CFB Playoff Rankings
1. Clemson
2. LSU
3. Ohio St.
4. Alabama
5. Notre Dame
6. Baylor
7. Mich St.
8. TCU
9. Iowa
10. Florida
— The Sports Brief (@TheSportsBrief) November 4, 2015
Showing posts with label Playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Playoffs. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
The First College Football Playoff Rankings of 2015
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Saturday, January 11, 2014
NFL Divisional Round Picks
Spread Picks:
Seahawks (-8)
Colts (+7.5)
49ers (-3)
Chargers (+9)
Straight Winners:
Seahawks over Saints
Patriots over Colts
49ers over Panthers
Chargers over Broncos
Monday, January 6, 2014
NFL Divisional Round Guide
Mini-Helmet Guide
Away Team on Left
Home Team on Right
From Left (kickoffs):
Sat. 4:30, Sat. 8:00, Sun. 1:00, Sun. 4:30
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Why The Sox Missed The Playoffs
We all saw the Red Sox pull off the greatest regular season collapse in Major League Baseball history. The Rays, Orioles, and Yankees all played a very small part in history but it truly was the Sox who let it all get away. A miserable start to the season and miserable end erased what was a very successful middle. For the second straight year the Red Sox will not be in the postseason. Their last playoff win was back in the 2008 ALCS.
I won't bore you with a play-by-play account of last night's action, which all of you were watching or following anyway. Instead here are the main reasons that the Red Sox will be watching when the Yankees face the Tigers and the Rays meet the Rangers in the ALDS.
I won't bore you with a play-by-play account of last night's action, which all of you were watching or following anyway. Instead here are the main reasons that the Red Sox will be watching when the Yankees face the Tigers and the Rays meet the Rangers in the ALDS.
Start the year 0-6; 2-10
End the year 7-20
Go 2-5 vs. the Orioles in the final week + of the season
Allow Robert Andino to be the hero... again. (Andino hit .273-3-10 vs. BOS
In year 1 of Carl Crawford's $136 million deal he finishes the season: .255-11 HR-55 RBI & 18 SB... that's 18 steals! He is on pace to make a little over $1 million for every bag he steals. Wow. Also as we found out, he sucks in the outfield.
Right Field... enough said
Jonathan Papelbon (who was great all season) still blows a save in the biggest spot. Anyone else remember the 2009 playoffs?
Beckett & Lester crapping in their pants in September
(I won't blame injuries, but might as well mention Buchholz and Youkilis missing a lot of time, hello training staff.)
John Lackey: 12-12, 6.41 ERA. Also apparently is getting divorced from his cancer stricken wife. Yikes. Least he will have the opportunity to make up for it next year, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015...
Bobby Jenks.
Terry Francona allowing his players to think its ok to have an excuse for every single loss.
Going 10-8 in Interleague, when they normally clean-up, and bitching the entire time they played in an NL park.
And perhaps most important in this 2011 vacuum...
Losing 12 of 18 to the Rays... you know, the team that overcame you on the final night of the season.
Maybe it shouldn't be as much of a surprise that the Sox failed to make the postseason once again. You look at all of that and it really was an up hill fight. I'm sure I'm missing plenty of other great reasons, but this is all I got right now. Another season in the books. Now on to Patriots, Bruins, Celtics (hopefully), and the UFC.
Side bar: I do still believe that Jacoby Ellsbury (.321-32-105, 119R, 39SB, .928OPS) is the American League MVP. We shall see.
-Keefe
Thursday, April 16, 2009
KG Likely Out for Playoffs
3 Words: Kobe-LeBron-Finals.
With the news this morning that Kevin Garnett is likely out for the playoffs with his bum knee, leads to the following thoughts...
But I still believe the C's can beat the Bulls and get past the Magic. I'm not sold on this Orlando team. It's going to be tough, but Boston still has Pierce, Ray, and Rondo. I don't know. Stay tuned.-Keefe
Thursday, February 12, 2009
2009 Boston Red Sox pre-season report card
With today being the first official day for pitchers and catchers to report, I felt I’d give a pre-spring training report card on the Red Sox position by position, assessing where I think the team stands. Obviously there have not been any major changes to the look of the team like the Yankees, who acquired Mark Texeira, CC Sabathia AND AJ Burnett, along with some other role players like a Nick Swisher. Theo again took a more conservative approach, sticking with the general makeup of the team and adding some support pieces and low risk/high reward players that could potentially contribute in a meaningful way. That being said, let’s take a look at where the Sox grade out heading into the spring. Please note that there will be two grades listed in the “OVERALL GRADE” section. The first will be for the starter, the second attributed to the backup/bench players at that particular position.
CATCHER
Starter: Jason Varitek
2008: .220/13/43
Bench: Josh Bard/George Kottaras
All winter I prayed that Epstein would come to his senses and part ways with the longtime Sox catcher. Let’s face it, his best days are far behind him. His bat continues to slow down, as evidenced by his 122 strikeouts in 2007 and 2008…in less than 450 at-bats. He managed to hit .255 in 2007, but raked .238 in ’06 and his average, slugging, OBP and OPS all dropped significantly last year in what became a difficult season to watch. His presence behind the plate and his rapport with the pitching staff is second to none in Major League Baseball. But it comes to a point where you wonder if the tradeoff from offense to defense is becoming a bit skewed, to a point where it’s best to look elsewhere. I think we’ve reached that point. The Sox put themselves in a difficult position by not preparing for this a few years ago. They’ve yet to acquire, via draft or trade, a catcher with MLB potential by the end of the decade. Because of that, the only options were to sign Varitek or trade the farm for a young player with the ability to start immediately. Bottom line is that the Sox were not in a favorable bargaining position. Teams had the ability to ask for key players in exchange for a catcher, and that left Boston between a rock and a hard place.
Backup: I like the signing of Bard. He had an injury plagued 2008, but he’s MLB ready and hit .338 and .285 in ’06 and ’07, respectively. Kottaras is merely insurance, but don’t expect a whole lot out of him unless you’re talking AAA. I’m setting the over/under for games started by Varitek at 117. And I’m taking the under. What ya got?
OVERALL GRADE: C-/B-
FIRST BASE
Starter: Kevin Youkilis
2008: .312/29/115
Bench: Chris Carter, Mark Kotsay
Can Youkilis repeat his incredible production from last season? And will he have the motivation to do so after signing his big contract this past off-season? It’s going to be interesting to see, especially considering some mitigating factors that are beyond Youkilis’ control. First and foremost is the continued absence of Manny Ramirez. Youkilis is most likely looking at an entire season as the cleanup hitter. He filled in admirably in more of a temporary role, but can he sustain his ’08 production over an entire season with that pressure on him? And of course there are the health concerns of David Ortiz and Mike Lowell. Any sort of protection he may have is certainly in question at this point, and health-wise, those two guys aren’t the only ones when you bring JD Drew. But aside from all that, Youkilis has continued to get better year in and year out, and while I don’t know whether he’s hit his ceiling or not, he’s too good a player and too hard a worker to have a significant slip in production. Factor in his gold glove defense and versatility in the field and you’ve got quite a player. While he’s not the most feared cleanup hitter in the game, he’s a hell of a run producer and will squeeze out extra bases more often than most players in the game. The Sox are in great shape with this guy.
Backup: This is where the Sox should be concerned. There’s the long-term option of Lars Anderson, but he was in High-A last year and it’s doubtful he’d be MLB ready by the end of the season. It’s certainly a possibility, and we’ll get a look at the kid in spring training, but immediate replacements for Youkilis are Carter and Kotsay, the latter of which is currently injured. I felt Sean Casey retiring was a major blow to the team, not just because of his clubhouse presence, but his ability to hit and contribute when filling in and giving Youkilis a blow. For now, let’s just hope that Youkilis and his blue collar mentality don’t take him to the DL anytime soon.
OVERALL GRADE: A/C+
SECOND BASE
Starter: Dustin Pedroia
2008: .326/17/83
Bench: Jed Lowrie
There may not be a better, more valuable player in baseball, particularly at second base in all of MLB. That’s evidenced by Pedroia’s unlikely MVP award at the end of last season. The guy does it all. He hits for average, has a high contact rate, can hit for power, drives in runs at the top of the lineup, scores and can steal bases at a high success rate. Not only that, but his defense is remarkable. He’s made only six errors in each of his first two official seasons, and he’s bound for a highlight reel play at least once a week. Boston made the right move in locking up both Pedroia and Youkilis fairly long term, because these are two guys that can serve as a cornerstone as a franchise, not just in terms of play and production, but their gritty, hard working mentalities serve well in the clubhouse with their teammates and are exemplary for younger players coming up.
Backup: Like Casey, the loss of Alex Cora will hit harder than most people think. Cora was the model utility man, able to fill in at every possible infield position and do it well. Not only that, but while he wasn’t a beast with the bat, he could do the little things, like laying down a bunt, moving a runner over or working a count. Lowrie is still young, and it remains to be seen if he’s the everyday shortstop or not. But you can bet he’ll most likely be filling in at second if and when Pedroia needs a blow or suffers an injury. His youth and inexperience concern me, but he’s quite serviceable.
OVERALL GRADE: A/A-
SHORTSTOP
Starter: Jed Lowrie
2008: .258/2/46
Bench: Julio Lugo
Lowrie was thrust into the starting role after Lugo, who had been struggling anyway, severely injured his hamstring. And the rookie started off well, having a solid month of August hitting .284 with 24 RBI. But he struggled down the stretch and a non-displaced wrist fracture along with hitting the proverbial “rookie wall” all had a factor in the decline. He has to be the favorite to start here, because Lugo is simply too much of a risk. His defense is porous, he no longer has pop (I wonder why?) and he doesn’t utilize his tools as he should, i.e. get on base and steal bases. Lowrie, meanwhile, seems to play with a more deliberate, tactical approach. He makes the routine plays and manages solid at-bats. He was a solid run producer, even in the midst of his September swoon, and his switch hitting ability makes him an even more attractive option. I think he’ll continue to improve and settle in during his first full season, and I can only hope that Lugo is okay with the fact that he won’t be the every day starter. Even so, Lugo is going to get some looks. On days when the likes of Pedroia, Lowell or possibly even Youkilis need a breath, Lowrie is a nice option to fill-in, which will open up some playing time for Lugo. I think it could turn into a situation much like Coco Crisp last season: while he’s the designated back-up, there could be some varied mixing and matching that enables him to get enough looks to appease the pricey shortstop. For $9M, Epstein and Francona have to feel some pressure in getting Lugo in and trying to utilize some of the tools they thought they signed, particularly his speed. Will it happen? That remains to be seen, and spring training will tell a lot.
GRADE: B/C+
THIRD BASE
Starter: Mike Lowell
2008: .274/17/73
Bench: Jed Lowrie, Kevin Youkilis
This is certainly a major concern for Boston, and the reason they were in the mix for Mark Texeira during the off-season. When healthy, Lowell is a great player both offensively and defensively. He reinvigorated his career after joining the Sox and had a breakout season in 2007 that earned him a new, lucrative deal. It was well deserved, but age was a concern that those concerns were justified when Lowell severely injured his right hip last season. It hindered his ability to hit and field, and we all remember that painful looking throw he made in Tampa last season, fielding the ball on the run and making an off-balance throw. It hurt just to watch. He most likely won’t be ready until the start of the season, so fans and the team will need to be patient as he finds his bearings over the first couple weeks of play. But if he stays healthy, it could be vital to the success of the franchise. He can hit for power and average, and would serve as protection for Youkilis in the 5-spot. More importantly, it would allow for the likes of JD Drew and Jason Bay to hit lower in the order and take pressure off them to produce in the middle of the lineup.
Backup: If Lowell can’t go, expect to see Lugo at short and Lowrie at third. All in all, things could be a heck of a lot worse. While they’ll lose a lot of power, Lowrie will be extremely serviceable at third, and Lugo will then have his starting role back. It’ll add some speed to the lineup, but like I said, the Sox will lose a lot of pop. While it won’t be the end of the world, the Sox are definitely better with a healthy Lowell in the lineup, that’s for sure.
GRADE: B+/B-
LEFT FIELD
Starter: Jason Bay
2008: .286/31/101
Bay was a pleasant surprise to me when Boston acquired him at the deadline last year. He hit for .293/9/37 in 49 games and for a while, helped Boston fans get over the debacle that was Manny Ramirez come the end of his tenure in a Red Sox uniform. While it’s important to remember that Bay was not brought in to replace Manny, nor should he be expected to, he serves as a great 5 or 6 hitter in the lineup and adds tremendous depth to what could potentially be a seriously potent offensive attack. He’s only 30, so there’s a high ceiling for this guy. The only question is whether he can sustain this over an entire season. Remember, he did a lot of damage in Pittsburgh last year, and while he played well in Boston after coming over, it was kind of a whirlwind experience. Now that he’s settled in and has an entire season in Boston, dealing with the fans, media, etc. ahead of him, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s a hangover. I don’t expect one, but it’s something to watch out for.
GRADE: A-
CENTER FIELD
Starter: Jacoby Ellsbury
2008: .280/9/47/50 SB
Ellsbury got off to a fast start last season, literally. He stole 26 bases in his first two months, and everyone seemed to think the kid had officially arrived. But he went through a rough stretch in June and July, failing to hit over .250 in either month. He came on strong in August and September, but his .188 postseason average was a bit of a concern, particularly considering how well he did in the World Series in 2007. Attribute it to growth, and the fact that it was Ellsbury’s first full season in MLB. Now that Coco Crisp has gone off to Kansas City, the job is undoubtedly his, and there will no longer be rumblings as to whether anyone behind him should be getting more looks. The important thing for Ellsbury in 2009 will not necessarily be the need to hit .300 or even remotely close to that, but to just find a way to get on base. His game speed is unlike anyone else in the game, and Boston will need him to jumpstart the offense by stealing bases and grabbing extra bases on hits, whether by him or a teammate behind him. His defense is remarkable due to that speed, but one downside is his arm. It’s Damon-like. But he’ll rob enough hitters of singles, doubles and triples in the gap to make up for his deficiency in the throwing department. He’s still got some growing to do, but looking at how he bounced back later in the season last year, it shows that mentally he is stronger than most at his age.
GRADE: B+
RIGHT FIELD
Starter: JD Drew
2008: .280/19/64
So Drew had a “nice” season. Looking at the final numbers, they weren’t all that bad. But one number that is alarming is 109, which is the total number of games he played. Keep in mind, 16 of those homeruns and 49 of those RBIs came by June 30. Not good. Drew was healthy by the post-season and came up with a couple huge homeruns, but it’s safe to say that he’ll never make through an entire season without some significant time on the DL. That’s really his only downside. I think Drew is one of the best pure hitters in the game, and when healthy, he’s dangerous, especially if he’s hitting 6 or 7 in this lineup, which is where I project he’ll be. Take a look at his month of June when he hit .337 with 12 homeruns and 27 RBI and you’ll see just how good he can be when he’s hot. Defensively, he’s a solid player and covers a lot of ground in that large right field area at Fenway. But again, health is a concern, and that dims any optimistic outlooks anyone may have towards Drew.
GRADE: B
RESERVE OUTFIELDER(S)
Rocco Baldelli
2008: .263/4/13
This is a good signing for the Sox. Baldelli seems to regaining his health and his return to form, and he brings a lot of nice tools to the table. He can hit for average and power and brings speed and defense to the table, as well. With Crisp gone and Kotsay injured, the Sox were in need of a solid reserve outfielder. That’s an important void to fill with Drew’s health in question and concerns over Ellsbury’s ability to sustain an entire MLB season. So they brought in a hometown kid who seems to be on the upswing. Hopefully he stays healthy as well, or else they could really be in trouble.
Other players: Mark Kotsay, Chris Carter, Jonathan van Every and Brad Wilkerson
The Wilkerson signing is likely the most influential of the bunch here. Kotsay is expected to miss the first month after back surgery, and it’s hard to expect Carter and van Every to contribute meaningful AB’s with such little experience. But Boston got Wilkerson on a minor league deal, and he’s a proven veteran that has nine seasons under his belt. His 32-homer season in 2004 was a long time ago, and that certainly won’t happen again, but nonetheless, the guy knows the game and could be a major asset if any of the outfielders go down.
GRADE: C
DESIGNATED HITTER
Starter: David Ortiz
2008: .264/23/89
Probably the biggest question mark of the Red Sox lineup. Can Ortiz get over his wrist injury and return to previous years’ form? He was clearly affected by that tendon tear in his wrist last season, as well as the loss of Manny Ramirez protecting him in the 4-hole. But Ortiz is still a threat when healthy, and if he can hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs, I think that will ease the worries of Red Sox Nation. Let’s face it: it’s hard to rationalize believing he can hit 40 or 50 homers and drive in 120-130 runs again, not with Ramirez gone and Ortiz seemingly beginning a downswing in his career. But if we taper off our expectations and gear our hopes towards a healthy 2009 with solid, respectable numbers, it will make things more bearable in Boston and take some pressure off Ortiz to do too much.
GRADE: B+
STARTING PITCHING
Projected Rotation:
Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny
Beckett showed up to spring training in much better shape than he did last year, and that’s important. The Sox will need him to anchor this rotation because it’s one of the best in the game when he’s at his best. Dice-K will continue to be a heart attack in waiting, but he’s effective and gets the job done and that’s what counts. Meanwhile, Lester is ever-improving, and it’s hard not to get excited about a kid who made a tremendous leap last season, going 16-6 with a 3.21 and tossing a no-hitter. Wakefield is Wakefield, and he’ll probably win at least 10 games, lose a lot of one-run games, but give the Sox a chance to win in 75% of his starts. He’s good for a beatdown now and then, but he dishes more than he takes, and that’s huge for an aging knuckleball pitcher. Penny, meanwhile, is an interesting wildcard. This guy was a beast in L.A. in 2006 and 2007, the latter of which he went 16-9 with a 3.03 ERA over 208 innings. If he gets over the injuries that nagged him last season and resulted in a poor 6-9 campaign with a 6+ ERA, having him anchor the Sox rotation will be crucial. Imagine sending your team’s fifth starter up against Penny. At his best, he’s a low-end #1 guy, and certainly a middle of the rotation pitcher on a bad day. But to have him at the end of your rotation? Amazing. Let’s hope he regains his health. And as Rich pointed out to me this morning, he believes Smoltz could be starting come end of May/June. He has a point. If a starter goes down and Smoltz is healthy, they could gear his appearances to building up arm strength and having the ability to go out and give five lockdown innings. It remains to be seen, and will depend a lot of the health of all parties involved.
GRADE: A-
BULLPEN
Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Takashi Saito, Manny Delcarmen, Justin Masterson, John Smoltz(?), Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez
I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited about this bullpen heading into 2009. Papelbon is one of the best closers in baseball. And now he’s got some pieces that could not only get him more opportunities to save games in the 9th, but fill in when he’s in need of rest. Okajima is clearly the 8th inning guy. He’s received a lot of praise during his impressive stretches, but some serious criticism in times of struggle. But he’s handled it professionally and recovered well. He had a great postseason in 2008 and rebounded from that horrific month of June during which he compiled a 9+ ERA. But the signings of Saito and Smoltz are tremendous because they could potentially take a lot of pressure off of not just Okajima, but everyone else in the bullpen as well. Delcarmen is going to see less responsibility, but that’s a good thing. He struggled in tight situations last year and having a less critical role could be a confidence builder and nice way to start ’09. Meanwhile, it will give Okajima more opportunities for rest and hopefully prevent him from hitting the proverbial wall. Smoltz is better served in the bullpen here, especially coming off major shoulder surgery. If he recovers nicely, and it’s hard to believe he won’t with his work ethic, he has the mentality to serve in a myriad of roles. Unlike Gagne, I think Smoltz can handle not being the 9th inning guy. He’s bounced back and forth from starter to closer on a couple occasions and showed no signs of struggle, so you know he’s a mentally strong guy. Saito, meanwhile, was the closer in L.A. and got bounced out in favor of Jonathan Broxton. His age and arm trouble allowed for the change, but with his high strikeout ratio, it’s hard to believe he can’t continue his solid production in the 7th or 8th innings. Masterson, meanwhile, will be the long relief and spot start guy, and that’s a great role for him. He’s also apt to come in during double play situations, and he showed terrific poise in tight spots last season. Lopez will continue to serve as the situational lefty, and it was nice to see him more effective in that role last season. And lest we forget Ramon Ramirez, a reliever acquired in the Crisp deal who had an ERA in the mid 2's last year. He could contribute meaningful innings. Thank god Mike Timlin is gone.
GRADE: A
Overall, I think Boston is going to do what it normally does. Compete night in and night out and be right at the top of the AL East, or battling for the top spot, all season long. It’s possible to argue Boston may be the 3rd best team in its division right now, but a lot of that is based on the injuries and question marks it’s facing heading into 2009. But with tremendous depth, the best manager in baseball and a great front office, you can never count out Boston regardless of what injuries and internal strife it’s hit with. Right now, there’s a lot of upside if certain low risk situations play out with high reward. The pitching will anchor this team and give this team a chance every night. While there are concerns at catcher, third base, shortstop and with Ortiz, there are enough tools and options offensively to combat those issues with the pitching staff currently in place. That being said, I’m optimistic this team can compete for a World Series if injuries don’t plague them once again.
OVERALL GRADE: B+, purely because of the wait-and-see outlook for some important pieces of this team
Let us know what you think about the Red Sox heading into 2009.
-Bess
CATCHER
Starter: Jason Varitek
2008: .220/13/43
Bench: Josh Bard/George Kottaras
All winter I prayed that Epstein would come to his senses and part ways with the longtime Sox catcher. Let’s face it, his best days are far behind him. His bat continues to slow down, as evidenced by his 122 strikeouts in 2007 and 2008…in less than 450 at-bats. He managed to hit .255 in 2007, but raked .238 in ’06 and his average, slugging, OBP and OPS all dropped significantly last year in what became a difficult season to watch. His presence behind the plate and his rapport with the pitching staff is second to none in Major League Baseball. But it comes to a point where you wonder if the tradeoff from offense to defense is becoming a bit skewed, to a point where it’s best to look elsewhere. I think we’ve reached that point. The Sox put themselves in a difficult position by not preparing for this a few years ago. They’ve yet to acquire, via draft or trade, a catcher with MLB potential by the end of the decade. Because of that, the only options were to sign Varitek or trade the farm for a young player with the ability to start immediately. Bottom line is that the Sox were not in a favorable bargaining position. Teams had the ability to ask for key players in exchange for a catcher, and that left Boston between a rock and a hard place.
Backup: I like the signing of Bard. He had an injury plagued 2008, but he’s MLB ready and hit .338 and .285 in ’06 and ’07, respectively. Kottaras is merely insurance, but don’t expect a whole lot out of him unless you’re talking AAA. I’m setting the over/under for games started by Varitek at 117. And I’m taking the under. What ya got?
OVERALL GRADE: C-/B-
FIRST BASE
Starter: Kevin Youkilis
2008: .312/29/115
Bench: Chris Carter, Mark Kotsay
Can Youkilis repeat his incredible production from last season? And will he have the motivation to do so after signing his big contract this past off-season? It’s going to be interesting to see, especially considering some mitigating factors that are beyond Youkilis’ control. First and foremost is the continued absence of Manny Ramirez. Youkilis is most likely looking at an entire season as the cleanup hitter. He filled in admirably in more of a temporary role, but can he sustain his ’08 production over an entire season with that pressure on him? And of course there are the health concerns of David Ortiz and Mike Lowell. Any sort of protection he may have is certainly in question at this point, and health-wise, those two guys aren’t the only ones when you bring JD Drew. But aside from all that, Youkilis has continued to get better year in and year out, and while I don’t know whether he’s hit his ceiling or not, he’s too good a player and too hard a worker to have a significant slip in production. Factor in his gold glove defense and versatility in the field and you’ve got quite a player. While he’s not the most feared cleanup hitter in the game, he’s a hell of a run producer and will squeeze out extra bases more often than most players in the game. The Sox are in great shape with this guy.
Backup: This is where the Sox should be concerned. There’s the long-term option of Lars Anderson, but he was in High-A last year and it’s doubtful he’d be MLB ready by the end of the season. It’s certainly a possibility, and we’ll get a look at the kid in spring training, but immediate replacements for Youkilis are Carter and Kotsay, the latter of which is currently injured. I felt Sean Casey retiring was a major blow to the team, not just because of his clubhouse presence, but his ability to hit and contribute when filling in and giving Youkilis a blow. For now, let’s just hope that Youkilis and his blue collar mentality don’t take him to the DL anytime soon.
OVERALL GRADE: A/C+
SECOND BASE
Starter: Dustin Pedroia
2008: .326/17/83
Bench: Jed Lowrie
There may not be a better, more valuable player in baseball, particularly at second base in all of MLB. That’s evidenced by Pedroia’s unlikely MVP award at the end of last season. The guy does it all. He hits for average, has a high contact rate, can hit for power, drives in runs at the top of the lineup, scores and can steal bases at a high success rate. Not only that, but his defense is remarkable. He’s made only six errors in each of his first two official seasons, and he’s bound for a highlight reel play at least once a week. Boston made the right move in locking up both Pedroia and Youkilis fairly long term, because these are two guys that can serve as a cornerstone as a franchise, not just in terms of play and production, but their gritty, hard working mentalities serve well in the clubhouse with their teammates and are exemplary for younger players coming up.
Backup: Like Casey, the loss of Alex Cora will hit harder than most people think. Cora was the model utility man, able to fill in at every possible infield position and do it well. Not only that, but while he wasn’t a beast with the bat, he could do the little things, like laying down a bunt, moving a runner over or working a count. Lowrie is still young, and it remains to be seen if he’s the everyday shortstop or not. But you can bet he’ll most likely be filling in at second if and when Pedroia needs a blow or suffers an injury. His youth and inexperience concern me, but he’s quite serviceable.
OVERALL GRADE: A/A-
SHORTSTOP
Starter: Jed Lowrie
2008: .258/2/46
Bench: Julio Lugo
Lowrie was thrust into the starting role after Lugo, who had been struggling anyway, severely injured his hamstring. And the rookie started off well, having a solid month of August hitting .284 with 24 RBI. But he struggled down the stretch and a non-displaced wrist fracture along with hitting the proverbial “rookie wall” all had a factor in the decline. He has to be the favorite to start here, because Lugo is simply too much of a risk. His defense is porous, he no longer has pop (I wonder why?) and he doesn’t utilize his tools as he should, i.e. get on base and steal bases. Lowrie, meanwhile, seems to play with a more deliberate, tactical approach. He makes the routine plays and manages solid at-bats. He was a solid run producer, even in the midst of his September swoon, and his switch hitting ability makes him an even more attractive option. I think he’ll continue to improve and settle in during his first full season, and I can only hope that Lugo is okay with the fact that he won’t be the every day starter. Even so, Lugo is going to get some looks. On days when the likes of Pedroia, Lowell or possibly even Youkilis need a breath, Lowrie is a nice option to fill-in, which will open up some playing time for Lugo. I think it could turn into a situation much like Coco Crisp last season: while he’s the designated back-up, there could be some varied mixing and matching that enables him to get enough looks to appease the pricey shortstop. For $9M, Epstein and Francona have to feel some pressure in getting Lugo in and trying to utilize some of the tools they thought they signed, particularly his speed. Will it happen? That remains to be seen, and spring training will tell a lot.
GRADE: B/C+
THIRD BASE
Starter: Mike Lowell
2008: .274/17/73
Bench: Jed Lowrie, Kevin Youkilis
This is certainly a major concern for Boston, and the reason they were in the mix for Mark Texeira during the off-season. When healthy, Lowell is a great player both offensively and defensively. He reinvigorated his career after joining the Sox and had a breakout season in 2007 that earned him a new, lucrative deal. It was well deserved, but age was a concern that those concerns were justified when Lowell severely injured his right hip last season. It hindered his ability to hit and field, and we all remember that painful looking throw he made in Tampa last season, fielding the ball on the run and making an off-balance throw. It hurt just to watch. He most likely won’t be ready until the start of the season, so fans and the team will need to be patient as he finds his bearings over the first couple weeks of play. But if he stays healthy, it could be vital to the success of the franchise. He can hit for power and average, and would serve as protection for Youkilis in the 5-spot. More importantly, it would allow for the likes of JD Drew and Jason Bay to hit lower in the order and take pressure off them to produce in the middle of the lineup.
Backup: If Lowell can’t go, expect to see Lugo at short and Lowrie at third. All in all, things could be a heck of a lot worse. While they’ll lose a lot of power, Lowrie will be extremely serviceable at third, and Lugo will then have his starting role back. It’ll add some speed to the lineup, but like I said, the Sox will lose a lot of pop. While it won’t be the end of the world, the Sox are definitely better with a healthy Lowell in the lineup, that’s for sure.
GRADE: B+/B-
LEFT FIELD
Starter: Jason Bay
2008: .286/31/101
Bay was a pleasant surprise to me when Boston acquired him at the deadline last year. He hit for .293/9/37 in 49 games and for a while, helped Boston fans get over the debacle that was Manny Ramirez come the end of his tenure in a Red Sox uniform. While it’s important to remember that Bay was not brought in to replace Manny, nor should he be expected to, he serves as a great 5 or 6 hitter in the lineup and adds tremendous depth to what could potentially be a seriously potent offensive attack. He’s only 30, so there’s a high ceiling for this guy. The only question is whether he can sustain this over an entire season. Remember, he did a lot of damage in Pittsburgh last year, and while he played well in Boston after coming over, it was kind of a whirlwind experience. Now that he’s settled in and has an entire season in Boston, dealing with the fans, media, etc. ahead of him, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s a hangover. I don’t expect one, but it’s something to watch out for.
GRADE: A-
CENTER FIELD
Starter: Jacoby Ellsbury
2008: .280/9/47/50 SB
Ellsbury got off to a fast start last season, literally. He stole 26 bases in his first two months, and everyone seemed to think the kid had officially arrived. But he went through a rough stretch in June and July, failing to hit over .250 in either month. He came on strong in August and September, but his .188 postseason average was a bit of a concern, particularly considering how well he did in the World Series in 2007. Attribute it to growth, and the fact that it was Ellsbury’s first full season in MLB. Now that Coco Crisp has gone off to Kansas City, the job is undoubtedly his, and there will no longer be rumblings as to whether anyone behind him should be getting more looks. The important thing for Ellsbury in 2009 will not necessarily be the need to hit .300 or even remotely close to that, but to just find a way to get on base. His game speed is unlike anyone else in the game, and Boston will need him to jumpstart the offense by stealing bases and grabbing extra bases on hits, whether by him or a teammate behind him. His defense is remarkable due to that speed, but one downside is his arm. It’s Damon-like. But he’ll rob enough hitters of singles, doubles and triples in the gap to make up for his deficiency in the throwing department. He’s still got some growing to do, but looking at how he bounced back later in the season last year, it shows that mentally he is stronger than most at his age.
GRADE: B+
RIGHT FIELD
Starter: JD Drew
2008: .280/19/64
So Drew had a “nice” season. Looking at the final numbers, they weren’t all that bad. But one number that is alarming is 109, which is the total number of games he played. Keep in mind, 16 of those homeruns and 49 of those RBIs came by June 30. Not good. Drew was healthy by the post-season and came up with a couple huge homeruns, but it’s safe to say that he’ll never make through an entire season without some significant time on the DL. That’s really his only downside. I think Drew is one of the best pure hitters in the game, and when healthy, he’s dangerous, especially if he’s hitting 6 or 7 in this lineup, which is where I project he’ll be. Take a look at his month of June when he hit .337 with 12 homeruns and 27 RBI and you’ll see just how good he can be when he’s hot. Defensively, he’s a solid player and covers a lot of ground in that large right field area at Fenway. But again, health is a concern, and that dims any optimistic outlooks anyone may have towards Drew.
GRADE: B
RESERVE OUTFIELDER(S)
Rocco Baldelli
2008: .263/4/13
This is a good signing for the Sox. Baldelli seems to regaining his health and his return to form, and he brings a lot of nice tools to the table. He can hit for average and power and brings speed and defense to the table, as well. With Crisp gone and Kotsay injured, the Sox were in need of a solid reserve outfielder. That’s an important void to fill with Drew’s health in question and concerns over Ellsbury’s ability to sustain an entire MLB season. So they brought in a hometown kid who seems to be on the upswing. Hopefully he stays healthy as well, or else they could really be in trouble.
Other players: Mark Kotsay, Chris Carter, Jonathan van Every and Brad Wilkerson
The Wilkerson signing is likely the most influential of the bunch here. Kotsay is expected to miss the first month after back surgery, and it’s hard to expect Carter and van Every to contribute meaningful AB’s with such little experience. But Boston got Wilkerson on a minor league deal, and he’s a proven veteran that has nine seasons under his belt. His 32-homer season in 2004 was a long time ago, and that certainly won’t happen again, but nonetheless, the guy knows the game and could be a major asset if any of the outfielders go down.
GRADE: C
DESIGNATED HITTER
Starter: David Ortiz
2008: .264/23/89
Probably the biggest question mark of the Red Sox lineup. Can Ortiz get over his wrist injury and return to previous years’ form? He was clearly affected by that tendon tear in his wrist last season, as well as the loss of Manny Ramirez protecting him in the 4-hole. But Ortiz is still a threat when healthy, and if he can hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs, I think that will ease the worries of Red Sox Nation. Let’s face it: it’s hard to rationalize believing he can hit 40 or 50 homers and drive in 120-130 runs again, not with Ramirez gone and Ortiz seemingly beginning a downswing in his career. But if we taper off our expectations and gear our hopes towards a healthy 2009 with solid, respectable numbers, it will make things more bearable in Boston and take some pressure off Ortiz to do too much.
GRADE: B+
STARTING PITCHING
Projected Rotation:
Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny
Beckett showed up to spring training in much better shape than he did last year, and that’s important. The Sox will need him to anchor this rotation because it’s one of the best in the game when he’s at his best. Dice-K will continue to be a heart attack in waiting, but he’s effective and gets the job done and that’s what counts. Meanwhile, Lester is ever-improving, and it’s hard not to get excited about a kid who made a tremendous leap last season, going 16-6 with a 3.21 and tossing a no-hitter. Wakefield is Wakefield, and he’ll probably win at least 10 games, lose a lot of one-run games, but give the Sox a chance to win in 75% of his starts. He’s good for a beatdown now and then, but he dishes more than he takes, and that’s huge for an aging knuckleball pitcher. Penny, meanwhile, is an interesting wildcard. This guy was a beast in L.A. in 2006 and 2007, the latter of which he went 16-9 with a 3.03 ERA over 208 innings. If he gets over the injuries that nagged him last season and resulted in a poor 6-9 campaign with a 6+ ERA, having him anchor the Sox rotation will be crucial. Imagine sending your team’s fifth starter up against Penny. At his best, he’s a low-end #1 guy, and certainly a middle of the rotation pitcher on a bad day. But to have him at the end of your rotation? Amazing. Let’s hope he regains his health. And as Rich pointed out to me this morning, he believes Smoltz could be starting come end of May/June. He has a point. If a starter goes down and Smoltz is healthy, they could gear his appearances to building up arm strength and having the ability to go out and give five lockdown innings. It remains to be seen, and will depend a lot of the health of all parties involved.
GRADE: A-
BULLPEN
Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Takashi Saito, Manny Delcarmen, Justin Masterson, John Smoltz(?), Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez
I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited about this bullpen heading into 2009. Papelbon is one of the best closers in baseball. And now he’s got some pieces that could not only get him more opportunities to save games in the 9th, but fill in when he’s in need of rest. Okajima is clearly the 8th inning guy. He’s received a lot of praise during his impressive stretches, but some serious criticism in times of struggle. But he’s handled it professionally and recovered well. He had a great postseason in 2008 and rebounded from that horrific month of June during which he compiled a 9+ ERA. But the signings of Saito and Smoltz are tremendous because they could potentially take a lot of pressure off of not just Okajima, but everyone else in the bullpen as well. Delcarmen is going to see less responsibility, but that’s a good thing. He struggled in tight situations last year and having a less critical role could be a confidence builder and nice way to start ’09. Meanwhile, it will give Okajima more opportunities for rest and hopefully prevent him from hitting the proverbial wall. Smoltz is better served in the bullpen here, especially coming off major shoulder surgery. If he recovers nicely, and it’s hard to believe he won’t with his work ethic, he has the mentality to serve in a myriad of roles. Unlike Gagne, I think Smoltz can handle not being the 9th inning guy. He’s bounced back and forth from starter to closer on a couple occasions and showed no signs of struggle, so you know he’s a mentally strong guy. Saito, meanwhile, was the closer in L.A. and got bounced out in favor of Jonathan Broxton. His age and arm trouble allowed for the change, but with his high strikeout ratio, it’s hard to believe he can’t continue his solid production in the 7th or 8th innings. Masterson, meanwhile, will be the long relief and spot start guy, and that’s a great role for him. He’s also apt to come in during double play situations, and he showed terrific poise in tight spots last season. Lopez will continue to serve as the situational lefty, and it was nice to see him more effective in that role last season. And lest we forget Ramon Ramirez, a reliever acquired in the Crisp deal who had an ERA in the mid 2's last year. He could contribute meaningful innings. Thank god Mike Timlin is gone.
GRADE: A
Overall, I think Boston is going to do what it normally does. Compete night in and night out and be right at the top of the AL East, or battling for the top spot, all season long. It’s possible to argue Boston may be the 3rd best team in its division right now, but a lot of that is based on the injuries and question marks it’s facing heading into 2009. But with tremendous depth, the best manager in baseball and a great front office, you can never count out Boston regardless of what injuries and internal strife it’s hit with. Right now, there’s a lot of upside if certain low risk situations play out with high reward. The pitching will anchor this team and give this team a chance every night. While there are concerns at catcher, third base, shortstop and with Ortiz, there are enough tools and options offensively to combat those issues with the pitching staff currently in place. That being said, I’m optimistic this team can compete for a World Series if injuries don’t plague them once again.
OVERALL GRADE: B+, purely because of the wait-and-see outlook for some important pieces of this team
Let us know what you think about the Red Sox heading into 2009.
-Bess
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Sports Brief's Week 14 NFL picks
It’s Week 14 of the NFL season and for some, the commencement of playoff action in fantasy football leagues worldwide. For the record, I got crazy this year and joined six different leagues. Let’s face it, I kept getting asked by people and couldn’t say no. I mean who could possibly resist another fantasy football draft. Tons of fun. So anyway, I’m definitely playoff bound in three of those leagues – top seed in one - and await the verdict this week in a fourth. As for the two leagues I did not make the playoffs in? I’m top three in scoring. Brutal. Nonetheless, it should be a lot of fun heading down the stretch. Tonight’s game is a disaster with the Chargers and Raiders. Could this potentially have one of the lowest ratings ever for a nationally televised game? I’ve been getting jacked up every week for Thursday night football, but this is more dreadful than going to work. In fact, I’m benching Antonio Gates this week in favor of John Carlson in my ESPN league for the first round of the playoffs. Now I definitely have no reason to tune in tonight.
Before we get to the picks, I thought I’d share some YouTube videos I came across last night. I was bored watching the final two episodes of TUF8, which by the way had some of the sh*ttiest fights I’ve ever seen. I might not even tune in to the live finale, and the fact that I’m going to the Foxy for BJal’s birthday doesn’t help either. But check out some of these vicious hits, they’re pretty good.
And here’s a bonus clip. I love this b/c it’s a Pop Warner game and this kid pulls out a video game juke move. Unbelievable.
Onto the picks…
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 9-7; overall: 95-97
Chargers -10.5 over Raiders
Bears -6.5 over Jaguars
Vikings -9.5 over Lions
Texans +6.5 over Packers
Titans -13.5 over Browns
Colts -13.5 over Bengals
Falcons +3.5 over Saints
Eagles +8.5 over Giants
Jets -3.5 over 49ers
Chiefs +9.5 over Broncos
Dolphins +1.5 over Bills
Patriots -5.5 over Seahawks
Cardinals -13.5 over Rams
Cowboys +2.5 over Steelers
Redskins +5.5 over Ravens
Buccaneers +3.5 over Panthers
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 9-7; overall: 105-87
Chargers -10.5 over Raiders
Bears -6.5 over Jaguars
Vikings -9.5 over Lions
Texans +6.5 over Packers
Titans -13.5 over Browns
Colts -13.5 over Bengals
Saints -3.5 over Falcons
Eagles +8.5 over Giants
49ers +3.5 over Jets
Chiefs +9.5 over Broncos
Bills -1.5 over Dolphins
Patriots -5.5 over Seahawks
Cardinals -13.5 over Rams
Cowboys +2.5 over Steelers
Ravens -5.5 over Redskins
Panthers -3.5 over Buccaneers
Random Rob’s picks:
Last week: 11-5; overall: 108-84
Chargers -10.5 over Raiders
Bears -6.5 over Jaguars
Lions +9.5 over Vikings
Texans +6.5 over Packers
Titans -13.5 over Browns
Colts -13.5 over Bengals
Falcons +3.5 over Saints
Giants -8.5 over Eagles
Jets -3.5 over 49ers
Broncos -9.5 over Chiefs
Bills -1.5 over Dolphins
Patriots -5.5 over Seahawks
Rams +13.5 over Cardinals
Steelers -2.5 over Cowboys
Ravens -5.5 over Redskins
Buccaneers +3.5 over Panthers
Also, if you haven't had a chance check out the Miguel Angel Torres v. Manny Tapia WEC bantamweight title fight on Versus last night. Torres just may be the best pound for pound fighter in the world right now. The guys tried a forward roll axe kick for god's sake. Anyway, check out the link below and hopefully Versus or the WEC hasn't taken it down yet. As of now it's still working...
http://www.fightchat.com/665-wec-37-torres-vs-tapia-video/
-Bess
Before we get to the picks, I thought I’d share some YouTube videos I came across last night. I was bored watching the final two episodes of TUF8, which by the way had some of the sh*ttiest fights I’ve ever seen. I might not even tune in to the live finale, and the fact that I’m going to the Foxy for BJal’s birthday doesn’t help either. But check out some of these vicious hits, they’re pretty good.
And here’s a bonus clip. I love this b/c it’s a Pop Warner game and this kid pulls out a video game juke move. Unbelievable.
Onto the picks…
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 9-7; overall: 95-97
Chargers -10.5 over Raiders
Bears -6.5 over Jaguars
Vikings -9.5 over Lions
Texans +6.5 over Packers
Titans -13.5 over Browns
Colts -13.5 over Bengals
Falcons +3.5 over Saints
Eagles +8.5 over Giants
Jets -3.5 over 49ers
Chiefs +9.5 over Broncos
Dolphins +1.5 over Bills
Patriots -5.5 over Seahawks
Cardinals -13.5 over Rams
Cowboys +2.5 over Steelers
Redskins +5.5 over Ravens
Buccaneers +3.5 over Panthers
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 9-7; overall: 105-87
Chargers -10.5 over Raiders
Bears -6.5 over Jaguars
Vikings -9.5 over Lions
Texans +6.5 over Packers
Titans -13.5 over Browns
Colts -13.5 over Bengals
Saints -3.5 over Falcons
Eagles +8.5 over Giants
49ers +3.5 over Jets
Chiefs +9.5 over Broncos
Bills -1.5 over Dolphins
Patriots -5.5 over Seahawks
Cardinals -13.5 over Rams
Cowboys +2.5 over Steelers
Ravens -5.5 over Redskins
Panthers -3.5 over Buccaneers
Random Rob’s picks:
Last week: 11-5; overall: 108-84
Chargers -10.5 over Raiders
Bears -6.5 over Jaguars
Lions +9.5 over Vikings
Texans +6.5 over Packers
Titans -13.5 over Browns
Colts -13.5 over Bengals
Falcons +3.5 over Saints
Giants -8.5 over Eagles
Jets -3.5 over 49ers
Broncos -9.5 over Chiefs
Bills -1.5 over Dolphins
Patriots -5.5 over Seahawks
Rams +13.5 over Cardinals
Steelers -2.5 over Cowboys
Ravens -5.5 over Redskins
Buccaneers +3.5 over Panthers
Also, if you haven't had a chance check out the Miguel Angel Torres v. Manny Tapia WEC bantamweight title fight on Versus last night. Torres just may be the best pound for pound fighter in the world right now. The guys tried a forward roll axe kick for god's sake. Anyway, check out the link below and hopefully Versus or the WEC hasn't taken it down yet. As of now it's still working...
http://www.fightchat.com/665-wec-37-torres-vs-tapia-video/
-Bess
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
NBA ’08-’09 Preview
Tonight the NBA season kicks off with a trio of games including the Boston Celtics raising their 17th banner before their showdown with LeBron and the Cavs. Also tonight marks the NBA debut of one Greg Oden as the Blazers face the Lakers. I’m looking forward to another great basketball season, many teams have improved themselves thanks to free agency, trades, and the draft. I will get on record now with my picks for playoff teams and individual awards. (playoff teams in bold)
Eastern Conference
Atlantic:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. New York Knicks
5. New Jersey Nets
The Celtics will miss James Posey, but not enough to effect them winning the division again. The 6ers made the most noise bringing in Elton Brand, but I like Calderon running the point for a Raps team that, if healthy, have the best 4-5 duo in the East with Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal. Mike D’Antoni will actually keep the Knicks out the basement. The Nets will struggle and eventually trade Vince.
Central:
1. Detroit Pistons
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Chicago Bulls
Pistons got the same crew back, and the Cavs added Mo Williams which should make it a good battle at the top. Pacers are sneaky good with the likes of Danny Granger and a surprisingly good Mike Dunleavy, I think they beat out the Hawks and Wiz for the 8 seed. I liked the Bucks pick up of Richard Jefferson at first, but even he and Michael Redd will need more help, losing the aforementioned Mo Williams is going to hurt. The Bulls have plenty of guards, and they’ll also have plenty of losses.
Southeast:
1. Orlando Magic
2. Miami Heat
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Washington Wizards
5. Charlotte Bobcats
Can the Heat turn it around? I think they can. Wade looked great in the Olympics and will be one of the best players in the NBA all season. It may be tough but they need to keep Marion happy, by letting him shoot, and throwing him oops. Dwight Howard will continue to improve, scary right? Wizards have the 2nd best “Big 3” in the East, but how many games will they play together? They’re certainly an X-factor.
Western Conference:
Northwest:
1. Utah Jazz
2. Portland Trail Blazers
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
Deron Williams will miss the start of the season, but once again the debate of who is the best PG in the league will come down to him and CP3 at the end of the year. I know I’m not alone in liking the Blazers, how can you not? Great young team that could be stalled by injuries once again. Nuggets will score plenty of points, but the loss of Camby makes them even worse defensively, they’ll battle for the 8th seen to no avail.
Pacific:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Sacramento Kings
Lakers look like the clear cut favorite bringing everyone back from the Western Conference championship team plus Andrew Bynum. After that it could get interesting. A full season with Shaq and Grant Hill in Phoenix with a new coach. Nash and Amare are good enough to get any team to the playoffs. Corey Maggette is now on the Warriors with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby playing for the Clips. The injury of Monta Ellis significantly impacts their chances of a post season appearance.
Southwest:
1. New Orleans Hornets
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Houston Rockets
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Memphis Grizzlies
The Celtics lost James Posey and the Hornets found him. He could very well be the missing piece. Ron Artest comes to Houston to shake things up a bit. If Yao and T-Mac stay healthy (goodluck) they could be a major player. The Spurs are the Spurs, and the Mavs have Dirk and a new head coach. Put everything together and you got the toughest division in basketball, and the only one with 4 playoff teams.
Playoffs:
Eastern Finals: Celtics over Raptors
Western Finals: Hornets over Jazz
Finals: Celtics over Hornets
Awards:
MVP: Chris Paul, Hornets
Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley, Heat
Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Garnett, Celtics
6th Man of the Year: Lamar Odom, Lakers
Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan, Trail Blazers
All-NBA 1st Team:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Cavaliers
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Dwight Howard, Magic
All-NBA 2nd Team:
Deron Williams, Jazz
Dwayne Wade, Heat
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Tim Duncan, Spurs
All-Rookie Team:
Michael Beasely, Heat
Greg Oden, Trail Blazers
Derrick Rose, Bulls
O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
Eric Gordon, Clippers
Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers*
*Some how left him off, the next day had to add him. Watching the Olympics I said he could potentially win the ROY over Beasley and teammate Oden. Also we've seen at least 6 guys be named to the All-Rookie team before, so I'm keeping 6.
-Keefe
Eastern Conference
Atlantic:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. New York Knicks
5. New Jersey Nets
The Celtics will miss James Posey, but not enough to effect them winning the division again. The 6ers made the most noise bringing in Elton Brand, but I like Calderon running the point for a Raps team that, if healthy, have the best 4-5 duo in the East with Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal. Mike D’Antoni will actually keep the Knicks out the basement. The Nets will struggle and eventually trade Vince.
Central:
1. Detroit Pistons
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Chicago Bulls
Pistons got the same crew back, and the Cavs added Mo Williams which should make it a good battle at the top. Pacers are sneaky good with the likes of Danny Granger and a surprisingly good Mike Dunleavy, I think they beat out the Hawks and Wiz for the 8 seed. I liked the Bucks pick up of Richard Jefferson at first, but even he and Michael Redd will need more help, losing the aforementioned Mo Williams is going to hurt. The Bulls have plenty of guards, and they’ll also have plenty of losses.
Southeast:
1. Orlando Magic
2. Miami Heat
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Washington Wizards
5. Charlotte Bobcats
Can the Heat turn it around? I think they can. Wade looked great in the Olympics and will be one of the best players in the NBA all season. It may be tough but they need to keep Marion happy, by letting him shoot, and throwing him oops. Dwight Howard will continue to improve, scary right? Wizards have the 2nd best “Big 3” in the East, but how many games will they play together? They’re certainly an X-factor.
Western Conference:
Northwest:
1. Utah Jazz
2. Portland Trail Blazers
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
Deron Williams will miss the start of the season, but once again the debate of who is the best PG in the league will come down to him and CP3 at the end of the year. I know I’m not alone in liking the Blazers, how can you not? Great young team that could be stalled by injuries once again. Nuggets will score plenty of points, but the loss of Camby makes them even worse defensively, they’ll battle for the 8th seen to no avail.
Pacific:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Sacramento Kings
Lakers look like the clear cut favorite bringing everyone back from the Western Conference championship team plus Andrew Bynum. After that it could get interesting. A full season with Shaq and Grant Hill in Phoenix with a new coach. Nash and Amare are good enough to get any team to the playoffs. Corey Maggette is now on the Warriors with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby playing for the Clips. The injury of Monta Ellis significantly impacts their chances of a post season appearance.
Southwest:
1. New Orleans Hornets
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Houston Rockets
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Memphis Grizzlies
The Celtics lost James Posey and the Hornets found him. He could very well be the missing piece. Ron Artest comes to Houston to shake things up a bit. If Yao and T-Mac stay healthy (goodluck) they could be a major player. The Spurs are the Spurs, and the Mavs have Dirk and a new head coach. Put everything together and you got the toughest division in basketball, and the only one with 4 playoff teams.
Playoffs:
Eastern Finals: Celtics over Raptors
Western Finals: Hornets over Jazz
Finals: Celtics over Hornets
Awards:
MVP: Chris Paul, Hornets
Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley, Heat
Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Garnett, Celtics
6th Man of the Year: Lamar Odom, Lakers
Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan, Trail Blazers
All-NBA 1st Team:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Cavaliers
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Dwight Howard, Magic
All-NBA 2nd Team:
Deron Williams, Jazz
Dwayne Wade, Heat
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Tim Duncan, Spurs
All-Rookie Team:
Michael Beasely, Heat
Greg Oden, Trail Blazers
Derrick Rose, Bulls
O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
Eric Gordon, Clippers
Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers*
*Some how left him off, the next day had to add him. Watching the Olympics I said he could potentially win the ROY over Beasley and teammate Oden. Also we've seen at least 6 guys be named to the All-Rookie team before, so I'm keeping 6.
-Keefe
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Red Sox Starting Nine (Questions) for September
1. How will Josh Beckett return from the DL?
This is clearly the most pressing issue facing Boston right now. Beckett was and still is the ace of the pitching staff, despite the fact that he certainly has not pitched up to his standards in 2008. Perhaps it was all the BBQ and beer he consumed in the offseason, but Beckett hasn’t been right all year. And 11-9 with a 4.35 ERA is awful unless you’re one of the Paul Byrds of the world. But the bottom line is Beckett will be the key to another World Series run. The Sox seem to control their own fate in terms of the Wildcard, and while the AL East crown isn’t out of grasp, the Wildcard isn’t as daunting a task. Expect to see Francona and Co. slowly bring Beckett back, because Boston will be better served pushing him deeper into games and on shorter rest come October. Fully healthy, only one potential playoff team has an ace that can match up with Beckett (John Lackey), and Boston will be in better shape if it sends Dice-K in game 2 and Lester in game 3. And if history tells us anything, Beckett will be asking for the ball in game 4. If he’s healthy enough to.
2. Can the bullpen get it to Papelbon with a lead?
Aside from K-Rod and possibly Joe Nathan and Mariano Rivera, Papelbon is the most dominate closer in the American League if not all of baseball. But what good is a closer if the bullpen can’t hold a lead. The most glaring error in my eyes at the trade deadline was Boston’s reluctance to make a move for relief help. Last year it was Delcarmen (7th) and Okajima (8th), but this year it’s been a revolving door and varied cast of characters. No one seems to want to step up and assume a key role in pressure situations. That being said, this could make things more difficult than expected for Boston to make the postseason. If they do, the starters will be forced to work deeper into games and could result in the Red Sox needing a 4th starter. Not good. Wakefield, Byrd, Bucholz, Colon, et al. simply won’t be acceptable in playoff baseball, and if Justin Masterson is thrust into the role, he may not be able to go further than five innings. That’s four innings out of your bullpen. Gross. Masterson could be the wildcard here, however. Right now he seems like the best option in the 7th inning and could potentially stretch it out to two if needed. But if Okajima can avoid giving up the longball then maybe, just maybe he’ll do, and Papelbon will get some key save opportunities. Either than or the Sox offense of ’03 and ’04 would be welcome.
3. Will Lester hold up?
120, 150, 180. That’s Lester’s total innings at the professional level over the past three season. And a hard fought battle with cancer mixed in there, as well. He hit 97 in the first inning with his fastball, so right now he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. The best thing for Sox will be to secure a playoff spot early and rest their rising star down the stretch so he’s fresh for the playoffs. Looking back on 2007, you can bet that Sabathia (241 IP) and Carmona (215 IP) were worn out in the ALDS and ALCS against New York and Boston. And it showed. Last year Boston had Beckett, Schilling and then Dice-K, and over the course of the regular season, Lester has made Sox fans forget Schilling with ease. But if he and/or Beckett aren’t at full steam down the stretch, Schilling’s grittiness and determination when it mattered will be sorely missed.
4. Can Lowell (oblique) and Drew (back) return to the lineup?
As well as Youkilis, Lowrie and Jeff Bailey have done in Lowell’s absence, the regular third baseman will be welcomed back with open arms. Sean Casey is now on the DL, and “the Mayor” had been a tremendous addition to the clubhouse and lineup on a part-time basis. Can guys like Youk and Pedroia keep up this torrid pace of hitting? Maybe, but even so a veteran presence like Lowell is key in a postseason race. Picture this lineup: Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz, Lowell, Youkilis, Drew (if healthy), Bay, Varitek and Lowrie. That’s pretty ridiculous.
5. Is Lowrie your shortstop for the rest of 2008?
Absolutely. For the rest of 2008, and into 2009 and beyond. Julio Lugo should just mail it in and the Sox should just bite the bullet on this one. Do this city a favor. That was another classic misread by Theo and I say the organization just buy out his contract and send him on his way. Lowrie drove in more runs in the month of August than Lugo did all season. And he has more homeruns…with two. Not only that, but Lowrie has been an on-base machine and can hit almost anywhere in that lineup because of just that. Showing improved defensive skills, he hasn’t been a liability in the field skeptics thought he’d be and has made all the routine plays. Can’t ask for much more out of the young kid.
6. Will Clay Bucholz pitch again at the major league level in 2008?
I hope not. Not to say he’ll be another Bud Smith of sorts, but Bucholz isn’t showing an impressive arsenal of stuff. In fact, my brother’s little league team banged him around the park for six runs over the first two innings in a game that ended in the mercy rule just last week. Not only does his stuff suck, but his attitude and demeanor are brutal too. I think we see more of Michael Bowden down the stretch than we do Bucholz. And I’m not sure we’ll see a whole lot of Bowden either. In fact I think we’ll see more of Keefe and I down the stretch than we do Bucholz. If I have my way, he’ll be starting 2009 in Portland.
7. How many no-name Nancies will we have to watch in September?
It’s already begun in tonight’s game against Baltimore. Jonathan Van Every? David Ross? Craig Smith? It’s nights like these I’m glad I can’t afford tickets to Fenway anymore. Not that the fans even notice as Boston will continue to sell out for the next hundred years. Which leads me to…
8. Should Boston’s attendance record even be compared with Cleveland’s?
Let’s be honest here: the only reason the Red Sox are poised to break this record is because all it takes is a few players’ wives and other family members to show up in order to call it a sell out. It’s the smallest park in baseball and while they continue to announce sell out attendances over 37,000, it’s because they keep jamming more seats in between seats and there are probably a couple thousand idiots dumb enough to stand for nine innings. The whole thing is over played and can’t hold a candle to the Jacobs (now Progressive) Field streak back in the 90’s when Manny was just a 7-hole hitter for that Indians ball club.
9. Pedroia for MVP?
Yea, the same guy people wanted out of the lineup and back in Pawtucket back in April of last year. He should be the front runner right now. Both Josh Hamilton and the Rangers have seen a significant drop off, and no every day players on the Angels or Rays have numbers that jump out at you. Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye make solid cases over in Chicago, but they could easily steal votes from each other although Quentin is probably the team MVP.
Look at Pedroia’s numbers: .330/16/75 with a .376 OBP and .872 OPS…for a 2nd baseman! He leads the league in average, hits, runs scored, multi-hit games and is third in doubles. And he’s tossed in 17 steals while playing a phenomenal 2nd base. The injury to Ian Kinsler strengthens his case because it now makes him the league’s most productive 2nd baseman. And he’s done all this with the departure of Manny Ramirez and significant injuries to Mike Lowell, JD Drew and David Ortiz. Even Youkilis has been falling ill as of late and seen limited action. After hitting .260 in the month of May, Pedroia hit .356 in June, .350 in July and then a stout .374 in August to go with his six homers and 20 RBI. Pretty good resume, and as much as I dislike him as a person, I have to admit he’s been the most valuable player to an AL team this season. Barring a strong final month by the likes of Quentin, Dye or dare I say, K-Rod, Pedroia should be the odds on favorite down the stretch.
What are your thoughts on these issues heading into the final month of play? Send us any others I may have overlooked and enjoy the final sprint to October.
-Bess
This is clearly the most pressing issue facing Boston right now. Beckett was and still is the ace of the pitching staff, despite the fact that he certainly has not pitched up to his standards in 2008. Perhaps it was all the BBQ and beer he consumed in the offseason, but Beckett hasn’t been right all year. And 11-9 with a 4.35 ERA is awful unless you’re one of the Paul Byrds of the world. But the bottom line is Beckett will be the key to another World Series run. The Sox seem to control their own fate in terms of the Wildcard, and while the AL East crown isn’t out of grasp, the Wildcard isn’t as daunting a task. Expect to see Francona and Co. slowly bring Beckett back, because Boston will be better served pushing him deeper into games and on shorter rest come October. Fully healthy, only one potential playoff team has an ace that can match up with Beckett (John Lackey), and Boston will be in better shape if it sends Dice-K in game 2 and Lester in game 3. And if history tells us anything, Beckett will be asking for the ball in game 4. If he’s healthy enough to.
2. Can the bullpen get it to Papelbon with a lead?
Aside from K-Rod and possibly Joe Nathan and Mariano Rivera, Papelbon is the most dominate closer in the American League if not all of baseball. But what good is a closer if the bullpen can’t hold a lead. The most glaring error in my eyes at the trade deadline was Boston’s reluctance to make a move for relief help. Last year it was Delcarmen (7th) and Okajima (8th), but this year it’s been a revolving door and varied cast of characters. No one seems to want to step up and assume a key role in pressure situations. That being said, this could make things more difficult than expected for Boston to make the postseason. If they do, the starters will be forced to work deeper into games and could result in the Red Sox needing a 4th starter. Not good. Wakefield, Byrd, Bucholz, Colon, et al. simply won’t be acceptable in playoff baseball, and if Justin Masterson is thrust into the role, he may not be able to go further than five innings. That’s four innings out of your bullpen. Gross. Masterson could be the wildcard here, however. Right now he seems like the best option in the 7th inning and could potentially stretch it out to two if needed. But if Okajima can avoid giving up the longball then maybe, just maybe he’ll do, and Papelbon will get some key save opportunities. Either than or the Sox offense of ’03 and ’04 would be welcome.
3. Will Lester hold up?
120, 150, 180. That’s Lester’s total innings at the professional level over the past three season. And a hard fought battle with cancer mixed in there, as well. He hit 97 in the first inning with his fastball, so right now he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. The best thing for Sox will be to secure a playoff spot early and rest their rising star down the stretch so he’s fresh for the playoffs. Looking back on 2007, you can bet that Sabathia (241 IP) and Carmona (215 IP) were worn out in the ALDS and ALCS against New York and Boston. And it showed. Last year Boston had Beckett, Schilling and then Dice-K, and over the course of the regular season, Lester has made Sox fans forget Schilling with ease. But if he and/or Beckett aren’t at full steam down the stretch, Schilling’s grittiness and determination when it mattered will be sorely missed.
4. Can Lowell (oblique) and Drew (back) return to the lineup?
As well as Youkilis, Lowrie and Jeff Bailey have done in Lowell’s absence, the regular third baseman will be welcomed back with open arms. Sean Casey is now on the DL, and “the Mayor” had been a tremendous addition to the clubhouse and lineup on a part-time basis. Can guys like Youk and Pedroia keep up this torrid pace of hitting? Maybe, but even so a veteran presence like Lowell is key in a postseason race. Picture this lineup: Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz, Lowell, Youkilis, Drew (if healthy), Bay, Varitek and Lowrie. That’s pretty ridiculous.
5. Is Lowrie your shortstop for the rest of 2008?
Absolutely. For the rest of 2008, and into 2009 and beyond. Julio Lugo should just mail it in and the Sox should just bite the bullet on this one. Do this city a favor. That was another classic misread by Theo and I say the organization just buy out his contract and send him on his way. Lowrie drove in more runs in the month of August than Lugo did all season. And he has more homeruns…with two. Not only that, but Lowrie has been an on-base machine and can hit almost anywhere in that lineup because of just that. Showing improved defensive skills, he hasn’t been a liability in the field skeptics thought he’d be and has made all the routine plays. Can’t ask for much more out of the young kid.
6. Will Clay Bucholz pitch again at the major league level in 2008?
I hope not. Not to say he’ll be another Bud Smith of sorts, but Bucholz isn’t showing an impressive arsenal of stuff. In fact, my brother’s little league team banged him around the park for six runs over the first two innings in a game that ended in the mercy rule just last week. Not only does his stuff suck, but his attitude and demeanor are brutal too. I think we see more of Michael Bowden down the stretch than we do Bucholz. And I’m not sure we’ll see a whole lot of Bowden either. In fact I think we’ll see more of Keefe and I down the stretch than we do Bucholz. If I have my way, he’ll be starting 2009 in Portland.
7. How many no-name Nancies will we have to watch in September?
It’s already begun in tonight’s game against Baltimore. Jonathan Van Every? David Ross? Craig Smith? It’s nights like these I’m glad I can’t afford tickets to Fenway anymore. Not that the fans even notice as Boston will continue to sell out for the next hundred years. Which leads me to…
8. Should Boston’s attendance record even be compared with Cleveland’s?
Let’s be honest here: the only reason the Red Sox are poised to break this record is because all it takes is a few players’ wives and other family members to show up in order to call it a sell out. It’s the smallest park in baseball and while they continue to announce sell out attendances over 37,000, it’s because they keep jamming more seats in between seats and there are probably a couple thousand idiots dumb enough to stand for nine innings. The whole thing is over played and can’t hold a candle to the Jacobs (now Progressive) Field streak back in the 90’s when Manny was just a 7-hole hitter for that Indians ball club.
9. Pedroia for MVP?
Yea, the same guy people wanted out of the lineup and back in Pawtucket back in April of last year. He should be the front runner right now. Both Josh Hamilton and the Rangers have seen a significant drop off, and no every day players on the Angels or Rays have numbers that jump out at you. Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye make solid cases over in Chicago, but they could easily steal votes from each other although Quentin is probably the team MVP.
Look at Pedroia’s numbers: .330/16/75 with a .376 OBP and .872 OPS…for a 2nd baseman! He leads the league in average, hits, runs scored, multi-hit games and is third in doubles. And he’s tossed in 17 steals while playing a phenomenal 2nd base. The injury to Ian Kinsler strengthens his case because it now makes him the league’s most productive 2nd baseman. And he’s done all this with the departure of Manny Ramirez and significant injuries to Mike Lowell, JD Drew and David Ortiz. Even Youkilis has been falling ill as of late and seen limited action. After hitting .260 in the month of May, Pedroia hit .356 in June, .350 in July and then a stout .374 in August to go with his six homers and 20 RBI. Pretty good resume, and as much as I dislike him as a person, I have to admit he’s been the most valuable player to an AL team this season. Barring a strong final month by the likes of Quentin, Dye or dare I say, K-Rod, Pedroia should be the odds on favorite down the stretch.
What are your thoughts on these issues heading into the final month of play? Send us any others I may have overlooked and enjoy the final sprint to October.
-Bess
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sox Gave Away Manny
Why do teams make trades? To get better. In the case of a contender, they do it to solidify a playoff birth or, in the Angels case, make a serious run at a title. For a struggling team you trade in order to get better in the future, take a shot at some young guys. (Indians getting Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips for Bartolo Colon comes to mind.) These are why teams make moves at the deadline. (Note: NBA and NFL teams often make moves to dump salary; last time I checked there wasn’t a salary cap in MLB.) This is what frustrates me most about the Manny trade. The Red Sox did not get better, in fact they got worse.
Manny Ramirez has been a huge headache for this team the past few weeks, maybe longer. I understand some of his actions have been inexcusable, but that’s exactly how I would describe this trade. The Red Sox essentially traded Manny Ramirez, Brandon Moss, and Craig Hansen for Jason Bay. You serious!? There were a total of 6 players involved in the 3 team deal between the Sox, Dodgers, and Pirates. How did Boston manage to give up the best player AND 2 prospects? Unbelievable. They got relief help right? Nope. Same bullpen (minus Hansen, which isn’t a bad thing) and now you got Jason Bay in LF with no Manny. Before getting into how Bay will replace Ramirez I want to look more at the deal itself. Just when you thought what the Sox gave up was bad enough, how about this… they’re paying the rest of Manny’s deal too. Wow. Why not throw Jon Lester or Dustin Pedroia in the trade too.
Calling this a “trade” is unfair. The Sox simply “got rid” of Ramirez. A trade implies both teams (or all three teams) giving something up to get something. The Dodgers traded a 3B who doesn’t play and a AA pitcher for Ramirez. The Pirates traded Jason Bay for two young pitchers, a young 3B, and a young OF. The Sox panicked. They wanted to get rid of Manny, and made that abundantly clear, which doesn’t exactly help the value. Everyone knew Boston was looking to get rid of Manny any way they could. So why offer them anything, or better yet, why not ask for a couple prospects to boot. Done and done.
Part of this “deal” was having the two club options for Manny at $20 million a pop be waived. Ok, so he is playing 2 months for a playoff run/ his next contract. Why does he have to do that in LA? I’d take Manny’s crap for 2 more, hopefully 3 more months with a legitimate shot at winning back-to-back World Series. People say how do you know he would play for them? The guy wants $100 million over 4 years, how is he going to do that sitting on the bench. Is he not trying now? Really? In July, Manny is hitting .347 (the highest month of the season for him) with 4 HR and 16 RBI. Those numbers are better than J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell’s. Are those guys tanking it? Let me guess Lowell is giving up on the team. Come on. Pedroia is the hottest hitter in the planet and he’s only hitting .003 points higher than Manny in July.
Jason Bay now finds himself in the same spot as Omer Epps did when he signed on for Major League II, replacing Wesley Snipes as Willie Mayes Hayes. Bay is a nice player, don’t get me wrong, but the Sox are asking a ton from him. Here’s a guy who plays in front of family and friends for the worst team in the N.L. Central. The Pittsburgh Pirates could not be further from the Boston Red Sox. Bay has a grand total of 0 post season at-bats. Manny has 24 post season home runs. That’s a record. Hey Jason Bay, no pressure, but you need to replace a 12-time All-Star, 500 Home Run Club member, World Series MVP, and future Hall of Famer with 2 months to go in a pennant race in the most baseball crazy city in the world. At least the Sox helped their bullpen and got a couple prospects back… I forgot, they didn’t.
In the end I feel like the Red Sox got caught with their pants down, and went from a team with World Series aspirations to a team that’s really hoping they can get in the playoffs. A lot has changed. How can the front office honestly turn down a Mark Teixeira for Kevin Youkilis and Craig Hansen deal, yet sign off on a Jason Bay for Manny Ramirez, Craig Hansen, and Brandon Moss. I can’t describe it. They see the Angels getting much better, the Yankees making moves to improve themselves, even the White Sox reaching out for some help. Theo and the crew were so caught up in throwing Manny away that they forgot to actually help the team. Sure they don’t have to see what the new quote from ESPNDeportes is today and the team can now have picnics together and go to water parks, but they’ll feel it on the field. You think David Ortiz won’t get intentionally walked every chance they get? These guys are supposed to be pros. It’s not the ideal situation, but it was their best chance to win.
I hope I’m wrong here, but I don’t see the Red Sox making the post season this year. Even with the Rays not making a move, they didn’t get worse like the Sox. Tampa and New York will take the division in the final 2 months of the season with one of them squaring off with the Angels in the ALCS, while the new Sox have sleep overs together watching the games on TV.
-Keefe
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Western Conference Outlook
-Keefe
The Western Conference is as loaded as Tony La Russa behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. 10 teams post winning records, with 9 of them having 33+ wins as of February 21st. Only 5 games separate the team in 1st (New Orleans) and the team in 9th (Golden State). If the season ended today the Warriors would miss the playoffs, but if they were in the Eastern Conference, the Bay Area would be hosting a first round match up. The West was already wild, but all these trades have made it impossible to pick a favorite.
Shaq and Jason Kidd are both 0-1 in their debuts from last night. It’s going to take a little time for both of them to adjust. Shaq seems like a square piece in a round hole. He did play 29 minutes in just his first game in Phoenix, scoring 15 and pulling down 9 rebounds. Not a bad first showing, but they did allow 130 points and lose. Kidd had only 5 assists and 8 points for Dallas, as Chris Paul straight owned him.
Here are the 10 teams above .500 in the West, core players, with new acquisitions in bold. (In order of current standings.)
New Orleans Hornets:
Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic, (Mike James, Bonzi Wells, if trade goes through).
Chris Paul is my MVP as of right now. Last night he had 31 points, 11 assists, and 9 steals against J-Kidd and the Mavs. He’s averaging 21-11 and shooting a pretty good percentage. West and Chandler can do all the dirty work and Peja is back shooting from deep. I’m not sure they can hold on to the top spot in the West or win the whole thing, but certainly not a team you would want to face. Can Paul carry them to the Finals?
Los Angeles Lakers:
Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, and the bench mob.
Right now I’m leaning towards picking the Lakers to win the West. And I’m a Celtics fan and hate the Lakers. The addition of Gasol, or should I say the thievery that was the Gasol deal has put this team over the top. Lakers are 7-1 with Pau. It’s going to be interesting to see how he and Bynum play together, but suddenly they have Odom playing a role that he is much more comfortable with. They don’t need to count on him to score, but he still does. Kobe is Kobe, and these guys look like they are headed to the NBA Finals.
Phoenix Suns:
Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw.
You can’t get crazy about last night no matter what happened in Shaq’s debut. It’s going to take more than 1 game to see how the deal will play out. Amare is going to put up ridiculous numbers (37-15 last night), but it does not matter if they lose 130s to 120s. Who’s playing defense on this team? Raja Bell? He gave up 40 last night to Kobe. Nash, Amare, and Shaq at this stage of his career, are not going to scare you at the defense end. I’m looking forward to Friday when Boston comes to town. Shaq’s first 3 games in Phoenix: Lakers, Celtics, Pistons. They could go 0-3. When they sent Marion to Miami they were the number 1 seed in the West. Now I don’t think they host a 1st round series. I know they had not made the Finals with the current Big 3 of their own (Nash, Amare, Matrix), but this year with the make up of the West I thought they could have. We’ll see.
Utah Jazz:
Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Paul Millsap, Matt Harping.
It doesn’t get a whole better for a 1-2 punch in basketball than Williams and Boozer. The addition of Korver has given the Jazz a whole new element to their attack. I love the combination of talents they have here, with bangers like Boozer and Millsap, shooters in Okur and Korver, slashers in AK-47 and Brewer, and of course one of the top point guards in the game in Williams. This is just another team in the West that you could not be shocked if they won it all. Early prediction is that the Jazz lose in the conference finals to the Lakers.
San Antonio Spurs:
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Damon Stoudamire, Kurt Thomas.
No one is talking about the Spurs. Maybe we should be. As soon as you count them out you’ll see Tim Duncan holding the Championship trophy in the air for 5th time in his career. But still, like everyone else, I’m not convinced they will be there. They have been winning it every other year, so maybe it’s not meant to be. What a great gift for a top 4 seed it would be to have to face the Spurs. Good luck.
Dallas Mavericks:
Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Brandon Bass, Eric Dampier.
I’ll be honest I liked the Kidd deal, and I don’t think that they gave up too much to get them. Devin Harris and what else? The two first round picks will be low and a guy like Antoine Wright is only 24 and will be better than anyone they could get at the end of this years draft. Kidd still has something left in the tank, his rebounding and assists numbers are huge this year even though he has struggled shooting from the field. I did not think they could win the whole thing prior to the Kidd trade, now they at least have a chance.
Houston Rockets:
Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, Skip to my Lou, Luis Scola, Bobby Jackson (if trade goes), Luther Head, Carl Landry.
I think the Rockets end up missing the playoffs. Even if they get in you can’t like T-Mac’s chances of advancing. Looks like they might be parting with Mike James and Bonzi Wells, and bringing in veteran point guard Bobby Jackson. (Jackson would be great in a Celtic’s uniform.) Despite being just 4.5 games out of first the Rockets will be fighting to make the playoffs for the rest of the year.
Denver Nuggets:
Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin, Anthony Carter, J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza.
Is there a more talented starting lineup in the league? Maybe not. But they have always had a hard time putting it all together. I think they do get in the playoffs even though they are one of the only teams in the West not to make a move. (As of now). These guys can obviously beat anyone on any given night, but what about 4 out of 7? You know they will score enough points. The question remains, is Camby enough on defense?
Golden State Warriors:
Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis, Al Harrington, Andris Biedrins, Chris Webber, Matt Barnes, Keleena Azubuike, Mickael Pietrus.
The Chris Webber addition doesn’t look like it’s going to be much of a boost. He starts sure; I don’t see him as a major factor however. The way they shoot the 3, early and often, they can certainly beat anyone. Like the Nuggets it will be difficult for the Warriors to advance far in the playoffs. I know they beat the Mavs last year in the 1-8 match up. I say they do get in the playoffs led by Baron Davis, but it ends in the 1st round this year.
Portland Trail Blazers:
Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldrige, Travis Outlaw, Jarrett Jack, Martell Webster, Steve Blake.
It was a nice run early in the season; they just could not keep up with all these great teams in the West. At 28-25 they have still surpassed expectations without Greg Oden. Definitely keep an eye on this team going forward. Brandon Roy has been great to watch and they play team basketball. Of the 10 teams on this list I have the Blazers and Rockets missing out on the playoffs in the end.
This list could get a shake up as the NBA trade deadline is minutes away. Players like Vince Carter, Zach Randolph, Ron Artest, Ben Wallace, and more could be moving around. Who else will make a move? The next couple of months will be great, a lot of questions still left to be answered.
The Western Conference is as loaded as Tony La Russa behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. 10 teams post winning records, with 9 of them having 33+ wins as of February 21st. Only 5 games separate the team in 1st (New Orleans) and the team in 9th (Golden State). If the season ended today the Warriors would miss the playoffs, but if they were in the Eastern Conference, the Bay Area would be hosting a first round match up. The West was already wild, but all these trades have made it impossible to pick a favorite.
Shaq and Jason Kidd are both 0-1 in their debuts from last night. It’s going to take a little time for both of them to adjust. Shaq seems like a square piece in a round hole. He did play 29 minutes in just his first game in Phoenix, scoring 15 and pulling down 9 rebounds. Not a bad first showing, but they did allow 130 points and lose. Kidd had only 5 assists and 8 points for Dallas, as Chris Paul straight owned him.
Here are the 10 teams above .500 in the West, core players, with new acquisitions in bold. (In order of current standings.)
New Orleans Hornets:
Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic, (Mike James, Bonzi Wells, if trade goes through).
Chris Paul is my MVP as of right now. Last night he had 31 points, 11 assists, and 9 steals against J-Kidd and the Mavs. He’s averaging 21-11 and shooting a pretty good percentage. West and Chandler can do all the dirty work and Peja is back shooting from deep. I’m not sure they can hold on to the top spot in the West or win the whole thing, but certainly not a team you would want to face. Can Paul carry them to the Finals?
Los Angeles Lakers:
Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, and the bench mob.
Right now I’m leaning towards picking the Lakers to win the West. And I’m a Celtics fan and hate the Lakers. The addition of Gasol, or should I say the thievery that was the Gasol deal has put this team over the top. Lakers are 7-1 with Pau. It’s going to be interesting to see how he and Bynum play together, but suddenly they have Odom playing a role that he is much more comfortable with. They don’t need to count on him to score, but he still does. Kobe is Kobe, and these guys look like they are headed to the NBA Finals.
Phoenix Suns:
Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw.
You can’t get crazy about last night no matter what happened in Shaq’s debut. It’s going to take more than 1 game to see how the deal will play out. Amare is going to put up ridiculous numbers (37-15 last night), but it does not matter if they lose 130s to 120s. Who’s playing defense on this team? Raja Bell? He gave up 40 last night to Kobe. Nash, Amare, and Shaq at this stage of his career, are not going to scare you at the defense end. I’m looking forward to Friday when Boston comes to town. Shaq’s first 3 games in Phoenix: Lakers, Celtics, Pistons. They could go 0-3. When they sent Marion to Miami they were the number 1 seed in the West. Now I don’t think they host a 1st round series. I know they had not made the Finals with the current Big 3 of their own (Nash, Amare, Matrix), but this year with the make up of the West I thought they could have. We’ll see.
Utah Jazz:
Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Paul Millsap, Matt Harping.
It doesn’t get a whole better for a 1-2 punch in basketball than Williams and Boozer. The addition of Korver has given the Jazz a whole new element to their attack. I love the combination of talents they have here, with bangers like Boozer and Millsap, shooters in Okur and Korver, slashers in AK-47 and Brewer, and of course one of the top point guards in the game in Williams. This is just another team in the West that you could not be shocked if they won it all. Early prediction is that the Jazz lose in the conference finals to the Lakers.
San Antonio Spurs:
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Damon Stoudamire, Kurt Thomas.
No one is talking about the Spurs. Maybe we should be. As soon as you count them out you’ll see Tim Duncan holding the Championship trophy in the air for 5th time in his career. But still, like everyone else, I’m not convinced they will be there. They have been winning it every other year, so maybe it’s not meant to be. What a great gift for a top 4 seed it would be to have to face the Spurs. Good luck.
Dallas Mavericks:
Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Brandon Bass, Eric Dampier.
I’ll be honest I liked the Kidd deal, and I don’t think that they gave up too much to get them. Devin Harris and what else? The two first round picks will be low and a guy like Antoine Wright is only 24 and will be better than anyone they could get at the end of this years draft. Kidd still has something left in the tank, his rebounding and assists numbers are huge this year even though he has struggled shooting from the field. I did not think they could win the whole thing prior to the Kidd trade, now they at least have a chance.
Houston Rockets:
Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, Skip to my Lou, Luis Scola, Bobby Jackson (if trade goes), Luther Head, Carl Landry.
I think the Rockets end up missing the playoffs. Even if they get in you can’t like T-Mac’s chances of advancing. Looks like they might be parting with Mike James and Bonzi Wells, and bringing in veteran point guard Bobby Jackson. (Jackson would be great in a Celtic’s uniform.) Despite being just 4.5 games out of first the Rockets will be fighting to make the playoffs for the rest of the year.
Denver Nuggets:
Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin, Anthony Carter, J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza.
Is there a more talented starting lineup in the league? Maybe not. But they have always had a hard time putting it all together. I think they do get in the playoffs even though they are one of the only teams in the West not to make a move. (As of now). These guys can obviously beat anyone on any given night, but what about 4 out of 7? You know they will score enough points. The question remains, is Camby enough on defense?
Golden State Warriors:
Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis, Al Harrington, Andris Biedrins, Chris Webber, Matt Barnes, Keleena Azubuike, Mickael Pietrus.
The Chris Webber addition doesn’t look like it’s going to be much of a boost. He starts sure; I don’t see him as a major factor however. The way they shoot the 3, early and often, they can certainly beat anyone. Like the Nuggets it will be difficult for the Warriors to advance far in the playoffs. I know they beat the Mavs last year in the 1-8 match up. I say they do get in the playoffs led by Baron Davis, but it ends in the 1st round this year.
Portland Trail Blazers:
Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldrige, Travis Outlaw, Jarrett Jack, Martell Webster, Steve Blake.
It was a nice run early in the season; they just could not keep up with all these great teams in the West. At 28-25 they have still surpassed expectations without Greg Oden. Definitely keep an eye on this team going forward. Brandon Roy has been great to watch and they play team basketball. Of the 10 teams on this list I have the Blazers and Rockets missing out on the playoffs in the end.
This list could get a shake up as the NBA trade deadline is minutes away. Players like Vince Carter, Zach Randolph, Ron Artest, Ben Wallace, and more could be moving around. Who else will make a move? The next couple of months will be great, a lot of questions still left to be answered.
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