Carmelo's Opportunity to Rule the NBA

Mr. Anthony, the ball is officially in your court.  

LeBron James earned back the love and admiration of Cavaliers fans by going back home. But he left a giant gaping power vacuum in the Eastern Conference by falling into the trap we all tend to fall into from time to time: overvaluing our own self worth.  LeBron James is going to a team with an overrated score-first point guard, a selfish shooting guard, an energy guy who doesn’t actually do anything, Anderson ‘The homeless man’s Joakim Noah’ Varejo, one of the worst draft picks in NBA history in Anthony Bennett, a completely unproven Andrew Wiggins, and a brand spanking new coach.  LeBron even admitted it himself: “I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested.” 

"Wow, no one told me Kyrie sucked this much."

If Carmelo goes back to the Knicks, he and LeBron will both be waiting and hoping for players to show up who may never arrive, essentially believing that it only takes a handful of talent, plus himself, to win an NBA title.  If the Spurs and Heat have taught us anything over the past few years, it’s that your team has to be downright stacked for a chance at a ring.  By coming to Chicago, Carmelo will be joining a team that’s better than the Cavs at every position save small forward, where the Bulls would be only marginally worse.  The Pacers are treading water, and the rest of the East just plain sucks.

The Bulls should be selling Carmelo now what they’ve been selling him all along.  “Come here, and we’ll rule the East.”  Those whispers can be even stronger now.  “There’s no one else.  We’ll get you to the finals.  Lebron is leaving the door wide open.”  

Other writers have detailed why Carmelo is a perfect fit in Chicago.  This Bulls team would allow us to finally enjoy Carmelo for what he is: the most deadly scorer in the NBA since Bernard King.  Lebron James went back home, and is costing himself a championship in doing so.  Don’t make the same mistake Melo.  Chicago is waiting.  

An Uniformed and Almost Certainly Incorrect NBA Mock Draft

For NBA nerds, the Draft is Christmas, Thanksgiving, the 4th of July, and let’s say, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, all rolled into one.  It is the perfect cherry on top of the delicious ice cream sundae that is the NBA season.  More than any other league, the NBA has absolutely perfected the yearly traditions of the draft: the lottery inciting all sorts of hilarious shindigs; loving and drooling over the draftees during the NCAA season; and of course, making fun of whatever dumb thing Cleveland does.  

The other drafts are not even close.  The NFL draft takes forever and individual players, for the most part, are lost in the team-oriented grind of the NFL season.  The MLB draft has like 40 rounds and those players aren’t beacons of hope because they don’t actually play for the teams that draft them until many years later.  And let’s be honest, no one gives a shit about hockey.  

But in the NBA, a draftee is expected to produce right away.  The jerseys are printed and the posters are made, plastered with faces not hidden by masks or helmet.  The NBA is the best at selling one of the most sought after and expensive commodities in the sports world: hope.  

Below is my mock draft for the first round, complete with trades.   I don’t claim to have any inside information or special privileges because I work at ESPN.  I’ve talked a few people here and there, but for the most part, this is pieced together from me watching way too much college ball, obsessing over way too many youtube clips, and pouring over way too many articles.  Enjoy.  

1st Pick

Cavaliers (trade pick to 76ers for 3rd,10th, and Thad Young)

The Pick: Andrew Wiggins

The Cavaliers suck.  They need help basically everywhere, and no one player is going to save them.  It makes a ton of sense to trade this pick to 76ers, who are desperate to get Wiggins and are willing to overpay.  Thad Young isn’t the answer for the Cavs, but then again, neither is Wiggins or Parker.  No one player is going to dramatically alter their team this year, and the Cavaliers still have potentially franchise altering players available to them at 3, so it makes sense to get a proven scorer in Young  (who can also serve as insurance should the Cavs be unable to resign Luol Deng), and the 10th pick (which, in this draft, will get you another quality starter).  It doesn’t help that Parker apparently tanked his workout with the Cavs.  Whatever happens, it seems pretty clear to me that Cleveland has absolutely no hope of it working out.  Because.  Well.  It’s Cleveland.  

2nd Pick

Bucks

The Pick: Jabari Parker

The Bucks have been eyeing Parker all year.  If he’s here at two, they take him, and they’re ecstatic about it.  I had the honor of doing the highlight for Jabari Parker’s first NCAA game.  He can do everything, and will be an NBA Star.    

3rd Pick

76ers (trade pick to Cavs for 1st Pick)

The Pick: Dante Exum

Kyrie Irving looks miserable.  All he wants to do is score, but then he’s got to do this whole, ‘point guard’ thing.  What’s worse, his running mate, Dion Waiters, sorta hates him and is shot hungry himself.  Exum, on the other hand, is a maester at penetration, and even said himself that he loves getting into the lane and finding people.  Irving has never been a vocal leader.  With Exum taking on that burden, Irving can go back to focusing on what he loves doing: scoring.  The Cavs can then either choose to move Waiters or slide him over to the three, creating two dynamic scorers to play off of Exum.  Exum is also big enough to guard opposing shooting guards so that Irving won’t be abused on the defensive end.  It makes too much sense to happen, unfortunately, because lets be honest, we’re talking about the Cavs here.  And the Cavs suck.  

4th Pick

Magic

The Pick: Joel Embiid

If you’re the Magic, you happily take the best player in the draft at four and just move on.  Very rarely are seven footers as fluid and dynamic as Embiid, and he’s still just learning to play the game.  The Magic can afford to be bad for another season and allow Oladipo to develop.  Also, as you will see later in the mock, the Magic will have more picks with which to get players who will play this year.

5th Pick

Jazz

The Pick: Noah Vonleh

Vonleh struck me as soft at Indiana, and people saying he could turn into the next LaMarcus Aldridge are forgetting how dominant Aldridge was at a Texas.  Vonleh averaged 11 and 9 at Indiana, solid numbers considering he wasn’t a featured part of the Indiana offense.  The Jazz have committed a lot of money to Derrick Favors.  Favors is a more a bruiser and combines well with Vonleh, who can step back and knock down a three point shot (he shot nearly 50% from beyond the arc last year).  The reason I don’t love this pick is because the Jazz need a lot of help, and taking a glorified Mehmet Okur doesn’t strike me as very impactful.   Unfortunately, Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon, the two players have potential to be real difference makers, are too similar to Favors, a player that the Jazz have indicated is their guy going forward, so Vonleh makes the most sense.  

6th Pick

Celtics

The Pick: Aaron Gordon

Gordon has a ton of upside, and I’m already salivating over the fun we’ll have watching Rajon Rondo throw alley oops for days to a soaring Gordon.  Gordon demonstrated that he can occasionally knock down a jumper, and if he figures that skill out, Gordon has poor man’s Blake Griffin written all over him.  

7th Pick

Lakers

The Pick: Marcus Smart

Kobe is one of my favorite players, and it’s been wonderful fun watching him age and evolve in a way that reminds me a lot of the later parts of Michael Jordan’s career.  He’s an offensive DH, a deadly assassin from all over the court, and a merciless competitor.  Unfortunately, the dude’s old, and unless we find a fountain of youth somewhere, Kobe’s career is close to over, and the Lakers need someone new to inspire hope in Laker-land.  Marcus Smart would have been the first overall pick last year if he had decided to come out, and was on his way to being in the Wiggins-Parker- Randle conversation at the beginning of the year before being derailed by some poor shooting and a racist dude from Texas.  I’ve never been angrier at the media for tearing apart a kid that should have been applauded for standing up for himself.  Marcus Smart is the embodiment of everything you want on your basketball team, a great kid and a tireless worker.  I’m not a Lakers fan.  I don’t particularly like the Lakers.  But the NBA is a better place when the Lakers are good, and I hope they make this pick and Marcus Smart turns into the second coming of Dwyane Wade.  For all he’s been through, he deserves it.

8th Pick

Kings

The Pick: Elfrid Payton

According to media sources, Elfrid Payton has destroyed every workout that he’s been in, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see him go even higher than this.  The dude has spectacular measurements and is a freak of nature athlete.  It doesn’t hurt that he’s a natural leader, something the Kings are sorely lacking.  He doesn’t need shots, which is perfect for a team that already has a lot of scorers hungry for the ball.  

9th Pick

Hornets

The Pick: Nik Stauskas

Stauskas’s name might as well be #buckets.  He shoots, he drives, he dunks on people.  And he’s Canadian, which means he’s going to be a great locker room guy and super nice.  /endracism.  I love Stauskas’s game, and if the Bulls weren’t all in on getting vets to win right now, I’d be yelling at my TV for the Bulls to trade up and get this kid (just like I yelled at my TV for the Bulls to draft MarshOn Brooks, who still has potential to be a great player, by the way).  In the meantime, enjoy this clip of Stauskas dunking on people.  

10th Pick

76ers (traded pick to Cavs for 1st Pick)

The Pick: Julius Randle

And the Cavaliers are rewarded for getting value from their first overall pick.  A foot injury will scare a lot of people away from Randle, but remember folks, Randle, and not Embiid, was a member of the big three before the season started.  I did a lot of Kentucky highlights this season, and Randle is just a straight up man child.  He can step out and hit a midrange jumper, and he’s also surprisingly nimble along the baseline and while in the air.  People have thrown out the Z-Bo comparison, and I’m not sure I agree with that.  They’re both big, physical players, but Randolph is a lot more athletic, and can manipulate his body in ways that Z-Bo cannot.  Great value pick for the Cavs here, as they get a player who can help immediately and also develop into an all star a few years down the line.  

11th Pick

Nuggets

The Pick: Gary Harris

The talent starts to drop off here, although it’s still very good.  Gary Harris has a smooth stroke and was one of the best players on a very good Michigan squad.  This is the best value pick for the Nuggets, who could use another shooter to pair with the explosive Ty Lawson.  

12th Pick

Magic

The Pick: James Young

James Young was often overlooked on a Kentucky team laden with squads, but during the tournament he was one of their best scoring options.  His versatility would be great for Orlando, and in Young the Magic have a player they can count on to bear some of the scoring load right away.  The Magic really struggled to score last year, and getting a bonafide scorer like Young will certainly help.  This is a bit of a stretch; other mock drafts have Young more in the early 20’s range.  But during Kentucky’s late run into the tournament, the player that kept on stepping up over and over again was Young, who could evolve into a leader on this very young Orlando squad.

13th Pick

Timberwolves

The Pick: Zach Lavine

This pick is contingent on the trade between the Warriors and the Timberwolves, which according to Chad Ford on the BS Report, is all but done.  The Wolves have a surprisingly good roster, filled up and down with young talent and developing stars.  At this point, the Wolves just have to swing for the fences, and UCLA’s Zach Lavine has All-Star potential written all over him.  The athleticism is all there, and coming off the bench and learning from one of the headiest two guards in the league in Klay Thompson will be great for Lavine’s development.  

14th Pick

Suns

The Pick: Adreian Payne

Payne fits in perfectly with the Suns pick and pop system, and is NBA ready.  He put up great measurements at the combine and could be a good replacement for Jared Dudley should the Suns choose to move him in search of another star.  

15th Pick

Hawks

The Pick: Rodney Hood

The Hawks are trying to be the Spurs of the East, and their three point shooting ways almost got them by the Pacers during the playoffs.  Al Horford and Paul Millsap are the frontcourt of the future for Atlanta, but both those guys are 6’8, and although Horford and Millsap are both excellent rebounders, having height in the backcourt can help shore up any difficulties that the Hawks might have rebounding against bigger squads.  The Hawks were 3rd from last in the league last year in offensive rebounding rate, which is surprising considering how many long shots they took throughout the season.  Hood is not a particularly good rebounder, but his height, and his prolific shooting, mean he can fit a couple of needs simultaneously here.  

16th Pick

Bulls (Traded to Orlando for Arron Afflalo)

The Pick: Dario Saric

Saric was projected to be a top 10 pick before signing an extension Anadolu Efes, a club in Turkey.  Saric is either the next Toni Kukoc or a more athletic Dirk Nowitzki, depending on how ambitious you’re feeling.  He’d be a great fit alongside Nikola Vucevic, who proved this season that he can be a potential franchise center.  The Magic would also consider Yusuf Nurkic here, the humongous center out of Bosnia, but in the long run Saric has more upside and the Magic don’t want to overload on young players with four first rounders.  Plus, if the Celtics don’t take him at 17, there’s a high likelihood he’d drop to them at 19.  

17th Pick

Celtics

The Pick: TJ Warren

Andre Miller is probably my favorite player in the NBA.  He absolutely abused DJ Augustin in the playoffs, to the extent that the Bulls couldn’t even keep Augustin on the floor for offensive purposes.  His smarts, prolific use of ass, and wily veteran moves ensure that no matter where he goes or how old he gets, Andre Miller will always be able to GET BUCKETS.  Now take a deep breath: TJ Warren might be next level Andre Miller.  He can score from everywhere, using the same veteran moves that Miller uses.  The difference is that Warren is 6’8, can hit threes every now and again, plays voracious defense.  He’ll need to shore up his shooting (he has a very awkward shooting stroke) but eventually he’ll be able to figure it out.  This pick is largely contingent on how the Celtic feel about Jeff Green, who has at times enthralled, and infuriated, Celtics faithful.  If the Celtics are looking to move Green in the future, Warren makes a lot of sense here.  

18th Pick

Suns

The Pick: Doug McDermott

The Suns are looking to win now, so expect them to move this pick, which has relatively little value for them.  If they do use the pick, they’ll take McDermott, a scoring machine whose lack of athleticism can be covered up by the other hyper athletes on the Suns.  In a normal draft, McDermott would be much higher, but this draft is so loaded it’s not outrageous for him to fall this low. Zach Lowe said in a podcast with Bill Simmons a few months ago that McDermott’s worst case scenario is Kyle Korver.  How many 3’s does Kyle Korver hit last year if he’s on that Suns team with Bledsoe and Dragic slicing and dicing in the paint?  

19th Pick

Bulls

The Pick: Jusuf Nurkic

And the Magic’s gamble pays off.  Nurkic is enormous, coming in at 6’11, 280 pounds, to go along with a 7’2 wingspan.  Nurkic, primarily a banger inside, plays beautifully with Vucevic, who is more of a face up, top of the key type player.  Extra bonus: Nurkic gives the Magic the hardest to pronounce frontcourt in the league.  

20th Pick

Raptors

The Pick: Tyler Ennis

THE HERO COMES HOME.  Tyler Ennis and all his Canadian swag will be a perfect back up to Kyle Lowry as he learns the NBA ropes.  Drafting Ennis also gives the Raptors flexibility to move Lowry in the future, possibly to put another All Star next to Demar Derozan (although Lowry should have, by any and all calculations, been an all star last season).  Ennis was one of my favorite players in collegiate basketball this year.  There aren’t a whole lot of freshman who can do this.  Ennis can certainly go much earlier in the draft, depending on other teams valuations of players like Smart, Exum, and Payton.  But for right now, it looks like things are falling into place for the Raptors to really short up their backcourt depth.

21st Pick

Thunder

The Pick: Kyle Anderson

He’s talented.  He’s multi-dimensional.  He’s exactly the kind of player that the Thunder love picking, raw talent with a ton of upside.  This is a great value pick for the Thunder, as Anderson has oscillated from the late lottery all the way to the later parts of the first round.  

22nd Pick

Grizzlies

The Pick: Jerami Grant

Grant is a blue collar player who will fit in well here as the Grizzlies try to find a long term replacement for Tayshaun Prince.  Has a ton of upside and could evolve into defensive stopper.  His jumper needs work, but he’s a great slasher who will combine well with one of the best passers in the league in Marc Gasol.  

23rd Pick

Jazz

The Pick: P.J Hairston

The Jazz really struggle to score due to a lack of 3 point shooting.  Hairston shot nearly 40% from behind the arc next year, and would go a lot higher in the draft if not for his past indiscretions.  Hairston can get buckets though, and the Jazz need buckets in the worst kind of way.  Hairston has already been playing in the D-League too, so he’s ready to go from day 1, which is important considering that the Jazz are trying to convince Gordon Hayward to stay.  It’s not Jabari Parker, who the Jazz are said to covet, but Hairston has a similar skill set scoring wise and could eventually become a solid starter.  

Note: According to nbadraft.net, the Jazz have made a promise here to Jordan Adams, another knockdown shooter.  Regardless of who they pick, it seems pretty clear that the Jazz will prioritize shooting here.

24th Pick

Hornets

The Pick: Jordan Adams

The Hornets need shooting in a bad kind of way, and assuming that the Jazz haven’t made a promise to Jordan Adams (again, only nbadraft.net appear to be reporting this story) Adams would be a solid pick who can play right away for a Hornets teams that is not far away from relevancy.  

25th Pick

Rockets

The Pick: Shabazz Napier

The Rockets need a backup point guard for Patrick Beverly, and given how shaky Jeremy Lin has been, Shabazz Napier is a tremendous value here.  Napier showed up in all the biggest games and didn’t shy away from the moment.  this pick will give the Rockets the flexibility to trade Lin and stay in contention for the Carmelo Anthony/Lebron James/KLove and Special Sauce sweepstakes.

26th Pick

Heat

The Pick: Glenn Robinson III

Ray Allen was largely ineffective in the finals and finally, after so many years, appears to be on his way out of the league.  The Heat will want to show Lebron that they’re in serious win now mode, and Robinson III is a proven player who can step in and make an immediate impact after playing for a very competitive Michigan squad.  

27th Pick

Suns

The Pick: C.J Wilcox

The Suns have their backcourt of the future set with Dragic and Bledsoe.  All the need now are big dudes who can pick and pop (aka, Adreian Payne), and shooter who can populate the corners and feast on the penetration of the Dragon.  Wilcox has a solid stroke and could develop into one the steals in the draft.

28th Pick

Clippers

The Pick: Jordan Adams

Adams is a big guard who can play multiple positions, and would provide an interesting foil to JJ Reddick, as Adams is much more athletic.  High likelihood this pick gets traded though, as the Clipper continue their pursuit of LeBron.  

29th Pick

Thunder

The Pick: Clint Capela

The Thunder are an analytics heavy squad, and Capela, according to nbadraft.net, tested out of the gym in the analytics analysis.  The Thunder can stash Capela overseas, let him develop, and have him come back as a defensive stopper to replace the corpse of Thabo Sefolosha.  

30th Pick

Spurs

The Pick: Mitch McGary

This just feels like a sneaky pick the Spurs would make.  Last year McGary had the tournament of his life and played himself all the way into the lottery before deciding to return to Michigan. He had an injury plagued sophomore season as Michigan, but a recent workout with the Bucks revealed that he is healthy.  McGary has a ton of upside here and could be a solid center for the Spurs once TIMMMMMMAYYYY retires in 2024.

THE NBA DRAFT IS A FRAUD

The NBA draft is a fraud. The possibility of the cleveland Cavaliers getting the first round pick two years in a row, are so astronomically low that the laws of probability would suggest that the Adam Silver has rigged the NBA draft.

Lets do some probability calculations

This years chances of winning the first overall pick

Last years chances of winning the first overall pick

The combined chances of the Cavs getting back to back number one overall picks

The chance of someone getting murdered in their lifetime.

(John Wayne Gacy Jr.) 

The chance of getting struck by lightening

.0000304

There it is folks. The NBA lottery is rigged. There is no doubt in my mind. Lets just hope that the Cavs are dumb enough to select a player who is as bad as Anthony Benett

Hey, statistically its more probable than getting two top draft picks in a row.

I'm Coming Out...of the Dugout

I have lived in silence for too long. I've lied to the world too long. I've lied too myself too long. I can bear it no more. I'm out, America. I'm coming out of the closet...by admitting to the world and most importantly to myself that I cannot tolerate baseball. It is the most mind numbingly boring sport that exists. I can hardly stand to watch two consecutive pitches without changing the channel. Below, I will catalogue in detail while baseball is an inferior sport and does not warrant our viewing.

Reason 1: It's F*%#ing Boring

This is perhaps the most obvious reason. The fact is there is not enough action. For a 3 hour game, fans see an average of just under 18 minutes of actual gameplay. What comprises the rest of the game you wonder: a bunch of nut scratching, spitting, undoing and redoing of batting gloves, eyeing the man on first base, and waiting. The greatest invention in all of sports is perhaps the 24 second shot clock. When baseball introduces the 12 second pitch clock, I just may be able to stomach watching a half-inning without changing the channel. Now I do enjoy going to games if the company is good and the beers are under nine dollars, but three innings worth of conversation could pass and I could completely forget that I'm at a game. For football and basketball, the environment is so powerfully consuming that losing sight of the goings-on in a game is virtually impossible.

Reason 2: Too Many Games

This only enhances the effect of reason 1. 162 games completely waters down the impact of every game played. Every walk off, every home run saving web gem, every instance of late inning heroics becomes utterly forgettable because it feels there is so little at stake. Even late in the season, it's extremely difficult to act as though you give a damn about a single game. For football, every game counts from day one. For basketball, this is less true, but based off of the number of games, every game roughly twice as important as any baseball game.

Let me break down the circumstances under which I will watch any of three major sports

Football: If it's televised, I'll watch it (even Thursday Night Football with the Jaguars playing the Rams)

Basketball: If it's two good teams or my team, I'll watch it (Clippers vs. Trailblazers)

Baseball: If it's a significant playoff game for my team, I may watch it (Yankees vs. Angels in Game 7 of ALCS)

Reason 3: What Athletes?

John Kruk

Reason 4: Baseball analysis is generally limited to obvious statements or things that have just happened

I can break down the strategy in football or at least observe an identify the strategy as it is occurring. For example, in football, you could say, "The Jets are so predictable with how they use the run." In basketball, you might say, "they need to start attacking the basket." For baseball, the strategy never seems too varied. For those reasons, fans are generally limited to obvious observations, such as "he missed his spot"or "Their bats aren't showing up tonight."

Reason 5: Coaching seems very minimal

You give me a World Series caliber team, I could coach them to at least the playoffs. Point being, coaching is non-existent. I guess that's why they call them managers. Except for those very crucial situations (see Reason 2) in which they call for the steal or their fielders to shift, there is very little directing that happens. Now I don't witness the practices, but it seems like most of the players have presumably honed their craft by the time they're in the majors. I'll put it to you like this. You hand pick the best five players in the league and put them on the same squad with me coaching, I don't think I could get them out of the first round of the playoffs. For football, give me the most talented 11 on both sides of the ball, I don't think we'd make the playoffs. For baseball, give me a all-star quality 9 with a top notch rotation, I don't think it's unreasonable for us to win the World Series.

Reason 6: I've seen it all

Sportscenter, spare me another web gem. The home run robbing catch at the wall, the sliding shoestring catch, the flick with the glove for the double play, barehanded catch and throw to 1st. Spare me. I've seen it all.


As I write this, I grow tired. I guess the only thing more boring than the game is talking about it. I know I've left off some other reasons, such as PEDs, the bullshit nostalgia culture, Field of Dreams as perhaps the most overrated sports movie of all time.

All I know is that it feels good to get this off my chest. Finally, my love for baseball is going, going, gone!

There Should Be No Tolerance for Donald Sterling's Racism

Sports are often far ahead of society when it comes to change. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the color barrier which not only ended segregation in baseball but also led the way for integration of African Americans in all sports.

Although the decision to have an African American on the team did not come without some criticism from newspapers and teammates alike, people soon realized that the color of Robinson’s skin didn’t matter. What mattered is that Jackie Robinson could play baseball.

Breaking the color barrier in baseball came much sooner than integration did in society. In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education sought to end segregation in public schools. At the same time, numerous African American baseball players were playing for teams throughout the MLB. It took seven years for society to catch up to baseball, which is a testament to sports leading the way for social change. 

The United States has progressed tremendously regarding civil rights since the time of Jackie Robinson. With that being said, there are still many people who hold biases and contempt for different races. One of those people is Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

Sterling made headlines when a leaked phone call between him and his girlfriend V. Stiviano, was given TMZ. Sterling was upset that Stiviano posted a picture on Instagram with Magic Johnson saying, “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people.” He went on the say, that he does not want her to “bring them [black people] to my games”

It’s astounding that anyone could say such prejudicial words, let alone the owner of an NBA team.

There are only two players on the clippers roster who aren’t African American, and Coach Doc Rivers is also black. How do you think Rivers and the players feel knowing their checks are coming from someone who views them as inferior? 

78 percent of NBA players are African American. They are the reason that owners are making millions of dollars, and they are the reason that the NBA is as profitable as ever. The least Sterling can do is show a bit of respect for his employees.

Donald Sterling is a proven racist, and the phone call is not his first slip up. He was involved in a lawsuit that settled for 2.7 million dollars, in which he allegedly refused to allow Hispanics or Blacks to rent apartments that he owned. After that, Laker legend and former Clippers general manager, Elgin Baylor, went to court with a lawsuit stating that he was wrongfully terminated because of racial discrimination.

Mr. Sterling should be forced to sell his team. There should be no tolerance for people who speak poorly of other races and discriminate. Sports are a platform that is usually years ahead of society regarding social change, but in this case, sports took a giant step backward. 

Kids, get up! The NBA Playoffs are here! (My 1st Round NBA Playoff Predictions)

This is easily my favorite time of year as a sports fan.  The NBA and NHL playoffs are going on concurrently, golf is getting revved up again, and baseball hasn't quite gotten boring yet.  It certainly doesn't hurt that it's absolutely beautiful out, and despite an snowstorm in April, it look like the thing finally broke.

It's snowing outside?  You serious?  

Its been busy over at ESPN, my place of employment.  People are running around and yelling and its great.  I've worked on NBA Tonight the last few days, and I've learned a lot while talking to analysts and former coaches and people who watch and know more about basketball than I do (believe me, if you're watching TV and you think a dude doesn't know what he's talking about, he totally does.  Every one of our analysts wants to say about a million things to every question they're asked.  They usually don't get more than 30 seconds.  TV is hard).  I think I've learned a lot, to the point where predicting the play offs shouldn't actually be too hard.  But I guess that's easier said than done.

So here they are, my first round predictions:

DA EAST
(1) Pacers OVER (8) Hawks in 4
The Pacers have been real bad lately.  But the Hawks have possibly been even worse, and almost allowed the Knickerbockers to sneak into the playoffs.  The Hawks don't benefit from having a guy that can randomly steal a game either.

(2) Heat OVER (7) Bobcats in 5
The Heat generally struggle against physical bigs, and Big Al Jefferson, phD, is one of the best in the business and has generally been a joy to watch this year.  That being said, Dwyane Wade looks healthy, with Coach Spoelstra doing a sensational job of having him ready to go for the playoffs.  Bobcats steal one at home off a 30-20 performance from Big Al, but they can't possibly stop LBJ and Co.

(3) Raptors OVER (6) Nets in 7
Far and away the most intriguing matchup of the first round.   The savvy vets versus the young kids just happy to be there.  I've loved this Raptors team since they traded Rudy Gay.  They have a deep bench, an absolute cold blooded killer in Derozan, and the 2nd or 3rd best point guard in the East in Lowry. This ultimately comes down to the point guard match up.  It's pretty much a toss up, and I just think Lowry is better than DWill.  But I gues we'll see.  Tim Legler made the very good point to me that if Derozan just has an off night and gets nervous in his first go in the playoffs, that seriously hurts the Raptors, which is very true.  I believe in Lowry enough that I don't think this will be an issue.

(4) Bulls OVER (5) Wizards in 6
I've been a Bulls fan for a long time.  I didn't think last years Bulls team could be topped in terms of gritty, oh-my-god how are they doing this awesomeness.  But, well ... it has.  Joakim Noah ... dude, I just love you so much.

I love you too, Mahmoud!

There's no way the Bulls lose this series because the Bulls have the best player on the floor by a wide margin.  John Wall is good, but it still feels like he hasn't quite figured out the delicate balance between killing it and getting other people going.  Jimmy Butler will have Bradley Beal, the Wizards best offensive option, all tied up.  I think the Wizards steal a couple, if only because there's the very real possibility the Bulls offense sputters out for a game, and a transcendent Wall steals another one.  But yeah.  Joakim Noah!

DA WEST
(1) Spurs  OVER (8) Mavs in 6

Whenever I watch the Mavs and Spurs, two perennial old-guys-being-better-than-young-dudes team, I'm always thinking about Greg Jennings.  How is he doing this shit dtho?  Unfortunately, one of these amazing teams have to lose, and the Spurs just aren't losing unless they bump into, I dunno, lets say a hyper athletic team with like, two prolific ungodly scorers.  Good thing there isn't a team like that in the West!

(2) Thunder  OVER (7) Grizzlies in 5
I love angry Kevin Durant.  If you haven't been watching KD every night, shame on you.  He's giving me a very Jordan, f-u vibe, where he's scoring on you, not just to help his team win, but because he wants to embarrass you.  He wants to fuck with your head and make you question your self worth.  And he wants to do it so heartlessly and effortlessly that you're not left wondering if there was anything you could've done, because there totally wasn't.  No way the Thunder lose this one.  And yes, I am aware the Grizzlies beat the Thunder last year.

(3) Clippers  OVER (6) Warriors in 7
This going seven might just my wishful thinking, but in any case, it's close.   CP3 is one of the best in the business at turning over already turnover prone guards like Steph Curry, and he's going to be the best player on the floor throughout this series.  So why 7?  Cause Steph is gonna randomly drop 40 one game, then Klay Thompson is going to randomly hit 6 threes, then Harrison Barnes is going to have one of those inspirational games off the bench. And plus I just really really really want this to go to a game 7.

(5) Portland  OVER (6) Houston in 7
My God the West is gonna be awesome.  This is probably the least intriguing match up, and it's still insanely awesome.  LaMarcus Aldridge is going to destroy Dwight inside, and the baby faced assassin Damian Lillard has become of the best late game shooters in the league.  It doesn't hurt that Portland has the best home court advantage in the NBA (Sorry, OKC).  That being said, Houston will win two because of Harden, and one because Dwight decides that he wants to play.



Phew!  Well, there you have it.  This is going to be an awesome playoffs, so please enjoy every moment of it (preferably on the ABC family of networks).