The US Men's Basketball team announced

PG Jason Kidd
PG Chris Paul
PG Deron Williams
SG Kobe Bryant
SG D-Wade
SG Micheal Redd
SF Lebron James
SF Carmelo Anthony
SF Tayshaun Prince
PF Carlos Boozer
PF Chris Bosh
C Dwight Howard




This is an interesting blend of players. You have the two best players in the NBA, LeBron and Kobe. You have one of the best, if not the best, pure offensive talent in the NBA in Carmelo Anthony. You have one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, Tayshaun Prince. You have arguably the two best PGs in the league in Williams and Paul. Dwight Howard is there to block shots and clean up on the boards/alleyoops.

I am on the fence on what I believe about this team as a whole on whether its constructed well or not. I do believe there are positives and negatives on the team though, as I will now discuss:

Positives
- The point guards. Paul and Williams are great point guards, their ability to score and pass will provide a good compliment to spell Kidd. We all know about Jason's leadership when it comes to International play. A U.S team has never lost in International Play with Kidd as the starting point guard

-Michael Redd provides outside shooting that the US normally lacks. His dead eye shooting is something that can bust open a zone defense with ease.

- Having the two best players in the league (Kobe, LeBron) is a formidable starting combo at the 2 and 3 spots. Imagine them on the court with any one of those PGs? That is a scary thought.

- Dwight Howard provides a menacing inside presence, as he is an elite rebounder and blocks/alters many shots in most games.

- Versatility- LeBron James, Kobe, Carmelo, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, and Tayshaun Prince provide a versatility as they all can play multiple positions

Negatives

-Michael Redd is the only shooter on the team. It's nice that he's here but we could use someone else like a Jason Kapono.

- Dwight Howard is the only true inside presence on the team. Someone like Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan would have been nice in this regard. Even Tyson Chandler could have been useful on this team.

- Dwyane Wade is on the team. The team has one true inside presence in Howard. It has one true shooter in Michael Redd. They already have three bigger, better, more explosive versions of Wade (Anthony, Bryant, James), so why not replace Wade with a player like Shane Battier, Jason Kapono, Tyson Chandler, Joe Johnson? They each would help in an area that isn't as strong as our current batch of perimeter players. Battier would provide three point shooting and great defense. Kapono would provide a dead eye, spot up shooter who would thrive given all the attention the guys like Bryant, James, Williams, Paul and Anthony will receive.

All in all, I think this team will win the gold. I have confidence in Jason Kidd to lead the team to the best of his abilities and keep everyone in the flow of the game. The team is just too talented, especially given the caliber of PGs on the team, not to win. I am not a big fan of how the team is constructed especially considering that we could use another shooter, or an inside presence.

I do like the fact that we finally made a commitment to adding defense with adding Dwight Howard (inside presence) and Prince to improve the perimeter defense. I like the slashers on the team, I like the point guards, and I like the fact that we have Howard, but we have one too many slashers. If we lose, I have a feeling that will be our shortcoming.

My prediction- the US takes the gold medal.

Designated Hitter, good or bad?

This has been the age old discussion in baseball between the supporters of the National League and the supporters of the American League. The fans of the National League way of play seem to be the purists who like old time baseball, mainly shorter and more well played games. The fans of the American League style of play seem to love offense.

Recently New York Yankees ace Chien Ming Wang got injured running the bases in a game against the Houston Astros. Wang suffered a foot injury which could have jeopardized his season, and put the Yankees in a bind. This led to this Hank Steinbrenner whine (oops, did I say that out loud? I meant 'quote').

"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century.

"Am I [mad] about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."

Now I understand him being annoyed, his ace is out at least until September right in the midst of his team playing great baseball. He has a right to be annoyed, but these quotes in the context in which they were made were simply childish. He has a point, which I will address later on, but this quote just reeks of "WAH, let me complain because my star pitcher is out." It was a freak injury Hank, things happen. It's not like he got hurt bunting or in the batter's box which is a place he isn't accustomed to, he got hurt running, something he does before every start anyway.


















Now that we have seen the quote from Mr. Steinbrenner, let's talk about the designated hitter. I, for one, am in favor of it. I am not a baseball purist, never was and never will be. I can see why someone would want the pitcher to bat, as it is part of the game, and baseball players should have to do everything on the field. If you play the field, you take your AB's as well. I can understand that, but here are a few reasons why I am in favor of the designated hitter:

- Watching pitchers, most of which hit in the neighborhood of .100, and look like they have no clue what they are doing at the plate is of no entertainment value.

- Watching pitchers, on the mound, manipulate lineups to get to the 9 spot with two outs, is quite boring. Here's a little fun fact for you.

In the year 1996 Rey Ordonez was intentionally walked 12 times. In that same season, Ken Griffey Jr was intentionally walked 13 times.

Ordonez' numbers that year- .257 BA 1 HR 30 RBI. He struck fear into opponents hearts like Rosanne Barr at an all you can eat buffet

-I'd much rather see a position player who is paid to hit, rather than a specialist (for all intents and purposes) who is paid to throw a ball.

-The strategy aspect of the pitcher hitting is overrated in my opinion. I'll give you a situation. It's 1-0 in the bottom of the 7th inning, your pitcher is pitcher a 5-hit gem. His spot comes up with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. Any manager in their right mind, unless you are talking about Mike Hampton or Micah Owings, is going to pinch hit in that situation. Here's another situation. 2nd inning, 0 outs, runners on 1st and 2nd and the pitcher is at the plate. Which manager doesn't bunt him in that situation? Obviously there are variables as to where good strategy comes into play but a lot of the times a manager's bed is made for him when it comes to taking out a pitcher, or bunting and such.

I think the good of the DH far outweighs the good of a pitcher hitting. I think the National League is grasping on how things 'used to be' and reminiscing rather than actually looking at how the game is played. Rules do eventually change and the style of play in all sports does change sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad.

All in all, I don't see why the purists and the National League are enamored with the pitcher batting. All it is, for the most part, is an automatic out. It's good seeing pitchers pitch around guys like Rey ordonez, who couldn't who couldn't hit a stripper if he was with PacMan Jones, to get to the pitcher? It's good seeing basically every pitcher in the league hit .100? I just don't see it.

Chad Johnson, great player....and petulant?

As we all know, Chad Johnson is a great football player. The man is a legitimate game breaking threat who's production is always top of the line, and who's presence makes his teammates better. Off the field, the guy is a basket case. He has always been a bit weird, but his actions have grown to be negative distractions to the team such as money disputes, trade demands, and calling out teammates. I am always the first one to defend Chad, as I think his actions are always overblown as well as what he says sometimes. I have never viewed Chad Johnson as a distraction on the field, as his dancing and him being an attention whore is what it is. It is just all in good fun, in my opinion. How exactly does "putting like Tiger Woods" after a touchdown mean that Chad is being a distraction? How is mockingly proposing to a cheerleader after a touchdown a "distraction"? How is the "Ocho Cinco chart", where he documented how the cornerbacks on the other teams fared with him in each week, a distraction? A little over the top probably, but distraction? I think not.

That being said the good fun, and him not being a distraction went out the window with how he has handled himself this offseason. He has been nothing short of a big mouthed cancer, who has been nothing short of a detriment to himself as well as the Bengals organization. He has demanded a trade, publicly criticized the Bengals organization, and loudly voiced displeasure on a fairly consistent basis essentially since the season ended. Now, his unhappiness isn't the issue with the whole situation. The fact that he's going about it in a public manner as if to FORCE the Bengals to unwillingly trade him is what's wrong here. He has done everything from publicly market himself to criticize the star quarterback. He has also threatened to sit out the season, and play for the arena league if the Bengals didn't trade him. He is made himself look like a fool.

This past Monday Chad decided that he would have surgery on his right ankle as it gave him trouble for the majority of last season. Mind you, the Bengals asked him to have this surgery at the end of the season, a request which he refused. I think it was a ploy to piss the Bengals off so they would be more inclined to trade him. So now coming into mini camps and OTAs, Chad has been spotted sitting out of activity due to this ankle. Now is the proverbial cherry on top, as Chad gets the surgery a day late and a dollar short. This, while it is supposed to be a minor surgery, can still linger (not to mention Chad's now built in excuse to not give a damn during training camp), and cause problems throughout training camp, and maybe in the season. Imagine that? Chad was asked to get surgery in January, instead doing it in June, then aggravates it during a game in September and misses time while costing his team. Imagine the outcry if that would happen.

This is an incredibly selfish and childish act. It might not amount to anything in the long run, but this is an indefensible act. The Bengals should fine him for this as he disobeyed team orders. As I said in the beginning, Chad is a great player but is he worth all the trouble? I think Cincy will rue the day they didn't trade him in a deal that could have netted them a potential two first round draft picks.

The Celtics journey from laughing stock to champion

After a Game 5 Lakers win, you could sense that Boston felt that they had missed an opportunity. They fell behind early in Game 5, much like they did in Game 4, and came back. But in the end, they just couldn't get over the hump.

In Game 6, the Celtics removed all doubt early. They knocked the Lakers out by half with a combination of stifling defense and efficient offense. In one of the biggest routs in clinching games in NBA history, the Celtics could do no wrong as they embarrassed the Lakers, 131-92. 131 points in an elimination game, no it isn't a misprint. L.A played like a semi-pro team last night, as the score would indicate.

Coming into this past offseason, the Celtics were down on their luck, Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers' jobs were both in jeopardy, and they were the laughing stock of the league. Boy, do things change in a hurry. The Celtics then pulled off the two biggest trades of the offseason, landing both Kevin Garnett in Ray Allen in a week that will go down in Celtic lore. All of a sudden, the Celtics roster transformed from Al Jefferson and a cloud of dust to three stars and a nice array of role players, such as James Posey, Kendrick Perkins, and Eddie House.

Not only did the roster look good on paper with the additions of Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett to go with the incumbent star Paul Pierce, but these guys are all unselfish and they compliment each other perfectly. Paul Pierce is the slasher, the guy who gets to the hole seemingly at ease. He also has a good outside game to compliment his ability to get to the hole whenever he so pleases. Ray Allen is the outside sharpshooter, one of the best in NBA history. Garnett is the dominating inside presence on defense, and someone who can score in the low post (though I don't believe he truly makes full use of his skill in this area). Garnett is the number one difference maker defensively on this team, as his presence on the interior makes it easier for the perimeter defenders as they can play tighter knowing that they have one of the best shot blockers in the business backing them up. Tom Thiebodeau (I REALLY wish the Knicks would have waited to get this guy an interview), was also a major part of the defensive renaissance as his the Celtics bought into his scheme. The Celtics team defense, as a whole, is simply superb. It showed in the Finals series as Kobe Bryant struggled for the majority of the series as a variety of defenders and different defensive looks made life difficult for him.

The Celtics ended their season last night much like their season started (in June), with a bang. They went from the laughing stock of the league to cream of the crop all in one season. They are a testament to the word "team,” and a model for what could happen when you are down on your luck. Things change fairly quickly, and the Celtics are the perfect example of this.

Alex Rodriguez- overpaid and............under appreciated?

Let's take a trip down memory lane, all the way back to October during the World Series, when the Red Sox were about to clinch to win a second title in four years. During the eighth inning of the clinching game, Ken Rosenthal, the MLB reporter for Fox tells us about Scott Boras' decision to announce that Alex Rodriguez' was opting out of his contract. This set off a firestorm of fans calling A-Rod a variety of names ( a lot of which were four and five letter words). People were questioning his motives and rightfully so. It was considered selfish and egotistical, all words that I would use to describe it as well. It is safe to say that the fans, especially Yankee fans, were outraged. I was peeved at the "act" as well. That night, being a Yankee fan, I said "To hell with A-Rod.” After the Yankees had said they wouldn't negotiate with him if he opted out, Rodriguez went back to the Yankees looking to re-sign. He claimed he wanted to "finish his career" with the Yankees. All I believe is that this was a ploy to repair his image after the blow up following his ill-timed decision to test the FA waters.

All that being said, Rodriguez came into the season with a chip on his shoulder. He got off to a good start, though nothing compared to his legendary start from last season, then served a stint on the disabled list. Although I really do not like Alex Rodriguez for a variety of reasons ranging from his hypocritical phony nature to his postseason failures, his time OFF the field actually made me appreciate him a lot more than when he is ON the field. As the expression goes, "You don't know what you have until it's gone." I can say now that I was wrong. After the episode of the opting out, I said "The Yankees would be fine without A-Rod, let him go wherever he wants, we don't need him." I don't think I have ever been more wrong in my life, and I have been wrong about PLENTY. When you see Morgan Ensberg on the lineup card, it's enough to make a strong-stomached man's stomach turn in anguish. I'm normally on a high when its time to watch a Yankee game, and during A Rod's time on the DL, that high was normally turned into a scowl once I saw "7. 3B Morgan Ensberg.” I have never appreciated Mr. Rodriguez more than I do right now.

Without Rodriguez in the lineup the Yankees were 6-11 and averaged 3.5 runs per game. Since his return on May 20, the Yankees’ record is 17-9 and the Yankees have averaged 5.69 runs per game. Talk about impact, whew. What his stint on the DL made me realize is that the guy is under appreciated. There are a variety of possible reasons for this: him playing for possibly the most hated team in professional sports, his ego, his personality (him being known as a "diva"), his lack of playoff performance. Whatever it may be, I don't think the guy's talents and production are truly appreciated. He puts up monster numbers every year, he has won two MVPs (he had 530 HRs at age 32). The guy has top end power, he can run, he can field, he has a strong arm. The guy is arguably the best shortstop to ever play the game, and when it's all said and done, he could possibly be the best third baseman to ever play the game, maybe even the best player ever. We already know that he is one of the most skilled players to ever put on a pair of cleats. It will probably take a World Series title, with him playing a primary role, for the general public to appreciate his talents as much as they probably should. We are witnessing one of the greatest athletes ever.
















I don't like Alex Rodriguez very much (and probably never will) but I will never underestimate his value, his importance and his production when it comes to the New York Yankees. After watching Morgan Ensberg play third for so long, I wanted to kiss my television and do the cha cha slide when I saw A-Rod's name in the lineup. I may never warm up to A-Rod, but I was wrong about his importance to the Yankees, and will always appreciate him from this point. I don't know how much longer I could take watching Morgan Ensberg at third base.

The Boston Celtics are a franchise with a long and storied history. In that history, there have been many legendary comebacks. Add this one to the list. Down by as many as 24 points, the Celtics dug deep and stormed back, defeating the Lakers 97-91 while adding another chapter to Celtic lore. With the comeback the Celtics took a commanding 3-1 lead in this best- of- seven series, and moved one win closer to a 17th world championship.

After a loss where their play was often ugly, the Celtics came out and played a terrible quarter as they were outscored 35-14. In the 2nd quarter, the Celtics played a bit better as they cut the lead to ten before the Lakers closed the quarter out well by pushing the lead to 16 pts. As the 3rd quarter started, Paul Pierce came out determined to change the game. He did just that, as he got to the basket consistently creating for himself and others. On the defensive end he made life very difficult for Kobe Bryant, who finished the game 6-19. While Ray Allen did a good job on Bryant in the 1st half, he needed a lot of help to do so. The ability to play Kobe 1 on 1 without worrying about sending a lot of help at him was a key in the comeback, as the Lakers supporting cast didn't see the open looks from the perimeter that they saw in the 1st half. Pierce stepped up and showed why he is the heart and soul of the Celtics, as he played his best when his team needed him the most. His teammates seemed to feed off this energy as they outscored the Lakers 31-15 in the third, and finished the quarter on a 21-3 run to bring themselves within two to begin the fourth quarter. During this run, Eddie House contributed with two key three pointers, as he was playing in place of an ineffective (SHOCKER!!!!!) Rajon Rondo.

James Posey played a key role in the Celtic comeback, as he scored 18 points and hit four three pointers. He saw significant playing time as Doc Rivers (FINALLY, everyone has been suggesting this for months) decided to play a smaller lineup to spread the floor with shooters. Ray Allen was his usual efficient self as he scored 19 points on 6-11 shooting and had nine rebounds. His defense on Kobe in the first half was very good. He has improved a lot in that regard since being traded to the Celtics. Garnett was a lot more aggressive tonight, as he didn't settle for those stomach turning 20 foot jumpers that he loves so much.

On the Lakers side Kobe Bryant struggled as he shot 6-19 from the field, though he did dish 10 assists and had four steals. LaMar Odom came out like gang busters in the beginning of the game, starting out 7-7 from the field for 14 pts. Unfortunately for the Lakers he disappeared like he often does, contributing a measly one FG after that and four points. Sasha Vujacic, who played a main role in the Game 3 victory, scored only three points on 1-9 shooting and often looked like he was a drunk stuck in quicksand trying to cover Ray Allen, including a nail in the coffin layup as Allen drove past him for a layup with a few ticks remaining.

My thoughts on the game

-As much hype as Kobe Bryant gets for his defense, I don't think people truly get how good Paul Pierce is defensively. The guy has been impressive the entire playoffs. Obviously, his defense last night on Bryant wasn't a singular effort but his individual defense was absolutely nasty.

- James Posey played a HUGE role in the comeback, with timely threes and intensity on the defensive end. As I've been saying for weeks, watching these games, he should get more playing time as Doc should employ a smaller lineup. Then again I wouldn't be opposed to any lineup that has Ben Wallace, er I mean Rajon Rondo as far away from the court as possible.

- With Eddie House on the floor, isn't it nice to have a point guard who could actually make an open shot? Every time Rondo has the ball I get the feeling he is going to do something stupid with it. Maybe the Rondo injury was a blessing for the Celtics?

- Can the Kobe Bryant- Michael Jordan comparisons please stop now? Three poor performances in these finals, and playing a helping hand in blowing a 24 point lead is good enough reasoning as to why. In Kobe's last nine finals games, let's review what he has done

1. Losing in five games to the Pistons while getting owned in every way imaginable by a mediocre player (Tayshaun Prince)

2. Shot 42% against the Celtics, and helped contribute to the biggest deficit BLOWN in a finals game since 1977.

-Doc Rivers finally coached a good game. I know my last blog entry was how terrible he is, but I give him his props, though I think the Rondo injury was the only reason for it.

- Ray Allen has played a great series.

-Every time KG gets the ball in the post something good happens for the Celtics

-Did Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers agree to do their best imitations of one another? Jackson's substitution patterns were EXTREMELY strange. Jordan Farmar playing crunch time minutes over Derek Fisher? LaMar Odom on the bench? Sasha Vujacic, who contributed absolutely nothing, getting significant minutes? Very strange.

Doc Rivers, inept head coach?

Watching last night's Game 3 between Los Angeles and Boston, has made me wonder why people call Doc Rivers a 'solid' head coach. Sure, it is based on the 66 wins the Celtics compiled during the regular season, finishing with the league's best record. Really, though, how much of that was due primarily to the fact that the Celtics have three upper echelon players in the NBA? All of these guys (Pierce, Garnett, Allen), also compliment each other perfectly as you have the slasher, the shooter and the post man. Garnett, along with assistant coach Tom Thibodeau, are the two guys mainly responsible for the defensive resurgence of the team as Garnett's intensity and Thibodeau's scheme have turned Boston's fortunes in every defensive category. Rivers just seemed like he rode the wave of the talent on the team, to the 66 wins. Obviously a coach cannot win without talent and the NBA, for the most part, is a league where the teams with the most talent win. That being said, managing to win 66 games with the talent that Rivers had is still excellent but it doesn’t automatically turn Doc Rivers from lame duck into good head coach, especially when you take a look at Rivers in Game coaching ability.

In the postseason, some of Rivers coaching moves, and adjustments or lack thereof have been questionable at best. Recently, putting Sam Cassell on the floor while not giving House any playing time doesn't make much sense. Now we all understand (though it seems to have taken Rivers longer than anyone else) that Rajon Rondo has little offensive game. From that standpoint giving another point guard significant playing time in place of Rondo makes sense. But, why Cassell? Cassell comes in the game, he is a liability defensively, hasn't shot well the entire playoffs, and on top of all that loves to shoot. What exactly is Cassell going to do for you that Eddie House cannot? House is much better defensively, has more range and is a lot more disciplined than Cassell is. I understand that Cassell is a "battle tested veteran" but what good does that do you if he can't make a shot?

Earlier in the postseason, Rivers seemed to refuse to try and get Ray Allen into the games. Several games, Ray Allen would seemingly go for quarters without getting a good shot. Meanwhile you see Rajon Rondo taking more shots than Ray Allen, which should NEVER happen.

Finally, Rivers needs to get on Kevin Garnett. Garnett is a jump shooter, but whenever he gets on the block, positive things happen for the Celtics. Normally he gets double teamed, and that makes life much easier on everyone else. Last night, Garnett stayed out on the perimeter and started out 1-10 and pretty much struggled the entire night. Why doesn't Doc put him on the post? Is Garnett allergic to the post? It makes life so much easier for anyone else. Every single play should start with KG on the left or right block.

I understand why a coach would get credit when his team goes 66-16, but Doc is probably the worst coach on a 60+ win team that I have ever witnessed. He is the Herman Edwards of basketball.

Joba Chamberlain's 1st start

Tonight was the well hyped debut of Joba Chamberlain as a starting pitcher in the major leagues. As is well known, the process to mold Joba into a starter has begun. They have started loosening his arm up over the course of the past couple of weeks, and tonight he saw the mound for the first time as a starting pitcher in the majors.

His pitch count was limited to 65, but this wasn't a normal day at the Stadium by any means. More media members, a more excited crowd are the main factors that made this a game that was different than usual. With the amount of hype for what was bound to be an underwhelming event, you would think Kim Kardashian was "performing" in the Stadium.

As for his outing, Chamberlain was shaky. Although he only gave up one run and one hit, he walked four batters and labored through 2.1 innings and threw 62 pitches. Joba's velocity was there on his fastball and slider, the break was there on the curve as well, but he just couldn't get a grasp for his command. That was the main source of his wildness, as he seemed like he was a bit too wound up for this start. He walked three batters in the 1st inning, committed a balk, and Jose Molina contributed to the inning with a past ball that advanced a runner. All things considered, Chamberlain escaped relatively unscathed as he only gave a run in the rough 1st inning. He started to settle down in the 2nd inning, as he only threw 16 pitches, retiring the Blue Jays rather quickly, but was taken out after an out in the 3rd inning having thrown 62 pitches.

The Yankees went on to lose the game 9-3 as the bullpen once again showed it's ineptitude. Watching thee guys is like having a plate of hot chili poured on you, it isn't a good feeling. Edwar Ramirez came in and immediately walked two guys leading to a run which was earned on a bases loaded walk, then Latroy "opponent's personal confidence booster" Hawkins sealed the deal giving up a scalding two run double to Rod Barajas.

Joba showed flashes of the brilliance he has maintained as a setup man, but he needs to find his command. I attribute it to 1st start jitters. I think in the long run he will be fine. His stuff combined with his control is too good.

I believe that the move from the bullpen to the starting rotation in the long run is a good one. With Chamberlain's potential, he could be a dominant ace in the league one day and that in itself is more valuable than a great setup man or a great closer. Chamberlain has a blistering fastball and has pinpoint control of that fastball when he is on, he also has a devastating slider along with a decent curve and change. As a relief pitcher he didn't use much asides his fastball and the slider. He will likely have to develop the rest of the pitches in his repertoire if he wants to see great success as a starter.

With Chamberlain's ceiling I think you are wasting him in the pen. You don't draft pitchers like that to be setup men. It is good to see that the Yankees aren't as shortsighted as they usually are and are preparing for the future, while not totally kissing this season goodbye. Although they will never say it within the organization, I don't feel Girardi, Cashman and Steinbrenner feel this is a World Series caliber team, otherwise they would have kept Chamberlain in the pen. As I've thought from the beginning of the season, it is a transition year for the Yankees. They are not World Series Contenders, but they aren't the Nationals either. It's a breath of fresh air that the Yankees are FINALLY doing something to gear for the future, and dropped the 'NOW NOW NOW' attitude that is influenced by New York's fair weathered, fickle fans. It is a transition period, and patience from this front office will be important during the switch, as Joba will not come in and immediately be a great pitcher. He will have his bumps and bruises. It is just a matter of how the front office handles him, him staying healthy, and most of all, patience.

Patience isn't a word that is often connected with New Yorkers, but with Chamberlain New York will have to be patient. He will probably be really good, but it takes time.