NBA Draft Review
We've got a lot to cover and time is short. Seriously. There is so much going on at one time it boggles my mind. Por ejemplo, baseball is thick with drama. The NBA is re-crafting the balance of power with the draft and free agency. NFL training camp is very, very close. The Stu is playing the role of James Earl Jones from "Best of the Best." (deep breath)
I knew there would be tough calls to make with the first official "scab" column in the absence of the Stu. We'll focus on the draft to start.
The NBA draft is perfectly crafted to be a TV event what with green room drama, ree-cockulous B.I.G. outfits of the draftees, quick time periods between picks, and the always delightful Dick Vitale. Here's a quick hit of some of the seven best moments in no particular order (besides numerical):
1) Stuey Scott asked Derron Williams if he could beat Kendall Gill in a fight if Kendall was allowed to box and Derron had to wrestle. At some point do they just cut off Stuey's mic? Honestly, at least make a tongue in cheek reference to Ali-Inoki, Wepner-Andre, or the Mailman teaming up with Diamond Dallas Page to fight Hollywood Hogan and Rodzilla if you're gonna go way off tangent like that. Stuey thought this was an insightful journalistic inquiry.
2) Andrew Bynum? I haven't seen a worse background check by a team since the Browns drafted convicted felon Jeremiah Pharms in the 2001 NFL draft. By the way, Pharms was sentenced to a few years in a federal pound you in the ace prison for aggravated assault shortly thereafter. Anyway, has anyone seen Bynum's blog on the web? I'll post it later if I can find the address again but in the meantime, I suggest that you google this sucker as it features some of the most hilarious street cred spellings of words ever; stuff like, "I doez itz rizite." At the end of the day, he smacks of a shy, sensitive, 17 year-old fat kid. There's nothing wrong with that but I can all but guarantee that Kobe and/or Phil throws Andy under the bus by season's end. You'll definitely see Andy eating Reece's peanut butter cups on the bench during a game this season.
3) What happened to Gerald Green? Hmmmm, maybe he's just not that good? He was talked up as top 3 and then falls to the late teens. Everyone is saying that Boston got the steal of the draft. Really? Am I missing something? Whatever his skills may be, Double G is 6'8" and weighs about 155 pounds so he won't be helping anyone for at least two years when he matures physically. That's best case scenario. In the short run, I can't wait for the kid to learn the ropes from "Mr. Team Ball" Paul Pierce. Boston is ripe for dissappointment which I am very happy about since Boston is the worst sports town in America (more on that in a later column).
4) The Spurs picked a 19 year old French volleyball player in the first round. So, does Pop now have a God-complex that he thinks he can win with any international player? At least pick Gabby Reece if you're gonna be silly with the pick. All the commentators shrugged it off by saying, "never heard of this guy but the Spurs obviosuly know what they're doing." Right. I hoped against hope that Barkley would miraculously appear on the broadcast to rip that pick....alas and alack.
5) I love Isiah Thomas. He continues to assemble the worst team ever. Can he get a reality show about running the team? I picture his office randomly catching on fire, getting lost inside MSG, and scheming to acquire as many max contracts as possible. At any rate, Channing Frye is not good. I'm sorry. He's the equivilant of Chris Kaman. I'm sure he'll do great in NY with all of those 6'7" power forwards taking the rebounding heat off of him. Nate Robinson would be an interesting thought were it not for Marbury playing 40 minutes per and ramming the Knicks into the 4th level of hell.
6) Charlie Villenauvaueauueu at #7??? I mean, wow. I can't even intelligently comment on this one. He's been a bust in college so it stands to reason that he'll be a bust in Toronto. At least he can enjoy carrying Bosh's luggage and the stability of the Canadian dollar.
7) Bogut. I must confess that I think that he'll be okay; i.e. he won't be the next Chris Mihm. However, he also won't be Bill Walton as some of the more intoxicated broadcasters suggested. Well, he might be the 1987 Bill Walton. I picture Bogut getting 13 and 8 next season and maxing out at a very solid 17 and 10 but he's not a game changer. Why? Remember the NCAA tourney? You think there are no centers in the pros? Check out the college game. Any legit center should be able to will his team to the Final Four. Even Big Country got OK State to the Final Four since he was being cover by guys 5 inches shorter. "Servicable" Mike Doleac was the center on Utah's last Final Four team. What happens to Utah with the consensus best player in college? Bogut plays well but his team goes quietly in the round of 16. Weak sauce. I'm not sold. He'll go toe to toe with Primo Brezec and Tony Battie but he'll buckle against the big boys.
That's it for now. I'll hold off on free agency until there's something more exciting than Raja Bell joining PHX. Until...
I knew there would be tough calls to make with the first official "scab" column in the absence of the Stu. We'll focus on the draft to start.
The NBA draft is perfectly crafted to be a TV event what with green room drama, ree-cockulous B.I.G. outfits of the draftees, quick time periods between picks, and the always delightful Dick Vitale. Here's a quick hit of some of the seven best moments in no particular order (besides numerical):
1) Stuey Scott asked Derron Williams if he could beat Kendall Gill in a fight if Kendall was allowed to box and Derron had to wrestle. At some point do they just cut off Stuey's mic? Honestly, at least make a tongue in cheek reference to Ali-Inoki, Wepner-Andre, or the Mailman teaming up with Diamond Dallas Page to fight Hollywood Hogan and Rodzilla if you're gonna go way off tangent like that. Stuey thought this was an insightful journalistic inquiry.
2) Andrew Bynum? I haven't seen a worse background check by a team since the Browns drafted convicted felon Jeremiah Pharms in the 2001 NFL draft. By the way, Pharms was sentenced to a few years in a federal pound you in the ace prison for aggravated assault shortly thereafter. Anyway, has anyone seen Bynum's blog on the web? I'll post it later if I can find the address again but in the meantime, I suggest that you google this sucker as it features some of the most hilarious street cred spellings of words ever; stuff like, "I doez itz rizite." At the end of the day, he smacks of a shy, sensitive, 17 year-old fat kid. There's nothing wrong with that but I can all but guarantee that Kobe and/or Phil throws Andy under the bus by season's end. You'll definitely see Andy eating Reece's peanut butter cups on the bench during a game this season.
3) What happened to Gerald Green? Hmmmm, maybe he's just not that good? He was talked up as top 3 and then falls to the late teens. Everyone is saying that Boston got the steal of the draft. Really? Am I missing something? Whatever his skills may be, Double G is 6'8" and weighs about 155 pounds so he won't be helping anyone for at least two years when he matures physically. That's best case scenario. In the short run, I can't wait for the kid to learn the ropes from "Mr. Team Ball" Paul Pierce. Boston is ripe for dissappointment which I am very happy about since Boston is the worst sports town in America (more on that in a later column).
4) The Spurs picked a 19 year old French volleyball player in the first round. So, does Pop now have a God-complex that he thinks he can win with any international player? At least pick Gabby Reece if you're gonna be silly with the pick. All the commentators shrugged it off by saying, "never heard of this guy but the Spurs obviosuly know what they're doing." Right. I hoped against hope that Barkley would miraculously appear on the broadcast to rip that pick....alas and alack.
5) I love Isiah Thomas. He continues to assemble the worst team ever. Can he get a reality show about running the team? I picture his office randomly catching on fire, getting lost inside MSG, and scheming to acquire as many max contracts as possible. At any rate, Channing Frye is not good. I'm sorry. He's the equivilant of Chris Kaman. I'm sure he'll do great in NY with all of those 6'7" power forwards taking the rebounding heat off of him. Nate Robinson would be an interesting thought were it not for Marbury playing 40 minutes per and ramming the Knicks into the 4th level of hell.
6) Charlie Villenauvaueauueu at #7??? I mean, wow. I can't even intelligently comment on this one. He's been a bust in college so it stands to reason that he'll be a bust in Toronto. At least he can enjoy carrying Bosh's luggage and the stability of the Canadian dollar.
7) Bogut. I must confess that I think that he'll be okay; i.e. he won't be the next Chris Mihm. However, he also won't be Bill Walton as some of the more intoxicated broadcasters suggested. Well, he might be the 1987 Bill Walton. I picture Bogut getting 13 and 8 next season and maxing out at a very solid 17 and 10 but he's not a game changer. Why? Remember the NCAA tourney? You think there are no centers in the pros? Check out the college game. Any legit center should be able to will his team to the Final Four. Even Big Country got OK State to the Final Four since he was being cover by guys 5 inches shorter. "Servicable" Mike Doleac was the center on Utah's last Final Four team. What happens to Utah with the consensus best player in college? Bogut plays well but his team goes quietly in the round of 16. Weak sauce. I'm not sold. He'll go toe to toe with Primo Brezec and Tony Battie but he'll buckle against the big boys.
That's it for now. I'll hold off on free agency until there's something more exciting than Raja Bell joining PHX. Until...
posted by Mister Cleveland Sports at 9:17 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home