Draft Diary

The NBA’s biggest event in the off-season is the draft and for the first time in many years, I am watching tonight! So in the spirit of the Sports Guy here is a little Draft Diary:

7:15pm EDT We are 15 minutes away from coverage. We all know Oden and Durant go first and second respectively. After that, it might get interesting. Of course, every year there are heaps of rumors yet no big deals. So I am expecting nothing even though I just heard rumors of Ray Allen to the Celts and KG rumors are still in the air. Other storylines tonight involve the fine suits of the draft picks, who will be left in the Green Room last, and what kind of ice cream my wife will get me at the store since I am parking my rear in front of the TV tonight.

7:45 There went Oden and Durant. No surprises. Oden looks like it is his retirement, he looks so old. Durant looks like he is in Middle School. What a difference in their faces. Durant could score heaps of points in Seattle next year…he will get a lot of chances to shoot, especially if Ray Allen gets traded, which seems like it will happen. It also looks like they got rid of the Green room and let the draftees sit with their families in the crowd. Fine touch.

7:48 Atlanta takes Al Horford of Florida. They get another big man when they really need a point guard. Horford may be good but when are they getting a PG? They have passed on Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and now Mike Conley. Hmmm.

7:59 We actually have a big trade! Ray Allen to Boston and Jeff Green, Sczerbiak, and West to Seattle. Boston had to do something and this was better than them picking the Chinese guy. He would not have helped Pierce much. Now they have Allen, Pierce, and Jefferson against the Eastern Conf. Not bad. Better than before. Seattle is making their team over with Durant. Good deal. He will be the Man. They definitely are not resigning Rashard Lewis with Green and Durant as forwards and Sczerbiak as a shooter. Seattle will be fun.

8:04 Yi to Milwaukee. He is 6’11” so that is good. The Bucks need a 4. Fits pretty well but I am not sold on him yet. Besides, there are not a lot of Chinese restaurants in Milwaukee. Will he be happy with Milwaukee egg rolls? I wouldn’t.

8:07 There was some commercial about people trying out for the NBA. You just need to send in a video. Should I send in some videos from Bangladesh? Then they select 30 guys to compete for pro scouts or something. That could be interesting to see. Keep working, guys in Chittagong, maybe you will get your chance someday! (As long as all of you grow to 6’11’)

8:11 Minnesota takes Corey Brewer and I still don’t have my ice cream. All the suits so far have been very conservative but at least Joakim Noah is there. I caught a glimpse…bow tie, hair (a lot of it) brushed down, quite the look.

8:26 Noah sighting!! Great suit and bowtie. He goes to the Bulls. He has a lot of energy but can’t score a lot, which is what the Bulls need from their big pick here. They don’t need another Ben Wallace. Charlotte just picked too. Enough of the Michael Jordan emphasis. He stays in a luxury box, not on the court. But actually, if the Bobcats can sign Rashard Lewis, we could be watching them in the playoffs next year.

8:30 Great ad for the Espy’s with LeBron. I might actually have to watch. I never have. I still don’t have any ice cream.

8:33 Spencer Hawes to Sacramento. Fine pick for them since Brad Miller has absolutely fallen off the cliff. Besides, in the interview he said he has skills. Wow, he said he likes George Bush. He should get along very well with Ron Artest in the locker room.

8:41 Acie Law to Atlanta. They finally get their PG. I would love to hammer them for this pick but I actually like Acie Law a lot, so maybe the Hawks can turn things around. Then again, they are the Hawks.

9:00 OK, a bunch of random, average picks. The Clippers take Thornton, a guy who plays the same position as a bunch of their players, so they will probably be trading later. They just said 2 guys left in the Green Room, so there will be a guy left last. Gotta hate that. The Pistons pick next. I will be interested to see if Billups stays with them. If they pick a PG it will mean they think he is going. Otherwise they need a center (doesn’t everyone). Hey, I got my ice cream!

9:14 The KNICKS take Zach Randolph!! Actually, a great trade for them. Everyone knows I love Zach Randolph. I can’t pick him on my Fantasy team now that he is a Knick…but still. I will have to think about the new Portland team. But Steve Francis and Greg Oden could be a good pair, along with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Very interesting. By the way, the Nets then pick a guy that ESPN had to explain the police report for. No highlights…just cop report. THAT’s not exactly what I would be looking for in a player. Also, the Pistons did take a guard, but not a PG.

9:28 GS took some Marco somethingNelli guy because he has the same name as their coach. Now we wait on LA. And the Lakers pick…Crittenton, a PG from Ga. Tech. Who knows what that means but I doubt he is enough to make Kobe want to stay in LA and play hard. They better get KG to keep Kobe happy.

10:03 Ok, I don’t know any of the guys left so that’s it. I am moving on in my TV viewing and will read about the rest of the picks later. It was a good night. A lot of these guys will be good pros. I will ponder the picks a few days and post more comments later.
Gotta love the draft. I’m outta here.

Draft Preview

Since I am on a road trip this week (I think my life is on a permanent road trip...I mean, I live in Bangladesh!) and don't have the time to preview next week's draft yet, I thought I would link you to a preview. This one is the most fun. So until later...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070620

PS. I am in Ohio. The Cavs were definitely just happy to win the East. They were thrilled with that...which means they had no chance at beating the Spurs.

Thud!!

It isn't good for your sport when it really THUDS to a close. The Finals used to be the culmination of interest in the NBA. This year it was the first round with the Dallas-GS and Miami losing. The Spurs play great basketball but for some reason, we all find them very hard to watch. The ratings for the Finals were the lowest ever. Of course, watching the Cavs brickfest was not high level entertainment. So another season is in the books.

BUT now comes the fun part. next week is the NBA Draft...always entertaining and fodder for discussion (esp. this year). The there are FA signings and trade demands. And to keep us from getting bored this off-season, we give you, Kobe Bryant! Ok, there is no way LA is trading him regardless of his demands. I go thru this every winter with Manny on the Red Sox and every year he is still here, so don't believe that a trade is imminent. LA can keep charging high prices with Kobe on board since you never know when he might go off for 50, 60 or 81 points. So they need him in LA. But it does mean that they will have to do something big to keep him happy. So that should be fun to watch.

All right, more on all that later. I'm outta here.

I ordered this!!??

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something that just looked delicious in words and wound up stinking on the plate? Or you bought something at the store based on the great picture on the box cover, only to find out at home that some assembly is required and your model is half the size of the box picture...and breaks after one full use. Well, that is me...because I ordered the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, granted, I had seen none (count them , zero) of their games on TV this year (thank you ESPN South Asia for the E. Conf. Finals--NOT) and was giving my "expert" opinion on info heard second hand and read about. But now that I ordered Cavs du jour for the Finals...well, waiter, please take this away!

LeBron is still LeBron. He is too unselfish for his team but that is a good fault if it is your only one. But oh, his teammates!! Has there ever been a more one-man team in the Finals--ever?? Really! Let's look at these jokers. When you break it down, Drew Gooden is the second best player on the team. Drew Gooden! He couldn't even get drafted in our Fantasy League until the 5th or 6th round. Yes, on some trips he can make shots and get to the basket. But on other trips he airballs from close range. He is serviceable. But he is their 2nd best player! Look at the rest of this bunch.

Ilgauskas can cover no one, not Duncan or Elston or Umberto. He is amazingly slow and bricks a lot of jumpers that he needs to make on pick and rolls since he isn't fast enough to get to the hole. Larry Hughes was a mess in every way possible but at least he didn't hurt his team in game 3 (he didn't play). Sasha and Verajo are OK and hustle. But they too are wildly inconsistent. Daniel Gibson was their 2nd best player until 1-10 in Game 3 but that is to be expected from a rookie who didn't get the minutes he should have during the season (coach's fault). Eric Snow?? If his shot hits the rim we cheer! Donyell Marshall--how bad has his shooting been!! And whenever the announcers talk about a Cavs defensive breakdown see if Marshall is not in the game at that time. What a mess. It is truly amazing and a testament to LBJ that they made it this far. Believe me, this is not what I thought I ordered when I picked them in 7.

So can they come back from 3-0 down? Of course not! No team in basketball ever has. I mean, only one team in baseball ever has (the SOX over the Evil Empire in 2004, of course!!). So the Cavs have no shot now. We will see if they have some character and keep pushing or if they fold. I would love for LeBron in game 4 to just say to hsi teammates, "All of you are a joke. I will shoot every trip." And then I want to see him shoot EVERY trip. Maybe then they would have a chance.

I am cold in Seattle. I think many are wet in Chittagong. Hang in there. I'm outta here

Thots on Game 1

Thoughts on Game1. First of all, it was great to be able to watch with a bunch of guys. I will miss that as I move on to the US. Hopefully I can watch some of the next few games with my brother-in-law in Seattle, because watching with my mother-in-law doesn’t sound too exciting (even Mushfiq knows more about hoops than her!) Nonetheless, even a boring game can be fun in a big group...so thanks guys for my last group game of 2006-07 season and with the Seniors...although, hopefully we can have some hoop reunions. OK, enough of the sappy stuff and on to the game.

1- Tony Parker. What a mismatch for the Cavs! Parker was far and away the best player on the floor. The-artist-formerly-known-as-Larry-Hughes had no chance of staying with him at all! A lot of Duncan’s stuff was set up by Parker. Cleveland must find a way to keep him out of the paint.

2- LeBron James. He must be more assertive. He seemed passive for 3 quarters, being content to pass out of double teams. I saw enough of Donyell’s bricks and Ilgauskas’ misses...enough. LBJ MUST shoot more. In the 4th we saw him keep the ball more. He can break down the double teams but he must be more assertive.

3- Daniel Gibson. Is there a reason he only plays half the game? He doesn’t have the experience to really defend parker well but at least he has some foot speed, as opposed to Hughes. On offense Hughes gives them nothing. Gibson proved he can still knock down those 3’s and he can be Parker-esque in driving the lane. If Coach Brown (Nowshad’s long lost older brother) has to start Hughes to keep his ego in check, then please make the sub 3 minutes into the 1st and 3rd quarters...not later!

So is the series over?? No way. Remember how dead Miami looked last year after Game 2. Remember how tough Detroit looked 2 weeks ago after Game 2. A lot of ball is left to be played. Obviously Cleveland has to get it together against, really a great team in the Spurs...but they could. LBJ can still be the best player on the floor at any time if he asserts himself. Dig deep LeBron.

Now a message to ABC...please, no more pieces on relationships at halftime. This is not the same audience that watches Oprah. We would like more basketball-related pieces that get us pumped up for the 2nd half. Thank you.

If you are interested here is a link to the ever-interesting Sports Guy’s take on Game 1 http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070608 I will be on the road a few days, so no update until after Game 3. Until then, I’m outta here.

Finals Preview

Before previewing the finals, let’s wrap up Cleveland’s improbable run to the East championship. What was more amazing, the Cavs’ run or the Pistons’ collapse? I think it was more the Cavs run but what a collapse by Detroit. They even rolled over in the 4th quarter of the last game. I believe their coach, Flip Saunders, a nice guy, is gone. But this also could mean that Chauncey Billups will leave as a free agent this summer. Why should he stay? They clearly will not win a title as they are presently constituted and Rasheed is ready to implode. Detroit has no chance of beating LeBron ever again, as his confidence is sky high against them now. So he might as well leave…maybe Billups will go play with Dwight Howard in Orlando. Let’s see.

But really, the series was all about LeBron. He won games and got inside Detroit’s head doing it. He looked like DWade did last year on the Heat’s title run, except this guy is so much bigger and stronger. Wade would drive and finish with fade away bank shots; LeBron finished with hard slams. They both count for 2 points but one is more demoralizing to the defense than the other. And then LeBron has started making jump shots too. He clearly is reaching for another level and we are seeing the ascent of a possible all-time great. His Game 5 was one of the best all time and could have been THE best performance in a non-finals playoff game. Bird and Dominique had an amazing game in 87, Reggie Miller had some against the Knicks, but LeBron willed his team to that win on the road against a team that does not easily get rattled.

But now on to the Finals Preview. This is a very interesting matchup. The Spurs should be favored and should win. That does not mean they will. Let’s break it down a bit:

Inside Game. Z. Igauskas and Drew Gooden against Tim Duncan and me inside would be an advantage to the Spurs. Duncan is one of, if not THE greatest power forward ever. But can Cleveland keep him from asserting himself? Can they foul him enough to get him frustrated at the line? Maybe. That being said, this is a big advantage Spurs.

Guard Play. Daniel Gibson was huge for Cleveland against Detroit. He even made heaps of big shots in the 4th Q of the last game when the outcome was in doubt. SO even though he is a rookie, he is not afraid of the big games. BUT, both Parker and Ginobili have been in a few big games in their lives (understatement) and come out pretty well. Tony Parker is just a real good NBA point guard. He is underappreciated sometimes, but he is a great player. I am not a big Ginobili fan, but he has stepped up at times. The artist formerly known as Larry Hughes plays in the backcourt for the Cavs, as does Eric Snow off the bench. Ummmmm….advantage Spurs.

Intangibles. I am concerned with the huge celebration Cleveland had after beating Detroit. They were celebrating like they had won the title. They have never been in the Finals before and the city is desperate for a winner…but you haven’t won yet! Another intangible pointing toward San Antonio is Tony Parker’s fiancé. I am not sure what celebrities are in Cleveland (I am sure a lot will show up now to try to get in LBJ's posse). BUT last year Wade won in his first trip so there is no barrier for LeBron to do that this year. So intangibles are EVEN.

Coaches. We don’t really need to discuss this. Popovich is a great coach. Mike Brown is lucky he has LeBron. Advantage Spurs.

The Three. Now we get down to business. LeBron vs. Bowen. Detroit has a great defensive team, like the Spurs, and LBJ cut through them like a hot knife through butter (old cliché but it fits). Can Bowen slow him down? NO. Does LBJ have the confidence to take it to SA? YES. He will be the dominant player on the court throughout the entire series. More so than Duncan because 1) Duncan plays in the post and needs someone to get him the ball, 2) LBJ is a better FT shooter than Duncan, and 3) LBJ can bring up the ball and make outside shots if you play off him too much. So, yes, the series does hinge on LBJ. Will he continue his historic run through the playoffs? That is the whole series in one sentence. He has shown that he can will his team to wins. But can he against the Spurs. I say yes. Advantage Cavs.

PREDICTION: All the advantages but one point to the Spurs. Duncan and Parker are tremendous players. Michael Finley can go off and shoot 3’s like crazy at any moment. I would Robert Horry could do something, but I don’t think so. He can push the Suns around but not the Cavs. Drew Gooden is crazy enough to go off on him in a fight. I should write here Spurs in 6…but I am not. Just like Wade last year stepped way up in the Finals, LBJ can do that this year. Remember, this is the NBA, a league of stars. Defensive rules DO allow one player to take over games. Look at history. So with that in mind, here is my prediction…CAVS in 7.

Interesting point that must be said here. Game 7 is scheduled for June 21. I will be in suburban Cleveland on that date. I definitely would be wanting to watch with a big crowd of Cavs fans. So I hope my prediction is correct. Anyway, Friday morning is Game One. Party at my house! I’m outta here.

Welcome to the BBB!

Welcome to the BDeshi Basketball Blog. Mr. Hartnett and I are the bideshis that will be talking basketball. We will see what kind of shape this blog takes. I, for one, have never blogged before. We will see what kind of topics we cover and what kind of comments are posted. You can shape the blog’s topics by your own comments. It is kind of funny that we are starting a hoops blog as the season is ending, but there are still endless topics to cover. Here are a few that come to mind and a few thots about the current NBA playoffs.

1- I would like to thank Espn-Star Sports for NOT showing us the Eastern Conf. finals. Why can’t they show these??? What is that all about??? I watched 2 minutes and 24 seconds of the entire San Antonio-Utah series because it was nothing but boring blowouts. Meanwhile, Detroit-Cleveland has had close finishes, LeBron’s breakout party, and one of the overall best series ever. At least they showed the Red Sox and Yankees game this morning!( off i guess bball means baseball too!) Then again, when ESPN signed up for the conference finals, they thot they were going to get Dallas-Phoenix, Nash vs. Nowitzki, the battle of the last 2 MVP’s of the league. Too bad they are watching on TV too.

2- We will need to cover the results of this year’s playoffs. Do you realize this is the 5th time 4th time Tim Duncan has been in the finals? If the Spurs win, that would be 4 titles for him. Not many stars in history have 4 rings (even Larry Bird only had 3). I already have him as a Top 10 player all-time. He has a quiet but impressive resume.

3- Of course LeBron James has been the Man these playoffs. Let’s see how it all plays out but certainly it is history in the making as he is only 22.

4- A fun topic will be the NBA Draft at then end of June. Always is fun but especially with Oden and Durant this year.

5- Trades and all are always interesting too. Like Kobe, who says he wants to be traded out of LA. This of course, will never happen but is merely a ploy to try to get better help for him. My advice is that LA should give their whole team for KG and let Kobe and KG take on the world. They would have a chance.

That’s just a preview. I’m outta here for today.