Draftaganza! - AFC South

This is the third in a series of eight posts from Adam analyzing the 2010 NFL Draft and what it means for each franchise. 

“This is the Texans’ year.”  We have heard that for the past three years and likely will continue hearing it.  Perhaps people are bored with the Colts' machine-like consistency, or want to appear on the cutting edge by picking someone else to win this division, but not me.  I would rather be right and I would rather have Peyton Manning as my trump card.  The Texans have some nice pieces on offense but Andre Johnson is unhappy, Owen Daniels is coming off a knee injury, and Matt Schaub is very good but he is not Peyton Manning.  The Jaguars seem to be a team in transition with an odd mix of over-the-hill veterans and underdeveloped young players.  They simply do not have a core of prime-aged, star players to carry them through the NFL grind.  David Garrrard as a quarterback is up and down, solid at best.  Maurice Jones-Drew is electric but may be carrying too heavy a load.  Their receivers strike fear into nobody’s heart and their offensive line is a patchwork.  The Titans will likely be solid again leaning on Chris Johnson, a solid o-line and Vince Young (whose strip club incident proves he still does not understand leadership) making plays with his legs.  Young made a nice comeback last year but I think that his abilities as a passer will begin plateau and not improve much moving forward.  He just doesn’t seem to care enough, doesn’t have the maniacal commitment that a Manning, Brees, or Brady have.  I see the Colts taking this division easily followed by in this order: Texans, Titans, and Jaguars. 

Houston Texans

1.20 Jackson, Kareem, CB, Alabama
2.26 Tate, Ben, RB, Auburn
3.17 Mitchell, Earl, DT, Arizona
4.04 Sharpton, Daryl, LB, Miami
4.20 Graham, Garrett, TE, Wisconsin
5.13 McManis, Sherrick, CB, Northwestern
6.18 Smith, Shelley, OG, Colorado State
6.28 Holliday, Trindon, KR, LSU
7.20 Dickerson, Dorin, TE, Pittsburgh

The Texans continue their steady improvement.  Kareem Jackson should start from day one and be quite effective.  He comes from a great defense in Alabama, and has competed against NFL-level talent in the SEC.  He could be a Pro Bowl player in a few years and will nicely replace Dunta Robinson.  Ben Tate is a back with a good blend of size, speed, and production.  He will complement the slashing Steve Slaton and could even replace Slaton if his fumbling continues to be an issue.  With their next two picks they add two solid players to an emerging front seven that already boasts Mario Williams, Antonio Smith, Amobi Okeye, DeMeco Ryans, and Brian Cushing.  Like Daniels, Garrett Graham is an excellent pass catcher at tight end who could be a great value in the fourth round.  Trindon Holliday is incredibly explosive and will be a huge asset in the return game if he can stay healthy and if the Texans can resist the temptation to overuse him.  Overall, the Texans took another step toward the playoffs and could win anywhere from 9-11 games, but the Colts make a habit of winning 12-14. 

Indianapolis Colts 

1.31 Hughes, Jerry, DE, TCU
2.31 Angerer, Pat, LB, Iowa
3.30 Thomas, Kevin, CB, Southern Cal
4.31 McClendon, Jacques, OG, Tennessee
5.31 Eldridge, Brody, TE, Oklahoma
7.31 Mathews, Ricardo, DT, Cincinnati
7.33 Conner, Kavell, LB, Clemson
7.39 Fisher, Ray, DB, Indiana 

I love what the Colts did with their first pick.  When you don’t have many holes you have the chance to enhance a strength, and that is precisely what Jerry Hughes does for Indy.  The pass rushing trio of Dwight Freeney, Hughes, and Robert Mathis should be absolutely tenacious.  The Colts were already the best edge rushing team in football, and now they add a first round talent that fits their system perfectly.  Pat Angerer is a solid linebacker who will likely be in the rotation immediately and help bolster a suspect run defense.  Kevin Thomas is a nice athlete at corner and could compete for a nickel back spot, adding to a young secondary.  The Colts found a gem in Jerraud Powers last year and by spending six picks on defense in this draft they may have really built a special foundation.  The offense will of course be in great hands with Manning, Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, and a line that is aging but solid.  If this draft class can make an immediate impact, the Colts deserve to be mentioned among the favorites to win the entire AFC. 

Jacksonville Jaguars 

1.10 Alualu, Tyson, DE, California
3.10 Smith, D'Anthony, DT, Louisiana Tech
5.12 Hart, Larry, DE, Central Arkansas
5.22 Lane, Austen, DE, Murray State
6.11 Karim, Deji, RB, Southern Illinois
6.34 McGee, Scotty, KR, James Madison 

The Jags attempted to solidify defensive tackle in this draft after Marcus Stroud and John Henderson departed in consecutive years, yet there was not a draftnik in the world that didn’t revile when Tyson Alualu went tenth overall.  He may turn out to be a dynamic player but he was certainly a reach with Brian Price and Dan Williams still on the board, both viewed as better prospects.  D’anthony Smith is a plugger who will complement Alualu’s athleticism inside.  Their next two picks were spent on the line as well.  Perhaps out of the four picks they get two starters; that would be a fine result.  They did not however do nearly enough to add to their anemic offense which still has a dearth of playmakers.  Their offensive line could be on the upswing with second year players Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton progressing at offensive tackle.  Still, this is a team that will struggle to score points and whose home field advantage is one of the worst in the league.  This team looks like a 4-6 win club to me.

Tennessee Titans 

1.16 Morgan, Derrick, DE, Georgia Tech
3.13 Williams, Damian, WR, Southern Cal
3.33 Curran, Rennie, LB, Georgia
4.06 Verner, Alterraun, CB, UCLA
5.17 Johnson, Robert, DB, Utah
6.07 Smith, Rusty, QB, Florida Atlantic
6.38 Rolle, Myron, SS, Florida State
7.15 Mariani, Marc, WR, Montana
7.34 Howard, David, DT, Brown 

Morgan was a top-ten talent and they get great value snatching him at pick sixteen.  He replaces Kyle Vanden Bosch who departed to Detroit.  Morgan has great size to play the run, but is also a natural pass rusher and tremendous all-around athlete.  Still, defensive lineman is an incredibly hard position to project with its high bust potential.  Damian Williams is a very talented wideout that could develop into a nice complement to emerging Kenny Britt.  Verner out of UCLA could have gone in the second round so they get good value with him.  I think Myron Rolle is an incredibly valuable pick.  This former Rhodes Scholar will understand the game, work incredibly hard, and keep his head on straight.  He came to the combine in incredible shape, and he will be a tremendous locker room asset.  The Titans had a solid draft getting good value in places, but they are still a team in flux to me.  Jeff Fisher is a great head coach, and they should be a tough team to play, but I don’t think their passing game will be prolific enough to push them to the playoffs. 

Free to Frenzy

I remember when the Cleveland Cavaliers were bounced from the playoffs and the free agency tracker on SportsCenter began counting down the days to July 1^st.  Back then we were some 60 days from the most anticipated non-game event in the NBA’s history.  As the days on the free agency ticker have marched by, we are now just mere hours away from LeBron James hitting the open market and everyone has gotten increasingly excited.  Ric Bucher’s tie is sweating, Chris Broussard’s voice is starting to sound like Tim Kurkjian’s, and Jon Barry is, well, he’s still bald. 

Never has a player with this combination of personality, transcendent ability, and youth hit the free agent market, and the best part is that so many teams could potentially afford to pay him.   Joining LeBron is a crop of players that would form an incredible free agent class by itself.  Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce, and David Lee represent a deep, multifaceted class that could completely shift the balance of power in the NBA.  Let’s start by ranking the free agents, and then assessing where they might go. 

The Franchise Cornerstones

1. LeBron James
2. Dwyane Wade

3. Chris Bosh

Great Second Bananas:

4. Rudy Gay
5. Dirk Nowitzki
6. Joe Johnson
7. Amare Stoudemire

Players that tip the scale toward title:

8. Carlos Boozer
9. David Lee
10. Ray Allen
11. Paul Pierce

The top three require no explaining.  Rudy Gay is not the fourth-best player on this list but goes there because he is a very good player and is only twenty-three years old as opposed to Nowitzki who is thirty-two or Johnson who is thirty.  Nowitzki is still a superstar offensive player, but has demonstrated that he needs another star to get him deep in the playoffs.  Joe Johnson is overrated in my opinion but is a very good offensive player.  Still, I think on a Championship-level team he needs to be the second or maybe third best player.  Amare is a phenomenal offensive player, but he is selfish, immature, and terrible on defense.  Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom destroyed him in the postseason, and let’s face it, if a free agency super team is assembled, they will be focused on beating the Lakers and nobody else.  Boozer is a nice post player with good moves, hands, and intelligence.  He is a second star on a good team, a third star on a title contender.  David Lee is a role player that has put up good numbers on a bad Knicks team.  He is a superb rebounder.  Ray Allen goes ahead of Pierce because he will be cheaper, always fits a needed role (shooter), and I think Pierce’s body is breaking down.  Allen will have to play reduced minutes to keep his legs fresh but is still an incredibly valuable commodity. 

Now, nobody has a crystal ball so my predictions are equal parts probable and just plain wishful thinking as an NBA junkie.

Scenario 1:

Bulls get LeBron and Bosh - This is the hot rumor right now and for good reason, it makes sense and would be great to watch.  I imagine the Bulls would want to add a shooter into this mix because Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and LeBron are not exactly long range marksmen.  Let’s give the Bulls Bosh and James and say they make a sign-and-trade for Ray Allen by shipping out Deng.  The Celtics will be looking to get something for Allen and possibly get younger, and the Bulls need a shooter, so both sides get what they want.  Then the Bulls would start Rose, Allen, LeBron, Bosh, and Joakim Noah, bringing Taj Gibson (one of last year’s best rookies) off the bench.  I am not sure you would even need a bench with this ultra squad.  Still, I would be concerned about whose ego would get bruised and if there would be enough numbers available for each player.  Rose and LeBron both need the ball to be effective and neither are spot up shooters.  However, Bosh can spread the floor as a big and Ray Allen makes defenses stretch to 25 feet.  Then Noah could simply get rebounds, putbacks, and garbage points. 

If this happens then…

Heat get Johnson and Boozer - The Heat might have to sign-and-trade to make this work, but they have a lot of money, a wonderful location, and Pat Riley who would eat your children for another championship.  This team would boast a starting lineup of Mario Chalmers, Wade (who stays), Johnson, Boozer, and Jermaine O’Neal.  They might ship O’Neal or Michael Beasley for a more solid center.   This would represent the best cast Wade has ever played with, including the 2006 crew when he claimed the title with Shaq.  Chalmers is a rising player, Johnson can be counted on for twenty points a game, and Boozer is a lock for at least sixteen and ten.  This team is not quite the level of the Bulls’ super team, but it could definitely push that squad and gives Wade the ability to stay close with any team and then take over in the 4^th quarter. 

                               

Then Nowitzki, Stoudemire, and Pierce re-sign with their current teams realizing they have as good a chance at winning by staying, yet probably cannot compete with the above mega squads. 

The poor Knicks then are left with signing Rudy Gay, a great sign any other year for any other team, but the Knicks have been waiting for LeBron for 5 years, and they need a lot of help, more than Gay can do by himself.  He would form a solid young tandem with re-signee David Lee though.

Scenario 2:

Lebron and Boozer go to Miami - I think Bosh would object to being the third scoring option behind two mega stars, so instead Boozer comes to Miami and becomes perhaps the best third option in hoops.  I think people considering this scenario are misinterpreting how it would work.  Unlike what many pundits are saying, Wade does not have to have the ball to be effective.  He is a tremendous cutter, a great transition player, and gets a lot of steals off the ball to get into the open court.  Bringing in LeBron would put arguably two of the top-three players in the league on the same team, also adding Boozer, a top 25-30 player.  I think overall the Bulls team might be a bit better than this one, but if Wade and LeBron find a way to put their egos aside, this could be an all-time great team. 

Bosh to Dallas - Mark Cuban covets LeBron (BREAKING NEWS… I know.  Who doesn’t covet this man?).  But in this scenario he will be happy to piece together a sign-and-trade for Bosh, that’s the only way the Mavs will be able to afford a max salary guy.  This means that Dirk will re-sign seeking a championship opportunity.  Maybe the Mavs trade Shawn Marion, Roddy Beaubois, and Erick Dampier (expiring contract).  Then they can roll out a lineup of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Caron Butler, Dirk, and Bosh along with the other pieces they bring in.  This team might not be able to play defense, but they wouldn’t have to against most teams.   Still, the Lakers would give this soft front line fits in a seven game series, and Kobe is still unguardable.  Despite all the big names on this squad, I still think it only puts them in the conversation for a title and not on top of it. 

Stoudemire and Johnson to Knicks - Call me “crazy,” but I think Nash wants to win a title before he hangs it up.  So I think if those two signings happen, Nash may try to force a trade perhaps to join former teammates Stoudemire and Johnson, and former coach Mike D’Antoni.  Likely the Knicks would just offer some salary cap relief for Nash but that might be exactly what the suddenly rebuilding Suns want.  Now this becomes an absolute offensive juggernaut with a starting line of Nash, Johnson, Danilo Gallinari, Stoudemire, and the re-signed Lee.  Sound like the ’07 Suns much?  This is a lineup with 4 All Stars from a year ago and an emerging talent in Gallinari, but of course defense would be an issue.

Allen to the Lakers - If Allen was willing to sign for a mid-level exception aiming for another shot at a championship, then the Lakers would have to go after him.  He would provide the one element LA is missing, a deep threat.  That would make every other player on the team better.  I envision Odom and Allen coming off the bench together but essentially being starters, logging major minutes.  Imagine the Lakers’ top-six players: Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum, Odom, and Allen.   This would be another mega team; I can’t wait to see how this shakes out and to watch some mega matchups. 

Rudy Gay to the Clippers - This would be a very nice signing for the Clips.  Gay gives them a nice swing player/scorer and another young player to bolster their nice foundation.  Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, and Chris Kaman has the look of a playoff team. 

Pierce re-signs with Celtics

Scenario 3:

Lebron, Bosh, and Dirk to the Knicks - The Knicks have thirty-seven million dollars in cap space and Dirk has stated that he will take less money to win a championship.  If this move happened the Knicks might consider moving David Lee to unclutter the front court and add a solid point guard.  But for now we will keep Lee on the team.  The trio of LeBron, Dirk, and Bosh combines three superstars—an all court threat, a big that can post and knock down the three, and another athletic post with a KG-type versatile game.  Add long bomber Gallinari and bring Lee off the bench, you have the best frontcourt in hoops. 

Wade and Boozer to the Bulls - Wade is from the Chicago area and would love to come home to win it all.  He and Rose I think fit better than Rose and LeBron.  Boozer is looking to be an add-on depending on where other stars are headed.  I again like the sign-and-trade, Deng-for-Allen deal here.  Rose, Wade, Allen, Boozer, and Noah would be a great lineup although slightly undersized. 

Rudy Gay to the Nets - The Nets were not as bad talent wise as a seventy-loss team should be.  Add Gay to this team, and with the addition of third overall pick Derrick Favors, you have something special developing.   Favors, Gay, Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, and Brook Lopez is the type of young nucleus that could compete for a championship in 2-3 years, which would be a miraculous turnaround for this team, but don’t expect results right away. 

Joe Johnson to Clippers - This is farfetched because I doubt Johnson wants to come to this team, but the Clips have cap space and will make Joe a rich man.  He would give them another guy they can go to in the clutch and a good dose of veteran leadership.  I wonder about Baron Davis being dealt.  Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin are an exciting young duo that would benefit from the addition of a veteran All Star in Johnson. 

Pierce and Stoudemire re-sign.


--from Adam

(All images from nba.com)

Kobe's Place

Ranking players within any sport is a difficult enterprise but by no means is it an exercise from which we should shy away.  Difficulties arise in comparing different eras, positions, styles of play, etc., but it is not impossible to reach reasonable conclusions about where a certain player stands in the hierarchy of all-time greatness. 

Ranking players in such a way is great for conversation and a great tool for providing context; measuring the greats of different generations offers fans a historical framework for viewing sports.  It helps us understand when we are seeing a truly transcendent athlete versus merely a very good one. 

With Kobe Bryant recently hoisting another NBA Championship trophy, the discussion of his greatness and his all-time place is unavoidable.  But first we need to break the conversation down into more manageable categories.  Without doing so, the list of players to compare to Kobe gets rather unmanageable.  So first let’s look at Kobe against the best players of his era, meaning post-Bird, Magic, and Jordan. 

As I see it, and this is a critical phrase because subjectivity is an unavoidable force affecting this conversation, there are a handful of players that we should compare to Kobe from this generation; call them his contemporaries.  Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade seem to be the only players of the post-Jordan era worthy of discussing alongside Bryant in an all-time great type of conversation. 

Now that we have some players to compare Kobe to, we need some set of standards for ranking these players.  Championships must be the top criteria, although clearly not the only one.  If I were to exclusively judge based on titles, Derek Fisher would enter this conversation despite never making an All Star game, and LeBron would never enter the conversation at all.  Yet clearly the point of competition is to win and who wins the most thusly is the most proficient at the art of competition.

The next category is accolades (All Star selections, awards, All-NBA, etc.) with durability factoring into the discussion as well.  Then come statistics which are so valuable because of their relative objectivity.  Finally, and most subjectively, is the eye ball test, which I use to indicate how I felt while watching each one play.  How much I felt each player controlled the outcome of the game they were in and their ability to feel the pulse of a game and dictate possessions, especially in the playoffs.

Garnett cannot be on the same level as Bryant simply because of the number of titles he has won in comparison to Kobe.  You could reasonably argue that Garnett could have three-peated had he played with Shaq, but could he have won two more titles as the alpha dog?  Besides, just assuming that Garnett would have come out with four more titles than he currently has simply by being a Laker is an extreme assumption and an exercise in uncontrolled revisionist history.  They each have one MVP, and have split when they met in the finals, but Kobe has four more rings and you simply cannot argue with that. 

Duncan gives Kobe a serious run in the all-time discussion, and may ultimately fall short for superficial considerations.  Many hold his low key demeanor against him; his game has zero sex appeal to it.  However, effectiveness is the measure of a basketball player and Duncan was perhaps the most coolly efficient player of his generation.  He has won two MVPs and four titles.  Yet he falls behind Bryant because his scoring was never in Kobe’s neighborhood, he has one less title and could easily fall further behind, and Duncan’s Spurs were dominated by Kobe’s Lakers repeatedly when they played head-to-head in the playoffs.  Additionally, Duncan, while a dominant force, did not take over a game and close it down at the end like Kobe has and does. 

Shaq falls behind Kobe because Kobe has now won two titles without him, and because Shaq was more dominant than he was great.  He never improved his free throw shooting, and for as much criticism as Kobe gets for being a difficult teammate, Shaq has now played on five separate teams and feuded with nearly every coach he has had.  Additionally, Shaq’s abilities have declined steadily for the past six years and he has not been able to adapt his game like Kobe has.

Nowitzki and Nash cannot match Bryant in numbers or championships, and although they have three MVPs between them, it is nearly futile to argue that they can be in the same historic class as the five-time champion Bryant.  Nowitzki and Nash have one finals appearance between them, whereas Kobe has seven appearances and five titles. 

Wade is a great player but has missed many games due to injury, while Bryant has been a model of durability over his fourteen year career.  Wade has one title to Kobe’s five, and simply does not have the list of accolades to compare with Kobe.

LeBron has the ability to have perhaps the most impressive numbers outside of Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history.  And while it is clearly too early to write the book on LeBron’s career, he is six finals appearances and five titles behind Kobe.  Heading into his eighth season, LeBron needs to start adding rings soon if he hopes to come anywhere near Kobe’s championship total.   Numbers are great, and important in this discussion, but to be in the all-time debate you need multiple titles. 

Thus far I have argued that Kobe is clearly the best player among his contemporaries, and while you could maybe argue Duncan, and might eventually insert LeBron into the argument down the road, I feel secure with Kobe’s place in his generation, and he is not nearly done yet.  Duncan appears to be on a severe decline with an aging team, so he will likely continue to fall behind Kobe for the rest of his career.

With Kobe carrying his generation’s banner we need now to compare him to the greats of other NBA generations.  Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird represent the best of the 80s and 90s.  Isaiah Thomas, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Gary Payton, John Stockton, and Charles Barkley are also interesting names but clearly fall short of Bryant’s résumé.

Bird averaged twenty-six points and eight boards a game, numbers pretty darn similar to Kobe’s career marks.  Yet he won two less titles than Bryant and with Robert Parrish, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, and Bill Walton as teammates he had a much better surrounding cast than Kobe has ever had, even considering the last three years.  

I place Kobe above Magic as well despite their very similar career accomplishments and numbers, including Magic’s three MVPs compared to Kobe’s single MVP honor.  Magic averaged nineteen points and eleven assists for his career, while Kobe has averaged twenty-five and five.  Neither player has the clear edge there and they both have five career titles.  So given the MVP deficit, how can I put Kobe ahead of Magic?  In a word, “help.”  Magic had two teammates counted among the top fifty players of all-time in James Worthy and Kareem.  He also had great role players that could have been stars elsewhere in Michael Cooper and Byron Scott.  A lineup of Magic, Coop, Scott, Worthy, and Kareem would be like if Kobe had played with this lineup for the bulk of his career:  Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Gasol, and Shaq, and that probably still does not give Kobe as good a cast as Magic. 

Kobe goes behind Jordan because Jordan’s numbers were better by a substantial margin; he won five more MVP’s than Kobe, one more title, never lost in the finals, and was perhaps an even more intense competitor than Kobe.  Additionally, he was the lead dog on every team he ever played on and did not have the insane amount of talent surrounding him that Magic did. 

Kareem goes ahead of Kobe because he played twenty-two years, is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has six MVPs and six championships.  In fact, on numbers, Kareem could easily be placed ahead of Jordan, but because of Jordan’s iconic status that is unlikely to happen. 

So from the 80s forward my Mt. Rushmore in this order is Jordan, Kareem, Kobe, Magic.  But now we have to go back further and consider Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Bob Cousy, and Bill Russell.   I have to punish this era slightly because there were far less teams and thus winning titles was moderately easier. 

West, Baylor, and Chamberlain all fall behind Kobe because they played with each other (an insanely talented team) and yet were beaten nearly every year by the Celtics and won only 1 title together.  Wilt had incredible numbers and was perhaps the most dominant singular force in basketball history, but winning matters and he did not win enough especially in an era with so few teams. 

Oscar Robertson averaged a triple double over the course of a full season and averaged near that for his career.  However he only won a single title, and again it was in an era with much less competition and fewer teams. 

Dr. J was a revolutionary force in basketball and reserves a special place for his part in revolutionizing the game, but does not have the list of accomplishments or the all-around game to be mentioned above Kobe.  He had a spectacular ABA career winning four MVP’s and three titles, but in the NBA he won only one title despite playing with another all-time great…

Moses Malone was as dominant a big man as there was in his era averaging twenty-four points and seventeen boards a game.  However he won only a single title and much of his career was spent in the ABA. 

Cousy won eight championships as a part of a great Celtic team, but was not the lead dog on his team and played with a handful of other Hall of Famers, and was on the severe decline for the last few titles his teams won.  His dribbling style was a vision of the future, but he was not the offensive or defensive force that Kobe is, and was never the best player on a title team. 

Russell goes ahead of Kobe because he was the original winner, he coached his team and played on it at the same time, was the best defender and rebounder in NBA history, and has a whopping eleven total rings.  ‘Nuff said. 

So finally after our odyssey through NBA history (an inexact science at best, I know) we have the top 5 all-time list and it goes in this order: Jordan, Kareem, Russell, Kobe, and Magic.  Not bad.

I now do a little projecting here figuring that Kobe will likely be a top player for 2-3 more years and will at least continue to be effective for 4-6 more years.  If Kobe can stay at a high level for five more years, he could become the NBA’s all time leading scorer, add another title, perhaps another MVP, and move behind Kareem with the second most All Star Game appearances of all time.  It is not inconceivable that Kobe could be a top-two player in NBA history by the time he hangs up his sneakers, and whether you hate Kobe or not, his résumé will be nearly impossible to refute if he plays until age 36 or so.   To finish this piece, let’s take a look at Kobe’s career accomplishments.

NBA Titles - 5

NBA MVPs - 1

NBA Finals MVPs - 2

Scoring Titles - 2 (including a season where he averaged an immaculate 35 per game)

All Star selections - 12

All Star MVPs - 3

8-time All-NBA first team

2-time All-NBA second team

2-time All-NBA third team

8-time first team All-Defense

2-time second team All-Defense

Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)

1997 Slam Dunk Contest Champion

81 points in a single game (2^nd all time)

7 NBA Finals appearances

12^th on the all-time scoring list (with a chance to move as high as 6^th by the end of next year)

--from Adam 

(For image sources see links: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)

Eric's World Cup Update

Now that the United States has moved on to the knockout round, I have one thing to say, GO GHANA!

You might call me any number of things for thinking such a horrid thought, but I have my reasons.  Let's investigate, shall we?

First, African teams have always done poorly on the World Cup stage and I want this to be the year that a team can actually make a real go at it.  Do I think Ghana will win the World Cup?  No, probably not, but they need to start their run somewhere and here it just happens to be against the United States.

Second, we're playing on African turf.  Let's hear it for the home team!  It makes me sad that (unless a couple miracles happen allowing Ivory Coast to make it through) there will only be one African team that makes it out of the group round.  This is the first year ever the host country's team didn't make it out of group play.

Third, we as Americans, could hardly care less about soccer.  The only time US soccer matters to anyone in the US is when we're winning.  Losing is a part of the game too (and so is a tie if we want to talk about how the US got into the round of sixteen).  If the majority of people cared about the game, they would be able to follow its players and story lines without just looking at the letters on the scoreboard to know what matters.  If they would watch a match or two more than once every four years, they could see the beauty in the game rather than just looking for another chance to chant, "USA!  USA!"  We insist that the game is called "soccer" despite the entire globe calling it "football;" it's ignorance on top of apathy.  Let a more passionate nation taste victory.

This will be one voice cheering for the Black Stars.  GO GHANA!

--from Eric

You always hope to have one Blue Jay game a year

Movin' and Groovin' II: Electric Boogaloo

Well, the college football landscape continues evolving, but not in the ways I was expecting.  So much for Superconferences as Texas and the nine other remaining Big 12 schools decide to stick together.  As always, the issues revolve around money, but also involved are the conservative sentiments of never wanting to upset the status quo no matter ridiculous it may be.  Heaven forbid the powers that be make changes that actually effect the game in a positive way; just take the cash instead.

Texas leads the charge to keep the Big 12 intact and vows "More Money!" in the process.  It has long been a goal of Texas to have their own television station comparable to the Big Ten Network, but now in the new deal, the Big 12 will get its own network.  Texas still wins out though because through some wacky logic, Texas (and Oklahoma and Texas A&M) get a bigger share of the Big 12's profits than the other schools in the Big 12.  That was one of the reasons Nebraska cited as why they left the conference and it's also one of the reasons why Texas didn't make the jump to the Pac-10, because they would not have gotten that preferential share among a sixteen team league.  And now since there are two less schools in the Big 12, that means slices of the pie don't have to be cut as thin, allowing all of the remaining schools to potentially make more money assuming Big 12 profits stay constant, which very well should happen in such a football-crazy part of the country.  The ten team Big 12 does lose out of its lucrative Conference Championship Game sponsored by Dr. Pepper, but it should more than make up for it money-wise by creating their own television network and being able to sell advertising there.

In another bit of news/speculation, it is likely that Utah will become the next team to join the Pac-10.  Expansion is not over.  The Pac-10 looks to keep adding, not stopping at eleven teams and moving up to twelve to ensure a Conference Championship Game.  The move will put Utah in a better standing for the BCS, now playing in a BCS conference rather than going undefeated and only getting a shot at some lesser bowl.  The move does not help the Mountain West Conference though.  They added Boise State last week, but now by losing Utah, the MWC is in much the same position as where they were with only two strong teams (Boise and TCU) instead of three.

Winners and losers of this second round of conference shake-ups:

Winners

Texas - They don't join the Pac-10 where they would get an equal share of conference profits, instead they stick to familiar territory where they can make bank on a new television network devoted to Big 12 coverage.  They also get out of playing a conference championship game, one more opportunity to trip up National Title hopes.

Pac-10 - They are not the big winner they could have been, but they did accomplish what they set out to do, which was to expand to twelve teams and secure a Conference Championship Game.

Losers

Mountain West - They looked to be winners six days ago, but now that it appears Utah is on the move, they are right back in BCS purgatory.  They could have had Utah, Boise State, and TCU battling each other, improving each others' strength of schedule, and made an even bigger run to BCS glory, but it was not meant to be.

And the biggest losers...

Everyone who wants to see a real National Champion, rather than just a team who computers say is pretty good.

--from Eric

Movin' and Groovin': A Take on the NCAA Conference Shake-Up

In the last two days there have been some moves shaking the the NCAA's conference structure to its very core.  The Big 12 is a dying animal, wheezing out its last breaths as Colorado hops ship to the Pac 10 and Nebraska defects for the Big 10.  Another big move is Boise State leaving the conference they have dominated for the past decade, the Western Athletic Conference, for a much more competitive conference, the Mountain West.  Now, anybody who knows anything about college sports knows that when it's all said and done with, these moves are all about the money.  And since football is the NCAA's number one money maker, for the purposes of this article, I will focus on how the shifting conferences affects the college football landscape.  More after the break...

more where that came from

Here's a link eulogizing the Big 12.

Notes from Lord Stanley

After a thrilling six-game series, the Chicago Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup by overpowering their undermatched opponents, the Philadelphia Flyers.

Draftaganza! - AFC North

This is the second in a series of eight posts from Adam analyzing the 2010 NFL Draft and what it means for each franchise.

Big Ben Roethlisberger is a moron and likely compromised the Steelers’ chances of beating out the Ravens or the Bengals for the division title.  The Bengals were solid last year but sputtered down the stretch and looked out of place in the playoffs.  The Ravens defense is aging, and while the offense has improved, the identity of this team is in flux.  Are they a dominant defense, an explosive offense, both or neither?  I think ultimately the Ravens have the most players and had a nice draft and they will end on top of this division.  The Browns suck.

Baltimore Ravens

2.11 Kindle, Sergio, DE, Texas

2.25 Cody, Terrence, DT, Alabama

3.06 Dickson, Ed, TE, Oregon

4.16 Pitta, Dennis, TE, BYU

5.25 Reed, David, WR, Utah

5.26 Jones, Art, DT, Syracuse

6.25 Harewood, Ramon, OT, Morehouse

I thought Kindle could have gone much higher and was kind of rooting for the Niners to take him in the first round.  Kindle and Terrell Suggs form a terrifying pass rushing team.  And with Ray Lewis and Haloti Ngata joining this tandem, this represents an elite front seven.  If Terrence Cody can be in reasonable shape he can also be a unique force for this team.  On potential, this is one of the best front sevens in years.  The Ravens also get two weapons in Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta.  Todd Heap is aging and could use some complementary players.  Pitta is an excellent pass catcher and reminds me of a Dallas Clark-type talent.  Add this young talent to Ray Rice and you've got something.  They also add Anquan Boldin who is a Pro Bowler when healthy but he often has trouble staying on the field.  Donte Stallworth makes his comeback with the Ravens as well.  Joe Flacco is entering that barometer third year and should be ready to become a perennial near-Pro Bowl player.  If Boldin is right, this team could be Super Bowl level.  Their cornerbacks are a concern and Ed Reed has really been banged up.

Cincinnati Bengals

1.21 Gresham, Jermaine, TE, Oklahoma

2.22 Dunlap, Carlos, DE, Florida

3.20 Shipley, Jordan, WR, Texas

3.32 Ghee, Brandon, CB, Wake Forest

4.22 Atkins, Geno, DT, Georgia

4.33 Muckelroy, Roddrick, LB, Texas

5.21 Hudson, Otis, OG, Eastern Illinois

6.22 Briscoe, Dezmon, WR, Kansas

7.21 Stephens, Reggie, OL, Iowa St.

The Bengals drafted very well based on talent available and need.   The Cincinnati defense was good last year, but down the stretch their offense was totally inert.  Gresham is a huge talent at tight end and instantly makes Chad Ochocinco and Carson Palmer better.  Shipley can be a very good slot receiver right away, and with those two picks the Bengals have given Palmer two great middle-of-the-field targets.  Carlos Dunlap can be a nightmare pass rusher if he is motivated and focused, but this is a guy who once got pulled over drunk while parked at a stoplight, the perfect Bengal.  Brandon Ghee is very talented and joins an elite, young corner tandem of Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph.  This team should really be able to cover.  I think the Bengals did enough to make this team a threat to win the division if Carson Palmer can get back to his Pro Bowl level.  I think Dezmon Briscoe is another nice addition with a 6th round pick. 

Cleveland Browns

1.07 Haden, Joe, CB, Florida
2.06 Ward, T.J., FS, Oregon
2.27 Hardesty, Montario, RB, Tennessee
3.21 McCoy, Colt, QB, Texas
3.28 Lauvao, Shawn, OT, Arizona St.
5.29 Asante, Larry, SS, Nebraska
6.08 Mitchell, Carlton, WR, South Florida
6.17 Geathers, Clifton, DE, South Carolina

Joe Haden is going to be very good, mark it down.  He is a tremendous athlete, a big personality, has the confidence necessary to play the humbling cornerback position, and he likes to hit.  He will be an All-Pro within three years.  TJ Ward is a solid player that may start instantly at safety, so with their first 2 picks the Browns really rebuilt their secondary.  Montario Hardesty is going to be a good-to-very good back in this league.  He has good size, above average speed, and great wiggle.  He is a natural runner.  He has had some knee injuries but if he can stay healthy he can be the real deal.  Colt McCoy completed 78% of his passes in his junior year, which is a great sign no matter when, where, or in what system you play in.  He is a good athlete with nice mobility and a decent arm.  If he is groomed well, protected, and eventually given weapons, he can thrive in this league.  This is a draft that may look better and better as the years go by, but for now, the Browns are still on the bottom of the heap.

Pittsburgh Steelers

1.18 Pouncey, Maurkice, C, Florida
2.20 Worilds, Jason, DE, Virginia Tech
3.18 Sanders, Emmanuel, WR, Southern Methodist
4.18 Gibson, Thaddeus, DE, Ohio St.
5.20 Scott, Chris, OT, Tennessee
5.33 Butler, Crezdon, CB, Clemson
5.35 Sylvester, Stevenson, LB, Utah
6.19 Dwyer, Jonathan, RB, Georgia Tech
6.26 Brown, Antonio, WR, Central Michigan
7.35 Worthington, Doug, DT, Ohio St.

Pouncey is physical, talented, and versatile and will help this o-line immediately.  Jason Worilds is solid and will likely be a contributor especially once he gets into that Steeler system.  Thaddeus Gibson might be a better player than Worilds and should bolster this defense as well.  Jonathan Dwyer was a projected first rounder, so he is a great value in the 6^th, and could form a very nice tandem with Rashard Mendenhall.  Still, this is a team with aging veterans, a leadership void with Big Ben literally screwing away his future, and will see a dip in explosiveness with Santonio Holmes gone.  This team will struggle this year, and may be on the way down for the next 5-10 years.