Where I Went Wrong, And Where Im Still Right

Sometimes as a journalist, you must admit when you’re wrong. I was wrong about the Cleveland Cavaliers. I drastically overrated the Cavs and maybe underrated the Magic. The fact of the matter is the Cleveland front court is not good enough to win this series, let alone the championship. When you look at what they’re working with, there isn’t much there. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is flat out washed up. Looking at him at the start of the series, I saw a skilled big man that can rebound, post up, and shoot from the outside. What I saw from him in the past four games was a slow old man that has no will to compete and balky knees that prevent him from being effective. Joe Smith is not what he once was. He was never a great player, but he has had his moments, just not this year. Anderson Varejao is a very good player. I personally don’t like him, but he fills a role very well. Unfortunately, he is being forced to do his role and then some. He is providing all of the interior defense and still being expected to provide some scoring. He’s never going to be a big time scorer. If they were to ask him to just rebound, block shots, and defend, he’d be stellar, but he’s not. Finally, it’s become very apparent that Ben Wallace is past his basketball expiration date. Enough talk about him. Cleveland needs a big time down low scorer. That truly is what separates them from the rest of the elite team, they don’t have that guy that they can throw the ball to down low so LeBron can take a possession off, every now and then. Aside from that, LeBron penetration should make your frontcourt devastating; a guy with a couple decent moves would flourish with LeBron getting him the ball in good position. They have Darnell Jackson and JJ Hickson on their bench developing, but neither of them are explosive scorers. With the $13 million contract of Wally Szczerbiak coming off the books, they will have a good amount of room to pursue a nice low post scorer this summer. Someone like Jermaine O’Neal or Carlos Boozer would be an awesome addition to go with LeBron.
Now, on to something more positive; where I was right. I am still right about Stan Van Gundy not being a good coach. All of a sudden, everyone assumes that just because he got his team up to 3-1, that he is a good coach. That is not necessarily true. Shaq Diesel once called Stan Van the Master of Panic. I still have not seen something that changes my mind about that. Great coaches not only get their teams out to leads, but they overcome deficits. Getting out to this lead does not prove anything. So far in this post season, he put away Philadelphia, edged out an old Boston team, and now has got Cleveland down 3-1. He still has not showed me anything. He still cannot slow down, let alone stop LeBron. The Magic were even unable to stop the gunners of Cleveland tonight. Once Stan Van finds adversity and completely brings his team back, then people can say that he has shed the Master of Panic role, but for now, all I see is a frightened coach who’s players pretty much coach themselves.

Mock Draft 1.0

Its time for the first mock of the year, here it goes:

1. LA Clippers- Blake Griffin PF Oklahoma No surprise here
2. Memphis Grizzlies- Hasheem Thabeet C UConn They need to avoid the temptation of Rubio, they have Conley and can use the help inside.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder- Ricky Rubio PG Spain The most exciting prospect in the draft. Would combine with Westbrook, Durant, and Jeff Green to make the best young nucleus in the game.
4. Sacramento Kings- Jordan Hill PF Arizona Kings need help everywhere, might as well start inside, should team with Jason Thompson for a nice inside combo.
5. Washington Wizards- James Harden SG Arizona Agent Zero needs a backcourt mate that can play off the ball and get his own shot both, Harden fits the bill.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves- Tyreke Evans G Memphis On a team that lacks playmakers, Evans would be a star.
7. Golden State Warriors- Earl Clark SF Louisville Golden State loves long, athletic players. Clark seems like a natural fit.
8. New York Knicks- Stephen Curry G Davidson A guard who has many skills for D'Antoni to work with.
9. Toronto Raptors- DeMar DeRozan SG USC On a team with lots of skill players, adding an explosive guard like DeRozan would be huge.
10. Milwaukee Bucks- JRue Holiday PG UCLA With Ramon Sessions potentially a goner, Holiday would fill a big need at the point.
11. New Jersey Nets- James Johnson F Wake Forest There is a need at the power forward position that Johnson could fill.
12. Charlotte Bobcats- Gerald Henderson G Duke After taking care of a need at point last year, they will fill the two guard spot this year.
13. Indiana Pacers- Johnny Flynn PG Syracuse With both Jarret Jack and TJ Ford having awful seasons, its time for someone else to take command of the offense.
14. Phoenix Suns- Brandon Jennings PG Italy There is little backcourt depth in the desert, Jennings can play both positions and learn from Steve Nash.
15. Detroit Pistons- Ty Lawson PG UNC The Pistons lack a true point guard on their roster, adding Lawson would allow them to move Stuckey off the ball and leave him free to gun all he wants.
16. Chicago Bulls- Dejuan Blair PF Pittsburgh The series with Boston showed their lack of inside muscle, Blair would solve that.
17. Philadelphia 76ers- Wayne Ellington SG UNC The shooting touch of Ellington would bring another demension to the 76er offense that includes slashers like Iguodala, Andre Miller, and Willie Green.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves- Gani Lawal PF Georgia Tech After adding a scoring guard, they look to another inside presence to complement Al Jefferson and Kevin Love.
19. Atlanta Hawks- Jeff Teague SG Wake Forest The Hawks backcourt has been relatively thin, adding a shooter would definitely help.
20. Utah Jazz- Tyler Hansbrough PF UNC Jerry Sloan likes the hardworking type. Hansbrough is more on the skill-less hardworking type, but whatever. With Boozer and Millsap potentially on their way out, there is a need here.
21. New Orleans Hornets- Omri Casspi Isreal Supposedly the best European player not named Rubio. Would be just another weapon for Chris Paul.
22. Dallas Mavericks- BJ Mullens C Ohio State The Mavs have Dampier, allowing Mullens to develop slowly.
23. Sacramento Kings- Eric Maynor PG Virginia Commonwealth After adding some help inside, they take care of a need at the point.
24. Portland Trailblazers- Terrence Williams F Louisville The Blazers are a very deep team, the take the best available player here.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder- Derrick Brown PF Xavier Drafted Rubio earlier, now they add some fromtcourt depth.
26. Chicago Bulls- Chase Budinger G Arizona After getting stronger upfront, they shore up the backcourt with a shooter.
27. Memphis Grizzlies- Nick Calathes PG Florida Having Mike Conley, there is little risk in taking a guy who could become a star. Boom or bust pick.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves- Taj Gibson PF USC Third pick for the TWolves will be another banger inside.
29. Los Angeles Lakers- Darren Collison PG UCLA The playoffs have exposed their need at the point. This isnt the pick to grab a game changer, but he should contribute.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers- Jeff Pendergraph PF Arizona State A high basketball IQ guy, should fit in with the older bigs in Cleveland.

The Difference Between Kobe and Bron Bron

With the miracle of Friday night, people are putting LeBron in the same category as Kobe and Michael Jordan. I absolutely love LeBron, but these claims are absurd. Hitting one big shot does not vault you into that category. Im sorry, but LeBron really has not been a clutch shooter his whole career; he has had his magical moments, yes, but he lacked a three pointer to win a game until Friday, and has struggled for the majority of his career in clutch situations. LeBron may end up being the best player the game has ever seen; and he will have done that with all the expectations in the world, but he is not there yet. Right now, he is missing three things that Kobe Bryant has, and those would be rings. Granted Kobe did it with a dominant post player, but he was the major contributor in the last championship run, and was an equal to Shaq in the first two. Kobe finds ways to get it done in the fourth quarter. He hits open teammates, and hit the impossible shots; and he has done this on a consistent basis for many years. One key aspect where LeBron is lacking is free throws. Tonight he went 18-24 from the line. He missed clutch freebies while Dwight Howard stepped up and nailed his. Kobe Bryant went 15-17 and was ice in the final minute, 4-4 in the final 22 seconds. Kobe always had the game in the palm of his hand. LeBron was challenged tonight by another rising star, Dwight Howard, and he was pummeled, not only in the score of the game, but Howard controlled the emotion of the game, despite his foul trouble. LeBron is getting his points, but considering he is playing with a current All Star and several former All Stars, there is no excuse for the clunkers the the Cavs have thrown up. There is obviously still time for LeBron to pick up his act, and he most likely will, but he is still in the tier below Kobe Bryant and Dywane Wade.
Some other observations about the game. What the heck is Zydrunas Ilgauskas doing shooting three three pointers? Every time I see him jack up a three it makes me cringe. Has the Cav's offense become so brutal that Ilgauskas shooting threes is the best option. My goodness. Also, I think that people are making far too much about Dwight Howard coming close to the limit for technical fouls. I think Dwight has the ability to keep his emotions in check and he uses the T's to fire up his team. He is an underrated leader and I thing people drastically underestimate his influence because he is a warm, friendly player.
Still hate Stan Van

Why Cleveland Will Still Win In 5

Ohhhhh Noooooo. Cleveland lost game one at home. Might as well throw in the towel right? As Dwight Schrute would say, "False!" People are going way overboard. How quickly sportscasters and the general public forget that 48 hours ago, the Cavs were being touted as the undeniable best team in the league. One game and everyone is off the bandwagon. Well, I am not. Lets look at the game a little. Statistics dont lie, and they surely dont lie in regards to the game last night. The first sample i want you to look at is Mo Williams' line. 6-19 from the floor. Thats 32%. A very poor outing. On the season he was a 47% shooter from the floor. Delonte West went 4-13, or 31% last night. He was a 46% shooter on the season. Do you honestly think that Mickael Pietrus, Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston, and Anthony Johnson are going to hold down those tremendous shooters all series, I highly doubt it. None of those four are tremendous defensive players, while Mo and Delonte are nice offensive pieces. With that being said, where exactly is the defense on LeBron going to come from. Stan Van himself said that he has no idea what to do with LeBron. Is Hedo Turkoglu going to magically going to lose 25 pounds and gain quickness so he can d LeBron? There is no way that Orlando can stop the big man. LeBron's sidekicks will show up in the coming games, they are just too deadly to miss all the looks that he will give them. Now lets look at the greatest thing to happen to the world, Dwight Howard. Big man went 14-20 from the field. That is stunning to me. How can the Cavs allow him to get 14 dunks. Goodness knows dudes got no offensive game, the fact that he scored 30 points last night only goes to show that last night was a career night for superman. He will not score that many points against Z, Big Ugly, Ben, and Joe Smith again, he simply doesnt have the game to do that again. The Cavs took the best shot the Magic had to give. They held down LeBron's sidekicks, Howard went off, and Hedo, Lewis, and Alston could not miss down the stretch. All of these things contributed to the win, and all of these things will not, scratch that cannot happen again. LeBron shouldnt have to carry the team again, but even if he does, a little more effort and they'll win. The Cavs have taken the fury of Orlando and only lost by one. There is too much LeBron for Orlando to win again. One more thought, I heard someone say that the Cavs cant beat the Magic with Hedo, Lewis, and Howard going off. Got a prediction for this person, they all three wont go off again this series. I got Cleveland in 5.

2009 MLB Season

OK, so the 2009 season has just gotten underway, and I’ve been swamped with people who want my perspective on what is going to happen. I’ve made this blog to address this and a lot more. So here is what to look for this season.

American League
East
1. Boston Red Sox- This prediction is becoming a tradition, teams seem to shuffle below the Sox, but they always finish at the top. This year should be no different. Their starting rotation is one of the best in baseball and Beckett, Dice-K, and Lester are extremely difficult to beat in a seven game series. I expect a big year out of Jason Bay, who is in his contract year, and a bounce back season from J.D. Drew. Look for them to be right there in October.
2. New York Yankees- With all the money they spent, they better be up here. Baseball starts with pitching and their starting rotation is great. Andy Pettitte is a great number five starter. As always, you worry about injuries and expectations taking their toll on the team, but I think this should be the year they get back to the post season.
3. Tampa Bay Rays- A lot of people are calling for a huge drop off from the Rays this year. Barring major injuries, I don’t see that happening. I love their entire pitching staff. Their starting rotation is good enough that they can keep David Price at triple A to start the year. The lineup is full of young guys that are prone to inconsistency, but they are all unbelievably talented. They are a great team, just not great enough to beat out the Yanks and Sox for a playoff berth.
4. Baltimore Orioles- A lot to like here compared to previous years. Matt Weiters and the addition of Adam "Don't Call Me Pac Man" Jones give them two legit superstars in the making. They have a lot of young guys that are a couple years away, but they will continue to struggle until they develop and they replace Jeremy Guthrie as staff ace.
5. Toronto Blue Jays- This team has a very talented bullpen, staff ace, and outfield. The rest of the roster leaves a lot to be desired. The lineup lacks punch outside of Rios and Wells and the rotation sucks outside of Halleday. They are an easy choice for last in the division. Next year, with Marcum and McGowen back, will be a different story.

Central
1. Minnesota Twins- If I loved their rotation anymore, you could call me a gay. This rotation is going to be absolutely dirty, and now. Liriano, Baker, and Slowey rival any one-two-three punch, and Blackburn and Perkins are not far behind. Their bullpen is thin, but with Nathan and Crain they should be okay. Their lineup is not amazing, but with the pitchers only giving up 3 runs a game, they won’t need that much offense. Look for Carlos Gomez to turn into more than a speedster with a good all around season.
2. Detroit Tigers- My favorite team, so it’s hard to view them objectively. My first impulse was to have them winning the division, but then I remembered that our bullpen sucks, the rotation has a ton of question marks and we've put ourselves into a position where Marcus Thames needs to play regularly. On the positive side, that rotation with so many question marks also has a ton of talent, and our lineup can put runs on the board with anyone. I think we'll fall just short of the postseason.
3. Kansas City- Surely you jest, but not so fast. The royals have put together a rotation you can work with, a reliable bullpen, and a lineup filled a lot of young talented players mixed with valuable veterans. Once again, I'm going to tell you to look out for Billy Butler in the MVP talk, he can absolutely stick. This will be the year they rise out of mediocrity into the middle of the pack.
4. Cleveland Indians- The Indians are the sexy pick in the division, but quite frankly, they don’t scare me. Outside of Lee and Carmona, they have no established major league starting pitchers, and even Lee and Carmona have been hot and cold. Their lineup could be deadly, but has been ravished by injuries in the past. If they stay healthy and some pitching steps up they could finish better than this, but I don’t see it.
5. Chicago White Sox- Man, they got old in a hurry. It’s not good when your three top offensive weapons are older than some dinosaurs. The bullpen has issues, the rotation faded down the stretch and they're old as all get out. Not sold on these guys.

West
1. Seattle Mariners- Well, I bought in to the hype last year, and I'm buying them again this year, with less hype. Granted their bullpen is a mess, and the rotation has holes, but overall, I think they are good enough to win this pathetic division. Felix Hernandez has a Cy Young in his near future, it may be this year, I’m not sure, but he is a keeper. Although Bedard has no friends, he still is a very good pitcher when healthy. I think he will be, and I think Ichiro, Jose Lopez, and Jeff Clement will lead a surprisingly potent offense.
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or whatever- This team is an example of how spending the most money doesn’t always make you a winner. I think the rotation is overrated, and the lineup has no pop. You can’t argue with their bullpen, but if they don’t have a lead to protect.......
3. Texas Rangers- Same Old, Same Old. They never learn. Having a potent offense only gets you so far. Their powerful lineup will keep them in games, but Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla at the top of the rotation is terrible. Their bullpen is unsettled as well. If suddenly their staff steps up they could be dangerous, but they haven’t stepped us for the last ten years, no reason to think they will this year.
4. Oakland Athletics- Not that there was much here to begin with, but their hopes have taken two huge hits with injuries to Justin Duchscherer and Joey Devine. The lineup in weak, the rotation is awful and Brad Ziegler is the only pen guy that is experienced, and I have a hunch that people will figure him out this year. Potentially the worst team in the AL.

National League

East

1. New York Mets- A lot to like here and a lot to dislike. Their lineup is as potent as it gets, Reyes, Beltran, Wright, and Delgado are all MVP candidates. Santana is Santana and Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey, and John Maine are good too, but the fifth spot is anyone’s guess. It’s hard to kick on having K-Rod and Putz in the same bullpen too. If all goes right and they avoid major injuries, I think they should be a participant in this year’s World Series.

2. Philadelphia Phillies- The defending champions still have a lineup to die for. Top to bottom, they’re loaded. The bullpen is solid as well. I’m not sold on the rotation because they lack a decent starter beyond Hamels and Myers. I think the offense will be able to compensate for a lot of this, but I think their poor rotation will keep them from winning the division.

3. Florida Marlins- As you can tell, I love young, talented rotations and Florida qualifies here. Nolasco also has a Cy Young in his future. Johnson and Volstad have developed into reliable starters and I’m a believer in both Andrew Miller and Anibal Sanchez. Throw those guys with Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla, and you could have a huge surprise in the AL East.

4. Atlanta Braves- The Braves are a team that could finish a lot higher than this, depending on health. The lineup is average, but serviceable. I like the rotation, especially Japanese import Kenshin Kawakami. Lowe and Vasquez are nice at the top of the rotation as well. The bullpen will be an issue all year as we discover that Mike Gonzalez is not a closer.

5. Washington Nationals- There’s more to like here than normal. The staff has some nice guys to work with. I like Lannen and Olsen and the bullpen is in decent hands with Joel Hanrahan and Saul Rivera. The offense will be punch less despite signing Adam Dunn. It’s just not going to happen.

Central

1. St. Louis Cardinals- A lot of people have jumped on the Cardinal bandwagon this year, and I’ve got to admit, I’m with them. I like their rotation and think that Wainwright and Carpenter are going to be phenomenal this year. The bullpen is not very glamour, but they got the job done last year and will again this year. With Skip Schumaker at second, it gives them another power bat in the outfield. Put all that with the best player in the Nation League and you have a division winner.

2. Chicago Cubs- There isn’t anything wrong with the Cubs this year. Just like there wasn’t anything wrong with the Cubs last year. Whatever it is, there’s something about the Cubs that keeps them from being winners. The lineup is solid, the rotation could be spectacular, and the bullpen will be solid. Just don’t see it this year.

3. Milwaukee Brewers- Not being able to resign CC Sabathia really hurts them entering this year. It leaves them with Yovani Gallardo and Jeff Suppan at the top of the rotation. The lineup is full of solid hitters. The bullpen is alright but not great. This should be an average team this year unless they trade for some pitching.

4. Houston- Another average team. They don’t everything ok but don’t excel anywhere. I think they should hover around .500 all season. The lineup has Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman, but the rotation has Brian Moehler as the third starter, which could prove to be an issue. Not much upside to this team.

5. Cincinnati Reds- I think this is the boom or bust team in the division. The rotation has the guns to be a brilliant, lights out unit, or they could continue to struggle with control and emotions. The bullpen is solid as well. The lineup has its bright spots but also has some holes. Although they signed Willy Taveras, they still have no true table setter. They should be the most interesting team in the division.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates- There is not much to say here. The lineup is weak, the rotation is subpar and the bullpen is a mess. Probably the worst team in the National League.

West

1. Arizona Diamondbacks- I firmly believe that this is the year the Diamondbacks put it all together for a deep run. The lineup is nice. There are power, speed, and average guys throughout. The rotation is going to be dangerous again. Webb, Haren, and 100MHP throwing Max Scherzer are a great one-two-three punch, with Doug Davis, Jon Garland, and Yusmiro Petit serving as a solid backend. The bullpen has three closers and plenty of other strikeout arms. They should be the team to beat out west.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers- A lot of experts like the Dodgers to win the division, but I’m just not sold on the rotation enough to go there. I like Billingsley and Kershaw, but I’m not a Kuroda believer and Jason Schmidt will not stay healthy. The lineup is great, especially with Manny back and the bullpen is decent. I like them to keep it close, but ultimately fall to the D-Backs.

3. San Francisco Giants- I think there is a lot of room for improvement here from last year. There is a nice staff here with Lincecum, Cain, Zito, Randy Johnson, and an emerging Jonathan Sanchez. Pablo Sandoval is a blossoming star, and with a little luck, the Giants should be able to place third in this division.

4. Colorado Rockies- The Rockies are clearly a talented team; however they have too many holes to compete this year. The outfield is manned by Spilbourghs and Seth Smith, not Matt Holliday anymore. Also the rotation leaves a lot to be desired. Cook has been good, but around him, there’s very little. The bullpen is great with two closers and a great setup man, Taylor Buchholz. They should be around the .500 mark.

5. San Diego Padres- It’s going to be a long season for Jake Peavy. There will be very little run support and his bullpen is going to be very shaky. Chris Young will be a solid number two, and Adrian Gonzalez will deliver, but there just isn’t enough thunder here to compete.

Playoffs:

National League Division Series

New York Mets over St. Louis Cardinals 3-1

Arizona Diamondbacks over Philadelphia Phillies 3-0

National League Championship Series

New York Mets over Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2

American League Division Series

Boston Red Sox over Seattle Mariners 3-0

Minnesota Twins over New York Yankees 3-2

American League Championship Series

Boston Red Sox over Minnesota Twins 4-3

World Series

New York Mets over Boston Red Sox 4-2

Awards

AL

MVP

1. Miguel Cabrera 1B Detroit

2. Mark Teixeira 1B New York

3. Ichiro OF Seattle

Cy Young

1. Francisco Liriano Minnesota

2. Erik Bedard Seattle

3. A.J. Burnett New York

Rookie of the Year

Matt Weiters C Baltimore

NL

MVP

1. Albert Pujols 1B St. Louis

2. Carlos Beltran OF New York

3. Matt Kemp OF Los Angeles

Cy Young

1. Brandon Webb Arizona

2. Adam Wainwright St. Louis

3. Johan Santana New York

Rookie of the Year

Cameron Maybin OF Florida