July 4, 2009

Sucks To Be Chris Cohan

By mceezy

Rumor over at Golden State Of Mind suggests owner Chris Cohan is thinking about selling his majority stake.  Whether there’s truth to this or not has yet to be seen, but in the meantime, the fan poll is extremely surprising.  Not in the sense that fans would be thrilled to see him go, but the landslide numbers in favor.  Goes like this…

Would you be doing backflips if Warriors majority owner Chris Cohan sold off his stake in the franchise?
YES: Cohan is the worst owner in all of pro sports                                                                 225 votes
NO: I work for the Warriors and I won’t bite the hand that feeds me                             4 votes

I wouldn’t be surprised if those 4 votes really did work for the Warriors.  If you were Cohan and you saw this, wouldn’t you just walk away on the spot???  Though terrible, I never really considered Cohan the worst owner in all of pro sports, but I don’t think anybody could inspire poll results as bad as this!

UPDATE: AS OF 7/5, IT IS NOW 1,229 TO 44

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July 3, 2009

Artest To The Lakers E-mail Thread

By mceezy

Andre: I hope the Lakers are thinking about letting Ariza go so they can spend
their money on Artest instead

Tony: YES…that’s what I’m talking about too Dre!!!!!!!!!! However, ask any
fan what they think of him, and people want to throw up. Just adds fuel
to fire for the laker haters and doubters out there.


Andre: We know the Lakers like Artest, he’s basically Ariza a few years down
the line and stronger and scarier on D as well.  Lamar knows he will
need to take that Mid level Exception id he wants to stick around, which
leaves Artest some room if they don’t extend an offer to Ariza.  It’s
too bad the Lakers seem to be ok with Odom, I’m not

Matt: Dude, Artest playing with Kobe is a soap opera no one will be able to
resist.  Ron has become a bigger black hole every year.  Kobe will be
yelling at him every game. There’s no way they work out.  Dj Mbenga and
Chris Mihm won’t be the only guys fighting each other in practice!

Tony: If Jordan could put up with Rodman something tells me Kobe and Artest
will find some good middle ground….Wins and championships seem to be a
good cure all.

Matt: Yeah, but Rodman wasn’t a black hole on offense.

rodman

Tony: Artest will adapt…shit he’ll be on a winning team for a change.

Brian: The Pacers were a winning team, that turned out well…

Tony: Really comparing the Pacers to the Lakers?

Brian: Only in the sense he had two other guys that were stars in Jackson and
O’neal and they were winning…

Andre: Ha, you’re saying Jackson was a star 5 years ago? And seriously, I’ll
repeat Tony’s words, are you really comparing the Pacers and Lakers?
Wow.  I think teams are always in for a surprise when it comes to
Artest, but magically teams keep taking a chance… wonder why if he’s
such a ball hogging black hole on offense

Brian: He had already won a championship with the Spurs, so yes he had earned
his All star status… I’m not comparing the teams, I’m just saying that
he was on a good team and it turned out well (pun intended)…

Andre: Ok, cause I’m still thinking Stephen Jackson is NOT a star and never has
been.  At least not of the caliber your trying to compare him with.  But
that’s a different argument for a different time, who cares about
Stephen Jackson, he needs a shower


Matt: Well how about this…
O’Neal = Gasol
Jackson = Odom  (neither are all-stars)

Andre: But then you would be drawing a direct line between the Kobe and Artest,
and there’s no way even Artest would agree with that, and that’s the
point.  HE would get the picture pretty damn quick on that team.  HE has
a great basketball IQ, and he’s been made the go to guy on all of his
previous teams.  No more of that if he comes to LA

Tony: Exactly….you take a write up for a guy who was the only offensive
player at time at Houston, and want to transport the analysis over to
how he would play as a Laker?

Brian: So Artest with Yao and Oneill is suddenly different than with Gasol?

Matt: I don’t think that’s the parallel being drawn, but now that I think
about it, Gasol would prob be the most frustrated sitting down there
wide open while Ron jacks up a 24 footer

Andre: Suddenly different? You’re talking about one of the best C’s in the game in terms of being active, having great hands, a smooth jumper,  and moving up and down court like a forward and not a C.

PLUS, You’re comparing Artest with KOBE to begin with.  This thought process is flawed from the beginning.  Artest wouldn’t be the ballhogging black hole if he made all of the pressure shots that Kobe makes.  He’s not Kobe on offense by far.  Just a bull in the low post with a great jumper and lots of opportunities to miss in his career because the guys around him were his support, he was a main cog on offense.

Brian: Yeah, just try and tell Artest that. He thinks he’s the best player in the league and doesn’t need help from anyone…

Tony: Say what you will…..but being life long kings and warriors fans your
indoctrinated to look at things from the bleakest and most negative
perspectives. Its in your bloods, us laker fans come from the
perspective of winners, and we can make it work school of thought.

Brian: Yeah, and you obviously haven’t watched him play more than 100 games…

Matt: Yeah, I’ve watched Artest on the Pacers when I hated him, I watched him
on the Kings and liked him, then I watched him on Houston where I was
unbiased.  Same shit, different toilet.

Brian: I realized that the matching him with a HOF coach wasn’t really
addressed. I can already hear Kobe crying over the phone to Phil when
Artest takes 25 18 ft jumpers with a hand in his face. (Since Phil won’t
be there to do anything for half of their games, that settles that)


Matt: I’d love to hear Rambis, “um Ron, er, Mr. Artest?  Umm, do you, uh, think maybe you could not take so many off-balance 22 footers?  I mean, it’s cool if you want to keep doing that, but we have Kobe on our team too.  He’s not just a decoy.  Thanks Mr. Artest.  Don’t hurt me”

Andre: Did Artest come over and personally pee on your rug or something?  IS
Artest a carpet-pisser??

Brian: HAhaha! No, no rug pissing, he’s just been devastating to the team
concept for every franchise he’s played for, so I really can’t stand
that type of player..

Tony: I’d say Houston did just fine this year?????

Brian: Definitely a fluke, I’ve never seen him make that many shots through two
straight series…

Tony: I was talking about the team killer aspect……

Matt: Yeah, b/c much like you said, but with a different intent, the Rockets
didn’t have a kobe or gasol.  You think Shane Battier or Von Wafer are
gonna get pissed at him for shooting so much?  No.


Tony:Lets just accept the fact your going to shit on him no matter what he
does…….I get that.

Matt: I’m not saying he’s gonna turn the Lakers into a lottery team.
Remember, I’m the guy who defended him and said over and over I would
never trade him for Lamar Odom.  I still feel that way.  ALL I’M SAYING,
is that he’s gonna be a ball-hog and Kobe’s gonna get pissed at him.
Not really going out on a limb

Tony: Good let him get pissed….to alpha-dogs going after the same thing is
great. Phil is in his element with that shit.

Brian: You want Kobe to get pissed so he passes less? That doesn’t sound like a
good thing…


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July 3, 2009

Dr. Genitalia!

By mceezy

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July 1, 2009

Doin Work’s Top Five Football Players in the World

By dyslecix

          With the European football season on hiatus for another month, and the rumor mill of transfers still churning hard, I thought it would be fun to revisit the always fun question: Who are the Top Five Footballers in the World? And to be honest the list is pretty easy to come up with. In what order will always be subjective, who you root for and what style of football you enjoy watching will impact your own personal rankings it should be noted. Rankings are always fun, if you have other players you would rate in your top five by all means leave them in the comments section, we’d love to hear them.

 #1 Cristiano Ronaldo: I’m not sure how winning the Champions League title instantly vaults Messi to the title of “Best Football Player in the World” which was discussed at length after the final. Granted his form was excellent this year, and his impact on the outcome of the CL final was far greater then his counterpart Ronaldo. Having said that, if we were to take a step back and look at the body of work of both players over the last three years, as well as technical side of each player I think Ronaldo clearly has the edge as the top player in the world. His goal scoring rate is second to none, can play any attacking position on the field including up top, is one of the top free kick takers in the world, and is devastating with both feet (not to mention his Arial ability is pretty wicked to boot). When motivated there is no one better.

 #2 Lionel Messi: His emergence at Barcelona has been amazing to watch, and it’s no coincidence that it has coincided with the revival of Barca’s domination both domestically and in Europe this year. His on ball ability, searing pace, and rare vision in the open field is unrivaled in the world.  Although his goal scoring wasn’t a prominent aspect of his game in the two preceding years, that changed drastically this campaign with a haul of 42 goals in all competitions. Messi’s encore (and continued growth next year) will be interesting to watch. 

 #3 Steven Gerrard: Things get tricky here separating Gerrard and Kaka; in fact you could swap them with little argument either way.   I’ll take Gerrard over Kaka in my midfield based on the stronger offensive side of his game, and his ability to score in the seemingly clutchest of moments. Gerrard’s work rate and pure power in midfield is priceless as well, the engine he provides in the middle of the park with his passing can’t be understated. Fans of Kaka could point to Gerrard’s lack of a domestic league title or larger individual awards on his resume, which is a fair critique. I’ll argue Gerrard is more of a game changer on any given night and give him the nod here.

 # 4 Kaka: There is no doubt Kaka is one of the best players of his generation. His pace, dribbling, technique, vision, and natural flair are mesmerizing to watch. The highlight of his individual career coming in 2007 when he was named FIFA’s World Player of the Year. With his recent transfer to Real Madrid, one can only imagine what performances he will be capable of producing on such a star studded squad. Kaka’s place as one of the world’s greats isn’t changing anytime soon, and the glitzy stage of Madrid is a fitting place for one of the world’s best.

 #5 Fernando Torres: I would argue he is the currently the best striker in the world, and thus slides in at five. There are several other players who could easily take Torres’s place here, but his ability to score in a variety of ways and the attention he demands at all times from defenses puts him in a class all his own. His devastating pace, coupled with his unique touch and aerial prowess creates a total package. His style of play and strength on the ball is also perfectly suited for the Premier League, his impact for Liverpool was immediate, and he is also a central figure for the Spanish national team. Fresh off Barca’s recent success many will push for Xavi or Iniesta here, but for my money Fernando Torres nips them both.

Honorable Mentions: Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, David Villa, Frank Ribery, Xavi Hernandez, Wayne Rooney, Zalatan Ibrahimovic, Daniele De Rossi, Samuel Eto’o

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July 1, 2009

The Sad State of the NBA

By chappy81

With the draft wrapped up and the free agency about to kick into full swing (Highlighted by Ben Gordon and Hedo Turkoglu), it seems like the NBA is in a different state than it has been for most seasons with the vicious economic decline. Instead of hearing about the best players being traded, we hear more about hedo_300_080204the rumors on how so many NBA teams are losing money, and are definitely going to have even more troubles with their payrolls next season. Money is the most valuable part of every organization and it seems that more teams are interested in shedding cap space, than making their teams better to compete for a title. Trade offers aren’t even about talent as much as who is getting the player with the big contract that expires next year. 12 teams accepted the leagues offer to borrow between $13 and $20 million. I won’t completely blame it on players and situations like the highly chronicled Darius Miles who is still sucking cap space away from Portland and just violated the leagues drug policy again. large_DariusBut, he is definitely one of the reasons the league needs to review the collective bargaining agreement before the seemingly imminent lockout in 2011.

My biggest concern for the NBA is the shrinking cap space each season. If the economy continues to go the way it has, the cap will keep falling. In turn, this will make it impossible for teams to stay under the cap especially with the current contract constructions weighted at the end, and put some teams over the cap before the next season even starts. This year will only be the second time in league history that the cap has been lowered from the previous season. Teams know this, and it is making them thriftier than ever. Why do they want to risk hitting the luxury tax for making it one round deeper in the playoffs? They really don’t, and this is going to be the NBA’s biggest problem during the recession! The objective for mediocrity in the league is not going to keep fans around, and without the fans the league will obviously struggle. The seats are already empty in the smaller market areas and terrible franchises. I watched many Clippers games (more than I’d like to admit) this year and most of the time you could hear the other teams fans that happen to live in L.A. at the games cheering over the Clippers’ fans (if there actually were any).

So with Amare on the block, and few interesting free agents out there, what will happen this offseason you ask? I think it’s going to be a lot of low-balling, and there will definitely be a lot of teams giving away superior talent just to relieve their books. With all of the talks surrounding my Warriors, and Amare Stoudemire possibly going to them, I took a step back to see what could possibly be behind it. Sure Amare is a great player when he’s healthy, but even he felt that the Warriors are giving up too much talent for him to want to go to there. It makes me wonder if the Warriors original objective was to have Stoudemire for a one year rental and have a lot of money come off the books instead of having: Biendris (5 years), Wright (3 years), and  Bellinelli (3 years). brad-millerWere the Warriors making a money dump like the Kings did when they gave away Brad Miller to save themselves millions off the cap in the long run? I feel like I can’t trust any move my team is making this offseason without wondering, was this done just for the pocketbook or did they really try to improve the team to make them a contender…

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June 30, 2009

Warriors Rookie Stephen Curry Probably Won’t Be Appearing On The Next E-40 Single

By mceezy

Skip to 1:00 and 1:55 marks if you can’t make it.

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June 30, 2009

I Do……… Not Ever Wanna See You Again!

By mceezy
Proper planning is key to a successful wedding ceremony.

Proper planning is key to a successful wedding ceremony.

BERLIN (Reuters) – A Polish couple living in Germany fell out after tying the knot and decided to end their marriage on the same day.

“He said he never wanted to see her again and wanted an immediate annulment, and she said the same thing,” a spokesman for police in the northern city of Hanover said Thursday.

Right after the civil ceremony Wednesday, the 50-year-old man began arguing with his bride and tried to cut her hair with a kitchen knife, police said.

The 34-year-old woman called police, who issued the man with a restraining order, which he readily accepted, police said.

Two attempts at a rapprochement later that evening by telephone ended in more shouted exchanges before the man went to spend his wedding night in a local shelter for homeless people.

Better late than never! Although I think any time you take a knife to your bride’s mane, that’s a relationship that has the spark and intensity to last a lifetime.  This restraining order and divorce surely won’t be the end of them.  I’m willing to bet they get married (and possibly divorced) again some day.  Although the next marriage may be more likely to end in a murder trial rather than an annulment.  Glückwünsche!

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June 29, 2009

Nerd Of The Week

By mceezy

Man, there are so many comedic elements in this video.  From the unintended sexual inuendo, to the kid getting male and female mixed up, down to the fact that he bares resemblence to the fat boy scout duck from Duck Tales, I never thought I could sit through 3.5 minutes of some nerd talking about his homemade NERF gun.  The worst part is, he never even demonstrates it working!  Shoot a goddamn foam ball or something!  I like how he explains that the leak was made on purpose, going so far as to call it a “safety valve.”  Yeah, I meant to crack that tube.  Anyway, pay close attention toward the end when he starts talking about shooting zombies.  He was hunting two of them, but they got hungry and went to get food so the game was over.  Speaking of food, good segue into the fact that he hasn’t eaten in 12 to 14 hours.  Is that how long he spent making that PVC concoction?  I could’ve hammered that out in 20 minutes.

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June 26, 2009

NBA Draft Reactions – California Edition

By mceezy

The 2009 NBA Draft featured something we haven’t seen since 1998: Three California teams picking in the top 10.  That year was highlighted by the Sacramento Kings’ selection of Jason Williams, an unfortunate swap of Vince Carter of Antawn Jamison (which didn’t really turn out that bad) and a Clippers’ pick we’ll touch on in a minute.  Once again this year, the San Diego Clippers chose first, the Kings picked fourth, and the Golden State Warriors held the 7th selection.

Los Angeles Clippers #1: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

From the producers of Michael Olowokandi, in came the consensus #1 pick.  I’ve been a long-time skeptic of Blake Griffin.  This past season, I was finally sold on Griffin being a solid all-around player.  He’s been dubbed as the “can’t-miss” selection of the draft.  What I’m not sold on is him becoming a great player.  Most will agree he’ll be a “long-time NBA starter.”  What that will translate to, I’m not sure.  All we can go on is the facts.  They are the Clippers.  Elton Brand managed to lead the Clippers to one postseason berth in his time in LA.  He set the bar pretty high.  I’m not sure if Griffin can lead them to the postseason, but they do also have Baron Davis, Zach Randolph, Eric Gordon, and Al Thornton.  Problem is, the losing culture of the franchise will overshadow all, including Griffin’s performance.

Sacramento Kings #4: Tyreke Evans, Memphis

Local sentiment favored Ricky Rubio, for the simple fact that many around here saw him as the next coming of Jason Williams.  J-Will didn’t single-handedly turn the franchise around – he had some help – but he was probably the most responsible for generating excitement and fan support.  It seemed like a match made in heaven.  Sac needed a point guard, and Rubio wanted to come here.  The Kings, however, instead opted for Evans.  I have to agree with the pick.  I have stated for a while now that Evans probably has the most star potential in this year’s draft.  How he’ll work out at PG I’m not sure, but he gives the Kings a much-needed scoring threat.  While I definitely see them improving on their impressive 17 win total from a year ago, the possible outcomes are many.  His production will constantly be compared with Rubio’s, as many will wonder what could’ve been.

Golden State Warriors #7: Stephen Curry, Davidson

I have wondered for a long time if Curry would be able to succeed at the elite level.  I’m still not sure if he can.  He impressed everywhere he worked out leading up to the draft, but many of those workouts are based largely around shooting displays – something we know Curry exceeds at.  The Warriors’ front office proclaims that he is the perfect fit for their system.  His game is so similar, yet different from Monta Ellis.  He does give them a much needed shooter.  Regardless of what happens, I love this pick for two reasons.  He’s not Jordan Hill, who was probably the W’s backup choice.  Second, I loved it simply for the reaction it got from Knicks’ fans.  I loved seeing their player get snatched up right before their pick, and then watching them settle for Jordan Hill.  Many thought Curry would be dealt, most likely to Phoenix.  However, Don Nelson today stated on the record that Curry could “unpack his bags, even buy a house,” because he “ain’t going anyplace.”  Problem is, Nellie’s word doesn’t carry much weight.

Los Angeles Lakers #59: Chinemelu Elonu, Texas A&M

Does it really even matter?

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June 25, 2009

The Worst Sports Franchises of All-Time

By chappy81

lions_fan

As I read Simmons plea for Blake Griffin to run and hide from the Clippers, which probably isn’t the worst idea for him on the day of the NBA draft, I pondered what a list of the worst franchises of all time would look like. It’s not hard to think of a lot of really crappy teams, but narrowing that list down is tricky. The fields accounted for are; what they’ve done over their whole franchise’s history and to their fans. According to business journal in 2008 the worst five rated franchises (NBA, MLB, NFL) from worst to best of the worst were: Detroit Lions, Memphis Grizzlies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the St. Louis Rams. Financially I couldn’t agree more, because I don’t know their books or care to.  However, I do believe that some of the teams listed abouve are trying to do the right thing for their franchise. Well, atleast enough to stay out of the top five worst on my list.

#5 Memphis Grizzlies -They’re trying to make it to the Clippers status, but it’s tough to make up all those losing seasons that the Clips have on them. Their first four years reeves_bryant_courtesy_260yielded them a total of 56 wins in Vancouver, so why not move to Memphis! That move, coinciding with dreadful drafts have doomed the franchise to the depths that they are currently in and will be in for some time to come. Even this year with the second pick, they may have to settle for a role player since there is no clear instant NBA impact player in that spot. I’m sure this draft will yield them their next Big Country Reeves. When they do have a good player, they find a way to trade them for a poo poo platter of players and draft picks that they will eventually mess up on! I’m not just referring to the Gasol trade last year, but they also traded away Mike Bibby and Steve Francis just before their primes! Is OJ Mayo the next?

#4 Pittsburgh Pirates – Well, they have a nice park, and well, that’s about the only exciting thing that’s happened to them over the past 17 years. Since 1992, the Pirates haven’t had one winning season, and it doesn’t appear that one is coming anytime soon. They are now the proud owners of the longest string of losing seasons by any team in MLB history! Is it the curse of the Killer B’s (Bonds and Bonilla)? My guess is they are cursing themselves by continually trading players for prospects and never really letting any player play for any part of their prime.

#3 Los Angeles Clippers – Not only do they make the worst decisions possible, but every time they make a decent one it never works out. Their .365winning percentage in the Donald Sterling era shows their inability to make a streak of good decisions. He’s more interested in what prostitute’s he’s bringing to the game that night than who is on the court for his team. The dwindling fanbase has gone into a depression that may not be shakeable until they decide to move to their fourth location. The seats have been emptier and emptier as the seasons go by, except when the Lakers come to town to play them… I think Billy Crystal even stopped his season tickets this past season (don’t quote me on that, maybe he just didn’t go very much).

These Kids are lucky they don't know how bad their team is yet!

These Kids are lucky they don't know how bad their team is yet!

#2 Kansas City Royals – Owner David Glass should give the name “owner” an apology. He likes to play the small market victim card whenever he can, but he is always the first person in line begging to receive some of the revenue sharing from the commish. They never re-sign a star, and never puts a team on the field that is remotely competitive. Any team that averages a whopping 96 losses per season may as well make their vacation plans for October in April! There should be someway to kick out owners out of a league if they aren’t don’t even trying.

#1 Detroit Lions – It’s hard to pick exactly where to begin, but they capped off the number one spot with the first 0-16 season in NFL history, and only one playoff win since 1957 just shows the meaning of their sucktitude. It takes talent to construct these aweful teams. It must be fun for them to constantly have fans on the edge of their seats and brown bags over their heads wondering what terrible decision their franchise will make to set them back (insert amount of years). This continual three to five year re-building plan  just makes me feel happy that there are people messing up franchises more than Al Davis is for my Raiders.

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June 23, 2009

Doin Work 2009 NBA Mock Draft

By dyslecix

Maybe it’s no coincidence that the NBA Draft falls on June 25th this year, which happens to be my birthday. Since I’ll be getting crushed at a bar Thursday with my iPhone out, watching each pick unfold, and then going home and watching it again on DVR I figured I might as well come up with a mock draft. So, let’s get started………

blake-griffinLos Angeles (Clippers) #1 Blake Griffin: What can we say about this pick? Nothing really, it’s the brain dead easy choice in a parity driven draft. What we’ll be writing about it in a few years is anybody’s guess, especially with the Clippers landing the golden ticket. My hunch, Griffin is a three or four time all-star by the time his career is over. If he can achieve that in a Clippers uniform, then this is the best thing to happen to the organization since Don Sterling died….wait……never mind.

NCAA San Diego Connecticut BasketballMemphis #2 Hasheem Thabeet: Speaking of the Clippers, I think the Grizzlies are the “New Clippers” of the NBA if that makes any sense. After GIVING away Paul Gasol last year, you have to wonder what motives this team has to field a quality product. Anyhow, the front line is the worst in the NBA, and the Grizz haven’t had any success with their other Spanish players (Gasol & Navarro), touching another doesn’t seem plausible. Thabeet and his 153lbs shot blocking force seems like the easy pick here.

rickyrubioOklahoma City #3 Ricky Rubio: Who knows what happens here. Sam Presti is a genius, and will take in every scenario before pulling the trigger on anything. The back court is young, dynamic, and flexible. Rubio seems to fit the mold of an upside-rich player who will have time to grow as the team continues to build over the next few years. Side Note: a trade here is very possible for a team that may have an offer which includes a veteran and salary cap relief.

33817685_Nike_Hoop_SummitSacramento #4 Tyreke Evans: “It was a man beating up boys.” Strong words coming out of Sacramento…especially with the likes of Flynn and Curry he was apparently dropping whoop ass on. Evans strikes me as the type of player who gets drafted with little hype and immediately kills it in the NBA, leaving everybody saying “why the hell didn’t we see this coming.” I love this pick much more for the Kings, who don’t seem to have a situation that allows Rubio to mold his game into NBA form in the near term. Kings fans should be happy if this pick pans out.

harden3Washington #5 James Harden: First things first, Washington trades this pick. But for simplicity (and because I’m not a wordsmith like Bill Simmons) we’ll just select Harden. I don’t have much to say about Harden….I’m totally at a loss after his NCAA Tournament showing, and I can’t shake his final game from my mind. I’m guessing the Wizards can’t either to be honest. His overall skills and ability can’t be argued however, and he makes a nice addition to the Wizards back court. Nick Young may not be the long term answer at SG anyhow.

*Nov 21 - 00:05*Minnesota #6 Jonny Flynn: Flynn has been making waves in pre-draft work outs, and I can’t see him slipping very far. He may not be the best fit for Minnesota, but I think he has convinced enough GM’s that letting him slide would be at their own risk.  He’s a ballsy East Coast point guard, who has the skills and moxy to step right in and be a leader. No other PG is on the table with so few questions (ie. holiday, Jennings).

amd_stephencurryGolden State #7 Stephan Curry: Cloudy times in Golden State, with Larry Riley taking over the helm for Chris Mullen in the front office, and Monta Ellis apparently speaking out that he wants to be the lone ranger at point guard or risk demanding a trade. If the Warriors were to take the easy way out, Jordan Hill from Arizona slides in here. But this is Golden State we’re talking about!! Despite Curry refusing to schedule work outs with the Warriors, his leverage to avoid getting drafted here is nil. Tons of buzz, deadly outside shooting, and an identical player to Ellis makes drafting him impossible to pass up for the always entertaining Golden State Warriors (oh and his gun slinging tendencies make Nelly want to break out another twelver of bud light).

jrueholidayNew York #8 Jrue Holiday: I’m not sure who is more distraught here: Stephan Curry or the Knicks! Having said that, New York must immediately shift there focus to the remaining young point guards left on the board. Despite Holiday’s struggles at UCLA, he showed flashes of amazing skill, and it became obvious later in the season that Ben Howland’s system was reining in Holiday far too much. The fast pace, open floor offense of D’Antoni’s makes Holiday a better choice then Brandon Jennings, who lacks some of the physical attributes of Jrue. Not an ideal situation for the Knicks, but still a solid upside pick nonetheless.

demar-derozan-deuxToronto #9 DeMar DeRozan: With Anthony Parker and Shawn Marion approaching free agency in July, addressing the wing position seems like the most realistic direction. Let’s assume Parker re-signs, and Marion walks shall we? Bringing in an offensive scorer at the two guard spot seems ideal, and DeRozan looks like a pretty good fit. His overall game is still extremely raw, but no other pick really jumps out here. An outside chance exists that the Raptors take Jordan Hill instead based on just the value of his slide, but not likely.

brandon-jennings-u-of-aMilwaukee #10 Brandon Jennings: Ramon Sessions is a free agent this summer, and Luke Ridnour is not the answer in a full time role. Brandon Jennings is a great fit here, especially if Sessions bolts for more money elsewhere. Milwaukee would also be a low key franchise for Jennings to play as he adapts to the NBA. Although his struggles overseas were well documented, he may posses some of the greatest upside and flash in the draft. Picking him on the back end of the lottery is a low risk situation for the Bucks, and a great fit for Jennings.

jordanhill2_mediumNew Jersey #11 Jordan Hill: Rod Thorn, the Net’s GM has been very public in his desire to draft a forward and get a bruiser in the process. I’m not sure Hill qualifies as any sort of enforcer at the NBA level, but his skills and size certainly outweigh  the other limitations of say Tyler Hansbourgh. Hill and Lopez would actually be a solid young core at center and power forward, on both sides of the ball. This could be back to back draft coups for New Jersey if Hill in facts slips this far.

terrence_williams_80236187Charlotte #12 Terence Williams: I have to site my sources on this one. After reading Chad Ford’s intel on his buzz page over at ESPN I’ve gone ahead and taken this pick from him (hell the man get’s paid to know his shit right?). I’ve had Gerald Henderson slotted here from the day he announced he was entering the draft. In fact I’ve had any player from Duke or North Carolina in this year’s draft here as well for back up. Apparently much has changed in the last week, and Williams has impressed everybody in Charlotte with his workouts and interviews. With rumors flying that Gerald Wallace is on the trading block, Williams maybe an ideal replacement, and makes more sense over Henderson who comes with questions marks.

TP_262134_CASS_acc11_12Indiana #13 Ty Lawson: Unless somebody out of the blue falls to Indiana, the Pacers have said there looking to draft a point guard. Although Jeff Teague and Eric Maynor may have some more desirable upside, you can’t match the hard nosed, winning background of Lawson. He brings solid ability and ball handling, and an impressive resume of winning at the college level. He may not have some of the athletic flash NBA scouts covet, but you’re also not drafting a bust here either. Long term stability, and a productive NBA player isn’t a bad get at 13.

gerald-hendersonPhoenix #14 Gerald Henderson: Ugh, I’m not sure what Phoenix does here to be honest. There are a million different places that they can go, including the chance they move up the draft board or trade out of the first round entirely in a deal that includes Shaq getting shipped out town at the same time. If Phoenix is set on drafting completely on upside, Austin Daye from Gonzaga seems logical in the Sun’s system. In the end I think Henderson gets the nod, but nothing surprises me at this point if the Suns go a different direction.

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June 21, 2009

Corey Maggette’s Dream

By mceezy

I might be the only Warriors fan that likes Corey Maggette.  Despite being in attendence for his low point in Oakland, going something like 2-12 from the line and getting booed throughout the game, I still like him.  Is he my favorite player?  Far from it.  But I feel like you knew what you’re getting when we signed him, so no one should be surprised.

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June 18, 2009

Doin Work MLB Power Rankings

By chappy81

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The first Doin Work MLB Power Rankings! Sure there may be a few surprises in here, but where else can you see a westcoast biased rankings!?! I would think it should be a little refreshing after always hearing an East Coast point of view! ChadBillingsleyFeel free to rip the placement of any of the teams, but this is our rundown of the league through 6/18.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers – They have the best record in the league, with Juan Pierre leading the team in average after Manny’s suspension. The team hasn’t been hitting as well the last couple of weeks, but their pitching is the real story, as they lead the majors with a 3.59 ERA and are holding opponents to a league low .235 BA.

2. Boston Red Sox – The much maligned Boston squad has surged of late to become the second team to 40 wins.  They’ve ridden the success of the best home record in the majors (23-8), as well as the best record against their division (20-8).  We all know about their success against the Yankees this year, but what some might not know is they’ve struggled against the AL West (5-10).  Only the Orioles have a worse record.

3. Texas Rangers – Somehow the Rangers and manager Ron Washington have figured out ways to win in Texas. Will it will last through the t1_ronwashingtondog days of August when pitchers usually start getting blown up in Arlington? We will see. Everyone knows their offense will hit, but can Millwood and Feldman keep rolling the way they have?

4. Anaheim Angels – This might be a little high, but the Angels have the longest current win streak in the majors.  They’re also a proven contender whose main concern in the early going was injuries.  They were without John Lackey, Vladimir Guerrero, and Ervin Santana but managed to stay afloat.  Now, all three are back and the Angels look poised to reclaim control of the AL West.  Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver have combined for a 14-6 record.  If Lackey and Santana can regain their form, this team could be dangerous.

5. Philadelphia Phillies – They are (36-28) with a 3 game lead in their division, but they have struggled at home (13-18), which has knocked the reining champs down a few spots in the rankings. The placement of Ibanez on the DL probably won’t hurt them as much as their bullpen has this year as they rank 26th in pitching. They’ve made up for the pitching woes with the fifth most runs scored and the 3rd most HR’s in the league.

6. Milwakee Brewers – They seem to be back on track, winning their last 3 at Cleveland in a series that saw them put up 30 runs.  They gave up 25, which could be reason to be alarmed, but they came away with the W each time.  Assuming they’ve bounced back from the previous stretch where they lost 6 of 7, Milwaukee should remain atop an NL Central that is very winnable.  They currently have, by far, the best intra-divisional record at 21-10. Prince Fielder, who leads the majors in RBI, heads up an explosive offense.  Their fate will lie with their rotation.  Yovani Gallardo is pitching like an all-star, but Suppan, Looper, Bush, and Parra will need to pick their game up to help the Brewers win the Central.

7. New York Yankees – Since A-Rod came back from the DL, Teixeira is on a tear with 15 homers and 38 RBI’s since June 9th. The Bronx bombers still have question marks on the pitching side as they are currently ranked 26th in ERA. The main question is whether the new ballpark is evening out their superior batting lineup, as they give up nearly as many runs as they score in the new version of Arlington. So far they have fared well at their new home (21-13), and have gotten lucky at times as well (Castillo comes to mind). They are only 3 games back of Boston in a very tough AL East division.

8. Toronto Blue Jays – They’ve proved they’re for real this year, especially on the offensive side.  If everything goes according to plan, they should finish 3rd in the AL East!  The only question mark for the Blue Jays has been their pitching, and that just got a lot more complicated with the loss of Roy Halladay.

9. St. Louis Cardinals – Big Albert has been on a tear lately slugging 10 homers with 21 RBI’s over the last month which has helped them stay albert-pujols-klutho2within a game of the division leading Brewers. St. Louis boasts the sixth best era in the league (3.47), which has been a key in their success. Carpenter has been stellar since coming off the DL giving up a total of 9 runs in 41 innings.

10. Tampa Bay Rays – Tampa has been strong lately going 12-5 over their last 17. They are currently 3 games over .500 for the first time this season. They are determined to show that last year wasn’t a fluke, and have added to the congestion atop the AL East. They currently are +72 in run differential which is the highest in the league, so you have to figure sooner or later they are going to go on a good stretch in the win column.

11. Colorado Rockies – They have been as hot as any team in baseball, since they fired Clint Hurdle and replaced him with Jim Tracey they’ve gone a solid 14-4 since the switch. Their early season schedule was one of the toughest in baseball, which is why I think they struggled out of the gate. Their recent power surge has raised them to 8th in runs scored and they are now tied for 8th in HR’s in the MLB.

12. Detroit Tigers – Granderson and Inge are leading the charge as the Tigers look to be what everyone thought they would be last year. I would’ve put them higher but they have lost four in a row including two to lowly Pittsburgh.

13. New York Mets – This is just about the area in the rankings where the contenders segue into the pretenders.  The Mets are still in the upper echelon of MLB teams, but have yet to show they can put together a full season.  Luis Castillo’s game losing drop seemed an awful lot like September foreshadowing though!

14. San Francisco Giants – The offense has been bad, as expected, but they’ve managed to stay above .500 for some time now, thanks in large part to Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, who are likely to keep up their pace.  Anywhere above .500 should keep the Giants in the wild card race.

15. Cincinatti Reds –  They’ve managed to stay afloat despite injuries to Edinson Volquez, Edwin Encarnacion, and I guess Joey Votto.  Add to that poor starts to the season by Bronson Arroyo and Micah Owings.  If the Reds can get healthy, even they could make a run at the division.

16. Chicago Cubs – Currently sitting in 4th place, but only 4 games back of the first place Brewers.  The Cubs need to figure out two things if they’re going to make any noise this season: how to win on the road and how to win in their division.

17. Minnesota  Twins – The Twins have been extremely inconsistent thus far, but they always end up finding a way to win.  At 34-34, they are still Justin-Morneau_2very much in the wild card picture, but they’ll need the team to click altogether to make a run at the postseason.  Their pitching won’t dominate, but  it’ll keep them close and games will be winnable with Mauer and Morneau leading the way at the plate.

18. Chicago White Sox – It appears that the starting pitching has turned the corner with many great outings lately, led by Jose Contreras only giving up 3 hits in his last two starts (16 IP).  The offense will have to pick it up soon if they are going to contend.

19. Florida Marlins – Ten different pitchers have started games for the Marlins this year.  However, Josh Johnson has been the only one to prove he belongs. They’ve made attempts to get back to .500 but can’t quite get there.

20. Seattle Mariners – The M’s started the season making some people believe they would be a contender in the West, but since the hot start they have struggled and look about the same as the last few seasons lackluster performances.

21. Atlanta Braves – They haven’t been consistent and don’t look to be taking the NL East anytime soon, with a few good teams now residing in their division. Chipper needs to break out of his slump for them to make any kind of a move.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates – Pittsburgh isn’t in last in their division for once. Somehow they have kept it going after trading away a top player (McClouth) for MORE prospects. I guess they’re just stockpiling them for something good to come along. Their pitching has kept them in games as they are currently ranked 13th overall in ERA.

23. Oakland A’s – A win against the Dodgers bumped them up a spot, but they have looked awful in the field and at the plate. Not the recipe for success for any team. Holliday, Giambi, and Cabrera seem to be battling it out for the biggest bust on the team.

24. Cleveland Indians – Like many teams at the bottom of the rankings and standings, breaks just don’t come their way. They look good for a week and terrible the next week. Their pitching has been awful this year which, makes it hard for any team to compete. They are ranked last in ERA.

25. Houston Astros – Tejada is the only bright spot on the team being sUMLQLP22nd in the NL in BA, and first in doubles (23). As we get closer to the All-Star break it looks as though we’ll see what players they are going to trade away. I saw the Vegas odds on a Houston firesale at 2/1.

26a. San Diego Padres – Not much to say here, except Adrian Gonzalez’s NL home run lead was just taken from him by Pujols. They had a ten game winning streak, but came crashing back to earth by losing 11 out of 17 after the winning streak.

26b. Arizona Diamondbacks – At least the weather’s nice there, and they have Danny Haren. It was basically a matchup of Gonzalez and Haren to take the coveted 26a spot! As close to a tie as you’ll see on a power rankings!

28. Baltimore Orioles – Being in the toughest division in baseball they have shown everyone how to struggle. They have been outscored by opponents by 56 runs. It’s the largest run differential in the league. Oh and Matt Wienters has arrived if you didn’t know, oh you did, cool.

29. Kansas City Royals – They probably don’t deserve to be this low, but they haven’t shown anything that would make any fan of them care what their rank is. They have some pitching as they lead the league in complete games (8).

30. Washington Nationals – They are 2nd to last in pitching and 20th in hitting. They need to sign Strasberg and get him on the mound this year for them to move out of the cellar. They’re on pace to lose over 100 games.

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June 17, 2009

Who Should Start For The NL?

By mceezy

The MLB All-Star Game is less than a month away, thus kicking off one of my favorite pastimes…. speculating who will be the starting pitchers for each league.  It probably has to do with the fact that the A’s usually have someone in the running – Josh Outman is 2nd in BAA!  All kidding aside, it’s the NL that has me intrigued this year.  There are five distinct candidates; few could argue that.  Although I certainly don’t consider it to be the end all gauge for pitchers, look no further than the NL ERA rankings to find these five.

The first guy I rule out is Johnny Cueto.  To be honest, I wouldn’t even include him had I not known he has the lowest ERA.  His numbers are solid, but the 6-4 record is far from sexy and let’s be real, we just don’t hear a lot about this guy.  He’s pretty much this year’s version of Edinson Volquez, and look where that got him.

The next guy I rule out is Matt Cain.  A friend actually told me today he thought Cain is the front runner right now.  His reasoning was that Cain leads the league in complete games (three), wins (nine), and is third in ERA.  All good points, but I see some things that cancel those out.  The glaring fault I see is his K:BB ratio.  68 Ks to 34 BBs.  That’s 2:1 folks.  Not only is that obviously the worst among these five guys, he’s also got the worst BAA and WHIP, not to mention the least amount of innings pitched.  That 9-1 record looks a lot luckier to me now having said that.  I’m happy for the guy though.  He’s had notoriously poor run support the last few years, so it’s good to see him make up a few wins.

The other three guys, in my opinion, all deserve it, but I reluctantly cross out Chad Billingsley next.  I’m a pretty firm believer in the old practice of taking the best pitcher on the best team.  Billingsley and the Dodgers are that.  His 9-3 record helps, but the numbers just don’t stand out above the rest of the group.  A lot of his numbers, in fact, are similar to Lincecum’s, but Timmy comes out ahead in just about every category.  Billingsley has also walked the most batters, however his 93 Ks keep his ratio out of Matt Cain territory.  Aside from the win-loss records, choosing Billingsley over Lincecum just can’t be justified.

Speaking of Lincecum, I like him a lot for the fact that he’s the reigning Cy Young winner.  Sure, that’s reflective of last season, but to me, that makes him the defending champion i.e. the “top guy.”  He’s got 10 more Ks than the next guy on this list and his overall numbers are solid.  That win total of six might be his undoing though.  To his credit, I can see at least three starts that should’ve/could’ve ended in wins.  I would give the nod to Lincecum if it weren’t for……

Dan Haren.  Has a 5-4 pitcher ever been named the starter for the All-Star Game?  There’s a good chance the answer is no.  But, if you take a look at how he got to 5-4, you quickly realize he is FAR better than the record indicates.  He has four starts where he went 6+ innings (7 in three of them) and only gave up 1 run.  With any reasonable offense, he would be 9-2.  Beyond the wins and losses though, you’ll find superior numbers.  His 2.20 ERA is second only to Cueto, and he is head and shoulders above all these guys in WHIP (0.81) and BAA (.181)  Those numbers are unreal!  You know what else is unreal?  90 Ks to only 13 walks.  That’s 6.92 K:BB people!  Throw in 94 IP – second only to Josh Johnson‘s 98 – and Haren is the clear cut favorite for the All-Star Game start.  The best part is… there’s still a month to go and this race could have five completely different guys!

NL All-Star Starting Pitcher?

NL All-Star Starting Pitcher?

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June 16, 2009

His Airness Vs. The Black Mamba

By chappy81

With the conclusion of the NBA finals, we finally saw Kobe get the” he can’t win without Shaq” monkey off his back. Kobe’s career is far from done, but his window of greatness could be closing as he transitions to the jump shooting phase of his career. I say that for one reason, he has averaged less free throw attempts per game each year for the last three seasons (10+ from 04 to 07, 7.6 in 08, and 5.9 in 09), which makes me think he would rather not take it to the hole, so instead he’s pulling up for jumpers. Has Kobe had enough “greatness” so far to be considered close to Jordan? Kobe is turning 31 over the summer, so this should be a good point in his career to compare what he’s done so far to Jordan at the same age. I don’t think this is going to be close, but we’ll run it by two categories: stats and bio. I can’t say that Kobe’s resume is as impressive as MJ’s, but adding the fourth championship should make it close!

The Stats

His Airness – Jordan at the age of 29, went into retirement after winning three straight Championships with Phil in Chicago. He left the game he ruled to play professional baseball, but many think that it was an undercover suspension for MJ’s gambling habits (I’m a believer in that theory). He was at the top of the game and his resume was impressive at his first retirement winning; 3 MVP’s, 8 first team All NBA awards, 88’ Defensive Player of the Year, 6 first team All Defense awards, and 3 NBA Finals MVP’s. He won the scoring titles every year from 87 to 93. Many felt that in 93 Jordan deserved the MVP, but they were tired of giving it to him, so they gave it to Barkley.

Black Mamba – I’m sure we’re all a little fresher on Kobe’s stat’s to date, but here they are anyways. Keep in mind that MJ took his year off at 30 years old. Which is when Kobe won his 4th Championship, and added his 1st NBA Finals MVP. He also rounded out the resume with 1 League MVP, 2 time scoring champion, 7 first team All Defensive awards, and 7 first team All NBA awards. At this point I don’t think their stats are comparable, but Kobe did win one more championship than Jordan.

The Path

His Airness – Jordan had his struggles coming into the league since he joined a team that basically sucked. He learned how to win in college hitting a NCAA Championship game winner in 1982. The early Bulls teams were terrible, so he had to compensate by forcing it at times. His greatness still allowed them to win and make the playoffs only to be knocked out early (1st or 2nd round) throughout his first five seasons. In his second playoff series, against the 85-86 Celtics, considered by many to be one of the greatest in NBA history, he made his first playoff mark by scoring 63 in one game (still the record). Two seasons later, Jordan won his first MVP, and the defensive player of the year award.

MJ’s first three Championship years were none other than domination. In the first championship run, it was the first time that Jordan realized he had teammates averaging 8.4 assists in the playoffs, and 11.4 in the Finals. Jordan’s stats seemed to go up when he was in the playoffs. He averaged 34.6 Points, 6.8 Rebounds, 6.6 Assists, and 2.3 steals in his first 9 playoff appearances.

Black Mamba – Kobe came into the league a couple of years younger and less experienced, but was put into the starting rotation in his second year at the age of 20, and showed that he would be a star in the league. Already being teamed up with a superstar in Shaq, he had the chance to figure things out in a winning environment, drastically different than Jordan’s early years.  The strike season of 98, shortened Kobe’s first year as a starter to 50 games, but league wide everyone knew that he was going to be a star. The following year Kobe was given the greatest coach of all time in Phil Jackson. With an amazing core, the Lakers would go on to win 3 championships. Kobe would continually increase his all around stats each year, but never won a finals MVP. He became a fixture in the fourth quarter as everyone would wonder when it was going to be “Kobe Time”. At the age of 23, he was the youngest player in the history of the NBA to have three titles.

There wasn’t a fourth championship run, and that’s when Kobe’s struggles started. He wanted to be the “man” in LA, and basically forced the owners to decide what the Lakers future was, him or Shaq. The Lakers chose Bryant as they traded away their star center and gave Kobe the fat wallet he desired. Kobe, was the man and he won scoring titles, but just like Jordan in his early years, he couldn’t really trust his teammates since they weren’t all that good. Kobe was unstoppable, but teams realized he was playing selfishly and just like Jordan didn’t want to pass to a lesser player to let them miss a shot. Kobe’s playoff averages aren’t bad, but comparing them to Jordan’s playoff stats at the same point in his career makes me appreciate just how good Jordan was. Kobe’s playoff stats look like this 25.0 Points, 5.1 Rebounds, 4.7 assists, and .5 steals (His first two seasons totaling 20 games brought down those stats).

Since championships matter most out of all the stats, I guess we can say that Kobe wins! MJ 3 Kobe 4, at the age of 30. There, I said it. I didn’t want to, but I did. This ultimately isn’t a race to win 4 championships though! Kobe still needs two more championships to be standing on the same pedistal as Jordan. He’s going to have to be the Finals MVP for both before I will truly put him in another comparison to Jordan. Looks like Kobe’s got some work to do!

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