NBA Draft Wrap

It is amazing how superior the NBA Draft is to the NFL equivalent. It probably has a lot to do with team's only having five minutes in-between picks in the first round and two minutes in the second round. Also, only two rounds instead of seven helps. Most importantly is the fact that Chris Berman is not on the stage. This is not to say that the NBA Draft is perfect. There is still the Stuart Scott and Steven A. Smith problems and there is always Jay Bilas' overuse of his newest favorite phrase to describe players that no one has heard of. It appears that wingspan is the new upside. All in all, it was a draft that provided few surprises.

The Bulls made the smart pick at #1, bringing Rose back home to play. Now they will be able to move either Heinrich or Gordon and finally have some potential excitement on the offensive end. The Heat also did the right thing by drafting arguably the best player in the draft. Beasley is Al Horford amplified and with him, Wade, and Marion, the Heat will win more than 15 games next season. O.J. Mayo to Minnesota made sense, but I am not sure about this guy. He will either be Deron Williams or Shaun Livingston. But Minnesota subsequently trading him to Memphis for Kevin Love is questionable (did they forget that drafted Mike Conley to be the point guard of the future in last year's draft?). Love will be nothing more than an 8 rpg guy for Minnesota, if that. I thought Seattle should have taken Jerryd Bayless instead of Russell Westbrook at #4 and thought it a major coup for Portland to land Bayless (via trade with Indiana), who could end up being the best player in this draft. The Knick's selection of Danilo Gallinari at # 6 does nothing for a very bad team (needed to go guard here). I did like Milwaukee picking up Joe Alexander, who could be an integral part of an up-tempo offense alongside newly acquired Richard Jefferson. The Clippers needed a point guard and took a shooting guard (Eric Gordon) and the Bobcats needed a center and took a point guard (D.J. Augustin), meaning the Nets got a steal in Brook Lopez (the one who can play offense, not defense) at #10. Some good players were acquired in the second round, as the Heat were able to get a much needed point guard in Mario Chalmers via trade with Minnesota and New Jersey again got a steal in getting Chris Douglas Roberts at #40. The Mighty C's drafted high potential guys who have major character issues in J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker. They also drafted a guy from Turkey who will never play in the NBA (he is the backup to the guy from Turkey who was drafted earlier in the second round, his name is both inconsequential and difficult to spell).

Sweet Seventeen

My earliest NBA memory is the 1986 NBA Finals and euphoria that accompanied the Celtics winning their 16th title. I still remember the images of Bird and Walton on the sideline in the game's waning moments and how the fans stormed the court like one only sees in a college game today. The Celtics returned to the finals the following season and lost to the Lakers, thus ending the glory days for my favorite team. Since that last championship, Celtics fans have endured the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis, the breakdown of Larry Bird's body, the Rick Pitino experiment, not getting Tim Duncan in 1997 draft, and Antoine Walker as a number two scorer, I could name more. During this dark period there has been one ray of hope that has shined on, albeit very dimly at times, Paul Pierce. Of all the great Celtics, none have dealt with more pitiful circumstances than "the truth." The acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen made this team an instant contender. And yes, now that they have won a title we can refer to them as "The Big Three, V. 2.0." Also, the signing of James Posey was a great signing. Say what you will about the guy, but he can play. He has a Robert Horry quality to his game. Depth was the major question mark coming into the season for the Mighty C's. But solid play from the likes of Leon Powe, Glen Davis (much to my surprise), Eddie House, and later P.J. Brown answered that question. Another question was the play of everyone in the starting lineup not named Pierce, Garnett, or Allen. Young Rondo demonstrated that he is on the cusp of becoming a top flight point guard in the NBA. He shot better than was expected throughout the season and played sensational defense. He is starting to blossom under the tutelage of a coach who was a pretty good point guard in his own right. Kendrick Perkins is one of the more frustrating players to watch, as he shows signs of being able to take over a game with his interior defense and rebounding, but has problems staying on the court because of foul trouble. He showed something during these playoffs, a toughness and improved presence on the block that should make all Celtics fans excited.

Back to the aforementioned feeling of euphoria. After watching this team nearly squander a 24-point in the final 8 minutes of Game 2, play terribly and still almost win Game 3, engineer the greatest comeback in the playoffs in any sport since Frank Reich brought Buffalo back from the dead in the 1993 Wildcard playoffs in Game 4, and nearly finish the Lakers off in LA in Game 5, I was cautiously optimistic going into last night's Game 6. Cautious optimism became over-exuberance as the Mighty C's put it on the Lakers to close out the first half. Remembering Game 2, I was weary, but the onslaught continued with the best defensive performance exhibited in a championship game since the Steelers held the the Vikings to 119 yards and 9 first downs in Super Bowl IX. The Mighty C's set a finals record with 18 steals. Rondo was fantastic and demonstrated his potential shooting the ball in being aggressive early. Allen exhibited why they signed him, going 7-9 from the three-point line. Garnett saved his best performance for the series clincher. And James Posey was once again stellar off the bench. The Celtics never let up, putting on a show with the second unit to close out beating their once bitter rivals by 39. Like I had said in my posting before the start of the playoffs many moons ago, "17 is currently my favorite number." But I must say, 18 is looking good all of a sudden...

These Guys Might Be #1 Next Season

Yesterday came the expected announcement that the remainder of the UNC starting five will be returning to Chapel Hill next season. It is not clear if anyone thought that Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green would actually go in the first round (Lawson had a shot, but late) of the NBA Draft, but personally, I am glad no one convinced them that they would. These three will reunite with the country's best player, Tyler Hansbrough, Marcus Ginyard, and Deon Thompson to form the most talented, experienced team to take to the court in many years. The only key losses to are Alex Stepheson (transferred) and Quentin Thomas (graduated). Besides having another year and deep run in the tournament under their belts, this team will be stronger at point guard with the return of Bobby Frasor. Most forget that Frasor was the starting point guard in his freshman year before the arrival of Lawson and Ellington. He missed almost all of last year with an injury and will more than ably fill the void left by his replacement last season (Thomas). Also, Will Graves will be worth watching coming off the bench, as he seemed to get better with every game last season. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the three top flight freshman who will also be coming along for the ride...

Diamond Dust: The ??? Edition

The big story upon waking up this morning was that the Mets fired manager Willie Randolph. This should have surprised no one, as there have been hints of this taking place since Memorial Day. It is not clear what the Mets were doing with this situation over the past several weeks. Why let the man fly to Anaheim and win for a third time in four outings and then fire him? Is it amateur hour in the Big Apple? Now, to be fair to the Mets brass, Randolph has disappointed as a manger. This team should have won the World Series in 2006 but lost in dramatic fashion to you know who in the NLCS (go here for a refresher). Then last season's record collapse did not do much for confidence. Many of the smartest baseball minds thought the Mets were a shoo-in to win the NL this year (like here), but this team has not played anywhere close to its potential.

At 6.5 games behind the Phillies, who are about to cool off after a torrid stretch, with 90 to play it is not time to throw people overboard. Especially when Plan B is Jerry Manual, who makes Randolph seem animated and excitable. The season isn't over for the Mets, but they need to get it together fast. Buster Olney's take is worth a look here.

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It is June 17 and the Not-So Crappy Cardinals have the second best record in the NL. As much as I would love to say I saw this coming, I didn't. This team has been resilient, overcoming pitching injuries to continue winning. Without Pujols and Wainwright, the Cards managed to take a weekend series from the aforementioned Phillies. The keys to this teams success not named Albert Pujols has been the All-Star level play of Ryan Ludwick (.310/16/54), the solid hitting of Yadier Molina (.295/only 9 K), the emergence of Skip Schumaker in the lead-off spot (.310/4/25), and the surprising performances of guys who were once thought to be worthless as big league pitchers. This list includes Kyle Lohse (8-2/3.77), Todd Wellemeyer (7-2/3.67), and Braden Looper (8-5/4.34). Add Carpenter and Mulder (I do not believe Mark Mulder will ever be an effective big league starter again) after the All Star game and the Not-So Crappy Cardinals start to resemble contenders.

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Random utterances:

• Teams to watch out for: The Tigers have won 8 out of 10; the Padres have won 7 out of 10 and almost pulled even with the lowly Dodgers for second in a terrible NL West; the super annoying Yankees have won 7 out of 10 and are slowly poaching the Devil Rays.
• Biggest disappointments to date: 1. Tigers, 2. Mets, 3. Padres, 4. Dodgers, 5. Mariners
• Most surprising to date: 1. Devil Rays, 2. Marlins, 3. White Sox, 4. Oakland, 5. Pittsburgh/Baltimore
• Best players no one had heard of before the start of the season: Edinson Volquez, Shaun Marcum, George Sherill

For the older generation's take, go here.

2+2=17

The Mighty C's held serve through the first two games of the NBA Finals. After leading by 24 with 8 minutes to play in Game 2, the Lakers roared back, cutting the lead to 2 by way of a three-point barage normally reserved for the NCAA tournament. Needless to say, this was a bit unnerving. The story for Boston was the play of Leon Powe, who went for 21 in victory, shooting more free throws by himself than the entire Laker team. Garnett has dominated the glass and Pierce has been brilliant in the series thus far. The key to victory in the first two games has been keeping Kobe in check (holding him to 24 and 30 is considered hodlding him in check, as he is the best player on the planet). Kobe is due for dominating performance, so look out. As good as Boston has been at home in the playoffs (12-1), the Lakers have been better (8-0). The 2-3-2 format used in the NBA Finals is obnoxious, but as long as the Celtics manage one win out of the three in LA they will be in great shape to unfurl banner #17 from the rafters.

"I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, 'Mother, what was war?'"-Eve Merriam

Another month of a senseless war with no end in sight, leading to the loss of more American lives. Certain news agencies have decided to talk about the casualties, but only in the context that May was lowest casualty rate of the war. Only 35 American troops died in May (21 in Iraq and 15 in Afghanistan)!! Is this reason to celebrate? Even Bill O'Reilly took a break from the Great American Culture Quiz and his weekly blathering with Dennis Miller to acknowledge that there is in fact a war going on in which Americans are dying. Of course, he did not talk about the Americans who sacrificed their lives, he talked about how Brian Williams had failed to to talk about the low casualty rate for the month of May on the NBC Nightly News. Nice work by Mr. O'Reilly, be sure do visit his website and get dad a No Spin hat for Father's Day. For those of us who take a vested interest in the loss of any American life on foreign soil. Here is the continuing list of Americans who served and died that I have chronicled here:

1. Spc. Jeffrey F. Nichols, 21, Granite Shoals, Texas
2. Sgt. Glen E. Martinez, 31, Boulder, Colorado
3. Lance Cpl. James F. Kimple, 21, Carroll, Ohio
4. Cpl. Miguel A. Guzman, 21, Norwalk, California
5. Lance Cpl. Casey L. Casanova, 22, McComb, Mississippi
6. Pvt. Corey L. Hicks, 22, Glendale, Arizona,
7. Pfc. Aaron J. Ward, 19, San Jacinto, California
8. Spec. Alex D. Gonzalez, 21, Mission, Texas
9. Staff Sgt. Kevin C. Roberts, 25, Farmington, New Mexico
10. Spec. Jeremy R. Gullett, 22, Greenup, Kentucky
11. Pfc. Ara T. Deysie, 18, Parker, Arizona
12. Spec. Mary J. Jaenichen, 20, Temecula, California
13. Spec. Joseph A. Ford, 23, Knox, Indiana
14. Cpl. Jessica A. Ellis, 24, Bend, Oregon
15. Pvt. Matthew W. Brown, 20, Zelienople, Pennsylvania
16. Staff Sgt. Victor M. Cota, 33, Tucson, Arizona
17. Sgt. John K. Daggett, 21, Phoenix, Arizona
18. Pfc. Howard A. Jones, Jr., 35, Chicago, Illinois
19. Pvt. Branden P. Haunert, 21, Cincinnati, Ohio
20. Master Sgt. Davy N. Weaver, 39, Barnesville, Georgia
21. Cpl. William J. L. Cooper, 22, Eupora, Mississippi
22. Lt. Jeffrey A. Ammon, 37, Orem, Utah
23. 1st Lt. Jeffrey F. Deprimo, 35, Pittston, Pennsylvania
24. Lt. Col. Joseph A. Moore, 54, Boise, Idaho
25. Pfc. Kyle P. Norris, 22, Zanesville, Ohio
26. Sgt. 1st Class Jason F. Dene, 37, Castleton, Vermont
27. Spec. David L. Leimbach, 38, Taylors, South Carolina
28. Sgt. Frank J. Gasper, 25, Merced, California
29. Sgt. Blake W. Evans, 24, Rockford, Illinois
30. Spec. Justin L. Buxbaum, 23, South Portland, Maine
31. Spec. Christopher Gathercole, 21, Santa Rosa, California
32. Sgt. 1st Class David Nunez, 27, Los Angeles, California
33. Cpl. Christian S. Cotner, 20, Waterbury, Connecticut
34. Pvt. Andrew J. Shields, 19, Battleground, Washington
35. Spec. James M. Finley, 21, Lebanon, Missouri

Since 2001, 4,582 Americans have died in Afghanistan and Iraq. Spec. Justin R. Mixon, 22, from Bogalusa, Louisiana died in an IED attack in Baghdad on June 1, thus beginning another month where Americans will die in a war that lacks purpose.

Hope Wins the Day

Because of the hyper-partisan rancor that fills political discourse in this country, it is difficult to step back and reflect on exactly what happened last night. The presidential nominee box of crayons has always only included varying degrees of white. But not anymore. Many will downplay the significance because it is not a guy in their party, but just think about it for one second. Is the elevation of Barack Obama to the head of the Democratic Party not exactly what makes this country great? Does it not demonstrate a degree of social movement that is lacking throughout the "civilized" world? To think that 50 years ago, a blink of an eye on the historical timeline, someone of the senator's complexion could not have eaten at the diner down the street, nonetheless, be the nominee of a major party. It is okay to acknowledge the significance of the moment if you support Senator McCain. No one will brand you a liberal. While Senator Clinton does her best to remain relevant, seemingly entering the denial phase when it comes to confronting her defeat, Senator Obama goes forth trying to unify a party that is certainly divided, but not broken like most have tried to portray it. There will be plenty of time to talk about vice presidents and Senator McCain's awkward oratory. Let's just take a second and enjoy the moment. Senator Obama's speech last night was exemplary, particularly the end:

America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth. This was the moment—this was the time—when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves and our highest ideals.

This certainly is our moment. The spotlight shines bright on America today.

Road Warriors

After going winless on the road in first two rounds of the NBA playoffs and nearly causing me multiple heart attacks, the Mighty C's flexed their collective muscles and managed two wins against the Pistons in one the NBA's toughest venues. After nearly allowing a 17-point fourth quarter lead to vanish in Game 5, the Celtics used a strong fourth quarter in Game 6 to eliminate the Pistons, who are in the midst of an Atlanta Braves like run over the past 6 years (6 Conference Finals, 2 Finals, 1 championship). Kevin Garnett will be the story of this finals, as he has that John Elway quality about him, the guy everyone wants to see win a title (I want to be on the record as saying I was not one of these people, for John Elway, not KG). But, for me as a life-long Celtics fan, it is all about Paul Pierce. No Boston star has had to suffer like Pierce (most playoff games in team history without an NBA title), as over the course of his stellar 10-year career this team has been somewhere between terrible and mediocre. Pierce better be ready, as Kobe brings the Lakers back to Boston for the NBA Finals. The last time these teams met in the Finals, the year was 1987 and Magic Johnson hit the infamous "junior, junior sky-hook" in Game 4 that me and all Boston fans would love to forget.
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As for my pick, I will go with my heart, although my head is trying to convince me to go another route. No team is playing better than the Lakers right now, as they dismissed the champs in the short-order in the Western Conference Finals. The key to this series will be the play of each team's number 3 guy-Ray Allen vs. Lamar Odom. As exhibited for a majority of the playoffs, the Celtics struggle when Allen struggles. He certainly found his touch in the second half of the Eastern Conference Finals and needs to continue to play at a high level to give his team a chance. These are both deep teams, thus bench play will be another major factor. The defense of Paul Pierce has been exemplary in playoffs against LeBron James and Tayshaun Prince and he will face his biggest challenge yet against the best player on the planet. Keeping Kobe under 30 points is a big part of the formula for victory. My final projection-Celtics over Lakers in 6.

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This will be the 61st NBA Finals and the 11th time these teams have met, so it is difficult to not get excited for it, even if the rivalry is nothing like it was in the 1980s. In the 80s, the Lakers were the only evil empire I knew anything about, epitomizing all that was wrong in the world. It is this healthy type of hatred bred in the heart of a 7 year old that free agency has killed in sports. Celtics-Lakers used to be the struggle between good and evil. While it might not be the same 20 years later, one phrase still sounds good...Beat L.A.

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For the take of someone who remembers when Kareem went by Lew, go here.