Sorry for the delay ! I was away for the past few days and before that I was just getting lazy.
By the way follow on twitter- Twitter.com/SeanDugan2
The Miami Heat were willing to offer Allen Iverson 2 million dollars per year to take on his services this year. I think that the entire world is in for a surprise. Just years ago this guy was one of the best scorers around and I think he hears all the nonsense going around about him being done. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets in the gym this summer and comes out next year shutting up everyone. I expect the Old, or you could say Young, AI next year. They say the Clippers will be offering the full MLE and that is more near acceptable.
As a Nets fan this story excites me. Dan Patrick asked Shaq on ESPN 1050 if any moves this offseason surprised him, and he only had 1. The only move that he said was surprising to him was the magic trading Courtney Lee, saying that he was going to be a star, and repeated the word star multiple times. I knew he was going to be good but Shaq reassuring me makes it that much better, good to hear it out of the mouth of the most dominant center to ever play the game.
Lamar Odom and the Lakers are apparently starting to move apart in their negotiations. Lamar, don't do what Ariza did. You want 10 mil, they are giving you 8 which is as much as anyone will. Take that money and stay in your home, where you just won a world championship. What ever happened to team loyalty? What ever happened to sticking with a team through thick and thin? I think that Odom should be honored to come back to this team and get paid 8 million.
The Utah Jazz are reportedly looking into taking out a bank loan in order to keep Paul Milsap. I don't know if this is 100% great or 100% hilarious. It is kind of pathetic, and kind of shows other NBA teams what they should be doing at the same time. They don't want some other player, they just want their guy back, which I can respect completely.
http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ys-afpaussiecourse071409&prov=afp&type=lgns
A golf course that exists in 2 different time zones? And not because it starts near the border of them. The course is 848 miles long and takesabout 3 or 4 days to complete. You get a certificate for completing it. Insane idea, but I would love to do it, thats one of those things that when you finish it you are just able to say for the rest of your life "I finished an 848 mile golf course".
I'm currently watching the AL domination g.... I mean the All Star Game. So tune in if your interested in seeing a one sided rivalry. So im out, thats all for today, peaceee.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
July 5th
Took a few days off, been pretty busy, sorry for the delay.
Not too much has happened in the NBA the past couple of days. The Ariza for Artest switch was interesting. People act like artest is such a big drop off from Ariza. I don't know what makes everyone think Ariza is such an all-star, he was a decent player that did what every decent player does in the triangle offense does, hit the open 3's he gets and had some nice fast break plays which to his credit he does better than most. But people need to realize, Artest can hit those open 3's, he can definitely play defense and he will take the back seat to Kobe, those two are good friends and he knows how good Kobe is.
This free agency is interesting, a lot of players are looking to leave their teams, but there aren't enough buyers out there. Milsap is looking to be out of there but it appears no one is willing to give him nearly the salary he wants. Same goes for David Lee. I would still love to see the Jazz keep Milsap and sign and trade Boozer to the Nets.
Some sources say that Kidd intends to stay in Dallas, but I do not think he has made his decision. If I was him i would suprisingly actually go with the Knicks. Regardless he is not winning a championship next year(Sorry Mavs fans but its not happening), and theres only one of those 2 teams that offers a chance to have 30 million dollars in cap room for the glorified 09-10 free agency. He would also get to run again in Mike D'Antoni's offense, and he would be living in NYC where his kids live.
But everyone is missing something:
This is the year to buy! All of the other decent teams are waiting until next year, hoping to get Lebron, Wade or Bosh. Lets get this straight, the chances of getting Lebron James are so small. Same goes for Wade and Bosh. Teams like the Thunder and Grizzlies need to be jumping on the Paul Milsaps and David Lees of the world. Those are players that will have an immediate impact and could improve your team so much over years. The Thunder could be a legitimate contender by next year if they add David lee and another decent free agent. A lot of the coveted players next year are going ro probably end up signing extensions now, and won't even end up being free agents, and some teams are going to be left with 20 million dollars in cap with nothing to do with it. The Pistons had the right idea. Forget the small chance of Lebron or Wade that we have, and lets get some hard nosed guys who give us depth and a chance to win right now. I love Joe Dumars because he seems to know how to put together teams. If you look for guys with heart, you can't go wrong.
I watched tennis today, for the first time in a long time, and I must say, that match was insane. I don't have much to compare it to but that must be one of the best matches of all time. I feel bad that Roddick had to lose, it seemed like he was ready to take it a few times and then fell back. What can you do though? Someone has to go home without a trophy.
Thats all for today
Not too much has happened in the NBA the past couple of days. The Ariza for Artest switch was interesting. People act like artest is such a big drop off from Ariza. I don't know what makes everyone think Ariza is such an all-star, he was a decent player that did what every decent player does in the triangle offense does, hit the open 3's he gets and had some nice fast break plays which to his credit he does better than most. But people need to realize, Artest can hit those open 3's, he can definitely play defense and he will take the back seat to Kobe, those two are good friends and he knows how good Kobe is.
This free agency is interesting, a lot of players are looking to leave their teams, but there aren't enough buyers out there. Milsap is looking to be out of there but it appears no one is willing to give him nearly the salary he wants. Same goes for David Lee. I would still love to see the Jazz keep Milsap and sign and trade Boozer to the Nets.
Some sources say that Kidd intends to stay in Dallas, but I do not think he has made his decision. If I was him i would suprisingly actually go with the Knicks. Regardless he is not winning a championship next year(Sorry Mavs fans but its not happening), and theres only one of those 2 teams that offers a chance to have 30 million dollars in cap room for the glorified 09-10 free agency. He would also get to run again in Mike D'Antoni's offense, and he would be living in NYC where his kids live.
But everyone is missing something:
This is the year to buy! All of the other decent teams are waiting until next year, hoping to get Lebron, Wade or Bosh. Lets get this straight, the chances of getting Lebron James are so small. Same goes for Wade and Bosh. Teams like the Thunder and Grizzlies need to be jumping on the Paul Milsaps and David Lees of the world. Those are players that will have an immediate impact and could improve your team so much over years. The Thunder could be a legitimate contender by next year if they add David lee and another decent free agent. A lot of the coveted players next year are going ro probably end up signing extensions now, and won't even end up being free agents, and some teams are going to be left with 20 million dollars in cap with nothing to do with it. The Pistons had the right idea. Forget the small chance of Lebron or Wade that we have, and lets get some hard nosed guys who give us depth and a chance to win right now. I love Joe Dumars because he seems to know how to put together teams. If you look for guys with heart, you can't go wrong.
I watched tennis today, for the first time in a long time, and I must say, that match was insane. I don't have much to compare it to but that must be one of the best matches of all time. I feel bad that Roddick had to lose, it seemed like he was ready to take it a few times and then fell back. What can you do though? Someone has to go home without a trophy.
Thats all for today
Thursday, July 2, 2009
July 2nd
So it's official. No matter what happens in the rest of the off-season, the Pistons have put themselves in a position to compete this year, creating a 4th team that can actually compete with anyone in the East. Last year, the Magic, Cavs and Celtics were pretty much not going to be beaten by anyone. This sets up the Pistons with a whole bunch of guys that go out and fight every night, and a whole bunch of offense. Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton and Ben Gordon is one of the best back-courts in the league. I can't wait to see how this team fairs this seaso with their new products.
Trevor Ariza leaning towards leaving the Lakers? The boy needs to grow up. If he left he would only make about 1-2 million more than on the Lakers, and in L.A he is playing for his home team, and a team that just won the championship. He is being childish by looking to leave. They try saying you only have one or two chances to bank in during your NBA career, but you could even even less chances of being able to stay with a championship team. Ariza, take the MLE and keep this team together.
The Celtics did not make a qualifying offer to Leon Powe. I am very surprised, he seems like the kind of guy that could have given you a lot off the bench, compared to the amount of money they would've had to pay him. I can see the Rockets pursuing him hard, and even though this is biased I could see the Nets jumping on the opportunity to pick up a good big man without using the entire MLE.
Cavs and Lakers are fighting for Ron Artest. Makes sense for the Cavs, but the Lakers should be fighting to keep their core together. Getting Ariza and Odom back should be the #1 priority in L.A, and until then they shouldn't even be discussing other additions as anything other than a back up plan.
Rafer Alston was beyond ecstatic about becoming a New Jersey Net. He proclaimed that he could not wait to put a Nets jersey on. I find it hard to believe, but I love this guy already. This is the kind of attitude that the Nets need. This man just got traded from the Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic to the lottery New Jersey Nets and he is acting happy about it. If he can have a positive outlook in this situation, the entire team has no excuse but to be positive all season long.
The Knicks are reaching out to Grant Hill and Jason Kidd. Someone needs to send a memo to the Knicks, this is not the wa you rebuild a team. They keep trying to rebuild, and at the same time pick up veteran players to try giving themselves a chance to compete. If you want to rebuild the correct way, you have to strip down the team, sending away every veteran player you have and get as many draft picks as possible. The last team to rebuild correctly was the Portland Trailblazers and it worked out very well for them. The Wolves also did it and it appears that it is beginning to pay off now.
Shawn Marion is apparently underwhelmed by offers he is receiving. He hasn't done anything the past 2 seasons so he should be happy he is getting offers. Why get Marion where you could get Linas Kleiza for less than half the price?
Thats all for now, see you guys later
Trevor Ariza leaning towards leaving the Lakers? The boy needs to grow up. If he left he would only make about 1-2 million more than on the Lakers, and in L.A he is playing for his home team, and a team that just won the championship. He is being childish by looking to leave. They try saying you only have one or two chances to bank in during your NBA career, but you could even even less chances of being able to stay with a championship team. Ariza, take the MLE and keep this team together.
The Celtics did not make a qualifying offer to Leon Powe. I am very surprised, he seems like the kind of guy that could have given you a lot off the bench, compared to the amount of money they would've had to pay him. I can see the Rockets pursuing him hard, and even though this is biased I could see the Nets jumping on the opportunity to pick up a good big man without using the entire MLE.
Cavs and Lakers are fighting for Ron Artest. Makes sense for the Cavs, but the Lakers should be fighting to keep their core together. Getting Ariza and Odom back should be the #1 priority in L.A, and until then they shouldn't even be discussing other additions as anything other than a back up plan.
Rafer Alston was beyond ecstatic about becoming a New Jersey Net. He proclaimed that he could not wait to put a Nets jersey on. I find it hard to believe, but I love this guy already. This is the kind of attitude that the Nets need. This man just got traded from the Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic to the lottery New Jersey Nets and he is acting happy about it. If he can have a positive outlook in this situation, the entire team has no excuse but to be positive all season long.
The Knicks are reaching out to Grant Hill and Jason Kidd. Someone needs to send a memo to the Knicks, this is not the wa you rebuild a team. They keep trying to rebuild, and at the same time pick up veteran players to try giving themselves a chance to compete. If you want to rebuild the correct way, you have to strip down the team, sending away every veteran player you have and get as many draft picks as possible. The last team to rebuild correctly was the Portland Trailblazers and it worked out very well for them. The Wolves also did it and it appears that it is beginning to pay off now.
Shawn Marion is apparently underwhelmed by offers he is receiving. He hasn't done anything the past 2 seasons so he should be happy he is getting offers. Why get Marion where you could get Linas Kleiza for less than half the price?
Thats all for now, see you guys later
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
July 1st, the beginning of FREE AGENCY
Happy Free Agency Day! Today is the day that NBA players can begin discussing deals with NBA teams. So much news to discuss.
Reports are that Ben Gordon should have a done deal by the end of today, and Charlie V is soon to follow. The Pistons should be ecstatic right now, and have made the smart move. Why wait for the "glorious" 2010 Free Agency, which does not guarentee you that you get anyone, when you can go out right now and improve your team this season. There is always that chance that these teams can pick up Lebron, or Wade, or Bosh, but chances are, you are not going to get these players and when you don't you are going to wish that you picked up Milsap and Gordon and Villanueva when you had the chance to. These moves would leave the Pistons with a team full of heart and full of guys who aren't afraid to go out and get dirty.
Boozer decided to stay in Utah Blue for one more year but this move may prove to be purely economical, because it appears that the Jazz are looking to trade Boozer, in order to keep both Okur and Milsap.
The Mavericks are set to offer Kidd 8 million per year in a multi year contract, and the Knicks are a less competitive team offering less money. Good try New York, try again next year. Meanwhile lets see what the Blazers, Cavs and Lakers have to offer Kidd.
Brandon Bass is being discussed by the Mavericks, Nets, Hornets and Magic for sure, along with other teams. He will probably demand at least the MLE, and would be a good fit for any of the teams that have showed interest in him. He will grab boards and show some desire down low. Being a Net fan I can only hope we can forget about 2010 for a minute and pick up someone to make us competitive now.
Apparently I hear the Knicks made a qualifying offer of 2.9 million to Nate Robinson. This is a slap in the face if you ask me, Nate can get a good 7 million a year if you ask me.
Turkoglu to meet with Nate McMillan tonight, and set to see the Blazers training facility later this week. That looks like a done deal. Rudy Fernandez is apparently upset about Turkoglu coming in but he needs to learn to get over himself and to go out and play hard, if all works out everyone will get their time.
Boston interested in Anthony Parker. I really like the Celtics going into next year. There is still plenty of talent there, and they apparently are ready to spend a little bit of money if necessary.
That is all for right now, today I might even post twice, depending on what happens in the next few hours.
Reports are that Ben Gordon should have a done deal by the end of today, and Charlie V is soon to follow. The Pistons should be ecstatic right now, and have made the smart move. Why wait for the "glorious" 2010 Free Agency, which does not guarentee you that you get anyone, when you can go out right now and improve your team this season. There is always that chance that these teams can pick up Lebron, or Wade, or Bosh, but chances are, you are not going to get these players and when you don't you are going to wish that you picked up Milsap and Gordon and Villanueva when you had the chance to. These moves would leave the Pistons with a team full of heart and full of guys who aren't afraid to go out and get dirty.
Boozer decided to stay in Utah Blue for one more year but this move may prove to be purely economical, because it appears that the Jazz are looking to trade Boozer, in order to keep both Okur and Milsap.
The Mavericks are set to offer Kidd 8 million per year in a multi year contract, and the Knicks are a less competitive team offering less money. Good try New York, try again next year. Meanwhile lets see what the Blazers, Cavs and Lakers have to offer Kidd.
Brandon Bass is being discussed by the Mavericks, Nets, Hornets and Magic for sure, along with other teams. He will probably demand at least the MLE, and would be a good fit for any of the teams that have showed interest in him. He will grab boards and show some desire down low. Being a Net fan I can only hope we can forget about 2010 for a minute and pick up someone to make us competitive now.
Apparently I hear the Knicks made a qualifying offer of 2.9 million to Nate Robinson. This is a slap in the face if you ask me, Nate can get a good 7 million a year if you ask me.
Turkoglu to meet with Nate McMillan tonight, and set to see the Blazers training facility later this week. That looks like a done deal. Rudy Fernandez is apparently upset about Turkoglu coming in but he needs to learn to get over himself and to go out and play hard, if all works out everyone will get their time.
Boston interested in Anthony Parker. I really like the Celtics going into next year. There is still plenty of talent there, and they apparently are ready to spend a little bit of money if necessary.
That is all for right now, today I might even post twice, depending on what happens in the next few hours.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
June 30
What's going on guys? Not too much to talk about today.
Just got a new laptop, Toshiba makes great stuff, only 500 bucks and it works perfectly.
One thing that bugged me, Carlos Boozer decided to stay on the Jazz, after saying a month ago that he was going to either the Nets or Pistons. I wonder if this is the first time he has ever done that (cough cough). Rumor has it the Nets aren't looking towards any big free agents but are possibly looking into the usual average big men, Channing Frye, Chris Wilcox, Melvin Ely etc... To be honest, I say forget the Lebron sweepstakes, go after David Lee now and go after a Manu type guy next year, you would have a better team.
Michael Curry gets fired, no shocker there. Anyone who benches Rip Hamilton for an aging Allen Iverson should expect a firing.
Kidd is in NYC to talk to the Knicks tomorrow and Mark Cuban has decided to fly up here to meet with him at 12:01 tonight. Classic Cuban. He can try all he wants, I think Kidd is out of there, but definitely not to the Knicks. I'm thinking Cavs, Lakers or Blazers still.
Coach K isn't going to coach the Lakers. No surprise there, why would he leave Duke? He gets treated like a king there.
Thats all for today, see you guys tomorrow!
Just got a new laptop, Toshiba makes great stuff, only 500 bucks and it works perfectly.
One thing that bugged me, Carlos Boozer decided to stay on the Jazz, after saying a month ago that he was going to either the Nets or Pistons. I wonder if this is the first time he has ever done that (cough cough). Rumor has it the Nets aren't looking towards any big free agents but are possibly looking into the usual average big men, Channing Frye, Chris Wilcox, Melvin Ely etc... To be honest, I say forget the Lebron sweepstakes, go after David Lee now and go after a Manu type guy next year, you would have a better team.
Michael Curry gets fired, no shocker there. Anyone who benches Rip Hamilton for an aging Allen Iverson should expect a firing.
Kidd is in NYC to talk to the Knicks tomorrow and Mark Cuban has decided to fly up here to meet with him at 12:01 tonight. Classic Cuban. He can try all he wants, I think Kidd is out of there, but definitely not to the Knicks. I'm thinking Cavs, Lakers or Blazers still.
Coach K isn't going to coach the Lakers. No surprise there, why would he leave Duke? He gets treated like a king there.
Thats all for today, see you guys tomorrow!
Monday, June 29, 2009
June 29
Interesting day today. Apparently Yao Ming is going to probably miss the entire 09-10 season, and his entire career could possibly be in jeopardy. This is a tragedy for the Houston Rockets, and I have to feel bad for Yao Ming. People question his tenacity and heart, but that man goes out and competes every single night, its just harder to notice how hard someone 7 foot 6 is really trying. That man has had near broken feet and keeps playing no matter what. The league loses a great competitor next year and the Houston Rockets lose any chance of a championship that they might have had.
Paul Milsap: Rumors have him possibly going to the Thunder, which I think could be all the Thunder need to become a very competitive team in this league. They already have a very talented, scrappy team and adding a big man that will push people around and grab boards will give them the little push that they need. I would love to see him go there, the Magic can have Sheed, the Thunder could pick up Milsap and become a team no one looks forward to playing.
Yi Jianlian: Brook Lopez said that Yi has become a lot stronger this offseason and that he polished his game, surprising Brook a few times in practice with some newly developed post moves. To be honest he can be as polished as he wants, I am just not a fan of his game and I would love to see him get shipped out of NJ.
(By the way, listening to Collision Course, Jay-Z and Linkin Park, it is a must listen if you haven't yet)
Mehmet Okur is leaning towards free agency. This is huge because not only does he possibly go to a new team, but he could leave the Jazz without any real big men. He is a big man who spreads the court and will really improve any team he goes to. If Okur opts out, the Nets should jump on the Jazz's desperateness for a big man and try sending over Yi and Sean Williams in a sign and trade for Boozer.
Pistons to chase David Lee?
Beautiful for Nets fans out there. Boozer said he will go to either the Nets or Pistons, and the Pistons cannot add Boozer if they pick up Lee.
Mike Finley to opt out?
Who cares, hes old, Spurs don't need him.
Paul Milsap: Rumors have him possibly going to the Thunder, which I think could be all the Thunder need to become a very competitive team in this league. They already have a very talented, scrappy team and adding a big man that will push people around and grab boards will give them the little push that they need. I would love to see him go there, the Magic can have Sheed, the Thunder could pick up Milsap and become a team no one looks forward to playing.
Yi Jianlian: Brook Lopez said that Yi has become a lot stronger this offseason and that he polished his game, surprising Brook a few times in practice with some newly developed post moves. To be honest he can be as polished as he wants, I am just not a fan of his game and I would love to see him get shipped out of NJ.
(By the way, listening to Collision Course, Jay-Z and Linkin Park, it is a must listen if you haven't yet)
Mehmet Okur is leaning towards free agency. This is huge because not only does he possibly go to a new team, but he could leave the Jazz without any real big men. He is a big man who spreads the court and will really improve any team he goes to. If Okur opts out, the Nets should jump on the Jazz's desperateness for a big man and try sending over Yi and Sean Williams in a sign and trade for Boozer.
Pistons to chase David Lee?
Beautiful for Nets fans out there. Boozer said he will go to either the Nets or Pistons, and the Pistons cannot add Boozer if they pick up Lee.
Mike Finley to opt out?
Who cares, hes old, Spurs don't need him.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Coming Out Party
Welcome
This is my first post, and I would like to let everyone reading this know that this blog is primarily going to be about sports, so if you aren't into that click the "X" on the top right corner. Let me start off by declaring my loyalties so you know where the biases begin.
NBA: New Jersey Nets
NFL: New York Jets
MLB: New York Yankees
College Football: Georgia Bulldogs and Rutgers Scarlet Knights
College Basketball: Pittsburgh Panthers
Let me continue by discussing the draft day that the Nets underwent Thursday. First off Net fans that acted all upset about this trade haven't been notified that the NBA is a business as well as a game. There are plenty of free agents coming up and Vince Carter had a back loaded contract that was going to hold them back from getting too much of anyone. So from a salary point this was a great move. From a talent standpoint, it was not all that bad either. You get Courtney Lee who has the potential to be a great guard in this league for years to come. You put Rafer Alston on the bench, who automatically becomes probably the best back up point guard in the league. And you get Tony Battie, a guy who will come in and knock down 15 foot jumpers and spread the court when Brook Lopez is taking a rest. This puts the Nets starting at Point Guard, Devin Harris, at shooting guard, Courtney Lee and at small forward, Terrence Williams. That is a back court full of aggressive, athletic, scrappy guys that are going to go out and fight every night, and give the defense plenty to worry about. Besides, Brook Lopez is a phenom in the making. When was the last time a center had a rookie year like that? What is the one issue? Power Forward.
What to do at the power forward position?
Carlos Boozer is currently a free agent, but the Nets do not have the cap room to give him a contract that will lure him in. Therefore you help out the Nets, help out Boozer and help out the Jazz all in one move. Boozer said he thinks he is going to either the Nets or Pistons. The Pistons would pick him up without the Jazz getting anything in return, leaving them missing a key piece of their team with nothing to show for it. If he came to the Nets, the Nets would have to give something up in a sign and trade deal. So New Jersey could ship over Yi Jianlian, Bobby Simmons and cash to a team who is not ready to stop competing yet. So you give them some added depth, the Nets clear cash, and the Nets pick up a player who will change the entire dynamic of their team. If New Jersey made this deal, the starting line up would consist of Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Terrence Williams, Carlos Boozer and Brook Lopez, with the bench providing Rafer Alston, Keyon Dooling, Chris Douglas Roberts, Jarvis Hayes, Sean Williams, Josh Boone and Tony Battie. In my opinion, this situation would be amazing for New Jersey, putting them in a position to at least make it out of the first round next season, and in a position to look decent enough to attract players to the team for the 09-10 Free Agency. With all of the great teams out there, great players are looking to compete, and no matter how much money the Nets offer, if they aren't showing a chance to compete, there is no chance they are getting any player (And P.S Net fans, forget about Lebron, it is not happening.).
Some other situations in the NBA:
Cleveland Cavs: Picking up Shaq looks cute and all but unless they pick up Jason Kidd I do not see them beating the Celtics in a best of 7 next season, or if they somehow do I don't feel they could beat the Lakers either. If you put Kidd on that team they become a force and could possibly come out of next season with 70 wins. Shaq is Shaq, but he is not the same dominant force that he once was and he is not going to make that much of a differnce when it comes to Dwight Howard. Dwight is stilld developing that post up, and with the style he has, it is going to be very easy to pick up fouls on Shaq. It is about time people start realizing that Dwight is now the most dominant big man in the game (although I think Pau is more talented).
San Antonio Spurs: They got the pieces. Straight up there are few teams in the league that can beat this team when they are healthy, and I believe it is the Lakers and Celtics. They have the best power forward to ever play the game. They have a freakishly quick point guard and a bad, bad man at shooting guard who I think is one of the most under rated players in the game. Manu gets credit but I think he is in the top 10 in the game which he doesn't get credit for. He was my MVP pick 2 seasons ago. Adding Richard Jefferson to the mix gives teams too many scoring options to think about. And for anyone who knocks RJ's defense, defense is contageous when you have a chance to win a championship, just look at the defense Eddie House plays on the Celtics now as oppossed to when he was on the Nets or Suns. Plus, DeJuan Blair was the steal of the draft at #37. Players aren't being measured during games. 6 foot 6 or not, DeJuan Blair still straight up man handled #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet in both games against him, both on the offensive and defensive end.
Boston Celtics: Still one of my favorite teams in the league to watch. I've never seen so many veterans go out and leave it all on the court every night like this team does, and apparently they say Kevin Garnett is hungrier now than he has ever been, do not doubt them and do not underestimate them. They have the talent and they have the heart of a champion.
Orlando Magic: Another team that should not be forgotten. They have the most dominant big man in the league, arguably the best back court in the east and some very nice role players. Also, rumors say that they are looking at either Rasheed Wallace or Paul Milsap, either of whom would put them over the edge as a team that has no right to do anything but make the finals again.
Thats all for now, check back later for more thoughts about the postseason, the MLB season, some Hip Hop here and there and you might even get your occasional boxing.
This is my first post, and I would like to let everyone reading this know that this blog is primarily going to be about sports, so if you aren't into that click the "X" on the top right corner. Let me start off by declaring my loyalties so you know where the biases begin.
NBA: New Jersey Nets
NFL: New York Jets
MLB: New York Yankees
College Football: Georgia Bulldogs and Rutgers Scarlet Knights
College Basketball: Pittsburgh Panthers
Let me continue by discussing the draft day that the Nets underwent Thursday. First off Net fans that acted all upset about this trade haven't been notified that the NBA is a business as well as a game. There are plenty of free agents coming up and Vince Carter had a back loaded contract that was going to hold them back from getting too much of anyone. So from a salary point this was a great move. From a talent standpoint, it was not all that bad either. You get Courtney Lee who has the potential to be a great guard in this league for years to come. You put Rafer Alston on the bench, who automatically becomes probably the best back up point guard in the league. And you get Tony Battie, a guy who will come in and knock down 15 foot jumpers and spread the court when Brook Lopez is taking a rest. This puts the Nets starting at Point Guard, Devin Harris, at shooting guard, Courtney Lee and at small forward, Terrence Williams. That is a back court full of aggressive, athletic, scrappy guys that are going to go out and fight every night, and give the defense plenty to worry about. Besides, Brook Lopez is a phenom in the making. When was the last time a center had a rookie year like that? What is the one issue? Power Forward.
What to do at the power forward position?
Carlos Boozer is currently a free agent, but the Nets do not have the cap room to give him a contract that will lure him in. Therefore you help out the Nets, help out Boozer and help out the Jazz all in one move. Boozer said he thinks he is going to either the Nets or Pistons. The Pistons would pick him up without the Jazz getting anything in return, leaving them missing a key piece of their team with nothing to show for it. If he came to the Nets, the Nets would have to give something up in a sign and trade deal. So New Jersey could ship over Yi Jianlian, Bobby Simmons and cash to a team who is not ready to stop competing yet. So you give them some added depth, the Nets clear cash, and the Nets pick up a player who will change the entire dynamic of their team. If New Jersey made this deal, the starting line up would consist of Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Terrence Williams, Carlos Boozer and Brook Lopez, with the bench providing Rafer Alston, Keyon Dooling, Chris Douglas Roberts, Jarvis Hayes, Sean Williams, Josh Boone and Tony Battie. In my opinion, this situation would be amazing for New Jersey, putting them in a position to at least make it out of the first round next season, and in a position to look decent enough to attract players to the team for the 09-10 Free Agency. With all of the great teams out there, great players are looking to compete, and no matter how much money the Nets offer, if they aren't showing a chance to compete, there is no chance they are getting any player (And P.S Net fans, forget about Lebron, it is not happening.).
Some other situations in the NBA:
Cleveland Cavs: Picking up Shaq looks cute and all but unless they pick up Jason Kidd I do not see them beating the Celtics in a best of 7 next season, or if they somehow do I don't feel they could beat the Lakers either. If you put Kidd on that team they become a force and could possibly come out of next season with 70 wins. Shaq is Shaq, but he is not the same dominant force that he once was and he is not going to make that much of a differnce when it comes to Dwight Howard. Dwight is stilld developing that post up, and with the style he has, it is going to be very easy to pick up fouls on Shaq. It is about time people start realizing that Dwight is now the most dominant big man in the game (although I think Pau is more talented).
San Antonio Spurs: They got the pieces. Straight up there are few teams in the league that can beat this team when they are healthy, and I believe it is the Lakers and Celtics. They have the best power forward to ever play the game. They have a freakishly quick point guard and a bad, bad man at shooting guard who I think is one of the most under rated players in the game. Manu gets credit but I think he is in the top 10 in the game which he doesn't get credit for. He was my MVP pick 2 seasons ago. Adding Richard Jefferson to the mix gives teams too many scoring options to think about. And for anyone who knocks RJ's defense, defense is contageous when you have a chance to win a championship, just look at the defense Eddie House plays on the Celtics now as oppossed to when he was on the Nets or Suns. Plus, DeJuan Blair was the steal of the draft at #37. Players aren't being measured during games. 6 foot 6 or not, DeJuan Blair still straight up man handled #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet in both games against him, both on the offensive and defensive end.
Boston Celtics: Still one of my favorite teams in the league to watch. I've never seen so many veterans go out and leave it all on the court every night like this team does, and apparently they say Kevin Garnett is hungrier now than he has ever been, do not doubt them and do not underestimate them. They have the talent and they have the heart of a champion.
Orlando Magic: Another team that should not be forgotten. They have the most dominant big man in the league, arguably the best back court in the east and some very nice role players. Also, rumors say that they are looking at either Rasheed Wallace or Paul Milsap, either of whom would put them over the edge as a team that has no right to do anything but make the finals again.
Thats all for now, check back later for more thoughts about the postseason, the MLB season, some Hip Hop here and there and you might even get your occasional boxing.
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