Saturday, March 30, 2019

2018-19 NCAA Elite Eight

Oregon 49-53 Virginia
Again: Virginia's stifling defense turns games into soccer matches where the paucity of scoring can keep the outcome in doubt even when it feels like the Cavs are dominating. I liked Oregon, they played with spunk and knocked down shots but Virginia had the better talent and the game plan to weather the storm.

Purdue 99-94 (OT) Tennessee
Tennessee had a really strange run in this tourney: dominating half of each of their games and getting blown out in the other halves. So even though Purdue built a dominant lead in the 2nd half, the Vols were able to rally and send it into OT. But they ran out of gas and Purdue squelched them out fairly easily in the extra frame. Good performance from the Boilermakers, I think they'll give Virginia a good run.

Florida State 58-72 Gonzaga
Gonzaga generally led all the way through but State kept hanging around making this a compelling match. Felt like Gonzaga had the talent and the teamwork to win but the Seminoles hung tight (until about the last TV timeout), so despite the lopsided final score, this was still a tight game with about 5 minutes left. Gonzaga persevered and got it done like a top squad should. 

Texas Tech 63-44 Michigan
Well, the Wolverines picked an unfortunate time to have their worst game of the year. They shot so poorly early on that it just killed their offense for the whole night allowing Tech's zone defense to stifle any chance to get a drive-kick offense going, so the hole for the Wolverines just kept getting deeper. Tech was fine but this was about Michigan's inability to score (1-19 from 3 and that single make was the final basket of the game), so it's kinda hard to tell how well Tech will stack up against Gonzaga.

LSU 63-80 Michigan State
In the 1st half State shot the ball really well, never turned it over and got every rebound--the fact that LSU was only down 12 seemed miraculous to me!  State held a healthy lead throughout but LSU did hang around and kinda kept it closer than it should've been (yes, 17 was closer than it should've been!). LSU had a good season and a good run through the tourney but they overachieved and a thumping loss to end it all was preordained. State looks solid.

Virginia Tech 73-75 Duke
All I saw was the last few minutes but Tech had their chances to take it and just couldn't convert in the final minute. Duke has the best 2 players in the tournament but that's all they've got, so they're still very much in the hunt to win it all but we'll see if that lack of depth catches up to them.

Auburn 97-80 North Carolina
Yup: Auburn got hot and won big despite losing their leading scorer (Okeke) to a gruesome injury late in the game (weird looking injury: not sure what happened to him but he was clearly in some pain). North Carolina had been playing really well and if they'd stymied Auburn's outside shooting they would've won but once the tide turned on them they were powerless.

Houston 58-62 Kentucky
I really thought Kentucky was the better team but they had a stretch of bad possessions in the 2nd half that made it necessary for PJ Washington (*) to rip the cast off his leg and make plays to seal the W. Houston had an indomitable performance from Corey Davis (man, they kid attacked, attacked, attacked!) but foul trouble and spotty shooting kept them from taking full advantage of Kentucky's anemic offense in the 2nd half.


Elite Eight
Purdue-Virginia (-4.5)
Virginia plays a rigidly disciplined game plan built around stifling defense designed to suck the will out of their opponents; if they had an efficient offense to go with this, they'd be lights out every year, but they don't. And because they sometimes struggle to score, it gives hope to opponents that ought to be frustrated beyond belief. I think Purdue is not dissimilar but they've got an inside-out offense that can generate points from the perimeter--which could be the death blow to Virginia. Both teams rebound well so this game will be about FG% especially from beyond the arc. I think Purdue has a better chance to get hot from outside which should make all the difference. I'll take Purdue in a low scoring contest to win and cover.

Texas Tech-Gonzaga (-4)
I don't know either of these teams that well but my gut says that Gonzaga is the better team with a better sense of self and they've played better teams to get here. Tech has done what they've needed to do but Ohio State and Michigan don't have the talent up top, depth on the back end or game plan that Gonzaga has. I think Gonzaga takes this one fairly easily.

Auburn-Kentucky (-3)
Kentucky has already beaten Auburn twice this season (actually that was Auburn's last L) but the two games were so different that they're not terribly predictive here (except that in both of those games neither side was at full strength which does mirror this contest, as well). The bottom line is if Auburn is coming in without Okeke and Kentucky is coming in with Washington, then it will require an all time 3-point game to pull this out for Auburn to pull this out. Auburn is capable of doing that but I feel like Kentucky is ready for a big Keldon Johnson game and this could be it. I'll take Kentucky to win and cover.

Michigan State-Duke (-1.5)
College basketball, man: Duke has struggled late in two straight games against weaker opponents, so against a top flight squad that's playing well now, they'll finally meet their match, right? Ehh, maybe. Just as likely State gets off to a bad start, Duke's bench comes in and drains 3's and the game's a Blue Devil blowout by halftime. State has had a workmanlike season, started kinda slow, had a bad stretch in the middle of the conference schedule but has built nicely toward the end and is playing really good right now. Duke has been really good all season but somehow not as dominant as it feels like they could've been and has struggled mightily in their last two tournament games. I think State is the deeper team, the more defined team and the team playing better right now. I wouldn't be surprised to see Zion and Barrett blow up but I think State can endure their onslaught and control the ball better. I'll take Michigan State to win and cover.


(*) All season long in mock drafts I've seen Washington pegged as a mid-2nd rounder and I don't get it at all! Good size, good ball handler, scores from all over, smart player, carried a top ten team for long stretches of the season, then plays through pain to make the difference in a tournament game--what more are scouts looking for? I like Keldon Johnson as much as the next guy (he kinda disappeared in this game) but if he's a top ten pick then Washington is a top five pick!

2019 MLB Over/Unders

Glad to have baseball back. Not so psyched about yard work also making a return but always a good time welcome back annual MLB prognostications (even if I am a few days late...oh well).

NL
East
Nationals (88.5)(over)
Mets (85.5)(over)
Phillies (89.5)(under)
Braves (86.5)(under)
Marlins (63.5)(over)

I had Harper on my Fantasy team last year because I figured a high profile star in a walk year was primed for a monster season. Nope. His pathetic batting average and so-so power numbers basically doomed me (man, if I'd pick my man Jose Ramirez, I would've finished better and enjoyed my time more!). So I think the Nats will be better without him and the Phillies will be disappointing with him. (Listen, Bryce will suck for a coupla years, then when the next big thing comes along and we've forgotten about Bryce completely, then he'll have his Renaissance and we'll all be gushing over him again) I like the Nats to win the division and the Phillies to finish a shockingly bad 3rd place.
I think the Mets will be pretty good and I can even see them making a late push in September before settling into 2nd place ahead of the Phillies. The pitching is gonna be really good, I think the lineup is gonna be better than you think, too.
Braves shocked me last year, feels like I ought to be ready for them to shock me again. So I'm going under.
The Marlins won't be that bad. I say this with confidence because they're trying to be bad--and they never accomplish their goals!

Central
Cards (88.5) (over)
Cubs (88.5) (over)
Brewers (86.5) (under)
Pirates (77.5) (under)
Reds (79) (under)

The Cards-Cubs rivalry that baseball fans have long told themselves exists seems to finally be coming to fruition. The Cubs are built to dominate, don't understand why they haven't, while the Cards are built to always be pretty good and should be looking to bounce back from a weird year. I like the Cubs to come up big this year with the Cards hot on their heels all season. Should be good stuff!
The Brewers felt like they were moving in the right direction the last coupla years but I think they take a step back this year and find themselves in the wake of a Cubs-Cards boatrace.
The Pirates are backsliding and that's a sad thing to see after a brief period of relevance.
The Reds will suck bad this year, it seems. 

West
Dodgers (93.5)
Padres (78.5)
Rockies (84.5)
Diamondbacks (75.5)
Giants (73.5)

The Dodgers (like all LA teams) feel like it is their birthright to win the NL pennant every year. After two straight World Series appearances, that feeling is only getting stronger. But I feel like their pitching is not getting stronger and while they should be among the league leaders, I think they'll scuffle in the dog days and this race should be closer then you think.
The Padres are delusional but I think their delusions will be somewhat rewarded and they'll have a shot at winning this division (though I think they'll fail to catch even a Wild Card).
The Rockies' homefield advantage notwithstanding, I think they'll struggle hard all year, with all time bizarre home/road splits.
The D-Backs just never look right to me. I think they'll start poorly but finish strong (playing spoiler to the Padres down the stretch).
The Giants overachieve so much that we forget sometimes how not very good they ought to be. 


AL
East
Yankees (96.5) (under)
Red Sox (94.5) (under)
Rays (84.5) (under)
Blue Jays (74.5) (under)
Orioles (59.5) (over)

The Yankees-Red Sox race will be compelling all season long--right into the playoffs. I think the Yankees lineup is a little stronger than the Sox and they'll pull out the division late.
When the Rays first started, they were awful year after year, doing everything wrong. But for the last decade or so, they've become one of those reliably not-bad teams every year. I think they'll be deep in the Yankees-Red Sox shadow but still be not-bad all season long.
The Blue Jays made a run in the last few years but it feels like its time for a full-on re-tool.
The Orioles will bottom out badly this year. Damn shame because Baltimore is a true baseball town.

Central
Indians (90.5) (under)
Twins (84.5) (over)
White Sox (74.5) (under)
Tigers (68.5) (over)
Royals (69.5) (under)

I think my Indians have one more year left of winning the AL Central (but 2020 could be really ugly). Neither the lineup, nor the pitching will be quite as good as recent years but I think they're still good enough to win this division.
The Twins are moving in the right direction, building up from the bottom, but I think it'll take one more year to catch the Indians.
The White Sox felt primed to make a splash in the off-season but bungled their chances and it'll doom them on the field again.
The Tigers and Royals are both moving in the wrong direction and are chasing each other to the bottom.

West
Astros (96.5) (under)
A's (83.5) (over)
Angels (82.5) (over)
Mariners (71.5) (over)
Rangers (71) (over)

The Astros are the class of the non-Yankees/Red Sox American League and should dominate this division again.
I think the A's and Angels will duel each other for Wild Card spots, I'll take the A's to secure it late.
The Mariners won't be as bad as they look, I think they're a more savvy organization than they're given credit for (but they won't be very good).
The Rangers are bottoming out. If they draft well, they can get back into it next year.


Playoff predictions
NL
Cards over Mets in play-in
Cubs over Cards, Nats over Dodgers
Cubs over Nats

AL
Red Sox over A's in play-in
Astros over Red Sox, Yankees over Indians
Astros over Yankees

I'll take the Astros over Cubs in 7

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

2018-19 NCAA Sweet Sixteen

Coming into this tournament it seemed plain that there were 8 teams better than everyone else: I'd rank them Duke, Gonzaga, Virginia, Michigan State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan. All are still alive, with Duke getting a serious scare from Central Florida (who played the game of their lives) and Kentucky getting a minor scare from Wofford (tricky little team actually). Throw in that the second tier (Texas Tech, Purdue, Florida State, Houston, LSU, Virginia Tech) was solid as well, then the fact that this particular Sweet Sixteen is the highest ranked of all time should not come as a shock to anyone and unless you were betting on serious upsets, no one's bracket is all that busted just yet. Throw in that the two interlopers (Oregon, Auburn) were both ranked in the pre-season top 25 and both just won their conference tourneys, well, this is as chalky as the Flint, Michigan water supply. Now we're ready for some upsets and some god damn good ball games!

EAST
Duke (-8) v Virginia Tech
Tech beat Duke earlier this year in their only meeting so though Duke is loaded with a crop of dudes already vying for next year's NBA Rookie of the Year Award, I expect Tech to come in heads up and balls out. We've seen Duke's fatal flaw already: Zion and Barrett are two of the best players in all of college basketball but the rest of that roster is not so impressive. If Tech can force Duke into plumbing their minimal depth, then an upset would be in the offing. Though Duke really is thin on the backside, I expect Zion and Barrett to have big games (and get all the calls) and cruise into the next round. I'll take Duke to win but Tech to cover.

LSU v Michigan State (-6.5)
LSU is a scrappy team that figures out how to win games late; being the favorite in the SEC tournament doomed them, however, because they're not a strong frontrunner type, rather they are a dangerous underdog type. Now they're back in the underdog role and I expect them to give Michigan State a helluva challenge. State is solid all over, not great at anything but not bad at anything either. If they play their best they should be better than LSU (who are playing with an interim coach and having recently suffered the death of one of their rotation players). This game will be fun for the first 35 minutes, whoever takes over late will steal it. I'll go with Michigan State to win but LSU to cover (oh, don't be surprised if this one goes to OT).


WEST
Gonzaga (-6.5) v Florida State
This is a rematch of last year's Sweet Sixteen match where Florida State blitzed Gonzaga to advance (only to lose to Michigan, who may await again). Gonzaga has won so far by playing their game: inside-out with bigs that can handle the ball and guards that never turn the ball over. State has won by scoring with great efficiency down low (and weathering the breakout of Ja Morant). This game will be a battle down low and I think foul trouble might make the difference, whoever is getting the calls will probably win the game. I dunno....I'll take Gonzaga, I just think there's more star power there and they'll get the breaks. Gonzaga to win and cover.

Michigan (-2) v Texas Tech
Michigan is really good on the perimeter, Tech is better down low. I think Michigan will need to hit 3's to win. Tech will need to slow the pace and score efficiently. Tough call, I'll go with Michigan to win and cover.


SOUTH
Virginia (-8) v Oregon
Oregon is on a ten game winning streak but the Pac-12 was not too inspiring this year and beating Wisconsin and UC-Irvine to get here is not blowing me away either. Virginia's grinding defense is dangerous in that they sometimes forget to score and can be bested by a relatively mediocre offensive output from their opponent. That said, I think UVA will be successful at controlling the tempo and scoring enough to comfortably win. I'll take Virginia to win and cover (in what will likely be the softest game of the Sweet Sixteen).

Purdue v Tennessee (-1)
This is tough to call because both of these squads are so unpredictable: capable of playing letter perfect games and capable of disappearing in the moment. Purdue won a share of the Big Ten regular season title but their out of conference schedule is kinda disappointing; I'm actually more impressed by Tennessee's 2nd place finish in the SEC because the SEC was unusually good this year and a win over Gonzaga, two wins over Kentucky and a hard fought L to Kansas suggest they've worked harder to get here than Purdue. In the tournament, Purdue made short work of Old Dominion and Villanova while Tennessee struggled with Colgate and Iowa. My gut is that Tennessee is the better team but I feel like Purdue is playing better right now. I'll take Purdue to win and cover. 


MIDWEST
North Carolina (-5.5) v Auburn
UNC was kinda up-and-down for most of the year but they're in a real groove right now. Coby White has emerged as for-real baller and he's leading a balanced team with good depth. Auburn is a 3-point shooting team that can beat anyone if they're hitting and lose to anyone if they're not. This game has the potential to turn into a blowout--for either team!--I'll think we'll know by halftime how this game will turn out. While it is certainly possible for Auburn to shock the Heels, I gotta go with North Carolina to win and cover. 

Houston v Kentucky (-2.5)
Houston put up gaudy numbers in their conference but outside of nice W's over Oregon and LSU, they have not played anyone as good as Kentucky this year. If Kentucky had PJ Washington (which I'm assuming they won't), then I would take Kentucky to easily win because I just think they'd enough scoring inside and out to outrun Houston. But since UK will likely be without their best scorer, this game becomes a real toss-up. I'll go with Kentucky (but only because I bleed blue) to win, Houston to cover.


So my potential Elite Eight:
Duke v Michigan State
I think Duke has the better talent but State is the better team. I'd take Michigan State.

Gonzaga v Michigan
This is the game we did NOT get last year. I think Gonzaga is the deeper team and the team ready to move on, I'd take Gonzaga.

Virginia v Purdue
Virginia is rolling right now, I just don't think Purdue could hang with them. I'd take Virginia.

North Carolina v Kentucky
UK beat them earlier this year but UNC is a much better team now and if UK doesn't have PJ Washington, I just don't see how they could hang. I'd take North Carolina.


Of these Sweet Sixteen games, only Virginia over Oregon seems like a lock to me. UNC-Auburn could end up being a runaway (depending on Auburn's 3pt%) but all the other games should be fascinating and down to the wire. The first weekend was kinda anti-climactic but that just makes this weekend all the more captivating.

Monday, March 18, 2019

2018-19 Champions League (Round of 16)

2nd Leg

Real Madrid 1-4 Ajax (agg. 3-5)
Wow! I was more impressed with Ajax in the 1st leg than I expected to be but I didn't think they'd pull out the victory but, man, they pulled it! Ajax scored early, then scored again right away to take control of the game. Real had chances, hit the post a few times and attacked effectively, but Vinicus (who is really becoming the star of the side) was out of sync in this match and Real was powerless to replace his offense. Ajax wanted it more, played as a team, attacked consistently and kept Real frustrated on the defensive end. Great win for Ajax, really announced themselves as a tough out going forward; been rugged coupla weeks for Real, this season is a major disappointment for them in their first season without Ronaldo (feels like there's gonna be a lotta coming and going for Madrid this summer, I can see Benzema and Marcelo moving on).

Dortmund 0-1 Tottenham (agg 0-4)
In the first leg, I thought Dortmund just had a bad run of luck and found themselves buried; in the 2nd leg, they just never got going and when Kane drilled one early in the 2nd half, the game was pretty much over. The two teams were much more evenly matched than the score would suggest, Tottenham got hot at the right time and Dortmund couldn't recover. Hard to tell how good Tottenham is but they were the better team in this match up. 

Porto 3-1 Roma (agg 4-3)
This was a long rugged match that went deep into over time to determine who would move on. Porto got the penalty call they needed (meh, I thought it was a 50/50 call) and Roma did not get the penalty call they needed (meh, I thought it was a 50/50 call) a few minutes later to keep their hopes alive. I didn't love either of these teams, they were more workmanlike than talented but I kinda think Roma was the better side.

Paris St Germain 1-3 Manchester United (agg 3-3)
Wtf...? This is as bizarre a result as I've seen since that Pats-Falcons Super Bowl. This one kinda played like an NCAA basketball game: PSG just wanted to slow everything down and keep all offense to a minimum so they settled into a ball control formation and seemed content to just play keep-away for 90 minutes. Yeah...that's tough to do, man. Manchester got a fluke goal early (fantastic effort but it was tentative half-assed play in the defensive backfield that put the keeper in an impossible situation). PSG tied it up pretty soon after, seemed to take the control of the game back, but then settled back into a time-killing mode. But, again, this is tough to accomplish and Manchester took the 2-1 lead right before halftime to make a game of it again. In the 2nd half PSG successfully killed time...almost. In extra-time, a searching ball into the box caught a defender's arm earning the game-winning PK as time expired. Calling that a handball was kinda questionable (he was up in the air, had his back turned to the ball, nothing about it was intentional) but even more was how did they determine he was in this box? Weird play, weird reaction, weird ending. I can't help thinking that PSG was a much better team than Man U and them not being in the semifinals must  be a real shock in Paris; likewise in Manchester, where the fans must also be pretty shocked that they're still in it.

Manchester City 7-0 Schalke (agg 10-2)
Not a good day for Schalke. Man City blitzed them for three quick goals right before halftime, which pretty much ended it right there. City piled on (and on) in the 2nd half, barely even felt like Schalke was on the field. It was gonna be an uphill battle for Schalke to begin with but that was all over by halftime. Man City looks good but not this good, so hard to judge their chances going forward.

Juventus 3-0 Atletico Madrid (agg 3-2)
Ronaldo, man, that guy was built to play this game. Juve needed 3 goals so he went out and got 3 goals. Atletico made a game of it, this was still very much up in the air til a late PK sealed the deal for Juve. Both teams were pretty evenly matched, I guess; Atletico is the deeper side but Juve has Ronaldo. Juve is gonna be a tough out going forward but I don't see them as a favorite.

Bayern 1-3 Liverpool (agg 1-3)
This reminded me of an NFL game: this was a field position game and Bayern's offense just couldn't keep their gains up front, which doomed their defense. The Bayern D played really well but ran out of gas because the offense was non-existent. Liverpool's attack was just too much and controlled the 2nd half without much problem. Bayern is in for a major shakeup this summer: Lewandowski is having a good year but no one else is so I can see Robben, Ribery, Rodriguez, maybe even Neuer and Boateng elsewhere next fall. Liverpool, on the other hand, has a really good offense and they can be dangerous going forward.

Barcelona 5-1 Lyon (agg 5-1)
Strangely this game wasn't as lopsided as the score suggests. Barca scored early, took a 2-0 before halftime. But Lyon scored and made it a game again fairly early in the 2nd half. Then Barca blew up down the stretch (I didn't even see the last goal, now that I think of it) and comfortably packed it in but Lyon had more moxy and more chances than you think. But make no mistake, Barcelona was the better team and probably the favorite to win it all. 


The semifinal match-ups:
Tottenham v Manchester City
This is a tough one. These two English sides so thoroughly throttled their German opponents that its hard to tell how good either of them actually are. I think Man City is better...but I dunno. I'll go with Man City.

Liverpool v Porto
Porto is gonna dig in and play tough, I expect a much more defensive performance than they displayed against Roma. But I think Liverpool's attack is gonna be too much for them and if Liverpool brings it, Porto will be left with counterattacking options only, I just don't see how they score enough to move on. I'll take Liverpool.

Manchester United v Barcelona
Does Man U make the most of their second chance? Or do they get run out of town like a team that doesn't really deserve to be here? Since I have no questions at all about Barcelona, I'm thinking it's gonna be the latter for Manchester. I'll take Barcelona.

Ajax v Juventus
Dang! I don't want to see these two against each other. These are the two wily underdogs that will give fits to higher ranked opponents. Ajax really impressed me against Real Madrid, they held their formation and moved forward in conservative-but-aggressive fashion that was devastating at times. Juventus probably has more talent (and more expectation) but they also have Ronaldo, clearly the best player in this match. I dunno, man, I wanna go with Ajax as the scrappy underdog that shocks the Italian superpower, but I kinda think one Ronaldo is worth a team of scrappy underdogs. I'll go with Juventus. 

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

2018-19 NBA Bric-a-brac (Week 19)

Firings
Dell Demps (Pelicans GM)
The Demps years were mostly not good for New Orleans. I understand the desire upon drafting Anthony Davis to get straight into win-now mode, but the moves they made left the Pelicans with a lumpy roster and no draft picks. So instead of building around Davis, they went for quick fixes when the foundation was never properly established. This year's roster is probably as good as its been in New Orleans in the Demps era and this is barely a playoff team. Not good. The only reason Demps hung around so long is because this is not an NBA team but rather an NFL-adjacent team that hasn't shown an understanding of how basketball works. The right GM could still build something interesting here but Demps didn't get it done.


Re-signings
Tim Connelly (Nuggets President of Basketball Operations)
The Connelly years have been moving in the right direction: hired the right coach, drafted well and even snagged some interesting free agents to give them a run into the post-season this year and a nice mix of youth and vets going forward.  I'd say he's earned himself a nice extension. 


Signings
(Remainder of season)
Pau Gasol (Bucks), Markieff Morris (Thunder), Corey Brewer (Kings),
Pau played for the last gasp of the Showtime Lakers, the grit-and-grind Thibodeau Bulls and the twilight of Pop's Spurs; this dude knows how to defend, knows how to score, knows how to play with stars, knows how to handle it on his own. He hasn't been a supremely effective player in the NBA for a few years now but he could be the perfect wily veteran for this Bucks team.
I know Morris has been hurt for most of the year but I still thought it was weird that the Pelicans let him go when they did--there something better waiting out there? Not sure how effective he will be but if he's got anything left, OKC is probably a good place for him.
Not sure Brewer is the right fit for the Kings but they could use a steady veteran down the stretch; Brewer will give them reliable defense and ball handling and a little bit of scoring for 10-15 minutes a night.

(Extension)
Eric Bledsoe (Bucks) (4yrs/$70m)
I think this is good for the Bucks: they're locked into a cornerstone player for a reasonable price establishing cost/roster certainty for the foreseeable future. Now they gotta re-sign Brogdon and figure out how to replace Middleton and Lopez this summer.

(Multi-year contracts)
John Jenkins (Knicks), Dairis Bertans (Pelicans), Henry Ellenson (Knicks), Ray Spalding (Suns)
These deals all strike me as late-season salary cap machinations rather than basketball moves (although I kinda like Ellenson with the Knicks, a low cost big body to go with whatever they end up doing this summer).


Waivings
Pau Gasol (Spurs), Tim Frazier (Pelicans), Isaiah Canaan (Bucks), Jodie Meeks (Raptors)
The Gasol era in San Antonio is over and was never as good as it might've been had they teamed up, say, five years earlier. As it is, Pau was mostly overpaid for what he brought to the Spurs and the Spurs never really had the proper spot to offer Pau for him to be his best. An amicable parting, I assume, but never as good as it should've been.
Frazier is a reliable 2nd string PG, I expect to see him back on a roster next year (possibly in New Orleans).
Canaan has bounced around for a while now, may or may not be back in the future (though he will be available for late-season roster manipulations, so wouldn't be surprised to see him getting signed by the end of the season for a team he'll never actually play for).
As a Kentucky fan I implore you to poor one out for Jodie Meeks. An absolutely electric scorer in NCAA (the original Malik Monk), never quite found the right situation in the NBA, derailed by injuries, hung around so long just on pure heart and talent. I wish I had nicer things to say about his basketball career but I'd definitely put Meeks among my all-time Wildcat faves.


Retiring
Channing Frye (Cavs)
Has confirmed (on Twitter, if I'm not mistaken) that this will be his last season in the NBA. Man, with Dirk, D-Wade and Vinsanity sucking up all the attention, doesn't feel like Frye will get his proper send off. Frye is not a Hall of Famer but he was kinda the original stretch-4 and played a pivotal role on some really good teams. Missed a year in Phoenix, then came back and played 82 games in 2013-14 (that team was loaded with Comeback and Most Improved candidates), then signed with Orlando, which was a conduit to the Lebron Cavs...where he kinda languished. *smh* He was exactly what they needed but they never quite figured out what to do with him (I'd call that 'the Lebron effect'). Not an all-time great player but a good one and significant in terms of the evolution of the game over the last decade.


Injuries
Omari Spellman (Hawks)
Spellman is out indefinitely with an ankle sprain. Spellman's rookie year has been fine but nothing superlative, wouldn't be surprised if they shut him down for the rest of the season with an eye toward getting him some Summer League run.