Category Archives: sports

Indiana Pacers Trade Collison/Jones to Dallas for Ian Mahinmi

The Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks agreed on a trade this afternoon. Point guard Darren Collison and swingman Dahntay Jones were sent to the Dallas Mavericks for French center Ian Mahinmi.

Dallas had to finish a sign and trade with Mahinmi to complete the deal. Iahinmi will receive $16 million over the next for seasons. Collison and Jones are both in the last year of their deals.

Dallas signed Chris Kaman today and made Mahinmi expendable.

Lance Stephenson and Orlando Johnson will be taking Jones’ role. Have they impressed enough in Summer League to commit that much to the pair?

We breakdown which team will benefit the most from this trade.

The Indiana Pacers just signed Roy Hibbert to a max deal and needed a backup center. Longtime member of the Pacers, Jeff Foster retired mid-season and left a hole at center. They signed Kyrylo Fesenko as a stopgap, but he never produced at the position. That meant more minutes for Lou Amundson, who was streay and currently an unrestricted free agent.

Ian Mahinmi has had limited success in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks. He hasn’t logged many minutes and averaged a career-best 18.7 minutes per game in 2011-12. He has the potential to be an upgrade over Amundson. The Pacers will know what they have by second season of this deal.

Collison and Jones both lost playing time last season. George Hill overtook the Collison’s spot as starting point guard. Jones lost playing time to Lance Stephenson and Leandro Barbosa. They lost playing time because of the emergence of younger talent and from the Barbosa trading deadline deal. They are still very talented and Dallas need their skill-sets.

Dallas will reap the benefits of this trade right away. They lost Jason Kidd and Jason Terry via free agency and Collison and Jones will help immediately. The Mavericks tried to hit a home run by shedding payroll in hopes of signing Deron Williams or Dwight Howard, but those deals never materialized. They must go on without them and surround Dirk Nowitzski with enough talent to make the playoffs.

This deal is a win/win for both teams. The Pacers needed a backup center and Mahinmi’s upside and size made him attractive. Dallas needed to fill their roster this season and only had to commit one year to both of these players. They are setting themselves up with enough cap space to go after big names next off-season. Both teams got what they wanted and rid themselves of unneeded talent.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Brook Lopez Re-Signs With Nets, Kills Dwight Howard Deal

This should finally end all of the Dwight Howard to Brooklyn trade rumors…until January 15th.

According to the The Star-Ledger, Lopez and the Brooklyn Nets agreed on a maximum-salary contract of $61 million over four years.

The deal means the Nets are officially out of the Dwight Howard sweepstakes. Teams are not able to newly-signed players, other than sign and trade deals, until January 15th, 2013. Lopez will be Brooklyn’s starting center at the opening of the 2012-13 season.

What does this mean for Dwight Howard? Is this a smart move by Brooklyn? Will Howard’s asking price drop by January?

Howard appears to be the odd man out in Orlando. He has done everything but spit on the Magic franchise since he “injured” his back late last season and missed the playoffs. The big man has made it clear that he wants out and his relationship with the team is beyond fractured.

I look for Howard to realize he can’t put a Magic jersey back on and forces a trade to another team. Magic fans will no longer embrace him and he has to go.

The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers have made it clear that they would like to trade for him, even if it’s a rental for one season. Those teams believe they could entice Howard to sign a long-term deal once he is within the organization. Brooklyn made a similar gamble when they traded with the Utah Jazz for Deron Williams…he just signed a long-term deal to stay with Brooklyn.

The Nets are looking more and more like a playoff team. Their team currently has Lopez, Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallce, MarShon Brooks (who’s underrated), and Mirza Teletovic in their rotation. This team looks like a top-five seed in the Eastern Conference.

I feel like this isn’t the last time we will hear Dwight Howard & Brooklyn Nets in the same sentence, but this should end that trade rumor for a few months.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

NBA: Memphis Grizzlies sign Jerryd Bayless

In what could be the most ‘sneaky good’ signing of this off-season so far, according the ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Memphis Grizzlies signed Jerryd Bayless.

Memphis hopes that he will fill the void left by the all-but-certain departure of O.J. Mayo. He will be in line to backup starting point guard Mike Conley.

Bayless, 23, has already bounced around the league and has yet to live up to his potential. He was a lottery pick coming out of the University of Arizona. He has not averaged more than 22.7 minutes per game in his career.

He is coming off his best season as a pro by averaging 11.4 points per game and shooting 42.3% from behind the arc. He played the 2011-12 season with the Toronto Raptors.

The terms of his deal are yet to be disclosed, we will update when they are announced.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Tom Brady singing "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen [VIDEO]

Here’s a video of Tom Brady singing Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”. The editing of this video must have taken weeks. This is just amazing…thank you Kristen Radu for sharing this with me.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012-13 NBA Off-season: Free Agent Tracker

If you’re looking for NBA free agent information, you want everything, we have everything!

The Miami Heat didn’t win the championship with only three guys, they needed to fill out their roster with competent players. The players who sign and appear on the last page of the sports section are just as important.

Players can officially sign with a team starting on July 11th. The listings below are the confirmed contract agreements so far. Bookmark this page, since I will be updating this post daily as the official free agent signings start rolling in.

Check out who your team has signed and other available free agents for the 2012-13 NBA season.
Continue reading →

2012-13 NBA: Top 10 Most Overpaid Free Agents

There is one theme that stands out early in the 2012-13 off-season…NBA GMs are spending a lot of money on guys who may end up as deadweight. Free agents are not able to sign with teams until July 11th, but the confirmed agreements have been rolling in already.

Middle-of-the-road teams are offering inflated contracts to restricted free agents who are tied to teams that lack salary cap space. Due to the new collective-bargaining agreement, the luxury tax raises to a point where it will cost owners a lot of money to go over. Players will still need to sign those offer sheets, but talent could find the money too difficult to resist.

Which players have already been overpaid this off-season? Here are the top ten most overpaid free agents so far this off-season.

Jeremy Lin: Knicks/Rockets – 4 years / $29 million
The Houston Rockets offered Lin this contract and the New York Knicks can match it. ESPN’s Marc Stein tweeted that the Knicks will match any deal he is offered. Darren Rovell would say that this contract is a bargain. The sheer merchandise sales should exceed $29 million dollars. I agree that the Asian market will support Lin, should the Rockets or Knicks be worried about giving this much money to a guy who had a nice three week run last season? If he doesn’t play well or gets injured, he won’t earn the team anything. Yao Ming was injured for most of the last three seasons he played and I doubt Houston got their money’s worth.

Omer Asik: Bulls/Rockets – 3 years / $25.1 million
The Rockets are really trying to piss off teams near the luxury tax. The Chicago Bulls aren’t in a position to match Houston’s offer of three years for $25.1 and shouldn’t. He played some key minutes for the Eastern Conference champions, but paying Asik $8 million a year for 3.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game is very steep. Rockets GM Daryl Morey is a smart guy, but he is making some questionable offers early this off-season.

Jeff Green: Boston Celtics – 4 years / $36 million
Green is coming back from major heart surgery. His health is a major concern, but he never meshed with the team when he came over in the Kendrick Perkins trade. He doesn’t have a set position, plays defense poorly, and doesn’t rebound well at any position. Boston is taking a huge gamble by giving him a four-year deal. I worry that this will be a regrettable contract by this time next year.

Michael Beasley: Phoenix Suns – 3 years / $18 million
At first glance, $18 million dollars isn’t much money for three years in the NBA. Beasley has had limited success in the league, but he has yet to live up to his college hype. He is undersized for his position with off the court issues. The Suns aren’t going anywhere as an organization and Beasley is known to disappear in games. I don’t see this signing working out for either party.

Nicolas Batum: Trail Blazers/Timberwolves – 4 years / $45 million
Before I go on a rant on how this contract is bad, I just want to add that this deal could be worth as much as $50 with bonuses. Batum has as much potential as any young free agent available this off-season. Minnesota is offering him ridiculous money knowing that there is a small chance that Portland will/can match it. Portland is currently in the hunt for Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert and can’t overspend to keep Batum. Minnesota’s offer for Batum assures they have little faith in former #2 overall Derrick Williams. They are currently trying to trade him, but has yet found a suitor. I hope Batum lives up to the deal, but he may never live up to this big deal.

Steve Nash: Los Angeles Lakers – 3 years / $27 million
The Lakers had to trade two first-round picks and two second-round picks for the opportunity to overpay the 38-year old Steve Nash. The lauded Suns training staff has resurrected the careers of Shaquille O’Neal, Great Hill and has kept Nash looking fresh. Unless the Lakers have another move in line, say a trade for Dwight Howard, I don’t get this contract. They played well with Ramon Sessions and they could have re-signed him for half of Nash’s contract and wouldn’t have needed to trade draft picks. It will be interesting to see how Kobe and Nash will handle the last five minutes of a close game. Both players need the ball in their hands to be effective.

Landry Fields: Toronto Raptors – 3 years / $20 million
The Raptors couldn’t sign Nash, so they made a hasty decision and offered Fields an inflated contract. If Nash broke up with them, Fields is their rebound. Fields was a second-round pick and exceeded expectations. $20 million is a lot of money to offer a guy who has yet to score more than 9.7 points per game and saw a drop in every major offensive category in 2011-12.

George Hill: Indiana Pacers – 5 years / $40 million
As a Pacers fan, writing Hill’s name in this column stings a little. I think Hill is a good player and believe that he deserves to be the starting point guard over Darren Collison, but this deal feels bad. He is a local Indianapolis product and even went to college at IUPUI (Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis), but he doesn’t put butts in the seats. The Pacers had the second-worst attendance in the NBA for a team who had the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. If they lose Roy Hibbert to Portland, this money can’t be used to sign a marquee player to fill the hole in the frontcourt.

Gerald Wallace: Brooklyn Nets – 4 years / $40 million
The (then) New Jersey Nets got themselves in trouble by shipping a lottery pick to Portland for 20+ games with Gerald Wallace. If they didn’t re-sign him, the trade would have went down as one of the most lopsided deals this decade. He had all of the cards and the Nets had to overpay him in order to not look like fools. Money will be tight for Brooklyn since they also re-signed Deron Williams and acquired Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks in a trade.

O.J. Mayo: Unknown – Too Much Money
Mayo has yet to sign with a team and he has plenty of suitors. The Pacers, Bulls, Suns, and Celtics are among the favorites to land him. They will have to pay a premium price for a player who hasn’t lived up to his potential (see: Michael Beasley). NBA GMs believe that he has yet to be pushed and would respond positively. Mayo did improve his numbers last season, but if he were to go to, let’s say the Pacers, he would be coming off the bench. Paul George should be entrenched as the starting shooting guard. Mayo will be receiving starter’s money this off-season.

Others candidates rumored to be overpaid
Courtney Lee
Chris Kaman
J.J. Hickson
Shannon Brown
Marcus Camby
Boris Diaw
Raymond Felton
Randy Foye
Lou Williams
Gerald Green
Jordan Hill
Josh Howard
Kris Humphries
Carl Landry
JaVale McGee
Anthony Randolph
DeShawn Stevenson

I’m sure there will be other free agents signing outrageous contracts during the 2012-13 off-season. The GMs will slowly bankrupt teams with dumb contracts on teams whose amnesty clause has already been used. There is nothing the fans can do to stop them from spending the salary cap money so freely even though we’re the ones who pay for it in the end with higher ticket prices.

Yay!

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

The 12 Hottest Female Athletes of the 2012 Olympics

The 2012 Olympics in London, England will soon be here and we want to make sure our readers are as informed as possible. We have logged many hours scouting the female ‘talent’ who will compete in this year’s Olympic games.

We wanted to make sure that we didn’t list the female athletes that you will never see during the telecast. Every female athlete in this post are medal contenders in their respective events and a few could win the gold.

This list of the 12 hottest/sexiest female athletes who will compete in the 2012 Olympics come from a wide range of sports. We have ladies who compete in track and field, soccer, tennis, swimming, etc. A few of the names will be familiar to you, but we have picked out a few sleepers who will turn heads and make appearances on every sports blog the day after their event.

Have a seat, open a Red Bull, and enjoy the view… Continue reading →

Adam Morrison Looks Like a Homeless Man…Again!

A few years ago, I posted a picture of Adam Morrison in the stands at a Gonzaga basketball game. He was looking like a shell of himself and probably had a fatty blunt rolled up behind his ear.

Mr. Morrison is back! I now present you with ‘Adam Morrison looks like a homeless guy Part 2’…after the jump.

Let’s do an ‘America’s White Boy Fashion Breakdown’…

He is sporting a goatee that would make Scooby Doo’s Shaggy jealous.
Notice the ‘shit under the jersey’ look made famous by every whiteboy ever.
He looks like he would drink a Four Loko with dinner.
How many cases of dry shampoo does this hippie have in his bathroom?

I can’t bash on Adam Morrison too hard. He is one of the reasons why I named my blog ‘America’s White Boy‘ years ago. He has helped me fill the blog with content…humorous content.

In a perfect world, Adam Morrison would still be playing ‘Halo 2’ against J.J. Redick on Xbox Live. I doubt if Morrison has upgraded his system to an Xbox 360.

Before I go, I just want to let the Brooklyn Nets fans know that this will be the face of your franchise if the team can’t strike a deal with Deron Williams. Let that marinate tonight and see how many gray hairs appear by morning.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NBA Draft – Draft Grades

The 2012 NBA Draft is in the books.

We expected a lot of trades tonight, but only minor trades occurred. The usual drama that surrounds early picks wasn’t there. Overall, this draft was uneventful and fairly boring.

Even if the public deemed this draft to be a bit bland, it doesn’t mean that this draft wasn’t important. Many teams improved their teams by making smart draft picks and some teams left fans scratching their heads.

I go team-by-team and give out draft grades for the entire league. Which teams make the honor roll and which teams are doomed to repeat the year?

Atlanta Hawks – #23 John Jenkins (Vanderbilt) & #43 Mike Scott (Virginia)
Jenkins is the best 3-point shooter in the draft and Scott is one of the most consistent scorers. If the Hawks were looking to improve their offense, they would have had a difficult time beating the duo they picked. Draft Grade: A-

Boston Celtics – #21 Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), #22 Fab Melo (Syracuse), & Kris Joseph (Syracuse)
The Celtics were already the best defensive team in the NBA, but by drafting Sullinger and Melo, they got much better. Sullinger is the best low-post scorer in the draft, but with his size disadvantage, that skill may not translate to the NBA. Joseph doesn’t have a position in the NBA, but he a student of the game. They needed to address their offensive woes in the draft, but only called Sullinger’s name to help. Draft Grade: C+

Brooklyn Nets – #41 Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas), #54 Tornike Shengelia (Georgia) & Ikran Karaman (Turkey)
I am already deducting point for including their first round pick in the trade to rent Gerald Wallace for one-third of a season. Taylor is a nice pick and would be a nice backup point guard behind Deron Williams (if he signs back with Brooklyn). Shengelia and Karaman are nice Euros to stash away. ‘Toko’ Shengelia has the most upside of the pair. Draft Grade: D+

Charlotte Bobcats – #2 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky) & Jeff Taylor (Vanderbilt)
Kidd-Gilchrist is a gifted athlete and a plus defender. Taylor is a gifted athlete and a plus defender. Are you noticing the similarities? I feel like Charlotte came into the draft with a defeatist attitude. They didn’t get the #1 pick and had many opportunities to move out of the #2 position and get more picks to help their team rebuild. Draft Grade: D

Chicago Bulls – #29 Marquis Teague (Kentucky)
The Bulls needed backcourt help and they drafted the best point guard available. They could have opted for a three-point threat here, but with Derrick Rose due to miss a huge chunk of the 2012-13 season, Teague was the smart choice. If he would have stayed in school one more year, he would have been a lottery pick. Draft Grade: A-

Cleveland Cavaliers – #4 Dion Waiters (Syracuse) & #17 Tyler Zeller (North Carolina)…plus Kelenna Azubuike
Cleveland concentrated their talent by trading some late draft picks to Dallas for the rights to Zeller. They also drafted Waiters at #4, even though they were rumored to be in love with North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes. I really like the moves they made. The Cavs could be pretty interesting in a couple seasons with a nucleus of Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Waiters, and Zeller. Draft Grade: A

Dallas Mavericks – #24 Jared Cunningham (Oregon State), #33 Bernard James (Florida State) & Jae Crowder (Marquette)
Dallas turned one draft pick into three draft picks with a trade with Cleveland. They basically traded the rights to Tyler Zeller and Kelenna Azubuike for the three picks. I don’t understand the thought process in picking Cunningham, James, and Crowder. Cunningham could be an elite defensive backcourt stopper, James can play right away, but lacks upside, and Crowder is a 6’5 power forward with no position in the NBA. Dallas needed to fill out their roster, but I believe they missed with this trade. Draft Grade: D-

Denver Nuggets – #20 Evan Fournier (France), #38 Quincy Miller (Baylor) & #50 Izzet Turkyilmaz (Turkey)
Fournier is a talented shooting guard who could come to the NBA right away or could stay in France to add strength and experience. Miller had ACL surgery before his freshman year and didn’t look like he was healthy all season. He was one of the best players in his high school class, so if he gets healthy, this could be a steal. Draft Grade: B+

Detroit Pistons – #9 Andre Drummond (UConn), #39 Khris Middleton (Texas A&M) & #44 Kim English (Missouri)
Detroit had a need for a dominant big man, mid-range offense, and a three-point scoring threat. I believe Drummond, Middleton, and English fill all those needs. They did the best they could do with those picks, but the Middleton pick concerns me a little with his past injuries. Draft Grade: B

Golden State Warriors – #30 Festus Ezeli (Vanderbilt), #35 Draymond Green (Michigan State) & Ognjen Kuzmic
Golden State picked Ezeli before Green, which is confusing. Green is more of a sure thing than Ezeli and I’m fairly certain that he would have been there at #35. The reason that is important is that first round picks have guaranteed contracts. It is a small error that could come back to do some harm. Draft Grade: D+

Houston Rockets – #12 Jeremy Lamb (UConn), #16 Royce White (Iowa State) & Terrence Jones (Kentucky)
The Rockets have been the most active team since the NBA Lottery. They were trying to get enough assets to acquire Dwight Howard, but fell short. They ended up with three quality draft picks in the middle of the first round and added a ton of talent. Lamb is a proven winner that could turn into a Tayshaun Prince/Rudy Gay type player, White who can do things with the ball in his hands or in the post, and Jones who is a jack of all trades. I love what Houston did in this draft. Draft Grade: A+

Indiana Pacers – #26 Miles Plumlee (Duke) & #36 Orlando Johnson (UC Santa Barbara)
The Pacers will have another big white guy from Duke on their team. They were finally free from them after not re-signing Mike Dunleavy and Josh McRoberts, but apparently there was a void. Plumlee was a reach at #26, but they needed to replace the retired Jeff Foster. They bought the #36 pick from Sacramento and picked a sharp shooter from a small school. Indiana is gathering pieces that could make Danny Granger expendable in the near future. Draft Grade: C-

Los Angeles Clippers – #53 Furkan Aldemir (Turkey)
Aldemir has a lot of potential, but he will need to mature overseas before the Clippers even ponder bringing him over. Draft Grade: Incomplete

Los Angeles Lakers – #55 Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette) & #60 Robert Sacre (Gonzaga)
The L.A. Lakers only had the #60 pick going into the draft and they used it wisely. Sacre is a guy who can make an NBA squad or be assigned to the NBDL for a bit to get some seasoning. The Lakers traded Dallas for the rights to Johnson-Odom after the draft…presumably for the younger Kardashians to marry. DJO is a solid player and a value pick so late in the draft. Draft Grade: B+

Memphis Grizzlies – #25 Tony Wroten Jr. (Washington)
I do not understand Memphis drafting Wroten Jr. He is a pass-first point guard, which is good…but lack any offensive skill past eight-feet. Mike Conley doesn’t have the best skills on offense, so Memphis will not upgrade the position with Wroten Jr. A player can be taught to shoot, but at this point, he is a project that will take time to develop. Draft Grade: D+

Miami Heat – #45 Justin Hamilton (LSU) & a future first-round pick from Philadelphia
Hamilton has a big body the Heat covet. They lack size and the jury is out on Dexter Pittman being a productive big man. The biggest asset the Heat earned in this draft is a future first-round pick from the 76ers. Philadelphia is a volatile team and if they suffer a few key injuries, they are a lottery team. Draft Grade: B-

Milwaukee Bucks – #14 John Henson (North Carolina), #42 Doron Lamb (Kentucky) and Samuel Dalembert via trade
The Bucks rolled the dice with Henson at #14. He is a top-10 talent but has a lot of the same skills as Ekpe Udoh. Henson will need to add muscle for this pick to pay off. I love the Lamb pick in the middle of the second round. He is the second or third best shooter in the draft and will pair nicely with Monta Ellis. Draft Grade: B+

Minnesota Timberwolves – #58 Robbie Hummel (Purdue) & Chase Budinger via trade
I love, love, love Minnesota’s pick here. Hummel was an elite talent at Purdue before he suffered a pair of knee injuries. At #58, there is zero risk by drafting him there. The trade for Budinger was a no brainer for Minnesota. Draft Grade: A

New York Knicks – #48 Kostas Papanikolaou (Greece)
Papanikolaou was my favorite Euro going into the draft. He had an amazing Euroleague Final Four and reminds me of Andrei Kirilenko or Omri Casspi. He could end up being a nice player, but will stay over in Greece for a minimum of one year. Draft Grade: B-

New Orleans Hornets – #1 Anthony Davis (Kentucky), #10 Austin Rivers (Duke) & #46 Darius Miller (Kentucky)
The Hornets did the most in this draft to drastically improve their team. It helped that they had the #1 overall pick, but the picks of Rivers and Miller really made sense for the team. Rivers was the #1 overall talent going into the college season and Miller was the veteran leader on a National Championship team. I love the draft and New Orleans set themselves up to win soon. Draft Grade: A+

Oklahoma City Thunder – #28 Perry Jones III (Baylor)
Jones III was a top-five talent going into the college season, but concerns about his knee and inconsistent play made him fall in the draft. The Thunder know how to draft and this was a no-brainer. PJ3 is a safety net in case OKC can’t re-sign Serge Ibaka. I’m also glad the Thunder didn’t make a hasty move by trading James Harden for a lottery pick. Draft Grade: A

Orlando Magic – #19 Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure) & #49 Kyle O’Quinn (Norfolk State)
Orlando clearly used their picks to attempt to replace Dwight Howard. Nicholson and O’Quinn won’t be able to fill his shoes, but could make the transition a tad easier. Nicholson has a nice shooting touch for a big man and O’Quinn is a hard worker who has some skills in the paint. Neither of these players are freak athletes, but they leave everything on the court. Draft Grade: B-

Philadelphia 76ers – #15 Maurice Harkless (St. John’s) & #27 Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi State)
Philly’s draft strategy was confusing. Harkless has the same skill-set as most of their current players (a slasher who is a tweener). They had to give up a mid-second rounder and a future first round pick for Moultrie. He is a big man with deep range who can rebound the ball well. Draft Grade: C-

Phoenix Suns – Kendall Marshall (North Carolina)
Marshall is the contingency plan in case Steve Nash bolts for greener pastures. He could end up as the starting point guard at the beginning of the season. Marshall has plus ball-handling skills with a strong knowledge of the game. I like this pick a lot, but he needs to improve on the defensive end. Draft Grade: B

Portland Trail Blazers – #6 Damian Lillard (Weber State), #11 Meyers Leonard (Illinois) & #40 Will Barton (Memphis)
Portland had a busy draft and they picked up some good players. Lillard was coveted by nearly every team in the back-half of the top-10. Leonard is a legit seven-footer that could turn into something special. Finally, Barton was a top high school talent going into college, but took a little time to develop into a plus scorer. I like what Portland did in the draft, but it lacked the instant star power fans expected from their high picks. Draft Grade: B+

Sacramento Kings – #5 Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
Robinson is my sleeper pick to be next season’s Rookie of the Year. He has an NBA-ready body with skills at the power forward position that no other talent had in this draft. He will pair nicely with DeMarcus Cousins and be a high character guy that franchise needs. Draft Grade: A-

San Antonio Spurs – #59 Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
It is hard to give out a high draft grade to a team that only had the second-to-last pick. The Spurs makes smart picks in the draft, but I expected a ‘draft and stash’ player here. I loved Demon in college and think he was a steal for the Spurs at #59. Draft Grade: B

Toronto Raptors – #8 Terrence Ross (Washington), #37 Quincy Acy (Baylor) & #56 Tomislav Zubcic (Croatia)
Honestly, I have no idea what the hell Toronto was doing here. They drafted Ross about ten spots too high, Acy is a guy who loves to dunk everything with little fundamental skills, and Zubcic will never play in the NBA (at least not for the next four years). Ross is a good shooter and is athletic, but I don’t know how he will pair with DeMar DeRozan. Draft Grade: D

Utah Jazz – #47 Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
If I said ‘Kevin Murphy’ and you had to guess which team drafted him, without any knowledge of draft position or skill…you would say the Utah Jazz, right? He is a nice college player at a small school. He was a standout there and he can shoot the ball from all over the court. It’s a nice sleeper pick with little to no risk. Draft Grade: C+

Washington Wizards – #3 Bradley Beal (Florida) & #32 Tomas Satoransky (Czech Republic)
Beal has the skills to be an elite player in the NBA. His long-range shooting will help open up lanes for John Wall to drive to the basket. They were very lucky that he fell to them at #3. Satoransky won’t be in the league for a couple years, but he has enough upside that he could have been taken in the first-round. Draft Grade: A-

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NBA Draft: Best Undrafted Players

Not everyone can be selected in the NBA Draft. Many undrafted players will go into NBA Summer League hoping to land a camp invite or deal with a team. Most of these players will either sign with a NBA D-League team or go onto Europe and play. Their dream of playing the NBA one day is not dead, they will just need to work even harder and hope that a team takes a chance on them.

This list of undrafted players is filled with players who were once future first-round picks but fell to injury, unknown talent came out of nowhere, and established players who lack upside.

Who went undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft? Who do you pick to make an NBA team or stand out in NBA’s D-League this upcoming season?

Scott Machado – Point Guard – Iona
Terrell Stoglin – Shooting Guard – Maryland
Kevin Jones – Power Forward – West Virginia
Drew Gordon – Power Forward – New Mexico
Henry Sims – Center – Georgetown
Garrett Stutz – Center – Wichita State
Hollis Thompson – Small Forward – Georgetown
Eric Griffin – Power Forward – Campbell
William Buford – Shooting Guard – Ohio State
J’Covan Brown – Point Guard – Texas
Kostas Sloukas – Point Guard – Greece
Tony Mitchell – Shooting Guard – Alabama
Tu Holloway – Point Guard – Xavier
JaMychal Green – Power Forward – Alabama
Alex Young – Shooting Guard – IUPUI
Casper Ware – Point Guard – Long Beach State
Cameron Moore – Power Forward – UAB
Ricardo Ratliffe – Power Forward – Missouri
Jordan Taylor – Point Guard – Wisconsin
John Shurna – Small Forward – Northwestern
Yancy Gates – Power Forward – Stanford
Xavier Gibson – Power Forward – Florida State
Gus Gilchrist – Center – South Florida
Toure’ Murry – Shooting Guard – Wichita State
Herb Pope – Power Forward – Seton Hall
Bradford Burgess – Shooting Guard – VCU
Jet Chang – Shooting Guard – BYU Hawaii
Ashton Gibbs – Point Guard – Pittsburgh
Dario Hunt – Power Forward – Nevada
Ralph Sampson III – Center – Minnesota
Maalik Wayns – Point Guard – Villanova
Wesley Witherspoon – Small Forward – Memphis
Dee Bost – Point Guard – Mississippi State
Devoe Joseph – Shooting Guard – Oregon

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NBA Draft: 2nd Round Analysis

The first round is over and lacked surprises. All of the players expected to be drafted, were drafted. Most of the selections were underclassmen whose upside warranted a high selection. Teams will hit and miss by using that methodology in their draft strategy. NBA teams have to take a few risks to keep up with the rest of the league.

You can make the playoffs by selecting blue chip prospects in the first round, but you win championships by having a deep bench. You will find those guys in the second round.

The last few years have seen all of the established players who spent all four years in college. Teams can draft players who can contribute right away. I give my analysis for each pick in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft.

31. Charlotte Bobcats – Jeffrey Taylor (Vanderbilt) – He’s a 6’7 small forward who is a catch and shoot player. What sets him apart is the ability to guard a point guard. Taylor was a four year player at Vandy and Charlotte is looking for guys who can contribute right away. I like this pick because the Bobcats need guys who are NBA ready.

32. Washington Wizards – Tomas Satoransky (Czech Republic) – Santoransky is a close friend of Jan Veseley who was drafted last year. He will be stashed for at least two seasons overseas and could end up being a 6’7 point guard when he arrives in Washington. He has great ball-handling skills and makes things happen when the ball is in his hands.

33. Cleveland Cavaliers (traded to Dallas) – Bernard James (Florida State) – A former member of the Air Force who served multiple tours in Iraq. He is 27 years old and can contribute right away. His best attribute is his ability to block and rebound. This is low risk as a second-round pick, but his presence in the locker room is worth it.

34. Cleveland Cavaliers (traded to Dallas) – Jae Crowder (Marquette) – The Big East Player of the Year who played four years at Marquette. Dallas seems to be focused on guys who can contribute right away and leaving the projects for the rest of the league. He is explosive and impressed me by standing out in a loaded Big East conference.

35. Golden State Warriors – Draymond Green (Michigan State) – He is a high volume rebounder who has the versatility to play both forward positions. He is a bit undersized to play a lot of minutes atthe power forward position. He is a proven winner which is always an underrated trait in the NBA.

36. Sacramento Kings (traded to Indiana) – Orlando Johnson (UC Santa Barbara) – He’s a mature pure scorer who is his school’s all-time leading scorer. If the Kings kept this pick, it would have been confusing since they have a lot of players with range. The Pacers need a guy like Johnson, so it all makes sense.

37. Toronto Raptors – Quincy Acy (Baylor) – I am surprised that he fell this far in the draft. He is super athletic and can come in and be an energy guy. He just works the entire time he’s on the floor. Every team needs a guy like Acy on their team.

38. Denver Nuggets – Quincy Miller (Baylor) – I like this Quincy even more than Quincy Acy. He came out after his freshman year and Denver can afford to let him sit. He can put up some points, which fits Denver’s offensive style.

39. Detroit Pistons – Khris Middleton (Texas A&M) – He is a late-blooming prospect. He has a soft touch with a consistent 22-foot jumper. He will be a project for Detroit but he could be worth the time in the long run.

40. Portland Trail Blazers – Will Barton (Memphis) – He has first-round talent but didn’t completely put it together in college. He could benefit from a season in the NBDL to get some seasoning.

41. Portland Trail Blazers (traded to Brooklyn Nets) – Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas) – He is a proven winner with above average skills. He could be a very nice backup point guard in the NBA.

42. Milwaukee Bucks – Doron Lamb (Kentucky) – He can light up the floor with his deep range. He is efficient with nearly 50% from downtown. He has some ball-handling skills if needed. He is a Michael Redd clone, so Milwaukee knows all about that.

43. Atlanta Hawks – Mike Scott (Virginia) – He is a fifth year season who has ankle concerns. He was first-team all ACC with great scoring ability. He is hard to cover and will be a nice bench scorer starting out in the NBA.

44. Detroit Pistons – Kim English (Missouri) – He is a gym rat who is a hard worker. He is only 6’6 and he played power forward last year. He is a pure shooting guard with unbelievable range behind the arc.

45. Philadelphia 76ers (traded to Miami) – Justin Hamilton (LSU) – He is a big guy that could help Miami’s need of size in the paint. He isn’t very athletic, but can rebound and take up space in the paint.

46. New Orleans Hornets – Darius Miller (Kentucky) – He is the lone senior on Kentucky who was the leader on a National Championship squad. He is a mature player who can contribute right away. He can help with the development of Anthony Davis, who he played with for one season.

47. Utah Jazz – Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech) – He is the only player to score 50+ points in D-1 college basketball last season. He is a pure shooter with skills to get to the free throw line. He didn’t face elite talent, but stood out in his conference.

48. New York Knicks – Kostas Papanikolaou (Greece) – This is a value pick at #48. He won’t be in the NBA for a couple years, but he was great in Greek League. He was the best player during the Euro League Final last season.

49. Orlando Magic – Kyle O’Quinn (Norfolk State) – He was the nation’s top mid-major player this season. He’s a big guy (6’10 242 lbs.) and has a wingspan of 7’5. He might surprise some people and make Orlando’s squad.

50. Denver Nuggets – Izzet Turkyilmaz (Turkey) – He’s a 6’11 thin power forward who may never play in the NBA. This is an extreme reach, but at #50, it’s worth a shot in the dark.

51. Boston Celtics – Kris Joseph (Syracuse) – A good stand-still 3-point shooter. He could help fill the void if Ray Allen leaves via free agency. He already has something in common with Allen…he isn’t a good defender.

52. Golden State Warriors – Ognjen Kuzmic (Bosnia And Herzegovina) – He’s a 7’0 center with only one year of high-level competition. He may never make it to the NBA, but once again, teams use late second-round picks on players worth taking a flyer on.

53. Los Angeles Clippers – Furkan Aldemir (Turkey) – He’s 20 years old with major rebounding skills aat only 6’9. He averaged 15 rebounds per game in an under-20 tournament.

54. Philadelphia 76ers – Tornike Shengelia (Georgia) – He is a scorer who attacks the basket. He lacks a good jumper who will be overseas for a few seasons. He goes by the nickname ‘Toko’.

55. Dallas Mavericks – Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette) – He has a 40-inch vertical who can drive in the paint. He is a hard worker who can make an NBA team.

56. Toronto Raptors – Tomislav Zubcic (Croatia) – He’s a big project who will stay oversears (surprise, surprise). He has average rebounding skills and Toronto hopes that he improves and can bring him to the NBA in a few years.

57. Brooklyn Nets – Ilkan Karaman (Turkey) – Another Turkish player drafted in the second round of this year’s draft. He is an undersized power forward who will either be a big hit or a big miss.

58. Minnesota Timberwolves – Robbie Hummel (Purdue) – He was once a projected first-round draft pick, but was derailed by serious knee injuries. He is a two-time All-American and can really help Minnesota. This could be a huge steal if he can overcome his past knee problems.

59. San Antonio Spurs – Marcus Denman (Missouri) – I love this pick. He is an undersized guard who isn’t afraid to take big shots. He impressed me in many games this season and along with Hummel could surprise a lot of people by making the team and earning playing time.

60. Los Angeles Lakers – Robert Sacre (Gonzaga) – 7’0 260 lbs…he’s a big guy with ball skills. He is a good rebounder, but lacks shot blocking ability. The last three picks all have the ability to make their respective teams.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NBA Draft: First Round Diary

David Stern is about to me busy shaking hands and calling out draft picks’ names…don’t expect him to give out 30 ‘bro hugs’ like NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

I am keeping a running diary of the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft tonight. You should expect pick and trade analysis, fashion critiques of draft suits (I’m hoping for some hideous suits), and a lot of snarky comments throughout the night.

I’m expecting a lot of trades tonight with many teams owning multiple top 40 draft picks. Cleveland, Houston, and Boston could shake things up if they can unload their draft picks for a big return.

My running diary begins after the jump… Continue reading →