Yes, I'm hypersensitive to the subject, I can't help it. John Calipari is back in the NBA buzz with the reports that the Kings will fire George Karl any day now, temporarily replace him with Nancy Lieberman and then make a big push for Calipari in the off-season. I can definitely see Karl getting run, Lieberman as an interim sounds warm and fuzzy enough, no way Calipari takes that job.
Listen: at this point in his life Calipari wants to win more than anything else. In the long run wins will bring more money so money can't be that much of an enticement. Calipari can win at Kentucky while maintaining tight-fisted control over every detail, whereas the Kings will be a soul-swallowing grind from day one with very little chance of actually winning games in the West. He didn't jump at the chance of coaching Durant and Westbrook, why would he go to the Kings?
Would he be interested in coaching the Wolves? That one seems more enticing to me but I'm not sure he's up for Minnesota living and they are still a year or two away from being really relevant in the West. How about the Rockets? Harden is a massive star to build around but he's also aloof and weird (and has a troubling Kardashian habit). How about the Lakers? Unless there's some serious free agent action next summer, I think its still too early for Cal to think about that gig. How about the Cavs? Bingo! There's a roster that guarantees success, the pay will be tip-top and Cal wouldn't be offended or worried about Lebron's backstage dominance.
Will Calipari eventually go back to the NBA? Maybe, but he's not jumping for a bunch of money, he'll only go to a place where he can win some games and get some love. The Kings? Nope, nuh bruh, no way, not happening, don't care how much money is on the table.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Coach of the Year
Kevin McHale has officially lost his chance at winning Coach of the Year after getting bounced in Houston for a 4-7 start. The Rockets reshuffled some things in the off-season, a slow start isn't necessarily unexpected, but the defense was abysmal, there's no leadership on the floor (telling ya: Harden and Howard are the two flakiest big stars in the league) and they've been flat pummeled a few times already. All of that adds up to a change getting made and its too early to start making trades so the coach is the fall guy.
Initially the buzz was that this firing was unfair because the team's bad start wasn't really his fault. He wasn't on my list of hot seat coaches this pre-season but he was on my list last year. McHale wasn't underrated this year, he was overrated last year: the Rockets overachieved last year and McHale got too much praise. We see this all the time (especially in football): a team makes the playoffs and the bad coach doesn't get fired because he suddenly looks competent. The team needs a breath of fresh air, not sure young Mr. Bickerstaff is the guy but I don't have any problem with McHale getting run out.
Is Bickerstaff the man of the future? Is Thibodeau the man for this team going forward? (I doubt it but his name will be brought up, I guarantee)
Initially the buzz was that this firing was unfair because the team's bad start wasn't really his fault. He wasn't on my list of hot seat coaches this pre-season but he was on my list last year. McHale wasn't underrated this year, he was overrated last year: the Rockets overachieved last year and McHale got too much praise. We see this all the time (especially in football): a team makes the playoffs and the bad coach doesn't get fired because he suddenly looks competent. The team needs a breath of fresh air, not sure young Mr. Bickerstaff is the guy but I don't have any problem with McHale getting run out.
Is Bickerstaff the man of the future? Is Thibodeau the man for this team going forward? (I doubt it but his name will be brought up, I guarantee)
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Pointless Trade Idea
Grizzlies get Kevin Martin (2 yrs/$14.3m (next year player option), Shabazz Muhammad (2 yrs/$5.1m); Wolves get Jeff Green (1 yr/$9.5m), James Ennis (2 yrs/$1.8m), a 2016 2nd round pick.
Watching the Wolves, I can't help thinking that Kevin Martin is just in the way of the maturation process for the young guys, he's not (yet) the type of veteran that wants to coach young players. He's still a decent scorer off the bench and if the Wolves think they can make the playoffs (not so crazy, those last two spots will have a lot of competition), perhaps holding on to Martin is the proper move. But a confident scorer off the bench is exactly what the Grizzlies need and exactly what they don't get from Jeff Green. Muhammad, too, is a conscious-free shooting machine, not exactly money with the shot but the kind of guy that should take to the hunker-down mentality of the Grizzlies. If Muhammad is gonna make it in the NBA, I don't think its in Minnesota, it could be in Memphis, where the do-your-job ethic might make a for-real player out of him.
Watching the Grizzlies, I can't help thinking Jeff Green is soooooo not what they need. Every once in a while he shines out but for the most part he hides from responsibility, which just doesn't match the rest of that team. In Minnesota, he would be in a position where he can let the game come to him without much pressure and every now and then can have a hero game. Ennis adds to the youth movement but comes with a little more intensity, he's had moments but he's also been bounced around. I wouldn't anticipate him getting big minutes in Minnesota but he also wouldn't have the baggage of Muhammad.
The Wolves shed 2 years of Martin and Muhammad for 1 year of Green and a flyer on another young (cheap) player in Ennis. This year for the Wolves is about playing time for Towns, Wiggins, Payne, Bjelica and LaVine; Martin gets in the way and increasingly Muhammad looks like the odd man out. The Grizzlies add one reliable scoring vet and an intriguing young player to add to the core of a solid playoff squad while giving up only a maddening vet and a youngster that wasn't gonna play anyway. The Grizzlies are taking on more reward than risk as Martin is still better than Green and Muhammad could be good; the Wolves are really just clearing the decks for this year and next. For that reason I'd suggest the Grizzlies throw in a 2nd round pick as well: Martin is bigger help now than Green, Muhammad has more potential than Ennis. Again, though, these two teams might be fighting each other for a playoff spot so this deal only makes sense when the Wolves have decided that the playoffs this year is out of reach. Come February this could be a do-able deal.
Watching the Wolves, I can't help thinking that Kevin Martin is just in the way of the maturation process for the young guys, he's not (yet) the type of veteran that wants to coach young players. He's still a decent scorer off the bench and if the Wolves think they can make the playoffs (not so crazy, those last two spots will have a lot of competition), perhaps holding on to Martin is the proper move. But a confident scorer off the bench is exactly what the Grizzlies need and exactly what they don't get from Jeff Green. Muhammad, too, is a conscious-free shooting machine, not exactly money with the shot but the kind of guy that should take to the hunker-down mentality of the Grizzlies. If Muhammad is gonna make it in the NBA, I don't think its in Minnesota, it could be in Memphis, where the do-your-job ethic might make a for-real player out of him.
Watching the Grizzlies, I can't help thinking Jeff Green is soooooo not what they need. Every once in a while he shines out but for the most part he hides from responsibility, which just doesn't match the rest of that team. In Minnesota, he would be in a position where he can let the game come to him without much pressure and every now and then can have a hero game. Ennis adds to the youth movement but comes with a little more intensity, he's had moments but he's also been bounced around. I wouldn't anticipate him getting big minutes in Minnesota but he also wouldn't have the baggage of Muhammad.
The Wolves shed 2 years of Martin and Muhammad for 1 year of Green and a flyer on another young (cheap) player in Ennis. This year for the Wolves is about playing time for Towns, Wiggins, Payne, Bjelica and LaVine; Martin gets in the way and increasingly Muhammad looks like the odd man out. The Grizzlies add one reliable scoring vet and an intriguing young player to add to the core of a solid playoff squad while giving up only a maddening vet and a youngster that wasn't gonna play anyway. The Grizzlies are taking on more reward than risk as Martin is still better than Green and Muhammad could be good; the Wolves are really just clearing the decks for this year and next. For that reason I'd suggest the Grizzlies throw in a 2nd round pick as well: Martin is bigger help now than Green, Muhammad has more potential than Ennis. Again, though, these two teams might be fighting each other for a playoff spot so this deal only makes sense when the Wolves have decided that the playoffs this year is out of reach. Come February this could be a do-able deal.
NBA Playoff Predictions
Warriors over Suns in 4
Rockets over Pelicans in 5
Thunder over Grizzlies in 6
Spurs over Clippers in 7
Bulls over Celtics in 6
Cavs over Bucks in 4
Heat over Raptors in 6
Hawks over Wizards in 7
Spurs over Warriors in 7
Thunder over Rockets in 7
Bulls over Hawks in 7
Cavs over Heat in 7
Spurs over Thunder in 7
Cavs over Bulls in 6
Spurs over Cavs in 7
Looking back over that I just picked the Spurs to beat the Clippers, Warriors, Thunder and Cavs in the some run. Shit, man, I don't think I even believe that is possible. But I like the new-look Spurs as much as ever and if they're gonna win, its gonna be tough. Man, I got a lot of game 7's in there, shaping up to be a brilliant post-season.
Rockets over Pelicans in 5
Thunder over Grizzlies in 6
Spurs over Clippers in 7
Bulls over Celtics in 6
Cavs over Bucks in 4
Heat over Raptors in 6
Hawks over Wizards in 7
Spurs over Warriors in 7
Thunder over Rockets in 7
Bulls over Hawks in 7
Cavs over Heat in 7
Spurs over Thunder in 7
Cavs over Bulls in 6
Spurs over Cavs in 7
Looking back over that I just picked the Spurs to beat the Clippers, Warriors, Thunder and Cavs in the some run. Shit, man, I don't think I even believe that is possible. But I like the new-look Spurs as much as ever and if they're gonna win, its gonna be tough. Man, I got a lot of game 7's in there, shaping up to be a brilliant post-season.
NBA Bric-a-Brac
Bulls pick up extensions on Tony Snell and Doug McDermott. Good moves, I like both of those guys and locking them up now just lets everybody knows what's up.
Raptors pick up extension on Terrence Ross. Ross is part of the show in Toronto, this is a predictable move as letting him go would probably be a mistake.
Hornets pick up extension on Jeremy Lamb. Lamb has yet to do anything in the League but the Hornets think they can give him the opportunity he needs. They shipped out Noah Vonleh (we'll see if PJ Hairston is the next one gone) so I guess the rookie scale money was available for a Lamb experiment. I still think the Hornets are a middling squad, not sure Lamb is an upgrade but with MKG injured he'll get time.
Sixers sign Phil Pressey. Considering how young (re: cheap) the Sixers lineup is, Pressey steps in as the grizzled veteran though he's barely played a minute in this League. I reckon he'll get time to play and since the Sixers are always looking for somebody....well....Pressey is somebody I guess.
Nuggets waive Erick Green, sign Kostas Papanikolau. During the summer the Nuggets waived Papanikolau to make room for Green, so I guess it makes sense that Papanikolau is in now that Green is out. I thought Papanikolau played reasonably well in his rookie season in Houston, not a great player but a reliable professional that can knock down some 3's. If he can get used to the altitude of Denver, he'll get some run on what I think is the worst team in the West.
Rockets waive Chuck Hayes. I gotta say as a Kentucky fan, Hayes is one of the more beloved players in recent Big Blue history and while he's long past his limited prime, I intuit that he is a beloved player in the NBA as well. He's a reliable vet, a locker room guy, soon to embark on a coaching career, I'd think. On a crowded Rocket roster there's probably little need for him but for a young team (Pelicans, Bucks, Wolves, for example), he can be a positive force from the end of the bench.
Pelicans sign Jimmer Fredette for the rest of the year. The Pelicans need all kinds of scoring, Fredette can be (I think) a decent scorer off the bench and with the run of injuries they've already suffered, I reckon Fredette can get some play. If he scores, he'll stay out there; if not, he'll be back to the D-League (#1 pick in the D-League draft this year).
Heat trade Mario Chalmers, James Ennis to Grizzlies for Beno Udrih, Jarnell Stokes. Good deal for the Heat, don't really understand what the Grizzlies get out of this. The Heat get a slight upgrade at backup PG (Udrih has less baggage and more in common with starting PG Goran Dragic) and a young big that I still think can become a dominant rebounder. The Grizzlies get a guy that (for better or worse) isn't afraid to handle the ball and rip shots from downtown and swap out one young project for another (though Ennis has had more playing time so far than Stokes). Heat got cheaper, better and less complicated, Grizzlies got...I dunno what the Grizzlies got.
Raptors pick up extension on Terrence Ross. Ross is part of the show in Toronto, this is a predictable move as letting him go would probably be a mistake.
Hornets pick up extension on Jeremy Lamb. Lamb has yet to do anything in the League but the Hornets think they can give him the opportunity he needs. They shipped out Noah Vonleh (we'll see if PJ Hairston is the next one gone) so I guess the rookie scale money was available for a Lamb experiment. I still think the Hornets are a middling squad, not sure Lamb is an upgrade but with MKG injured he'll get time.
Sixers sign Phil Pressey. Considering how young (re: cheap) the Sixers lineup is, Pressey steps in as the grizzled veteran though he's barely played a minute in this League. I reckon he'll get time to play and since the Sixers are always looking for somebody....well....Pressey is somebody I guess.
Nuggets waive Erick Green, sign Kostas Papanikolau. During the summer the Nuggets waived Papanikolau to make room for Green, so I guess it makes sense that Papanikolau is in now that Green is out. I thought Papanikolau played reasonably well in his rookie season in Houston, not a great player but a reliable professional that can knock down some 3's. If he can get used to the altitude of Denver, he'll get some run on what I think is the worst team in the West.
Rockets waive Chuck Hayes. I gotta say as a Kentucky fan, Hayes is one of the more beloved players in recent Big Blue history and while he's long past his limited prime, I intuit that he is a beloved player in the NBA as well. He's a reliable vet, a locker room guy, soon to embark on a coaching career, I'd think. On a crowded Rocket roster there's probably little need for him but for a young team (Pelicans, Bucks, Wolves, for example), he can be a positive force from the end of the bench.
Pelicans sign Jimmer Fredette for the rest of the year. The Pelicans need all kinds of scoring, Fredette can be (I think) a decent scorer off the bench and with the run of injuries they've already suffered, I reckon Fredette can get some play. If he scores, he'll stay out there; if not, he'll be back to the D-League (#1 pick in the D-League draft this year).
Heat trade Mario Chalmers, James Ennis to Grizzlies for Beno Udrih, Jarnell Stokes. Good deal for the Heat, don't really understand what the Grizzlies get out of this. The Heat get a slight upgrade at backup PG (Udrih has less baggage and more in common with starting PG Goran Dragic) and a young big that I still think can become a dominant rebounder. The Grizzlies get a guy that (for better or worse) isn't afraid to handle the ball and rip shots from downtown and swap out one young project for another (though Ennis has had more playing time so far than Stokes). Heat got cheaper, better and less complicated, Grizzlies got...I dunno what the Grizzlies got.
Friday, November 6, 2015
NFL Week 8 (NFC)
Convinced they're in playoffs: Packers (flawed on both sides of the ball but Rodgers is still the man), Panthers (Cam is finally emerging as the badass he was always meant to be, solid D line, not sure about anything else on that team but they keep winning), Cardinals (keep Palmer upright and they can hang with anyone in the league), Rams (I'm in: the D line is ferocious, the running game is dominant, Foles isn't great but he can be good enough).
Top of the middle: Vikings (my favorite dark horse team in the NFC, if Bridgewater makes a leap then I think this time can be really good), Seahawks (still got talent on both sides of the ball but they need to pull it together), Falcons (great but uneven offense, sorry D, can't tell whether they over or underachieving), Giants (if they can outlast Romo's return, I think they'll be in the playoffs).
Bottom of the middle: Cowboys (I still think when Romo comes back, they're the best in the East, time might be running out though), Redskins (decent D, O is getting better but I still don't think they're good enough to get past the Cowboys or Giants), Saints (that offense can still get crazy every once in a while but the squad in general doesn't look very good at all), Eagles (I still don't get this team but they can still win the division), Bucs (they're playing loose and it feels like the team is kinda coming together, could be a serious spoiler down the stretch).
Convinced they're out of playoffs: Bears (I actually think they're not bad, they just don't win games), Niners (the rats are streaming off that ship), Lions (all going wrong, without a serious O line upgrade, Stafford will continue to struggle even though I still think he can be good).
Top of the middle: Vikings (my favorite dark horse team in the NFC, if Bridgewater makes a leap then I think this time can be really good), Seahawks (still got talent on both sides of the ball but they need to pull it together), Falcons (great but uneven offense, sorry D, can't tell whether they over or underachieving), Giants (if they can outlast Romo's return, I think they'll be in the playoffs).
Bottom of the middle: Cowboys (I still think when Romo comes back, they're the best in the East, time might be running out though), Redskins (decent D, O is getting better but I still don't think they're good enough to get past the Cowboys or Giants), Saints (that offense can still get crazy every once in a while but the squad in general doesn't look very good at all), Eagles (I still don't get this team but they can still win the division), Bucs (they're playing loose and it feels like the team is kinda coming together, could be a serious spoiler down the stretch).
Convinced they're out of playoffs: Bears (I actually think they're not bad, they just don't win games), Niners (the rats are streaming off that ship), Lions (all going wrong, without a serious O line upgrade, Stafford will continue to struggle even though I still think he can be good).
NFL Week 8 (AFC)
Convinced they're in the playoffs: Bengals (legit, man, they're really good on both sides of the ball), Broncos (best D in the league, running game seems to have finally appeared, just picked up Vernon Davis for an over the middle target, you're in a good place when your worst regular player is Peyton Manning), Pats (O line is still a bit shaky but the D is better than usual and Brady's efficiency is unbelievable, schedule never really gets tough this year).
Top of the middle: Colts (they kinda suck, they've got internal turmoil, Luck may or may not be healthy, but their division is truly awful, so I expect them to be in the post-season), Jets (the D is really good, the special teams are solid, I still believe in the running game, weird to say but as long as Fitzpatrick is out there, they've got a shot in every game), Raiders (some buzz in Oaktown! The offense is real, they're in sneaking-up mode, AFC is pretty bad, they really have a legit shot at the playoffs).
Bottom of the middle: Dolphins (they can be good, 50/50 whether they'll show up), Bills (watched them a coupla times and when they're not setting records for penalties they're generally the better team; if they clean up their act they can still make the playoffs and be good, not really betting on that happening though), Steelers (still got a shot but Big Ben tries too hard and without Bell I think it'll be too much to overcome), Chiefs (not terrible, can still make some noise if they get it together).
Convinced they're out of the playoffs: Texans (actually they're tied for 1st in their division but, man, they've got problems all over the place), Chargers (everything is going wrong on that squad, everybody's hurt, the home crowd sucks, nothing but bad vibes), Ravens (old and creaky at every positions), Browns (when QB controversy is the best part of your season, things aren't good), Jags (would love to report that they're getting better but I'm still not seeing it), Titans (well they've got a QB but not much else).
Top of the middle: Colts (they kinda suck, they've got internal turmoil, Luck may or may not be healthy, but their division is truly awful, so I expect them to be in the post-season), Jets (the D is really good, the special teams are solid, I still believe in the running game, weird to say but as long as Fitzpatrick is out there, they've got a shot in every game), Raiders (some buzz in Oaktown! The offense is real, they're in sneaking-up mode, AFC is pretty bad, they really have a legit shot at the playoffs).
Bottom of the middle: Dolphins (they can be good, 50/50 whether they'll show up), Bills (watched them a coupla times and when they're not setting records for penalties they're generally the better team; if they clean up their act they can still make the playoffs and be good, not really betting on that happening though), Steelers (still got a shot but Big Ben tries too hard and without Bell I think it'll be too much to overcome), Chiefs (not terrible, can still make some noise if they get it together).
Convinced they're out of the playoffs: Texans (actually they're tied for 1st in their division but, man, they've got problems all over the place), Chargers (everything is going wrong on that squad, everybody's hurt, the home crowd sucks, nothing but bad vibes), Ravens (old and creaky at every positions), Browns (when QB controversy is the best part of your season, things aren't good), Jags (would love to report that they're getting better but I'm still not seeing it), Titans (well they've got a QB but not much else).
Monday, November 2, 2015
World Series
Watching Matt Harvey mowing down the Royals I thought to myself there's no way I'm holding him to a pitch count tonight. Then I recalled that he had controversy all year long about his usage and wondered if his agent would let him get to 110 pitches. I ignored all that thinking Harvey should be out there in the 9th. But when the coaching staff let him know they were going with Familia instead, Harvey bullied his way back onto the mound. I hated that. You hear similar stories about Bumgarner but Bumgarner announced his presence with confidence whereas Harvey announced his presence with hubris. Two batters in, his brilliant performance was over, Familia had to be brought in out of rhythm and the Royals did what the Royals do. Harvey was so brilliant for 8 innings, so awful for the last one and that's all it took. (By the way, Volquez was almost as awesome as Harvey last night, he kept them in the game and staying close is how this Royals team works)
Loves me some Eric Hosmer! Loved that he took off from third with the game on the line. He made the Mets make a play and they didn't make it. That guy is so money, Royal legend for the rest of his life, they'd be crazy to ever let that guy get away.
I had the Royals in 7, thought they were the better team, the more aggressive team and would be victorious but I thought the Mets had better pitching and would push the Royals harder than they did. Here's a stat: in this year's playoffs, the Royals scored 44 runs from the 8th inning on. Jeez, that's how you win championships.
Loves me some Eric Hosmer! Loved that he took off from third with the game on the line. He made the Mets make a play and they didn't make it. That guy is so money, Royal legend for the rest of his life, they'd be crazy to ever let that guy get away.
I had the Royals in 7, thought they were the better team, the more aggressive team and would be victorious but I thought the Mets had better pitching and would push the Royals harder than they did. Here's a stat: in this year's playoffs, the Royals scored 44 runs from the 8th inning on. Jeez, that's how you win championships.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
MVP Prediction
All right, who's gonna win the MVP?
Here's a list of 21 possibilities: Steph Curry (Warriors), Lamarcus Aldridge (Spurs), James Harden (Rockets), Blake Griffin (Clippers), Chris Paul (Clippers), Marc Gasol (Grizzlies), Anthony Davis (Pelicans), Eric Bledsoe (Suns), Kevin Durant (Thunder), Russell Westbrook in the West. Chris Bosh (Heat), Derrick Rose (Bulls), Lebron James (Cavs), Kyrie Irving (Cavs), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), John Wall (Wizards), Al Horford (Hawks), Jeff Teague (Hawks) in the East. For giggles let's add Damien Lillard (Blazers), Demarcus Cousins (Kings), Al Jefferson (Hornets) as big time number hangers from non-playoff teams.
Curry, the defending champ, looks as good as ever 2 games into the season and I expect he's gonna be every bit the monster this year that he was last year. Got to be at the top of the list but he's on a really deep team and that alone should sap a bit of his support.
Aldridge was an underappreciated badass in Portland for years. Now he's moved over to the talent-rich, high visibility Spurs where he'll have to adapt himself to a machine already in motion. I think he'll be just fine but there will be growing pains and the team concept of the Spurs will probably keep him from getting a maximum number of votes.
Harden is the center of the Rockets who have revamped their bench in hopes of another excellent regular season and deep run into the playoffs. Though they're off to a terrible start, they're gonna be just fine and with Harden in the lead, he'll get plenty of consideration for the award.
Griffin and Paul will share the ball and the glory in LA and while I think they'll both have fine seasons (as will the team itself), I think they'll poach votes from each other. Paul has the better chance of the two to emerge as the voters' favorite.
Gasol was overlooked last season, I thought he was GREAT last year. Though he's been paid and the Grizzlies haven't upgraded around him, I think Gasol will have another fine and overlooked season.
Davis is perhaps the favorite to emerge into the beast he is destined to become but I think the Pelicans need another year before their roster can finally come together. Davis will be awesome, no doubt, but the team itself will keep him from winning the MVP.
Bledsoe is a personal pick, I'm still convinced he's the next great NBA badass (I already consider Davis to be one of those) and if the Suns advance into the playoffs, it'll be largely based on his productivity. Worthy of an MVP? Probably not, but the more W's the Suns pile up, the more notice he'll get.
I initially thought that Durant would roll into this season revitalized and chip-on-shoulder-ish and the Thunder would kick much ass this season and Durant would take another MVP. On second thought I think all of the above conditions actually bolster the case for Westbrook winning the MVP: Durant has the opportunity to augment an MVP rather than carry a team on his own. I really do think both will be awesome and the Thunder will win a ton. Come MVP time, they may cancel each other out but if not I suspect Westbrook will get more votes.
I had Bosh on my shortlist last season but the Heat weren't able to take much of a step forward last year and Bosh himself suffered some really scary health problems. But now he's back, the team looks much better than last year and Bosh is again back in the mix to be a superior badass in this league. He's kinda in a catch-22 though: in order to get consideration the team will have to rank high in the East but that will most likely mean that the team concept has taken hold and Bosh doesn't have to drag the team along. If they Heat aren't good, doesn't matter how fine Bosh's season is; but if they're too good, Bosh will get less credit.
I added Derrick Rose to this list really only because he's a past winner and because he looks to be (finally) over his injury concerns. That said, like Bosh his MVP-worthiness will probably fall in line with how the rest of the team develops around him. I think the Bulls will finish 1st in the East because I think Rose's contribution is really marginal: the team will be good anyway, Rose is the cherry on top. But if Rose shines out, has solid stats and the Bulls finish 1st, he'll get more votes than if, say, Chris Bosh pulls off all that. So while I don't really think of Rose as an MVP candidate, I think the people vote might think of him that way.
I should probably say right off the bat that Lebron is OF COURSE the true MVP of the league, everything the Cavs can achieve will be built on Lebron's back, but that doesn't mean he'll win the award. Indeed, I think Kyrie Irving is set for a big time year (when he comes back from injury) and I think his rise will coincide with the Cavs' rise, ergo I expect Kyrie to get a lot of the credit for the Cavs' success. Kyrie isn't my pick but he is my dark horse, that guy that could appear out of nowhere and snatch it. Lebron will undoubtedly deserve it but he will also undoubtedly not finish higher than 4th.
Kyle Lowry is a longshot, I think the Raptors will be pretty good but nothing special. But I can see Lowry finally getting some shine, so if the Raptors do overachieve, if some of the other Eastern stars have disappointing seasons, then Lowry could get some love.
John Wall is got some buzz about him and I think he is ready to take off this year (so are Beal and Porter, too). He's much beloved in DC, he's a human highlight reel, he's finally in that perfect veteran stage of his career, if the Wizards really take a step forward, expect Wall to take the lion's share of the credit. If he puts a crazy efficiency season (very possible), then the nerds in the chattering class will fall over themselves to sing his praises. Along with Kyrie, another top dark horse candidate.
Atlanta led the East last year and look to be good again this year, Jeff Teague (a la Kyrie and Wall) could be in for a positive appraisal of his growth, if the Hawks finish 1st again this year (I don't see it happening but I guess it could), look for Teague to get some love. Or look for Al Horford (contract year) to step up and lead. I think they're both long shots but mainly because I think the Hawks will drop off from last year; if they can keep it up, though, then MVP votes will need to follow.
Al Jefferson (contract year) looks to get back to his down low domination he had a coupla years ago. I don't anticipate the Hornets will be good enough around him to make his potential resurgence notable enough for MVP votes. But he is lovable, is totally watchable at his best and if the Hornets do come together and surprise in the East, Big Al should get some love.
Demarcus Cousins is one of the best pure basketball players in the NBA (has been for years) but until the Kings get good (or he gets to a good team), he won't get the love he deserves. I'd love to think that this is his year but I think the Kings will still be horrible. But if he has a monster--MONSTER--year, never know, the talking heads that love Demarcus might step up and get him some mainstream love. (I doubt it but he is a badass and deserves better than Sacramento will ever give him)
With the rest of his crew scattered to the winds, Damien Lillard looks to have the ball in his hands a lot this year in Portland. The Blazers don't appear playoff worthy but I think they've got a decent shot to be way better than you think and, if so, Lillard has an opportunity to have a big year on an overachieving team, which could earn him some votes.
So what do I think will happen? I'll stick with James Harden. His efficiency is legendary, his team is going to win a lot of games while the supporting cast will stay relatively anonymous. Harden is gonna be a big player on a top team, that's how MVPs are won and I think its his time. I'll take Kyrie, Curry, Westbrook, Lebron, Davis, Wall and Paul to be up there at year's end too.
Here's a list of 21 possibilities: Steph Curry (Warriors), Lamarcus Aldridge (Spurs), James Harden (Rockets), Blake Griffin (Clippers), Chris Paul (Clippers), Marc Gasol (Grizzlies), Anthony Davis (Pelicans), Eric Bledsoe (Suns), Kevin Durant (Thunder), Russell Westbrook in the West. Chris Bosh (Heat), Derrick Rose (Bulls), Lebron James (Cavs), Kyrie Irving (Cavs), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), John Wall (Wizards), Al Horford (Hawks), Jeff Teague (Hawks) in the East. For giggles let's add Damien Lillard (Blazers), Demarcus Cousins (Kings), Al Jefferson (Hornets) as big time number hangers from non-playoff teams.
Curry, the defending champ, looks as good as ever 2 games into the season and I expect he's gonna be every bit the monster this year that he was last year. Got to be at the top of the list but he's on a really deep team and that alone should sap a bit of his support.
Aldridge was an underappreciated badass in Portland for years. Now he's moved over to the talent-rich, high visibility Spurs where he'll have to adapt himself to a machine already in motion. I think he'll be just fine but there will be growing pains and the team concept of the Spurs will probably keep him from getting a maximum number of votes.
Harden is the center of the Rockets who have revamped their bench in hopes of another excellent regular season and deep run into the playoffs. Though they're off to a terrible start, they're gonna be just fine and with Harden in the lead, he'll get plenty of consideration for the award.
Griffin and Paul will share the ball and the glory in LA and while I think they'll both have fine seasons (as will the team itself), I think they'll poach votes from each other. Paul has the better chance of the two to emerge as the voters' favorite.
Gasol was overlooked last season, I thought he was GREAT last year. Though he's been paid and the Grizzlies haven't upgraded around him, I think Gasol will have another fine and overlooked season.
Davis is perhaps the favorite to emerge into the beast he is destined to become but I think the Pelicans need another year before their roster can finally come together. Davis will be awesome, no doubt, but the team itself will keep him from winning the MVP.
Bledsoe is a personal pick, I'm still convinced he's the next great NBA badass (I already consider Davis to be one of those) and if the Suns advance into the playoffs, it'll be largely based on his productivity. Worthy of an MVP? Probably not, but the more W's the Suns pile up, the more notice he'll get.
I initially thought that Durant would roll into this season revitalized and chip-on-shoulder-ish and the Thunder would kick much ass this season and Durant would take another MVP. On second thought I think all of the above conditions actually bolster the case for Westbrook winning the MVP: Durant has the opportunity to augment an MVP rather than carry a team on his own. I really do think both will be awesome and the Thunder will win a ton. Come MVP time, they may cancel each other out but if not I suspect Westbrook will get more votes.
I had Bosh on my shortlist last season but the Heat weren't able to take much of a step forward last year and Bosh himself suffered some really scary health problems. But now he's back, the team looks much better than last year and Bosh is again back in the mix to be a superior badass in this league. He's kinda in a catch-22 though: in order to get consideration the team will have to rank high in the East but that will most likely mean that the team concept has taken hold and Bosh doesn't have to drag the team along. If they Heat aren't good, doesn't matter how fine Bosh's season is; but if they're too good, Bosh will get less credit.
I added Derrick Rose to this list really only because he's a past winner and because he looks to be (finally) over his injury concerns. That said, like Bosh his MVP-worthiness will probably fall in line with how the rest of the team develops around him. I think the Bulls will finish 1st in the East because I think Rose's contribution is really marginal: the team will be good anyway, Rose is the cherry on top. But if Rose shines out, has solid stats and the Bulls finish 1st, he'll get more votes than if, say, Chris Bosh pulls off all that. So while I don't really think of Rose as an MVP candidate, I think the people vote might think of him that way.
I should probably say right off the bat that Lebron is OF COURSE the true MVP of the league, everything the Cavs can achieve will be built on Lebron's back, but that doesn't mean he'll win the award. Indeed, I think Kyrie Irving is set for a big time year (when he comes back from injury) and I think his rise will coincide with the Cavs' rise, ergo I expect Kyrie to get a lot of the credit for the Cavs' success. Kyrie isn't my pick but he is my dark horse, that guy that could appear out of nowhere and snatch it. Lebron will undoubtedly deserve it but he will also undoubtedly not finish higher than 4th.
Kyle Lowry is a longshot, I think the Raptors will be pretty good but nothing special. But I can see Lowry finally getting some shine, so if the Raptors do overachieve, if some of the other Eastern stars have disappointing seasons, then Lowry could get some love.
John Wall is got some buzz about him and I think he is ready to take off this year (so are Beal and Porter, too). He's much beloved in DC, he's a human highlight reel, he's finally in that perfect veteran stage of his career, if the Wizards really take a step forward, expect Wall to take the lion's share of the credit. If he puts a crazy efficiency season (very possible), then the nerds in the chattering class will fall over themselves to sing his praises. Along with Kyrie, another top dark horse candidate.
Atlanta led the East last year and look to be good again this year, Jeff Teague (a la Kyrie and Wall) could be in for a positive appraisal of his growth, if the Hawks finish 1st again this year (I don't see it happening but I guess it could), look for Teague to get some love. Or look for Al Horford (contract year) to step up and lead. I think they're both long shots but mainly because I think the Hawks will drop off from last year; if they can keep it up, though, then MVP votes will need to follow.
Al Jefferson (contract year) looks to get back to his down low domination he had a coupla years ago. I don't anticipate the Hornets will be good enough around him to make his potential resurgence notable enough for MVP votes. But he is lovable, is totally watchable at his best and if the Hornets do come together and surprise in the East, Big Al should get some love.
Demarcus Cousins is one of the best pure basketball players in the NBA (has been for years) but until the Kings get good (or he gets to a good team), he won't get the love he deserves. I'd love to think that this is his year but I think the Kings will still be horrible. But if he has a monster--MONSTER--year, never know, the talking heads that love Demarcus might step up and get him some mainstream love. (I doubt it but he is a badass and deserves better than Sacramento will ever give him)
With the rest of his crew scattered to the winds, Damien Lillard looks to have the ball in his hands a lot this year in Portland. The Blazers don't appear playoff worthy but I think they've got a decent shot to be way better than you think and, if so, Lillard has an opportunity to have a big year on an overachieving team, which could earn him some votes.
So what do I think will happen? I'll stick with James Harden. His efficiency is legendary, his team is going to win a lot of games while the supporting cast will stay relatively anonymous. Harden is gonna be a big player on a top team, that's how MVPs are won and I think its his time. I'll take Kyrie, Curry, Westbrook, Lebron, Davis, Wall and Paul to be up there at year's end too.
Rugby World Cup
New Zealand 34-17 Australia
I would've loved to have watched this match but my local NBC station had expanded Breeders' Cup coverage. Barf. (I'm supposed to care because it took place in my hometown this year but I can't stand horse racing and Breeders' Cup is not enough to make me give a shit) Anyway, if you're only gonna watch one rugby match for the next four years, New Zealand against Australia in a World Cup Final is the one to watch. *Sigh* Maybe next time...
Coach of the Year
In determining Coach of the Year candidates, it is best to start at the other end: who's gonna get fired first?
Interim coaches: Sam Mitchell (T-Wolves). Mitchell stepping in for the late Flip Saunders has an opportunity to keep this job. I suspect he will not be replaced during the season but that doesn't mean the job is his to keep. He's got a youth movement on his hands and if the T-Wolves vastly overachieve (say, hanging around that 8th playoff spot) then I think he's got a decent shot at Coach of the Year. Not my pick but not a crazy longshot as I think that team will be better than you think right away because as opposed to the Magic and Jazz, the Wolves have enough veteran presence to give the young talent something to lean on.
1st year coaches: Mike Malone (Nuggets), Scott Skiles (Magic), Fred Hoiberg (Bulls), Alvin Gentry (Pelicans), Billy Donovan (Thunder), George Karl (Kings).
I think the Nuggets will be the worst team in the West, for which Malone will receive none of the blame, thus he is neither a candidate for best or worst of the year. His job is to keep morale up and get Mudiay used to life in the NBA.
If Skiles can get the Magic into the playoffs (not a crazy notion) then he'll get some votes. There are too many other good candidates to think he'll win Coach of the Year but I doubt he gets fired unless the wheels come off down there (which I do NOT anticipate will happen).
Hoiberg has a real shot at COY: my personal belief is that Thibodeau kinda ran the Bulls into the ground giving Hoiberg a good chance at increasing offensive efficiency without sacrificing defensive intensity; in short, I think the Bulls will be good and Hoiberg will get serious consideration.
Gentry is taking over a team that was okay last year, looks to be a little more okay this year. If the Pelicans take a jump, he'll get a lot of votes, but I don't think they will be wildly better than last year so I don't think he wins. No way he gets fired though.
Donovan is taking over a squad that has underperformed for a few years now, if he can keep them healthy, the Thunder will be one of the best teams in the league giving Donovan a great shot at Coach of the Year. No way he gets fired this year.
Karl has a tough job ahead of him, there's talent there but not enough to succeed in the West. I suspect Karl is more likely to be fired (or resign to preserve his mental health) than get votes for Coach of the Year.
2nd year coaches: Derek Fisher (Knicks), Stan Van Gundy (Pistons), David Blatt (Cavs), Lionel Hollins (Nets), Jason Kidd (Bucks), Byron Scott (Lakers), Steve Kerr (Warriors), Quin Snyder (Jazz)
Fisher's job is to be the face of the team until the team develops enough of an identity to lure a real coach. I doubt he gets fired because I doubt a real coach emerges but even though NYK should be waaaaay better than last year, they won't be good enough to earn some Coach of the Year consideration for Fisher.
Personally I don't get what Stan Van is doing in Detroit but they already look better than last year and a lot of folks think they're gonna make the playoffs (I'm still dubious). Making the playoffs alone probably won't be enough to get SVG COY votes but no way he gets fired (especially since he is his own boss).
Blatt has the uniquest (hmmm, I thought I just invented that word but spell check so its okay) career in the NBA: every second of his time in Cleveland will be on the hot seat, but he'll probably make the conference finals every year. The difference between winning Coach of the Year and getting sent packing is razor thin. Unless someone like Hoiberg or Donovan emerges, Blatt could actually win.
Hollins is coaching a horrible team that has no chance of being good. No way he gets COY votes, but should probably keep his job because there's no one out there that would be any better at this job.
Kidd has some real expectations in Milwaukee, we'll see how he does. I don't think the Bucks get into the top 4 in the East so I don't think he gets any votes but I think his job is pretty secure.
Scott's job is to watch over the flailing Lakers until the next wave of free agents floods in. Currently the job has no up side (they will not be good this year) and no down side (nobody else wants this job...until the free agents arrive).
Kerr is a golden boy, no way he loses his job. But unless the Warriors win 70 games (could happen) I don't see him getting more COY votes.
I think Snyder is doing a good job in Utah but unless they sneak up on people (like getting past the Pelicans and Grizzlies) I don't see him getting more than a token vote for COY. Probably no way he gets fired though, he's doing well there.
3rd year coaches: Brad Stevens (Celtics), Mike Budenholzer (Hawks), Steve Clifford (Hornets), Brett Brown (Sixers), Jeff Hornacek (Suns), Dave Joerger (Grizzlies), Doc Rivers (Clippers)
Stevens is the BEST COACH IN THE LEAGUE. But unless the Celtics vault into the top 4 of the East (uh, I don't see that happening), he won't get votes for Coach of the Year. No way he gets fired--quite the opposite: they'll have to beg him to stay one o' these days.
Budenholzer has now taken over GM duties in Atlanta in a divisive corporate atmosphere. Bold prediction: I think Budenholzer the most likely to get fired. Yes, he just won COY last year but the expectations are higher in Atlanta and I fear this squad has already peaked. Rather than entrenching his position, I suspect taking on more responsibility will make him even more of a target. Coach Bud better get it done this year or he might get sent packing.
Clifford is the next on the hot seat, though firing him would purely be to 'shake things up'. The Hornets made the playoffs two years ago, sputtered last year and I suspect will sputter some more this year. There was a time when the Hornets could sneak up on people, that time has passed. I think he's done a decent job with what he's been given but we're getting near that time when the GM has to fire somebody rather than take the blame himself. Thus I think Clifford is probably on the hottest seat in the league.
Brown could be the fall guy in Philly but I don't think so, I think he's part of the plan. And I suspect when the Sixers actually try to win again (next summer?), that Brown will still be part of the plan. No way he wins Coach of the Year but I don't see him getting fired either, I think he's their guy for the future.
Hornacek is another (like Clifford) that could take the blame for a scuffling front office. I think he's done a pretty good job but there's something off about that franchise and unless the Suns make the playoffs (I had them in but....nobody else did) he might be looking for a job next summer.
Joerger has done a fine job in Memphis but it feels like this Grizzlies squad has peaked. Unless they get perimeter scoring (they have tried and failed so many times in the last few years), they will not be in the top 4 in the West. The Grizzlies are good but doesn't feel like they're getting better, does Joerger take the fall for that? He might.
Rivers is his own boss and I think the Clippers will be a solid regular season squad. I think there are better candidates for COY but no way he gets fired.
4th year coaches: Terry Stotts (Blazers), Randy Wittman (Wizards)
Stotts is in a weird place: no way the Blazers are as good as previous years but if he can salvage something from this season, he might be closer to Coach of the Year than ever before. But unless things go horribly, I don't see him getting fired either (indeed, I'd say there's a better chance he quits than gets fired). I think the Blazers will be okay, might even be in contention for that 8th spot, so I don't see him leaving this year.
I think the Wizards will be a really good regular season team this year so unless health turns really bad, I think Wittman should get some COY votes and no way he gets fired.
5th year coaches: Kevin McHale (Rockets), Dwayne Casey (Raptors), Frank Vogel (Pacers)
I can see the Rockets being the top team in the West, McHale could get some serious votes for COY. Could the Rockets replace McHale? I doubt it.
Dwayne Casey could be at the end of his time in Toronto, but I don't think so. I think the Raptors will be a pretty good team in the East and unless management thinks there's somebody better out there, I suspect Casey gets no votes for COY but will be back next year.
Vogel is the man for the Pacers, they'd be foolish to let him go. That said, I don't see the Pacers making the playoffs so I don't see Vogel getting COY votes.
Veteran coaches: Eric Spoelstra (Heat), Rick Carlisle (Mavs), Greg Popovich (Spurs)
Spoelstra has his hands full with this team. I think the Heat could be really good this year and we'll see if Spoelstra is up to the task of mixing and matching this weird collection of talent. I think he will, I think he's a really good coach and I think he'll be in the mix for Coach of the Year.
Carlisle just signed an extension, which probably indicates the Mavs will try to tank this year. While I don't think the Mavs will be good, I don't think they'll tank, that's just not who they are. They're still gonna beat sloppy teams, they're still gonna get hot from the floor, they're gonna play with pride. Carlisle will get no Coach of the Year votes but nor will he get fired.
Popovich is Popovich, man.
Weird season: I don't see any obvious hot seat candidates, normally there's one or two every year. So for most likely to get fired I'll go with Karl (Kings), Clifford (Hornets), Joerger (Grizzlies) and maybe Budenholzer (Hawks) and Hornacek (Suns). I wouldn't recommend any of those firings but GMs gotta blame somebody and these guys seem like the most likely to take the blame.
For Coach of the Year I'll go: Hoiberg (Bulls), McHale (Rockets), Kerr (Warriors), Spoelstra (Heat), Donovan (Thunder). (Wittman will deserve votes but he won't get them)
Interim coaches: Sam Mitchell (T-Wolves). Mitchell stepping in for the late Flip Saunders has an opportunity to keep this job. I suspect he will not be replaced during the season but that doesn't mean the job is his to keep. He's got a youth movement on his hands and if the T-Wolves vastly overachieve (say, hanging around that 8th playoff spot) then I think he's got a decent shot at Coach of the Year. Not my pick but not a crazy longshot as I think that team will be better than you think right away because as opposed to the Magic and Jazz, the Wolves have enough veteran presence to give the young talent something to lean on.
1st year coaches: Mike Malone (Nuggets), Scott Skiles (Magic), Fred Hoiberg (Bulls), Alvin Gentry (Pelicans), Billy Donovan (Thunder), George Karl (Kings).
I think the Nuggets will be the worst team in the West, for which Malone will receive none of the blame, thus he is neither a candidate for best or worst of the year. His job is to keep morale up and get Mudiay used to life in the NBA.
If Skiles can get the Magic into the playoffs (not a crazy notion) then he'll get some votes. There are too many other good candidates to think he'll win Coach of the Year but I doubt he gets fired unless the wheels come off down there (which I do NOT anticipate will happen).
Hoiberg has a real shot at COY: my personal belief is that Thibodeau kinda ran the Bulls into the ground giving Hoiberg a good chance at increasing offensive efficiency without sacrificing defensive intensity; in short, I think the Bulls will be good and Hoiberg will get serious consideration.
Gentry is taking over a team that was okay last year, looks to be a little more okay this year. If the Pelicans take a jump, he'll get a lot of votes, but I don't think they will be wildly better than last year so I don't think he wins. No way he gets fired though.
Donovan is taking over a squad that has underperformed for a few years now, if he can keep them healthy, the Thunder will be one of the best teams in the league giving Donovan a great shot at Coach of the Year. No way he gets fired this year.
Karl has a tough job ahead of him, there's talent there but not enough to succeed in the West. I suspect Karl is more likely to be fired (or resign to preserve his mental health) than get votes for Coach of the Year.
2nd year coaches: Derek Fisher (Knicks), Stan Van Gundy (Pistons), David Blatt (Cavs), Lionel Hollins (Nets), Jason Kidd (Bucks), Byron Scott (Lakers), Steve Kerr (Warriors), Quin Snyder (Jazz)
Fisher's job is to be the face of the team until the team develops enough of an identity to lure a real coach. I doubt he gets fired because I doubt a real coach emerges but even though NYK should be waaaaay better than last year, they won't be good enough to earn some Coach of the Year consideration for Fisher.
Personally I don't get what Stan Van is doing in Detroit but they already look better than last year and a lot of folks think they're gonna make the playoffs (I'm still dubious). Making the playoffs alone probably won't be enough to get SVG COY votes but no way he gets fired (especially since he is his own boss).
Blatt has the uniquest (hmmm, I thought I just invented that word but spell check so its okay) career in the NBA: every second of his time in Cleveland will be on the hot seat, but he'll probably make the conference finals every year. The difference between winning Coach of the Year and getting sent packing is razor thin. Unless someone like Hoiberg or Donovan emerges, Blatt could actually win.
Hollins is coaching a horrible team that has no chance of being good. No way he gets COY votes, but should probably keep his job because there's no one out there that would be any better at this job.
Kidd has some real expectations in Milwaukee, we'll see how he does. I don't think the Bucks get into the top 4 in the East so I don't think he gets any votes but I think his job is pretty secure.
Scott's job is to watch over the flailing Lakers until the next wave of free agents floods in. Currently the job has no up side (they will not be good this year) and no down side (nobody else wants this job...until the free agents arrive).
Kerr is a golden boy, no way he loses his job. But unless the Warriors win 70 games (could happen) I don't see him getting more COY votes.
I think Snyder is doing a good job in Utah but unless they sneak up on people (like getting past the Pelicans and Grizzlies) I don't see him getting more than a token vote for COY. Probably no way he gets fired though, he's doing well there.
3rd year coaches: Brad Stevens (Celtics), Mike Budenholzer (Hawks), Steve Clifford (Hornets), Brett Brown (Sixers), Jeff Hornacek (Suns), Dave Joerger (Grizzlies), Doc Rivers (Clippers)
Stevens is the BEST COACH IN THE LEAGUE. But unless the Celtics vault into the top 4 of the East (uh, I don't see that happening), he won't get votes for Coach of the Year. No way he gets fired--quite the opposite: they'll have to beg him to stay one o' these days.
Budenholzer has now taken over GM duties in Atlanta in a divisive corporate atmosphere. Bold prediction: I think Budenholzer the most likely to get fired. Yes, he just won COY last year but the expectations are higher in Atlanta and I fear this squad has already peaked. Rather than entrenching his position, I suspect taking on more responsibility will make him even more of a target. Coach Bud better get it done this year or he might get sent packing.
Clifford is the next on the hot seat, though firing him would purely be to 'shake things up'. The Hornets made the playoffs two years ago, sputtered last year and I suspect will sputter some more this year. There was a time when the Hornets could sneak up on people, that time has passed. I think he's done a decent job with what he's been given but we're getting near that time when the GM has to fire somebody rather than take the blame himself. Thus I think Clifford is probably on the hottest seat in the league.
Brown could be the fall guy in Philly but I don't think so, I think he's part of the plan. And I suspect when the Sixers actually try to win again (next summer?), that Brown will still be part of the plan. No way he wins Coach of the Year but I don't see him getting fired either, I think he's their guy for the future.
Hornacek is another (like Clifford) that could take the blame for a scuffling front office. I think he's done a pretty good job but there's something off about that franchise and unless the Suns make the playoffs (I had them in but....nobody else did) he might be looking for a job next summer.
Joerger has done a fine job in Memphis but it feels like this Grizzlies squad has peaked. Unless they get perimeter scoring (they have tried and failed so many times in the last few years), they will not be in the top 4 in the West. The Grizzlies are good but doesn't feel like they're getting better, does Joerger take the fall for that? He might.
Rivers is his own boss and I think the Clippers will be a solid regular season squad. I think there are better candidates for COY but no way he gets fired.
4th year coaches: Terry Stotts (Blazers), Randy Wittman (Wizards)
Stotts is in a weird place: no way the Blazers are as good as previous years but if he can salvage something from this season, he might be closer to Coach of the Year than ever before. But unless things go horribly, I don't see him getting fired either (indeed, I'd say there's a better chance he quits than gets fired). I think the Blazers will be okay, might even be in contention for that 8th spot, so I don't see him leaving this year.
I think the Wizards will be a really good regular season team this year so unless health turns really bad, I think Wittman should get some COY votes and no way he gets fired.
5th year coaches: Kevin McHale (Rockets), Dwayne Casey (Raptors), Frank Vogel (Pacers)
I can see the Rockets being the top team in the West, McHale could get some serious votes for COY. Could the Rockets replace McHale? I doubt it.
Dwayne Casey could be at the end of his time in Toronto, but I don't think so. I think the Raptors will be a pretty good team in the East and unless management thinks there's somebody better out there, I suspect Casey gets no votes for COY but will be back next year.
Vogel is the man for the Pacers, they'd be foolish to let him go. That said, I don't see the Pacers making the playoffs so I don't see Vogel getting COY votes.
Veteran coaches: Eric Spoelstra (Heat), Rick Carlisle (Mavs), Greg Popovich (Spurs)
Spoelstra has his hands full with this team. I think the Heat could be really good this year and we'll see if Spoelstra is up to the task of mixing and matching this weird collection of talent. I think he will, I think he's a really good coach and I think he'll be in the mix for Coach of the Year.
Carlisle just signed an extension, which probably indicates the Mavs will try to tank this year. While I don't think the Mavs will be good, I don't think they'll tank, that's just not who they are. They're still gonna beat sloppy teams, they're still gonna get hot from the floor, they're gonna play with pride. Carlisle will get no Coach of the Year votes but nor will he get fired.
Popovich is Popovich, man.
Weird season: I don't see any obvious hot seat candidates, normally there's one or two every year. So for most likely to get fired I'll go with Karl (Kings), Clifford (Hornets), Joerger (Grizzlies) and maybe Budenholzer (Hawks) and Hornacek (Suns). I wouldn't recommend any of those firings but GMs gotta blame somebody and these guys seem like the most likely to take the blame.
For Coach of the Year I'll go: Hoiberg (Bulls), McHale (Rockets), Kerr (Warriors), Spoelstra (Heat), Donovan (Thunder). (Wittman will deserve votes but he won't get them)
Friday, October 30, 2015
Early Thoughts on the NBA Regular Season
Ahhhhh, League Pass, so good to have you back. I'm slack-ass on the Coach, MVP, DPOY and ROY picks, still mulling them over. First I wanted to jot down some thoughts on the first coupla nights of action.
I watched the Pistons beat the Hawks in Atlanta. It made me even warier of the Hawks: last year Millsap and Carroll were in contract years and Korver was smarting from getting left off the World Cup roster (I thought he should've made it), they snuck up on people and got deliriously hot in Jan-Feb. This year Horford's in a contract year but....none of that other stuff. Millsap got paid, Carroll got paid to go somewhere else, Korver can't possibly be that awesome again (can he?), they gave up on Adrian Payne, they got rid of the overly maligned Executive of the Year Danny Ferry and all they added was Tim Hardaway Jr. The Hawks will still be one of the better teams in the East but I'm not seeing a top 4 finish for them. As for the Pistons, they looked better than I would've thought. Drummond looks ready to be beastly (more of a scorer than I thought he would be) and they move the ball really well. The game was sloppy (1st game of the year) and perhaps the muddy track suited the Pistons better than the Hawks...uh, not sure that's a good sign.
I watched all of the Bulls beating the Cavs. Great defensive stops at the end by Pau and Butler but frankly it should not have been that close. The Bulls were really better at most everything that night, not to say that they're wildly better than the Cavs but they've played the Cavs tough in the regular season and I wasn't surprised to see them win their opener. And not that it was a blowout but I thought the Bulls kinda got lazy and let the Cavs sneak back into it. Two good teams that will both get better as the year progresses, not much to learn from this one, just a good game to watch.
I watched the Wizards beat the Magic. If you're looking for sneaky teams that might find their way into the playoffs in the East, the Magic could be on that list: they're young but they're really talented, they're gonna be good eventually. And this game showed all the highs and lows of that: they battled against a superior for 47 minutes but the savvy Wizards pulled it out in the end. On the one hand the Wizards are the veteran squad that got the W but on the other hand they weren't vastly superior to the Magic. In tennis you might see a final score where one guy dominated the other, but at any given point in that match the players weren't necessarily all the far apart, the better guy is one who makes the right play at the right moment. Likewise in team sports: the Wizards were better when the clock struck zero but the Magic were better for most of the time before that. The Wizards are gonna get 10-15 more wins than the Magic because they're gonna be better at the right moment but not at ALL moments.
I watched the Celtics roll the Sixers. Okafor has a marvelous debut and I still think he and Nerlens are gonna make a great tag team down low....but not any time soon. The Sixers are still built to be awful. Is this the summer when they finally look to make something happen? They'll have Embiid, Saric, a top 5 pick and a ton of cap space to work with....do they want to be any good? As for the Celtics, they were the Celtics, rolling the Sixers is something they should do with ease and they did.
I did not watch the Nuggets drub the Rockets in Houston (105-85, yipes!) but I'm curious: wtf happened there? A look at the box score shows that all the Rockets shot horribly, it could be the pesky Nuggets brought the tenacious D but I'm guessing the Rockets were just sluggish, a team wide 'flu-like symptoms' let's say. This cannot be a harbinger game: I say the Nuggets are the worst in the West, the Rockets could quite possibly be the best, this lopsided, weird-ass game changes nothing in my mind, so I'm just not even gonna watch it.
I watched the Knicks drub the Bucks in Milwaukee. Weird game: neither Porzingis nor Melo did much of anything in this game and still NYK won by 25 on the road? Uhhhhh....wha...wha happened? The Bucks were without Antetokounpo or Jabari and, man, in case you'd forgotten: MCW cannot score to save his life! Its like he's allergic to the basket. I thought Greg Monroe looked good for the Bucks but without Parker down low and some Greek freakin' on the perimeter, the Bucks just looked stagnant offensively and out of sorts defensively. I'll chalk up the poor D to opening night sweats and a depleted core. As for the Knicks: hey man, Derrick Williams looked good. Look: the term 'bust' is a tricky one because it doesn't refer to the play on the court as much as to his place in the draft order. Williams had too many expectations thrust upon him and got bounced around the league like an orphan but that doesn't mean he's a bad player, he's just not the player we'd been led to believe he was going to be. Draft order can be a curse (just ask Thomas Robinson and Anthony Bennett) but take it easy when you're throwing 'bust' around--Williams was pretty good in Sacramento last year, you just didn't notice because it took place in Sacramento! O'quinn, too, looked ready to be a baller but one observation: felt like he went out of his way to not give Porzingis the ball, was I just imagining that? At the end of the day, the Bucks still have more upside than the Knicks and I fully expect the Bucks to be the better team throughout the season.
I watched the Clippers over the Kings. Man, I thought the Kings looked so awful early on that I don't know how this was even a game. As I watched I just couldn't believe that the Clippers weren't winning by 400 points and in the 4th quarter the Kings actually came back and took the lead! The Clippers had to work to pull it out in the end...and I have no idea why it took so much effort. The Kings looked awful, way awful, awful-er than usual. Cousins was trying too hard, Rondo doesn't try hard enough, McLemore was non-existent for most of the game, Cauley-Stein is such a poor fit for this team--the Kings might be much worse than I thought. Still, though, they had a lead late in the 4th quarter, no idea how that came to be.
Watched the Wolves beat the Lakers. The Lakers were the better team for almost all of this game, not sure how they pissed it away at the end. Rubio confidently knocking down jumpers--where did that come from?!? I think Towns is gonna be really good, Wiggins looks like a legit DPOY-type player, I still think the Wolves are in lottery territory but they get might good faster than you think. As for the Lakers, they're a slopfest, man. They've got some talent and some tenacity, they'll win a few games, but they're not any good. They're not really a tank-type team and I'm not seeing any notable trade assets there (I expect Roy Hibbert to be on a playoff team come April though). But they'll be rolling off a lot of salary this summer, maybe they'll be the Lakers again....some day.
I watched the Pistons beat the Hawks in Atlanta. It made me even warier of the Hawks: last year Millsap and Carroll were in contract years and Korver was smarting from getting left off the World Cup roster (I thought he should've made it), they snuck up on people and got deliriously hot in Jan-Feb. This year Horford's in a contract year but....none of that other stuff. Millsap got paid, Carroll got paid to go somewhere else, Korver can't possibly be that awesome again (can he?), they gave up on Adrian Payne, they got rid of the overly maligned Executive of the Year Danny Ferry and all they added was Tim Hardaway Jr. The Hawks will still be one of the better teams in the East but I'm not seeing a top 4 finish for them. As for the Pistons, they looked better than I would've thought. Drummond looks ready to be beastly (more of a scorer than I thought he would be) and they move the ball really well. The game was sloppy (1st game of the year) and perhaps the muddy track suited the Pistons better than the Hawks...uh, not sure that's a good sign.
I watched all of the Bulls beating the Cavs. Great defensive stops at the end by Pau and Butler but frankly it should not have been that close. The Bulls were really better at most everything that night, not to say that they're wildly better than the Cavs but they've played the Cavs tough in the regular season and I wasn't surprised to see them win their opener. And not that it was a blowout but I thought the Bulls kinda got lazy and let the Cavs sneak back into it. Two good teams that will both get better as the year progresses, not much to learn from this one, just a good game to watch.
I watched the Wizards beat the Magic. If you're looking for sneaky teams that might find their way into the playoffs in the East, the Magic could be on that list: they're young but they're really talented, they're gonna be good eventually. And this game showed all the highs and lows of that: they battled against a superior for 47 minutes but the savvy Wizards pulled it out in the end. On the one hand the Wizards are the veteran squad that got the W but on the other hand they weren't vastly superior to the Magic. In tennis you might see a final score where one guy dominated the other, but at any given point in that match the players weren't necessarily all the far apart, the better guy is one who makes the right play at the right moment. Likewise in team sports: the Wizards were better when the clock struck zero but the Magic were better for most of the time before that. The Wizards are gonna get 10-15 more wins than the Magic because they're gonna be better at the right moment but not at ALL moments.
I watched the Celtics roll the Sixers. Okafor has a marvelous debut and I still think he and Nerlens are gonna make a great tag team down low....but not any time soon. The Sixers are still built to be awful. Is this the summer when they finally look to make something happen? They'll have Embiid, Saric, a top 5 pick and a ton of cap space to work with....do they want to be any good? As for the Celtics, they were the Celtics, rolling the Sixers is something they should do with ease and they did.
I did not watch the Nuggets drub the Rockets in Houston (105-85, yipes!) but I'm curious: wtf happened there? A look at the box score shows that all the Rockets shot horribly, it could be the pesky Nuggets brought the tenacious D but I'm guessing the Rockets were just sluggish, a team wide 'flu-like symptoms' let's say. This cannot be a harbinger game: I say the Nuggets are the worst in the West, the Rockets could quite possibly be the best, this lopsided, weird-ass game changes nothing in my mind, so I'm just not even gonna watch it.
I watched the Knicks drub the Bucks in Milwaukee. Weird game: neither Porzingis nor Melo did much of anything in this game and still NYK won by 25 on the road? Uhhhhh....wha...wha happened? The Bucks were without Antetokounpo or Jabari and, man, in case you'd forgotten: MCW cannot score to save his life! Its like he's allergic to the basket. I thought Greg Monroe looked good for the Bucks but without Parker down low and some Greek freakin' on the perimeter, the Bucks just looked stagnant offensively and out of sorts defensively. I'll chalk up the poor D to opening night sweats and a depleted core. As for the Knicks: hey man, Derrick Williams looked good. Look: the term 'bust' is a tricky one because it doesn't refer to the play on the court as much as to his place in the draft order. Williams had too many expectations thrust upon him and got bounced around the league like an orphan but that doesn't mean he's a bad player, he's just not the player we'd been led to believe he was going to be. Draft order can be a curse (just ask Thomas Robinson and Anthony Bennett) but take it easy when you're throwing 'bust' around--Williams was pretty good in Sacramento last year, you just didn't notice because it took place in Sacramento! O'quinn, too, looked ready to be a baller but one observation: felt like he went out of his way to not give Porzingis the ball, was I just imagining that? At the end of the day, the Bucks still have more upside than the Knicks and I fully expect the Bucks to be the better team throughout the season.
I watched the Clippers over the Kings. Man, I thought the Kings looked so awful early on that I don't know how this was even a game. As I watched I just couldn't believe that the Clippers weren't winning by 400 points and in the 4th quarter the Kings actually came back and took the lead! The Clippers had to work to pull it out in the end...and I have no idea why it took so much effort. The Kings looked awful, way awful, awful-er than usual. Cousins was trying too hard, Rondo doesn't try hard enough, McLemore was non-existent for most of the game, Cauley-Stein is such a poor fit for this team--the Kings might be much worse than I thought. Still, though, they had a lead late in the 4th quarter, no idea how that came to be.
Watched the Wolves beat the Lakers. The Lakers were the better team for almost all of this game, not sure how they pissed it away at the end. Rubio confidently knocking down jumpers--where did that come from?!? I think Towns is gonna be really good, Wiggins looks like a legit DPOY-type player, I still think the Wolves are in lottery territory but they get might good faster than you think. As for the Lakers, they're a slopfest, man. They've got some talent and some tenacity, they'll win a few games, but they're not any good. They're not really a tank-type team and I'm not seeing any notable trade assets there (I expect Roy Hibbert to be on a playoff team come April though). But they'll be rolling off a lot of salary this summer, maybe they'll be the Lakers again....some day.
Monday, October 26, 2015
NBA Preview (East)
Bulls (57 wins). I was a believer in the Bulls last year and though they've seemingly added nothing, I'm even more of a believer going into this year. (Well, for the regular season anyway) My rationale last year was that they had enough offense to not have to rely on Derrick Rose and I'm still buying that thesis. Personally I think Bobby Portis can play and could be very useful even as a rookie, I think Hoiberg will get something out of Doug McDermott who wasn't able to contribute much last year and I think they'll start the season with expectations of Mirotic. I think letting go of Thibodeau in favor of da Mayor Fred Hoiberg will bring more offensive efficiency without sacrificing any of the D (the good parts of the Thibs influence will remain while the negative parts are gone). Pau looks reinvigorated, Butler is ready to be a steady star, Noah will be free of the Thibs-abuse and if Rose shows up, the Bulls could be really really dangerous. As it is, I think they've got enough to take the #1 spot in the East.
Cavs (53). The Cavs are clearly the favorite in the East but they're starting the season with a lot of injuries: Love, Kyrie, Shumpert all still potentially out, Mozgov rounding into shape after off-season surgery and who knows what's up with Thompson. As the health gets back in line, the Cavs will be fine and even with all those variables, they'll still win a ton of games, especially after the all-star break.
Heat (51). I really like this Heat roster but it'll take them a while to figure how they fit together. Wade needs service, Dragic can adapt, Bosh needs to see what everyone else is doing, Winslow could be a baller but for now he's just a rookie, McRoberts is coming off an injury, Whiteside has had exactly 1 nice year in this league. As tantalizing as that group is, there are still a lot of what-ifs in there. I think they're gonna be real good though and once they get going, they could be legit contenders in the playoffs (though health could be a serious concern by then).
Wizards (50). Wall is ready to be a big star and while I like the team currently constructed, I can see them ready to deal at the deadline so this roster might noticeably different by the end of the season. Porter is ready to be a real contributor, Beal needs to stay healthy to have a solid season and I'm curious to see rookie Kelly Oubre, he might be really good. They beat the Bulls 2 year ago, the Raptors last year, I think they expect to make the 2nd round and--with the right roster moves--could be ready to sneak into the conference finals.
Hawks (50). I like the Hawks but I don't love them. I think they overachieved last year and while I like the addition of Tiago Splitter, I don't like the loss of Demarre Carrol and I'm dubious on Dennis Shroeder and Tim Hardaway Jr. I just don't see the depth there and there has been enough re-shuffling that it might take a while for them to find themselves. Horford's in a contract year, he'll be balling (and could be the tastiest trade bait available if the Hawks season goes sideways).
Raptors (45). I thought the Raptors went out ugly last year, I expected the full-on fire sale in the off-season and that didn't really materialize. The changes though are kinda weird: Cory Joseph (hometown hero) is a nice player, we'll see what he does with more minutes; can they make something out of Anthony Bennett (another hometown hero)? If so, he'll be the bargain of the year, if not he might be a serious bringdown on the team; are Caboclo and Noquiera ready for prime time?; is Derozan more valuable as tradebait? The Lowry-Carroll-Valenciunas trio seems to be set for the next coupla years, we'll see if its gonna work.
Bucks (42). Everybody's favorite bust-out team, I look forward to watching them because I love all the young talent. But I'm not so sure they're gonna win and I don't think they'll be winning in the playoffs this year. MCW, Middleton, Antetokounpo, Jabari and Monroe makes for a nice starting five but so far none of those guys have been anywhere or done anything, it'll take a Herculean effort to do some real damage. I like 'em, I'll be watching but my expectations are tempered for now.
Celtics (41). The C's way overachieved last year. They've got the best coach in the league (let me repeat that: BEST COACH IN THE LEAGUE) and they play with a lot of heart. But their ability to sneak up on people will be vastly diminished this year and they're still in that annoying place of having a lot of 'nice' players but no real star to take over. David Lee is a solid veteran but he's not gonna carry a team, Isiah Thomas wants to start but I suspect his efficiency plummets the more he plays, Evan Turner could be a catalyst or a distraction. I still love the coach (best in the league) and there's nothing wrong the team but I just don't see how they're really any better than they were last year. GM Danny Ainge has been trying to wheel and deal for a coupla years now and his inability to pull off a deal will not deter him from trying; they've got a big trade waiting for them, could/should change everything about their season.
Pacers (38). Overachieved last year, they get Paul George back and I like the addition of Monta Ellis but losing West and Hibbert makes for a real challenge for them to remake themselves. I like PG and Monta and Coach Vogel but I'm not seeing enough else on that team to think they'll be in the playoff hunt.
Hornets (36). Like the Celtics, they have an interesting collection of players and an under appreciated coach. But can Big Al carry this team? That's a tall order in a conference where others teams are ready to make a big jump. Kemba is nice but I don't think he's enough of a scorer to carry a team, the bench has improved but I don't see enough offense to make a difference. Better than last year but not good enough to be better than 9th place.
Knicks (32). They can't possibly be as bad as last year but even if they're way waaaaay better won't be good enough. I can see Melo being in MVP contention...til everyone realizes even at his best he doesn't WIN games. I wouldn't say I love any of their off-season moves but in terms of risk/reward, I thought they had a pretty good summer: Lopez and O'quinn should make a nice combo down low, Williams and Seraphin are nice low risk pick ups, keep an eye on Jerian Grant. I'm not really buying the coexistential-ness of Melo and Prozingas except as Melo's audition for another team. I think the push-pull between them will keep the team discombobulated. They'll be vastly better but they'll still be watching the playoffs on TV. (I'm really starting to buy into the Melo trade rumors, let the speculation begin on who his next team will be!)
Magic (32). Like the Bucks, I love all the young talent and they'll be a regular on my League Pass this year. I like bringing Coach Skiles to whip the squad into shape, they'll be fun to watch and they'll be in a lot more 4th quarters than they were last year. But I still don't see them winning too many more games this year. But they're growing in the right direction, one more lottery pick (and one or two savvy trades) and they'll be a legit contender in the East in the next year or two.
Pistons (32). Hmmm, Stan Van is a smart man but I'm not seeing the method to the madness in Detroit. I can see Drummond having a breakout season but he'll be more Deandre Jordan than Anthony Davis. I don't see how Jennings (coming off a vicious injury) and Reggie Jax co-exist, I'm not a believer in Caldwell-Pope, the supporting cast (Ilyasova, Marcus Morris, Meeks) is nice but nothing superlative. Stanley Johnson is a sneaky ROY pick, if he's a bust-out baller maybe the Pistons sniff the playoffs but relying on a rookie is an odd place for Stan Van to find himself. I want to like the Pistons, I want to like Stan Van's big picture plan....but I don't.
Nets (24). Everything about this team is just gonna be kinda sorry. This team was built to dominate and they have not dominated anything at all. The roster has a lot of nice players, the real motivation this year is for everyone to play well enough to become trade bait. Are Hollis-Jefferson, Brown and McCullough gonna be keepers? We'll see.
Sixers (22). I think Okafor and Nerlens are gonna make a great combo but the rest of the roster is still a hodge podge of hard working mediocre players. To my mind, this season is probably gonna be all about what they can get for Joel Embiid (I can already tell that pointless trade ideas for Embiid is gonna be a regular feature this year on the blog).
Cavs (53). The Cavs are clearly the favorite in the East but they're starting the season with a lot of injuries: Love, Kyrie, Shumpert all still potentially out, Mozgov rounding into shape after off-season surgery and who knows what's up with Thompson. As the health gets back in line, the Cavs will be fine and even with all those variables, they'll still win a ton of games, especially after the all-star break.
Heat (51). I really like this Heat roster but it'll take them a while to figure how they fit together. Wade needs service, Dragic can adapt, Bosh needs to see what everyone else is doing, Winslow could be a baller but for now he's just a rookie, McRoberts is coming off an injury, Whiteside has had exactly 1 nice year in this league. As tantalizing as that group is, there are still a lot of what-ifs in there. I think they're gonna be real good though and once they get going, they could be legit contenders in the playoffs (though health could be a serious concern by then).
Wizards (50). Wall is ready to be a big star and while I like the team currently constructed, I can see them ready to deal at the deadline so this roster might noticeably different by the end of the season. Porter is ready to be a real contributor, Beal needs to stay healthy to have a solid season and I'm curious to see rookie Kelly Oubre, he might be really good. They beat the Bulls 2 year ago, the Raptors last year, I think they expect to make the 2nd round and--with the right roster moves--could be ready to sneak into the conference finals.
Hawks (50). I like the Hawks but I don't love them. I think they overachieved last year and while I like the addition of Tiago Splitter, I don't like the loss of Demarre Carrol and I'm dubious on Dennis Shroeder and Tim Hardaway Jr. I just don't see the depth there and there has been enough re-shuffling that it might take a while for them to find themselves. Horford's in a contract year, he'll be balling (and could be the tastiest trade bait available if the Hawks season goes sideways).
Raptors (45). I thought the Raptors went out ugly last year, I expected the full-on fire sale in the off-season and that didn't really materialize. The changes though are kinda weird: Cory Joseph (hometown hero) is a nice player, we'll see what he does with more minutes; can they make something out of Anthony Bennett (another hometown hero)? If so, he'll be the bargain of the year, if not he might be a serious bringdown on the team; are Caboclo and Noquiera ready for prime time?; is Derozan more valuable as tradebait? The Lowry-Carroll-Valenciunas trio seems to be set for the next coupla years, we'll see if its gonna work.
Bucks (42). Everybody's favorite bust-out team, I look forward to watching them because I love all the young talent. But I'm not so sure they're gonna win and I don't think they'll be winning in the playoffs this year. MCW, Middleton, Antetokounpo, Jabari and Monroe makes for a nice starting five but so far none of those guys have been anywhere or done anything, it'll take a Herculean effort to do some real damage. I like 'em, I'll be watching but my expectations are tempered for now.
Celtics (41). The C's way overachieved last year. They've got the best coach in the league (let me repeat that: BEST COACH IN THE LEAGUE) and they play with a lot of heart. But their ability to sneak up on people will be vastly diminished this year and they're still in that annoying place of having a lot of 'nice' players but no real star to take over. David Lee is a solid veteran but he's not gonna carry a team, Isiah Thomas wants to start but I suspect his efficiency plummets the more he plays, Evan Turner could be a catalyst or a distraction. I still love the coach (best in the league) and there's nothing wrong the team but I just don't see how they're really any better than they were last year. GM Danny Ainge has been trying to wheel and deal for a coupla years now and his inability to pull off a deal will not deter him from trying; they've got a big trade waiting for them, could/should change everything about their season.
Pacers (38). Overachieved last year, they get Paul George back and I like the addition of Monta Ellis but losing West and Hibbert makes for a real challenge for them to remake themselves. I like PG and Monta and Coach Vogel but I'm not seeing enough else on that team to think they'll be in the playoff hunt.
Hornets (36). Like the Celtics, they have an interesting collection of players and an under appreciated coach. But can Big Al carry this team? That's a tall order in a conference where others teams are ready to make a big jump. Kemba is nice but I don't think he's enough of a scorer to carry a team, the bench has improved but I don't see enough offense to make a difference. Better than last year but not good enough to be better than 9th place.
Knicks (32). They can't possibly be as bad as last year but even if they're way waaaaay better won't be good enough. I can see Melo being in MVP contention...til everyone realizes even at his best he doesn't WIN games. I wouldn't say I love any of their off-season moves but in terms of risk/reward, I thought they had a pretty good summer: Lopez and O'quinn should make a nice combo down low, Williams and Seraphin are nice low risk pick ups, keep an eye on Jerian Grant. I'm not really buying the coexistential-ness of Melo and Prozingas except as Melo's audition for another team. I think the push-pull between them will keep the team discombobulated. They'll be vastly better but they'll still be watching the playoffs on TV. (I'm really starting to buy into the Melo trade rumors, let the speculation begin on who his next team will be!)
Magic (32). Like the Bucks, I love all the young talent and they'll be a regular on my League Pass this year. I like bringing Coach Skiles to whip the squad into shape, they'll be fun to watch and they'll be in a lot more 4th quarters than they were last year. But I still don't see them winning too many more games this year. But they're growing in the right direction, one more lottery pick (and one or two savvy trades) and they'll be a legit contender in the East in the next year or two.
Pistons (32). Hmmm, Stan Van is a smart man but I'm not seeing the method to the madness in Detroit. I can see Drummond having a breakout season but he'll be more Deandre Jordan than Anthony Davis. I don't see how Jennings (coming off a vicious injury) and Reggie Jax co-exist, I'm not a believer in Caldwell-Pope, the supporting cast (Ilyasova, Marcus Morris, Meeks) is nice but nothing superlative. Stanley Johnson is a sneaky ROY pick, if he's a bust-out baller maybe the Pistons sniff the playoffs but relying on a rookie is an odd place for Stan Van to find himself. I want to like the Pistons, I want to like Stan Van's big picture plan....but I don't.
Nets (24). Everything about this team is just gonna be kinda sorry. This team was built to dominate and they have not dominated anything at all. The roster has a lot of nice players, the real motivation this year is for everyone to play well enough to become trade bait. Are Hollis-Jefferson, Brown and McCullough gonna be keepers? We'll see.
Sixers (22). I think Okafor and Nerlens are gonna make a great combo but the rest of the roster is still a hodge podge of hard working mediocre players. To my mind, this season is probably gonna be all about what they can get for Joel Embiid (I can already tell that pointless trade ideas for Embiid is gonna be a regular feature this year on the blog).
NBA Preview (West)
Warriors (61 wins). I'm not trying be that guy but the Warriors did enjoy a great deal of luck last year. They deserved to win, they were just about perfect last season, and while they're still one of the tippity-toppity best teams in the league, it is unrealistic to think they'll breeze their way to back to back championships. I still have them finishing 1st in the West but I just can't see them being as good as last year. Coach Kerr is unlikely to start the season on the bench, all you need to show that their stellar health last season (even their one injury was providential!) cannot be repeated. How they respond to a normal amount of injuries will determine just how dominant they can be.
Rockets (59). I've been skeptical of the James Harden model (one unbelievably efficient ball dominant player that does everything) but perhaps my skepticism is just for the playoffs. In the regular season I think that can be successful, especially when the Rockets have upgraded the supporting cast with very little effort. This is a really solid team all around. Look for Motiejunas, Jones, Capela and McDaniels to each take a step forward, look for the veterans to be all veteran-y (Lawson, Howard, Ariza, Terry, Brewer, Beverley), look for their incoming rooks (Dekker, Harrel) to get their moments to shine. That's pretty good stuff, man. I think they'll win a lot of games this year and Harden will be a top 3 MVP candidate.
Thunder (57). I think KD wins the MVP, I think Westbrook plays even angrier than usual, I think Ibaka's role might net him a 6th Man Award, I think Coach Donovan juggles the supporting cast well enough for this machine to hum along. I think they are painfully aware of what they've left on the table the last coupla years and that this may be the last hurrah and I think they bring it from the gitty and bury people all year long. I fear, though, they may be worn out come playoff time.
Spurs (55). I was a bit skeptical of the addition of Lamarcus Aldridge: while he's definitely a legit badass scorer, I wasn't convinced that his game would blend seamlessly with the Spur style. But, who am I kidding? He's a badass player and this is a team that knows how to make the most of badass players. They may fumble for a little while but by the all-star break this team will be rounding into seriously dangerous form. Indeed, bringing in Aldridge and West should ease the load on Tony Parker (I think he'll be better this year than he's been in a while) and Manu (he looked good in pre-season). I have them coming into the playoffs in 4th place, just enough below the radar to feel like the underdog.
Clippers (54). Chris Paul is a great (regular season) PG, Blake Griffin has really come into his own recently as the dominant offensive force we all knew he was going to be, Deandre Jordan should've won DPOY last year (and I think he will this year), Paul Pierce still has plenty of run left in him, JJ Reddick is one of the sharpest shooters in the league, Lance Stephenson desperately needs success to restore his image, Josh Smith too, Jamal Crawford is still one of the finest bench players in the league (and probably irked about the trade rumors that swirled around him all summer), Austin Rivers wants to show that he's more than just his father's son, even Pablo Prigioni is a sneaky good control freak off the bench. Man, gonna be a serious disappointment when they get run by the Spurs in the 1st round (yeah, Clippers gonna Clip).
Grizzlies (51). I kinda love the Grizzlies, I love the players, love the ethic, and they're still just one trade away from being a seriously dangerous team even in the West. But I'm not seeing the improvement, I'm only seeing the slow deterioration. (How do they get Melo? Oh yeah: they don't) I'm all in on the Gasol-Zeebo-Conley-Allen quartet but I'm still not in on any of the rest of that roster. Four really good players just won't be good enough to win a playoff series in the West. Indeed, they're a trade or two away from getting usurped by the Pelicans.
Pelicans (48). I adore Anthony Davis and I appreciate that the Pelican brass has desperately tried to wheel and deal him some teammates right now. But their efforts have left the cupboard pretty bare. That said, AD is good enough to bring the team along even if the team itself doesn't really want to. Evans is probably out til New Year's and Ajinca, Asik and Pondexter will probably also be in and out of the lineup early on. That's putting a lot of pressure on the oft-injured Holliday, the overrated Gordon and a bench that leaves a lot to be desired. Oh well, Davis is good enough to elevate this bunch at least more than their near rivals can rise. I like the Pelicans to get up to 7th this year (one more year for the salary cap to go up and for Eric Gordon's ruinous contract to finally disappear; one more year til they finally get Davis the help he needs/deserves).
Suns (41). Okay, I admit it: I'm a sucker for the Suns. I (still) think Eric Bledsoe is the next great NBA badass, I think Branden Knight is one of the most underappreciated PG's in the league, I think Devin Booker has a decent shot at ROY, I think Alex Len and TJ Warren are ready to blossom, I think this team is gonna score, score, score and while I didn't really get the Tyson Chandler signing, I think he's a good player and he'll give them a hint of defensive backbone they otherwise wouldn't have had. I don't trust the Suns upper management, the culture seems a little putrid there, so a mid-season upgrade is probably not coming. But I like the squad they've got on the court, at least enough to get past the Jazz for the right to be the sacrificial lamb to the Warriors.
Jazz (40). High on my League Pass rankings, love watching the young talent and this team is well stocked in such. I like the coach, I like the culture, I like their direction, I like the youth (except for Trey Burke), I think they'll be better than last year. But I think they're still another year away from getting some playoff run. (Keep an eye on Trey Lyles, a sneaky ROY pick, I think that kid can really play and as he gets used to the pro game, he could be really really good)
Kings (38). A lotta talent, a lotta mess. I think Cousins is a great (GREAT) player, Gay is a shockingly efficient player, Rondo is a no-nonsense leader and the supporting cast improved (a little) over the summer. But I still don't think they'll be very good. They'll have moments, they'll have good streaks (14 W's in 19 games) and bad streaks (2 W's in the next 19 games), they'll be competitive into the 4th quarter, they'll be a tough out, they'll sting the sleeping teams but they won't beat the teams that bring their best game. They'll be okay, they won't be laughably bad but they won't make the playoffs.
Mavs (33). I think the Mavs are really in a bad way right now, I'm only taking them to win this many games because of inertia: they're used to winning a lot of games and so they'll keep winning like a chicken with its head cut off. Their 1st round pick next year belongs to the Celtics; its top 7 protected, so they are incentivized to blow it up but Coach Carlisle ain't a tank commander (though he does have a lucrative extension awaiting him), Dirk gets nothing out of losing and even though Cuban understands the business of the game, he's too entrenched with those guys to force them to walk the plank. So I think the Mavs will be pretty terrible but will still pull out more games in the 4th quarter than you think they oughta.
Blazers (31). I was dubious of the early summer projections of Aldridge to the Spurs, I kept thinking he'd return to the Blazers. In that light, I thought their off-season was actually pretty good: Davis/Plumlee replace Lopez, Henderson replaces Afflalo, Aminu replaces Batum, Harkless replaces Matthews. I know, I know, its not great but if you keep Aldridge, its not such a drop off and the change may have been invigorating. But they didn't keep Aldridge, so the moves just look desperate and weak. But if Lillard has a big year (very possible) then the Blazers shouldn't be awful. The salad days have passed but the 'rebuilding' period ahead doesn't look too dire (and if the Mavs and Kings flail, the Blazers might even be fighting for the 8th spot).
Lakers (27). The Lakers (like the Knicks) almost have to be much better than last year. While I wasn't a huge fan of their off-season moves, this year's roster is clearly better than last year's. Russell and Randle are the future (or are they Melo bait?), all else is just upgraded filler. (Personally, I think Kobe will be playing in 2016-17 and probably not for the Lakers, just wanted to get that on the record)
Wolves (23). Sorry to hear about the passing of Flip Saunders, shame to see he won't see the flowering of the seeds he's planted. This team is still a year or two (throw in another good lottery pick) from being good, but the core of young talent is intriguing. Gonna be a great League Pass team all year long but I don't see them gutting out too many wins in the West.
Nuggets (17). All about Mudiay and whatever they can get for Faried. Otherwise, not much to see here. Easily the worst team in the West.
Rockets (59). I've been skeptical of the James Harden model (one unbelievably efficient ball dominant player that does everything) but perhaps my skepticism is just for the playoffs. In the regular season I think that can be successful, especially when the Rockets have upgraded the supporting cast with very little effort. This is a really solid team all around. Look for Motiejunas, Jones, Capela and McDaniels to each take a step forward, look for the veterans to be all veteran-y (Lawson, Howard, Ariza, Terry, Brewer, Beverley), look for their incoming rooks (Dekker, Harrel) to get their moments to shine. That's pretty good stuff, man. I think they'll win a lot of games this year and Harden will be a top 3 MVP candidate.
Thunder (57). I think KD wins the MVP, I think Westbrook plays even angrier than usual, I think Ibaka's role might net him a 6th Man Award, I think Coach Donovan juggles the supporting cast well enough for this machine to hum along. I think they are painfully aware of what they've left on the table the last coupla years and that this may be the last hurrah and I think they bring it from the gitty and bury people all year long. I fear, though, they may be worn out come playoff time.
Spurs (55). I was a bit skeptical of the addition of Lamarcus Aldridge: while he's definitely a legit badass scorer, I wasn't convinced that his game would blend seamlessly with the Spur style. But, who am I kidding? He's a badass player and this is a team that knows how to make the most of badass players. They may fumble for a little while but by the all-star break this team will be rounding into seriously dangerous form. Indeed, bringing in Aldridge and West should ease the load on Tony Parker (I think he'll be better this year than he's been in a while) and Manu (he looked good in pre-season). I have them coming into the playoffs in 4th place, just enough below the radar to feel like the underdog.
Clippers (54). Chris Paul is a great (regular season) PG, Blake Griffin has really come into his own recently as the dominant offensive force we all knew he was going to be, Deandre Jordan should've won DPOY last year (and I think he will this year), Paul Pierce still has plenty of run left in him, JJ Reddick is one of the sharpest shooters in the league, Lance Stephenson desperately needs success to restore his image, Josh Smith too, Jamal Crawford is still one of the finest bench players in the league (and probably irked about the trade rumors that swirled around him all summer), Austin Rivers wants to show that he's more than just his father's son, even Pablo Prigioni is a sneaky good control freak off the bench. Man, gonna be a serious disappointment when they get run by the Spurs in the 1st round (yeah, Clippers gonna Clip).
Grizzlies (51). I kinda love the Grizzlies, I love the players, love the ethic, and they're still just one trade away from being a seriously dangerous team even in the West. But I'm not seeing the improvement, I'm only seeing the slow deterioration. (How do they get Melo? Oh yeah: they don't) I'm all in on the Gasol-Zeebo-Conley-Allen quartet but I'm still not in on any of the rest of that roster. Four really good players just won't be good enough to win a playoff series in the West. Indeed, they're a trade or two away from getting usurped by the Pelicans.
Pelicans (48). I adore Anthony Davis and I appreciate that the Pelican brass has desperately tried to wheel and deal him some teammates right now. But their efforts have left the cupboard pretty bare. That said, AD is good enough to bring the team along even if the team itself doesn't really want to. Evans is probably out til New Year's and Ajinca, Asik and Pondexter will probably also be in and out of the lineup early on. That's putting a lot of pressure on the oft-injured Holliday, the overrated Gordon and a bench that leaves a lot to be desired. Oh well, Davis is good enough to elevate this bunch at least more than their near rivals can rise. I like the Pelicans to get up to 7th this year (one more year for the salary cap to go up and for Eric Gordon's ruinous contract to finally disappear; one more year til they finally get Davis the help he needs/deserves).
Suns (41). Okay, I admit it: I'm a sucker for the Suns. I (still) think Eric Bledsoe is the next great NBA badass, I think Branden Knight is one of the most underappreciated PG's in the league, I think Devin Booker has a decent shot at ROY, I think Alex Len and TJ Warren are ready to blossom, I think this team is gonna score, score, score and while I didn't really get the Tyson Chandler signing, I think he's a good player and he'll give them a hint of defensive backbone they otherwise wouldn't have had. I don't trust the Suns upper management, the culture seems a little putrid there, so a mid-season upgrade is probably not coming. But I like the squad they've got on the court, at least enough to get past the Jazz for the right to be the sacrificial lamb to the Warriors.
Jazz (40). High on my League Pass rankings, love watching the young talent and this team is well stocked in such. I like the coach, I like the culture, I like their direction, I like the youth (except for Trey Burke), I think they'll be better than last year. But I think they're still another year away from getting some playoff run. (Keep an eye on Trey Lyles, a sneaky ROY pick, I think that kid can really play and as he gets used to the pro game, he could be really really good)
Kings (38). A lotta talent, a lotta mess. I think Cousins is a great (GREAT) player, Gay is a shockingly efficient player, Rondo is a no-nonsense leader and the supporting cast improved (a little) over the summer. But I still don't think they'll be very good. They'll have moments, they'll have good streaks (14 W's in 19 games) and bad streaks (2 W's in the next 19 games), they'll be competitive into the 4th quarter, they'll be a tough out, they'll sting the sleeping teams but they won't beat the teams that bring their best game. They'll be okay, they won't be laughably bad but they won't make the playoffs.
Mavs (33). I think the Mavs are really in a bad way right now, I'm only taking them to win this many games because of inertia: they're used to winning a lot of games and so they'll keep winning like a chicken with its head cut off. Their 1st round pick next year belongs to the Celtics; its top 7 protected, so they are incentivized to blow it up but Coach Carlisle ain't a tank commander (though he does have a lucrative extension awaiting him), Dirk gets nothing out of losing and even though Cuban understands the business of the game, he's too entrenched with those guys to force them to walk the plank. So I think the Mavs will be pretty terrible but will still pull out more games in the 4th quarter than you think they oughta.
Blazers (31). I was dubious of the early summer projections of Aldridge to the Spurs, I kept thinking he'd return to the Blazers. In that light, I thought their off-season was actually pretty good: Davis/Plumlee replace Lopez, Henderson replaces Afflalo, Aminu replaces Batum, Harkless replaces Matthews. I know, I know, its not great but if you keep Aldridge, its not such a drop off and the change may have been invigorating. But they didn't keep Aldridge, so the moves just look desperate and weak. But if Lillard has a big year (very possible) then the Blazers shouldn't be awful. The salad days have passed but the 'rebuilding' period ahead doesn't look too dire (and if the Mavs and Kings flail, the Blazers might even be fighting for the 8th spot).
Lakers (27). The Lakers (like the Knicks) almost have to be much better than last year. While I wasn't a huge fan of their off-season moves, this year's roster is clearly better than last year's. Russell and Randle are the future (or are they Melo bait?), all else is just upgraded filler. (Personally, I think Kobe will be playing in 2016-17 and probably not for the Lakers, just wanted to get that on the record)
Wolves (23). Sorry to hear about the passing of Flip Saunders, shame to see he won't see the flowering of the seeds he's planted. This team is still a year or two (throw in another good lottery pick) from being good, but the core of young talent is intriguing. Gonna be a great League Pass team all year long but I don't see them gutting out too many wins in the West.
Nuggets (17). All about Mudiay and whatever they can get for Faried. Otherwise, not much to see here. Easily the worst team in the West.
World Series
The two best teams I watched this year were the Blue Jays and the Pirates, neither of whom are still around. The Blue Jays seems to get frustrated by the no-quit-ness of the Royals and even when it looked like the Jays had turned the corner and were about to come back on them, the Royals kept the hitting going and closed out the series. The tenacity of the Royals is their best attribute, the pitching is okay, the lineup is good but not great, the defense is solid, but they never quit, they make use of all 27 outs and that keeps them in games that they probably ought to lose.
The Pirates fell prey to the 1-game playoff for the 3rd straight year. Sucks, but that's the way it goes, anyone can win one game in baseball. The Cubs blasted through their division opponents with timely power hitting and shutdown pitching. But against the Mets, the weather turned cool and that alone seemed to finish off the Cubs. I thought the Mets played well but more than that the Cubs failed to play from behind, they were the un-Royals, watching games slip away rather than aggressively trying to win them back. The Mets pitching was really good and the bats showed up at the right time but I can't help thinking they've been overachieving all year long. They exposed the lack of depth of the Dodgers and caught the Cubs at a bad moment. Are the Mets really this good?
Looking forward to this Series, these are not two teams I would've thought we'd see at the end of the year but they're both playing well at the right time and here we are. This match-up is all about the Mets pitching against the Royals lineup. The Mets should be able to break through against the Royal staff but if the Royals can score on the Mets, they'll win. I'm betting they will. I'll take the Royals in 7.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Rugby World Cup
So Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are all in the semi-finals? What a shocker! I haven't watched a single second of this tournament (I don't have the right cable package) but these last few matches should be all-world rugby action.
FIFA U-17 World Cup
USA got bounced from the U-17 World Cup tonight after a 4-1 beatdown from host country, Chile. I was hoping for a more promising result but USA found themselves in the toughest group: Nigeria (traditional youth power), Croatia (supposedly loaded with talent), Chile (the host country, always a tough out). Perhaps it was just bad luck but hopes were high for this squad and they got rolled when they needed to step up.
I'll go ahead and use this as an opportunity to again announce my displeasure with coach Klinsmann. I thought the result in the 2014 World Cup was disappointing and entirely his fault; the 4th place finish in this year's Gold Cup was disappointing; the inability to solve Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup just a few weeks ago was disappointing. Now the U-17 team can't scratch out a single victory in group and has no chance of moving into the quarters. At some point Sunil Gulati has to put the responsibility on Klinsmann.
Klinsmann has re-designed the entire USA soccer pipeline but he hasn't gotten the results from it because (I believe) he looks at the available players and says to himself, 'None of these guys are German!' I think he's generally done a good job bringing young athletes into the soccer world (he has produced more potential for talent), but he hasn't been able to win with the players he's developing. I say its time for him to move aside (actually I thought a year ago was the time for him to move aside!) and give someone else a chance to do something with the crop of players that are out there. I think there are plenty of coaches who see opportunities with this USA team and Jurgen Klinsmann simply isn't one of them.
I'll go ahead and use this as an opportunity to again announce my displeasure with coach Klinsmann. I thought the result in the 2014 World Cup was disappointing and entirely his fault; the 4th place finish in this year's Gold Cup was disappointing; the inability to solve Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup just a few weeks ago was disappointing. Now the U-17 team can't scratch out a single victory in group and has no chance of moving into the quarters. At some point Sunil Gulati has to put the responsibility on Klinsmann.
Klinsmann has re-designed the entire USA soccer pipeline but he hasn't gotten the results from it because (I believe) he looks at the available players and says to himself, 'None of these guys are German!' I think he's generally done a good job bringing young athletes into the soccer world (he has produced more potential for talent), but he hasn't been able to win with the players he's developing. I say its time for him to move aside (actually I thought a year ago was the time for him to move aside!) and give someone else a chance to do something with the crop of players that are out there. I think there are plenty of coaches who see opportunities with this USA team and Jurgen Klinsmann simply isn't one of them.
NBA Bric-a-Brac
Tristan Thompson signs 5yr/$82m deal with the Cavs. Much talked about deal, much talked about holdout, welcome to the new salary cap. Thompson is a fine rebounder, solid inside guy off the bench, certainly not a star, but probably worth the money. As the cap rises, this will look like a typical deal, so he probably did the right thing to hold out. The Cavs will be in some turmoil for the first coupla months and Thompson without training camp will take a while to contribute, look for the Cavs to kinda suck til about New Year's but they'll be rolling come playoff time.
Lamar Odom seems to be getting better, apparently getting back with Khloe Khardashian. Brain dead coma or married to a Kardashian?....Hmmm, that's a tough one.
Thabo Sefalosha suing the NYPD. Good for him! Pro athletes and local cops are perhaps the two most maligned figures in contemporary American media, it'll be interesting to see them go at it. Thabo already won the criminal investigation--apparently prosecutors were dying for him to take a plea bargain and he declined (good for him!)--which pretty much gives him the upper hand in his civil suit. The NYPD has shown themselves to be a bunch of brown shirt thugs and they deserve to get a high profile thumping. (Memo to James Blake: you should sue, too, man! You should the NYPD and then after you win, sue them again for the emotional distress of having to sue them the first time. Don't let it go, Blake, their treatment of you was shameful, give them the beating they deserve)
Thunder picks up options on Steven Adams, Mitch McGary and Andre Roberson. Adams is a no-brainer but probably only one of McGary or Roberson will be around next year. We'll see what Coach Donovan can get out of that supporting cast to know which one of these pickups will be worth it.
Jazz picked up options on Exum, Hood, Burke and Gobert. Gobert has established himself as keeper, I think Exum too is worth the pick up. Hood is cheap enough that he's probably worth it too. But then there's Burke: I thought they should've packaged Burke for a draft day trade back in June, I'm not sure he's efficient enough, I'm pretty sure he's not much of a scorer, the Jazz has young depth, perhaps they can make him work (but since he was a higher draft pick, his salary is slotted higher than the other guys).
Pelicans picks up PG Nate Robinson. Veteran depth for a banged up team, always liked Nate Rob. Coming off the bench and being a 10 minute microwave guy will serve this team well later in the season, but trying to get big minutes out of him early on while everyone is hurt might get kinda ugly.
Gregg Popovich to replace Coach K as head coach of Team USA following 2016 Olympics. Obviously Pop is a great coach and will be great for Team USA but I'm a little surprised he wants the job (he never liked Manu playing internationally, for example, shows me he doesn't care about the int'l game). Also, I've always believe that John Calipari wants that job but was never in the right elbow-rubbing circle to get the gig. Cal is younger than Pop but I got a feeling he never gets the job (feels like Brad Stevens, Mark Few might be higher on the totem pole).
Some notable recent roster cuts: Ben Gordon (Warriors), thought he might hook on with them, thicken up their bench but he really isn't very good so I reckon they can do better.
Jazz waived Jack Cooley and Bryce Cotton, who both played a bit for them last year and Treveon Graham, who was once upon a time thought of as 1st round talent then ended up undrafted; I assume all three guys can and will filter into their D-League system.
Jimmer Fredette (Spurs), at this point he's not an expensive player and I thought he might give them a little something something off the bench (not saying I love the guy but he is the poor man's Steph Curry), we'll see if the Jazz give him one last shot.
Robert Upshaw (Lakers) was a 1st round talent that ran into some health problems leading up to the draft and fell completely out of favor, was rooting for him, he should get some D-League run.
David Stockton (Kings) played some last year but the Kings have upgraded (uh, sorta) their bench, guess Stockton goes to the D-League.
Terran Petteway (Hawks) was another one of those that was thought to be a 1st rounder last year that went undrafted, Hawks might be too deep, too set in their ways for what Petteway offers but he could still hook on somewhere.
Cartier Martin (Pistons), didn't they just re-sign him? Stan Van traded for him, re-upped him and then cut him? I don't get anything SVG is doing in Detroit.
Lamar Odom seems to be getting better, apparently getting back with Khloe Khardashian. Brain dead coma or married to a Kardashian?....Hmmm, that's a tough one.
Thabo Sefalosha suing the NYPD. Good for him! Pro athletes and local cops are perhaps the two most maligned figures in contemporary American media, it'll be interesting to see them go at it. Thabo already won the criminal investigation--apparently prosecutors were dying for him to take a plea bargain and he declined (good for him!)--which pretty much gives him the upper hand in his civil suit. The NYPD has shown themselves to be a bunch of brown shirt thugs and they deserve to get a high profile thumping. (Memo to James Blake: you should sue, too, man! You should the NYPD and then after you win, sue them again for the emotional distress of having to sue them the first time. Don't let it go, Blake, their treatment of you was shameful, give them the beating they deserve)
Thunder picks up options on Steven Adams, Mitch McGary and Andre Roberson. Adams is a no-brainer but probably only one of McGary or Roberson will be around next year. We'll see what Coach Donovan can get out of that supporting cast to know which one of these pickups will be worth it.
Jazz picked up options on Exum, Hood, Burke and Gobert. Gobert has established himself as keeper, I think Exum too is worth the pick up. Hood is cheap enough that he's probably worth it too. But then there's Burke: I thought they should've packaged Burke for a draft day trade back in June, I'm not sure he's efficient enough, I'm pretty sure he's not much of a scorer, the Jazz has young depth, perhaps they can make him work (but since he was a higher draft pick, his salary is slotted higher than the other guys).
Pelicans picks up PG Nate Robinson. Veteran depth for a banged up team, always liked Nate Rob. Coming off the bench and being a 10 minute microwave guy will serve this team well later in the season, but trying to get big minutes out of him early on while everyone is hurt might get kinda ugly.
Gregg Popovich to replace Coach K as head coach of Team USA following 2016 Olympics. Obviously Pop is a great coach and will be great for Team USA but I'm a little surprised he wants the job (he never liked Manu playing internationally, for example, shows me he doesn't care about the int'l game). Also, I've always believe that John Calipari wants that job but was never in the right elbow-rubbing circle to get the gig. Cal is younger than Pop but I got a feeling he never gets the job (feels like Brad Stevens, Mark Few might be higher on the totem pole).
Some notable recent roster cuts: Ben Gordon (Warriors), thought he might hook on with them, thicken up their bench but he really isn't very good so I reckon they can do better.
Jazz waived Jack Cooley and Bryce Cotton, who both played a bit for them last year and Treveon Graham, who was once upon a time thought of as 1st round talent then ended up undrafted; I assume all three guys can and will filter into their D-League system.
Jimmer Fredette (Spurs), at this point he's not an expensive player and I thought he might give them a little something something off the bench (not saying I love the guy but he is the poor man's Steph Curry), we'll see if the Jazz give him one last shot.
Robert Upshaw (Lakers) was a 1st round talent that ran into some health problems leading up to the draft and fell completely out of favor, was rooting for him, he should get some D-League run.
David Stockton (Kings) played some last year but the Kings have upgraded (uh, sorta) their bench, guess Stockton goes to the D-League.
Terran Petteway (Hawks) was another one of those that was thought to be a 1st rounder last year that went undrafted, Hawks might be too deep, too set in their ways for what Petteway offers but he could still hook on somewhere.
Cartier Martin (Pistons), didn't they just re-sign him? Stan Van traded for him, re-upped him and then cut him? I don't get anything SVG is doing in Detroit.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
NFL Week 4 (NFC)
Teams I'm convinced are good: Packers (money), Falcons (that offense looks deadly, the D isn't great but I think they're gonna outscore most teams), Cardinals (the D is stout and the offense (as long as Palmer stays healthy) looks really good, they'll be there at the end of the year).
Teams that might be good: Rams (the offense is still a work in progress but the pass rush is one of the best in the league), Vikings (ditto the Rams (dude, don't they look like the exact same team?)), Seahawks (starting slow on both sides of the ball but they've got all they need to go deep in the playoffs again).
Teams that could go either way: Panthers (4-0 in a soft division but I'm still dubious; the D has to improve and the offense needs more than just Cam), Giants (Eli can make a good team bad or a bad team good....so are the Giants good enough for Eli to kill or bad enough for Eli to elevate?), Redskins (the D is legit, the offense seems to be getting better and the division is schizophrenic, the Redskins could be there at the end), Cowboys (all about Romo's health: when he comes back I think they're the best in the East but until he comes back they'll be up and down).
Teams that are probably bad: Bucs (the D is good but its been good for years without ever making a difference, all about how Winston figures it out), Eagles (I have no idea if they're any good or not, but they better figure it out soon).
Teams I'm convinced are awful: Lions (falling apart, can they get a draft pick for Stafford?), Bears (they have their moments of looking good but not enough to make me think they actually will be good), Saints (Brees looks just about done, the D is so-so at best, the division looks to be leaving them behind), Niners (remember when it looked like the Niners were gonna be good at every position for years and years? What happened to that?).
Teams that might be good: Rams (the offense is still a work in progress but the pass rush is one of the best in the league), Vikings (ditto the Rams (dude, don't they look like the exact same team?)), Seahawks (starting slow on both sides of the ball but they've got all they need to go deep in the playoffs again).
Teams that could go either way: Panthers (4-0 in a soft division but I'm still dubious; the D has to improve and the offense needs more than just Cam), Giants (Eli can make a good team bad or a bad team good....so are the Giants good enough for Eli to kill or bad enough for Eli to elevate?), Redskins (the D is legit, the offense seems to be getting better and the division is schizophrenic, the Redskins could be there at the end), Cowboys (all about Romo's health: when he comes back I think they're the best in the East but until he comes back they'll be up and down).
Teams that are probably bad: Bucs (the D is good but its been good for years without ever making a difference, all about how Winston figures it out), Eagles (I have no idea if they're any good or not, but they better figure it out soon).
Teams I'm convinced are awful: Lions (falling apart, can they get a draft pick for Stafford?), Bears (they have their moments of looking good but not enough to make me think they actually will be good), Saints (Brees looks just about done, the D is so-so at best, the division looks to be leaving them behind), Niners (remember when it looked like the Niners were gonna be good at every position for years and years? What happened to that?).
NFL Week 4 (AFC)
Teams I'm pretty sure are good: Bengals (when Dalton is kept upright he's really pretty good (think Rich Gannon of the 1990s Raiders), the pass rush is really good, the run D is solid and with Roethlisberger out and the Ravens floundering, Bengals might be ready to start selling playoff tickets), Patriots (Brady is still killing it, plan on the Pats going deep into the playoffs).
Teams that could still turn out to be really good: Broncos (that pass rush is stingy but Peyton is clearly just about done, they'll win games but they won't be dominant and its hard to imagine them going far in the playoffs...or they might), Colts (Andrew Luck is off to a horrible start, the D is not very good, the skill players are old (rather then veteran) and there doesn't seem to be much faith in the coach; but I'm still convinced Luck is the next great QB, the division is soft and there is still time to right the ship....or they could be awful), Titans (I'm digging Mariota and the defense isn't bad, if Luck can't get it going, the Titans may well take this division and surprise people in the post-season), Chiefs (I realize they have yet to do anything impressive but consider: Peyton and Rivers are in decline and even though the Raiders look okay, they're still the Raiders; the Chiefs have 3 losses but they were all to really good teams, so are the Chiefs actually a pretty good team? Could be, don't write them off just yet).
Teams that could be good but could also be really terrible: Bills (Taylor, Shady, Watkins, Harvin and a wicked pass defense is a good start; when they're not setting records for penalties they're actually pretty good but if they don't get over the stupid mistakes they'll be a laughing stock by year's end), Jets (the D is turning out to be dangerously good and Fitzpatrick is enough to keep them moving in the right direction, they've still got a lot to overcome but if they play to their capability they might actually be pretty good), Steelers (if Roethlisberger comes back in time, then that offense still has the potential to be deadly; but the D isn't great and without Roethlisberger, I don't think the Steelers go anywhere), Raiders (they're definitely playing better than they've played in over a decade, the Carr-Cooper hookup looks legit and the pass rush isn't bad but they're still young, they have a long way to go and they're still the Raiders).
Teams that look like they could be awful: Chargers (last year Rivers was a legit MVP candidate and that offense was able to rack up some points, but this year the O is sputtering and the D doesn't look superlative; the division isn't necessarily out of reach but they better get it going soon), Ravens (listless, lifeless, Flacco has never been a great regular season QB, the vaunted Raven D looks pretty ordinary, its early but I think they might be awful), Texans (the D is still scary but the offense is an absolute mess, even in a soft division I don't think Texans get it going until they draft the right QB).
Teams I'm pretty sure are terrible: Browns (tough schedule, disappointing defense, the McCown/Manziel controversy is just kind of embarrassing, even though the Steelers and Ravens are faltering they're still at the bottom of the division), Jags (while they do seem slightly better than their recent awfulness, I'm not seeing anything that looks like a good football team), Dolphins (already gave up on the coach, the offense is sputtering, the D is not living up to billing, tough division, the Dolphins are on draft pick duty).
Teams that could still turn out to be really good: Broncos (that pass rush is stingy but Peyton is clearly just about done, they'll win games but they won't be dominant and its hard to imagine them going far in the playoffs...or they might), Colts (Andrew Luck is off to a horrible start, the D is not very good, the skill players are old (rather then veteran) and there doesn't seem to be much faith in the coach; but I'm still convinced Luck is the next great QB, the division is soft and there is still time to right the ship....or they could be awful), Titans (I'm digging Mariota and the defense isn't bad, if Luck can't get it going, the Titans may well take this division and surprise people in the post-season), Chiefs (I realize they have yet to do anything impressive but consider: Peyton and Rivers are in decline and even though the Raiders look okay, they're still the Raiders; the Chiefs have 3 losses but they were all to really good teams, so are the Chiefs actually a pretty good team? Could be, don't write them off just yet).
Teams that could be good but could also be really terrible: Bills (Taylor, Shady, Watkins, Harvin and a wicked pass defense is a good start; when they're not setting records for penalties they're actually pretty good but if they don't get over the stupid mistakes they'll be a laughing stock by year's end), Jets (the D is turning out to be dangerously good and Fitzpatrick is enough to keep them moving in the right direction, they've still got a lot to overcome but if they play to their capability they might actually be pretty good), Steelers (if Roethlisberger comes back in time, then that offense still has the potential to be deadly; but the D isn't great and without Roethlisberger, I don't think the Steelers go anywhere), Raiders (they're definitely playing better than they've played in over a decade, the Carr-Cooper hookup looks legit and the pass rush isn't bad but they're still young, they have a long way to go and they're still the Raiders).
Teams that look like they could be awful: Chargers (last year Rivers was a legit MVP candidate and that offense was able to rack up some points, but this year the O is sputtering and the D doesn't look superlative; the division isn't necessarily out of reach but they better get it going soon), Ravens (listless, lifeless, Flacco has never been a great regular season QB, the vaunted Raven D looks pretty ordinary, its early but I think they might be awful), Texans (the D is still scary but the offense is an absolute mess, even in a soft division I don't think Texans get it going until they draft the right QB).
Teams I'm pretty sure are terrible: Browns (tough schedule, disappointing defense, the McCown/Manziel controversy is just kind of embarrassing, even though the Steelers and Ravens are faltering they're still at the bottom of the division), Jags (while they do seem slightly better than their recent awfulness, I'm not seeing anything that looks like a good football team), Dolphins (already gave up on the coach, the offense is sputtering, the D is not living up to billing, tough division, the Dolphins are on draft pick duty).
MLB Playoffs
Okay, I missed both of the play-in games and I'm already a game down on the Blue Jays, but what the the hell I'll stick with the Blue Jays in 6. I'll take the Royals over the Astros in 6.
Though I liked the Pirates to beat the Cubs, I'll take the Cubs over the Cards in 7. I'll take the Dodgers over the Mets in 4.
Last year, I believe I was correct only 1 time in 9 tries and though I'm already off to a terrible start, trying to predict the future is my passion. The future is coming, I may as well try to look prepared.
Though I liked the Pirates to beat the Cubs, I'll take the Cubs over the Cards in 7. I'll take the Dodgers over the Mets in 4.
Last year, I believe I was correct only 1 time in 9 tries and though I'm already off to a terrible start, trying to predict the future is my passion. The future is coming, I may as well try to look prepared.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
NBA Bric a Brac
Ben Gordon to Warriors. I'm not a fan of Ben Gordon's game but for a veteran squad like the Warriors I reckon he fits in just fine. The Warriors were amazingly healthy last year, that kind of luck is rarely repeated, Gordon might end up playing some meaningful minutes.
Michael Beasley to Shandong (China). I wonder if his lack of Chinese will give him a little more time before everyone figures out what a douche he (apparently) is. I suspect that level of douch-ery transcends language but I also suspect that in China Beasley can get his game, might finally become the dominant player he was meant to be. If he plays well, will he be able to get back to the NBA by playoff time?
Derrick Rose fractured orbital bone. Looks like he'll be ready for opening day so to my mind this is not really a big deal. Rose has been so unlucky with injuries the last coupla years that every injury seems like a career ender, but hey, man, guys get hurt and this seems like a (relatively) normal wear and tear of a pro athlete. In a weird way I think it could be good for him: he'll start the season a little slow, might get up to speed at the right time for the post-season.
Kevin Durant speculation already. Yeah, yeah, this talk is gonna be going on all year long. Coach Donovan, your mission is clear: win or lose, you gotta re-sign KD.
Iman Shumpert hurt. The speculation I saw said that he won't be ready til after New Year's. The Cavs should breeze through the Eastern Conference but without their best perimeter defender, they might miss out on some home games in the playoffs (eh, I doubt it'll matter).
Anthony Bennett to the Raptors. The T-Wolves are adament they didn't 'give up' on Bennett but they did waive before the beginning of the season letting him walk to his hometown Raptors because...I dunno....they really liked him and thought he could play? Bennett to my mind is an undervalued stock and I can imagine going back to Canada might finally give him the opportunity he needs. The Raptors made changes in the off-season though it wasn't the blow-up I thought it would be. Looks to me like Bennett will get some playing time and if he can find a scoring touch, he might be really useful for them.
Mike Miller to Nuggets. Why? Dude, what could Mike Miller possibly have to prove at this point in his career? I can see him getting back to the Cavs or even the Grizzlies but why Denver? Zero chance of a post-season activity for the Nuggets this year.
Kobe to play beyond this year? Even Phil Jax threw out the idea that Kobe could play for someone other than the Lakers next year. Hey, man, I say Kobe doesn't leave until he flat out can't play any more, he is as dedicated to basketball as any player I think I've ever seen and if he can still get paid to score points, I say he keeps going until his body is absolutely done. And if the Lakers don't want him back, I can see him playing elsewhere (why not slide into Manu's spot in San Antonio?).
Raptors pick up options on Caboclo and Nocieria. Those two are the future and with Amir Johnson gone, I guess the future is now for the spunky young Brazilians. I look forward to seeing what they can do.
Sixers waive Gerald Wallace. Wait, when did he get to Philly? Are the Sixers cutting players that aren't even on their roster now?
Pre-season begins. So far all I've seen is Tibor Pleiss. Nickname suggestion: Scarecrow ('cause those arms are freakishly long).
FIBA Euro Spain over Lithuania. I was in and out of the FIBA Euro tourney, good stuff. Spain over France in the semis was probably the money shot game (kinda thought Pau fouled Gobert on that game-tying shot but, man, Pau was balling that day). Kind of a replay of the previous summer's FIBA World Cup: Spain, France, Lithuania and Serbia were the best non-USA teams two straight summers.
I'm so freakin' ready for basketball. Glad football's back, glad MLB is into the post-season, digging as much EPL and Euro soccer as I can watch. But basketball's my thing.
Michael Beasley to Shandong (China). I wonder if his lack of Chinese will give him a little more time before everyone figures out what a douche he (apparently) is. I suspect that level of douch-ery transcends language but I also suspect that in China Beasley can get his game, might finally become the dominant player he was meant to be. If he plays well, will he be able to get back to the NBA by playoff time?
Derrick Rose fractured orbital bone. Looks like he'll be ready for opening day so to my mind this is not really a big deal. Rose has been so unlucky with injuries the last coupla years that every injury seems like a career ender, but hey, man, guys get hurt and this seems like a (relatively) normal wear and tear of a pro athlete. In a weird way I think it could be good for him: he'll start the season a little slow, might get up to speed at the right time for the post-season.
Kevin Durant speculation already. Yeah, yeah, this talk is gonna be going on all year long. Coach Donovan, your mission is clear: win or lose, you gotta re-sign KD.
Iman Shumpert hurt. The speculation I saw said that he won't be ready til after New Year's. The Cavs should breeze through the Eastern Conference but without their best perimeter defender, they might miss out on some home games in the playoffs (eh, I doubt it'll matter).
Anthony Bennett to the Raptors. The T-Wolves are adament they didn't 'give up' on Bennett but they did waive before the beginning of the season letting him walk to his hometown Raptors because...I dunno....they really liked him and thought he could play? Bennett to my mind is an undervalued stock and I can imagine going back to Canada might finally give him the opportunity he needs. The Raptors made changes in the off-season though it wasn't the blow-up I thought it would be. Looks to me like Bennett will get some playing time and if he can find a scoring touch, he might be really useful for them.
Mike Miller to Nuggets. Why? Dude, what could Mike Miller possibly have to prove at this point in his career? I can see him getting back to the Cavs or even the Grizzlies but why Denver? Zero chance of a post-season activity for the Nuggets this year.
Kobe to play beyond this year? Even Phil Jax threw out the idea that Kobe could play for someone other than the Lakers next year. Hey, man, I say Kobe doesn't leave until he flat out can't play any more, he is as dedicated to basketball as any player I think I've ever seen and if he can still get paid to score points, I say he keeps going until his body is absolutely done. And if the Lakers don't want him back, I can see him playing elsewhere (why not slide into Manu's spot in San Antonio?).
Raptors pick up options on Caboclo and Nocieria. Those two are the future and with Amir Johnson gone, I guess the future is now for the spunky young Brazilians. I look forward to seeing what they can do.
Sixers waive Gerald Wallace. Wait, when did he get to Philly? Are the Sixers cutting players that aren't even on their roster now?
Pre-season begins. So far all I've seen is Tibor Pleiss. Nickname suggestion: Scarecrow ('cause those arms are freakishly long).
FIBA Euro Spain over Lithuania. I was in and out of the FIBA Euro tourney, good stuff. Spain over France in the semis was probably the money shot game (kinda thought Pau fouled Gobert on that game-tying shot but, man, Pau was balling that day). Kind of a replay of the previous summer's FIBA World Cup: Spain, France, Lithuania and Serbia were the best non-USA teams two straight summers.
I'm so freakin' ready for basketball. Glad football's back, glad MLB is into the post-season, digging as much EPL and Euro soccer as I can watch. But basketball's my thing.
MLB Playoffs
AL
The Astros are running on fumes, rode a coupla hot streaks in May and July all the way to the post-season, good for them. But I reckon it ends here. The Yankees overachieved all year long and though their starting pitching is pretty soft, I will take them to best the Astros in the play-in game.
I didn't watch any baseball this year til about the middle of August but I watched as much as I could since then. The Blue Jays were easily the best team I saw in all that time (Nationals were probably the worst, the team most unlikely to win day in, day out), the lineup is quite the murderer's row and while the pitching isn't overwhelming, it should be good enough. It'd be cool to see the Royals repeat as AL Champs and they do have home field advantage but they faced so little challenge in the division that I feel like they're not as battle tested as they need to be. The Rangers came out of nowhere to skip past the Angels and Astros but I don't give them more than a puncher's chance against the field (although the best team doesn't always win in baseball). I'll take the Blue Jays.
NL
Cubs-Pirates is such a fine matchup that it's a little disappointing they only get 1 game, a bit like turning the Indy 500 into the Indy 5 (hmmm, I think I like that idea). Arrieta has been untouchable the last 3 months or so but I'll take the Pirates to find a way at home.
The Cardinals casually ground up the competition all year long but somehow they don't seem vastly superior to the rest of the league and in a short series I can see them getting stopped. The Mets have a solid pitching staff but the lineup does not strike much fear. The Dodgers are an interesting mix of vets and kids, they seem to be getting healthy at the right time and their top 2 starters are mowing people down. I like the Dodgers to get it done.
Blue Jays over Dodgers in 6. (Who had that at the beginning of the year?)
The Astros are running on fumes, rode a coupla hot streaks in May and July all the way to the post-season, good for them. But I reckon it ends here. The Yankees overachieved all year long and though their starting pitching is pretty soft, I will take them to best the Astros in the play-in game.
I didn't watch any baseball this year til about the middle of August but I watched as much as I could since then. The Blue Jays were easily the best team I saw in all that time (Nationals were probably the worst, the team most unlikely to win day in, day out), the lineup is quite the murderer's row and while the pitching isn't overwhelming, it should be good enough. It'd be cool to see the Royals repeat as AL Champs and they do have home field advantage but they faced so little challenge in the division that I feel like they're not as battle tested as they need to be. The Rangers came out of nowhere to skip past the Angels and Astros but I don't give them more than a puncher's chance against the field (although the best team doesn't always win in baseball). I'll take the Blue Jays.
NL
Cubs-Pirates is such a fine matchup that it's a little disappointing they only get 1 game, a bit like turning the Indy 500 into the Indy 5 (hmmm, I think I like that idea). Arrieta has been untouchable the last 3 months or so but I'll take the Pirates to find a way at home.
The Cardinals casually ground up the competition all year long but somehow they don't seem vastly superior to the rest of the league and in a short series I can see them getting stopped. The Mets have a solid pitching staff but the lineup does not strike much fear. The Dodgers are an interesting mix of vets and kids, they seem to be getting healthy at the right time and their top 2 starters are mowing people down. I like the Dodgers to get it done.
Blue Jays over Dodgers in 6. (Who had that at the beginning of the year?)
Thursday, September 10, 2015
FIBA Americas
I haven't paid much attention to the FIBA tourney, more interested in US Open Tennis, Euro Basket and the return of NCAA football. I was surprised that Brazil crashed out in group play without much effort considering the beatdown they just laid on everyone in the Pan Am Games; why show up for that competition and sandbag this one? With no USA, no Brazil, it feels like Canada is ready to curb stomp the remaining competitors.
Canada plays Venezuela on one side and Argentina plays Mexico on the other. I just don't see how Venezuela hangs with Canada nor how the winner of the other semi could hang with Canada. But the games still have to be played and Argentina has plenty of veteran savvy (re: old guys). Hang a Maple Leaf on it, this tourney looks done to me.
Canada plays Venezuela on one side and Argentina plays Mexico on the other. I just don't see how Venezuela hangs with Canada nor how the winner of the other semi could hang with Canada. But the games still have to be played and Argentina has plenty of veteran savvy (re: old guys). Hang a Maple Leaf on it, this tourney looks done to me.
NFL Predictions
Ahhh, football is back. Time to predict the future.
AFC
X Pats (2) X Bengals (4) X Colts (1) X Broncos (3)
Y Dolphins (5) Y Steelers (6) Texans Chiefs
Bills Ravens Titans Chargers
Jets Browns Jags Raiders
Steelers over Broncos, Bengals over Dolphins
Steelers over Colts, Pats over Bengals
Pats over Steelers
Colts ready to bust out, Pats are still better than everybody, Broncos'll be gassed by playoffs, I like the Bengals to win a playoff game, Dolphins will have a good D, I like the Steelers to go deep.
NFC
X Cowboys (3) X Packers (1) X Falcons (4) X Seahawks (2)
Y Eagles (5) Vikings Panthers Y Cards (6)
Redskins Lions Bucs Rams
Giants Bears Saints Niners
Cowboys over Cards, Eagles over Falcons
Packers over Eagles, Cowboys over Seahawks
Packers over Cowboys
Packers over Patriots
Packers still the best, Seahawks fade in the playoffs, Cowboys have another year of overachieving, Falcons offense should be pretty awesome, Eagles will be interesting to watch and will pose problems in the post-season, Cards are stout enough to make the playoffs.
(Got a feeling Eli, Brees, Cutler, Peyton and Rivers all fall off this year while Roethlisberger, Luck and Romo dominate)
AFC
X Pats (2) X Bengals (4) X Colts (1) X Broncos (3)
Y Dolphins (5) Y Steelers (6) Texans Chiefs
Bills Ravens Titans Chargers
Jets Browns Jags Raiders
Steelers over Broncos, Bengals over Dolphins
Steelers over Colts, Pats over Bengals
Pats over Steelers
Colts ready to bust out, Pats are still better than everybody, Broncos'll be gassed by playoffs, I like the Bengals to win a playoff game, Dolphins will have a good D, I like the Steelers to go deep.
NFC
X Cowboys (3) X Packers (1) X Falcons (4) X Seahawks (2)
Y Eagles (5) Vikings Panthers Y Cards (6)
Redskins Lions Bucs Rams
Giants Bears Saints Niners
Cowboys over Cards, Eagles over Falcons
Packers over Eagles, Cowboys over Seahawks
Packers over Cowboys
Packers over Patriots
Packers still the best, Seahawks fade in the playoffs, Cowboys have another year of overachieving, Falcons offense should be pretty awesome, Eagles will be interesting to watch and will pose problems in the post-season, Cards are stout enough to make the playoffs.
(Got a feeling Eli, Brees, Cutler, Peyton and Rivers all fall off this year while Roethlisberger, Luck and Romo dominate)
Thursday, July 30, 2015
July Sports
I was diligently following the daily machinations of the NBA til I was overcome by some household duties. The duties were of the pleasant variety (as opposed to the oh-fuck-emergency kind) but they unfortunately appeared right in the middle of Summer League and the early signing period. I did catch some Summer League but of the signings: I'll do a team by team retrospective of the Summer movement some time in August. Til then I have turned my attention to other things. Like:
FIBA U-19 World Cup: USA 78-71 (OT) Serbia. Oh man, Serbian kid had 2 free throws to win it with under 10 seconds, makes the first, misses the second, USA runs out the clock, then dropkicks the Serbs in the overtime. The Americans probably were the better team but they underperformed from the beginning of the game til that last foul that handed Serbia the match. But give the Yankee kids props for the laying the beatdown in OT and getting it done when the chips were down. That said: feel bad for that Serbian kid, had the whole frickin' Cup on his racket and couldn't sink the game winner. (Those games may still be available on ESPN3, maybe other places)
Women's World Cup: USA 5-2 Japan. Just missed the kick off, USA already up 1-0, up 4-0 before I was even comfy on the couch. Japan made a game of it, way more exciting than most four-nuthin' soccer matches I reckon. Still somehow couldn't shake the feeling that USA underperformed. Germany, England and France were more lackluster than anticipated. Hate to be that guy: I don't much care for the women's game of football. I'm probably gonna regret not watching any rugby this year or not seeing more tennis rather than feel good about watching USA half-heartedly drub all the other countries of the world in a sport that's usually kinda dull to watch. Oh well. Go America!
Wimbledon: Djokovic over Federer, Serena over Muguruza. Totally thought Federer still had enough to take Djokovic...then the match started...oh yeah, Djokovic is a step better than everyone else on the planet. You think you can make that shot and you can't, Djokovich is like Spiderman or some shit, he just seems to teleport to the proper spot, much the way Federer used to. Nadal is the supreme hustle player, dominant on the soft surfaces, game based on pure athleticism, quickness, and a Boris Becker-ish tenacity to return every shot. But Federer and Djokovic (Wawrinka, as well) are mathematicians who know all the angles, the inflection points, all that Beautiful Mind shit that allows them to move with greater efficiency thus saving wear and tear on their bodies. Federer is still better than most everybody else in the world but Djokovic is the best at this point. Didn't see any of the ladies' final though I did watch some of Serena's earlier rounds. Yup Serena is still better than everyone else at tennis.
British Open (St Andrews): Johnson (-15) in a playoff over Leishman and Oosthuizen. Final Sunday got rained out, I watched most all of it on Monday (lucky to be me). Wide open field, lotta sweet final day action. Thought Spieth was gonna sneak in there, just didn't have it down the stretch. Johnson looked more ready for 3 more holes than the other two; dude's won at Augusta and St. Andrews now, pretty rare company.
Gold Cup: Mexico 3-1 Jamaica. (USA loses bronze medal game to Panama (PK's)). I only watched the USA matches (not sure I could've seen the others even if I had made the effort). I was not overwhelmed by USA's 2-1 victory over Honduras, I was even less whelmed by their 1-0 win over Haiti (dude, if Haiti could shoot worth a shit, they would've won comfortably), enthused but still not impressed by the 6-0 thumping of Cuba (teams that lose that bad are always bad, teams that win that good are only good maybe half the time). And I was not at all surprised they got bounced by Jamaica. Jamaica really only had a 10 minute flurry where they punked USA, otherwise USA was maybe the slightly better team but they didn't score. I kinda dug the furious 2nd half action but USA just didn't have enough to get it in the goal til even the furious action devolved into old timey long-ball-and-chase-after-it that USA has never been good at. Suddenly Jurgen Klinnsmann, the golden boy of USA soccer is hearing rumblings about his job. I was disappointed at last summer's World Cup: thought his grasp of our squad was lacking considering his crazed micromanaging of the entire talent pipeline. And honestly the Gold Cup doesn't mean that much to me, any North American competition is basically USA-Mexico with an occasional upset (like this summer). This doesn't prove much of anything going forward, personally I can't imagine Klinnsmann getting das boot.
Pan Am Games (Basketball): Brazil over Canada, USA over Puerto Rico for bronze. I avoided the Pan Am Games because honestly I can't stand the Olympics* (*more below). But I do like watching the up and coming talent. The only two games I watched were Brazil throttling USA in group play and Brazil over Canada in the final. Brazil was better than either of the NorteAmericano squads. Brazil brought not the A team but the B+ team while USA and Canada were rolling with B/B-. I've always thought these kinda of competition should be on an age range or big enough to invite the pros, but this falls in the middle so the squads are weird amalgam of older journeyman vets (like Anthony Randolph) and random NCAA players (I know everyone loves Karaczewski but does anyone think he's in the top 500 USA basketball players out there? So why does he have USA written across his shirt?); Canada's squad was similar. I suspect in Brazil their basketball culture is a bit more unified and the older guys stay in better touch with the places the young kids come from so when fielding a team like this, the vets and youngsters have already played more together. I dunno, maybe not, but they had good talent at every position and better team play than anyone else I saw.
Pan Am Games (Soccer): Uruguay 1-0 Mexico. Thought the game was evenly matched as any contest I've watched in ages. The only thing separating the squads: Uruguay hit one sparkling free kick and Mexico...did not. Not must watch soccer by any means, but enjoyable enough.
Tour de France (Froome, UK). I watched not even a smidge of a highlight of a second of the Tour this year. Some years I really get into it, other years it glides right by me. This installment apparently even had controversy and shenanigans. But then again, I was already assuming this guy Froome's downfall is imminent.
MLB Trade Deadline. I ought to be buckling back into NBA duties but suddenly the trade deadline is bewitching me like no time in recent memory. I love baseball, it is my first sport and still my favorite. But I spend so much more time with basketball and even soccer or tennis these days that I sometimes forget all about baseball. I can imagine a world where I literally just watch baseball all day every day.
NBA Summer League (Spurs over Suns in the Final). Didn't get to watch much but I was impressed with Okafor, Towns, Porzingis, Aaron Gordon, Seth Curry, Kaminsky and...a bit of a reach but Dakari Johnson (Thunder): I think he was overthinking everything at UK, Calipari howling at him, all the spotlight and none of the playing time, not necessarily the best environment for his game, I think he'll defend just fine, if he can score he might actually be a pretty good baller (think Carlos Boozer but more fun to watch), its early but I was impressed with his flow in the Summer League. Also I was impressed with Becky Hammons, thought she willed the Spurs to the victory in the Final: there was a great moment where the Spurs had a coupla hot dog plays, one successful, one not successful, and we got to see the video of her in the huddle locking the dudes down, I thought it was a brilliant moment, I was totally impressed. The Suns were probably the better team, man, the Suns are gonna score, score, score this year, wave after wave off the bench of dudes that can drop 30 on any given night.
Make no mistake: Summer League is practice basketball. Its about raw talent, athleticism and instinct; its not about winning ball games or developing a team concept, its not a preview of what's to come. Players are "talented" when they are not yet "good". No one thinks of Kobe Bryant as "talented", dude, he's the one of the best to ever play the game, he has long since transcended mere "talent". Summer League is a showcase of "talent" not of the best of all time. So extrapolating anything out of Summer League is a fool's errand, but its fun to watch.
(* Olympics....yeah, I kinda hate the Olympics. I'm actually kinda pleased that the whole thing seems to be financially imploding. Boston made headlines when the Mayor personally removed Boston from contention for the 2022 Olympics. Good for him. I was living in the Bay Area when they were trying to get the 2012 Olympics (went to London) and, dude, nobody--NOBODY--wanted the goddamn Olympics coming to San Francisco. That would've been such a horrible obnoxious nightmare for everyone involved. Now is the time to get rid of this notion that all the athletes have to be competing in the same place: equestrian people can perform in France, cycling activities could be in Brazil, track and field can be at the Rose Bowl, ice hockey can be in Finland and they can be all be scheduled around each other for TV. Break all the games into their own separate Olympic-sanctioned entities and create a steady stream of events that goes on in 4-year cycles. The IOC is corruption personified, get rid of the life-sucking corruption and get everyone all over the world to love sport, to love games, to love international competition that doesn't require tank divisions or jingoistic propaganda campaigns. The Olympics can be useful...they just aren't)
FIBA U-19 World Cup: USA 78-71 (OT) Serbia. Oh man, Serbian kid had 2 free throws to win it with under 10 seconds, makes the first, misses the second, USA runs out the clock, then dropkicks the Serbs in the overtime. The Americans probably were the better team but they underperformed from the beginning of the game til that last foul that handed Serbia the match. But give the Yankee kids props for the laying the beatdown in OT and getting it done when the chips were down. That said: feel bad for that Serbian kid, had the whole frickin' Cup on his racket and couldn't sink the game winner. (Those games may still be available on ESPN3, maybe other places)
Women's World Cup: USA 5-2 Japan. Just missed the kick off, USA already up 1-0, up 4-0 before I was even comfy on the couch. Japan made a game of it, way more exciting than most four-nuthin' soccer matches I reckon. Still somehow couldn't shake the feeling that USA underperformed. Germany, England and France were more lackluster than anticipated. Hate to be that guy: I don't much care for the women's game of football. I'm probably gonna regret not watching any rugby this year or not seeing more tennis rather than feel good about watching USA half-heartedly drub all the other countries of the world in a sport that's usually kinda dull to watch. Oh well. Go America!
Wimbledon: Djokovic over Federer, Serena over Muguruza. Totally thought Federer still had enough to take Djokovic...then the match started...oh yeah, Djokovic is a step better than everyone else on the planet. You think you can make that shot and you can't, Djokovich is like Spiderman or some shit, he just seems to teleport to the proper spot, much the way Federer used to. Nadal is the supreme hustle player, dominant on the soft surfaces, game based on pure athleticism, quickness, and a Boris Becker-ish tenacity to return every shot. But Federer and Djokovic (Wawrinka, as well) are mathematicians who know all the angles, the inflection points, all that Beautiful Mind shit that allows them to move with greater efficiency thus saving wear and tear on their bodies. Federer is still better than most everybody else in the world but Djokovic is the best at this point. Didn't see any of the ladies' final though I did watch some of Serena's earlier rounds. Yup Serena is still better than everyone else at tennis.
British Open (St Andrews): Johnson (-15) in a playoff over Leishman and Oosthuizen. Final Sunday got rained out, I watched most all of it on Monday (lucky to be me). Wide open field, lotta sweet final day action. Thought Spieth was gonna sneak in there, just didn't have it down the stretch. Johnson looked more ready for 3 more holes than the other two; dude's won at Augusta and St. Andrews now, pretty rare company.
Gold Cup: Mexico 3-1 Jamaica. (USA loses bronze medal game to Panama (PK's)). I only watched the USA matches (not sure I could've seen the others even if I had made the effort). I was not overwhelmed by USA's 2-1 victory over Honduras, I was even less whelmed by their 1-0 win over Haiti (dude, if Haiti could shoot worth a shit, they would've won comfortably), enthused but still not impressed by the 6-0 thumping of Cuba (teams that lose that bad are always bad, teams that win that good are only good maybe half the time). And I was not at all surprised they got bounced by Jamaica. Jamaica really only had a 10 minute flurry where they punked USA, otherwise USA was maybe the slightly better team but they didn't score. I kinda dug the furious 2nd half action but USA just didn't have enough to get it in the goal til even the furious action devolved into old timey long-ball-and-chase-after-it that USA has never been good at. Suddenly Jurgen Klinnsmann, the golden boy of USA soccer is hearing rumblings about his job. I was disappointed at last summer's World Cup: thought his grasp of our squad was lacking considering his crazed micromanaging of the entire talent pipeline. And honestly the Gold Cup doesn't mean that much to me, any North American competition is basically USA-Mexico with an occasional upset (like this summer). This doesn't prove much of anything going forward, personally I can't imagine Klinnsmann getting das boot.
Pan Am Games (Basketball): Brazil over Canada, USA over Puerto Rico for bronze. I avoided the Pan Am Games because honestly I can't stand the Olympics* (*more below). But I do like watching the up and coming talent. The only two games I watched were Brazil throttling USA in group play and Brazil over Canada in the final. Brazil was better than either of the NorteAmericano squads. Brazil brought not the A team but the B+ team while USA and Canada were rolling with B/B-. I've always thought these kinda of competition should be on an age range or big enough to invite the pros, but this falls in the middle so the squads are weird amalgam of older journeyman vets (like Anthony Randolph) and random NCAA players (I know everyone loves Karaczewski but does anyone think he's in the top 500 USA basketball players out there? So why does he have USA written across his shirt?); Canada's squad was similar. I suspect in Brazil their basketball culture is a bit more unified and the older guys stay in better touch with the places the young kids come from so when fielding a team like this, the vets and youngsters have already played more together. I dunno, maybe not, but they had good talent at every position and better team play than anyone else I saw.
Pan Am Games (Soccer): Uruguay 1-0 Mexico. Thought the game was evenly matched as any contest I've watched in ages. The only thing separating the squads: Uruguay hit one sparkling free kick and Mexico...did not. Not must watch soccer by any means, but enjoyable enough.
Tour de France (Froome, UK). I watched not even a smidge of a highlight of a second of the Tour this year. Some years I really get into it, other years it glides right by me. This installment apparently even had controversy and shenanigans. But then again, I was already assuming this guy Froome's downfall is imminent.
MLB Trade Deadline. I ought to be buckling back into NBA duties but suddenly the trade deadline is bewitching me like no time in recent memory. I love baseball, it is my first sport and still my favorite. But I spend so much more time with basketball and even soccer or tennis these days that I sometimes forget all about baseball. I can imagine a world where I literally just watch baseball all day every day.
NBA Summer League (Spurs over Suns in the Final). Didn't get to watch much but I was impressed with Okafor, Towns, Porzingis, Aaron Gordon, Seth Curry, Kaminsky and...a bit of a reach but Dakari Johnson (Thunder): I think he was overthinking everything at UK, Calipari howling at him, all the spotlight and none of the playing time, not necessarily the best environment for his game, I think he'll defend just fine, if he can score he might actually be a pretty good baller (think Carlos Boozer but more fun to watch), its early but I was impressed with his flow in the Summer League. Also I was impressed with Becky Hammons, thought she willed the Spurs to the victory in the Final: there was a great moment where the Spurs had a coupla hot dog plays, one successful, one not successful, and we got to see the video of her in the huddle locking the dudes down, I thought it was a brilliant moment, I was totally impressed. The Suns were probably the better team, man, the Suns are gonna score, score, score this year, wave after wave off the bench of dudes that can drop 30 on any given night.
Make no mistake: Summer League is practice basketball. Its about raw talent, athleticism and instinct; its not about winning ball games or developing a team concept, its not a preview of what's to come. Players are "talented" when they are not yet "good". No one thinks of Kobe Bryant as "talented", dude, he's the one of the best to ever play the game, he has long since transcended mere "talent". Summer League is a showcase of "talent" not of the best of all time. So extrapolating anything out of Summer League is a fool's errand, but its fun to watch.
(* Olympics....yeah, I kinda hate the Olympics. I'm actually kinda pleased that the whole thing seems to be financially imploding. Boston made headlines when the Mayor personally removed Boston from contention for the 2022 Olympics. Good for him. I was living in the Bay Area when they were trying to get the 2012 Olympics (went to London) and, dude, nobody--NOBODY--wanted the goddamn Olympics coming to San Francisco. That would've been such a horrible obnoxious nightmare for everyone involved. Now is the time to get rid of this notion that all the athletes have to be competing in the same place: equestrian people can perform in France, cycling activities could be in Brazil, track and field can be at the Rose Bowl, ice hockey can be in Finland and they can be all be scheduled around each other for TV. Break all the games into their own separate Olympic-sanctioned entities and create a steady stream of events that goes on in 4-year cycles. The IOC is corruption personified, get rid of the life-sucking corruption and get everyone all over the world to love sport, to love games, to love international competition that doesn't require tank divisions or jingoistic propaganda campaigns. The Olympics can be useful...they just aren't)
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Signings & Such (cont)
Mo Williams (Cavs): 2yrs/$4.3m. I get that he's a Cavs vet and he wants to win but it feels like he could've made a bigger impact with the Grizzlies or Mavs and probably make more money too. When you're offered a spot on a team that is pretty well guaranteed to go the conference finals, must be tough to pass up.
Jason Smith (Magic): 1yr/$4.5m. So they just sent O'Quinn (making $4m/per) to the Knicks and then sign the guy NYK cast off to make room for O'Quinn for $4.5m? Don't understand any of that. I can't truly comment on Smith, no feel for his game, don't think I watched the Knicks at all last year, but the Knicks don't think he's better than O'Quinn so why would the Magic? (I guess they just valued a shorter deal to a longer one)
Barbosa (Warriors): 1yr/$2,5m. Okay. Nice vet off the bench, fits the Warriors ethos, money's reasonable, good deal.
Brooks (Bulls): 1yr/$(undisclosed). I can appreciate continuity and you certainly can't blame the Bulls' troubles last year on Brooks, but it felt like this was the one place where the Bulls could make for some change on the roster. They brought back Hinrich, Butler, Dunleavy and now Brooks and that's still a pretty good squad....if 2nd round of the playoffs is all you want. Up to Portis and McDermott (mostly hurt last year) to provide some new excitement. Up to Coach Hoiberg to get a few new drops of blood out of this turnip.
Jordan Farmar (Maccabi Tel Aviv). You knew his NBA career was done when even the Clippers gave up on him last year. He's a solid veteran going to one of Europe's better squads, he'll contribute and he's in a pretty good place to make a run at a Euro title.
Garnett (Wolves); signed Towns and Jones. 2 year deal for KG? I don't get this. KG has been done for a coupla years now--DONE--and the talk has long been than KG would move into the Wolves management (or even ownership) when he's finally done...which to my eye happened at least 2 years ago. So why is he still on the roster? Why are they spending precious salary cap dollars on a dude that has no hope of contributing on the court? And conversely, why is KG stealing money from the team he wants to own? I can dig 1 year of "coach-like" KG but two? I just think its a waste of money to pay KG to hang around the team's bench while games are being played. Either put him in a suit (and pay him way more money if you want!) or send him on his way. A honorarium is nice but if this turns out to be in the $10m/per neighborhood, then the someone needs to go to jail. On the upside, though, the Wolves announced the signings of both of their draft picks. This is a good move, positive start for those two dudes.
Ingles (Jazz); signed 1st rd pick Lyles: 4yrs/$10.5m. Ingles was a pleasant surprised for the Jazz last year, they brought him to be a harmless study buddy for the young master Exum and ended up 6th in minutes played and was a steadying force off the bench all year long.
Warriors get Wallace, Celtics get Lee. It appears to be a straight up swap, though the money is far enough apart that you'd think the Celtics would hold out for a draft pick ('cause the Celtics don't have enough). If its just a swap than I don't see why the Celtics would do it: it appears they've spent $5m on another trade chip for their bench. The Celtics have a lot of nice pieces that need to be packaged into one really good piece, does Lee bring them closer to that? I'm not seeing it. But if they end up playing him, he'll be a fine part of that rotation. The Celtics are on the upswing but until they get a bankable star, they got no shot at de-throning the Cavs. As for the Warriors, talk is they'll stretch Wallace's contract (something like $3m for 3 years), way cheaper than getting stuck with Lee.
Alan Anderson (Wizards): 1yr/$4m. So the Nets built this crazy expensive team of big stars and yet every time I watched them, Alan Anderson was the one carrying the team. He's not a bad player, decent scorer, doesn't make dumb mistakes, not a big star but someone that will do more than you think he will. Wondered if the Mavs would give him a shot, as it is I think its a good bench-thickening move for the Wizards. If injuries come, Anderson will get a lot of playing time.
Villanueva (Mavs): 1yr/$2m. The Mavs need to fill out their roster, Villanueva's cheap and standing by. He can still play a little (but last year in the playoffs you could tell the Mavs were meat because of all the time he was getting).
Jason Smith (Magic): 1yr/$4.5m. So they just sent O'Quinn (making $4m/per) to the Knicks and then sign the guy NYK cast off to make room for O'Quinn for $4.5m? Don't understand any of that. I can't truly comment on Smith, no feel for his game, don't think I watched the Knicks at all last year, but the Knicks don't think he's better than O'Quinn so why would the Magic? (I guess they just valued a shorter deal to a longer one)
Barbosa (Warriors): 1yr/$2,5m. Okay. Nice vet off the bench, fits the Warriors ethos, money's reasonable, good deal.
Brooks (Bulls): 1yr/$(undisclosed). I can appreciate continuity and you certainly can't blame the Bulls' troubles last year on Brooks, but it felt like this was the one place where the Bulls could make for some change on the roster. They brought back Hinrich, Butler, Dunleavy and now Brooks and that's still a pretty good squad....if 2nd round of the playoffs is all you want. Up to Portis and McDermott (mostly hurt last year) to provide some new excitement. Up to Coach Hoiberg to get a few new drops of blood out of this turnip.
Jordan Farmar (Maccabi Tel Aviv). You knew his NBA career was done when even the Clippers gave up on him last year. He's a solid veteran going to one of Europe's better squads, he'll contribute and he's in a pretty good place to make a run at a Euro title.
Garnett (Wolves); signed Towns and Jones. 2 year deal for KG? I don't get this. KG has been done for a coupla years now--DONE--and the talk has long been than KG would move into the Wolves management (or even ownership) when he's finally done...which to my eye happened at least 2 years ago. So why is he still on the roster? Why are they spending precious salary cap dollars on a dude that has no hope of contributing on the court? And conversely, why is KG stealing money from the team he wants to own? I can dig 1 year of "coach-like" KG but two? I just think its a waste of money to pay KG to hang around the team's bench while games are being played. Either put him in a suit (and pay him way more money if you want!) or send him on his way. A honorarium is nice but if this turns out to be in the $10m/per neighborhood, then the someone needs to go to jail. On the upside, though, the Wolves announced the signings of both of their draft picks. This is a good move, positive start for those two dudes.
Ingles (Jazz); signed 1st rd pick Lyles: 4yrs/$10.5m. Ingles was a pleasant surprised for the Jazz last year, they brought him to be a harmless study buddy for the young master Exum and ended up 6th in minutes played and was a steadying force off the bench all year long.
Warriors get Wallace, Celtics get Lee. It appears to be a straight up swap, though the money is far enough apart that you'd think the Celtics would hold out for a draft pick ('cause the Celtics don't have enough). If its just a swap than I don't see why the Celtics would do it: it appears they've spent $5m on another trade chip for their bench. The Celtics have a lot of nice pieces that need to be packaged into one really good piece, does Lee bring them closer to that? I'm not seeing it. But if they end up playing him, he'll be a fine part of that rotation. The Celtics are on the upswing but until they get a bankable star, they got no shot at de-throning the Cavs. As for the Warriors, talk is they'll stretch Wallace's contract (something like $3m for 3 years), way cheaper than getting stuck with Lee.
Alan Anderson (Wizards): 1yr/$4m. So the Nets built this crazy expensive team of big stars and yet every time I watched them, Alan Anderson was the one carrying the team. He's not a bad player, decent scorer, doesn't make dumb mistakes, not a big star but someone that will do more than you think he will. Wondered if the Mavs would give him a shot, as it is I think its a good bench-thickening move for the Wizards. If injuries come, Anderson will get a lot of playing time.
Villanueva (Mavs): 1yr/$2m. The Mavs need to fill out their roster, Villanueva's cheap and standing by. He can still play a little (but last year in the playoffs you could tell the Mavs were meat because of all the time he was getting).
Monday, July 6, 2015
Signings & Such (cont)
Miss a coupla days and the stories pile up quick then disappear forever.
Aldridge (Spurs): 4 yrs/$80m, West (Spurs): 1yr/$1.5m, Ginobli (Spurs) (terms undisclosed, I assume its 1 year, something like $6-8m). Kawhi and Aldridge locked up for the future, held on to Green and Ginobli, add in West for a song. Wow. A pretty good off-season for an aging team that didn't even get out of the 1st round. Who's gonna beat this team? The Clippers? The Warriors? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? Lawdy. (Pre-pre-pre-season pick: Spurs over Cavs)
Lou Williams (Lakers): 3yrs/$21m, Brandon Bass (Lakers): yrs/$ undisclosed, Roy Hibbert to the Lakers. The Lakers were so bad last year that just adding anyone is an upgrade. In comes rim protection, D and rebounding down low and scoring off the bench. Teams need those things, the Lakers need those things so its hard to say that the Lakers haven't improved somewhat. But even these guys are tradebait for later on (someone's gonna be desperate for a shotblocker at the trade deadline, Lakers might be able to steal a 1st rd pick for Hibbert). No one wants to talk shit about the toys while they're still under the tree...but the Kobe swansong season is not setting up to be a playoff run.
Barea (Mavs): 2yrs/$5.6m. The Mavs needed more PGs and they still do.
Gasol (Grizzlies): 5yrs/$110m. Anything short of the absolute most amount of money agreed to as soon as Gasol could get a pen in his fingers would've been awkward and uncomfortable for all of us. This one's a cockle-warmer.
Bjelica (Wolves): 3yrs/$12m. Seems like a bargain for a top quality veteran PG. Curious to see how the Rubio/Bjelica/Jones dynamic develops. Wolves are high on my League Pass meter right now (I dig the young talent-rich squads).
Stuckey (Pacers): 3yrs/$21m. Most underrated player in the league last year. Pacers did well to get him at a good deal.
Koufos (Kings): 4yrs/$33m, Caspi (Kings): 2yrs/$6m. The Kings are the Kings, thus it is their fate to overpay even the mediocre free agents. I like Koufos as much as the next guy but I'm not sure I'm ready for the $8m/per portion of his career. Also, not sure I understand the fascination with Caspi, perfectly serviceable journeyman off the bench, can score a little, not turnover prone, seems like a team player. But is he the kind of guy you really just need to have around? I dunno. Maybe there's more to it than his stats.
Joseph (Raptors): 4yrs/$30m; Biyombo (Raptors) (didn't find the details). Toronto, too, has moved into an overpayer this summer. Too bad, last year everything was on the up swing, now everything looks on the down (Vasquez, Johnson, Lou Will already gone, expect more to go). But now that they're a low expectations team, they can sneak up on people again, might be just the ticket to get them going in the playoffs. Biyombo is a pretty terrible player, not rant-worthy but beyond long legs doesn't much else a basketball player needs. I like Cory Joseph, could be an exciting young player but $7.5m/per seems a bit rich for a dude that's never really played. But when you're inviting people on to a sinking ship, I guess you need to sweeten the deal.
O'Quinn (Knicks): 4yrs/$16m. (Actually an s&t with the Magic getting cash and a 2nd rd pick swap in 2016, seems like the Magic could've gotten more back, that's a pretty good contract, wonder why they let the Knicks have him) I like O'Quinn, not a starter this year but a reliable bench minutes big guy. I think that's a very reasonable contract for O'Quinn and the Knicks didn't have to give up anything to get him (a 2nd rd pick swap? How is that even a thing?). NYK is working the risk/reward factor very well so far.
Evans (Mavs): 2yrs/league minimum ($4m for 2 years?). Bench guy, young, cheap, if he works hard he'll get some playing time.
Jackson (Pistons): 5yrs/$80m. I was wondering when this was gonna happen, thought it was a day 1 kinda move, guess the Pistons needed to get ducks in rows and whatnot. This is more money than I would give Reggie Jax, especially since its no guarantee that he and Jennings can play together. But Stan Van is in overpay mode, lucky for Reggie to be on the good side of that deal. I'd like to think that Stan Van is going somewhere with all these moves but I don't see them getting closer to the 8th spot in the East (though probably not any further away).
Jason Kidd is NOT the GM in Milwaukee. It took precisely one year for that story to begin. Can't wait to see where this story is by next summer. You'd think the fates of Kidd and the current GM (uhhh.....uhhhhh) would be intertwined, such that promotions/firings would come in tandem but perhaps there's enough daylight between them to shake them up. We'll see.
Aldridge (Spurs): 4 yrs/$80m, West (Spurs): 1yr/$1.5m, Ginobli (Spurs) (terms undisclosed, I assume its 1 year, something like $6-8m). Kawhi and Aldridge locked up for the future, held on to Green and Ginobli, add in West for a song. Wow. A pretty good off-season for an aging team that didn't even get out of the 1st round. Who's gonna beat this team? The Clippers? The Warriors? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? Lawdy. (Pre-pre-pre-season pick: Spurs over Cavs)
Lou Williams (Lakers): 3yrs/$21m, Brandon Bass (Lakers): yrs/$ undisclosed, Roy Hibbert to the Lakers. The Lakers were so bad last year that just adding anyone is an upgrade. In comes rim protection, D and rebounding down low and scoring off the bench. Teams need those things, the Lakers need those things so its hard to say that the Lakers haven't improved somewhat. But even these guys are tradebait for later on (someone's gonna be desperate for a shotblocker at the trade deadline, Lakers might be able to steal a 1st rd pick for Hibbert). No one wants to talk shit about the toys while they're still under the tree...but the Kobe swansong season is not setting up to be a playoff run.
Barea (Mavs): 2yrs/$5.6m. The Mavs needed more PGs and they still do.
Gasol (Grizzlies): 5yrs/$110m. Anything short of the absolute most amount of money agreed to as soon as Gasol could get a pen in his fingers would've been awkward and uncomfortable for all of us. This one's a cockle-warmer.
Bjelica (Wolves): 3yrs/$12m. Seems like a bargain for a top quality veteran PG. Curious to see how the Rubio/Bjelica/Jones dynamic develops. Wolves are high on my League Pass meter right now (I dig the young talent-rich squads).
Stuckey (Pacers): 3yrs/$21m. Most underrated player in the league last year. Pacers did well to get him at a good deal.
Koufos (Kings): 4yrs/$33m, Caspi (Kings): 2yrs/$6m. The Kings are the Kings, thus it is their fate to overpay even the mediocre free agents. I like Koufos as much as the next guy but I'm not sure I'm ready for the $8m/per portion of his career. Also, not sure I understand the fascination with Caspi, perfectly serviceable journeyman off the bench, can score a little, not turnover prone, seems like a team player. But is he the kind of guy you really just need to have around? I dunno. Maybe there's more to it than his stats.
Joseph (Raptors): 4yrs/$30m; Biyombo (Raptors) (didn't find the details). Toronto, too, has moved into an overpayer this summer. Too bad, last year everything was on the up swing, now everything looks on the down (Vasquez, Johnson, Lou Will already gone, expect more to go). But now that they're a low expectations team, they can sneak up on people again, might be just the ticket to get them going in the playoffs. Biyombo is a pretty terrible player, not rant-worthy but beyond long legs doesn't much else a basketball player needs. I like Cory Joseph, could be an exciting young player but $7.5m/per seems a bit rich for a dude that's never really played. But when you're inviting people on to a sinking ship, I guess you need to sweeten the deal.
O'Quinn (Knicks): 4yrs/$16m. (Actually an s&t with the Magic getting cash and a 2nd rd pick swap in 2016, seems like the Magic could've gotten more back, that's a pretty good contract, wonder why they let the Knicks have him) I like O'Quinn, not a starter this year but a reliable bench minutes big guy. I think that's a very reasonable contract for O'Quinn and the Knicks didn't have to give up anything to get him (a 2nd rd pick swap? How is that even a thing?). NYK is working the risk/reward factor very well so far.
Evans (Mavs): 2yrs/league minimum ($4m for 2 years?). Bench guy, young, cheap, if he works hard he'll get some playing time.
Jackson (Pistons): 5yrs/$80m. I was wondering when this was gonna happen, thought it was a day 1 kinda move, guess the Pistons needed to get ducks in rows and whatnot. This is more money than I would give Reggie Jax, especially since its no guarantee that he and Jennings can play together. But Stan Van is in overpay mode, lucky for Reggie to be on the good side of that deal. I'd like to think that Stan Van is going somewhere with all these moves but I don't see them getting closer to the 8th spot in the East (though probably not any further away).
Jason Kidd is NOT the GM in Milwaukee. It took precisely one year for that story to begin. Can't wait to see where this story is by next summer. You'd think the fates of Kidd and the current GM (uhhh.....uhhhhh) would be intertwined, such that promotions/firings would come in tandem but perhaps there's enough daylight between them to shake them up. We'll see.
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