Hoping for Healing

Today I bring you Yao Ming, the oft injured center, who is one of the most fundamentally sound centers to ever grace the basketball court. His greatest asset, his size (Yao stands at 7'6" and weights 300 pounds), has also become his greatest liability, and he has been marred by injury problems his entire career. It was announced recently that Yao will have foot surgery this off season and will miss the entire 2009-2010 season, leaving his career in jeopardy. One can only hope that he will return healthy in 2010, because his presence will surely be missed.

 
Image Credit: Sydney Morning Herald

If Eddy Curry is a behemoth, then Yao Ming could simply be described as monolithic. The 7'6" Ming was initially scrutinized before becoming the first overall draft pick by the Houston Rockets in 2002, as a lumbering giant, destined to be posterized by the Association's most formidable dunk artists, the likes of which had not been seen since Shawn Bradley.

After Yao's second full season as pro, Yao had asserted himself as one of the league's next great big men. He was a legitimate 25-12 threat after his third season, who did nothing but help the team. He made his free throws (his 83.2% career mark almost equals Kobe Bryant), passed well out of double teams, had a reliable outside shot, did not turn the ball over, avoided foul trouble, and played solid defense. He was on his way to becoming one of the 10 greatest centers to ever play.

Putting his basketball skill aside, Yao Ming was also funny. He was personable off the court, he spoke English well (better than many of his American born brethren), and he was a good teammate. Yao was so much more than anyone could have imagined. He was truly on his way to becoming something special.

However his body did not agree with his ascendance into the pantheon of great centers. Like many great big men before him, the constant pounding of the NBA season began to take its toll. He has broken both his feet (on separate occasions), and suffered a fractured knee.

In his first three full seasons Yao played 244 of a possible 246 games (99.1%). In the 4 seasons since, he has played 231 of a possible 328  games (70.4%).

As tragic as it may be, this is a story that is all too common in the NBA. There are countless stories of other big men who have faced injury problems and have never lived up to their full potential (Bill Walton comes to mind), Yao is just another name to add to the list.

But Yao is so much more than a talented big man. Yao was the NBA's medium through which it truly became a global game. With all apologies to Wang Zhizhi, Ming bridged the gap between the NBA and the world's largest market, China. He became the gateway to connect the NBA and the far east.

This was no more evident than on November 9th, 2007 when Yao's Rockets played the Milwaukee Bucks, the team of countryman Yi Jianlian. The NBA estimated that over 200 million Chinese watched the meaningless regular season game in the middle of November.

Yao Ming was the reason that Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and other "Redeem Team" players were treated like royalty at the Beijing Games last August. Yao Ming was the reason that the Cleveland Cavaliers sold 15% of their team to Chinese businessmen. He's the reason that eight NBA preseason games have been played in China.

The legacy he leaves behind is already so expansive, that he has transcended the sport like only one other before him (Jordan - 23).  He means so much more to basketball than anything he would be able to produce on the court. He has opened the NBA to a market that is three times the size of America, a market that is growing exponentially.

While China may be tuned in now, it is more than reasonable to think that if Yao leaves the game prematurely, then their interest may wane, and it may be impossible to captivate and capture that audience again. That would be an incredible blow to the league, one that they might not be able to recover from.

And that would be the real tragedy. 

Defending Allen Iverson

In part two of the much maligned NBA player series, I present to you Allen "The Answer" Iverson, harbinger of the hip-hop image problem of the NBA, connoisseur of cornrows, tattoos, headbands, and general thuggary. Enjoys press conferences detailing his habits during practice (or lack of). Also happens to be one of the best guards to ever hit the hardwood.

Image Credit: Dime Magazine

Allen Iverson has always been somewhat of a pariah on the NBA landscape. His image dominated the post-MJ era. His tattoos, slight frame, and cornrows perpetuated the idea that the NBA was driven by selfish, "me first" players who enjoyed rap music, do-rags, and baggy sweat pants.

This was an image that turned off many casual fans. He was the poster child for the NBA's marquee stars and best players from the earlier years of this decade that did not resonate with the wider American public.

What has largely been lost in this translation, is Iverson's basketball prowess.

For example, here are the career per game stat lines of two players. One of them is Iverson.

G	MIN	PTS	AST	REB	FG	FG%	3P	3P%	FT	FT%	STL	BLK	TO
886	41.4	27.1	6.2	3.7	9.4-22.1	42.5	1.2-3.8	31.3	7.1-9.1	78.0	2.2	0.2	3.6

G	MIN	PTS	AST	REB	FG	FG%	3P	3P%	FT	FT%	STL	BLK	TO
948	36.4	25.1	4.6	5.3	8.7-19.2	45.5	1.3-3.7	34.1	6.4-7.7	83.1	1.5	0.6	2.9

Player 1? Iverson. Player 2? Kobe Bryant.

Both were drafted in 1996, and their legacies could not be any different, although they are more similar than anyone may be willing to admit.

AI has won 4 scoring titles, and 1 MVP award. Kobe has won 2 scoring titles and 1 MVP award. Last time I checked, I haven't heard anyone putting Iverson in the discussion as one of the greatest's of all time. Which is complete undue praise that has been lobbied Kobe's way in recent months.

Sure Kobe has 4 championship rings, but Allen Iverson has never had the supporting cast that Kobe has. When the two met in the NBA Finals in 2001, Kobe had Shaq, Horace Grant, Derrick Fisher, Isaiah Rider, Rick Fox and Robert Horry. AI? Dikembe Mutumbo, Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, and Tyrone Hill.

Kobe has had disputes with coaches (Phil Jackson - 2004). Demanded trades (Summer 2007). Quarreled with teammates(Shaq - 2004, Andrew Bynum 2007). Not to mention he was also accused of rape.

But he's competitive, and he just wants to win so bad.

Iverson has had disputes with coaches (Larry Brown - 2002). Demanded trades (2006). He's never had (public) rifts with teammates. And he was charged with possession of a firearm and marijuana after his rookie season in 1997.

But he's a thug, and a team killer.

Because it's one thing to be accused of rape. But it's an entirely different (and more severe apparently) thing to have a pistol for protection after growing up the son of a 15 year old unmarried mother in one of the poorest places in the country in Newport News, Virginia. His biological father was never around, so his mother's boyfriend dealt cocaine in an effort to provide for the family.

His high school coach was quoted in a 2007 ESPN article as saying "There were times when Allen never knew where his next meal was going to be. Here's a kid who couldn't take a bath because he had no running water because it had been turned off."

Kobe Bryant grew up in Italy while his father played professional basketball. His family then moved to a wealthy Philadelphia suburb that allowed Bryant to showcase his basketball ability on a national stage. He went to his senior prom with R&B sensation Brandy.

Yet somehow the two have managed to become the most iconic (and polarizing) guards of the last decade in the NBA.

Now why is this post relevant today? Well news has been circulating that the two could become the equivalent of basketball neighbors, as it has been speculated that AI might be signing with the Clippers.

The perpetually awful Clippers and Grizzlies seem to be the only teams in the league that want the free agent Iverson.

Although he is clearly no longer the player that he once was, I find it hard to believe that only the two worst franchises in the league have called for his services. I recognize that he is no longer the player he once was, and comparing his game to Kobe today is ludicrous, but the fact remains that he can still contribute.

Hopefully he will just be contributing to franchises that are more viable and desirable than the Clippers or the Grizzlies. With Eric Gordon (LA) and OJ Mayo (Memphis) asserting themselves as phenomenal young 2 guards, I find it hard to believe that there will be enough minutes to go around in either situation.

It is most likely if he signs for either team, someone will be unhappy, and he will again be branded as a cancerous prima donna, who only cares about individual accomplishments and not team success.

Meanwhile Kobe will be playing for one of the best teams in the league, and enjoying all of the benefits that success reaps.

Here's to hoping that the Answer will be able to find some sort solace around the league, and sign with a team where his greatness may actually be recognized.

Rooting for Eddy Curry

Over the course of the rest of the summer and into the fall, I'll attempt to look at a number of NBA players that typically are viewed less favorably than most superstars. We'll start today with New York behemoth Eddy Curry.

(Image: ESPN)

An article in the New York Times today informed the nation that Eddy Curry has shown up to Las Vegas for off season workouts in shape. Typically that's something that goes unnoted, especially in a reputable news source like the Times, however Eddy Curry is some what of a sports enigma. And showing up to training camp in shape is quite an accomplishment for the 6'10'' 300 pound man.

Curry has been blessed with incredible size (occasionally too much) and talent, so much that the Chicago Bulls drafted him with the #4 pick in the 2001 draft out of high school.

However he has had a somewhat problematic time parlaying all of his natural skills into a successful NBA career.

This was no more apparent than last season, in which he only managed to play in 4 games due to conditioning issues and a recurring soreness in his knee. After showing up to camp out of shape new Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni quickly relinquished him to the end of the bench, something he was never able to overcome.

(Image: Depressedfan.com)

After hearing stories like that, it is a natural inclination to write someone like Eddy Curry off as an overweight, overpaid, enigmatic professional athlete.

But, his benching doesn't tell the entire story, and was not the end of his problems.

Curry was sued by his former chauffeur for sexual harassment, (claims he has vehemently denied) in January. Shortly thereafter he got the incredibly tragic news that his former girlfriend and child had been murdered in Chicago. And earlier this summer, news broke that his home was being foreclosed on, despite his annual salary that approaches 8 figures.

This guy just cannot seem to catch a break. Although I usually loathe players that never seem motivated enough to take advantage of the gifts that they have been bestowed with, I'll be pulling for Curry this year.

Any man that has been through that much deserves all the support he can get. Although I will not be purchasing his jersey-t anytime soon, here's to hoping that he is able to turn his life around this season.

Defending a King and his Court

(This story is based off the events described here)

The scene opens in a small gym in Akron, Ohio. A quick glance around the gym shows that this is no ordinary occasion. A large Nike swoosh adorns the walls behind the basket. There are multiple coolers filled with Vitamin Water. The court has been painted and waxed recently.

The gym is clean and the basketballs sitting in the racks are new, untouched and pristine. Clearly a special occasion is preparing to transpire; one must wonder what is going on. A look around the gym reveals no clues, yet it is so obvious something must be happening.

Something mythical...something epic.

Finally, the last glimpse reveals the occasion. A small sign sits in front of the large metal doors guarding this hall of majesty, it reads simply: Welcome to the 2009 LeBron James Skills Academy.

The next scene opens. It is one of controlled chaos. 10 human magnum opuses are running up and down the court. There are over a hundred more of these men standing and seated around the court, all with their eyes fixated on the round orange ball being thrown between the players.

A general camaraderie is evident between the men. With smiles and joking abounding plus dap being exchanged frequently on the court and in the bleachers, it is clear these men share a bond. Nonetheless there is an intensity circulating in the gym. No man wants to be seen as lesser than one of his equally skilled peers.

Even off the court, it is evident that some men loom greater than the other compatriots in the gymnasium. Although he is one of the smallest men in the gym, Chris Paul sticks out. The men he is seated around also conjure up images of basketball’s finest. Fellow Olympians Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony all loom large. Former collegian Stephen Curry can be seen chatting with fellow 2009 lottery picks DeMar DeRozen and Jonny Flynn in a corner of the gym.

Multitudes of the finest basketball players on the planet have assembled in this Akron gym to hone their basketball skills and pay homage to the king who rules this court. That man is the king of this state, but most importantly he presides over an association that they all aspire to rule one day. Unseating him on this throne will be difficult to say the least. His mythical stature is rivaled only by his basketball prowess.

The king of this court is none other than LeBron James.

One look at the game unfolding on the floor is all it takes to spot this basketball luminary. He stands taller than almost all the other participants, and has a physique comparable to the legendary Greek Titans. Approaching 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighing nearly 260 pounds, the man is one of the most intimidating men in the arena.

He is playing with passion and ability unseen before by his peers. Elegantly and powerfully he abounds up and down the hardwood. The full complement of his skill set is on display. His passing rivals that of Magic Johnson. His shooting harkens to that of Larry Bird. His defense, Bill Russell. His pure combination of skills and ability conjures up memories of the game’s greatest player, a man simply known as Jordan.

LeBron was banished from the playoffs by the Magic of Orlando and he has been determined to never let any team win another war against him again.

He has been playing like that of a man possessed. Not possessed by the devil, but possessed by a spirit of the sport’s finest players.

Even in these improperly deemed “practice” games he has shown his full ability. Step-back jumpers are rain in, drop step moves in the post that lead to easy basket, precise bounce passes to set up teammates, lane clearing drives that nearly bring down the rim, careening rebounds to start fastbreaks, and suffocating defense that stifles opponents. His closest companions and nearest rivals are in awe of his ability.

The teams briefly stop play to catch their breath. LeBron lingers on the floor with the ball in his hand. The King cannot help but smile as he surveys his court. He gazes at a silhouette of himself on the floor. He begins to ponder his sovereignty of the game he loves.

He feels as if he is only one season away from gaining what means the most to him, the title of champion. He has yet to claim the mythical Larry O’Brien trophy, a holy grail that is only given to the Association’s most elite kingdoms, not individual kings. It is a relic coveted by all, yet reserved for a select few. The King wants nothing more than a championship ring to be placed on the hand that he uses to rule empire.

Without it, LeBron feels like a prince, clearly capable of harnessing the greatness and power associated with the Larry O’Brien, and knows that his domination will not be complete until he hoists the trophy in June. Although he may be considered the King of Basketball by many, he knows he has not fully ascended to his rightful throne.

The teams step away from the water coolers and make their way back to join the King on his court. He hands the ball off to a member of the other team. The ball is inbounded and play begins once more.

Then the play happens. Not “play” in the sense of the game invented by Dr. James Naismith, but the play, one that will define this King’s reign. Albeit unrightfully, this one singular moment, a small fraction of time, and the action that follows will be etched into the volumes that chronicled his existence.

The play begins as any other. The ball is inbounded, is dribbled up court. A player with the ball crosses the half court line and begins to facilitate the offense. Men begin moving, cutting around the maze of bodies along the baseline and top of the key. Then the ball moves into the hands of an unknown proletarian, a man from Xavier named Jordan Crawford.

After a quick pump fake the 6-4 guard blows past his defender at the top of the three point arc and barrels towards the basket. LeBron sees the action and reacts, as he too heads toward the basket. They leave their feet and begin their jump at the same time. Jordan is closer to the rim and reaches the apex of his flight sooner and he sees LeBron has not yet made it to his.

Jordan takes the ball in both hands behind his head and slams it to the rim as LeBron’s outstretched arm and body below him fails to alter the flight of Crawford and the shot.

The Play is over. The gym erupts. Madness ensues.

In a game born on playgrounds, the dunk is the most powerful assertion of dominance. Dunking on someone is the penultimate symbol of supremacy.

For that one moment suspended in time, LeBron went from King to serf. He was stripped of all power and glory, a weakness was captured and exploited. LeBron was unable to defend his court from a man who may never even be allowed to join the association that the king presides over.

It was 1 Samuel 17 reenacted. An unknown David had conquered Goliath. An Israelite took down the champion of the Philistines. The proverbial underdog had taken down the King, at least for a miniscule amount of time.

LeBron knew there was no evidence except for the faint memory etched into the minds of the observers who witnessed the occasion. He began a jog down the court, his legacy would remain intact since there would be no visual evidence of the encounter. There would only be a brief mention of the play by the scribes sitting courtside who were allowed to chronicle the happenings in the gym that afternoon.

Then one scribe in particular caught his eye. The man was holding a forbidden video camera, its lens was squarely focused on the King. He had not noticed him before. Another man close to the first caught his eye as well. He too had a camera aimed at the King.

He wondered how long they had been there. His calmness was broken, and he became uneasy. No men were to be allowed to record the undertakings on the court. How had these two gone unnoticed?

With the gym still electric from the dunk, the King called time and motioned for an assistant to the legendary Phil Knight to speak with him. The two conversed quietly and departed. As the game resumed, the men holding the video cameras were approached. They were told that they were committing a forbidden act, and were asked to forfeit their tapes.

As the King continued to play he watched the event unfold. There was no argument, just a peaceful exchange of the evidence. He knew that if that video reached the unregulated internet a domain outside of his realm, it would become viral, and the witnesses to the play would grow from under 200 to 2 million within a matter of hours.

His honor would be questioned. His ability would be challenged. And his reign would be unfairly viewed as less superior than that of other players who had presided over the league before him. A mere peasant challenged a king and succeeded? He might be dethroned faster than the dunk occurred.

He was able to stop the event from going public, and he began to play once more at peace, knowing that his legacy was safe. Little did he know that asserting his power would lead to even more questioning of his ability to preside over his kingdom.

Yet it does not bother him now, for he knows without the tape, no damage can be done. It will only be a play of mythical legend, that can be disputed since there is no evidence. He will remain King.

And rightfully or not, a king will always do whatever it takes to remain on top.

Team By Team Draft Breakdown

Team – Overall Pick #, Player Name, (Position – School/Country)

Atlanta – #19 Jeff Teague (PG – Wake Forest) & #49 Sergiy Gladyr (SG – Ukraine)

Good pick with Teague, they needed a point guard, and were probably hoping Lawson would fall to them (missed him by 1 spot). Teague is a great player, but his production fell off towards the end of the year. The Hawks have a lot of talent on the roster, which will take the burden off of his shoulders.

Gladyr bears a striking resemblance to the word Gladiator, and that’s all I know about him.

Boston – #58 Lester Hudson (G – University of Tennessee Martin)

The Bad - He’s 24 and played in a conference that included Austin Peay, South East Missouri State, and Tennessee Tech.

The Good - He’s 6-2, averaged 28 pts, 8 rebs, 4 ast, 2 stls, 46% fg, 39% 3pt, and 83% ft.

Those are some video game statistics. He did pretty much all he could, where he could, so give him credit for that. Destined to put up similar numbers in the D-League. Have fun playing for the Reno Bighorns, Lester.

Charlotte – #12 Gerald Henderson (SG – Duke) & #40 Derrick Brown (PF – Xavier)

The Bobcats needed help at the 2, and Henderson should fill in admirably. Bobcats took the hometown kid, and will appease all of the Duke fans after taking three (!) UNC players since 2005.

Henderson will provide reliable defense and will also gladly punch the opposing teams best player in the face if Charlotte is losing in a must win game.

Look out Kobe, Henderson is coming to deviate your septum.

I also loved the Derrick Brown pick. Xavier has been my NCAA Tournament sleeper team the past two seasons (it didn’t work out) and he was a big reason why. He can shoot the 3, is very athletic and can play two positions. He could turn into a very serviceable NBA backup and spot starter, aimed to make the lives of the Rashard Lewis’s of the world a little more difficult.

Chicago – #16 James Johnson (PF – Wake Forest) & #26 Taj Gibson (PF – Southern Cal)

The Bulls have a pretty deep front court with energy guys in Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas. So why did they draft two more forwards? No clue.

The word is James Johnson could play small forward, which would definitely fill a need for the Bulls, considering John Salmons is not getting any younger. Johnson has the talent to be a legitimate starter in the league, but there are questions about his work ethic. Could be good, but he seems pretty similar to Tim Thomas, Antoine Walker, Al Thornton, etc. Big guys, great talents, one minute he’s the best player on the planet, the next it’s hard to imagine he made an NBA roster.

For example here are his stats from 6 consecutive games this past season (points – rebounds): |8-2||24-11||26-11||28-18||8-8||9-8|Talk about contrast.

Gibson has some good upside, but his size (6’10” 220lbs) does not translate to the physical force in the paint Chicago envisions him to be. With questions at both shooting guard and small forward, I think the Bulls may regret passing guys like Sam Young, Wayne Ellington and DaJuan Summers in a few seasons.

Cleveland – #30 Christian Eyenga & #46 Danny Green & #57 Emir Preldzic

After Cleveland drafted this Eyenda, the announcers did not say anything for a solid 120 seconds. Yikes. Any time a team absolutely has to make a solid pick to prevent the best player on the planet from leaving after this season, they shouldn’t go with a guy no one has ever heard of and won’t play for at least 2 seasons. They clearly wanted an athlete, but there were much more proven (and better) players on the board. If LeBron bolts in 2010, expect this to be one of the reasons on his list.

The Danny Green pick was phenomenal. He gives them 3 point shooting, athletic ability, and is a great chemistry and glue guy coming off the bench (see: 2009 UNC Championship Team). Excellent pick-up in the middle of the second round.

Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry may have passed him up if the two did not share the same first name.

As for Emir? Your guess is as good as mine.

Dallas – #25 Rodrigue Beaubois (PG – France) & #45 Nick Calathes (PG – Florida) & #56 Ahmad Nivins (PF – St. Joseph’s)

Beaubois is 6’2” has a 6’10” wingspan and 39” vertical jump. That’s unreal. There are questions about his skills apparently, but if he is that athletic, he’ll probably be a very good on-ball defender (something 36 year old incumbent starter Jason Kidd is not).

Calathes was great in college, and it was very surprising to see him fall so far. He’s one of the few players from this draft I’ve seen in person, and I liked what I saw. He apparently signed a deal with a team in Greece before the draft, which was very perplexing, so there are questions about whether or not he will even play in America this year.

Nivins went to St. Joe’s and averaged 19 pts and 12 rebs his senior year. Love the guys that learn how to play in the big city.

On a side note, the Mavericks have only had four first round picks since 2000. They include, Maurice Ager (2 ppg career) Josh Howard (loves reefer, plays good ball), Etan Thomas (6ppg 4 reb career), and now this guy from France. It’s amazing that they’ve actually been any good.

Denver – Traded 2010 first round pick for #18 Ty Lawson (PG – UNC)

Great pick for Denver. Absolutely wonderful. Will be mentored by Chauncey Billups and will thrive in the Nuggets up tempo system. He will be asked to contribute from day one, and will certainly be able to do so.

Detroit – #15 Austin Daye (SF/PF – Gonzaga) & #35 DaJuan Summers (SF – Georgetown) & #39 Jonas Jerkbo (SF – Sweden)

Austin Daye 6’10” and can’t bench press 185 pounds and graded out as the worst athlete in this year’s draft class. Not only could he not bench press 185, he was the slowest in the ¾ court sprint, 2^nd slowest in the lane agility test, and tied for the worst vertical jump at 28”. In the 4 major athletic categories, he graded Last, 2^nd to Last, Last, and (you guessed it) Last.

Detroit was looking to rebuild, but this guy has bust written all over him. It will be surprising if he plays more than 200 games (2 ½ Full Seasons) as a pro.

Summers on the other hand? Good athlete, produced at a big time school, and had first round talent. Excellent second round steal.

Jerkbo is apparently very athletic and has a high basketball IQ. The Pistons might stash him overseas for a season or two, but will probably make an impact when he decides to come stateside.

Golden State – #7 Stephen Curry (PG – Davidson)

Apparently there have been rumors that the Suns will be trading Amare Stoudemire to the Warriors for Stephen, Brandan Wright and Andris Biedrins. That would be a terrible trade for Golden State. Those are three legitimate starters and all three have all-star caliber potential.

So for the time being, let’s go with the notion that Golden State keeps this pick.

Stephen Curry to the Warriors might have been a better destination than the Knicks. The Warriors play an even more up-tempo style than the Knicks, which will certainly suit Curry’s skill set. Also it’ll relieve some of the pressure from the crazy New York fan base off of his shoulders.

Curry has all the ability to be a terrific NBA player. He has a great feel for the game, a terrific jump shot, and is a grounded team-first player. There are questions about whether or not he can play the point full time, but I think he answered them this past season.

Much has been made of his so called “physical limitations,” but he’s taller than Chris Paul and the same size as Deron Williams. He also put up huge numbers against players with NBA caliber talent (44 point performances against NC State and Oklahoma this past season), and go take a look at his numbers from Davidson’s 2008 Elite Eight run.

Curry (terrific shooter) and Monta Ellis (terrific slasher) will complement each other very well, presuming that Stephen does not get dealt.

Houston – #32 Jermaine Taylor (SG – University of Central Florida) & #34 Sergio Llull (PG – Spain) & #44 Chase Budinger (SF/SG – Arizona)

Houston GM Darryl Morey always has a terrific second round, and this is no exception.

Taylor averaged 26 points a game as a senior, and Budinger was once projected to be a lottery pick. If either of these two plays to their potential, the Rockets have again managed to pick up very solid contributors in the second round.

And Sergio Llull has 4 (yes, FOUR!) L’s in his five letter last name. How awesome! Is there any other letter in the alphabet that works with? Zzizz. Aapaa. Ppopp. Qquqq. Nope, didn’t think so.

Indiana – #13 Tyler Hansbrough (PF – University of North Carolina) & #52 AJ Price (PG –University of Connecticut)

Hansbrough excelled in college, excelled in workouts, measured well, and was able to land in the lottery. He will probably never make an All-Star squad (along with the other 90% of the players drafted), but will be a very valuable contributor on his team for a long NBA career. Also Larry Bird simply could not pass up drafting another white guy for his roster. The people of Indiana will love him.

AJ Price was solid at UConn and had a few transgressions (stole a few laptops his freshman year, no big deal), but overall is a pretty good player. He should make the roster, but will not provide much else other than a few minutes here and there.

Los Angeles Clippers – #1 Blake Griffin (PF – Oklahoma)

Blake Griffin was clearly the best and the most NBA-ready of all the players in the draft and even the Clippers were able to see that. He should come in and contribute immediately, but with so many players in the front court commanding so much money, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be able to get enough minutes to showcase his skills.

The Clippers made the right choice and now just have to manage their roster correctly in order to get the best value for their pick.

Los Angeles Lakers – #59 Chinemelu Elonu (PF – Texas A&M)

Here’s a guy that needed to stay in school. But after getting drafted by the world champions, he’s probably pretty happy. Elonu was somewhat productive in college based on his limited minutes. But considering he was only able to get 24 minutes a night for the Aggies, I find it hard to believe he’ll be getting a lot of playing time on the Lakers.

The Lakers sold their first round pick to the Knicks for $3 million. They need money for Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, but they could have kept the pick and drafted Sam Young or DaJuan Summers as an insurance policy in case one or both leave during free agency. Plus they are the Lakers and they just won the NBA Finals, I find it hard to believe that they are hurting for cash.

Memphis – #2 Hasheem Thabeet (C- University of Connecticut) & #27 DeMarre Carroll (PF – Missouri) & #36 Sam Young (SF – Pittsburgh)

Memphis GM Chris Wallace may be smarter than we all thought. After absolutely giving away Pau Gasol, he has put together his third solid draft in a row. The Grizzlies are absolutely loaded with young talent, and will more than likely push the Blazers and Thunder as the teams with the most potential to be title contenders in 3 years.

Hasheem will be a defensive force in the paint when he adds more muscle, DeMarre Carroll is athletic and has a moderate perimeter game and Sam Young was an absolute steal at #36, even after you factor in that he’s 24.

They will have an unbelievable eight players in their top ten who have NBA experience of three years or less. They’ll probably lose more games than they win, but could be very good in a few seasons.

Miami – #42 Patrick Beverly (PG – Ukraine) & #60 Robert Dozier (SF – Memphis)

Beverly left school at Arkansas after his sophomore season to play professionally in the Ukraine. He is a very good athlete, is a shoot-first point guard, and an excellent defender.

Dozier is another very good athlete, but lacks a true position. At least he has the unique title of being Mr. Irrelevant.

Milwaukee – #10 Brandon Jennings (PG – Spain) & #41 Jodie Meeks (SG – Kentucky)

Brandon Jennings is not half the baller that Compton brethren DeMar DeRozan is. He was not expecting to go as high in the draft as he did, so he turned down the NBA’s invite to the draft’s green room. Once he was drafted in the lottery, he showed up about 30 minutes after he was picked to walk on stage for 10 seconds. Surely that cannot be a good sign.

But he did rock a sweet high top fade during the McDonalds All-American game last year before he ventured to Italy because he could not post the necessary academic qualifications to get into Arizona. Success or failure, Brandon Jennings will at least have an interesting NBA career.

Jodie Meeks dropped 54 points on Tennessee earlier this season, so he can definitely score. Milwaukee has had some luck finding talent in later rounds (Michael Redd, Ramon Sessions, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute) and he could be another name to add to that list.

Minnesota - #5 Ricky Rubio (PG – Spain) & #6 Jonny Flynn (PG – Syracuse) & #28 Wayne Ellington (SG – University of North Carolina) & #47 Henrk Norel (PF – Netherlands)

Ricky Rubio could be an excellent player, but he may have to spend a season or two in Spain before he crosses the pond. Rubio has been compared to the greats, so time will only tell whether or not he surpasses those expectations.

Much has been made of Jonny Flynn’s performance in the 6 overtime game against Connecticut in the Big East tournament. Much less has been made of Ty Lawson’s spectacular NCAA tournament performance while nursing a very injured toe. Flynn could be good and has been compared to Chris Paul, however those comparisons are entirely too lofty. Not sure how well he fits in with Rubio on the roster.

Wayne Ellington was a terrific shooter and an underrated athlete and slasher so he will fill a need at the two guard for ‘Sota after Mike Miller and Randy Foye got traded to the Wizards.

Henrk Norel played with Rubio in Spain, so maybe he was drafted him to help ease Ricky’s transition stateside. Or the Minnesota brass just wanted to really stick it to DKV Joventut in Spain.

It is expected Rubio or Flynn will be dealt, with New York being a likely destination, but it remains to be seen if that will come to fruition.

New Jersey – #11 Terrence Williams (SG – Louisville)

Williams is apparently an awesome guy to be around. Chad Ford described him as an “eccentric dude” and was well known for wearing SpongeBob (my spell check recognized that as a real word) clothing on the Louisville campus.

He’s an elite athlete who can do a little of everything. He average 12.5 pts, 8.6 reb, 5 ast, 2.3 stl, and 0.8 blk during his senior season at Louisville. He doesn’t shoot particularly well (43.1% fg, 38.5% 3pt, 58.1% ft), but that is something he can certainly improve on.

He reminds me of a not as tall, slightly less athletic Gerald Wallace.

New Orleans – #21 Darren Collison (PG – University of California Los Angeles) & #43 Marcus Thornton (SG – Louisiana State University)

The Hornets desperately needed help in the front court. Tyson Chandler has battled injuries, David West is playing 40 minutes a night, and James Posey and Peja Stojakovic are both 32. After a solid rookie campaign, Julian Wright’s production fell off the planet last season.

So the Collison pick (who will be nothing more than a backup, considering Chris Paul is the best point guard in the land) was pretty bad value. Especially considering how many good forwards were still on the board.

Marcus Thornton scored at an efficient rate at LSU and will be a benefactor of the attention that Chris Paul and David West commands.

New York – #8 Jordan Hill (PF – Arizona) & #29 Toney Douglas (PG/SG – Florida State)

Jordan Hill is super athletic and will thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo high octane offense. He will probably put up slightly better or similar numbers to David Lee, who could leave this summer in free agency.

Toney Douglas was a terrific scorer in the ACC this past season and if he was 3 inches taller he would have gone in the lottery. He is also a great defender, who will be able to pester some of the league’s better point guards.

If the Knicks lose David Lee or 6th Man Nate Robinson, these two should be able to fill their roles well. If Lee and Robinson both stay, the Knicks will be elated and will have some very good young pieces in place.

Oklahoma City – #3 James Harden (SG – Arizona State) & #24 BJ Mullens (C – Ohio State) & #54 Robert Varden (SG – University of Alabama Birmingham)

James Harden will be phenomenal for the Thunder. Kevin Durant is the clear star on the team and Harden will have no problem deferring the attention to KD. He’ll provide another valuable perimeter threat, and will be very effective driving to the basket. Drafting Curry or Rubio would have had more appeal to the fan base, but each would have upset Russell Westbrook and neither would really fit into their scheme.

After BJ Mullens got drafted, ESPN put up this graphic – Must Improve: Post Game. Any time a team can draft a 7’1” center who needs to improve his post game, they do it right? He’ll be a project, and will take a lot of time to develop, and will probably end up being not very good.

Varden will provide depth off the bench, and should be productive in limited minutes.

Orlando – None

The Magic traded their first round pick for Rafer Alston after losing Jameer Nelson to a shoulder injury. Alston then helped lead them to the NBA Finals. On Wednesday they traded him, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie to the Nets for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson.

Courtney Lee is a good player, but he’s no Vince Carter. And with Nelson coming back healthy next season, Alston was expandable.

Ryan Anderson will also provide more front court depth, and fits right into their system considering he’s a power forward who is more perimeter oriented.

Excellent maneuvering from GM Otis Smith.

Philadelphia – #17 Jrue Holiday (PG – University of California Los Angeles)

Holiday was the top point guard recruit in the country last season. He averaged 8 points a game in 30 minutes, and was not a very good distributor (3.7 assists, 2.1 turnovers).

However, he’s big and athletic and was playing out of position all season, so that probably led to his poor numbers. It’s possible he could turn out to be a huge steal in the middle of the first round, or he could be pretty terrible, as his numbers indicated.

More than likely, he will fall somewhere in between.

Phoenix – #14 Earl Clark (SF – Louisville) & #48 Taylor Griffin (PF – Oklahoma)

Earl Clark is immensely talented, but the common consensus is that he could be a major headache in the league. I think that with Steve Nash and Grant Hill leading the Suns, they should be able to keep him grounded and his talent could shine through. Moving Stoudamire would also aide in his development, considering STAT is a major head case in his own right.

Clark could be a dark horse candidate for rookie of the year.

Drafting Taylor Griffin was a pretty perplexing. However, after drafting another not-as-good brother last year (Robin Lopez), I have a theory as to why they’re doing it.

In an effort to lure Brook Lopez and Blake Griffin after their rookie deals expire, Phoenix GM Steve Kerr decided the best thing to do was draft their brothers. Talk about great strategy to rebuild a team.

Portland – #22 Victor Claver (SF – Spain) & #31 Jeff Pendergraph (PF – Arizona State) & #33 Dante Cunningham (PF – Villanova) & #55 Patrick Mills (PG – Saint Mary’s)

Nothing very exciting from the Blazers for this draft. With a ton of young talent and picks 22, 31, and 33, they could have made a pretty big trade to push them over the top. None of these guys will be able to help them immediately.

It’s very possible that they may have been able to package some of these picks together to move into the lottery and grab the small forward that they clearly need in Earl Clark or someone along those lines.

Since they did not, it’s debatable as to whether or not that they simply have room on the roster for 4 more young guys.

Sacramento – #4 Tyreke Evans (PG/SG – Memphis) & #23 Omri Casspi (SF – Israel) & #38 Jon Brockman (PF – Washington)

All solid, albeit unspectacular picks from the Kings. Evans was somewhat of a reach at 4^th overall, but will be a solid pro. Casspi was the first Israeli to have ever been drafted, and is apparently a very fierce and scrappy player. Jon Brockman is an absolute monster in the post, and will gobble up rebounds like Joey Chestnut gobbles up hot dogs on the 4^th of July.

Overall a good draft from the Kings.

San Antonio – #37 DeJuan Blair (PF – Pittsburgh) & #51 Jack McClinton (SG – Miami) & #53 Nando De Colo (PG – France)

The Spurs do it again, three terrific second round picks.

Blair has lottery worthy talent and ability, but he does not have any ACL’s (not sure how that happened, I think it had to do with tearing them in high school), which scared off every other team in the league. If he doesn’t have any though, that means he can’t tear them, and that’s a good thing!

McClinton can catch fire at any point, which will make him a valuable contributor off the bench.

De Colo is European, and got drafted by the Spurs, which probably means that he is terrific and we will all hate him in three seasons. He also gives Tony Parker another guy to speak French with on the roster.

And they also managed to steal Richard Jefferson away from Milwaukee earlier in the week.

Excellent stuff again from the Spurs.

Toronto – #9 DeMar DeRozen (SF – Southern Cal)

The Raptors got my favorite player of the draft. Why? Well other than the fact his name is DeMar DeRozan, he played on Master P’s AAU team, and he’s from COMPTON, I really could not tell you why. I just think he’s cool.

He’s got phenomenal swag and pure baller status.

Utah – #20 Eric Maynor (PG – Virginia Commonwealth)

When a team has clear needs at the 4 and has one of the top three point guards in the league, it’s always a good choice to draft another point guard.

Wait, no it’s not.

Since when did teams use first round picks to draft back up point guards? Especially when the incumbent starter played on the Olympic team. At most, this guy will play 15 minutes a game.

Maynor could be a pro; however this was an awful pick for the Jazz. It simply does not make sense considering Boozer could leave via free agency, giving them a grand total of 1 power forward on the roster.

Terrible value at 20^th overall.

Washington – None

The Wizards traded 5^th pick (ended up being Ricky Rubio), Etan Thomas, Oleksiy Pecherov, Darius Songaila to Minnesota for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Then they sold their 2^nd rounder, #32 overall to the Rockets.

With DaJuan Blair (knee problems and all), Dante Cunningham, and even Derrick Brown still on the board, selling the pick was questionable. Blair would have given them much needed toughness on the front line, something they currently lack and will be desperately searching for if they want to take this team to the next level.

I think Rubio and Blair would have been great additions to the team; however Miller and Foye are two very good players. If they are able to get some solid depth in free agency, I think the Wizards will be serious contenders for the Eastern Conference title.

Donte Stallworth got off with murder...literally

Want to know something unbelievable?

Donte Stallworth is going to jail for 30 days for murder. Michael Vick recently ended an almost 2 year jail sentence for killing dogs.

1 month compared to 23. The life of a human compared to the lives of dogs.

Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love dogs. I have a wonderful golden retriever that I adore. So I fully understand that Michael Vick was a part of a heinous, brutal and illegal crime ring and was deservedly punished.

Donte Stallworth was not.

If you don't know all the details, I can give you a brief rundown of the situation.

• Around 7am on the morning of March 14, Donte Stallworth struck and killed 59 year old Mario Reyes in Miami
• Stallworth had a .128 Blood Alcohol Content, one and a half times the legal limit
• Mario Reyes was crossing the street to catch a bus, because he was a construction worker, so he could get work, to provide for his 15 year old daughter and their family

Stallworth apparently received a lesser sentence because he cooperated with police on the scene (I thought we were supposed to do that?), was remorseful (again, I feel that this should be a standard emotion), provided a confidential financial settlement to the Reyes family, and because Reyes was not crossing the street at a crosswalk.

And he only receives a 30 day sentence?

He was drunk at 7am and killed a guy!!

He didn't honk his horn at Reyes, he flashed his lights! I flash my lights when I'm letting people merge in front of me on the interstate. It wouldn't be my course of action when I was getting ready to end their life because my Bentley was headed straight for them while I was drunk behind the wheel.

Unbelievable.

I simply don't understand how 30 days is a just sentence for murder. This is less a post about sports and more about a flawed justice system. But I have to imagine if Stallworth was not a privileged athlete, he would be spending his next 30 years in prison, not his next 30 days.

I am a college student, and I am guilty of sometimes crossing streets at places that are not crosswalks. Of course I look both ways, and make sure it's safe. I also cross streets in the morning, like Reyes, because I have to. When I'm going to class, or when I'm working for my internship.

I have not been afforded the luxury of being able to stay out until 7am getting intoxicated while people of much lesser means have to perform manual labor in order to make ends meet.

Now it's possible that Reyes did not look both ways before he crossed the street, which certainly would put a small margin of blame onto him. Sober or not, if a man walks in front of your car, and you're going fast enough so you can't slow down, you'll hit him. It's physics and unfortunately it's inevitable.

However, I'm sure the last thing Reyes expected was someone who was so inebriated that he could not avoid hitting and killing him. Also, I imagine a sober person might have had the wherewithal to see Reyes, see the bus, and see the man trying to get to work, and slow down, or at least change lanes to avoid him.

Or maybe a sober person would have honked. And maybe that's all it would have taken.

The Official End of An Era

Later this month I will turn 20 years old. I'll be halfway to 40.

Tomorrow will mark the first day of my life where either Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux or John Smoltz (or some combination of the three) were not members of the Atlanta Braves.

I am heart broken.

With Tom Glavine's release due to recurring injury problems, the Atlanta Braves officially ended an era that defined almost two decades of baseball in the south east.

The Braves, as we all know, are the official team of all things southern. Being the only professional baseball team below Washington DC, above Florida, and as far west as Texas will certainly do that.

I was born in Atlanta and lived there until I was 5. I have faint memories of Fulton County stadium, and a picture autographed by Mark Lemke.

I grew up on the Braves.

I grew up watching the most dominant pitching trio baseball has ever seen.

They have combined for 810 total wins and 147 saves (thanks Smoltz).

They won 6 straight Cy Young Awards (one of Maddux's was with the Cubs). 7 out of 10 of baseball's most prestigious pitching honor in the 1990's.

They brought the only professional championship to the city of Atlanta.

They fueled an era of unprecedented dominance, winning 14 consecutive National League East Titles.

Most importantly these guys did it "the right way." In an era in which recent baseball headlines have been fraught with steroid controversies, and some of the greatest players of the past generation have been given a black mark, these three have kept their names blemish free. Although baseball players seem to be guilty until proven innocent, I have a very hard time believing any of these three have ever used a performance enhancing drug. Which makes their combined dominance even more astonishing.

Right now I am somewhat at a loss for words. Although the luster of their greatness has waned over the past few years as the three have battled injuries consistent with being over 40 years old and pitching, having at least one of them on the Braves was always comforting. Now that they are all gone, the Braves seem so much more unfamiliar. A 20 year constant has now been altered forever, and I am unsure of how to respond.

But for now at least they still have Chipper. But what will I do when he retires?

I shudder at the thought.

(PS- I'm going to be writing a column for my school's newspaper on this exact subject. There will probably be a little overlapping, but I'll still post it on Sunday when I'm finished)