NBA Offseason; Up in the Air like a Jump-Ball

    With the 2010 NBA Draft looming, just one day away now, the offseason hot stove is starting to ignite. With the historic amount of top-tier free agents available this summer, it has been said by many people that this draft this just the calm before the storm. Many people's focus, not just mine, is what the New Jersey (for now) Nets are going to do. The Nets are in limbo more than any other team, however they have the most to work with. Having already shipped off a favorite of mine, Chris Douglas-Roberts to Milwaukee for a future second round pick, (Nets will have 2 first round, and 2 second round picks in the next couple drafts) the third domino has fallen, and now things are going to start happening. (First domino; the Prokhorov takeover, second domino, the hiring of head coach Avery Johnson.)
    Mock drafts have had the Nets scooping up Georgia Tech power forward Derrick Favors ever since the draft lottery took place, not to mention the Nets getting absolutely screwed in that after a lowly 12 win season. It is what it is though, but now the Nets are interested in a couple different guys. I'm not sure if its just Rod Thorn playing poker with other teams, or he honestly doesn't know who to get. The options for the Nets besides Favors are Demarcus Cousins, Wesley Johnson, and Greg Monroe. The Nets are high on all of these guys, however Cousins skill set just says center, and with the Nets already delighted with Brook Lopez, chances are they're going to let somebody else have the big man. Wesley Johnson plays the position the Nets might need depending on where they play Terrence Williams, small forward. Wes had a ridiculous 1st team AP All-American season at Syracuse last year, however he is about to be 23 so you may not see too much more production considering he will have to make these same plays in a tougher league. Greg Monroe will be a good pro, but i do not think the Nets will reach for him at number 3.
    What you could see is the Nets actually trade the pick and move down and get someone like Monroe. Having said that there is also speculation that Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets is actually on the trade market. The Nets have been the team associated with those rumors, a proposed trade could be the pick, Devin Harris, for Chris Paul. We'll surely see what happens, what I would like to see happen, LEBRON JAMES! If the Nets get Lebron it almost doesn't matter what else happens they will be a perennial one seed, however you have to prepare for life without LeBron. This lineup would be fine with me...Devin Harris at point guard, Terrence Williams at shooting guard, Rudy Gay at small forward, (restricted free agent) either Amare Stoudemire/David Lee/Carlos Boozer/or Chris Bosh (unrestricted free agents) at power forward, and of course Brook Lopez at center, with whoever they draft coming off of the bench along side Courtney Lee and Kris Humphries.
    If Evan Turner somehow doesn't go top 2 considering the recent departure of Sammy Dalembert going from the Sixers to the Kings, Philly could end up wanting Cousins or Favors. Just imagine Devin Harris with T-Will and Evan Turner on the wings....or LEBRON JAMES!
 

Yank'd; The Will to Win

    A starting pitcher who had lost his last 11 consecutive starts, was a solid inning away from qualifying for a win, not to mention a straight shut down of the New York Yankees. Justin Masterson, who we all know from coming up with the Boston Red Sox and not doing a bad job in the process. However he was the main piece involved in the Victor Martinez trade. Masterson has good stuff but has just struggled with a team who can't even win games in the AL Central, which is a rather weak division. However, today seemed to be Masterson's day, inducing ground balls with his sinker which would dive down and in to right-handed batters. The 7th inning came around, and while Cleveland had a 3-0 lead over Yanks' starter A.J. Burnett, the Yanks did what they are known for.
    Swisher, who just simply does not want May to end, hit a hard line drive single to center to lead it off. Masterson would then walk Juan Miranda. After the 1st and 2nd with 0 outs situation for Masterson, he struck out the pinch hitting Cervelli. That was a big out, however Derek Jeter was next up, and he made it happen. Jeter delivered with a 2 strike, 2 run single, which made the Yanks minus 1. 3-2 Indians, for Curtis Granderson. The Grandy-Man turned on an inside fastball off of lefthander Tony Sipp, and belted it down into the right field corner. The Yanks had 2nd and 3rd, and two outs for Mark Teixeira. Tex had been up and down, but if there was ever an appropriate time for him to break out, it was right then and there. Marky Tex launched a ball towards the left/centerfield gap which reached the audience with ease. The Yanks took a 5-3 lead with that 3-run gamechanger, and never looked back winning the game 7-3. Mariano Rivera even came in, in a non-save situation. The Yanks needed a for-sure win, and what does MO do, he locks it down.

Tough One to Swallow

    These blog posts are pretty scattered and I apologize to my followers for that, i know i have quite a bit of notoriety, however I live some kind of lifestyle. Sometimes no matter what I have scheduled, i must get down to brass tax and talk about what's going on, on the field. First, my prayers go out to Cleveland Indians starting pitcher David Huff after being hit in the left side of the head off of an Alex Rodriguez comebacker in the bottom of the 3rd. The CAT scan was negative but he'll remain at Columbia Presbyterian with his family and for further evaluations. After my own father had something similar happen in his playing days it is something to worry about, but let's hope he's ok. Having said that, there are a couple of baseball issues that were raised in this 4 hour and 22 minute debacle.
    The Yanks hit, C.C. pitched mediocre, but logged enough innings to qualify for a win and he only gave up 4. Everybody enjoying a hot summer Memorial Day weekend baseball game at Yankee Stadium including viewers at home and the players on the field all thought it was lock-down after a 10-4 lead was in tact. The game was where the Yanks wanted it, but the lead just evaporated after C.C. left the game. Girardi mixed and matched like he always loves to do, but it really did not work out in his favor this time. David Robertson, who has been up and down this year was not very effective, and then on top of that, he leaves the game with a lower back strain. Hopefully he'll be alright, but you have to wonder if this injury stemmed from the ball Mauer hit in Minnesota that ricocheted off of him. They then brought in Sergio Mitre who didn't get it done. After Mitre, it was Marte for 3 pitches, who did his job. That's where Girardi got cute bringing in Joba Chamberlain with a 10-6 lead and he did not fair well at all. Joba would give up 4 runs on 4 hits, and gave the Indians a 12-10 lead! Then Russel Branyan hit a towering homer of Chad Gaudin in the 8th. The Yanks would get one back in the 9th off of an rbi double by Derek Jeter. The Yanks would lose 13-11 to Cleveland in a game that featured 412 total pitches. Not how the Yanks and there fans thought this one would play out.

Back to Earth..For Now

    It appears Francisco Cervelli and Brett Gardner are indeed human after all. After unbelievably hot starts to the season by the rookie catcher and second year outfielder, both have tapered off quite dramatically. With the excruciatingly high number of injuries on this team, the youth and reserves need to play at a high level day in and day out. However, back-up players are not used to carrying as much weight as these guys have had to do. While I'm sure Cervelli and Gardner will pick it back up sooner or later, its pretty unlikely they will do it at the pace they were before.
    At this rate, the Yanks are still able to win around 96 games, (and in the AL East that could still only be second place) but they are going to have to get back to doing what they did throughout April, and that's pitching well, as well as getting runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs across the plate. The Yankees have indeed had a tough schedule thus far. Only 4 out of 10 different opponents they have played have losing records (Angels, Orioles, Mets, White Sox.) The Mets and Angels are definitely better than there records show as well and are both still tough to play on the road. Plus the Yanks have already played multiple series' against Boston, Tampa Bay, and are now getting ready to square up against the Minnesota Twins for the 4th, 5th, and 6th time of the year over the next 3 days.
    The Yanks will then return home and face the Indians for 4 games and the Orioles for 3, should be a favorable homestand. The month of June should be good to the Yankees, getting guys back from injury and facing only 3 teams with winning records as of now. With Curtis Granderson's resurgance in sights, I think all Yankee fans will not take him for granted after we've had to fill his spot with the likes of Randy Winn against right handed pitchers and minor league infielder Kevin Russo against left handers. The Yanks need big Tex to get back to what he's been doing for most of this month and Robby Cano to get back to what he was doing all of April, getting rbi's, but remember it always starts with good pitching..

You gotta read this..DEEP

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

 He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. 
 

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble... At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.


 When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
 When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

 
 
 'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.. 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.




 Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up. 'The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
 
 
 
 
 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

 
 'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

 
 
 
 The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
  
 After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.
 
 
 
 As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
 
 
 'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?' 
 
 
 'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'
  
 'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog..
  
 'There should be a bowl by the pump.'
 
 
 They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
 
The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
 
 When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.
 
 
 'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.
 
 'This is Heaven,' he answered. 
 
 
 'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'
 
 
 'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'
 
 'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'
 
 
 'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Some Thoughts..

    I should not be awake right now, or at least while I'm awake i should be doing some studying for an Italian test tomorrow, but I'd rather write about sports. If your reading that's where you need to say HOLLA! But first things first I want to congratulate the Duke Blue Devils on their 4th National Championship in school history. I am well aware that there are a plethora of haters, sometimes including myself, however they got it done. The core of Scheyer, Zoubek, Smith, Thomas, and Kyle Singler are just a great thing to watch when they are on. The big 3 scores the points while Thomas and Zoubek, the two Jersey boys, do the dirty work. Kyle Singler is like the NCAA's version of Dirk Nowitzki. The guy just knows where the basket is and has an incredible touch, not to mention how he fills out a stat sheet night in and night out. Coach K once again did a remarkable job directing this orchestra throughout the season and tournament despite doubt from critics and fans.

    Butler should be commended with high praise with their effort throughout the season and especially tonight's game. At no time did they feel like the underdog going shot for shot with Duke for basically the entire affair. Gordon Heyward very nearly accomplished the unthinkable half court heave at the buzzer, however they did come up on the short end, but Butler did not do anything to lose this game. Both teams that squared off were deserving of a championship and Duke did what it needed to do. Butler has a bright future behind an incredibly talented young coach. Butler will be no longer a bracket-buster, but a mainstay with the big boys. 

    

    As for the Yankees, not quite what fans had in mind. You're up 5-1 in the 5th inning with CC Sabathia on the hill. Even in Fenway Park, you still have to think good things. However the Red Sox displayed their resilience as they have been known to do in April against the Yanks. A 9-7 win it was for the BoSox. The Yanks and Red Sox both have things to look at for good and for ill. The acquisitions of Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro seem to look like good moves as they both had a hand in the win. It's been since the '04 season that the Red Sox have had a good shortstop (Orlando Cabrera) and they're hoping Scutaro can be that guy. Since Cabrera the Red Sox have tried Edgar Renteria who never fit in, Jed Lowrie who can never stay healthy, Nick Green who should never be a starting shortstop on a "contending" team, and Alex Gonzalez who is downright mediocre. With the absence of Jason Bay and a declining David Ortiz, guys like Youkilis, Pedroia, and Victor Martinez will need to pick up the slack, as they did Sunday night. You can bet the AL East will be won the hard way this year. 

    The Yankees bullpen sure didn't look as good as they planned. Chan Ho Park didn't know Pedroia can turn on an inside fastball, and Joba kept up his inconsistancy. It is way to early to put the microscope on things, however from what i got out of game 1 of 162, the bullpen could be a downfall. The Yankees proved they're going to score runs, and it was nice to see Granderson take one deep right away, as well as Gardner having multiple hits. For what's left of this first series, it surely favors Boston with matchups of Lester/Burnett and Lackey/Pettitte, however I think these ballgames will all be decided by the bullpens, and the Yanks should hit. There is a lot to look forward to. 

Overall, It's a Net Gain

Its been a hot minute, but now that the New York Yankees are ready to take on the world again, i'll be blogging nightly. First, a few thoughts about the New Jersey Nets. It has indeed been a rough season to say the least, but there has been plenty of good things for the positive man to think about. During the first 60 games of the season, there was no need to bother blogging about these Nets because it was a new night, same result. The Nets would lose interest in the game whether it was in the 2nd or 4th quarter, and then their own teammates. It was not a pleasure to watch. But now late in the season, something has clicked. The Nets have won 4 of their last 6 games moving the record to a still meek 11-65, but now have cleared their way out of a record of infamy. From people to expecting the Nets to finish with the worse record of all time, the Nets now have a shot to even finish better than the lowly 15-61 Minnesota Timberwolves. It would hurt their chances for the number one overall pick in the lottery for the upcoming draft, but it would be some type of feat to not finish with the worst record. Inspired basketball is what the Nets are playing and its a good thing to watch. The Nets have a lot to look forward to. They will be moving to the Prudential Center in Newark for the next 2 seasons, and then the stage will be set for them to move to the highly coveted Barclays Center which will be built in Brooklyn. A new owner who is expected to be approved by the league later this month by the name of Mikhail Prokhorov will no doubt about it, make a sizeable impact. This is the 39th richest man in the world who has already taken his Moscow team to the promise land twice, and he's good friends with Vladamir Putin, just throwing that out there. He's kind of a big deal, and the upcoming high profile free agents of the summer will take this man's phone call. With the likely chance of the number one draft pick which could be either Kentucky All-American point guard John Wall, or Ohio State swingman, player of the year Evan Turner, plus a couple good free agents, and a new coach, the Nets could be very well in business. Players like  power fowards Amar'e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, David Lee, as well as small forwards Al Harrington and Rudy Gay have all been quoted saying good things with interest about the Nets. The Nets also have 2 first round picks in the draft. Which originally looked like a season to forget now looks like what could possibly be a season to remember, a season that could potentially set the table for a huge turn around for this franchise. The Nets play the Wizards tonight at 6.