Empty the Bench

This shocking development just in: Michael Vick not only enjoys partaking in the casual dog fight from time to time, but according to one source he also chargrills the losing dog (favorite marinade: zesty Italian?) and serves its crispy-baked carcass with a side of asparagus!

At this point in the ongoing dog-fighting scandal irrevocably tied to the Falcons QB’s good name (his real one, not his porn one), would it really surprise you if that was the next indictment to make headlines? First, it was Vick owned land where dog fights were reportedly taking place, but it was land lived on by his cousin that he “hardly ever visited.” (For the record, police nabbed 66 dogs during their raid. 66!) Then it came out that Vick actually *did* know what was going down there in Surry County.

Anyway, every network and sports blog out there has this story covered, so we’ll skip on to today’s latest development: a source told ESPN that Michael Vick has been attending dog fights at least as far back as 2000, and that it when it comes to placing wagers, Vick is a world-class heavyweight:

“That’s who bets a large dollar,” the informant said on the show Outside the Lines. “And they have the money to bet large money. As I’m talking about large money, 30 to 40 thousand, even higher. He’s one of the heavyweights.”

When asked how he knows Vick bets that amount, the informant said, “because I’ve seen it.” The informant said his dog beat Vick’s dog in 2000, the year before Vick was chosen by the Falcons with the first overall pick in the NFL draft.

We’re never sure what to make of unnamed “informants” in cases like this. Obviously, identity protection for police collaborators is important, but there’s always people out there looking to capitalize on famous rich people’s misfortune, so this could turn out false. For the record, however, we appreciate the “informant’s” gusto in not only fingering Vick as a “heavyweight gambler” in the dog-fighting world, but also adding insult to injury by slipping in the fact that his dog beat Vick’s dog. Ouch.

- Differing accounts of this encounter with Scott Skiles at a bar last night (see the comments), but one thing’s for certain: the Chicago Bulls head coach said the word “shit” and we’re deeply offended by his potty mouth.

- Mark Cuban is chillin’ in the Cayman Islands and don’t you forget it. He’s also into coin-flipping.

- “Big” Mike Williams is all keyed up and ready to rock the house for the Oakland Raiders. We had a post written and ready to go about a month ago entitled “Hindsight is 20/20 for Mike Williams,” but I axed it at the last minute because, well, I don’t know why. The gist of it is that now that Williams is out of Detroit, it sounds like he’s blaming his dismal failure there on everyone except himself: the coaches, his teammates, the media, the guy manning the drive-thru at Burger King. Look, he was a bust for the Lions, but I’d like to see the kid do well. Really. But the fact is that he can only blame himself for the less-than-ideal beginning to his professional career. Dropping passes, dogging it in practice, insisting *his* ideal playing weight was the right one–not the coaches’–and not learning the playbook. That’s all on him.

- Middle relief pitchers and how managers use them under the microscope.

- The pride of the New York Yankees’ pitching rotation, Carl Pavano, is probably the most popular guy on the team. As we speak, Yankees fans are furiously typing emails to the publicity department, demanding autographed balls and photos. They never, ever want to forget their $40 million man.

- There’s a shakeup a-brewin’ in Golden State, and the fall guys look to be either Jason Richardson, Patrick O’Bryant, Mickael Pietrus, or 2007 Most Improved Player Monta Ellis. We have issues with anyone who’d consider moving ETB favorite Ellis. Yes, his playoff performance was anything but spectacular, but we’re talking about a 21-year-old kid in his first postseason. He’s electrifying, he’s got a ton of upside, he’s a keeper.

- After firing head coach Brian Hill (the right move), Orlando Magic GM Pat Smith thinks he has “one of the best sports franchises in the country” and “expects [his] team to win a championship.” Maybe so, but right now you have a man-child at center in Dwight Howard who still has a ways to go in developing his offensive game, and then… not much. Jameer Nelson is not the long-term answer at point guard, Darko is still a question mark and wants to get paid, and the jury is still out on Trevor Ariza. Am I missing anyone? J.J. Redick doesn’t count.

- Can anyone blame Vinny Testaverde for trying to earn a cool million while holding a clipboard for another year? He might be old, but the man is smart.

- Right, so, Michael Vick enjoys pitting dogs against each other in a battle to the death. Is it really that big of a deal? Aside from the shoddy morals, poor judgement, and cruelty to animals factors, of course.

- Jayson Stark for ESPN.com lists 10 of the most underrated professional baseball players. Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt tops the list, which is funny because my ETB associate Andrew was just talking the guy up the other day before Oswalt’s duel with Tim Lincecum. Also nice to see the Detroit Tigers’ Placido Polanco clock in at #7; thus far in the season, Polanco is batting .333 with 1 HR, 26 RBIs, and .422 slugging percentage. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, though. He’s an extremely tough out, hardly ever strikes out, and is a steadying presence in the infield.

- When Jon Bon Jovi offers his full support in your quest to become the first female president of an Arena Football League franchise, you know you’re golden. That, or he’s just angling for an in to sing somewhere, anywhere, even if it’s just the national anthem.

- Statues outside Wrigley Field? Bugs & Cranks *hates* statues. That and listening to Ron Santo bitch.

- Someone else finally saw Lebron throw the ball at a woman sitting courtside at the Palace during Game 1 Monday night. It’s really not a *huge* deal, but we’re just a little miffed that no one on TNT’s announcing crew even mentioned it.

- Jason Maxiell goodness. (via True Hoop)

Detroit 79, Cleveland 76

It wasn’t a foul. In playoff basketball–or at least the playoff basketball that anyone over the age of 21 surely remembers–that kind of it-could-go-either-way drive to the hole, with the game on the line, with less than 12 seconds remaining, is not, or at least should not be, a whistle. And it’s a shame that some writers are so disappointed that a superstar didn’t get the superstar whistle, for once, that this is all they’re going to talk about the next few days leading up to Game 3 Sunday night. Not about Rasheed Wallace’s semi-miraculous fallaway swish from the baseline to give Detroit the lead. Not second-year forward Jason Maxiell helping himself to the baby buffet, playoff style. And certainly not the stifling Pistons defense that again saved them when their offense just wasn’t clicking.

The Cleveland Cavaliers could for all intensive purposes be heading home with a 2-0 lead in this series, but the reason they’re not is because they haven’t performed under pressure, in clutch situations, nearly as well as Detroit has. Plain and simple. No game is ultimately determined by one play–a lot happens before the final minute, right, Chris Sheridan?–but in Game 1, it was Donyell Marshall bricking a wide-open three-pointer that would have likely won the game. Last night, first it was a deja vu play with about 30 seconds left when Lebron drove to the hole, the defense collapsed, and he dished to an open teammate beyond the arc, almost the same spot as Marshall’s shot. Sasha Pavlovic hesitated, pump-faked, and traveled. Turnover. Then it was Anderson Varejoke (14 points, 14 boards) acting incredulous that his flopping disguised as a sorry excuse for defense didn’t earn him an offensive foul call on ‘Sheed before the big man nailed a difficult shot in Lebron’s face.

Then, on the last possession, head coach Mike Brown inexplicably does not draw up a play to get a shot off within a few seconds, thereby extending the game if the shot doesn’t fall, instead opting to isolate Lebron at the top of the key, with Rip Hamilton guarding. Lebron drove, spun, and assumed that since he’s King James, King James would be shooting free throws. No. Instead, the shot clanged off the back of the rim, bouncing right to Wallace… who mishandled the ball! Larry Hughes grabbed it and put up a point-blank, seven-foot jumper. Clang. Then an offensive tip, Anderson Varejoke, that flirted with the rim before harmlessly falling out. Mike Brown does a little dance on the sideline, upset that his team didn’t get the chance to win on the backs of a whistle, technical foul, game over, the Pistons survive again.

Whew.

For the Pistons, Jason Maxiell made all the difference in the world, and right now is earning himself more minutes not just for the rest of this series and possibly the NBA Finals, if Detroit can get there, but next season too. We hear a lot of talk these days in the league about “energy players,” and Maxiell is quickly becoming one of the best of that breed. In the first quarter–nay, the first half–J-Maxx was the savior off the bench. Mitch Albom for the Detroit Free Pass summed it up nicely:

First he blocked LeBron. That’ll get anyone pumped. Then he grabbed an offensive rebound and slammed it home over LeBron. Say hello. Then he took an alley-oop from Billups and slammed it, hanging on the rim. He grabbed another rebound. Blocked another shot. Grabbed another rebound. Put in a lay-up. Grabbed another rebound. Drew a foul.

By the time the half was over, Maxiell was Detroit’s leading scorer (11), leading rebounder (five), and leading shot-blocker (two). Remember, this is his first year in the playoffs. He continued his great performance in the second half and finished with 15 points, six boards and a new respect from the fans — and certainly the Cavaliers. “I told Jason that was probably his best game all year,” Wallace said.

Indeed it was, and this time, I don’t think Flip Saunders will forget it. At times this season, it was befuddling how J-Maxx would come in for a few minutes, dominate, then find himself on the bench for the rest of the game. Those days are numbered now because this kid has officially arrived. If it wasn’t for his poor free-throw shooting, he probably would have closed out the game, again, in the fourth quarter at the four spot.

As for the box score-y wrap, ‘Sheed led Detroit in points and rebounds with 16 and 11, respectively, to go with 2 blocks and 2 steals, while Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton notched 13 points apiece, each of them struggling from the field and shooting a combined 9-21. Tayshaun Prince’s offensive disappearing act continued, as he went 0-8 FG and just 1 point. He’s now 1-19 for the series, the toll from guarding Lebron clearing taking away from his offense. For Cleveland, James led the way with 19 points (but only 5 in the second half). Mike Brown got little to nothing from Drew Gooden, Big Z, and Larry Hughes, as the trio combined for 11 points, 5-19 FG, 11 boards, and 6 turnovers.

Game 3 Sunday night (8:30pm, TNT) now becomes a must win for Cleveland at home. Lose that one, and we could very well see a sweep. One has to think they’ll be fired up and pissed off after these two extremely close losses in Detroit, but there have to be seeds of doubt sprouting in their bellies. Their best defensive efforts still weren’t enough, and how much longer will Flip Saunders and the Pistons fail to make the right adjustments to Mike Brown’s admittedly smart defensive schemes? How much longer will Billups play out of character, will Prince miss easy ones, and Chris Webber miss point-blank hooks? One thing’s for sure: the Cavs need to stop banking their chances of winning on a referee whistle.

For more on last night’s game, check out Detroit Bad Boys, Need4Sheed, Fear the Sword, 20 Second Timeout, LTD Hoops, and Columbus Cavs.

In the eyes of the luckiest man of the moment, Portland Trail Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard, there’s no reason to just settle for Batman–he just might want to bring Robin aboard as well. You *may* have heard that Portland won the NBA’s draft lottery Tuesday night and, of course, the rights to Greg Oden, whom according to some reports is fully capable of averaging 45 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots for the duration of his professional basketball career.

That in itself would make any franchise’s collective head spin in 360-degree circles for a week. But as that old saying goes, Pritchard seems completely focused on seizing the day and capitalizing on his team’s good fortune while he’s in the enviable position to do so. To that end, speculation is rising that with a few bargaining chips to play with, the Trail Blazers are not satisfied with drafting the best true center prospect since Tim Duncan–they want Oden’s running mate since his AAU days, Mike Conley Jr., who just happens to be the best point guard prospect in the draft.

Think landing the best bets at two key positions sounds foolhardy? Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski says think again:

Does Pritchard have enough with Zach Randolph, a 20-and-10 low post scorer and rebounder, and Jarrett Jack, a competent point guard, as the backbone of a major trade? As it looks now, the Blazers are determined to find out.

As for the Celtics, who sit miserably at No. 5, they logically should be one of the Blazers’ most promising trade partners. Without Oden or Kevin Durant, G.M. Danny Ainge is wisest to look hard at packaging his pick and a young player or two for veterans. Yet there is the pending problem of Ainge agreeing to do a major trade with the Blazers after that draft-day disaster a year ago that left them without Roy or Randy Foye – and with Sebastian Telfair. Another issue muddling this possibility is that Randolph is too similar to the Celtics’ Al Jefferson.

Truth be told, the Blazers might have to get the third overall pick out of Atlanta’s hands to guarantee that they can get Conley. The Hawks could get their point guard at No. 9 with Acie Law and use the third pick to bring back a powerful inside presence in Randolph. Of course, Atlanta may not have the salaries to give back for the maxed-out Randolph, and that’s where a third team could be useful.

Together, Oden and Conley are represented by Mike Conley Sr., who has aligned himself with Bill Duffy’s BDA Management. Duffy is a powerbroker agent who can facilitate the kind of major trade needed to happen here, one which likely will need the involvement of a third team.

The probability of pulling off such a coup still seems slim, but certainly not too far out there. Without question, finding a taker for Randolph should be major priority for Pritchard starting…. now, and while Jarrett Jack improved his game this past season and hinted at even bigger and better things at times, the Blazers have another young point in Sergio Rodriguez who they have high hopes for. If it means landing Conley and putting Oden further at ease in his transition from college kid to professional adult, you do it if the opportunity is there. Chemistry on the basketball court is never an overstated element, and having that already built in between your starting point guard and center would prove invaluable to this team’s overall development.

If I’m Pritchard, I find a way to make this work. Sweeten the pot with whatever’s necessary–don’t forget that Portland had a third first-round pick in 2006 that was spent on the British 6-11 center Joel Freeland. That kid’s still only 20 years old and playing out a contract in Europe for Gran Canaria, but with Aldridge and Oden in the fold, Freeland has become completely expendable. Why not offer Randolph, Jack, the rights to Freeland, and, if necessary, a 2010 first-round pick (which is bound to be a low one)?

Whatever happens, one thing’s for certain: this promises to be one of the most thrilling, unpredictable drafts in recent NBA history.

Push Mikhail through a sonar fence, watch him spit up blood, see him return with a vengeance. Beat the living snot out of Mikhail, see him scowl at you shortly after. Shoot Mikhail with a harpoon in the vicinity of his heart, then watch in horror as Mikhail swims by, smiles, waves, and pulls the pin on a grenade. Boom.

Perhaps the resurgence of Detroit Tigers slugger Magglio Ordonez isn’t quite as Teflon-tough as Lost’s favorite one-eyed Russian, but both have proven that injuries are not about to keep them down. Before suffering what most believed was a permanently career-debilitating injury to his left knee in 2004, Ordonez was one of the best-hitting outfielders in the majors, finishing with a batting average above .300 and over 29 homers and 99 ribbies for five straight seasons.

But then came the surgeries. Two of them. Then came the inevitable decline in on-field production. The Chicago White Sox decided they’d had enough, and allowed Ordonez to sign a lucrative five-year, $75 million free-agent deal with the Detroit Tigers. It was a considerable gamble, and one that early on looked like a bad one–in his first season, the injury bell again tolled, this time a hernia that sidelined him for about three months.

But like Mikhail, this setback proved to merely be a hurdle. Ordonez returned to form last season for the Tigers, batting .298 with 24 HRs and 104 RBIs and helping lead his team to the World Series. Thus far this season, the results are projecting to be even bigger and better. Through 45 games, Maggs is batting .345 with 12 HRs and 42 RBIs.

Last night, his two-homer game led the Tigers to their 28th victory of the season and vaulted them back into first place in the AL Central. “I’m feeling good. I’m seeing the ball really well and being very patient with my pitches,” Ordonez said. “I’m using the whole field again and not just pulling the ball.”

He might not be able to take a harpoon to the heart, but Magglio Ordonez has proven he can take a hit and keep on hitting.

We understand that he’s one of the most skilled big men in the NBA at the moment, and certainly one of the few legitimate guys on the current Grizzlies roster that the team can theoretically build around. We acknowledge that his post-up game is rock solid, and that he’s come damn close to averaging a double-double all five years he’s been in the league. He’s an above-average shotblocker, averages over 3 assists a game for his career (which isn’t too shabby for a seven-footer), and that he’s shot higher than 50% from the field every season but one. Pau Gasol is a talented NBA basketball player, and he’s still only 27 years old.

But Pau Gasol is not a talented NBA leader. He’s not captain material. And if I’m an NBA GM looking to improve my team not just in terms of on-court talent but in overall character, chemistry, and cohesiveness, I take a deep breath and pass on any opportunities to acquire Gasol, and look elsewhere.

I just don’t believe he’s a winner, and that he never will be.

This past season, Gasol was clearly and audibly frustrated with his team’s lack of tangible improvement and/or competitiveness, often voicing his anger directly through the media and hinting that he’d had enough, it was time for Memphis to trade him. Fine. But it didn’t happen, and now he’s still “stuck” with the Grizzlies. And, likewise, Memphis is still “stuck” with Gasol. It’s not a happy marriage, but in my opinion, the franchise is the one who should be crying foul, not Gasol. They should get rid of him while the gettin’ is good.

Look, Memphis finished the regular season with the worst record in the league. They’re fielding a lineup that’s dominated by rookies and second-year players. Talented players, but nonetheless very green players. Losing is par for the course in times like that, but the ultimate goal is that these guys will take their lumps, learn from them, and improve over time, hopefully sooner rather than later. Eventually, some veteran help will need to be mixed in to balance it out, but this is the *right* approach by the team’s decision makers. They’re trying to improve their franchise from the ground up.

Gasol refuses to think positively about it. It’s a shame the Spaniard still bitches and complains and moans about his franchise, when he should be taking this time to take a good, long look in the mirror and question whether or not he’s part of the problem, whether he indirectly played a leading role in the team’s malaise last season. To decide whether he’s going to take this opportunity to step forward and be a leader, or shrink back and point fingers.

Sadly, it still looks and sounds like Gasol is choosing the latter approach:

Pau Gasol awoke Wednesday morning on the other side of the world and rushed to a computer searching for how his Memphis Grizzlies fared in the NBA draft lottery. The Grizzlies’ center immediately wanted to go back to bed. “We just don’t have any luck,” Gasol said via telephone from Spain.”

“It was a tough hit for everybody,” Gasol said. “It’s hard to accept the reality. The franchise will still get a good player. But there was a chance to get a great player with the first or second pick.”

Gasol requested a trade in January but seemed to back off that stance when the season ended. While acknowledging that he could still be traded, Gasol said he wants to remain a Grizzly. “I do,” Gasol said. “But the draft (lottery) didn’t go our way, and now other things are going to have to happen to be a better team. I’m talking about the (next) coach and general manager. I don’t know how much this affects my situation. We’ll see. Let’s see how the franchise reacts.”

And let’s see how *you* react, Pau. Okay, so your team has the fourth pick in the draft, not the first or second. Deal with it. You are paid to be the leader on this team, the All-Star, the guy that all your teammates are supposed to follow. Don’t cry about the lottery to the media. Don’t insinuate that all hope could be lost now. Man up! You’re a grown man, and this sulking, “poor Pau” act has grown more than tired.

The best players in this league are supposed to make their team better. Does Pau Gasol do that? Does he elevate the play of his teammates? Does he ooze with confidence? Would his teammates follow him into battle with no reservations or qualms? Maybe, but I wouldn’t. Gasol has never–never–really accomplished anything in this league. He has never led his team to any playoff victories. That’s right–the Grizzlies have gone to the playoffs three times since his arrival, and three times they’ve been swept. That’s 0-12. That’s inexcusable.

It’s time for the Memphis Grizzlies to move on. They need to move Gasol for the good of their franchise, not to bend to Gasol’s trade demands. The compensation should still be substantial enough to make it worthwhile–would the Bulls part with Tyrus Thomas and their lottery pick? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s time to open up the bidding Bob Barker style and send Gasol to the bidder whose offer is closest to the actual market value of their “franchise” player.

- The “deepest NBA draft evah” took a hit today when Roy Hibbert, the 7-2 Georgetown center, decided to return to college for his senior season. His teammate Jeff Green just announced today that he’s staying. Dr. Hibbert would have been a lottery pick, but the financial bonus of going in the top five picks next season instead of the top 15 ultimately proved too tempting. Inch Brazil’s Tiago Splitter up the draft board.

- Speaking of the draft, soon-to-be-ex Memphis Grizzlies president Jerry West is absolutely thrilled his team dropped down to the fourth pick in the lottery. He’s relieved that management won’t have to decide between Oden and Durant, supportive of the NBA lottery format, and looks forward to spending his summer pitching pennies.

- A few days after publicly admonishing baseball and its handling of the steroid scandal–and basically admitting to taking them himself–a report has popped up that NY Yankees fat man-cum-slugger Jason Giambi tested positive for amphetamines sometime in the past year. I’m sure the timing of this leaked story has *nothing* to do with him hanging out MLB to dry. Nope, nothing.

- Ryan McNeill must have learned how to read people’s minds from a distance, because I couldn’t agree more with his great editorial column on Hoops Addict yesterday. The Canadian b-ball guru dismisses the “doom and gloom mentality” that’s permeated so many NBA fans and followers this postseason, and says that “if you can’t appreciate the great play currently underway in the playoffs, then maybe you should watch the NHL playoffs.” Oh, snap!

- Anyone else psyched about the two-hour season finale of Lost this evening? Big thanks to the NBA for not scheduling Game 2 of the Eastern Conference tonight. They want to see Jack die as much as we do.

- Two former Detroit Lions wide receivers are in the news today: one wants to fight, the other has apparently already fought. First, the now-retired Johnnie Morton–whom Lions’ GM Matt Millen once publicly called a “faggot” in one of the classiest moves of management history–has taken up mixed martial arts and is competing in those brutal UFC-style bouts. Take a wild guess as to who the one guy he really wants to get in the ring with is. Second, David Kircus–who slices a mean loaf of wheat bread–has apparently broken someone’s face.

- Stupid blisters! First Jeremy Bonderman, then Josh Beckett, and now Ben Sheets.

- Off Topic: we can’t decide if the better caption for this is “She’s only seven” or “USA! USA! USA!” There’s a few favorite moments from that clip, but mine are the slow motion footage around the couch and her mom aiding and abetting the gorging by actually picking up her daughter’s cup for her and pouring that liquidized cheesecake down her throat.

- Oh, right… the San Antonio Spurs beat the Utah Jazz again. It’s almost like we’re not really watching that series.

- Tim Lincecum has ETB’s fantasy baseball psycho Andrew singing Keith Urban’s “I Told You So.” He’s always been a fan of Urban’s traditional tones and catchy songs.

- Vince Carter wants to be paid $20 million a season for at least the next three years. No official word yet as to which drugs he must be consuming.

- Houston Rockets headcase Bonzi Wells thinks it was actually God who hired Rick Adelman as the new Rockets head coach. Everyone knows, however, that it’s apostle Bartholomew with the rooting interest in Houston, so don’t discount his influence.

- Yi Jianlian to the Boston Celtics? Makes sense to me. A lot of sense.

- Finally, we imagine this is kind of what Grizzlies fans (if there are any) must feel like right about now. Frustrated, exasperated, and helpless.

The phrase “jump for joy” has taken on a whole new meaning and relevance in the Portland area this morning. A day after beating the odds and winning the first overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft (read: Greg Oden, maybe Kevin Durant), the long-embattled Trail Blazers have quite a bit to look forward to: more jersey sales, more season-ticket holders, more national TV coverage, more, more, more!

This was already a team on the rise, having successfully eradicated the main culprits of their “Jail Blazer” days and forging a new foundation of talent in Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Alridge, Jarrett Jack, Sergio “Spanish Chocolate” Rodriguez, and Martell Webster. They have an excellent coach in Nate McMillan, who’ll now get a chance to put in even more in-person scouting of Durant and Oden as a member of the Team USA coaching staff this summer. And in what we feel will qualify as a “check and mate” move, GM Kevin Pritchard should finally have the leeway to jettison one of the last remaining bad seeds on his squad, Zach Randolph, to help make room for one of these two all-everything prospects.

To that end, Jason Quick for The Oregonian’s “Behind the Beat” Blazers blog thinks the bounty of riches won’t end with the draft this summer. With the Seattle Supersonics landing the second overall pick, and ETB favorite Rashard Lewis facing free agency, Quick feels Pritchard and the Blazers will pursue a sign-and-trade deal for Lewis.

“I can’t see us trading this pick,” Pritchard said. “This is a very top-heavy draft and we feel like there is an unbelievable difference maker. They don’t come around. As we move our timeline with Brandon (Roy) and LaMarcus (Aldridge) and a young team, we feel like his player will really be a benefit to that.”

I think a key factor that should not go unnoticed is that Seattle got the No. 2 pick, and how that might become a factor in the Blazers’ chances at signing Sonics free agent Rashard Lewis.

I think the Blazers are intent on luring Lewis from the Sonics come July. And wouldn’t Lewis’ view of the Sonics and his long-term future/role in Seattle change if the Sonics draft Durant – a player who plays the same position?

Could the Blazers drafting Oden force the issue?

If Lewis was to land in Portland – and granted, it would have to involve a sign-and-trade, and likely have to involve a third team (Chicago?) and probably Zach Randolph – it would create a potential starting lineup of Jarrett Jack, Brandon Roy, Rashard Lewis, LaMarcus Aldridge and Oden.

As Patrick Stewart so graciously tells Andy Millman after receiving his script for When the Whistle Blows, we strongly feel that Pritchard should “make it be so.” Does that sound like a fun team to watch over the next few years or what? The prospect of this young team eventually knocking the Spurs down from their Western throne is just too delicious to think about… and make no mistake, if Oden performs as advertised–and he will–and those other guys continue along their path of development, it would happen. Maybe not next year, or the year after, but the Blazers would become a top-tier franchise in the NBA.

Now go out and get Rashard Lewis. Please. We all want a new team to root for in the West.

There isn’t a fantasy baseball player out there who couldn’t use a few more saves at this point in the season. It’s always a good feeling waking up in the morning and seeing a few ‘1’s in that ‘S’ column. Like the ever-elusive steal, we’ll use multiple positions on our roster just for the chance at a handful more. A month and a half into the season, several closers have already been injured or lost their jobs outright, generating new sources of saves. No doubt, those have already been scooped up in your league. ETB takes a look at nine situations that could keep you a step ahead in the chase for saves.

Chicago Cubs

The big news out of Chicago today is Lou Pinella’s announcement that current closer Ryan Dempster will become a starter in the coming weeks in a move to bolster the rotation. In the mean time, he has been asked to mentor 24-year-old Angel Guzman who will then take over the job. While Dempster has a mediocre 4.43 ERA, he has converted 9 of 10 save opportunities this year while posting a 1.03 WHIP and 21 Ks in 20.1 innings. That makes the timing of this seem a little bizarre, especially when you consider that Ryan hasn’t had an ERA under 4.00 as a starter since 2000.

Whatever, fantasy owners just want to own the guy who finishes games for the Cubs. Anybody who owns Dempster should be handcuffing Guzman to him immediately. Guzman had a 7.39 ERA in 56 innings last season, but he does have the stuff to finish games. The only question is, does he have the mental makeup?

Read the rest of this article »

Well that sure was shocking, wasn’t it? We finally know which NBA owner sold his soul to the devil in exchange for rights to the best NBA prospect in something like 200 years. Greg Oden, the 7-footer from Ohio State who might arrive in the NBA with higher expectations than Lebron did, will almost assuredly be taken first overall in the June NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, who now become the team to watch over the next decade or so. In a word, sick. Paired with Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Sergio Rodriguez, Jarrett Jack, Martell Webster, etc, this team is definitely poised for a return to greatness.

Some will make the argument that Portland has more pressing holes to fill than center, and that they’ll either take Durant or trade the pick for some veteran help. I just don’t buy it. Aldridge will move over to man the power forward spot, and if/when they can find a taker, this lets them jettison Zach Randolph without any qualms. Trading their talented but cancerous starting power forward is the much more likely scenario. Either way, something tells me that lifelong Portland fan Henry Abbott over at TrueHoop won’t stop smiling for a few weeks after seeing this unlikely scenario unfold.

The “booby prize” of the draft ain’t so bad either. Kevin Durant, the 6-10 all-everything freshman from Texas, is now property of the Seattle Supersonics, another team that moved up significantly in the lottery. The question now becomes whether or not the team retains free agent Rashard Lewis; certainly, the arrival of an all-world prospect like Durant has to help the team’s sales pitch if, indeed, they’re ready to pony up the cash to keep the All Star.

The Atlanta Hawks also benefitted, moving up to into the third slot for a shot at any number of very solid prospects. It’s up in the air as to who the Hawks will target: they certainly have a need at point guard, but is #3 overall a reach for the draft’s best at PG, Mike Conley, Jr.? Remember, this team is already stocked at the small forward spot, so you’d think they’ll go with either a point or a big man. Either way, the Hawks are going to be another team to watch over the next decade or so–they also have the Pacers’ first-round pick at #11, giving them 2 of the top 15 in what’s been called the deepest draft ever.

Wow. Jerry West of the Memphis Grizzlies and Tommy Boy for the Celtics looked *pissed* when their teams were announced at 4 and 5, respectively. These two franchises are still assured of landing a big-time prospect, but I suppose it’s hard to mask your disappointment over missing out on Oden and Durant.

Other Notes from the NBA Draft Lottery:

- ESPN’s Dan Patrick had a little chat with Greg Oden before the big fella boarded a flight for Vegas. Not exactly the most thrilling interview, but it did end with Patrick asking him if he had another job he could fall back on. Oden’s reply? “Uh, I could probably breakdance on the side of the street, make a few bucks doing that.” Mmhmm.

- Jay Bilas thinks North Carolina’s Brandan Wright has “the wingspan of a condor” and “runs the floor like a deer.” Personally, I think Wright runs the floor more like a gazelle, but what do I know.

- Too much player analysis from ESPN’s crew to kick the festivities off in Secaucus, NJ, not enough awkward interviews with each team’s lottery representative. This is a golden opportunity to ask Larry Bird (representing the Pacers) to confirm that he did indeed used to smoke John Mellencamp under the table with his bud Kevin McHale, and to clarify just how many “cigarettes” it took to take down the Coog.

- Wow… the “Grizzlies Lottery Viewing Party” looks like it’s drawn more fans than Memphis’ last few home games, combined.

- Greg Anthony’s simpleton analysis of the state of the Boston Celtics was just a little insulting to close observers of the NBA. If they don’t land Oden, he says, the team is doomed to wallow in mediocrity for many years to come. There’s an incredibly solid, promising core of young players already employed by the Celts (Big Al Jefferson, Rajon Rondo, Ryan Gomes, Delonte West, Tony Allen, Gerald Green). Throw in a high return for a Paul Pierce trade–which we really feel is the right move for Boston–and you have a team that could challenge for a playoff spot much sooner than you think. They were certainly dealt a blow in this lottery, but at #5 overall, they should be able to land a guy who can step into the starting lineup immediately.

- Gee, David Stern… don’t tip your hat *too* far about your affection for Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

- Hilarious watching ESPN’s Mark Jones go through the introductions of each team representative, with each one of these guys tensing up just a bit as they were announced, praying that Jones didn’t pick them for a little impromptu chat. Timberwolves fans must *hate* seeing Randy Foye sitting next to the NBA’s 2007 Rookie of the Year, Brandon Roy. These two were of course swapped on draft day last year and, so far, the Trail Blazers have emerged as the winner of that deal. Yep, everything’s coming up Portland.

A few thoughts about last night’s opener of the Eastern Conference Finals:

From Detroit’s Perspective:

- Were they passing out sedatives instead of bobbleheads to the fans as they passed through the gates? That was one of the quietest home crowds I’ve ever heard at the Palace during the postseason, and they did little to nothing to help spur their team on (and god knows they needed it). Here’s hoping that the corporate shills didn’t buy up *all* the tickets for the whole series, because there’s nothing worse than a bunch of businessmen sitting on their hands and quietly sipping on a plastic cup of wine during a playoff game.

- For the first 42 minutes or so of the game, Chauncey Billups played no better than Eric Snow, uncharacteristically letting the ball slide out of his hands like they were covered in grease and looking slightly panicked whenever the Cavs double-teamed him at the top of the arc. Clearly, he wasn’t expecting (wasn’t prepared for?) that, and I fully expect an adjustment to be made for Game 2 and beyond. Billups’ poor play until they needed him most, in crunch time, is one of the many reasons the Pistons are lucky to have won.

- Rasheed Wallace registered 7 blocked shots, a career playoff high, to go with 15 points and 12 boards, and perhaps just as importantly never really lost his cool. He can improve on his boxing out on both ends of the court, but very hard to quibble with his overall performance. When Sasha Pavlovic tried to wrestle the ball away from him, sending ‘Sheed to the floor in the process, I knew that would get his attention, and sure enough it did. Leaving Donyell Marshall wide open in the corner for the potentially game-winning shot with a few seconds left was bone-headed, though; visions of Robert Horry in the 2005 NBA Finals must have gone through every Pistons fans’ head before Marshall’s shot clanked off the rim.

- Rip Hamilton was just fantastic on offense, wasn’t he? When he’s on, there’s something about the rhythm and ease of his shots that seems to just deflate the other team. Loved that set late in the fourth quarter when he basically ran two laps around the Cavs’ defense, coming off a few picks and screens, with Pavlovic trying in vain to keep up. Hamilton didn’t even get the ball, but it definitely planted another seed of doubt in Pavlovic’s mind that he’s out of his league when it comes to matching up with the Pistons’ all-star shooting guard.

- Jason Maxiell’s box score is anything but spectacular–1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block–but he was huge in the fourth quarter. This might be the first time I’ve ever seen him on the court late in the game with the outcome still to be determined. That vote of confidence from Flip Saunders had to make him feel good.

- That was, without question, one of the worst postseason performances I’ve ever seen from this core Pistons group. That they *still* won the game either speaks to their immense talent level, or the laughable ineptitude of the Cavaliers. You make the call.

- Antonio McDyess needs to remember how to shoot, and fast. The Pistons can probably get by in this series w/o Dice’s scoring off the bench, but if they make the NBA Finals it’ll be another story. I haven’t seen the vet go through a prolonged shooting slump this late in the season since he joined Detroit, and while I keep saying he’s bound to snap out of it any game now, he doesn’t have that confident body language of a guy who’s feeling good about his shot. The rebounding boost is nice, but he needs to get these kinks worked out on offense.

- Nice job by Dale Davis, who’s played very little this postseason, to stay mentally prepared and make tangible contributions in his early 5 minutes of action. With Webber picking up 2 fouls in the first few minutes, Davis came in and recorded 5 points and 3 boards while going to the line twice. Incredible that this guy’s NBA career began when I was in middle school.

- Finally, don’t expect Tayshaun Prince to go through another 1-11 FG night. His scoring is probably going to be down this series (read: guarding Lebron can be tiring), but he was missing some gimme’s and no-sweat’s that he normally can hit with his eyes closed. Kudos, however, for establishing a new high with 9 assists on the night. And, of course, we all know how well Lebron did himself on offense….

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With Game One of the Western Conference Finals starting just 38 hours after San Antonio knocked Phoenix off Friday night, ETB didn’t have time to put together a proper series preview before tipoff yesterday afternoon. Our apologies. With game one in the books, here’s how we see the rest of the series shaking down.

“We are two teams that try to do the same thing, just put the ball in, play from the inside out, when we have the opportunity we are going to run. It’s going to be fun with a lot of good plays and tough possessions, hard to score. So, we’ll see what happens.” – Manu Ginobili

There are a number of interesting matchups between these teams who looked fairly evenly matched in the regular season, but the most interesting thing to pay attention to may be the chess match taking place on the sidelines. The team’s who play pretty offensive basketball and rack up regular-season wins are gone (deal with it). What’s left are Jerry Sloan’s gritty, disciplined Utah Jazz and Gregg Popivich’s physical, methodical San Antonio Spurs; each team an accurate reflection of their skipper. Between the two, these guys have as much playoff coaching experience and savvy as anybody in the league. They’ve seen it all, and neither will find it easy to catch the other off balance.

Still, there will be plenty of games within the game as they constantly make adjustments between games, halves, quarters and even possessions. Ordinarily, the task of each of these coaches is to slow the game down- that should be no problem here. While the Jazz may be more comfortable running, they’re perfectly content to play in the half court; San Antonio dominates in the half court, but they have some track stars too. Look for both teams to play tight on the ball and force turnovers for transition buckets. Failing that, they will try to run their offense through the power forwards in the mid-post and set up slashing point guards and deadly spot up jump shooters outside. Because Utah usually likes to grind down their opponents and simply try to make fewer mistakes, they will need to make some changes because that style of play is San Antonio’s modus operandi.

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