1. Chicago- Michael Beasley, PF Kansas State

Most people think Derrick Rose will be the pick here, but if the Bulls are smart, they will take Beasley. Many are concerned with Beasley’s measurements in Orlando, but his standing reach is 8′11”, almost ideal for a power forward. He can score the ball inside and out, while Rose doesn’t really have an outside shot to speak of (Beasley, a power forward, had a better three point percentage than Rose, a point guard, this season). Also, a post player is a bigger need for Chicago than a guard. There have been rumors that Chicago could trade this pick to the Heat for Dwayne Wade, but the Bulls would have to give up more than just this pick, so if there is any deal on the table right now I think it will die by Thursday.

2. Miami- Derrick Rose, PG Memphis

Like mentioned earlier, Rose needs to improve his outside shot if he wants to be a superstar at the next level. Many people want to make the comparison to Chris Paul because Paul was not a great shooter coming into the league, but Rose does not have the passing skills that Paul has, and that is what makes Paul so effective. That said, I believe Rose’s athleticism is too impressive to be passed up at No. 2. He has great size at 6′3” for a point guard and his strength and quickness is going to give NBA point guards fits trying to keep him out of the paint. He must improve his shot to become a great player though. (more…)

Derrick Rose – A wonderful prospect who thinks he could be a franchise player. Questions persist about his outside shot and his defense but overall he seems like he will at least provide a significant upgrade for either the Bulls or the Heat at the point with his insane athleticism and ability to create for others.

Michael Beasley – Dominant offensive player who was a great rebounder at the college level. He measured at only 6’7” ½ after having been listed at 6’10” during his year at Kansas State. Height is of course no indication of skills but it would make him a bit undersized to play in the post for the NBA and I believe that he will have a hard time guarding quick small forwards because of a lack of commitment and foot speed on the defensive end. With that said he looks like he has the ability to score on anyone, I feel like he may be in the Carmelo Anthony mold which is not to shabby.

The Next Cut

O.J. Mayo – a shooting guard with a sweet stroke and great athleticism. Looks like an NBA player and he might be a good player to bet on to win the rookie of the year award next year. He should be an immediate impact player as a wing and will get some time at point guard.

Brook Lopez – A solid big man with relatively few wholes in his game. Not great athletically but he seems to use his size well on both ends of the court. Has good and polished post moves. Projects to be starting center though I would put his ceiling as a good Chris Kaman.

Russell Westbrook – My favorite of the combo guards. Thrives on the defensive end with the ability to disrupt the game reminiscent of Rajon Rondo using his quickness and instincts to get in passing lane and pressure the ball handler. His intensity is another exciting quality which I think will help ease his transition. If he can continue to grow as a point on the offensive end could end up being a top 3 or 4 players in this draft.

Some Questions (more…)

Rick Reilly - Missing Links

We all know Rick Reilly for his mixture of clever, moving, shocking pieces he became known for by writing the back page of Sports Illustrated. Missing Links is a fictional novel about a group of golf addicts. The story features a group of friends that play golf for the love of the game. They play on a dump of a golf course which is juxtaposed directly next to a pristine country club. The main characters decide to hold a competition to see who can play a round on the neighboring course. Reilly is a great storyteller and shows the he can write more than nonfiction with this book. Anyone that appreciates golf will have trouble putting this book down will find themselves laughing as often as they turn the page.

Paul Shirley - Can I keep my jersey (more…)

This plan was set to go to disastrously awry not once, but twice. On my first attempt I became a victim of simple ignorance. I arrived to discover that all the legitimate tickets had already been sold. This sucked. Paris is a huge city, going by metro is an hour commitment each way and I basically had sunk an entire day into this venture. At this point I had the choice of either giving up on this chance of a lifetime or coming back. I made the obvious choice to return, after all I am a sports fan at my core and I can cheer and respect world class talent no matter the sport. (more…)

Top 5 Quotes

Found here.

5.”Greg Ostertag is one of the top centers on this planet!”

4. Exchange between he and Tom Hammond: “John Stockton is one of the true marvels, not just of basketball, or in America, but in the history of Western Civilization!” Tom: “Wow, that’s a pretty strong statement. I guess I don’t have a good handle on world history.” Bill: “Well Tom, that’s because you didn’t go to UCLA.”

3.”Manu Ginobli is one of the greats. Not just of this generation, but of all time.” (more…)

Well, I was wrong. The usually reliable third quarter at home for the Hornets turned ugly for them in Game 7. They couldn’t hit the backside of a barn in the third quarter. David West was very disapointing in the second half. Tyson Chandler did a great job on Tim Duncan in the second half when New Orleans stopped doubling him, but everyone on the Spurs stepped up down the stretch. Michael Finley hit two threes, Robert Horry hit a big three, Bowen hit some shots, Parker hit shots when the Spurs needed him to, and Ginobli played great the entire game. The Hornets didn’t show up coming out of the locker room in the third, and when the shots started falling in the fourth it was just too late to knock off the defending champions. (more…)

Manchester United the newly crowned English Premier League champions, eliminated FC Barcelona in a series where both teams relied on their defenses to carry them through, and for them to bend but not break. The first leg at Barcelona’s Nou Camp ended in a 0-0 draw, but began as United’s Cristiano Ronaldo wastefully missed a penalty in the 3rd minute. From then on Manchester struggled to find a rhythm against Barcelona trademark passing and heavy possession style. The second leg at Manchester’s Old Trafford stadium produced a 1-0 win in favor of United after Barca’s Xavi’s pass went astray and lands at the feet of United’s Paul Scholes who buried the shot from 30 yards in the 14th minute. (more…)

Our Athlete Blog Directory

If an NBA player is looked at the wrong way by another player, there is going to be some sort of standoff to make sure the dude receiving the look doesn’t lose any manpoints. Its ridiculous to me how some of these players will go out of the way to let another player know that what they did was upsetting to the other. They just end up looking really stupid. I’m also sick of a little altercation between two players resulting in the posse running over to turn it into a way bigger deal than it really was. It is really ridiculous when players from the same team do something as childish as splash each other with water and then throw towels (No I’m not making that up).

4. Music being played during play

I’m not a fan of music being played during actual gameplay. The home team shouldn’t be allowed to have the PA announcer start “DAY-O” chants and play music that gets faster and faster as the shot clock winds down in order to fluster opponents. I know this has been going on for years now but its an insult to the game of basketball. No othe sport plays rap beats or organs during gameplay and its just unprofessional. (more…)