5 Wishes from the Preppy Kid

The NBA season is coming up again so I figured I would make a short list of 5 things I wished happened this off season that could have happened. These are not unrealistic situations, just pipe dreams that I believe would have created a more interesting 07-08 season. Without further ado, and in no particular order ... 1. The Utah Jazz use extra cap space and sign Gerald Wallace as a Free Agent. The Jazz need an athletic swingman to run the break and play defense. Wallace fits both of those molds and still does not get paid as much as he should (by NBA standards). With Fisher pulling a Kaiser Socse and leaving us hanging we had the cap space to be able to do it. Poor move by Utah. It may have been that extra piece they needed. 2. The Suns trade Amare Stoudamire to Atlanta in KG mega deal. Sign Billups as FA. Now I am grateful this didn't happen now that I am in Boston but seeing KG on a real contender would have still made me smile. But the combo of Chauncey Billups at the PG spot, Amare down low and Josh Smith and Joe Johnson running the wing ... I just got goosebumps. In the East that is a scary team so Atlanta should have really pulled the trigger. Phoneix should have taken the chance to get the ring. 3. Lakers Trade Kobe to Phoenix for Barbosa, Marion and stuff. I really wanted this to happen. The Lakers get an All Star back, they get Barbossa who is nasty, and they get rid of Mr. Unhappy. Throw that in with the Suns having Nash, KG and Kobe and the KG, Allen, Pierce threesome doesn't look so good anymore. Either way it would have been interesting to see how both teams handled their business. 4. Greg Oden goes #1 to the Celtics and does not get hurt. This really upsets me because the kid does not deserve this. He is a good guy, a great basketball player and I was anxious to see him play this year. Durrant may be better but this is the guy that was gonna change things. Too bad, now we have to wait until next year and hope he comes back strong. 5. I get season tickets. I meet KG at the mall, hook him up with some hot new jeans, and he gives me season tickets and you and E move to Boston. OK so 4 out of 5 are realistic. Either way I am pumped for this coming season. Your Thoughts?

The Big Ticket in Beantown

I Love This Trade !!! I am a little upset that they don't have more left after the two trades they made. This puts a lot of pressure on Rojon Rondo, Tony Allen and Kendrick Perkins. The East is Weak but it's not that weak. KG automatically becomes the best big man in the East. (Good news for Boston) There is no way you can double team either Pierce or KG because Ray Allen is the best outside shooter in the NBA. They definitely need more size up front to help out KG and they are DONE if an injury hits. Either way ... KG is on the East Coast and I am looking for my "Big Ticket" to one of those games because I will finally see my boy play live. Your Thoughts?

A Tough Break

You know me ... and you know that I L-O-V-E the NBA Draft

The excitement I had that the Jazz would have the possibility of a talent like Brandon Rush fall to them in the mid 20's of the draft was just amazing. We are in the Western Conference Finals and a guy that fills a major void on our team with HUGE UPSIDE (pardon my Hube Brown) would come to my lovely team.

Then ...

Brandon Rush plays a pick up game, tears his ACL, withdraws from the NBA Draft to play at Kansas again next year and will come out after his Junior year and be a possible lottery pick.

I guess I can't complain with the fortune I have had

It's just an ... OUCH

A Touch of Gold

I keep hearing about a USA Basketball Team that is going to win gold in the next Olympics.
I keep hearing about a USA Basketball Team that is going to be put together for the International Game.
I keep hearing about a USA Basketball Team that will be made up of unselfish basketball players who match up well against the International Teams.

WHY?

Was our original Dream Team made up of a team to match up well?
No.
Was our original Dream Team made up of a team due to rules over there?
No.

Our Original Dream Team was made up of the best players in the USA and we steamrolled them because we are just better.

The same could be said for today's talent. The problem is that the world has caught up and learned the game of basketball. Well good for them. The world does not have the talent to beat us like they are. Our problem is that we are taking very talented basketball players and making them play a game of basketball they are not used to. Why aren't we making the International Teams play a game of basketball they are not used to? Why are we changing for them when they should be changing for us? Why are we not playing a physical play from the post muscle you down half court game mixed with a run it down your throat dunk on you fast break? Why are we not "D" ing up and shutting them down because we are so much longer and more athletic than them?

Here is my proposed solution to this mess.

Play our game with the best we have and lets see who is better off in the end. Plain and Simple.

PG - Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups
SG - Kobe Bryant, Micheal Redd and Ray Allen
SF - LeBron James, Teshawn Prince and Stephen Jackson
PF/C - Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Rasheed Wallace and Shaquille O'Neal

Come Fuck with This

We have veteran leadership and we have outside shooting.
We have great passers and we have incredible interior defense.
We have some head cases but we need to get in their heads.

and we have two trump cards above everything else.

We have Shaq who is the only player on the planet that still intimidates all of the time. There is no other player like him and we have him. He also loves the fact that he will be looked on as the guy who saved USA Basketball ... its right up his alley.

and...

We have Kobe. He is far and away the best offensive player in the world and the guy who wants to be a good guy again. He has his chance and he will make the best of it. He is also the most competitive (except maybe KG) and will not let us lose.

Is Dirk going off on this team? Nope
Is Peja going off on this team? Nope
Is Manu going off on this team? Nope
Is Yao gong off on this team? Nope

We won before because we had a team that they were intimidated by. This team intimidates. Sending over nice guys to give them a chance and the occasional 3rd team All NBA guy doesn't do that. And the studs we do send are young.

I'm not taking anything away from the teams in Europe, but we cant play Euroball. But they sure as hell cant play USA Ball. We wont dominate like we did in 92 and 96. But we sure as hell will win.

Time to take our Gold back.

Right Now...

I have dry eyes and sneezing like crazy due to allergy's.

and...

I had Jack/Ten suited with spades. The flop comes out and Jack, Five, Four come out. All mixed suits. I raise a measly $100 and Jeff goes all in. I call his bluff and the mother fucker has pocket Jacks. The only way I can win is with two spades coming out. 4th street is 8 of spades and I scream my ass off. The river is 8 of hearts, I get nothing and Hammer walks away with a full boat.

I Hate Poker (until next Tuesday)

Just a Quick Response

OK,

I know I am getting ahead of myself a lot and I will surely be struck down by lightning but if Utah wins Saturday night against Houston they will move on to the second round against Golden State who doesn't match up well with them and if they beat them they will most likely move on to the West finals against San Antonio who Utah beat 3 out of 4 times this year. Just worth mentioning.

Second, I really am not gonna mail it in on Dirk just yet but if he doesn't pull out one hell of a season next year and play with that angry sneer all year long I will start to have doubts.

I was looking at Chad Fords mock draft yesterday and the guys he has going in the 22 - 27 range (where Utah falls at #25) don't look like late first round talents, I am very excited. Also about the draft ... if Atlanta doesn't get a top 3 pick Phoenix ends up with 3 first round picks this year. Talk about the rich getting richer.

** That Timbaland song with Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, HOT**

And now for my random Fantasy Baseball question of the day.

Goldman sent me a trade yesterday. He wants Vernon Wells and Brandon Phillips from me for Lance Berkman, Dan Uggla and Ervin Santana.
Now, I wouldn't mind Santana cause you can always use a quality starter. Also I only have Phillips on loan right now until Howie Kendrick comes back from the DL anyways. The real question comes down to is Lance Berkman gonna break out and is he going to out produce Vernon Wells this season? I like that Berkman has 1B availability as well as OF but he is slumping right now and I'm not sure I should take the risk. Let me know what you think.

Cant wait to see you Saturday Night

LETS GO DE LA HOYA ... FUCK A MAYWHEATHER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday...

NBA
Yeah, the playoffs have been very entertaining thus far:

• Yeah, I picked the Heat... usually, I ride the champ until they lose. And in this case, I was VERY wrong. Chicago really had the antidote for Shaq and Flash. Something tells me that we're going to see some wholesale changes down in Miami.
• Toronto has a shot. But they're going to have to get it done in NJ on Friday night or it's curtains for the Raptors.
• I think we saw the sweeps coming (to a certain extent) for both Detroit and Cleveland.
• Utah is going to have break through on the road, but if they continue to hold serve at home it's going 7.
• Golden State better not blow this... hahahahaha

On to your points:

1. Dirk: his problems are more mental than anything. But yes: he's getting exposed right now. I still think that when you're a 7 footer, you should be posting up. Especially when you're as versatile and athletic as Dirk is, you know? He should be using the post-up game to free everyone else up. And then he can float and start burying jumpers. Just my opinion.
2. He was never 'bad', but yes: he's looking scary good right now.
3. Matt Barnes' neck tat scares me. The faux-mohawk scares me. The funny thing is that homeboy was really clean cut when he played at UCLA. What happened? (Stephen Jackson happened...)

NFL Draft
I'm not too high on JaMarcus either, but:

• They HAD to get this kid. He's bigger than Quinn, can get out of the pocket, has a cannon for an arm... it's tough to say that that they should have taken someone else when they have a ton of holes to fill already. QB is a hole they had to fill, and they took one of the two best QBs available. Can't be mad at that.
• They couldn't take Calvin because they wouldn't have had anyone to THROW to Calvin.

Personally, I think Quinn dropping had less to do with him, and more to do with what teams thought they needed. I think Minnesota and Miami made a mistake though: they should have drafted him when he was staring them in the face. Kudos to Cleveland for getting a lineman (which any team needs) and then rolling the dice to get back into the 1st round to get the QB they wanted all along. Shrewd thinking. Cause had they taken Quinn originally, they weren't drafting the guy they wanted on the line as well.

Lastly, if the Pats weren't the favorites last week, I would have wondered what rock you were living under. This week? If they win less that 13 games in the regular season, something has gone horribly wrong.

Commercials/Randoms

• Jessica Alba is an attractive young lady who should be commended for her acting talents. :)
• That Wade/Chuckster/'sexxxy' commercial is hilarious too.
• That Subway 'thunder thighs and a badonkadonk butt' is off the hook too.
• Hip Hip, Jorge! Hip Hip, Jorge! (yes, I do like the Posada/Papi one as well) The best one to me is Ladainian sorting through mail... or maybe even Big Ben rescuing people out of the buidling when it's only a fire drill lol

One!

It's Tuesday and I'm Bored

I have a couple of things to touch upon tonight.

First things first. The NBA playoffs have been pretty entertaining so far. I knew that the Bulls would take down the Heat, but definitely didn't see the sweep coming. I still think Toronto has a shot if JKidd stops throwing up a triple double every game. The Nuggets/Spurs series has been hard fought like I predicted and the Pistons and Cavs took care of business like we both thought. TMac pissed me off last night and now Utah is in some trouble. I think its going 7 still but I am a little nervous about it. Houston is such a good team but they have nothing if TMac is held under control. I forgot what it was like to be really involved in my team in the playoffs again. As far as the Mavs series, no one expected this but I have to say, I am not THAT surprised. I always thought the Mavs were not as dominant as their record indicated and the Warriors have had their number all year. It has been very entertaining to say the least. I have 3 things coming out of this series so far.

1. Dirk is not as good as advertised.
2. Stephen Jackson is a lot better than I thought.
3. Matt Barnes kinda scares me

**side note**
Bill Simmons really has something against Karl Malone. I love the guy but he needs to leave him alone. God damn does he tear him down about his "lack of dominance" in the playoffs. Get over it!

The NFL Draft was a little nutty. I'm not sold on JaMarcus Russell at all. Sorry Oakland. I was high on Brady Quinn so good for Cleveland. He may not become the next Payton Manning but if the other pieces are there he is good enough to get you deep into the playoffs. Putting him with Joe Thomas is only gonna help. Detroit gets Calvin which I am happy about, but I feel like we could have traded up to get Quinn or addressed more needs. All in all, we will be picking back in the top 8 again next year and we are in the weakest division in the NFL. God they suck.

New England is going out of its mind. Addalius Thomas is nasty and that really makes their D more athletic, something that they needed to do for a while now. Wes Welker and Dante Stalworth were just what the doctor ordered for Tom Brady, he actually has weapons now. Corey Dillon is gone now and that hurts a bit and so is their tight end, but that offense is gonna be Madden scary this year. And that brings me to ...

RANDY "FREAKIN" MOSS
I don't know about you, but I actually think this is going to work out. Now, I have always been a Randy Moss fan and I know he has been the Vince Carter of the NFL but there is something about him that I love. I always have felt that on pure talent he has been the best wideout in the NFL for the past decade. I also remember the guy that was a good guy and a good teammate when he was in Minnesota with Josh Reed and Chris Carter. He has always needed discipline and when he has had it he has been amazing. When he is surrounded by talent and winning he has been amazing. I feel like he will have both in New England. I also feel like he will respect Tom Brady more than he did Dante Culpepper. I think Moss felt like he made Culpepper what he was and he knows that Brady has been the top dog with shitty wideouts. Throw in the contract year and the chance to play with a dynasty and I think it is going to be a good year for the Pats and Moss.

A few random thoughts.

- the commercial with Posada and Big Papi on ESPN is awesome. I really hope you have seen it.
- the commercial with Wade and Barkley in Barkley's basement where Wade makes fun of his short tight shorts and says "sexxxy" is equally awesome.
- Jessica Alba going to Warriors games now should be enough to sell that place out every game.
- Fuck Cash Warren.

I'm Out

10 Random Thoughts while watching the "Fugitive"

I went to the Circus tonight and I must admit, I was very impressed. Its always nice to escape reality for an hour or two and go back to my youth. I think that is why we hold onto sports so much, its one of the few things that start when we are like 6 and we keep with us until we are old and wrinkled. Anyways ...

1. I don't think Dice K is gonna be that spectacular, but I do think he will be good.
I do think that it was blood on Schillings sock ... BASTARD!
2. I don't think the Magic or Warriors have a shot to get out of the first round.
I do think the Nuggets and the Jazz can get out of round 1.
3. I don't think the De La Hoya vs. Maywhether fight is gonna be that "great"
I do think I am gonna go to Rent-A-Center to see how much a 50 inch plasma is for it though.
4. I don't think the Celtics are gonna land one of the top two picks.
I do think Memphis gets #1 and lands Oden and then signs Larry Brown as coach.
5. I don't think the Yankees are in that much trouble yet
I do think we need another elite pitcher to get over the hump.
6. I don't think the Lions are gonna land Brady Quinn in the NFL Draft
I do think they draft Calvin Johnson if he is there and I am actually happy about that.
7. I don't think JaMarcus Russell is that good.
I do think Adrien Peterson is gonna run all over everyone.
8. I don't think Tiger is gonna win a Major this year.
I do think I am gonna break 100 for the first time ever in golf ... HOLLA
9. I don't think I am gonna get a chance to move down to D.C for work after all
I do think if I move it will be to Boston so your ass better come visit.
10. I don't think Bill Simmons is always right about the stuff he says.
I do think Bill Simmons is one of the 5 people I would want to be in a fantasy league with.

Dr. Richard Kimble is really really cool but how cool can you be to get your ass kicked by a one armed guy, kinda embarrassing.

NBA Playoffs Round 1

East

Chicago Over Miami (6 games)

I dont think DWade is 100% and I think Chicago has what it takes this year to pull out of round one. The Ben Wallace signing will be ok this year but haunt them the rest of the contract.

Detroit over Orlando (4 games)

Too much in Motown this year. Orlando could squeak out one with Howard having a monster game. They just arent there yet.

Cleveland over Washington (5 games)

The Cavs just arent that good to sweep them and they are lucky Washington is injured. Cleveland would have been out in round one this year if they were healthy.

Toronto over NJ (6 games)

The Nets are not that good. They have experience on thier side but there is something about this Raptors team that I like. I dont think Bosh has a huge series but I think they pull it out.

WEST

Dallas over Golden State (5 games)

Dallas has too much firepower and they are rested. The Warriors will get one due to a huge game out of B Diddy and Monta Ellis.

Phoenix over Los Angeles (6 games)

Suns are too good but Kobe is gonna win some games on his own, he is becoming that good. He is the perimeter version of Wilt right now... YIKES

San Antonio over Denver (7 games)

This is going to be a closer series than people think. San Antonio has too much but this is gonna be very very interesting.

Utah over Houston (7 games)

Sorry to disagree on this one but I just dont feel it for them this year. TMac and Yao may be the two best players in the series but Utah has the next 4 and I would not be shocked if they have to play some of these games with only one of the super rockets. Utah is very physical. If Houston doesnt have both guys then I think Utah wins. Plus it would make me really happy.

Playoffs... Round 1

I'm going to make this as simple as possible... below are my first round picks:

EAST

1. Detroit vs. 8. Orlando - let's put it like this... if Orlando wins even one game, I'll consider it a success. Detroit in 4.

2. Cleveland vs. 7. Washington - I have tried to talk myself into Antawn Jamison carrying the Wiz for a couple of games, but the cast of characters he'll have to roll with doesn't give me much hope. Can you imagine how dangerous Washington would be if Arenas and Butler were healthy? My goodness. Cleveland in 5.

3. Toronto vs. 6. New Jersey - I would love to pick T-Dot, but they're young and quite frankly New Jersey is playing much better now than they have been all season. I'm going to go with the hotter team: I like New Jersey in 6.

4. Miami vs. 5. Chicago - Purely a respect pick for the Champs. Chicago matches up really well with Miami, but for some reason I see Shaq carrying the Heat in this series. Miami in 6.

WEST

1. Dallas vs. 8. Golden State - Dallas is better this year than they were last season. That is what we call scary. Dallas in 4.

2. Phoenix vs. 7. LA Lakers - Kobe is good for one game in this series, but with Amare and Kurt Thomas healthy this time around, this isn't going to be much of a series. Phoenix in 5.

3. San Antonio vs. 6. Denver - This won't be the wipeout that everyone predicts, but how can you pick AGAINST San Antonio? Spurs in 6.

4. Utah vs. 5. Houston - This is an extremely even series, so when in doubt I take the team with the best player. In this case, I am taking the team with the two best players: T-Mac and Yao. Sorry, dude. Houston in 7.

I Gotcha ... But ...

To get it out of the way, yes, I had a good birthday. 28 aint so bad. Now onto your reply.

I completely understand where you are coming from. When you are looking at an upgrade you always want to take it. Now in my opinion there are 12 elite basketball programs in basketball. They are Duke, UNC, Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Syracuse, Georgetown, UConn, Michigan State, Maryland and Indiana. I may have missed one or two as well but lets stick with the dirty dozen for right now. These are the absolute top tier. They have tradition, they have the funding, they have everything you want if you are the head coach. If you have the opportunity to have one of these schools you have to really look into it.

The point I was trying to make was this. Tom Izzo and Billy Donovan looking to leave Michigan State or Florida to go to Kentucky is what really ticked me off. You are already the Head Coach at a top school. Stay there and do what you can at your school. You have the resources to create that type of history. Dont ride someone elses coattails, create your own legacy.

I do not disagree with guys at B and C level programs wanting to move up. They worked hard and they earned it. I actually put them in my first grouping. Guys that are making a name for themselves and are taking the "upgrade". Mark Few, Paul Hewitt or even Billy Gilespie to an extent, those are guys that I dont mind if they leave for Kentucky. They have been building a resume and would be reaping the benefits. Now me personally, I crave the challenge and if I am in a position to be at a B school that has been very successful as of late, why not stay and try to turn my school into an Elite program.

Now in your analogy to retail. I will put it like this. I would not leave Guess at Crossgates to be the store manager at Express at Crossgates. To me that seems like a lateral move. For me to have the opportunity to be the GM at Best Buy or Macy's ... I'm Out!! But someone who is the store manager at Clairs gets the shot at Express you better beleive they are out.

It all comes down to one thing. Your opinon of what is bigger and better. To me, a school that is a 20 win program and goes to the NCAA's every year. You have a chance to be something great, do it yourself and be a legend (Kudos to Billy Donovan). Roy Williams going from Kansas to UNC, i dont see the point. I know it was his alma matter and im sure that plays a big part in it and on a personal level I understand that. Bascially I will sum up my past two blogs in one sentence... Im all about the upgrade, kinda annoyed with the latteral move.

Im not sure how happy I am that I can sum up two full blogs in one sentence. Makes me think I am really not that good at this after all, LOL.

Re: Coaches = Seasonal Hires

First off - did you have a good birfday?

Now, on to the topic at hand: yes, I am starting to think that there is no loyalty at all in college basketball either. But, let me throw out a couple of questions for you:

How many big-time college programs are out there? This is subject for debate, but off the top of my head, I am only seeing 3 state schools where college basketball is truly king: North Carolina, Kentucky, and Kansas. As far as the private institutions? Well, this gets clouded a bit, but Duke and Georgetown not only have name power, but they have been very successful (at least since we've been alive). I wouldn't even throw in the alma mater, my friend. You also have a ton of bigtime sports schools (Ohio State, Texas, Maryland, Michigan, Florida and UCLA come to mind), but four of those are clearly football schools that just happen to have a really good hoops team right now. Lastly, just for poops and giggles I will throw in UCONN and Michigan State - they've won titles in the last 10 years or so and have been to more than one Final Four, so clearly they're doing something right. In total? I'm probably missing a school or two (so don't rip me to shreds lol), but I have 13 elite total.

That said, I can understand why some of these guys would bolt for greener pastures. Out of 200+ Division 1 men's college basketball programs, there may be 30 or 40 which are damn good and can be damn good for years, but if there's only 13 of them that are THE creme de la creme, wouldn't you want to coach there as well?

Let's say you had a chance to get a top job at another store. It was more visible. It had better facilities. And if you took over this job and started righting the ship, you'd forever be etched in the history of that company. Oh, and it paid you double your current salary.

You'd be a fool NOT to take the job. We'd probably encourage our friends and family to do the same thing as well. I'm not saying these decisions are simple - and certainly you should have a commitment to the job you started and the people you brought into the fold along the way, but at some point these coaches also think about their own future. I don't have much of a problem with that. Unless your name is Bob Huggins.

Thoughts?

Coaches = Seasonal Hires

This is really starting to piss me off a little bit.

There are three groups of coaches in Men's College Basketball right now. The first group is the young guys at lower level DI schools that just caught a break and are trying to make a name for themselves. There is the second group that are the cream of the crop. The guys like Behiem, Coach K, Dean Smith and all of the other top coaches that go to a school, create a winning program and stay there to continue the success. These are the guys that you know they aren't going anywhere so they are not mixed up in all the talk every year when guys start getting fired and canned after the NCAA tournament.

The third group is the guys that will jump from school to school because nothing is never good enough for them. They only want a fat paycheck and don't pay attention to the school they are leaving and the kids they are abandoning. The kids they recruited and made promises to. Kids they vowed to help them grow as basketball players and as men. After two straight titles in the early 90's would Coach K have left Duke to go to UCLA while he was on top. Um ... no. After winning the title a few years ago with Melo did Behiem try to leave the Big East for a more traditional Hoops program. And did Billy Donovan jump ship and leave after putting together one of the best college basketball teams in history. No he didn't. He helped build Florida into a top tier basketball program. Now it will always be a football school but no recruit is going to think twice about signing on to play there. He has a chance to make something special down there and he didn't leave and sell high like so many do. Like Roy Williams after getting to the Final at Kansas bolting for North Carolina. Like Patino after doing so many special things at Kentucky taking off for the NBA. And now like Billy Gilespie leaving Texas A&M for Kentucky because he probably wouldn't have that chance next year.

These coaches all seem like seasonal hires to me. That's the retail guy in me talking but that's how I look at them. If I was an athletic director at one of these schools would I want a guy that just dicked over their previous school for mine. Its the same as dating a girl that just left her boyfriend and cheated on him with you. Do you really think she wont do it to you? I wouldn't want a guy like that. I would want a guy that is committed to his school and his players. If Tom Izzo bolted Michigan State after all he did there to go somewhere else, I just don't see the point. Some schools may have more tradition than others, but personally I would want to create my own rather than ride someone elses coat tails.

This is all coming from the same guy that always said that he wouldn't jump straight to the NBA from High School if he had the chance and tends to take the moral high ground on so many issues. Most of my opinions may sound a little goodie too shue but I am just glad that there are still some guys out there that feel like it is better to build a dynasty at one school than to build a bigger bank account at another. I am just glad that Billy Donovan would rather be a legend at Florida than the head coach at Kentucky.

One of Your Best Ideas Yet...

Son,

This is fantastic ... And the name ... PRICELESS

Right now I am watching "NBA Finals TV" and its the one about the Spurs vs. Knicks series. Damn did the Knicks get rocked that series. They were tough though, cant say they didnt have heart. And one more thing I will say, If it wasnt for injuries Alan Houston would have been a middle class mans Ray Allen ... and that aint so bad. Just too much Duncan.

Uno