Spain v. Netherlands Preview -- Rematch of 2010 World Cup Final

The two opponents are very familiar with one another, but the players abilities are much different this time around. The reigning World Cup Champions, Spain, are once again one of the favorites to make it to the final and possibly win it. Netherlands, on the other hand, are an aging group who are not even expected to make it out of their own group (Chile is favored ahead of them). 

This strike from Andres Iniesta won Spain the World Cup
and has haunted the Dutch for four years

Spain

Top players: 

This Spanish side is fully loaded again. Players like Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Ramos, etc. make it hard to expect any other team to beat them. 

Netherlands

Top players:

An aging group, this Dutch squad still has some formidable names like Robben, van Persie, Sneijder, and Huntelaar. However, their lack of chemistry with one another makes it hard to believe that they will make too much noise this World Cup.

Costa was born in Brazil but claimed
Spanish citizenship for this World Cup

Prediction

Many believe that the Dutch are going to keep this game interesting despite their lack quality players in comparison with Spain. However, I believe that the Spanish side is going to pass the Dutch team to death, and the Dutch will not have enough firepower to be able to keep pace with Spain. Robben and van Persie are not going to have enough help up front, and the strong Spanish defense of Ramos and Alonzo will be able to track them down. An early goal by new Chelsea man Diego Costa (playing in his home country of Brazil) and a late 80' goal from Fernando Torres leave the score at...

Spain: 2

Netherlands: 0

The Heat Trounced by Spurs, Again! NBA Finals Game 4 Live Blog Commentary

FINAL
SA-107 MIA-86 The Heat do not look like they are going to be making any noise the rest of this series. There seemed to be no energy at all this game and I do not see any way that they could muster up some for Game 5. If the problem is lack of energy in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, there is a bigger problem with your team. I usually try to do a game MVP, but honestly, the entire Spurs team deserves credit for this win.

MVP: Gregg Popovich

I predict the Spurs offense to keep rolling in Game 5, and the Heat defense is going to be still absent.

Prediction: SA- 100 MIA-88

SA-93 MIA- 71 5:07 This game has become so boring that I have resorted to watching 2 Chainz freestyles. I do not recommend 2 Chainz freestyles. The Heat are getting dominated by the way.

SA-84 MIA-61 10:30 Udonis Haslem checked into the game and the energy immediately picked up in the building. I feel like Haslem should have been placed in the game much earlier; it was evident that none of the other Heat big men were going to do anything.

END Q3
SA-81 MIA-57 This one is basically over. The Miami crowd is completely stunned at the lack of effort by their team. The Heat scored 21 pts that quarter; 19 coming from LeBron. Did LeBron really leave Cleveland for this? Just in case you were wondering, Chris Bosh is still alive.

SA-76 MIA-54 2:08 No guard  for the Heat can stay in front of Tony Parker. I would suggest that LBJ could guard Parker, but then the Heat would have no one to guard Leonard. There are just too many weapons for the Spurs, and not enough energy from the Heat.

SA-70 MIA-49 4:10 The Spurs withstood the surge from the Heat and have built up their lead again. I honestly think that LeBron has a stomach bug or some sort of ailment because he is usually not this passive. As for the other Heat players? I think they are either just old or not good enough to compete with the Spurs. Wade keeps complaining to the officials and I forgot that Chris Bosh still plays for the Heat.

SA-61 MIA-46 8:06 LeBron must be reading my blog because he has come out with scoring on his mind in the third quarter. He already has scored 10 points this quarter and the Heat are getting back in this game. This is almost an exact replica of Game 3. Heat fans hope that the ending, however, is different. The Spurs have settled for too many jump shots to start this half. Although Parker has made some, he is not a jump shooter and is much more effective probing the lane.

HALFTIME
SA-55 MIA-36 This seems to be a replay of Game 3, except without the 76% shooting from the Spurs. Still, they are well over 50%. I wish LeBron would take over like Michael Jordan would whenever his team got down. LBJ is too good for any defense to stop. On too many possessions he gets the ball and stands there waiting for something to happen. A player of his caliber needs to make something happen. At this point I do not see any way for the Heat to get back in this series -- let alone this game.

SA-53 MIA-33 1:47 There is no energy among the Heat players. LeBron James just got triple teamed in the paint and Mario Chalmers stood at the top of the key like a statue. He has to re-position himself in the corner so LeBron can pass out of trouble.

SA-46 MIA-29 3:07 Guard play for Miami has by non-existent, so Spoelstra has inserted Toney Douglas to try to get some more energy in the Heat players. I would like to see LeBron James and Dwyane Wade be more aggressive on the offensive end; their passive approach reminds me of how Kawhi Leonard was playing in Games 1 & 2 when he was struggling.

SA-37 MIA-28 6:43 Miami has been able to cut the deficit to 9, but there is still a lot of concern in their huddle. Their defense still has not showed up and the Spurs -- specifically Boris Diaw -- are taking advantage of this. Diaw just made a great no-look, behind-the-back pass to Splitter in the paint like he was a point guard.

SA-33 MIA-20 8:55 This Spurs offense is going to talked about for the next 20 years. Their ability to pass a teammate open reminds me of how soccer players pass. This may be the reason why they love to draft International players so much -- their experiences with soccer as young kids carries over into the passing of basketball. Steve Nash said that playing soccer improved his ability to expect someone to be open in basketball; so this idea is not too far-fetched.

SA-31 MIA-19 10:12 The Heat just double teamed Boris Diaw in the paint which led to a wide open three by Danny Green. The Heat defense needs to be much smarter otherwise this game is going to end up like Game 3.

END Q1
SA-26 MIA- 17 The Heat defense has been much better from last game, but it is still not good enough to expect to win with the rate at which their own offense is going. LeBron James has been playing very well offensively -- drawing help defense and kicking out to open shooters -- but the Heat shooters have not been knocking down their open shots.

SA-22 MIA-13 1:20 Watching the Spurs offense is like watching poetry in motion. The offense is engraved into each players head so much so that they know what teammate(s) is going to be open after the help defense comes. Coupling this knowledge with multiple knockdown three point shooters equals a potent offense.

SA-13 MIA-10 4:59 LeBron James going to the locker room is not a good sign for the Heat. What is a good sign, however, is the fact that Chris Bosh is being much more aggressive and confident than he was last game. He must realize that Boris Diaw cannot/should not be able to guard him on the low block. In Bosh's first basket, Duncan overextended his on-ball defense -- a mistake he also made at the end of Game 2 -- which allowed Bosh an easy drive to the lane.

SA-13 MIA-4 6:52 Danny Green has continued to be aggressive and has made two three pointers early in this game. Both were contested fairly well so the Heat will have to bear the storm of his three pointers as there is not much more they can do. Boris Diaw has continued to be one of the best players on the floor and by far the best passer on the floor. His ability to know where every player is and is going to be allows him to make passers most point guards cannot make. Still looking for Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers to become active in this game.

SA-4 MIA-2 9:02 The Heat have been much better on the defensive end and the Spurs have not made as many shots as they did last game. Nothing is coming easy for the Spurs at the rim.

PRE-GAME: Look for the Heat defense to be on point to start the game following their abysmal performance in Game 3. Look for a lot of playing time for Andersen, as the Heat will try to control the pick-and-roll game that decimated their defense last time out.

The Spurs have nothing to improve on at the offensive end; if they continue to pass and move as well as they did last game the Heat will not be able to really do anything but outscore them. However, there is much for the Spurs to improve on at the defensive end. Close-outs on three pointers is incredibly important as the Heat have shown their ability to knockdown open threes and both Wade and Allen utilize the pump-fake very effectively.

Heat Trounced by Spurs: Game 3 Live Blog Commentary

FINAL  SA - 111 MIA 92: Down the stretch, the Heat really didn't show up to play. LeBron seemed too concerned with foul calls and not with playing the game. The hustle displayed by Leonard, Green and Patty Mills really motivated the rest of the Spurs to get the job done and finish the game strong. This game really never got too close except for a brief stretch in the third quarter when Miami was only down by nine. The game MVP was Kawhi Leonard who was masterful on both the offensive and defensive end, and the co-MVP was Danny Green, who helped to ignite Leonard's confidence with a few early steals and assists.

Look for Miami to answer back in Game 4 with a very impressive defensive effort. Even the best offense in the world can't win a game if your defense gives up 111 points.

Prediction: Miami 98 San Antonio 91

SA - 98 MIA 84: 5.40 4Q. My last post was all about how Danny Green has impacted this game and been the MVP so far. Over the last three minutes, I've changed my mind. Kawhi Leonard is the true MVP of the Spurs so far. His offensive contribution has been outstanding, but even more impressive has been his defense on LeBron James. Although LeBron has gotten his 22 points, he also has an unusually high number of turnovers at 6. This is due in large part to Leonard's superb on-ball defense. He has not allowed James to blow by him and get easy looks in the paint. The majority of the Heat offense is based around the idea that James will get into the paint and draw help defenders. Without this happening, the Heat's offense is very limited in what it could do.

SA - 90 MIA 80: 8.54 4Q. The MVP for the game has truly been Danny Green. So far he has at least five steals to go along  with over fifteen points. However, the Spurs don't seem to realize he's been carrying the team. Every time he makes a mistake in the game, all of his teammates are quick to jump down his throat and Popovich looks like he's about to pull him from the game. If it weren't for Danny Green, I don't think the Spurs would be leading by this point.

End 3rd Quarter  SA - 86 MIA 75: First half was dominated by the Spurs, but the third quarter was dominated by the Heat. Even when the Spurs made a shot, the Heat were able to get the ball quickly up the floor to take advantage of their prolific fast break offense. However, the Heat didn't have to worry too much about the Spurs scoring; they only managed 15 points in 12 minutes after scoring 71 points in 24 minutes. Wade and Cole stepped up on the offensive end to help ease the burden off of LeBron's back and the main attributing factor as to why the Spurs struggled was the absence of Danny Green throughout the majority of the third quarter due to foul trouble. The Spurs big 3 of Ginobli, Duncan and Parker need to step up in this fourth quarter if the Spurs want to maintain their lead.

SA - 81 MIA 68: 3.11 3Q. Tim Duncan is playing very poorly in this third quarter. He's committed some unnecessary fouls on the defensive and has made some poor decisions on the offensive end. With the lineup of Duncan, Bellinelli, Bonner, Ginobli and Mills, the floor is spaced due to all their 3 point capabilities. Whenever Duncan draws a help defender, he should be looking to pass to the wide open shooter instead of trying to draw a foul.

SA - 77 MIA 64: 6.08 3Q. The momentum in the building has shifted in favor of the Heat. The Spurs are no longer making every shot, which allows the Heat to get out on the fast break, a major advantage for their much more athletic team. Danny Green is on the bench with four fouls and the Spurs offense has not looked the same without his presence. The ball has seemed to stick more with the Spurs and the exquisite passing that was seen in the first half is no longer being exhibited. This game is far from over.

SA - 71 MIA - 56. 11.14 3Q. Spurs need a timeout after six quick points by the Heat. Although the first half was dominated by the Spurs, it never really seemed like the Heat was done, especially when you have the best player in the world.

Halftime  SA - 71 MIA - 50. The Spurs just set an NBA record for highest first half shooting percentage in an NBA finals game at 75.8%. Although their offense has been almost perfect, their defense has been sub par as the Heat have scored 50 points in their own right. The only reason the Heat aren't down by over 30 points is because of the 3 point shooting from Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Even still, the Heat could make the next twenty-five 3s they attempt, but they still won't win unless they play better defense. The main problem they've been having on the defensive end has been guarding the pick and roll. In my opinion, the Heat need to try to force the Spurs to settle for 3 pointers and long 2s instead of allowing them to get easy looks close to the rim. Although Green and Leonard have proven that they're capable of shooting the 3, the Heat would much prefer open jump shots as opposed to open layups.

First Half MVP: Green/Leonard

SA - 58 MIA - 40. 5.02 2Q. The Heat have managed to cut the deficit to 18 after a couple of 3s by Rashard Lewis. Whenever LeBron gets in the paint, two or even three Spurs collapse on him, leaving a couple of Miami players wide open. It's necessary to help when LeBron drives to the paint, but the defense must communicate so not everyone leaves their man. On the offensive end, the Spurs have finally started to miss some shots, but it's mainly been Tony Parker who hasn't really been in the flow of the game thus far.

SA - 55 MIA - 30: 8.08 2Q. The Spurs can't miss a shot. I don't remember the last time they did. They had the first live-ball turnover of the game, but immediately got it back. The amazing thing about this first half performance has been the fact that Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker have not been heard from offensively. The main contributors have been Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter and Boris Diaw. Green has been very aggressive off the dribble and has converted some layups that he has not converted in the past. When you couple his ability to make shots in the paint with his ability to shoot the 3, he's a very tough cover for any defender.

SA - 48 MIA - 28: 9.22 2Q. Heat need a timeout after 7-3 run by San Antonio to open the second quarter. The passing continues to be excellent by the Spurs, and the Heat defense looks utterly confused on any pick and roll situation. The confidence is just oozing out of the Spurs players. Patty Mills just pulled up for 3 on the fast break and drilled it. With James on the bench, other Heat players have tried to be more aggressive, but so far it's only ended with missed shots and turnovers.

End 1st Quarter  SA - 41 MIA - 25: This has been some passing display by the San Antonio Spurs in the first quarter. On several possessions, every single player has touched the ball multiple times, and almost every possession has ended up with an open and converted shot. For a big (and I mean big) man, Boris Diaw is one of the best passers I've ever seen. His ability to pass in the paint is unrivaled and allows for opportunities for the other San Antonio big men to get fouled, if not convert an easy layup. The Heat offense has been limited to LeBron James on pick and rolls. He'll need Chris Bosh (Dinosaur Man) and Dwyane Wade to step up, otherwise there's no way he can carry the team against such a quality opponent.

SA - 35 MIA 23: 1.10 1Q. Even as superhuman as LeBron James is, if he doesn't get any help from his teammates, this game's gonna be over quickly. James needs help on the defensive end even more so than on the offensive end. The Spurs have scored 35 points in the first quarter (and counting).

SA - 27 MIA - 20: 3.38 1Q. LeBron has hit two 3s when the Spurs go under on the pick and roll. If he's making the outside shot consistently, there's almost no way the Spurs can win this game.

SA - 22 MIA - 12: 5.52 1Q. Spurs are switching on virtually every screen. Whenever LeBron gets a big man guarding him, Leonard or Diaw is always lurking in the paint, ready to help off their man. The Heat should space the floor with shooters like Lewis and Allen so LeBron can kick the ball out for open 3s. Mario Chalmers has missed very badly on a couple of shots and the Heat may have to turn to Norris Cole for some better point guard play. Leonard just picked up his second foul on a boneheaded play; this is the second game in a row where he's been in foul trouble.

SA - 18 MIA - 10: 7.22 1Q. Heat need a timeout after Leonard hits a 3. Leonard has been absent through the first two games of the series and it's a good sign for Spurs fans to see him be as aggressive as he's been in these first few minutes. Part of the credit can go to Danny Green, who's come up with a couple of steals and has allowed Leonard to get easy fast break layups. With a player like Leonard, seeing the ball go through the basket even just once can cause his confidence to increase dramatically.

SA - 8 MIA - 6: There is no one on the Spurs roster who can guard LeBron. If he attacks like he just did there is no way the Spurs can stop the Heat. The Spurs have been bailed out on two ticky-tack calls and lead after Duncan's converted FTs

TIP: Both teams start with a basket of their first possession. Per usual the Heat trap on the pick and roll -- a good pass allows Duncan to finish easy at the rim. This will be a key as the game progresses; if the Spurs can manage to not turn the ball over in these trap situations they may be able to win this key game on the road.

The A/C Game --- Game 1 NBA Finals

The situation at the AT&T Center for Game 1 of the NBA Finals was just a complete mess.

At the NBA's biggest stage -- with the two clear-cut best teams in the NBA -- the most talked about topic will be the air conditioning. Or should I say, the lack of air conditioning. 

The malfunctioning air conditioning was cute at first, a small thing that made the game appeal to even the casual sports fan. 

"Haha! It's hot in there... Look at how red Popovich is getting...! I bet Ginobli is proud of his bald spot now...!"

Although the A/C had not been working since tip-off, the players did not seem to mind it so much in the first half. LeBron was even making jokes about it, saying how the Spurs were trying to "smoke us out of here". The Spurs maintained a five point lead at halftime, but the game was played evenly, if not even in the Heat's favor. 

Fast forward to the second half, and the heat really started to wreak havoc on the Heat and Spurs players. Rotations became shorter for both teams and the bench depth of the Spurs became a major advantage in their favor. The only reason the Spurs did not run away from the Heat in the third quarter was due to their inordinate amount of turnovers. Every starter, save Danny Green, had at least four turnovers in the ballgame. 

The Heat were able to take the lead going into the fourth quarter thanks to wonderful performances by Bosh, Wade, and Allen. Ray-Ray even had a fast-break jam circa 2004 Ray Allen (although he did get away with a stiff arm of Marco Bellinelli). A boneheaded foul by Tim Duncan on a converted 3 pointer by Bosh seemed like it may have been a crucial turning point to where the Heat could manage a semi-comfortable lead. However, the Spurs do what the Spurs do and kept themselves in the game with pick-and-rolls between Parker and Splitter -- usually resulting in a dive by Splitter, an on-time, on-target pass by Parker, and an easy layup/dunk for Splitter. Going into the fourth, the Heat had a four point lead.

LeBron suffers with cramps on the bench as he
watches the Spurs offense eviscerate the Heat defense

The fourth quarter was ruled by the heat. Not the Heat, but the heat. Just ask LeBron James. With about eight minutes left in the game, the Heat had back-to-back possessions where LBJ took Kawhii Leonard 1-on-1 in the right corner and settled for a step-back jumper. Both attempts by The King were missed, seeing as he is not the greatest jump shooter in the world. To me, this was an obvious way in which the lack of A/C affected the outcome of the game. A healthy LeBron James is getting an isolation on Leonard (who in his own right is a solid defender) and having shooters post up in the corner and on the opposite wing. After LBJ gets this situation, a drive will result in a layup, foul, or kick-out to an open shooter after the defense crashes to try to help out on the best player in the world. If you watched the first half of the game, you saw one stretch where on back-to-back possessions LBJ drove straight at Boris Diaw and finished pretty easily at the rim. Cramps were not in effect during the first half. 

However, credit must also go to the Spurs offense, who hardly missed a shot in the fourth quarter. Danny Green finally found his shot and rattled off several three pointers. Green is a streak shooter. If he sees one shot go in, you can expect several more to fall. If he misses, however, a close-out on him is not the most important thing in the world. 

The lack of LeBron for the majority of the fourth quarter and the resurrection of the Spurs offense -- in particular the passing game -- caused the last seven minutes of the game to be completely dominated by the Spurs. 

NOTE: Anyone who compares the Flu Game to the AC Game has never played with/experienced a muscle cramp. It is impossible to move. Your muscle is paralyzed.

Spurs -- 110

Heat -- 95

Lance could have solved everyone's problem

World Series Game 3 Analysis

John Farrell is not a good late-game manager. There were so many things wrong with how he managed the game last night that I am most likely going to leave something out.

Before I bash John Farrell, I should point out a GOOD decision he actually made; starting Daniel Nava instead of Jonny Gomes. How could Farrell start Gomes in place of Daniel Nava, a top-15 hitter in the American League during the regular season in terms of batting average. I would honestly have to say that Nava is probably the fourth best hitter on the Red Sox this year only behind Ortiz, Pedroia, and Ellsbury. But let's get back to what this post is really about, John Farrell making terrible decisions. 

Peavy likes to yell ----- at himself

After Peavy scraped through four innings while miraculously giving up only two runs, Farrell put in Felix Doubront. Doubront pitched pretty well in two innings, giving up only one hit and one walk. Then, for some bizarre reason, Farrell decided to put in Craig Breslow, the man who almost single-handedly gave away Game Two. Farrell can't even say that he was trying to get the left on left match-up, as both Breslow and Doubront are left handed pitchers. Breslow came in, gave up a hit, and grazed Beltran on his elbow guard. After two batters, Farrell decided it was time to bring in Tazawa. 

As hindsight is 20-20, I say that Farrell should have brought in Tazawa to pitch. Farrell was right in taking out Doubront, as he will most likely be an important reliever for Buchholz in Game Four. However, the only reason to bring in Breslow instead of Tazawa would be to face Matt Carpenter and get the left on left match-up. This idea of the handedness match-up being the most important thing for determining relievers has always confused me. A manager is more likely to bring in a worse reliever just as long as it is a "good match-up". Tazawa has proven throughout the regular season and post-season that he is more than capable of getting out left and right handed hitters. 

The Breslow decision was certainly not the only questionable selection by Farrell. Later in the game, Farrell decided to bring in Will Middlebrooks for Stephen Drew, a man who has not played well for most of the season and has been sitting on the bench for this entire series. Although Drew is having one of the worst post-seasons ever in terms of hitting, his defense has been a major plus for the Sox. Middlebrooks didn't do anything offensively, and his defense may have very well cost the Red Sox the game. The first play happened with runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh. Junichi Tazawa was facing Matt Holliday, when Holliday cracked a grounder three steps to the right of Middlebrooks at third base. This play was, by no means, routine. However, a professional baseball player SHOULD be able to at least knock the ball down. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the ball was not snagged by Middlebrooks, and instead went down the line for a two RBI double. 

First World Series Game to end on an obstruction call

The second misplay by Middlebrooks definitely cost the Red Sox the game. To set the scene, it was the bottom of the ninth, tied four to four, with runners on second and third. The Red Sox brought the infield in to cut down the runner at home. Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay chopped a grounder to the right of Dustin Pedroia, who made a magnificent diving grab on an in-between hop. Pedroia got up and easily threw out Yadier Molina at home. As Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia tagged out Molina, Allen Craig decided to advance from second to third. Saltalamacchia then attempted to throw out Craig at third. This is where Middlebrooks comes into play. The throw by Saltalamacchia was not the greatest, but it was surely not errant. If you want to see an errant throw to third, look at Game 2. The throw hit Middlebrooks in the glove, but somehow managed to skip down the left field line. Craig then tripped over Middlebrooks, and was awarded home on an obstruction by Will Middlebrooks. Now, I'm not very upset with Middlebrooks about the obstruction call; there really wasn't anything he could do about that. I am, however, upset with his inability to catch/knockdown the throw to third. As a third baseman, you HAVE to do everything in your power to not allow the baseball to get by you, especially when the game winning run has the ability to score if the ball does get by. Middlebrooks, maybe because he is a poor fielder, maybe because he was sitting on a cold bench for the previous two-and-a-half games, did let the ball get by, and the game winning run scored.

If I were in Farrell's position, I would have kept the left side of the infield exactly the same as it was to start. Drew's not going to give you any hits, but his glove is keeping him in the lineup. Bogaerts is a plus glove at third and he can give you some pop in the lineup. Middlebrooks has the range of Miguel Cabrera and will occasionally give you something at the plate. 

Although Middlebrooks should have made a play on the throw by Middlebrooks, the whole situation could have and probably should have been avoided. With runners on second and third with one out, I was certain that Farrell was going to have Uehara walk Jon Jay to face Pete Kozma. Kozma may have been pinch-hit for, but still, the only player left on the bench for the Cards' at that point was Tony Cruz and pitching around Jay would have also allowed for a force out at home and a possible double play. Instead, Uehara pitched to Jay and the above happened.

Napoli has not shaved
for over 7 months

The final questionable decision by Farrell happened in the top of the ninth and continued into the bottom of the inning. With the pitchers' spot up, many assumed that Napoli was going to pinch-hit for Brandon Workman, a pitcher who has never had an at bat in his minor and major league career. Instead, Workman hit for himself and struck-out. In the bottom of the ninth, Workman got one out but allowed a couple of base runners to get on. Only then did Farrell decide to bring in Uehara. This tactic makes no sense to me. I suppose that Farrell must have been hoping that Workman would be able to make it through the ninth to save Uehara for a save situation sometime later in the game.

Trying to save Napoli and Uehara for later in the game is similar to a coach in basketball or football saving their timeouts for later in the game, only to have time expire and the timeouts be wasted. 

Farrell is not a very good game manager at this point in his managerial career, but he knows his players much better than Bobby Valentine did. A team cannot make the World Series if it doesn't trust and believe in its manager, so the Red Sox should by no means look for a new manager in the off-season. Hopefully, for Red Sox fans, Farrell learns to manage end-of-game situations better and to not bring in Craig Breslow in a playoff situation ever again in the history of baseball.

The Return of the NBA Center

I am sorry for ruining your
 life with this picture

The recent signing of Dwight Howard by the Houston Rockets made many Lakers fans upset. On the other side of the coin, however, Rockets players and fans were rejoicing. That is, everyone except for Omer Asik. The 27 year old center didn’t want Howard to join the Rockets, mainly because he didn’t want a downgraded role after starting all 82 games for the Rockets last year. Asik formally asked Rockets management for a trade, but it appears as if the Rockets aren’t planning on trading Asik anytime soon. Asik has a 3 year contract worth $25 million, a cap hit of a little over $8 million per year. With the signing of Josh Smith to the Detroit Pistons, the hopes of having a big three in Houston all but evaporated. With the request made by Asik, the Rockets could look into trading Asik for a power forward like ***Ryan Anderson, a three point specialist who could stretch the defense and give Howard room in the paint to operate. Anderson’s cap hit is about the same as Asik, so the deal would make financial sense.

               

  Another NBA big man who’s in the center of NBA news is Andrew Bynum. The Andrew Bynum Sweepstakes now includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, who join the Dallas Mavericks as the main suitors of the former Laker star. After the fiasco with the 76ers, I would be cautious in signing Bynum to anything other than a 1 year deal. Not only did he not play AT ALL the entire year, but Sixers fans had to look at his god-awful hair, taunting them with its existence.

             

He really enjoyed
the nachos he had
earlier

  If the Cavaliers do end up signing Bynum, they would have a key piece to add to an already solid starting lineup. Kyrie Irving is a rising superstar in the league, Dion Waiters is instant offense, Alonzo Gee can hold his own at small forward, Tristan Thompson is developing into a solid NBA power forward, and Anderson Varejao is the Brazilian version of Joakim Noah. Not to mention the number one overall pick Anthony Bennett. Cavaliers sources said that no player in the 2013 Draft would be in their starting lineup from day one, so unless Bennett absolutely tears it up in the summer league and in training camp, expect to see him coming off the bench for at least a solid part of the season. 

***Note this was written before I noticed that SB nation had the Asik for Anderson rumor

Bobcats, Pelicans, 76ers, Oh My!

Man, look at that nose

The NBA Draft was one week ago and after finally digesting all that happened, it’s finally time for me to review some of the picks. There were clearly some major losers in this draft, but also some teams had very solid picks in what was considered to be a poor quality draft.

With the surprise pick of Anthony Bennett to the Cavaliers at the first overall pick, followed by Victor Oladipo and Otto Porter Jr, the Bobcats had the fourth overall selection in the draft. Still on the board was Ben McLemore, the stud out of Kansas who was considered by many to be the best prospect in the draft. Along with McLemore was Nerlens Noel, the 7-footer out of Kentucky, who was expected by most analysts to be the 1^st overall selection by the Cavaliers. Looking at the Bobcats, it’s obvious that they wouldn’t be able to solve all of their problems with one pick, especially in this draft. They do have some rising talent in Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but no interior presence to speak of. This led to the decision by management to take Cody Zeller, the big man out of Indiana. Zeller runs the floor well and has good touch around the basket, but even in college basketball he struggled to finish through contact. To expect him to go up against NBA centers is nothing but a pipe dream.

Jrue Holiday, with one of
the best names in the NBA

 In poor drafts like this one I always think that it’s best to take the best overall player rather than to fill a need. I don’t even consider it  “filling a need” if the player is going to have to be replaced anyway. A guy like Ben McLemore has deep NBA range and great athleticism. He will be able to come into the NBA and score right away with his exceptional shooting stroke. The ceiling for McLemore is the highest out of any player in this draft. Most of the players in the draft are going to be flops anyway; you might as well pick the player with the most potential.

Michael Carter-Williams as he
knocks off top ranked Louisville

One of the most interesting picks was made by the New Orleans Pelicans. They chose Nerlens Noel 6^th overall and used him as trade bait. The 76ers ended up with Nerlens Noel and a top-5 protected pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, while the Pelicans got All-Star Jrue Holiday and the 42^nd overall pick, Pierre Jackson. I really think that the Pelicans came out on top in this trade, getting a solidified point guard in Jrue Holiday, and a really good sleeper pick in Pierre Jackson. If I were a 76ers fan, I wouldn’t be too excited about the top 5 pick in next year’s draft as it probably won’t come to fruition.

The 76ers are obviously placing all of their faith in Michael Carter-Williams, the former Syracuse point-man who was third in the nation in assists. Carter-Williams has the size and length to be a great defender in the NBA, but at times Louisville pressure caused him to turn the ball over at an outrageous clip. Carter-Williams won’t have to deal with full court pressure like that in the NBA, but he needs to adjust to the length of NBA defenders if he wants to stay in the league.