I Stand Corrected

Last week I had the Phoenix Suns ranked as one of the least exciting teams to watch in my NBA/NHL playoff ranking extravaganza. Well, that was before Steve Nash decided to prove how much of a soldier he was and how far he is from being done; this man still wants a championship. This leaves me happy because now that Cleveland is out of the picture, I really have no interest in watching Boston, Orlando, or LA win it all this year. Growing up as a Barkley fan, this makes me even more happy as the Suns' seemingly doomed franchise, after beating their longtime rival Spurs, have a decent shot at the Lakers in an attempt to make the finals. Yay for Steve Kerr!

Watching Nash win game 4 with a busted up eye was really something fantastic, almost the opposite of watching Lebron crumble against the Celtics. It showed unimaginable heart, drive, and also proved that Nash knows the game just as much, if not more, than anyone playing right now.  Think about it for a second. Close one of your eyes and try to throw even a piece of paper into a wastebasket across the room.  Did it go in? If so, congrats. You have probably made that shot before and will continue to make that shot on a regular basis. Did you miss? That's ok, cause your depth perception is completely fucked with one eye closed. Know what? Nash has been making those shots for years. He knows where the basket is relative to his place on the court and can shoot from memory rather than vision. Hell, he could probably close both eyes and keep hitting those three-pointers. He simply knows the game. And now he's on a mission to win it all before he leaves it for good.

So I guess Phoenix is an exciting team to watch this year... I stand corrected.

The Disappearance of Lebron James

You know that line at the end of The Usual Suspects when Chazz Palminteri's character is finally figuring out that Kevin Spacey is the elusive Kayser Soze; the one where the film flashes back to Spacey's description of the larger-than-life Mr. Soze and he blows on his fingertips, extinguishing some imaginary flame, and lets the non-existent smoke dissipate in the air?

"And like that, poof... he's gone"

Well that's how I felt about Lebron James last night, gone in a cloud of chalk, quietly.

Now I'm not about to speculate where James will end up next season, hell I'm not even going to try and figure out how the NBA's clear-cut MVP managed to tank the two most important games of the year, but what I will do is stress how disappointed I was in this vanishing act he pulled. At least give us something to remember. If you're not going to be in Cleveland next year, give the city a wonderful going away present. Play like you've played your entire career, with the heart of a warrior who believes he deserves to win.

Maybe it was Shaq clogging up the lane, maybe it was an injury, i don't know, but it looked like he literally gave up. I sat there mouth agape, unable to fathom what was happening, watching the hated Boston Celtics tromp to an easy victory. What happened to the monstrous Mr. Soze who devoured his opponents like they were steaks, no mercy and no slowing down until home court advantaged was secured for the entire playoffs? I'm not sure, but what I can say is that if Lebron leaves Cleveland, the past two games will go down as one of the most disappointing exits in the history of professional sports. And like that, poof...

he's gone.

Early Surprises

Sure it's still early in the season, but we have seen some slumps and some quick starts that definitely warrant some attention.  I, for example, am stuck watching the top draft pick of my fantasy team, Prince Fielder, squander away with a mild 4 homeruns on the year so far (teammate Rickie Weeks has 5). Ryan Howard is posting equally lonesome numbers, as is Mark Teixeira, who batted .136 through the month of April.  There are those players who tend to get off to slow starts, but there are then those that have fans pulling at their hair waiting for a little sign of life. On the other end of the spectrum however, there are a few new names, and a couple old ones, making some waves early on.  Is it all smoke and mirrors? Only a 162 game season will provide the answer, but here are some notables from early on:

1. Andre Ethier, OF, LA Dodgers

Sure he hit 31 homeruns last year, but who expected him to be leading the majors in batting average (.385) and RBIs (37), as well as the National League in dingers (11).  In fact, only one other player in baseball has hit more round-trippers this season, and he's #2 on this list.  Now if only the rest of the Dodgers can pull up their boot straps.

2. Paul Konerko, 1B, Chicago White Sox

Sure it's a contract year, but nobody expected this 34 year-old to be leading the league with 13 homers, not to mention a 1.115 OPS (still a little shy of Ethier's whopping 1.182). Add in a .710 slugging percentage, (again, second to Ethier who is batting a .738) and Konerko should be in line for a raise from his measly *cough* 12 million a year if he keeps these numbers up.

NBA Mock Draft 2010 Part 1

After the relative success of my NFL mock draft (alright, moderate to light success), I have decided to try my hand at an NBA mock draft as well.  It's a great class this year and it reall all comes down to what a team needs.  When all is said and done, it should be an exciting 2011 season with all the new additions.  Here goes:


1. New Jersey Nets

John Wall, PG, Kentucky

The problem with holding this number 1 pick is that John Wall seems too good to pass up. Honestly, with Devin Harris already in the mix, Wall would provide a certain upgrade, but the Nets could really use some help from a strong forward. Unfortunately with Brooke Lopez coming off a career year, I can't see the Nets drafting the PF/C threat DeMarcus Cousins, who would be the only other player in the draft I would take ahead of Wall. They could go with Favors or Monroe, but I don't think they'll be impact players like Wall or Cousins. I like Turner a lot too, but again the Nets have a decent young defensive guard in Courtney Lee, who they acquired for Vince Carter last year. On top of it all, John Wall is just an exciting player to watch and he should be able to sell seats in New Jersey, which right now seems like a primary concern.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves

Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State

Turner seems like the perfect fit for a struggling T-Wolves team. Paired up with the #6 draft pick of last year, Jonny Flynn, and Minnesota should have a great one-two punch in their backcourt. They also find themselves a new leader that the franchise hasn't seen the likes of since losing Garnett to Boston. Factor in the recent news that Ricky Rubio has decided to play another season in Spain, and Minnesota will have to find a replacement for Brewer in the number two position. Turner seems like a no-brainer, given his drive and ability to perform in the clutch, which he demonstrated by leading Ohio State to a Big 10 Championship.

Inappropriate Jerseys

After talking about breaking out my Barkley Phoenix jersey to celebrate the Suns appearance in the Western Conference finals, my friend Mark tried to tell me that this was not cool.  He asserted that the player had to be from the current team roster in order to properly display fandom.  I started thinking about this, for example, wearing a Shawn Kemp jersey to support the Thunder or rocking the all-to-common Jordan jersey to cheer for the Bulls, and I decided there are some cases where all is good in jersey-world.  There are however, some instances of jerseys that should be discarded immediately, if not burned (or kept around for irony's sake)  Here are a few examples:

1. Vince Carter: Toronto Raptors

Possibly one of, if not the worst, instance of a player totally screwing over his own team; he literally just decided not to play.  This decreased his trade value, since other teams in the league knew he wanted to leave and his stats were well below what they would have been had he been playing with at least a little effort.  His name just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

2. Gilbert Arenas: Washington Bullets

This one needs no explanation whatsoever. 

Sorry for the long absence

I apologize for being away for so long, but who can blame me? I've been glued to the television from morning to night lately and haven't been able to tear myself away to write anything. Between the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, the MLB season starting, the NFL draft, and many other things (Mosley/Mayweather, Kentucky Derby, Tiger's return to the PGA, upcoming World Cup! Should I continue?), I've been so bogged down with sports I feel almost (key word almost) on sports overload. That being said, I'm going to save myself a little time and combine a couple sports into one list. It's also going to be fun to judge how the NBA and NHL playoffs are stacking up against each other right now. Consider this kind of a TV Guide to sports. If you feel conflicted, simply look at this list and it will tell you who to watch. So what is the basis of the list? Two things...

Fun and Excitement.

After all, isn't that why we watch sports in the first place? Here's who I have enjoyed watching this postseason:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

I know they're supposed to win the East this year, and it wouldn't surprise anyone if they did, but this is one of those teams that everyone just wants to win. It's almost like watching Jordan take the Bulls to their first championships years ago, except there could be a lot more on the line for the Cleveland franchise than their was in Chicago. With a looming free agency, Lebron might have one final chance to win it for his home-state. After that MVP celebration the other day that praised his friends and family more than it did himself, I doubt he's moving, but the idea's still lingering. Factor in Lebron being hands-down the most exciting player to watch right now in any sport, and I've made my choice of who to watch ahead of anything else.

2. Montreal Canadiens

They might end up losing to Pittsburgh this round, but they may not, and the possibility of a Boston/Montreal Eastern Conference final is so mind-blowing that I really hope they can pull it off. They already beat the number 1 seeded Capitals in the first round, thanks to rock-solid performances from Halak (a .931 save percentage) and Cammalleri (8 goals, 13 points), and I really think they are the most driven lower-seeded team remaining right now. Everyone loves hoping for the underdog, but imagine if they manage to upset both the vengeful Capitals and the returning Stanley Cup champions? It would certainly be a year to remember, and not just for Habs' fans.