell Arthur of Kansas slips to #27, despite being asked to attend. He sat in the Green Room for a long time before finally being selected by New Orleans. His roller-coaster ride was just beginning, however, as he was traded to Portland - then to Houston - and finally to Memphis (so far).
- Brook Lopez of Stanford appeared to have tears in his eyes as he fell to the Nets at #10. He was projected to possibly go at #3, but no way the Bobcats pass over him at #9 - which they did.
- Trades galore: the biggest coming after I finally went to bed. Memphis traded Kevin Love (#5 pick), Mike Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal to Minnesota for Mayo (#3 pick), Antoine Walker, Greg Buckner and Marko Jaric. Another huge trade for these two franchise - remember the Garnett trade? How about the Gasol trade?
- Knicks fans will boo anyone. Especially a poor kid from Italy named Danilo Gallinari. But, according to experts, he is a player - they did say the same about Darko Milicic a few years ago though.
- Robin Lopez (twin brother of Brook) has the best hair of the draft. Looking a little like Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons, only at 7'0" tall. He was drafted at #15 by Phoenix and it was absolutely comical as he tried to stuff his hair into his new team's hat.
Last night they picked up some major pieces to fill in some spots for their up-and-coming squad via trades. They landed Ike Diogu and Jerryd Bayless (#11 pick) from the Pacers. Bayless was considered to be the second best point guard (behind Rose) coming into the draft, but fell to the Pacers at #11. Diogu and Bayless will fit in perfectly with the young team.
They also picked up a couple of foreign players that will most likely stay overseas for a few years, and landed four more draft picks for the coming years. They seriously have figured this draft thing out.
I am not much for picking a winner and a loser for the draft, because it takes so long for some of these players to truly develop and get used to the league. I felt Portland did a nice job. The Rose pick for Chicago was automatic, but leaves them with a crowded backcourt. And I feel Beasley to the Heat gives them a solid 3 punch (including Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion) for at least a few years.
As for a loser, I would have to say the Atlanta Hawks, and for only one reason - they didn't have a single pick. The Hawks have been on the cusp of something special with so much young talent on their roster. This season, they even snuck into the playoffs as the #8 seed, before falling to the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics. So, they are still a few players away - and not having a pick could hurt them as other teams appear to be getting better.
All-in-all a respectable draft, but of course we'll have to wait a few years to see how it really panned out.
NOTE: I also played my second summer basketball league game last night, and our team again rolled to a victory (our second in as many games). I again felt pretty good, scored four points again, but was 2-for-5 from the field (both made shots were layups), so my field goal percentage is now 50%, horrific.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft will be held tonight. For the second straight year the top two picks appear to be locks, and appear to be freshmen.
This year, freshmen will be dominating the draft boards as a record 12 are projected to go in the first round. Every year there is always a few surprises that have you shaking your head. Every year a guaranteed lock doesn't work out, while a player no one expected to pan out becomes a star.
I thought I would go through the past eight drafts (2000-2007) and select a player that was picked in the second round (or a late first rounder) that has developed faster than a few of those guaranteed first rounders.
This year, freshmen will be dominating the draft boards as a record 12 are projected to go in the first round. Every year there is always a few surprises that have you shaking your head. Every year a guaranteed lock doesn't work out, while a player no one expected to pan out becomes a star.
I thought I would go through the past eight drafts (2000-2007) and select a player that was picked in the second round (or a late first rounder) that has developed faster than a few of those guaranteed first rounders.
2000 - Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks
Redd was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 43rd pick in the 2000 draft. He has since been an all-star and was named to the 2008 Olympic Basketball Team.
Other notable second rounders in 2000: Eddie House, Brian Cardinal, Jason Hart and Marko Jaric.
2001 - Gilbert Arenas, Golden State Warriors
Arenas was selected by the Warriors with the 31st pick in the 2001 draft. He has since been an all-star. He now plays for the Washington Wizards.
Other notable second rounders in 2001: Mehmet Okur and Earl Watson.
2002 - Carlos Boozer, Cleveland Cavaliers
Boozer was drafted 34th overall in the 2002 draft by the Cavaliers. He made a name for himself, and has since become an all-star for the Utah Jazz. He recently was named to the 2008 Olympic Basketball Team.
Other notable second rounders in 2002: Ronald 'Flip' Murray and Luis Scola.
2003 - Luke Walton, Los Angeles Lakers
Walton was selected 32nd by the Lakers in the 2003 draft. He has been both a starter and a notable reserve for the 2007 Western Conference champions.
Other notable second rounders in 2003: Jason Kapono, Willie Green, Steve Blake, Keith Bogans and Kyle Korver.
2004 - Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers
Varejao was picked 30th overall by the Cavaliers in the 2004 draft. He is known mostly for his outstanding hairstyle, but is also high energy off the bench - providing defense and rebounding. He was the only notable second round selection in this draft.
2005 - Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors
Ellis was selected 40th overall by the Warriors. He has developed into a full-fledged star for Golden State over the past two season's, combining with Baron Davis as a powerful duo in the backcourt.
Other notable second rounders in 2005: Ryan Gomes, Ronny Turiaf and Brandon Bass.
2006 - Daniel Gibson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Gibson was selected 42nd overall by the Cavaliers in 2006. Despite injuries, he has developed into a strong outside shooter for Cleveland. He captured the MVP in last season's Rookie/Sophomore Challenge during the All-Star Weekend.
Other notable second rounders in 2006: Craig Smith, Leon Powe and Paul Milsap.
2007 - Carl Landry, Houston Rockets
Landry was selected 31st overall in the 2007 draft by Houston. Landry is just getting his feet wet, but he helped a Rockets team off the bench make the playoffs after Yao Ming went down to injury.
Other notable second rounders in 2007: Glen 'Big Baby' Davis, Aaron Gray and D.J. Strawberry.
Redd was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 43rd pick in the 2000 draft. He has since been an all-star and was named to the 2008 Olympic Basketball Team.Other notable second rounders in 2000: Eddie House, Brian Cardinal, Jason Hart and Marko Jaric.
2001 - Gilbert Arenas, Golden State Warriors
Arenas was selected by the Warriors with the 31st pick in the 2001 draft. He has since been an all-star. He now plays for the Washington Wizards.Other notable second rounders in 2001: Mehmet Okur and Earl Watson.
2002 - Carlos Boozer, Cleveland Cavaliers
Boozer was drafted 34th overall in the 2002 draft by the Cavaliers. He made a name for himself, and has since become an all-star for the Utah Jazz. He recently was named to the 2008 Olympic Basketball Team.Other notable second rounders in 2002: Ronald 'Flip' Murray and Luis Scola.
2003 - Luke Walton, Los Angeles Lakers
Walton was selected 32nd by the Lakers in the 2003 draft. He has been both a starter and a notable reserve for the 2007 Western Conference champions.Other notable second rounders in 2003: Jason Kapono, Willie Green, Steve Blake, Keith Bogans and Kyle Korver.
2004 - Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers
Varejao was picked 30th overall by the Cavaliers in the 2004 draft. He is known mostly for his outstanding hairstyle, but is also high energy off the bench - providing defense and rebounding. He was the only notable second round selection in this draft.2005 - Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors
Ellis was selected 40th overall by the Warriors. He has developed into a full-fledged star for Golden State over the past two season's, combining with Baron Davis as a powerful duo in the backcourt.Other notable second rounders in 2005: Ryan Gomes, Ronny Turiaf and Brandon Bass.
2006 - Daniel Gibson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Gibson was selected 42nd overall by the Cavaliers in 2006. Despite injuries, he has developed into a strong outside shooter for Cleveland. He captured the MVP in last season's Rookie/Sophomore Challenge during the All-Star Weekend.Other notable second rounders in 2006: Craig Smith, Leon Powe and Paul Milsap.
2007 - Carl Landry, Houston Rockets
Landry was selected 31st overall in the 2007 draft by Houston. Landry is just getting his feet wet, but he helped a Rockets team off the bench make the playoffs after Yao Ming went down to injury.Other notable second rounders in 2007: Glen 'Big Baby' Davis, Aaron Gray and D.J. Strawberry.
The NBA Draft begins tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN. More of a wrapup tomorrow on all of the picks.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Return to Basketball
I know today is supposed to be a Top 10 list day, but as of right now I haven't figured out one to post - but the day is still young, so perhaps there will be another posting later.
I did, however, have my first summer basketball game last night - and to my surprise, I didn't suck.
In my younger days (God, I sound old) I was a pretty decent basketball player. As the days have worn on, however, time to stay in shape and actually play basketball has become very thin. I have been slowly trying to lose some weight and get into shape - but it is just that, slow.
The last time I played basketball was in a pickup game at the local college - and I was horrible. My body was not ready for that type of up-and-down game. My lungs hurt, my legs hurt and my shot was WAY off.
Last night I was expecting more of the same. This is my fourth summer playing basketball, and with each first game I have come to expect that I will be knocking off rust and willing myself through the contest. A few years back I even got some dizzy spells due to my total lack of lung capacity.
As I am still nowhere near the playing ability I once possessed - my main concern is embarrassing myself in front of my much younger teammates.
The league is for anyone over the age of a high school sophomore. So basically anywhere from age 16 and up. A couple of years back, the league broke in half and an Over 30 League was started as well. As I am not quite 30 yet (a few more years) I am still supposed to be able to keep up with the 16 year olds.
I am, of course, the oldest player on my team. The next youngest, I think, is around 22. Most of these guys were in junior high when I was a senior in high school. I can honestly say that not one of them ever saw me play a high school basketball game.
But, the game was actually pretty decent - and my play was not embarrassing at all, in my opinion. I had been begging my team captain to not start me, but there I was in the starting lineup - and on one of the first few possessions I got an offensive rebound and was fouled on the shot. I missed my first foul shot (no surprise), but I drilled the second.
I only took one shot during the contest, a 3-pointer from the corner - which I nailed. So, I finished with a field goal percentage of 100%.
My defense was also pretty strong against a pretty quick guard - and one thing that hardly ever leaves me is my ability to pass the ball. That has always been my trademark, and something I am pretty proud of. I had two turnovers on passes that were just off - a lob pass to Brandon, and a bounce pass through three people that would have been sweet, but an opponent got a finger on the ball.
The young cats of the team did a superb job on the offensive and defensive ends of the court, and we won our first game of the year.
I don't get to get out too much anymore, so it was nice to be apart of the group again. And, thankfully, I am actually not too sore this morning. I will have to do some stretching and perhaps run a little, but all-in-all I feel pretty good.
We'll see what Thursday brings - our next game - but so far the team looks pretty good and the season should be fun.
I did, however, have my first summer basketball game last night - and to my surprise, I didn't suck.
In my younger days (God, I sound old) I was a pretty decent basketball player. As the days have worn on, however, time to stay in shape and actually play basketball has become very thin. I have been slowly trying to lose some weight and get into shape - but it is just that, slow.
The last time I played basketball was in a pickup game at the local college - and I was horrible. My body was not ready for that type of up-and-down game. My lungs hurt, my legs hurt and my shot was WAY off.
Last night I was expecting more of the same. This is my fourth summer playing basketball, and with each first game I have come to expect that I will be knocking off rust and willing myself through the contest. A few years back I even got some dizzy spells due to my total lack of lung capacity.
As I am still nowhere near the playing ability I once possessed - my main concern is embarrassing myself in front of my much younger teammates.
The league is for anyone over the age of a high school sophomore. So basically anywhere from age 16 and up. A couple of years back, the league broke in half and an Over 30 League was started as well. As I am not quite 30 yet (a few more years) I am still supposed to be able to keep up with the 16 year olds.
I am, of course, the oldest player on my team. The next youngest, I think, is around 22. Most of these guys were in junior high when I was a senior in high school. I can honestly say that not one of them ever saw me play a high school basketball game.
But, the game was actually pretty decent - and my play was not embarrassing at all, in my opinion. I had been begging my team captain to not start me, but there I was in the starting lineup - and on one of the first few possessions I got an offensive rebound and was fouled on the shot. I missed my first foul shot (no surprise), but I drilled the second.
I only took one shot during the contest, a 3-pointer from the corner - which I nailed. So, I finished with a field goal percentage of 100%.
My defense was also pretty strong against a pretty quick guard - and one thing that hardly ever leaves me is my ability to pass the ball. That has always been my trademark, and something I am pretty proud of. I had two turnovers on passes that were just off - a lob pass to Brandon, and a bounce pass through three people that would have been sweet, but an opponent got a finger on the ball.
The young cats of the team did a superb job on the offensive and defensive ends of the court, and we won our first game of the year.
I don't get to get out too much anymore, so it was nice to be apart of the group again. And, thankfully, I am actually not too sore this morning. I will have to do some stretching and perhaps run a little, but all-in-all I feel pretty good.
We'll see what Thursday brings - our next game - but so far the team looks pretty good and the season should be fun.
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