ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that the Raiders have informed Tom Cable they won’t be picking up his option. Don’t worry everyone, I don’t follow Schefter, or anyone for that matter, on Twitter. I just happened to catch it on their tweetfeed…..
Does that mean Hue Jackson will be taking over or are the Raiders going in a completely nonsensical different direction? Nothing would surprise me at this point….
There’s not much to say about Marty Conlon. He played for 8 teams in 9 years. His best season came in 94-95 when he put up 9.9 ppg and 5.2 rpg for the Milwaukee Bucks. 20/10 is the benchmark for great power forwards, but a 10/5 guy is a rich man’s Marty Conlon. I got to enjoy him in his 2nd year in Sacramento when he was only a 5/3 guy, so I didn’t quite get to see him in his prime. He once had 9 pts, 5 reb, and 3 ast in a playoff game. Oh wait, those are his career playoff numbers….
Marty was born in the Bronx, went to high school in White Plains, and played college ball in Providence. (see a them here?) His other NBA stops came in Seattle, Charlotte, Washington, Boston, Miami, and of course the obligatory stop with the Clippers. But this all what makes him Random and Forgotten. Let’s get to why he’s an RFP! Behold Exhibits A and B…..
Oh, and then I found this bad boy….
Nope, Dorell Wright didn’t get a minor in possession. He’s 25 years old, so there’s no way he could even get one at this point. Dorell isn’t a household name, and unless you were a Heat or Warriors fan you still might not know that he even exists. The Warriors acquired him over the offseason for the next three years at a fairly cheap $11M. I had no idea what we got when we signed him, and have been in many a texting frenzies with the blog mates on how awesome he is for many of the Dubs games this year. I thought he was more of a defensive guy since all the reports that I read said that’s all he really was at the time the Warriors acquired him. Somehow, some way, he’s morphed into a knock down shooter (in best Mark Jackson voice). He currently leads the NBA in three pointers made (85), and is making up for the scoring punch to ab offense that lost Morrow, Azubuike, and Maggette this past season. So far this season, Dorell has gone up in every major category making him my hometown bias pick for, the most improved player. As his minutes went from 20 to nearly 39 per game he has doubled up in his averages in every major category. His points have more than doubled (7.1 to 15.7). His rebounds have nearly doubled from (3.3 to 6.2). His assists have more than doubled going from (1.3 to 3.1). His steals have gone up from (0.7 to 1.4). People might knock his field goal % dropping 5 points, but my reasoning for that is he’s taking a ton of threes (averaging 6 per game), which would lower anyone’s percentages a little. With all those threes he’s taking, he is 27th in the league in 3PT percentage, which makes me not care that his FG% overall has taken a little dip. There’s no signs of him slowing down since the W’s have no bench. Another reason to hand the award to Dorell is that he came out of nowhere to relevance this season. All the other guys I’m about to mention were all at least relatively known at the beginning of the year.
I guess there are some other candidates out there, but in my eyes none of them have improved from last season to this season as much as Dorell, but here are some that I think are in the running. Kevin Love is a beast that should be considered for the award, but at the same time we saw some of what he’s doing this year towards the end of last year, so does that really count as improved now that he’s getting the minutes and already showed us that he could do this? I say no, but it’s arguable.
Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose are on the same plane in my book. Rose has had an amazing season, and shown that he is indeed fantasy relevant instead of just a good player he has been boosting his stats in nearly every area. Westbrook developed a jumper this summer and is scoring more, but both of these guys were stars already, and I commend them for their improvement, but it just isn’t significant enough of an improvement to earn the MIP award. I’d put Raymond Felton slightly above them, because he is improving tremendously in every category much like Dorell, but being in D’antoni’s system jumpstarted that more than anything. We all knew that Felton was solid, just not this good. An honorable mention for a guy on the radar is Paul Millsap. He started off the first month of the season like he was going to win the award, but has fallen back to earth a little now that Al Jefferson has figured out the Utah offense, and mans the post keeping Paul away from this award. Michael Beasley also made the honorable mention list. He was a bust in Miami, and now is a main cog in Minnesota and hasn’t had any legal troubles thus far. If he keeps it up he should be on the list with his teammate.
New Year’s Day isn’t quite what it used be, but at least a few Bowls have remained committed to the tradition. There are still six games on the January 1 schedule, but the fact that there are seven more games after today really says something. Nonetheless, I’ve been glued to the TV today and plan to be for the remainder of the holiday. It’s always fun to see what games you end up watching versus what you were anticipating the most. I figured I may as well chime in with my observations periodically throughout the day….
TicketCity Bowl – Northwestern vs. Texas Tech – I don’t even know if I get ESPNU, 
because there’s never been a game on the channel that I’ve wanted to watch. This game was a pretty good matchup on paper, but I wasn’t going to go out of my way to watch it if there were better games on. Looks like there’s plenty of offense though. Taylor Potts seems to be making a case to be included in the “Year of the Quarterback” group. I’ve got it on in the background now, if nothing else just because it’s the latest into the game. Northwestern has the ball down 14 with 6:21 left right now.
Capitol One Bowl – Alabama vs. Michigan State – I might have been most excited for this one. Michigan State looked pretty good this year and Mark Ingram and Julio Jones would surely go out in style. The game’s turned out to be a lopsided affair, but it’s still been entertaining, despite the score. 35-0 Tide in the 3rd quarter.
Gator Bowl – Michigan vs. Mississippi State – I’ve ended up here a lot as a result of the aforementioned game being a disappointment. Denard Robinson is always entertaining, and the atmosphere’s been a electric. Mississippi State has taken a huge step forward this year, and win over Michigan would cement a Top 20 finish for the year. The Bulldogs lead 31-14 early in the 3rd.
Outback Bowl – Florida vs. Penn State – This one’s had the most hype. It’s Urban Meyer’s last game after six whole seasons. It’s also Joe Paterno’s 114th last game as head coach of Penn 
State. I don’t care too much for the coaching storylines, but I do hope Paterno coaches Penn State until he dies. I know the administration is pretty ready for some new blood, and I know they were pretty bad for a few years there, but despite a 7-5 down year, they’re still coming off three 11 win seasons in the last 5. They went 9-4 the other two years. Most schools can only dream of that kind of success. Who’s going to take them higher than they already are? Having said all that, this game’s turned out to be the closest of the bunch. Therefore, it will likely remain in sole possession of the TV screen for the duration of the final 22+ minutes. Tied at 17 now.
Rose Bowl – TCU vs. Wisconsin – I’m still pretty bitter this wasn’t a Pac-10 / Big Ten matchup. Sure Oregon got the BCS nod, so they weren’t obligated to have a Pac-10 team, but Stanford was right there for the choosing. TCU could’ve played in the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech. All complaints aside though, this was still a pretty good matchup, and certainly the main event. I can’t imagine Oklahoma and UConn is going to blow people away. The Rose Bowl lived up to the hype though. After a fast start, the scoring become fewer and farther in between, and it ended up coming down to the last drive for Wisconsin.
Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma vs. Connecticut – Yep, just like I thought. This game is teetering right on the border of too boring to watch, but too close to turn off. Now that the NHL Winter Classic is over, it’s not like there’s anything else to watch instead. Part of me wants Oklahoma to destroy UConn so it’s that much more obvious to the BCS the Huskies have no business being in this game. The other part of me wants them to at least make it respectable. I guess I’m pretty much getting both right now. Whether or not UConn pulls off a miracle is yet to be seen, but should they lose, as expected, they can find a consolation in the fact that they’ve put up a better fight than major conference schools like Florida State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Colorado, and Iowa State.
Actually, "We'll" Be Back!
We made it through another season of picks, and fortunately now all we have left after this one is the playoffs which is much easier since there aren’t nearly as many games. I can’t lie, I thought I’d do better this year, and after last week’s ugly 2-5 there’s no chance of hitting .500 on the year. Oh well, maybe the new year will bring me better picks for the playoffs.
Happy New Year’s to all our readers out there! May 2011 bring you plenty of success and happiness! I went 2-3 last week, and I’m actually quite happy about it being that I was on track for an 0-5 week. My main goal is to not screw anything up and stay above .500 on the year. Then I’ll ride that momentum into the playoffs.
Oakland @ Kansas City (-3.5)
Chappy picks Oakland +3.5. KC doesn’t have much to play for. It looks like they will be hosting the Jets in the first round of the playoffs. Oakland feels like they have something to play for as they want to be the first team to sweep their divisional games and not make the playoffs. Great record to have I guess. Cable will be coaching for his job, and an 8-8 finish might just keep that in tact.
By picks Oakland +3.5. Being that K.C. has locked things up in the AFC West, the Chiefs don’t have much riding on this game. I wish there were more at stake for this game because the Raiders/Chiefs rivalry is always a good one when both teams are playing well. With that said, the Raiders would like nothing more than to end 2010 with a good win and look forward to 2011. I think they get it done.
Miami @ New England (-4)
Chappy picks New England (-4). I’m scared the Pats will rest players, but going back to their (almost) perfect season they didn’t rest guys, so I don’t see them doing it this week. If this was in Miami I might take the points, but since it’s in Foxboro not sure how you couldn’t roll with the Pats. They haven’t really had a close game since they played the Colts in week 11, no reason for this one to be close.
Jacksonville @ Houston (-3)
By picks Houston (-3). Well Houston once again followed the same pattern of years past. Fast start, slow finish. It’s a shame a team with this much potential’s season highlight will be officially eliminating a banged up Jags team from playoff contention. Pocket Hercules is not at 100%, and without him, the Jags can’t compete. In fact, is Pocket Hercules even playing? In fact, even if he was I still like the Texans by 10.
Cincinnati @ Baltimore (-9.5)
Chappy picks Cincinnati +9.5. This has been a terrible season for Cincy, but they do cover a lot of spreads. Last week they even beat SD without their duo of diva receivers. Baltimore is in no matter what, and has to count on a Pittsburgh loss to win the division. I think Baltimore wins this game, but when they pull all their starters Cincy works its way back within a TD.
Brett who?
Minnesota @ Detroit (-3)
Chappy picks Minnesota (+3). Last week convinced me that the Vikes are still a decent team when they have a QB that doesn’t turn the ball over. Can’t say I really knew who Joe Webb was last week, but after seeing him play Tuesday he looks like he could lead this team to another victory. They have a short week to prepare, and Detroit is on a two game winning streak, so they are bound to come back to earth. Plus the Lions need a higher draft pick, so no need to try this weekend.
New York Giants (-4) @ Washington
By picks New York (-4). Similar to last season, the Giants have had a bit of a let down in 2010. They’ll win impressively this week, as the Redskins are along the lines of Carolina, woeful, but New York still misses the playoffs.
Carolina @ Atlanta (-14.5)
Chappy picks Atlanta (-14.5). This pick scares me. The Falcons could have this one locked up at halftime, and when they are up by 28 they could pull their starters which would give the Panthers a chance to cover. Fortunately Claussen is one of the worst passers in the league, and will save this bet with a few pick sixes to keep the Falcons lead growing. If there’s one guy that needs to have a good game its Claussen, to prove to the team that they don’t need to draft Luck #1 overall, but that’s not going to happen, and Luck will be the unlucky Panthers QB.
St. Louis (-3) @ Seattle
Hi, I'm Pete, please punch my face.
By picks St. Louis (-3). Well somebody has to win this s**t division, and St. Louis’ is as worthy as anybody. I might have picked Seattle at home had Matt Hasselbeck not been injured, but without their leader the Seahawks have no chance. Plus I hate Pete Carrol and would rather see the Rams do a one and done post season run than Seattle. St. Louis by 10.
San Diego @ Denver (+3.5)
Chappy picks San Diego (-3.5). SD had the top ranked defense and top ranked offense for a good portion of the season. Do they want Norv to stick around. If they don’t I could see them tanking this game, but I don’t think they will against a division rival. SD doesn’t want to have a losing season, and they won’t let Tebow do what he did to Houston’s horrible D. Tebow gets pummeled, and everyone questions whether he’s really a true QB all offseason.
….And there’s a good chance you did. It’s a few days old now, but Kings-Grizzlies highlights probably don’t make the news in your local area. Even if you did see it, it’s worth another watch. There hasn’t been much to cheer about at Arco Arena this year, unless you’re a Warriors fan, but just when it looked like the Kings were about to suffer another devastating loss, Tyreke Evans seemed to resurrect his season with one long shot (figuratively and literally) to give his team an improbable win. Guess that’s what I get for turning down an invite to the game…..
#1 Dallas Mavericks (24-6) – They lost to a weak Raptors team last night playing without Dirk, but this team is legit so far this season, and has slayed two 10+ game winning streaks that Miami and San Antonio had going. I’ve watched a handful of Mavs games this year, and they seem to be playing a different level of defense to close out games. I’m not sure they are a favorite for a championship, but I already have more confidence in them than years past.
#2 Boston Celtics (24-5) – No Rondo, no problem. Pierce and KG have found the fountain of youth this year, and look rejuvenated and as focused as they ever have. When this team gets all the way to full strength, it might be impossible to stop them.
#3 San Antonio Spurs (27-4) – Are these Spurs going to wear down? They just beat the Lakers last night, and don’t seem to be slowing down, but at the same time I feel like there has to be a couple of injuries around the corner. Plus, they seem to be relying on late heroics a little too much for comfort. When was the last time their big three went through a season without an injury? Dunno, that one stumped me too!
#4 Miami Heat (24-9) – Who has two thumbs and picked them to be the #1 seed in the east? This guy!!! I’ll admit I thought this team was in trouble early in the season, but a 16-1 run sure makes you believe in them a whole lot more doesn’t it!?! Lebron keeps making stupid comments, but at least his team is finally winning.
#5 Chicago Bulls (20-10) Continue reading
Blake Griffin is easily the rookie of the year at this point of the season, and will continue to be unless some kind of injury happens. Anyways, I actually watch a lot of Clippers action, since I can’t bring myself to watch the Lakers night in and night out. Griffin is on his way to 400 dunks this season, (leading the NBA), and this one above occurred Sunday night, and I had to go back and re-watch it on youtube today because of it’s awesomeness. This has happened on many occasions, so I figured it was time to throw one up on the blog. This babble has made me feeling Blake Griffin for the dunk contest more than voting Monta Ellis into the All-Star game. I mean, the guy already said he wants to be in it, soooo what’s the holdup!?! If you need some more convincing, here’s his best dunks for the month of November, if that doesn’t convince you, I guess you just don’t like basketball.
I'm Rick James Bitch!
4-2 last week has the .500 benchmark more reachable since week 3. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy finally having back to back winning weeks. Between Christmas shopping, traveling, and all the other holiday stuff I don’t really have a lot of time to think about and/or look at what is going on with a lot of these games with injuries and kind of stuff, so hopefully I’ve gained enough knowledge over the season to get me through this week without reading any previews, and go on an actual win streak.
3-2 last week, once again above the .500 mark which has been the norm for me as of late. Like Chappy said, the holiday’s have gotten the best of me time wise, and aside from some news tickers I’ve read, I don’t know what’s going on in football as of late. Going with the gut instincts again this week. Happy holidays everyone from the Doin Work crew!
Week 15 (By 3-2, Chap 4-2) Overall (By 38-32-5, Chap 40-42-3)
Minnesota @ Philadelphia (-14.5)
Chappy picks Philadelphia (-14.5). Let’s see. Explosive offense meets a team that just got blown out by the Bears. This game might be a little watchable if Favre was in there. Actually these past few weeks when I’ve seen Favre on the field it was almost painful to watch. I have no idea why Favre is even still trying to play out the season when it looks like it hurts when someone touches him. I guess he’s a football addict. Anyways, this should be a lock for a 28 point win for the Eagles. They do everything better than the Vikes, and if AP is out still, there’s zero chance of them staying close.
Washington @ Jacksonville (-7)
Chappy picks Jacksonville (-7). Regardless of who the Redskins start in this game at QB, one thing has become clear to me. The 
Redskins are divided. This never bodes well for any team when half of them don’t want to do anything for the coach, and can you really blame them? I’d quit too, which makes me want to take the Jags who still have a chance to make the playoffs if the Colts slip up.
By picks Jacksonville (-7). This was not the season I envisioned for the Redskins after they acquired Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan this off-season. I figured they’d be right in the mix for NFC East supremacy, or at least in the Wild Card hunt. Instead, with the benching of McNabb and the “Fat” Albert Haynesworth saga, the Redskins have become the ugly siblings of the division. They’re a train wreck to look at. The Jags will most likely be without their “Pocket Hercules” this week, but I still they take care of the ‘Skins rather easily. Bare in mind the Jags are still very much in contention for their division crown.
San Francisco @ St. Louis (-2.5)
By picks San Francisco (+2.5). It’s been a rare occasion this season, when the 49ers were not favorites. This could be one game in which I wouldn’t be surprised if they were. The NFC West is so god awful that if you had to place them in a college conference, they’d be in the WAC. Because that’s what they are, wack. With that said, the 49ers still have a chance to make the playoffs with a 7-9 record, and at this point, I think it would be funny if they did. Troy Smith, the better Smith is back at the helm for S.F., which means we have a puncher’s chance.
Seattle @ Tampa Bay (-6)
Chappy picks Tampa Bay -6. Not sure why, but the Seahawks are still in the hunt for the NFC Worst. They probably wont even lose any ground with a bad game this weekend. I’m still not completely sold on Tampa, but they are about 50 times better than Seattle is. I think Pete should look into getting Baloo from Tailspin to check out this seahawk, because it been going downhill.
N.Y. Jets @ Chicago (-1)
By picks the N.Y. Jets (+1). What better way to show your support for your coach’s foot fetish, than to give the Bears a good ass kicking? And to kick that ass, you need a foot. All joking aside, this game has bore fest written all over it, unless you’re a fan of low scoring, unimaginative offenses. The Bears do try to open things up on occasion, but they won’t have success this week. Not against that stingy Jets’ D. As far as the Jets offense, Mark Sanchez couldn’t consistently hit an open receiver if they were in a sparring match. Yet, the Jets find a way to win close ones. If the spread is -1 for Chicago, the Jets should win by 2.
Indianapolis @ Oakland (+3)
Chappy picks Oakland +3. The Raiders show up more when they are the underdog with less to play for. They can’t seem to play big when it counts. Call this one the shocker of the weekend as Jacksonville gets closer to representing the AFC South. Plus I’m a homer, and when in doubt go with your team when they are getting points at home!
By picks Indianapolis (-3). Sorry Chappy, Matt, and all Raider Nation faithful out there, but I don’t care if this game is being played in Oak Town, the Colts finally find themselves in the driver’s seat in the race for tops of the their division, and I expect them to put the pedal to the metal. For what it’s worth, I believe the Raiders will put up at least 24 points against the Colts, and Darren McFadden will continue to beast it up. But Manning and company will drop no less than 35 points against the silver and black. Sorry buddies 😦
San Diego @ Cincinnati (+7.5)
Chappy picks San Diego -7.5. Easiest pick of the day. The Chargers rule December, and VJ looks like he has his swagger back. Who needs Gates right now the way this offense is moving the ball. Cincy is about as bad as it gets. The team By and I dubbed the most woeful in the league (Carolina) looks better than this bunch right now. TO is out for the year, so I see the whole team mailing it in!
New Orleans @ Atlanta (-2.5)
Chappy picks Atlanta (-2.5). No reason to think Atlanta can be slowed down now with home field on the line. The Saints have had as good a season as you can have coming off a Super Bowl win, but since they couldn’t beat the dirty birds in their own house I don’t see them doing it in Atlanta. I’m hoping for some offensive explosions from both these teams that seem to put up big numbers week in and week out. Is it weird that no body mentions Matt Ryan in the discussion for MVP? Sure his numbers aren’t eye popping, but he’s leading a 12-2 team!
By picks New Orleans (+2.5). I can’t believe I’m going against Matty Ice, but the Saints win this week. Trust me, it won’t be anything Matty Ice does wrong, he’ll be the smooth, silky assassin he’s been all season. I just think Drew Brees will be playing like a man possessed this week. Division title hopes are still on the line, coming off a tough loss in Baltimore, Drew Brees has a lot at stake, and we’ve seen how he plays when a lot’s at stake. This match will be the opposite of the N.Y. Jets/Chicago game, a high scoring slug fest. Saints squeak by.
Ohio State just had five of their best players suspended, including QB Terrelle Pryor. Definitely not a Buckeyes fan, nor do I feel that this was all that solid of a punishment. They took a measly $1K to $2.5K, and are all paying for that with a five game suspensions. The main part I don’t understand in this whole suspension is why these players get to play their bowl game this year. If all the evidence is there, shouldn’t the NCAA suspend all of them for the bowl game, and the first four games of next year for the five games?!? Personally I think they should, and that feels like a much stiffer penalty than the one handed down. Missing a bowl game and most likely losing it because you are missing five of your best players seems more fair in my book. Maybe the NCAA is trying to protect itself so if they run across something on Cam Newton, he will still be eligible for the Championship game, and then they could suspend him for next year when he’ll be in the NFL anyways keeping everyone’s pockets fat.
The Bobcats are blowing up the team to start 2011 with fresh outlook, after a season of underachievement. Adrian Wojnarowski wrote a good one on Yahoo about how the Larry Brown-Michael Jordan relationship all broke down starting back in 2008 when Jordan wanted to draft Brook Lopez, but ended up listening to Brown and drafted DJ Augustin. Change was obviously needed. I’m not sure what to make of Paul Silas coming back to coaching after being out of it for awhile. I thought he was a great coach for the Hornets the first time around with BD, Mashburn, Magloire, and Steve Smith, but this Bobcats team is nowhere near them talent wise. Either way, I’m sure he’ll be better than Art Shell was coming out of his hiatus back to coaching. I loved that Jordan brought Charles Oakley in as an assistant coach.
Last week Oakley blasted Charles Barkley for being lazy and just getting by with his athletic skills. I won’t argue with Oak, because he’s probably taking mental notes and I don’t want to be on that list. Lebron’s list is fine, but Oak’s isn’t. I was more wondering if he knew what was about to happen and wanted to say “Chuck, stay behind a desk and keep being lazy cracking jokes on TNT instead of trying to coach or be a GM, you just don’t have the work ethic.”
Phil Jackson sounded off about not wanting to play on Christmas saying “I don’t think anybody should play on Christmas Day. Soccer teams don’t play this time of year, they take a break. I don’t understand it… It’s like Christian holidays don’t mean anything to them anymore. We just go out and play and entertain the TV. It’s really weird.”
Ummm, we know Phil is full of head games, but seriously Phil? I know you guys work hard and all, and maybe most don’t want to work on this glorious Christian holiday, but sports is a form of the entertainment industry, and when are the most people watching? When they don’t have work! You and your squad are paid ridiculous millions to play, so give us some damn entertainment. If you want your team to suck and not be one of the marquee match ups on Christmas I’m all for it. I’d love to see the Lakers not be on TV during Christmas because they aren’t relevant, that would almost be as good as any present I could get. I can make a list of the cons of my job a mile long, and I’m sure everyone playing on Christmas would much rather have that be their biggest “problem over a the average citizens problems like even having a job. I’m positive Jeanie will be able to handle giving out the solid gold PS4’s you got the kids this year. Plus, if there were no basketball games on Christmas, how could I parlay my Christmas money on some games to have an even better Christmas?!?
Demarcus Cousins thought the game was in the bag. So did I. So did every other fan in attendance last night.
Last night was a big one for me. Most of you probably didn’t know they even played, since neither are even close to relevant, but MY Golden State Warriors paid a visit to MY Sacramento Kings last night. I’m grew up a Kings fan, back when they were almost as bad as they are now, and these days, I root for them 78 games a year. The four that I don’t are – surprise – when they play the Warriors. Regardless of which arena the game is played, I remain pretty neutral. Ultimately I want the W’s to win, but I usually just hope for a close game. Sometimes that backfires and they end up in triple overtime in Oakland on a weeknight! They’re almost always good games though, and whichever team wins, at least one of my teams is getting a victory.
Last night though, I was a full-on Warriors fan for the first time. I’m running out of ways to remain a Kings fan. It’s not because they’re losing. I endured more losing from 1984-1997 than anyone can imagine. This year, they’re not even fun to watch. I knew they’d struggle, considering the inexperienced roster, but I thought they’d at least be fun to watch. They show flashes here and there, but for the most part just look like an overmatched JV team that knows it’s about to get its ass kicked. They don’t even try. Last night was another huge blow to the franchise as a whole. It’s like when you know an addict who refuses to get help. You finally realize that they just need to hit rock bottom or else they’ll never admit they have a problem. That’s where the Kings are at. So, last night was another step in that direction. It was so bad that we contemplated leaving early, since the game seemed out of reach for the W’s. Instead, I witnessed one of the biggest meltdowns I’ve ever seen on a basketball court.
We haven’t really been on top of giving our readers very many funny clips lately, and when I saw this one today, I couldn’t resist posting it. We are fond of all things that come from Asia since three of us are Asian, and this guy in the clip had the spirit of the Panda with him in this race (literally), because that’s how a Panda would attack these hurdles too. I’m not sure if it was because he couldn’t jump or if it was some kind of special Olympics event, but whatever his reasons were for plowing through the hurdles, he brightened up my otherwise rainy and gloomy Monday. I couldn’t stop laughing when he knocked over the hurdle in the lane next to him right at the end making it so the other guy couldn’t even finish. As far as I can tell from homeboy’s celebration after crossing the finish line he must have won!!
Wall Street is closed on the weekends, but there were some major trades being made in the sports world over the weekend. The two biggest trades were undoubtedly the Magic getting Gilbert (a long time favorite of mine) from the Wizards, as well as Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Earl Clark from the Suns. My first reaction to the trade when I saw it flash up on the bottom line on TV was, what an upgrade! They got rid of Rashard, Pietrus and Vince, which is a win my book regardless of who came in. Nothing against Vince or Rashard, but if the Magic really want to be serious contenders they needed to get rid of both of them for the simple reason that they always choke in the playoffs. Here’s a reminder of how they felt last year about the Hedoless team. (NJ and Toronto fans nodding in agreement) Second, they got rid of Michael (I step out of bounds twice a game) Pietrus. I’m not positive how Air France has done this year since I really don’t follow the Magic that closely, but Pietrus is a guy that frustrated me when he was in a Warriors uniform. I can only assume that those are the same type of sentiments that Magic fans have about him, but maybe not. All in all it was like the how the A’s finally rid themselves of Jack Cust. Addition by subtraction.
How will this new look Eastern Conference beast be with all the new parts? I really can’t say for sure that they will be better than the old group, but since they are taking in veterans that have played in multiple systems, I’m sure integrating them into the game plan won’t take as long as many expect. I also believe that Hedo and Arenas want to prove that they are good again, and will have plenty of reasons now that they will be playing for a winning team. I’m sure both want to revive their image, and winning cures that quickly just look at Vick! A lot of people seemed shocked that they’d blow up their team like this with only a quarter of the season gone by, but my thinking is that all of this seeming panic goes back to the summer of Lebron.
The Magic are about to find themselves in a similar situation that Cleveland faced last year with Dwight’s contract expiring in 2012. Feels like a do or die move to try and get a championship. If you are the Magic, you definitely should be scared that if they don’t get a championship in the next two years then their chances to re-sign Dwight will be nearly impossible as he looks to take his talents away from central Florida. They already have experience losing a once in a lifetime center seeing Shaq flee to LA. Centers don’t grow on trees as we’ve seen with guys like Oden and Bynum never really making it to their potential level or staying healthy for that matter. The Magic are now deep into the luxury tax, but it will only be worth it if they can appease their big man to stay, and a championship might be the only way to do that. I hope it works out for them, unless of course Dwight has an aching to come to Golden State! Then I wouldn’t mind watching his “Decision” from the Epcot Center.
Zack Greinke was the other big trade of the weekend. I love reading how the Royals got a good deal out of it. Really!?! You can already tell?!? They traded away their best player and have improved greatly?!? I guess they are like the A’s, but simply never win. The Royals have one of the youngest roster known to man. Aside from Vin Mazzaro who the A’s just traded to them, I don’t really recognize many names. I guess they could be like the Padres and sneak up on everyone, but that’s a laughable statement in itself. If they are a contender in two years I will gladly eat those words. I’d put the chances of them getting a Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Grady Seizmore type haul at 1%. Personally, I thought the best part about this trade was that the Rangers didn’t end up with Greinke. He was supposedly their second target after they failed to get Cliff Lee. Now it looks like the A’s are still the only team that’s really improved in the AL West, which makes me that much happier. The Brewers get what they were desperately missing with Greinke’s consistent pitching, even if last year he wasn’t as great. Can you blame him? I’d have a hard time getting fired up for starts if I was on the Royals. I think he’s going to tear through the NL lineups and might be somewhat like Halladay was last year for the Phillies, although there’s a huge difference between the AL East and the AL Central. I actually picked the Brewers to win the NL Central last year, maybe I just picked them one year too early! Now that they’ll have Yorvani Gallardo and hopefully a healthy Chris Capuano, so there’s no reason to count this team out. Their young core can put up runs, but now they some pitching to match that powerful lineup. If they can find a way to bridge the gap between their new starters and the Axeman I will be saying I told you so 8 months from now when they are in the playoffs!
Alright…. this has gone too far. It’s gone too far, and we’re not even to the NBC Sunday night game. But this Matt Dodge kid is getting thrown under the bus pretty hard today. At some point during both Jets-Steelers and Raiders-Broncos, the CBS coverage crews were dumping on him pretty hard. Now, ESPN Sportsnation is getting a few kicks in with their latest poll. Who do you blame more, the Giants defense or MATT DODGE? Do we really believe he was told deliberately not to punt to Desean Jackson, and he just munsoned it? I’ve got to give him more credit than that. This one’s on the coaches if you ask me. In every operation, you’ve got people in charge of making decisions, and it’s their job to put certain people in the right situations. If you’re getting paid to run the show, then you should probably make a point to make sure your punter knows to not punt to Jackson. It’s just a simple lack of preparation. We all do it, but damn, they’re really letting this kid take the fall for it this time. Just because he’s the league leader in blocked punts doesn’t mean he’s an idiot. Not sure why I’m defending this guy – I’d never even heard of him before today. The Legend of Michael Vick just grew a whole nother chapter though…..
Which makes me want to weigh in, for the first time really, on Michael Vick. Chris Berman said (overdramatically) that players didn’t want to let Vick down. This is true because a lot of players could have been dragged down with him, but he basically took the fall for the whole league. He didn’t run a dogfighting ring; he bred dogs. He bred them and sold them to his colleagues. Naturally they wanted badass dogs that could fight and his business evolved. He made some costly decisions, but in the end, he took the fall for a lot of other people’s actions – and never threw anyone under the bus in the process. As a result, the majority of the NFL is going out their way to have his back in return for him having theirs. If there is a way for the Eagles to play in Atlanta against the Falcons in the playoffs, sign me up. That’s looking like the likely NFC Championship game right now.
In West Coast news, Tim Tebow made his first NFL start – in Oakland. The most Christian player in the league has to make his debut in the Black Hole, with demons and skeletons everywhere. It brought a smile to my face last night when I heard the news he was getting the start. Much to my delight, the Raiders pulled away in the second half and came away with a 39-23 win. That’s a total of 98 points on the Broncos this year in two games. Shanahan would’ve never stood for this, but he’s got his own share 
of problems right now. As for the Raiders, they’ll host the Colts next week, in a game that’s unfortunately important for Indianapolis. Oakland is now 2 games back with two to play. The upside is that they’re really only one game back from a winner-take-all showdown in Kansas City. The possibility of the Chiefs losing to Tennessee just got a little more promising today with the Titans showing signs of life and beating Houston. The Colts game is one the Raiders really have no business winning, but it makes the game worth watching, and those are two words I haven’t used to describe a Week 16 Raiders game in a long time.
A few quick disclaimer. As much as I wanted to insert John Wall somewhere into this list, I just couldn’t pull the trigger. This list is purely based on production, not potential. Also I completed this list prior to Rondo’s injury.
10. Mike Conley/Jason Kidd 
As with my NFL QB ranks, I couldn’t decide between two players to lead the list off, so once again, I went with both. Jason Kidd, now 74 years of age, is one of the main cogs on this Dallas Mavericks machine that ran off twelve straight before being upsetted by the Bucks on Monday. Despite that minor hiccup, the Mavs hold the second best record out west and Kidd’s 9 assists per game has a lot to do with it. As for Mike Conley, his development is partly to blame for the now sudden availability of once cornerstone piece O.J. Mayo for trade.
9. Andre Miller
It’s a shame that Andre “I Just Woke Up” Miller’s attempted tackle on Blake Griffin and ensuing suspension is what people will most likely remember most on his season. But the eleven year veteran is the prime reason why the Hurtland Kneebreakers are over achieving. Miller won’t blow you away with his numbers, but for those of you who understand basketball know, he does the things that help you win games. Like try to tackle the opposing team’s best player.
8. Steve Nash 
It’s not really Steve Nash’s fault he’s so low on this list. He’s averaging 18.4 points, 10.2 assists and even 3.7 rebounds per game this season. That’s like Kevin Love numbers on the glass for Nash. Not to mention he’s shooting over 50% from the field (again) which is not typical for a point guard. So what more can he do to move up the ranks? Win. That probably won’t happen. And no, getting Robin Lopez back won’t be the answer.
7. Tony Parker
It’s hard to give Tony Parker too much credit for the Spurs holding the best record in the NBA. After all, Manu Ginobili now starts and is playing ridiculous, Richard Jefferson got his mojo back, the Spurs boast a solid second unit led by George “Naked” Hill, and of course last I checked, T.D. is still there. But Parker is having his best season in quite some time, and for an NBA team, it all starts with the point guard. Perhaps he’s got his “drive” back now that he’s newly single.
6. Raymond Felton
Who would have thunk this!? I know we all thought Ray Felton would have a chance to be a factor in Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system, but he’s down right unstoppable in it! I never bought into the “potential” of Felton, and this might just be a scenario in which an above average point guard is thriving in a perfect situation, but whatever the case, Felton’s putting up big numbers now and winning. Amare Stoudemire gets the headlines, but Felton’s the key to NY’s success.
5. Chris Paul 
I remember writing a piece last season stating CP3 would come back strong to take the point guard crown again after Charles Barkley told him he was no longer the best. Well not only is he not the best, but he’s not even in the top three. It’s not Paul’s fault. Like Steve Nash, there’s only so much he can do with a mediocre team in turmoil. I know for a fact that if the Hornets are making a playoff push 50-60 games in, Paul’s place on this list will be higher. For now, New Orleans is stumbling, and so the face of the franchise has to fall with them.
4. Russell Westbrook
God I love to watch this guy play. He’s got an unbelievable combination of speed and power, he’s like a cheetah out there. And like many of the fresh, young talent at the point guard position the NBA is blessed with, he’s not satisfied with anything’s he’s done in his career. I love to hear stories about these freak athletes who actually want to work on their game and get better. That’s what separates the Kobe’s from the Isaiah Rider’s. Kevin Durant might be the Michael Jordan of the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Westbrook is the Michael Jordan 1A. Seriously, there’s no drop off in talent between the two. I’m really high on this kid.
3. Derrick Rose 
Oh wait, you know how I just basically placed Russell Westbrook on a pedestal? Well Derrick Rose just high jumped and cleared that pedestal. That combination of speed and power Westbrook has, Rose has too. The passion and drive Westbrook has. Rose has too. Rose was out taking 1,000,000 (I don’t know the exact number) jumpers a day during the off-season to improve his range. Once again, a freak of nature athlete not settling with his God-given talents. I love it. One thing Rose has that Westbrook, or any other player doesn’t have is, his ability to jump while already in the air. How the hell does he elevate twice on a single jump!?
2. Deron Williams
Chappy and I texted each other briefly during the Utah Jazz/Golden State Warriors game on Monday night. D. Will and Monta Ellis were in a scuffle and being the Warriors faithful we are, we messaged each other on how much of a douche D. Will is. But of course, he’s a douche we’d all want on our team. Deron Williams torched the Dubs for 30 points and 10 assists that night, and he does it so smooth and easy. Games like that are a regular occurrence for him, and with the Jazz playing so well, I can’t put him any further than number two. D. Will, the cerebral assassin.
1. Rajon Rondo
He can’t shoot a jumper. He can’t shoot free throws. He doesn’t score much. Is this some kind of a joke? Rajon Rondo is the top ranked point guard on this list? Yes. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a player dominate games without taking a single shot the way Rondo does, and I must say, it’s very impressive. Rondo makes up for his lack of shooting efficiency with superb everything else. He has disgustingly long arms and quick feet, which makes him a terrific defender. He has eagle eye vision and can spot a play before it happens. Most importantly, he already has a ring and commands the respect of three future Hall of Famers. He might not be the flashiest guy on this list, but in terms of being a great point guard, he’s the best.
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