The NFL Eightfold Path: NFC West

In a search for NFL enlightenment, I am covering each division individually before the Giants kick off against Dallas in New Jersey. For our first stop, I figured it would be best to walk before we can run. The NFC West is traditionally the worst division in football, and this year appears to maintain that reputation. A closer look will make this interesting, but I would rather quell some of the suspense before we get started and reinforce the common belief that the NFC West is definitely the worst group offered by this year’s regular season. There are some bright spots, however, which restore some pride to the once proud west. For the first time in almost a decade, the NFL’s laughing stock enters a season with a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Arizona gave them a nice surprise a few years ago, but not since Seattle’s glory days has the NFC West been in the big picture from day one. San Francisco may have been one ball to the knee away from taking on New England in February. Thanks to their efforts and potential success in the near future, the road to the Super Bowl could possibly go through this troubled division. The other aspect of the NFC West that is so appealing is how least talented sometimes means most competitive. This division has become unpredictable in recent years, therefore the results are usually up in the air throughout the season. The wildcard race may be severely affected by whether or not one team is able to seize possession of the second spot in this division. Here, we will take a look at each team to determine who is in the best shape to win this division.

4. Cardinals: The most mediocre quarterback controversy may not lie in New York after all as Kevin Kolb and John Skelton play hot potato with the starting job. Neither performs well enough to keep it but the other never plays well enough to take it. While the duo of Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams is capable at the running back spot, they are hardly enough to make Arizona a traditional ground and pound team. If the Cards are going to win, it will have to be with significant contributions from a position that is currently failing. Their defense, while competitive, would likely break under the pressure of their struggling teammates on offense. I never was a fan of Kolb, who did not do nearly enough in Philly to justify drawing that much value in a trade. However, Skelton seems to have potential and can turn his game around with more experience. With decent runners and one of the league’s best receivers, Skelton’s transition would immediately move Arizona up this list. I just do not see any evidence to suggest this will happen and it is too much of an unlikely outcome to rely on. The Cards played well throughout the latter stages of last season with Skelton at the helm, and that team would have enough to give the 49ers a run for their money. Despite similar personnel, this team just looks like a mess to me.

3. Seahawks: Despite arguably having even lesser talent at the quarterback position, there are other aspects to Seattle’s game that make them very competitive. In contrast to the point made about Arizona’s running game, Marshawn Lynch is more than enough to compensate for the Seahawks’ aerial struggles. Their defense is also much better than Arizona’s in terms of playmaking, potential turnovers, and fundamental tackling in general. So far, Russell Wilson has the lead in their QB race, which provides an additional threat of quarterback mobility to an offense that could use more playmakers. I do not want to put too much weight on the signing of Terrell Owens, but it is worth noting that TO can still fly past an opposing secondary and find the end zone if he can manage to not drop the ball. The possibility of Seattle outplaying Arizona only became possible when the Cardinals’ QBs sank to mediocrity. If all quarterbacks involved remain nothing to speak of, Seattle has the edge when it comes to the surrounding pieces that make their respective systems tick.

2. Rams: This is as bold as I get when it comes to the NFC West. Like I said earlier, underwhelming divisions have a very level playing field and a team that has been the worst in recent years can rise above teams that fail to make improvements. The main reason I see a Rams improvement is Sam Bradford, who can do a lot of damage if he has enough time to survive in the pocket. Steven Jackson has essentially been the entire Rams offense, but Bradford is ready to lead if his linemen are as well. Danny Amendola is quietly an excellent receiver if he can stay healthy. Last season I said that if he had ended up in New England instead, he would have every accomplishment Wes Welker now has because given the right opportunity, he can be just as good. I also felt Bradford was the best NFC West quarterback last season, which clearly did not make a huge difference. There has to be a lot more going for the Rams than their few weapons on offense. New head coach Jeff Fisher was the first moving piece that made me think this season’s team would be a significant improvement from previous years. Fisher’s influence should be a strong one that I think will most notably improve Saint Louis’ defense. While they may not have eleven great defenders, the Rams have one very good player at each level of defense. Chris Long is a beast on the defensive line, James Laurinaitis is a rock at linebacker, and Cortland Finnegan is the playmaker they have so desperately needed in the secondary. These players may make up a small percentage of the entire defense, but having one leader by example at each level may produce great results. And if nothing else, they get to play a combined six games against the winners of the Arizona and Seattle QB competitions and Alex Smith.

1. 49ers: I may not believe in as successful a season as the last San Francisco campaign, but there is no reason to see the 49ers losing their position atop the NFC West. The order of the previous three is close to unpredictable, but none of them have shown enough to win this division. When we analyze the 49ers, it is less about whether or not they are the best in the division and more about once they make the playoffs. I fear that a young and impressionable team led by an impulsive and overly enthusiastic coach may take on the immature characteristics displayed by their own leadership. The two biggest concerns I have are an offensive simplicity that other elite teams will be able to shut down and a defensive complacency that may come as a result of this division’s poor simulation of playoff football. The defense has to be elite again to even give this team a chance, and the offense has to be better. Randy Moss can make a big play, but he is just as likely to walk off the field. With Frank Gore, the perennial heart of this offense, on the decline, Alex Smith simply has to be better in order to make the 49ers more than just the best of the worst.

Along our NFL eightfold path, we will cover every remaining division in a similar manor. Fortunately, there are much tougher calls to be made in what lies ahead. The NFC West has worked hard for a bad reputation but with San Francisco leading the way, the teams behind them have the opportunity to elevate this division’s standards to those the excellent NFC divisions that surround them. As we progress through the NFL’s eight divisions, we will move closer to home and closer to the defending champions. Until then, each division and each article will illustrate just how difficult defending the title will be this season.

London 2012 Top 10

Tonight marked the end of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Other than some strange colonial and Mary Poppins moments in the opening ceremonies, London ran an excellent show. As great as the host city was, the athletes themselves created the stories and made these games a guaranteed success. Our United States proudly finished atop the medal count with 104 total medals, 46 of which were gold. The Olympics are unlike any other sporting event. Because most of America, even sports fans, is out of touch with the not so mainstream Olympic sports, it is a learning experience for everyone. We get a look at sports that are less familiar to us and check in on athletes that most of us only see perform once every four years. There is always more of a personal touch added to Olympic athletes. We get a break from contract disputes and league lockouts to see a more pure form of sports. The excitement on the faces of not only winners, but people who are just happy to make it there is unlike anything else that sports have to offer and is a breath of fresh air.

Another interesting aspect of Olympians is how young they are; this is my first Olympic cycle in which I am older than a large percentage of the athletes. As a result, I have so much more of an appreciation for what they have all accomplished at such early ages. This has successfully made me feel like I have done absolutely nothing with my life, but I am sure I am not the first or last fan to feel dwarfed by the accomplishments of the world’s finest athletes. At first I was going to try haphazardly stumbling through all the high points of these 2012 Olympics but, much like my last article, this idea built for a countdown. The Olympics, like most sports, is continuous action defined by individual moments. Here are, in my opinion of course, the ten best moments from these 2012 games.

10. USA Basketball: After the Miami Heat’s latest championship, I raised the question of whether or not they impressed you. Not whether or not they were a good team, or the best for that matter, but whether or not we should be impressed by what they did considering how they positioned themselves in the 2010 off-season. It would be incredibly hypocritical to not raise this same question against team USA just because this time, it involves a team that I root for. Seeing both our men and women go undefeated this summer was amazing but expected. Leaving our stranglehold on the sports of basketball off this list would be a crime, due to the nature of that accomplishment, but I cannot give a spot better than ten to an outcome that was so obvious. I suppose that without Howard, Wade, and Rose because of injuries, Team USA had some adversity, but their talent was still miles ahead of the competition. Despite our women scoring more style points in their gold medal game, I still consider the teams even because the men faced tougher competition from around the world. For this same reason, the 2012 Team USA is not as far behind the 1992 Dream Team as most people believe. Both teams were dominant and maintained, but did not elevate, USA basketball supremacy.

9. Melissa Jeanette Franklin: Better known as Missy Franklin, our newest swimming phenomenon embodies what I mentioned earlier about youth and enthusiasm. In a sport with plenty of competition, living up to standards set by the American swimming program and its previous legends is no easy task. In the midst of what was, at that time, a fierce race for Olympic domination against the Chinese, Missy exploded onto the Olympic scene and was a driving force that helped lead our nation’s athletes throughout the first half of the 2012 games. Missy was one Call Me Maybe parody away from being my favorite female athlete of London’s 2012 Olympics and it will be great to have her representing the USA for years to come. She ended up with four gold medals, one bronze and a couple of world records. Franklin and Michael Phelps were the only Olympians to capture four gold medals in 2012. Not bad for an Olympic debut.

8. Gabby Douglas and the Fab 5: What were we doing at age 16? Our youngest top ten performer took the gymnastics world by storm on the two biggest stages. Douglas won gold in the team finals and became the coveted all-around champion. Some speculation suggests that she faded after the peak of her accomplishments. Her underwhelming 7^th and 8^th place finishes in her Olympic events were somewhat anticlimactic after what we grew to expect from her. However, I think her performance was less about her game decreasing over time than it was elevating her performance at the biggest moments. In the two most important events, Gabby Douglas stepped up and proved to be the world’s best gymnast when it mattered most. Douglas and her supporting cast of Jordyn Wieber, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross made up quite possibly the best USA gymnastics team ever assembled, even more so than 1996’s Magnificent Seven.

7. Andy Murray: Speaking of stepping up on the biggest stage, Great Britain’s best tennis player has never won a Grand Slam event and has historically struggled when matched up against the world’s best. Facing Roger Federer, one of the greatest of all time, in the gold medal match seemed like a perfect setup for another heartbreak. However, given the support of his home crowd and the pressure of the Olympic stage, this was a very different experience. He defeated Federer, and it was not by any means close. The adrenaline rush was felt throughout a nation that, by that time, was surprisingly making a lot of noise at its own games. Great Britain finished among the elite at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and this was one of their crown jewels of a very successful season. The silver medal he received in the doubles competition can be easily forgotten but was also a big accomplishment for this summer’s British dominance of tennis.

6. Felix Sanchez: The 400 meter hurdles champion won the Domican Republic’s first medal of the 2012 games, but that is hardly the story here. Sanchez is among the only athletes in history to wear a name more important than the one of his own country. On his cleats, “Abuela” had been written in memory of his grandmother. The 2004 Summer Olympics were held in Athens, which is where Sanchez won his first gold medal in this event. Four years later in Beijing, he found out on the day of 400 meter hurdles qualifying that his grandmother had passed away that morning. After making the tough decision to stay in the competition, he dedicated his performance to her. That day, he finished with the 22^nd place time out of 25 qualifying runners. Four painful years passed and Sanchez entered the 2012 London Olympics at 34 years old. Remember, Olympians age in dog years so this attempt would be a longshot. In the finals, Sanchez completed the most emotional Olympic performance I have ever seen. He blew away the competition for his second career gold medal. After he crossed the finish line, he pulled a picture of his abuela from his jersey and placed it on the track. What followed was the most moving moment of these 2012 Olympics, and I strongly suggest that you find video of it somewhere if you have not seen this already.

5. Jessica Ennis: It takes the peak of athletic greatness to top that last moment, which is all that lies ahead. If Andy Murray is what kept London’s excitement going, this is what started it. Ennis suffered a stress fracture in her right foot in 2008 that kept her out of the Beijing Olympics. This proved to be a career threatening injury as Ennis lost multiple world titles and her status for this year was questionable for some time. In preparation for 2012, she learned to long jump leading with her non-dominant foot. In London, the crowd went wild as she made the final turn of the 800 meter run and captured the gold medal in the heptathlon by a sizable margin. By most unbiased standards, this accomplishment makes Jessica Ennis the most athletic woman on Earth. Her versatility and excellence in each event support his claim. This is a woman who can high jump a foot taller than her own height. In more ways than one, Ennis is a great face for team Great Britain. Her success was a shot in the arm to GB’s athletics and started the British gold rush that solidified their spot near the top of the standings. Among many great moments for the home team, this was Britain’s greatest time to shine.

4. Oscar Pistorius and Kirani James: The “Blade Runner” from South Africa is as inspirational as it gets in sports. Pistorius became the first double amputee to run on an Olympic track, but not before controversy struck from inexperienced science. Pistorius was previously banned from Olympic competition because the people in charge actually believed that his prosthetic legs were a competitive advantage against able-bodied runners. I should not have to explain why this decision was eventually overturned, but they eventually realized that having no legs is actually not beneficial when it comes to running. The nature of his prosthetic legs is not bionic, they merely act as a support system that allows the rest of his body’s movements. His essential running muscles and upper legs are still there and are the force behind his speed and stamina. When Pistorius qualified for the 400 meter semi-finals, all eyes were on him to see if the impossible could become history. In this same heat was gold medal favorite (and eventual champion) Kirani James. James won convincingly and moved on to the finals, where he would win gold and capture Grenada’s first ever Olympic medal. Pistorius, on the other hand, finished in last place of this semi-final heat. After the race, however, James approached Pistorius and the two traded name tags, the equivalent of soccer’s jersey trading tradition between great players. This act of sportsmanship between a champion of sport and a champion of life is already an iconic moment in Olympic history and embodies what Olympic competition is all about. Pistorius will compete in future Paralympics as well, where I imagine his competition is in serious trouble.

3. Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings: These last three moments are pretty interchangeable because each carries a “greatest of all time” title. Misty May and Kerri have dominated beach volleyball for a long time now, but this last championship run would be the most challenging. The strong Brazilian team entered the competition as the number one ranked team in the world, and the Kessy-Ross American team was expected to be almost just as good as our legendary combination. Misty and Kerri actually lost a set for the first time in their Olympic career and faced tough competition on their way to the top, but the two eventually recaptured their rightful place on top of the world. In a delightful all-USA gold medal match, Treaner and Jennings won decisively and completed a three-peat and the perfect Olympic career. This gold and silver combination was the turning point for the USA overtaking and running away from China in the medal count. Misty and Kerri literally accomplished as much as they could have on the Olympic stage and will likely retire now among the greatest Olympians of all time. No one has dominated their respective sport for as long as these two women have, and going undefeated over a span of twelve years is an accomplishment that will be remembered forever.

2. Usain Bolt and Jamaica’s dominance: Usain Bolt became the first man in history to win consecutive gold medals in both the 100 and 200 meter sprints. He holds the world record in both events, and has dominated sprinting in a way that is almost comical. From mid race celebrations to an outgoing off the track personality, Bolt has crossed the threshold between hometown hero and worldwide superstar. He is admired here in America and all over the world, and he deserves it. What I love about track is that unlike football, baseball or other sports, the greatest of all time can be determined by simply looking at the numbers. Quarterbacks naturally throw for more yards now and baseball seasons have more games. In track, you have to be the fastest to travel a given distance on foot. That’s it, and Bolt has become the fastest man to do so. He is without a doubt the fastest man of all time, and managed to do it in style. These Olympics were different because while he was probably still the odds on favorite, some expected him to lose his throne to teammate Yohan Blake, who beat Bolt in both races during Olympic qualifying in Jamaica. However, it was business as usual for Bolt who, by track standards, won both events by a large margin. The USA actually put up a great fight in the always exciting 4X100 meter relay, but the Jamaicans were just too good. With Bolt as the anchor for the first time, we finally saw him finish a race at full speed, and it was beautiful to watch.

1. Michael Phelps: The most decorated Olympian of all time now has 22 Olympic medals. There is no analysis that can describe his accomplishments better than simply stating the truth. He has 22 Olympic medals, 18 gold medals, 13 individual medals, 11 individual gold medals. After winning a record eight gold medals in Beijing, he quietly won four more in London. He is 6’4” with a 6’8” wingspan and his build is custom made for Olympic swimming. He decisively outperformed teammate Ryan Lochte, who was expected to dethrone Phelps and become the world’s greatest swimmer. Lochte has taken criticism from the Twitter nation for underperforming at these Olympics, but I think that his participation made history possible. His victory over Phelps and the rest of the world in the 400 meter medley to kick off the Olympics was the wakeup call Phelps needed to become the Michael Phelps we all wanted to see. His reaction to that loss came in the form of six medals over the next week. If Michael Phelps sticks to his retirement plan, he will most likely go down in history as the single greatest Olympian of all time. While I selfishly hope he comes back for one more, the way he ended things this summer was pretty perfect.

I do not want to ruin the magic of these stories by complaining too much, but it would be a disservice to anyone reading if I did not criticize NBC’s terrible coverage of these Summer Olympics. They claim that the reasoning behind the eight to twelve hour delay between the actual event and their coverage was to show the biggest events in primetime (8pm eastern standard time). However, anyone who followed these 2012 games closely knows what came on at 8pm. Diving. Every night was diving. Sometimes synchronized, sometimes individual, but there was always diving on at 8pm. The events that they advertised (swimming, gymnastics, etc.) would not actually come on until 11 or 11:30pm. They cannot expect 21^st century Americans to bury their heads in the sand and hide from the news so they can be surprised at midnight. I gave up on them pretty early on and started streaming live British coverage. The two things NBC could have done well was show events live in timely fashion or during American primetime. They did neither, and even once the events were on they were mediocre. Andrea Kramer has no idea how to interview someone who has just lost, which is an art. Luckily, America did a lot of winning, but watching her basically ask Ryan Lochte how it felt to lose was painful. Bob Kostas was giving highlights of a qualifying USA men’s basketball game that I missed. He showed us two highlights of Lebron dunking and then moved on to diving. He never gave a final score and I had to look it up on espn.com. There is a noticeable difference between ESPN coverage, an actual sports network, and NBC’s entertainment over sports approach. I heard ten times how Missy Franklin is going to a Justin Bieber concert, but the emotional video of her high school gathering to watch her win gold was only shown once.

Despite NBC’s many efforts, nothing can take away from London’s great 2012 Summer Olympics. I will forever remember the stories listed here and the memories that the world’s greatest athletes created for viewers everywhere. I can only imagine the pressure that comes from the Olympic stage and the glory that comes from their performances, their heart, and the pride of an entire nation.

Empire State of Mind

                

              New York sports have reached an interesting time of year, and most of our teams have managed to do something about it. Three of the four major sports are in their off-seasons, and the fourth is approaching a trade deadline. Due to this timing, potentially season changing transactions are being made in every sport almost simultaneously. This summer has seen a series of moves from New York teams that can either make or break their chances in the near future. This countdown reviews the top five moves made this summer by the Empire State’s teams.

5. Ichiro to the Yankees-The most exciting thing about this move is how the Yankees enter a no-lose situation. They gave up two minor league pitchers who were not considered to be high value prospects, and the Mariners agreed to cover most of Ichiro’s contract. While he appears to be washed up and past his prime, the Yanks get to take a chance on a guy who, only a few short years ago, was the best pure hitter and leadoff man in baseball. Even in this career-worst season, Ichiro is still an excellent fielder and base-runner who can impact a season without picking up his customary 200 hits. Under these conditions Yankees still made a solid acquisition, but if finally playing for a winner revitalizes Ichiro at the plate, the move becomes an excellent one. The Jones-Ibanez duo in left field has been decent, but this move will do defensive wonders for an outfield that, outside of Granderson, has struggled in the field this season. Filling the left field hole left by the injured Brett Gardner was a must, but doing so with the once best corner outfielder in baseball could go above and beyond what we needed from them if all goes well. And if all does not go well, we basically lost nothing to receive a lot of potential.

4. Jason Kidd to the Knicks-At surface value, this is a great move that I want to give a higher spot on this list. Point guard was the number one concern for the Knicks last year. We have all the weapons we need, but previously had no one in charge on the floor to distribute the ball and run a consistent and effective offense. This led to Carmelo holding onto the ball for too long and the offense became stagnant. Adding a veteran point guard and one of the greatest passers of all time should solve the Knicks’ biggest problem and create a more complete team. Felton and Brewer should also make valuable contributions and from this angle everything looks good for us. However, I just do not trust it. The Knicks have the innate ability to screw things up and, while things are looking good now, I feel like the same old Knicks will reappear in one way or another. There are a lot of injury prone players on this team between Kidd’s age, Shumpert’s already troubling history and Amare’s entire body. There are also a number of defensive liabilities and, unless everyone starts to follow Tyson Chandler’s lead, even a great offense would not be enough in the grand scheme of things. Everything about the Jason Kidd move makes sense, but these are still the Knicks.

3. Joe Johnson to the Nets-For a few days after the Dwight Howard talks with Brooklyn fell through, I relaxed and stopped worrying about my Knicks losing their title as the least terrible team in New York. Then I realized that being overtaken by the Nets is still a very real possibility. They have one of the two best point guards in the NBA, the position that haunted us last season. They may not have Howard, but settling for Brook Lopez still gives them arguably a top five center. Finally, Joe Johnson completes the Nets’ big three, and should give them superstar production at shooting guard. The Hawks inexplicably became sellers and gave away a potentially elite scorer to an up and coming team that will most likely make the playoffs next year because of this deal.

2. Mario Williams to the Bills-One of my favorite annoying facts is how the only NFL team to actually play in New York is the one that no one really counts as a New York team. The Buffalo Bills made a huge statement when they signed one of the league’s best pass rushers. Mario Williams, in my opinion, solidifies the Bills as the most likely runner up to the Patriots this season. When we talk about the AFC East, we basically just try to figure out who will win the coveted second place. As the division seems to get weaker and weaker outside of New England, the Bills may inherit this title by default. Due to the incompetence of the other two teams, the Bills now have the best Quarterback, Running Back and Wide Receiver of those three teams in my opinion. If Mario Williams can impact their defense as well as most people think he can, myself included, this Bills team may be ahead of both the Jets and Dolphins next season. The Bills always seem to start the season well, but with this roster they may be able to finish an above .500 effort, which should be all it takes to be the Pats’ runner up.

1. Rick Nash to the Rangers-What partially makes this New York’s biggest transaction of the summer is the fact that other than the Giants, who did not add anyone overly significant to their roster, the Rangers are New York’s best team. Therefore, a big move for them is more indicative of a championship than the Knicks, for example. But of course this is only a fraction of why this move is a great one, after all this is not just a countdown of the best NY teams to make a move. It is one for the best moves made in New York, which in this case was made by the Rangers because it addresses their one weakness, and they are fortunate enough to only have one. The flaw that brought the Rangers downfall last season was an inconsistent supply of offense. This was because we did not have enough reliable scorers. Marian Gaborik suffered a huge slump at the wrong time and while Brad Richards elevated his play for the playoffs, he was not enough to carry the entire offense. Another aspect of this trade is how little we lost in comparison to the mid-season offer. The names floating around back then were Michael Del Zotto, an excellent defenseman, and Chris Kreider, who showed a lot of potential in last season’s playoffs. Brandon Dubinsky’s name stayed and he has now left the organization, but any Ranger fan can tell you that despite their fond memories of him, Dubinsky had nothing left to offer us. Artem Anisimov was a solid player but was worth trading in the grand scheme of things. Tim Erixon has potential as a prospect, but would have received few minutes on the MSG ice due to the Rangers’ great defensemen. As for the first round pick from next year, that was to be expected in any big trade. Overall, we gained more than we lost on this one. Guys like Captain Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle are excellent hockey players who create the Rangers tough and hustle-filled identity, but you need a few dominant scorers as well. Richards, Gaborik and Nash are each capable of at least 30 goals next season. Not a bad first line if you ask me, but Coach Torts will probably split them up to mix in the talented youth of Hagelin and Kreider or everything that Callahan brings to the table. Regardless of how they arrange themselves, the Rangers now have all the pieces necessary for a long awaited championship run.

The most notable move left off of this list was, of course, Tim Tebow to the Jets. I am not against Tebow or the Jets’ decision to pick him up in any way. I just thought these five moves were a bigger deal when you put his fame aspect aside. The Tebow acquisition is a disaster when it comes to team chemistry because the quarterback controversy will divide the locker room based on who believes which guy is better for the team. Sanchez will face an unfair amount of pressure from his own team and fans who will likely chant his backup’s name whenever he makes a mistake. Despite all this, I am still fine with the move because quite frankly Sanchez does not deserve to lead the New York Jets at this point anyway so if the end of his starting career is unfair I cannot say I mind. Let the unconventional winner have his chance on the biggest stage and, if he survives, good for him and the Jets. It is said that having two quarterbacks actually means you have zero quarterbacks, and I believe this. The reason this move was left out of the top five was because regardless of who comes out on top, the Jets will receive below average play from the most important position on the field.

When one of the biggest names in sports cannot crack a fan’s top five New York transactions list, you know that it has been an exciting summer. I look forward to watching how each player fits in when faced with a new level of pressure. As much as I love the Rick Nash acquisition, moving from Columbus to New York may be a shock to the system if he is not the type of player who can handle it. New York always provides a new and interesting challenge for even the most gifted professional athletes. They could all perform very well in their new homes, but the odds suggest that at least one or two will get swallowed up by their own city’s expectations.

Good Riddance

The Jeremy Lin storyline has gotten somewhat tedious, but at least something has taken some heat off of Dwight Howard’s “The Indecision”, which became tedious in April. My New York Knicks were faced with the decision of whether or not to resign the man who made New York basketball relevant this past season with the wave of Linsanity that dominated headlines for two weeks or so. Lin’s success slowly diminished as the season progressed past this climax and he eventually suffered a knee injury that ended his first and last season as a Knick. The feedback from fans and analysts has been a relatively even split. Lin did preview a potential future for the Knicks backcourt, the Rockets are living proof that people still believe in Lin’s ability to successfully run an NBA offense and produce at the high level that spoiled New York for a short couple of weeks. As a loyal fan to my eternally struggling team, I anxiously counted down the days and minutes until Lin was shipped off to the western conference because this was the best decision the Knicks could have made for multiple reasons that we will cover. I start this article at midnight as a celebration for the best and only good decision the New York Knicks have made in recent memory.

The first reason behind my Let Lin Leave campaign is personnel. Whether or not you believed in Lin last season, injuries created a shortage of guards that needed to be filled. Lin deserved a shot and certainly made the most of it for a short time. Even when his play initially declined, there was no need to replace him because our only decent alternative was an unpredictable Baron Davis. Now, however, both Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton have come in as capable point guards. I actually believe both are better options than Lin, even at this stage of their careers. That contract, which we will review, for a potentially third string point guard would have been absurd. There was a somewhat valid point floating around ESPN saying that with Shumpert missing the beginning of next season, JR Smith is really the only decent shooting guard. Felton or Lin could have taken his backup spot. However, in my opinion, each point guard on the roster needs the ball in his hands. Felton is the closest thing to a combo guard of the three, and even he would be much worse without being able to quarterback the pick-and-roll system that he had success with in his last round with the Knicks. With Shumpert back, we will have two very capable guards at point and shooting. The only issue will be Smith’s backup pre-Shumpert, which they can figure out without throwing too much money at the most overrated player of this off-season.

The contract in question adds up to just over 25 million dollars over three seasons, which would have been a big investment for a New York team that would like to save money where they can so we can hunt free agent superstars. The worst part of this miscalculation is the 15 million dollar third year of this contract due to the agreement’s back-loaded nature. The numbers are initially within reason but lose control in 2015-16 and only the basketball gods know how Lin will be playing that far down the line. This bloated season would destroy a team’s spending ability because of luxury tax rules that I do not fully understand myself. The gist of what will happen is that whoever takes on this Lin contract may be hit hard with penalties for going over the team’s salary cap. The Knicks luxury tax penalty would have totaled over 50 million dollars. Hopefully the Rockets have better bookkeepers, but luckily this is no longer our problem. ESPN’s Michael Wilbon cited the many financial blunders made by the Knicks (see Eddy Curry’s contract) and referred to the possibility of matching Houston’s offer “classic Knicks”, which is never a good thing. I applaud this rare display of financial responsibility.

Lastly, I finally get to assert my longstanding belief that Jeremy Lin is simply not a great point guard and wisely used his fifteen seconds of fame to scrape away at an unsuspecting team’s money. Houston lost both Kyle Lowry and Gordon Dragic in this offseason. In my honest opinion, Lin is not better than either of these players and Houston is in for a rude awakening if they are under the impression that they are improving at this pivotal position. Lin maybe beats out Dragic narrowly after a few years of development, but I doubt it. Between this move and getting rid of their best player, Luis Scola, in the hopes of getting Dwight Howard as their next quality big man will leave this franchise lost once he ends up playing in the Staples Center. Linsanity made me eat my words when I said he could not be a successful NBA point guard. Those were an exhilarating couple of weeks, but I never overreacted to his upside. Needless to say, we all enjoyed the ride, but it predictably came to a screeching halt when the NBA introduced him to the Miami Heat. Granted, no one looks great against them, but Lin could not physically dribble the ball, let alone continue to shock the sports world. Once Wade and Lebron were done with him they let Mario Chalmers get a couple of steals just for fun. My credibility on the matter was sadly restored, but it I held against him until the playoffs. Lin did not ask to be overrated, it just happened. My resentment towards him started when he milked his knee injury to avoid Miami in the playoffs. I do not usually make guarantees when we cannot be certain, but I can assure you this happened. Lin himself admitted to reaching 85% healthy before the playoffs even started. I bet Kobe would kill to feel 85% healthy for the first time since 2005. My housemates and I watched that Miami game and finally knew what we would look like against NBA players after seeing him completely and utterly lost on that court. Lin is a Harvard guy and knew free agency was coming up. Only true Knicks fans were fully aware of his decline and abrupt return to mediocrity. Knowing all this, he figured that the best idea was to not return and have his free agency stock take a major hit. Instead, he ended on a positive note with the rest of the league, which had not seen enough to come to the conclusion that any Knicks fan should have been aware of. They must have only been watching Sportscenter because anyone who knew better had been watching MSG. I am more than willing to have patience for a young, developing player and would not mind resigning one. The guy who pulled that stunt, however, is the one I want out of New York.

The Rockets think they are getting Linsanity, but Jeremy will be about as productive for them as Yao Ming’s left foot. He dribbles how Jason Kidd drives. Lin was frequently compared to Tim Tebow as an unconventional winner, and also to Victor Cruz as a surprising hero in New York. Both of these comparisons offend me. Love him or hate him, Tim Tebow is a proven winner. He won two college championships and won a playoff game in his first real season as a professional starter. In order to do this, of course, he had to be willing to actually make an appearance for his playoff team, which already separates him from Lin’s established standards. Victor Cruz is nothing like Lin because he is phenomenally talented and also clearly possesses the DNA of a champion. Cruz was 3^rd in NFL receiving yards behind the specimen named Calvin Johnson and the cheat code named Wes Welker. Cruz had more great games in an NFL season than Lin had in an NBA season. Thanks to this move, we may actually not lead the league in turnovers next year with the help of two veteran point guards who can distribute the ball well and, unlike Lin, do not have to be big scorers as well. Even if Lin was great, and offense with Melo, Amare and JR does not need a shot-happy point guard.

What Lin does have going for him is if the Rockets fail to acquire a real superstar, he can take every shot he desires because there will be no dominant weapon on offense who he has to find and pass to. His numbers may be decent if he is the only scoring threat around. He will also be good for Rockets marketing because until he fully dies out, people will want to come to their games and see him play. I hate the argument that the Linsanity attraction is enough of a reason to keep him in New York. Maybe other teams have a good enough roster to reserve one spot for a circus act, but we certainly do not. We need every spot on the roster to make major contributions towards a series of issues that need fixing. He solves neither defensive weakness nor excessive turnovers. We have enough scoring, which is all he really brings to the table on a good day. With years to develop, maybe he learns to stay healthy and hang on to the ball. Sadly, the Knicks have no interest in paying 25 million for a collection of maybes. Between admitted chemistry issues on offense, questionable ability, and an outright despicable sequence of events after that knee injury, this is a move to be celebrated by Knicks fans, not criticized. Of course, Lin could be great next season and shut me up all over again, but when his groin magically tightens up against the Thunder next May just remember to not be too surprised.

Dream Teams Collide

            With the London 2012 Summer Olympics quickly approaching, USA basketball prepares to either assert our dominance of the sport or suffer a terrible disaster in the event that we lose a single game. Being an overwhelming favorite to win is both a gift and a curse. Our chances are much greater than any other country, but the pressure is immeasurable and anything short of gold would be a huge disappointment. Their standards are now so high that their most talked about competition lately is a fictional game between our current USA men’s basketball team and the legendary Dream Team of 1992. Kobe Bryant first stirred the pot by picking the 2012 team to win this game when asked about the hypothetical matchup. Since then, Chris Paul has taken his side and likes their chances as well. The responses were mostly in favor of the original Dream Team, most notably Charles Barkley’s open belief that outside of Kobe, Lebron and Durant, no one from the 2012 team would even make the Dream Team roster. Whether or not this is true at all, it is certain that the Dream Team is most likely the greatest team ever assembled in basketball, and possibly any sport. However, if there was ever a team to give Michael Jordan and company a run for their money, it would be the USA’s best of this summer. So in honor of all the interesting speculation between these two teams, let us analyze the greatest best of seven series to never happen.

            The best way to start this is simply listing the rosters of each elite group of players. Once you get over how ridiculously awesome this series would be, we can move on. For the 1992 Dream Team, take a look at the starting five and bench: PG-Magic Johnson SG-Michael Jordan SF-Larry Bird PF-Charles Barkley C-Patrick Ewing. Bench: Karl Malone, David Robinson, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, and Christian Laettner. Among these are two top-three scorers of all time, two top-four in assists, and five of the top-ten in steals. Also, these players have a stunning total of 107 all-star appearances and 23 championship rings. In fairness to the 2012 team, their careers are far from over and by the time they all retire they may have comparable resumes. For the challenging team, we have the 2012 version of a USA Dream Team. Their starting five and the who starts/sits is purely speculation of course, but here they are. PG-Chris Paul SG-Kobe Bryant SF-Kevin Durant PF-Lebron James C-Tyson Chandler. Bench: Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala, and James Harden. Again, their careers are not over, but they currently accumulate 45 all-star appearances and 7 championship rings. Realistically, I think these numbers may double by the time the 2012 USA players all leave the NBA, but even then 90 and 14 fall well short of the competition. The original Dream Team has the edge when it comes to championship DNA; outside of Kobe the current team only has two rings between eleven players. The game is not won by career accomplishments, but we have to scrap for evidence to predict the outcome of a series that cannot happen.

            Like any other, basketball is a game of individual matchups that add up to form a collective verdict. To start from the bottom up, I think the Dream Team wins the point guard matchup. Paul and Williams are obviously excellent, but Magic provides a height mismatch at 6’9” and Stockton leads NBA history in assists by a healthy margin. All time stats, however, are clearly not fair to players that have not yet retired. Looking at assists per game, Magic and Stockton are still first and second, respectively. Paul and Williams stand at third and sixth in that statistic so they do make a strong case, but still fall slightly short in comparison to the greatest passing duo of all time. At shooting guard we have a classic debate that will end in the confirmation that Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time. Kobe is great but picked a rough matchup for this series, and MJ would be that little bit better than his Laker reincarnation. Kobe’s backups are Harden and Westbrook, who is more of a shooting guard on this team than his traditional point guard role. MJ’s backup is Drexler, who is one of the most electrifying players and dynamic scorers of all time. In case you think Kobe is better than MJ, Drexler still takes the shooting guard matchup for the real Dream Team.

            The 1992 team completes a clean sweep of the backcourt, but the matchups between the forwards may get more interesting. I know many who appreciate basketball history may not agree, but I feel even the great Larry Legend would be overwhelmed by the athleticism of Kevin Durant. They are both among the all-time best jump-shot scorers, but Durant’s additional ability to drive and dominate in all areas of the floor would eventually defeat a Larry Bird who, during the 1992 Dream Team run, did not actually play very well. Scottie Pippen makes this interesting, who can defend either Durant or Melo off the bench, but I do not think he would be enough to take out both throughout the course of an entire series. Iguodala would keep Mullin from shooting the 2012 team to death and would severely limit his damage. Overall, the small forward position narrowly goes to our modern team, in my opinion. At power forward, who wouldn’t love watching Lebron and Barkley go at it. You know Chuck would love to squeeze into his old body and take on a player he clearly resents for doing what he never could, win a championship, by taking the easy way out and joining his supremely talented friends. Barkley would out-man Lebron, but neither he nor Malone can compete with Lebron’s athleticism or Kevin Love’s shooting ability on the perimeter. Between that and Blake Griffin dunking over Laettner, I also see the power forward battle going to the 2012 team. We are appropriately tied up going into the final position. I only wish a more competitive matchup would decide this one, because the Dream Team is going to win the center spot by a landslide.

Tyson Chandler is no match for the combined force of Ewing and Robinson who, individually, are each exponentially better than him. This comes off as disrespectful to Chandler, my Knicks MVP last season, who is an elite defender and overcomes a lack of offensive production. He did quietly lead the league in field goal percentage last season but, being realistic, Tyson Chandler is simply not a good scorer. Ewing and Robinson rival his defensive presence in the paint and bring an offensive game that he would not even recognize from anything he has ever done. These two centers would not only give the Dream Team three of the five positions, which is a small majority, but would also dictate the tone of the entire series. For those of you who had the pleasure of watching the Dream team, you know they played through the big men. MJ and the other guards knew to defer to the biggest mismatches, which would definitely be the case here. Center is a dying position…When Andrew Bynum has one good year and immediately becomes the second best in the NBA, you know things are not the way they used to be. Most of the debates on the previous positions could go either way, but not this one.

When I first thought about this series I felt that the modern day athleticism would surprise people who were inclined to believe that the legends of the 90s would be unbeatable. I referenced it in the Durant over Bird claim, but I realize that on a team level there is actually no clear advantage in terms of athleticism. Jordan and Drexler showed as great a display of speed and midair prowess back when there was really a dunk contest, and Ewing had a forward’s athleticism in a center’s body. Overall, our team now may win the relay races, but not by nearly as big a margin as people may expect from today’s game. One decisive factor is the rebounding. If you look at the starting lineups and just substitute Pippen in for Bird, I cannot see how the 2012 team gets a single rebound. The Dream Team would dominate the glass in this matchup and, I believe, are better at three of the five positions. One final blow is the immeasurable factor of having the best player on the floor. Michael Jordan has Lebron’s dominance, Kobe’s competitiveness, Durant’s clutch gene, and is as good a quarterback as Chris Paul. He could also defend any of those players. MJ and Kobe are eerily similar, but Jordan would always have that one step on him. Lebron’s one weakness is his mentality when shaken by trash-talking or applied pressure, and Jordan would leave him in a psych ward. CP3 struggles against bigger guards who are fast enough to stay with him, and the 6’6” frame of MJ could handle this task as well. Durant has no clear weakness with the ball but will not demand the ball if he is not open, and I am sure MJ is capable of denying him the right to that ball. I don’t mean to overstate the importance of one guy, but this is the one case in which that is not possible. If this series did come down to clutch shots, Jordan would have the last laugh. He really has every base covered. The 2012 USA team would be the only one to push the Dream team to game seven but, if it even came down to that, the heroes I just missed out on watching would triumph over the ones I have watched throughout the past decade. It has been fun comparing the two, but the 1992 USA Dream Team really is the greatest team ever assembled.

2012 MLB All-Star Break

            Despite an imperfect past and present, the MLB’s Mid-Summer Classic stands, in my opinion, as the best all-star competition in any professional sport. There is no real concept of not trying on defense, which plagues the NHL, NBA, and NFL counterparts. Also, I believe the Home Run derby drags the dunk contest through the dirt in terms of the individual competitions. The Dunk contest has been reduced to mediocre players using more props than raw talent in what has become a complete waste of time. The derby, on the other hand, still draws elite talent, is not left to subjective judging, and cannot be corrupted by gimmicks until they start putting targets in the outfield. I have plenty of problems with the game itself, but for the most part it is a job well done by the MLB.

            The derby was exciting as always and Prince Fielder continues to make himself at home in the American League. The big guy’s performance cemented his spot as one of the best derby hitters of all time, joining the likes of Ken Griffey Jr in the multi-winner category. This derby, however, had an interesting subplot that frustrated me more than your average insignificant storyline would. The derby’s newest feature selects captains for both the American and National Leagues and those captains each choose three “teammates” to represent his respective half of the MLB. Robinson Cano, as the defending champion, was chosen to lead the AL team of sluggers. His selections were Prince Fielder, Jose Bautista, and Mark Trumbo. The most notable, and not necessarily most worthy, snub was Royals first basemen Billy Butler. While other snubbed players may have even been better choices than him, Butler was the most significant omission because with the All-Star festivities in Kansas City, their “hometown hero” was not selected to represent the host city. As a result, the KC fans booed Cano throughout his homerless derby performance and continued to do so in the actual game. I guess you can root against your own team when the reward will not concern you anytime in the foreseeable future. Maybe I am taking it more seriously than most other fans because in the grand scheme of things players have been jeered for worse reasons and similar cases will happen. However, for whatever reason, I was frustrated by this whole experience. I did not enjoy watching my favorite player get laughed off the plate at a non-rival’s American League ballpark just because their slightly above average first basemen didn’t get his charity vote over players who simply deserved it. The best part is how the players Cano did choose came in first, second, and third place. He himself may have been terrible but it was his chosen three who were called into question and clearly justified the captain’s thought process. Of course the Royals should support their guy, but to express such resentment just because there were better choices is immature and, really, a summary of where that organization stands at the moment. This is as big an honor as they could receive in decades. For Cano, maybe he should do a better job as captain than selecting the winner, runner up, and second runner up. Hopefully he chooses more wisely next time so the home fans can be appeased. Outside of this minor distraction, the derby was a nice combination of established stars and upcoming talent. Seeing Fielder and Bautista challenged by a newcomer like Mark Trumbo showed a healthy distribution of talent and served as a pleasant reminder that we still have great power in the post-steroid era.

            I said earlier that the MLB All-Star game was the best exhibition game in professional sports because it most closely represents a real game. What bothers me is that despite this, Bud Selig and company think even more highly of it than I do and left the fate of a possible World Series game 7 up to a game that does not deserve it. It seems petty, but as a Yankees fan I do take World Series home field advantage pretty seriously every year because the season may come down to that. In a game that matters, managers should manage as if they are in a must-win situation. In this game, however, the league’s best starting pitchers are limited to one or two innings and the league’s best position players usually play about half of the game. There is also a rule that requires at least one player from each and every team to be selected by the managers, as opposed to the 33 best or most deserving. Again, this is nitpicking but I am happy with the way things are done now if this was truly an exhibition game. I say if you’re going to keep the way the game is played, that’s fine enough for exhibition, but reduce the prize to a pat on the back. I do not want the fate of my league to come down to everyone’s backups. If they do keep the home field advantage rule, that is also fine, but then manage the game like it really counts. Let Cy Young award winners go seven or more innings and then have a couple of elite closers finish the game in style. This All-Star game was obviously a disappointment, and not just because my team lost. The one time I get to have Justin Verlander on my team is of course his one bad start, and after the first inning the game just was not competitive. Verlander will likely have a chance to redeem himself when he starts this game again next season, but between that rough start and a dead offense this game never really got off the ground. People usually stereotype American League lineups as more potent, but what if National League hitters just face better pitching? I don’t have enough stats to start making those theories so I’ll leave that alone for now, but what I can be sure of is eleven great NL pitchers absolutely shut down the allegedly better lineup. It was nice seeing the former Yankee Melky Cabrera bring home the MVP. I always did like the Melk Man as a valuable role player, quality fielder and surprisingly effective clutch hitter. What’s even better is not having to resent him mysteriously becoming an All-Star after he left New York because we have gotten good pitching from Boone Logan in return. Who knew Javi Vasquez’s footnote would end up being the bigger acquisition.

The most exciting part of the All-Star break is that it is now over and we can soon watch the months of baseball that everyone cares about. Whenever I get passionate about anything MLB between opening day and now, some killjoy will remind me that it is “just May baseball” or “just one game in April”. Now, we can at least see the playoffs on the sports horizon and with every other major sport in the offseason, baseball has the spotlight. The Olympics may destroy that advantageous position but it is certainly better than battling NHL, NBA, and UEFA championships in the past month. Baseball always comes first for me in these months and, without competition from the other three major sports, I feel most people should agree with that. Give me the Yankees best months of the season (traditionally) over Dwight Howard’s mood swings any day.

2012 NBA Draft: Winners and Knicks

            This is the second NBA draft I have now written about, and I think that it will be a more talented one than last year’s pool of players. Outside of the NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving, no real stars emerged. Ricky Rubio was an interesting flash in the pan and there were some decent role players taken such as Kawhi Leonard and Iman Shumpert, but the fact that these guys were somewhat legitimate rookie of the year candidates showed how Irving made the only severe impact from last year’s draft. Even Kyrie came as a surprise to me, who I doubted because of his foot injury and inexperience. I was happy to be proved wrong and see a needy city like Cleveland find their next superstar so soon after losing their last one. This year, there may be multiple players who can go above and beyond the minor contributions that most of last year’s draft class had to offer. One thing that annoys me about the NBA draft is how players are drafted and by the next morning they have already been traded. The NFL trades draft picks, but NBA teams draft and then trade the players. Hopefully everyone stays put so this all still applies later on. I may not be blown away by the talent available, but it is a good enough class to provide some immediate help to this summer’s draft winners.

            Kentucky’s one-two punch led off as Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist took the first and second spots. Davis was an obvious but still interesting decision by the New Orleans Hornets. Davis lacks versatility, slightly undersized against opposing centers and lacking in athleticism against small forwards. His shot blocking is the only guarantee but also has a decent mid-range shot and an improving post game. Davis will immediately be a defensive/rebounding presence, and his offensive game should develop as the year progresses. He moves well but is not nearly as big as he is tall, and may be in for a surprise when battling NBA big men under and above the rim. While Kidd-Gilchrist may not have as high a ceiling as a potentially dominant big man, I believe that right now he is a more complete player. Physically, he is a beast who can provide great athleticism, rebounding (for his small forward position), and defensive ability. He can attack the rim on offense, guard any of the 1-3 positions on defense, and will make the hustle plays that ultimately change games. He may not be the best shooter, but he is a difference maker. Unfortunately, he plays for the Bobcats…so everything I just said may not amount to anything.

            Decisions made outside of the lottery picks have always been more interesting to me because good teams are acquiring quality players. I think the Celtics are a major draft day winner. Their only glaring weakness was rebounding and, of course, how they get older every day. Losing Ray Allen will not be a problem with the emergence of Avery Bradley. Between him and Rondo, their back-court is set. The possibility of losing Garnett is a troubling one, but taking Sullinger and Fab Melo with consecutive picks, in my opinion, was a great move. These two moves may, if all goes well, single handedly make their front-court younger, stronger, and ultimately better. Boston got great value by taking guys whose stock had fallen, which allowed top tier talent to fall to the latter stages of the first round. Imagine all age related criticism disappearing when Paul Pierce is the only old guy and he is surrounded by Rondo, Bradley, Sullinger, and Melo. The new look Celtics will not need a transition stage between eras as an elite eastern conference team.

            I love what Boston did, but the ultimate draft day winner was still the Hornets. Taking Austin Rivers with the 10^th pick was a very nice compliment to Anthony Davis. Those two players, in my opinion, actually make New Orleans a legitimate contender to make the playoffs, even in the superior western conference. Rivers can make the biggest shots and create open looks for himself. When all else fails on offense, he doesn’t. There are some miscellaneous picks that I like, even though no one pick is enough to make a team a draft day winner. Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving make a great pair of guards in Cleveland. Kendall Marshall has the best inheritance in the NBA as the Suns pass down Steve Nash’s offensive system to him after Nash presumably leaves for Miami, New York, or another destination. Miles Plumlee is a great fit for the Pacers because not having a solid backup for Roy Hibbert and his foul trouble were one of their leading causes of death against the Miami Heat. If they kept playing good defense with Hibbert on the bench, they stand a much better chance at not blowing that 2-1 series lead. Perry Jones III lost a lot of value in draft stock over the past year, but moving to OKC may make him better than ever.

            I must dedicate a few thoughts to my New York Knicks, who have decided to not participate in the first round again. I guess those 24 games of 9.4 points per game from Tracy McGrady were worth sacrificing this year’s first rounder. I decided to not include a section on draft losers because no selections were confusion enough to frustrate me. I instead replaced that segment with this, hence the name change from "Winners and Losers" to "Winners and Knicks". The Knicks do not like to draft in the first round on the off chance that it will help our future. I paid very close attention to that 18^th pick, and the Rockets selected Terrence Jones, the Kentucky Forward. He can play either the 3 or 4, and reminds me a lot of Kidd-Gilchrist. He brings a lot of defense and athleticism but, despite his tendency to linger around the three point line, is also not the best shooter. He sounds like the kind of athlete the Knicks could use, one willing to hustle and play defense. Last year we actually had a first round pick and used it to take someone with second round talent, so maybe I am not missing out on much. I actually ended up really liking Shumpert, but of course Kenneth Faried had to go and have a better season to remind me that the Knicks still made a mistake. Faried was the name I was yelling at my TV as we received the no name Georgia Tech guard, and despite how much we lucked out with him my opinion has not changed on the matter. They play similar games, strong defense, but he plays it at a position we needed more from and has two good knees. Amare and Shumpert combined have one good knee. To be honest, I am finishing this article before the Knicks’ 48^th overall pick in the second round because they have already taken up more space here than they deserve. If they take anyone who plays good defense, I consider it a good pick.

            Overall, I believe a draft day winner needs to make two great picks. Three teams, in my opinion, were able to do this. The Hornets took the most talented tandem of any team by far with Davis and Rivers. The Celtics addressed their needs to perfection and drafted as well as possible with two late picks with their Sullinger and Melo selections. Finally, I love the Warriors combination of Harrison Barnes from UNC at 7 and Draymond Green from Michigan St at 35. These are two guys who can simply do it all on both sides of the court and led two great programs for a combined six years. The Warriors always seem to have good players but never seem to piece it all together. Perhaps these two are the steps needed to put them over the top and into the playoffs. These are my three personal picks for NBA draft winners, and I think each one is on a much better looking path to next year’s playoff race.