Diamond Dust: The 5 Dumbest and Most Astute Things I Said Before the Start of the Season

The problem with posting your thoughts on the Internet is that anyone can go back see how wrong you were in your preseason projections. While my World Series pick of Tigers over Mets did not seem bold at the time, it seems like a long-shot now (although the Mets are currently playing a great brand of baseball, winners of nine in a row). Johan Santana and Vladimir Guerrero will not win their league's respective MVP awards, Erik Bedard will not finish in the top 10 in AL Cy Young voting, and while Santana has pitched like one of the three best pitchers in the NL, a lack of run support will cost him that NL Cy Young he covets. Without further adieu, I present the lowlights and highlights of my preseason predictions:

The Not-So Bright:

1. "The Twins traded away their two best players and will probably hover around .500 only because of all the games they get to enjoy against the lowly White Sox and Royals, who will both be terrible and are not worth anymore of my time."-Even the Royals have exceeded expectations in this division. I gave the White Sox zero chance at finishing within 10 games of the Indians for second. I also underestimated the collective talent of Mauer and Morneau, as the Twins have been sensational.
2. "The Marlins will compete for the worst record in all of baseball."-No one thought this team would spend more days in first place than any other team in the first part of the season in a tough NL East. This team wins with its bats, as they currently rank 14th in pitching. They might not finish near the lowly Mariners and Nationals, but they will be more than 1.5 out when it is all said and done.
3. "This division contains the most Wild Card hopefuls. The Padres are the second best team in the NL and should win this division comfortably."-All I can say about my take on the NL West is moronic. Who thought the Padres would be this pitiful? The Dodgers? This division is embarrassingly bad.
4. "The race between the Tigers and Indians will be one to watch."-Actually, it is rather unwatchable. The Indians, like the Mariners, should be better. While the Tigers struggled initially and turned it around (.500 at the break is a monumental accomplishment for this team), the Indians have never found their collective bearings. If this emerges as a race, it will be for fourth place.
5. "Is Billy Beane still working in Oakland? How are those sabermetrics working out now?"-Like the Marlins, no one thought the A's would be within sniffing distance of .500 at the All Star break, nonetheless seven game over .500.

Nostradamus, anyone?:

1. "The Nationals will be a non-factor for the near future as they are equipped with a collection of minor league pitchers posing as a big league staff. At least they have a new stadium."-This team is terrible and has no one on the roster that any diehard Nationals fan would want to see. The stadium is terrific.
2. "The Brewers will make the race interesting with what is probably the best lineup in the NL, but pitching is this team's Achilles Heel. Eric Gagne as a closer is never a good sign at this stage of his illegitimate career. "-The Brew Crew have received two blessings this season. First the injury to the suddenly oft-injured Eric Gagne (get this guy a B-12 shot stat) and second, the acquisition of C.C. Sabbathia, both of which helped this team's pitching problems. With two bonafide aces and a lineup that absolutely kills the ball, this team will be dangerous in the second part of the season.
3. "The Rockies got into the playoffs by seemingly winning their last 50 games. They are in the same boat as the Phillies, Letdown City, population 2."-The Phillies have not been a disappointment, but the Rockies, unsurprisingly, are playing like the team that was out of the playoff hunt before that ridiculous run last season.
4. "The Rangers cannot pitch. Having Kevin Millwood as your opening day starter 5 years ago would have been questionable."-One cannot say enough about the Rangers offense, Kinsler, Hamilton, Young, Bradley, et al. have been fantastic. This team reminds me of the 2005 Red Sox-great offense, terrible pitching.
5. "Regarding the Toronto Blue Jays, can we please stop saying this is their year? This might be their year, if they played in the NL Central. Vernon Wells peaked a few years back because of obvious steroid use. They added Rolen and Eckstein (both of whom I love for obvious reasons), who are the on the downward slope of their careers and their two best pitchers are liabilities because of injuries."-People seem to think this team is playing well at 47-48, but that is not acceptable for the team that has been on the cusp of breaking out for the past three seasons

The Philadelphia 76ers Do Away With Generic Play In the Middle and Add a Brand Name

The Philadelphia 76ers went from marginal playoff team to Eastern Conference contender and it only cost them about $80 million dollars. This team overachieved last season in making the playoffs, let alone going up 2 to 1 against the mighty Pistons in the first round. Brand is a career 20 and 10 guy and instantly becomes one of the two best power forwards in the Eastern Conference alongside KG. In the East his chances at becoming an All Star and making it to the NBA Finals increase exponentially. His signing will allow Reggie Evans, a high energy guy who lacks the tools to be a dominant NBA power forward, to come off the bench and hopefully allow Sammy Dalembert (who has been a disaster since being given a big contract) to develop offensively. Andre Miller had a career year scoring the basketball last season (17 ppg), but his assists were down. The addition of Brand will allow him to find a even ground between scoring and handing out assists. Andre Igoudala needs to shoot better, but having a bona fide threat in middle will allow him room to slash to the basket, which is what he does best. Brand, when healthy, took the Clippers to within one game of the Western Conference Finals, yes the LA Clippers, so his credentials needed not be brought into question. I am assuming somewhere in the city of LA Baron Davis is sobbing. At least he has those $80 million to fall back on. The East is still all about the Mighty C's, but the Sixers will now be worth watching, especially if they someone, anyone, who can shoot the ball from the outside.

Diamond Dust: The All Star Edition

The MLB All Star Game is the best of its kind with the Pro Bowl being the most insufferable. There are two major problems with the Summer Classic, first is the fan voting and second is the fact that the winning team gets home field advantage in the World Series. The second is so inane and irritating that I cannot devote anymore space to it here. The fan voting is irritating when the entire infield is made up of Yankees and Red Sox in the AL and the NL outfield is littered with undeserving Cubs. It is the job of the managers to fix what the fans do and for the most part a good job was done this year with two glaring exceptions. Brian Wilson is not an All Star. A certain amount of credit is due to the man for leading the NL in saves, but his ERA is 4.37. The conversation on Mr. Wilson ends there. But the biggest offense is Jason Varitek. His selection is embarrassing. He is not the second, third, fourth, or fifth best player at his position in his league. Varitek is hitting .215. You read that right, .215. It is not clear to me when .215, even for a catcher (one who is not a great defensive catcher mind you) was relegted to All Star level. I will argue that it is not.

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to play at a level no one thought possible. Currently, this crop of overachievers has the second best record in the NL, only .5 game up on the hard charging Brew Crew. While the Cubs and Brewers have made news in acquiring C.C. Sabathia and Dan Haren this week, the Cardinals will look to some old arms to give them a boost. Mark Mulder returns to the rotation tonight in Philadelphia and the Double C continues his rehab and should be ready in August. I am weary of Mulder's chances of getting back to where he was when the Cardinals acquired him in 2005 (his only healthy season in a Cardinals uniform), but am willing to give Dave "the Miracle Worker" Duncan the benefit of the doubt. The Cardinals have showed up as a potential suitor for the red-hot Matt Holiday. Probably will not happen, but stay tuned. Ryan Ludwick's selection after a career thus far ravaged by injury was certainly deserved and would get more attention if not for Josh Hamilton's amazing story.

Other random mutterings:

• The Devil Rays continue to be the story in the first half. The Washington Nationals were the story in 2005 when they led at the break, so let's slow down on projecting this bunch into the World Series. While it is legitimate to point out that the 2008 Devil Rays are much more talented than the 2005 Nationals, the latter did not have have the Red Sox and Yankees behind them in the standings.
• The Tigers have put themselves into the conversation in the AL Central, but the White Sox and Twins have been sensational as of late.
• Remember when the Mets were finished? They currently reside 1.5 games behind the overrated Phillies.
• The NL West is a disaster.
• Ian Kinsler is as Pato Banton would say "bubbling hot," Josh Hamilton might drive in 150 runs, Justin Duchscherer (try spelling that correctly without looking) is currently the best pitcher in baseball, Joe Saunders will not win 20 games, Brandon Webb might win 25 games, Ryan Howard has 137 more career strikeouts than Albert Pujols in 2,470 fewer at-bats and might strikeout 250 times this season, and I do not care if A-Rod is f^cking Madonna.

Go see what the old man's got cooking here.

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.

Diamond Dust: Power Players Edition, V. 2.0

Top Bats:

1. Lance Berkman-Ruth (2)-.381 (2)/16 HR (2)/46 RBI (1t)/.742 SLG (1)/.470 OBP (3)/18 2B (2)/10 SB (8t)
2. Josh Hamilton-Yastremski (NR)-.324 (4)/13 HR (2)/58 RBI (1)/.595 SLG (1)/.369 OBP (17t)/15 2B (8t)
3. Chipper Jones (1)-.418 (1)/12 HR (10t)/35 RBI (18t)/.674 SLG (2)/.495 OBP (1)
4. Chase Utley (NR)-.310 (15)/17 HR (1)/46 RBI (1t)/.638 SLG (4)/.394 OBP (17)/16 2B (8t)
5. Albert Pujols (NR)-.356 (3)/12 HR (10t)/34 RBI (20t)/.617 SLG (5)/.483 OBP (2)

-Guys to keep an eye on: Ryan Ludwick, Dan Uggla, Nate McClouth, Ryan Church, Brian McCann, Xavier Nady (4), Carlos Quentin, Magglio Ordonez

Top Arms:

1. Edinson Volquez (2)-7-2 (2t)/1.31 ERA (1)/76 K (1t)
2. Cliff Lee (1)-7-1 (3t)/1.50 ERA (1)/54 K (10t)/9 BB
3. Daiske Matsuzaka (NR)-8-0 (1t)/2.53 ERA (2)/55 K (9)
4. Tim Lincecum (NR)-7-1 (2t)/2.33 ERA (2t)/76 K (1t)
5. Mariano Rivera (5)-23 IP/1 ER/0.39 ERA/13-13 SVO/21 K

-Guys to watch: Adam Wainwright, Brandon Webb (3), Billy Wagner, Joe Saunders, Ryan Dempster, Francisco Rodriguez, Shaun Marcum