NBA Draft 2005 - Grading the Lottery

Last Tuesday night, the focus of the NBA was in New York where they held the annual NBA Draft. There were no unanimous impact players waiting for teams to pick them up as there have been in years past, just a group of young players waiting for their chance to make their dreams come true. Well what about the teams dreams? Here's my thoughts on how the lottery teams did with their selections.

Milwaukee Bucks: With the first selection in the draft the Bucks selected the big man from Utah, Andrew Bogut. Is he going to be a monster I doubt it, but he should be a fine center in the middle, I'd probably expect at least Yao Ming rookie numbers from Bogut, and he'll bring a sense of stability to a floundering franchise. B+

Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta must be planning to move Al Harrington or else they're completely lost as they chose Marvin Williams out of North Carolina with the second pick. Having already Harrington, Smith & Childress as their swing guys, the Hawks are slowly getting crowded with guys of the same build, when they could've traded down and picked up a good point guard. D+

Utah Jazz: Utah knew what they needed and did what they had to to get it. They traded up with the Blazers and selected Deron Williams, the point guard out of Illinois. He gives them a solid option at the point after trading away Arroyo and Lopez wanting out. A+

New Orleans Hornets: Trading away Baron Davis, one of many players on the team who's injuries hurt the development of the squad paved the way for the Hornets to select point guard Chris Paul out of Wake Forest. He's an offensive minded point who will get to the hole, the combo of Paul and Dickau at the point should prove effective for the young team. Paul is the first Wake Forest player to be picked in the top 5 since Tim Duncan. B

Charlotte Bobcats: With the fifth pick, Charlotte picked a local favorite in point guard Raymond Felton of the NCAA champion North Carolina Tarheels. Easy to see the struggling franchise made the choice to help sell tickets, but they also picked up a quality point guard who should be an easy upgrade over Brevin Knight. B+

Portland Trailblazers: Blazers gladly traded down with the Jazz, picking up an additional first round pick and having the luxury of the player they wanted still being on the board. After having picked up two high school guys the last 2 years with Travis Outlaw and Sebastian Telfair, they don't miss a beat drafting high school sharp shooter Martell Webster. After years of high paid misfits, the Blazers are slowly building a young nucleus they can develop. B

Toronto Raptors: Easily the surprise of the draft, the Raptors selected Charlie Villanueva from UCONN. Most feel they could've gotten him later on and drafted him too high and puzzling is the fact that after drafting the talented Chris Bosh, Toronto has followed up with Bonner and Villanueva, guys that play PF like Bosh. D+

New York Knicks: Surprised that their guy wasn't taken by the Raptors, the Knicks quickly snatched up Channing Frye from Arizona. While on the lean side, Frye brings comparisons to Marcus Camby as the Knicks will have him play center. Obviously a much healthier body, Frye should bring some size and stability to the Knicks frontcourt. B-

Golden State Warriors: Lacking a sense of toughness after loosing Fortson and Dampier over the past year, the Warriors drafted Ike Diogu out of Arizona St. At 6'8 and 255, Diogu could give Murphy a run at the starting spot and is a nice change of pace between the two. A

Los Angeles Lakers: With no one available that could help their needs immediately, the Lakers took the big man they'd been eyeing all along, the high schooler Andrew Bynum. At 7'0 and 280, the young man has shown in his tryouts that he has the work ethic to gain the conditioning needed to play at the NBA game. Also doesn't hurt that he plans on developing a hook shot, somewhat of a lost art since Kareem's retirement. B+

Orlando Magic: Knowing Dwight Howard can't do it alone up front, the Magic takes a chance on Spain's Fran Vasquez. The first european player taken in this year's draft, it'll be interesting to see what impact he'll have, considering he's not even starting on his own national team. C+

Los Angeles Clippers: Somewhat of a confusing pick, Dunleavy picks with his heart as they chose Yaroslav Korolev, an 18 yearold forward when they needed a shooting guard. Yaroslav reportedly reminded Mike of his son, and might not even play in the NBA this coming season so the pick is understandably questionably, especially with their small forward position filled by the talented Corey Maggette. C-

Charlotte Bobcats: Having a second pick in the lottery, the Bobcats decided once again not to veer to far away and selected local favorite Sean May from North Carolina with the thirteenth pick in the draft. With Brezec and Okafor up front it'll be interesting to see how they make room for May. C+

Minnesota Timberwolves: With the last pick in the lottery, the Twolves select the 4th Tarheel player to be taken, Rashad McCants. With Sprewell in bad position with the team, they select a talented swing man who could step right in and produce for them. A-

Golf News & Notes - 6/29

-- Augusta National seems to want no one to do well at their course (or maybe it's the fact that Tiger just won his 4th jacket) but they've taken up construction on the course once again. They plan to lengthen 6 holes and create the second longest layout in major championship history.

-- As news of this construction got around, word came that Tiger thinks that changes on Augusta National right now would be too hasty. Tiger would like to see how the current course would do if the event was held with good weather and not rained on like it was during the latest Masters that softened the greens and had a few players under par.

-- After having a terrible tournament at the Open, Annika prepares for match play against former Solheim Cup teammate Joanne Morley at the inaugural HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship. Last week in Colorado, she finished over par in a 72-hole event for the first time in four years, tying for 23rd at 12 over -- nine strokes behind winner Birdie Kim.

-- Tom Lehman talks about next year's Ryder Cup tournament, saying it's unlikely he'd pair Tiger and Phil together. Europe has won four of the last five Ryder Cups and Lehman said he could be a playing captain next year.

LPGA - Beauties of the Fairway

What is the most popular female sport in America? Perhaps the better question is who are the popular female athletes in the nations eyes? I think Women's Tennis comes right to mind with Anna Kournikova's burst into stardom, despite the lack of winning in singles tournaments. The Williams sisters and their dominance of the sport for a few years, and the new tennis darling, Maria Sharapova who is in many eyes everything Kournikova couldn't be, successful at both being a model and at tennis. How did the sport get this revitilization? Using the tool that appeals to men, sex and beauty.

Womens soccer, trying to get off it's feet used the success of the Olympic squad a few years back where Brandi Chastain took off her jersey is a show of celebration and took advantage of the attractive women of the sport, like Mia Hamm to bring press and viewers to the sport. Women's softball, they have a dominating young pitcher in Jennie Finch who is extremely attractive, but has the skills that can strikeout men who are proffesional baseball players. Open wheel racing is getting new found publicity and attention as they have the vibrant Danica Patrick driving in the IRL and having a good run of things. All these sports have attractive, intelligent women who not only look good but can play the sport really, really well.

That brings me to the LPGA, women's golf. The PGA didn't see the mainstream attention it has now until Tiger Woods burst onto the scene and proceeded to amaze viewers with his talented skills. Now on the LPGA side, there is Annika Sorenstam who has just recently put together a good run of years that is comparable to Tiger's dominance around 2001. While Annika is carrying the sport on her back, a fresh crop of young female golfers are starting to cross the horizon with the skill to be champions and the beauty to be a media darlings and pick up the slack and push the LPGA to heights of popularity it has yet to experience.

Natalie Gulbis, the oldest of the three young women golfers that will be mentioned in this article. Just 22 years old and 5'9", her rookie year in the LPGA was in 2002. At the age of 14, Gulbis won the California Women's Amateur Championship. That same year, she became the youngest player to Monday qualify for an LPGA tournament (1997, Longs Drugs Challenge), a record that stood until Michelle Wie Monday qualified at the 2002 LPGA Takefuji Classic at age 12. Natalie also has her own Web site, www.nataliegulbis.com, and her own 2004 calendar. She is having her best year as a professional with 7 top-10 finishes and over $650,000 earned this season.

Paula Creamer is just 18 years old and is currently on her rookie year with the LPGA. She's also 5'9" and has started her career off splendidly with 5 top-10 finishes, 1 win and has earned over $680,000 so far this season. Last year as an amateur, she became both the youngest ever and the first amateur to win the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament Presented by American Airlines.

Michelle Wie is still an amatuer but is already playing in LPGA and PGA tournaments at the age of 15. She is a lean 6'0" and has a driving game that is comparable to most men on the PGA. Born in Hawaii, the young female golfer has shown her mettle in competition, having a tie for the lead of the US Women's Open going into Sunday this year. Wie, recently qualified for a PGA event, all her previous dips in the PGA had been from the use of sponsor exemptions.

These 3 are part of the future of the LPGA, and I think the sport is going to be in great hands. They have the look, the skill and the friendly demeanor to have success in a sport that dearly needs media darlings. I know I'll be watching if they're in contention on Sundays.

MLB News & Notes - 6/27

-- As All Star voting comes to an end this Thursday, the latest American League tally update shows some intelligent voting going on as Mark Teixeira overtakes Tino Martinez for the 1B position lead. Although Johnny Damon seems to be making a run at Ichiro for the third outfield position which might make Teixeira's progress null in terms of voting tactics. Vote now.

-- Interleague is nearing it's 10th anniversary (next season) and it seems to be blossoming into one of the best features of MLB today. A total of 8,312,211 fans attended this season's Interleague games, which covered 252 dates and overall attendance is already better than last seasons record pace. It's clearly here to stay.

-- A man who deserves the bad luck he has was released Monday. John Rocker was let go by the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League after telling the team he needed to reassess his future. He was 0-2 with a 6.50 ERA.

-- Marlins fans are holding their breath this week. Josh Beckett threw a bullpen session Monday and hopes to be taken off the disabled list in time to start Thursday against the Atlanta Braves. Beckett developed the blister earlier this month that has kept him out since then.

-- The veteran gets a bit overzealous, as Kenny Rogers of the Texas Rangers breaks a bone in his non-pitching hand after hitting a water cooler. Rogers will miss his next start and is expected to miss the turn after as it takes 10-12 days for the broken bone to heal completely.

tsj mailbag #01

tsj takes the time to answer questions from the people. First week of tsj means the debut of the Sunday weekly mailbag. To get your sports questions answered go ahead and email tsj.

Who did you vote for the MLB All Star Game next month in Detroit? -- Steve, Nevada

That's easy. For the NL: C) Piazza NYM 1B) Lee CHC 2B) Kent LAD 3B) C. Jones ATL SS) Izturis LAD OF) A. Jones ATL, Griffey Jr. CIN, Bradley LAD

For the AL: C) Pierzynski CWS 1B) Konerko CWS 2B) Roberts BAL 3B) Rodriguez NYY SS) Tejada BAL DH) Thomas CWS OF) Guerrero LAA, Suzuki SEA, Ramirez BOS

What did you think of the Angels name change to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? -- James, Dallas

I can understand why Mr. Moreno decided to make the change, he wants a competitive ballclub on the field and doesn't want to raise prices for the fans. Changing the name gives him a wider range of advertising opportunities to listen to and new merchandise he can sell. I still however wish it had stayed as the Anaheim Angels, the name flows easier and after their World Series win in 2002 I think everyone knew who the Angels were.

If you were Milwaukee who would you take with the #1 pick Tuesday? -- Dave, New York

If I was Milwaukee I wouldn't have fired Terry Porter and I'd resign Michael Redd, but that's not your question. From the scouting reports I've read, I'd have to say Andrew Bogut of Utah is probably the best player they could take, you can teach skills, you can't teach big. However I would rather draft Marvin Williams or even trade down the pick. My reasoning is that I like their current starting center Dan Gadzuric. I'd resign him and use the pick on a PF or a PG incase Ford doesn't get healthy after that devastating back injury.

What is the most surprising situation in sports right now? -- Tom, Los Angeles

I'd have to say it's the coverage of Michelle Wie, the teenage female phenom golfer. When she was 13, she was all over ESPN and other sports outlets as they raved about her potential and incredible abilities. Now at 15, it's almost as if she's just another golfer out there, she was near the lead of the LPGA US Open this weekend after the first round, and it took till the third round for focus of Wie to come to the forefront of the event. Perhaps they got overzealous with proclaiming Annika as the next Tiger (don't get me wrong she's amazing), but I definitely feel Wie is not the focus of reporters these days in the LPGA.

MLB All Star Game 2005 - Who Starts?

The 2005 MLB All Star Game is just around the corner, July 12 in Detroit. The voting is nearing it's end and speculation for who will be starting the prestigious game has started. Last year in Houston, at the 75th All Star Game, it was the home town legend Roger Clemens going against one of Oakland's young guns Mark Mulder. This year it's no surprise that Clemens is once again one of the top candidates to start the All Star Game. Mulder however is not, having been traded in the offseason to the NL, Mark has struggled in his new confines with an 8-5 record and a 4.75 ERA.

Challenging Clemens is the young lefty in Florida, Dontrelle Willis. "D-train" as he is called has had an amazing 3rd season with the Marlins in the NL East. Willis was the first NL pitcher to 10 wins and has been impressive, racking up a 12-2 record, 82 strikeouts and a 1.76 ERA. Against anyone else, Willis would easily be projected as the starter, however Clemens is arguably the best pitcher of the last 20 years and has pitched well despite how poor the Astros have been playing. Clemens has a 6-3 record, 97 strikeouts and a 1.51 ERA. He has been as dominant as Dontrelle, only being overshadowed by the lackluster Astros.

The AL starting spot is a bit more open to interpretation. With Mulder, last year's starter, gone to the National League it was easy to see there would be a new starter for the game. Last Year's AL Cy Young winner, Johan Santana has gotten off to a good start with a 7-3 record, 124 strikeouts and a 3.45 ERA, not as amazing as his numbers last year and there are other pitchers with better starts this season. My search took me to the team with the American League's best record, the Chicago Whitesox. Two of their pitchers are off to outstanding starts, and are in contention for the All Star Game starting job, Jon Garland & Mark Buehrle.

Garland is off to the best start of his career, he was the first AL pitcher to 10 wins and has been throwing great stuff, posting a 12-2 record, with 48 strikeouts and a 3.40 ERA to help lead the Whitesox to such a great start to the season. Buehrle has quietly had a very impressive season so far, with a 9-1 record, 73 strikeouts and a 2.48 ERA all under the press and attention Garland has been getting for the first place Whitesox. There are 2 other pitchers in the AL, both veterans, that might give the Chicago twosome a run for their money, Kenny Rogers and Roy Halladay.

Rogers may have reached the fountain of youth as he is having his best season in a few years for the Texas Rangers. Rogers, who turns 41 in November, has been a ray of light to the pitching needy Rangers. His 9-3 record, with 44 strikeouts and a 2.43 ERA has been a solid rock for the team to depend on. Halladay, a former teammate of Roger Clemens, is bouncing back from an injury plagued season last year and may be back in the top form that won him the Cy Young award in 2003. Roy has had a hot start with a 11-4 record, 91 strikeouts and a 2.51 ERA in the very competitive AL East and may possibly have the opportunity to start for the American League in Detroit.

Only time will tell who is chosen to lead their league to the field, but there is no doubt that the six pitching candidates mentioned in this article will be in Detroit on July 12. If these pitchers continue their great performances the rest of the season, perhaps they'll have the opportunity to add a Cy Young to their mantle as well. Roger Clemens is no stranger to the award, having won it 7 times in his career including last year.

NBA News & Notes - 6/24

-- Milwaukee, who owns the #1 pick in this month's draft, makes a risky and somewhat questionable move as they fire Terry Porter, a bright young coach with tons of upside. Rumors have them chasing either Flip "overpriced" Saunders or Nate McMillan with Porter possibly heading back to his playing career home, Portland.

-- New York makes another move in an attempt to get better, trading Kurt Thomas to the Suns for Quentin Richardson. Will this turn the tide for the Knickerbockers or is this just Isiah improving yet another team that he's not employed for.

-- Lebron subtly seeking control of Cleveland's future. Big wishlist he has there, the only realistic one on there would be Michael Redd, the Bucks haven't shown where they're going with him (to my knowledge).

-- Even the basketball gods frown on the Atlanta Hawks. After having the worst record in the NBA this past season, insuring that the Hawks would have the best chance to win the NBA lottery at the end of the season, they lost that as well, finishing with the 2nd pick behind Milwaukee. Thus the irony of all things, as Bogut impresses the Hawks but he may very well be gone by then. Their need is the big man, and I doubt there will be ever be a time like this again where a team will be disappointed if they end up drafting a talented phenom like North Carolina's Marvin Williams.

-- The man best known for being dunked on and not for his extraordinary height is getting ready to call it a career. Shawn Bradley, a 12-year veteran has begun talks with the Mavericks to buy out his contract.

NBA Finals 2005 - Spurs prevail in 7 games

Tonight the 2 best teams in the NBA faced off in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the first Game 7 for the Championship since 1994. It was the defending champs versus the champions that came before them. This was a very exhilarating series to watch, especially when I had no ties to either team (although I have become enamored by the Pistons team since their championship win against LA last year). I picked Detroit to win in 6 and I fully expected them to come out on top in Game 7, but foul trouble became the decider and a weak front line let Tim Duncan bring back the Spurs from being down to tie it up after 3 quarters.

That was the key moment of the game, 4 minutes to go in the third and McDyess picked up his 4th foul. Coach Brown sent him to the bench and went small since Rasheed also had 4 (instead of bringing in Campbell to give Duncan a 4th different defensive look and keep him off balance) causing Ben to solo up Duncan and for there to be no real weak side defensive help to alter Duncan's shot. the score went from 52-46 Detroit to 57-57 after 3 and San Antonio never gave up the momentum.

The PG position was perhaps the least productive of Game 7. Billups had a great assist game but he never asserted himself offensively, quite a few times I felt he should've taken a 3 attempt and he didn't. He was playing perhaps too conservative, and unfortunately he got stuffed by Bowen when he tried to bail out the Pistons late in the 4th. And Tony Parker.. well other than the first 2 games of the series he's been pretty poor overall. Pretty much a turnover machine (i think going into game 7 he had 21 assists and 21 turnovers), he didn't do much in this game.

Tim Duncan was named the Finals MVP after the game. After averaging 20 points, 15 rebounds & 2 blocks per game through the first 6 games of the series, Duncan continued the impressive performance in the Game 7 win: 25 points, 11 rebounds & 2 blocked shots. Tim was the steady hand for the Spurs against the former defending champion Pistons, as Parker and Ginobili's games faded under the intense Piston defense (Manu did show up in Game 7).

I hope Coach Brown is declared healthy enough to return to the Pistons next season. They've got a great team together and will contend to return to the Finals next year certainly. I thought the relationship between Popovich and Brown was very special especially in a Finals matchup and this was a great series for the game in so many ways. Now it's on to the draft next week and later on the summer league teams for next year.