Here's my take on this year's NBA Draft, when talking about our Bulls. From everything I have heard and seen, it looks like the Bulls aren't going to be able to package their picks and move up tomorrow as some rumors were saying. If they do make that deal and get whoever they want, that will be great. But let's just say for this post's sake, they end up drafting at 16 and 26, as they are slated to now. Now we all know the Bulls are going to go pretty much Guard/F with their pick. I'm thinking they go Guard first, then forward with their later pick. That being said, the Bulls will probably go with best available, meaning they can go F/G too, if that is how the board plays out. I just don't see them taking on a project like Mullens with their first pick, but I've been wrong many times before. Anyways, if they do what I think they are going to do, this is kind of what I see happening...
At 16 I see the Bulls main priority being a defensive 2 Guard. If TWill or Gerald Henderson are sitting there, one of them will be a Bull come tomorrow. With one of either Hinrich or BGeezy sure to be gone soon, the Bulls desperately need help at the 2 Guard position. Their number one priority in this offseason should actually be to get better defensively(note to VDN since he didn't mention this). If we could get either TWill or Henderson at 16, I'm sure Gar and the Bulls will be celebrating. They both come from good programs, are smart players, play hard, and both would make the Bulls better on the defensive end immediately. They would also be great fits in our system, as both are athletic and can run alongside DRose.
Now considering we have taken a Guard at 16, I see the Bulls taking a player like Omri Casspi with their second pick. I really like this kid and his game. For some reason he reminds me of Noch. I don't know what it is, but maybe it's the way he plays the game. The kid might not be the most athletic or talented player on the court, but he is a basketball player, and he is fearless and tough. Noch got mad love from his teammates and the fans, so maybe Casspi can be his second coming. He would also fit our system perfectly. I really feel he can play the 3 or the 4, kinda how Noch did for us at times, depending on the matchups.
If the Bulls end up with 2 out of these 3 guys, I would really be happy tomorrow night. All three would fit the mold of exactly what the Bulls have been drafting in the past few years. I know when it comes to Henderson and TWill, getting either of these two is going to be hard. I got a feeling the Nets, Bucks, and Bobcats are going to be gunning for both of them.
That being said, I can definitely see the Bulls taking a F at 16. Blair or Hansbrough would again fit what the Bulls are looking for in a player to Draft, and would be ready to contribute right away, as opposed to someone like Mullens. If that happens at 16, they would then go for a shooter like Ellington, or choose from a batch of PG's like Teague, Maynor, and Douglas at 26.
In the end, all we can do is wish the board falls the way the Bulls want it to. Then it's up to our new Bulls GM to make the right moves. I know for a fact, all the players I mentioned would be exactly what John Paxson would be looking for in Draft Picks, but that's neither here or there since John isn't going to be calling the shots tomorrow. Since this is Gar's first Draft, we still need to see which way he wants to steer this ship. Hopefully for the Bulls, it's forward...
GO BULLS!!!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
BULLS 2009 NBA DRAFT
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
2009 NBA MOCK DRAFT
Here's a warning for you...Don't put any stock into my mock draft this year. In past year's I'd be willing to bet money that I would get more picks than anyone right, but not this year. This is definitely the craziest/ most intriguing draft I've seen in a long time, maybe ever. I honestly have no clue what's going to happen after Griffin, but I guess that's what is going to make this draft even more fun to watch tomorrow.
I know people are saying this is a weak Draft, but I definitely think there is some talent out there in this one. It's actually pretty deep if you ask me, but I think the key to this draft is going to be all about fit. The big question is going to be which GM is able to find the player that fits their team's system the best? I took that into consideration when making my picks, so this is what I came up with...
1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin
2. Memphis Grizzlies - The Beast
3. OKC Thunder - James Harden
4. Sac Kings - Ricky Rubio
5. Minn Twolves - Evans
6. Minn Twolves - Steph Curry
7. GState Warriors - Jordan Hill
8. NY Knicks - Jonny Flynn
9. Toronto Raptors - DeRozen
10. MKE Bucks - Earl Clark
11. NJ Nets - James Johnson
12. Charlotte Bobcats - TWill
13. Indiana Pacers - Ty Lawson
14. PHO Suns - BJennings
15. Detroit Pistons - BJ Mullens
16. Chicago Bulls - Gerald Henderson
17. Philly Sixers - Jrue Holiday
18. Minn Twolves - Tyler Hansbrough
19. ATL Hawks - Collison
20. Utah Jazz - Dejuan Blair
21. NO Hornets - Jeff Teague
22. Portland Blazers - Chase Bundinger
23. Sac Kings - Eric Maynor
24. Dallas Mavs - Austin Daye
25. OKC Thunder - DeMarre Carroll
26. Chicago Bulls - Omri Casspi
27. Memphis Grizzlies - Tony Douglas
28. Minn Twolves - Taj Gibson
29. LA Lakers - Wayne Ellington
30. Cleveland Cavs - Sam Young
Also, since this Draft is huge on PG's, this is how I would personally rate them. I've seen all of them play a few times, so this is who I think will have the best overall NBA Careers 10 years from now...
1. Ricky Rubio
2. Jonny Flynn
3. Ty Lawson
4. Steph Curry
5. Brandon Jennings
6. Teague
7. Maynor
8. Tony Douglas
9. Jrue Holiday
10. Collison
I'm thinking Tyreke is more of a combo or a 2 guard, so that's why he isn't on my list.
Here's hoping to three amigos from Marquette and Brandon Ewing getting drafted!!!
Gnite playaz, and GO BULLS!!!
DERRICK ROSE - WORKING OUT IN CALIFORNIA
Check out DRose thanking his fans for their support, and him working out California...
We should note, this is the first time DRose has spoken in public since everything went down this summer. In regards to Basketball, DRose still looks amazing on the court though, and actually looks even more explosive in some exercises, if that's even possible.
I'm just glad he is just focusing on Basketball right now with everything that happened. Hopefully he can put all of that behind him, and learn from his mistakes...
Q & A with David Aldridge
Some of us bloggers were fortunate enough to have our NBA Draft questions sent to David Aldridge to be answered today. Be sure to check out David's answers, because there is definitely some great NBA information there. Surprisingly, David even answered a bunch of my questions too...
David Aldridge QA
General Draft –
- In any draft there is often a debate between filling a need and taking the best player available, where do you see most NBA teams resting on this argument? (Hugging Harold Reynolds)
DA: I think most of the time people take the best player available, I don’t think that changes much year to year. Sometimes, you have the perfect marriage of need and best player available, but I think most times talent wins out in this league. So, even though you may have a talented player at one position, if there’s somebody on the board that’s just head and shoulders better than anybody else; I think the feeling nowadays is you can always trade contracts. In this environment, especially with the economy the way it is, people are always looking to save money, so even a bad contract can be dealt if it’s an expiring one. I think that best player usually wins out.
- Are there many teams that are looking to deal their draft picks due to the current financial climate? Or are they more likely to stash players overseas? (A Stern Warning)
DA: I think you’ll see some teams maybe not even bother to get into the draft for that reason. I think Denver [Nuggets] is an example of a team that did a lot of work to get under the [luxury] tax last year; I don’t think that they are all that fired up about getting back into the draft and paying guaranteed money to somebody that’s probably not going to play a lot for the them next year. So, that’s the kind of example of the economy impacting what teams do. Instead of being aggressive, I think some teams may be passive. No you know your Portland’s and some of your other teams – Houston is going to buy in at some point in the first round – they’ll find somebody to do business with. But, I do think that you’ll see some teams just not doing anything, as opposed to what they would normally do, which is be active at the end of the first round and try to get one of those late first round picks.
- Why are prospects seeming to not want to play for Memphis? What is it about Memphis that is different from other small markets? (3 Shades of Blue)
DA: I think that’s a bit overblown, you’re talking about one guy in [Ricky] Rubio and the reason why Rubio is reluctant is because Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro didn’t have great experiences there, so I’m sure that they’ve talked to him and probably did not give a glowing picture of Memphis, but I don’t think that there’s a grounds well of discontent for the City of Memphis or with the Grizzlies. I think that’s the case of that particular player; because of his background has had a chance to talk to other players. But no, Memphis is still a place where people are going to want to go, and if it’s not Rubio somebody else very good is going to wind up going there.
- Stephen Curry: Impact player (a la Eddie House) or simply the best shooter in the warm-up lines? Or both? (Peter Robert Casey)
DA: I think he will be much like his father, a very good role player for a long time in the NBA. He’s smart and knows how to play. I think he’s going to be a pretty solid point guard…I don’t expect spectacular from him, but I think he’s going to be a guy that is going to play for a long time in this league. A great demeanor and great character guy, a guy that’s willing to take big shots and make big shots. Whether he’s starting for you or he’s your sixth man, it doesn’t really matter; he’s going to wind up helping you win basketball games. I think he’s going to be an excellent role player. If he winds up on a good team somehow, he could really make a huge impact next year. But if not, more likely he ends up with a struggling team; it might take him a few years to really break in.
- Patrick Mills was looking like a world-beater a year ago with St. Mary’s and then in the Olympics for Australia, but an injury certainly set him back. Do you think that with this draft being so deep with point guards that Mills' stock will be severely set back by his injury-riddled season? (A Stern Warning)
DA: Well he’ll get drafted; I was surprised he stayed in though, because this is a great point guard filled draft. It surprised me that Patty [Mills] stayed in because he was never a guy that was going to be a top-half of the lottery guy and I thought this year would be a good year for point guards to pass if you weren’t assured of being a top-half of the lottery guy. I think you saw [Greivis] Vasquez go back for example, and that made a lot of sense. Patty is going to get drafted, it could be late first [round], but there’s team that could look at him. Dallas [Mavericks] certainly could take him with the 22nd pick, and that wouldn’t surprise me at all, but it wouldn’t surprise if he lasted into the second round either.
- What are your feelings towards the Kings draft and what they'll do with the #4 selection? Do you think Ricky Rubio will fall to Sacramento? (Kings Forum)
DA: If he’s there, and I’m not sure he’s going to be there, but if he is there I think that’s the guy they will take. I know that there are people in the organization that like Tyreke Evans, so I think that they’re having a discussion about that right now about which way they would go if those two were available on the board. But, my guess would be that Rubio would take the argument there. I think Ricky has got star potential, I think he could be a superstar in this league in terms of his ability and his personality. Sacramento certainly needs a little bit of a bump; they need some juice back in that organization. So if he’s there I think it’s Rubio, if not I think it’s Evans.
- Joe Ingles has not been exposed to American audiences much, coming from Australia. Has there been much positive feedback around the league after his workouts with teams? (A Stern Warning)
DA: I think Joe [Ingles] a couple of weeks ago, maybe right around Chicago [workouts] there was a lot of interest and buzz in him. He did ok in Chicago; he didn’t do badly in Chicago, but I think as it’s gone on and he’s done the individual workouts, I believe with Minnesota and New Jersey, it’s kind of cooled a little bit. I don’t get the sense that Joe is going to be a first round pick. I think he’s a possible second round pick, but I’m not sure. Athletically, I don’t think people see the explosion and quickness that a player would need at his position to play in the league. That doesn’t mean that nobody will take a look at him, but I certainly don’t think he’s a first round pick at this point.
- Rumors have suggested that Stephen Curry might no longer fall to the New York Knicks at the 8th spot, what is the latest you are hearing? (Hugging Harold Reynolds)
DA: [It’ll come down to] whoever gets to 5 [pick]. Whoever trades with Washington is going to take Stephen Curry, I’m convinced of that. I can’t tell you right now who it is, you have to read that on NBA.com or watch NBA TV later today. Whoever gets to that 5th pick is going to take Curry.
- Have you heard any rumblings at all about a possible Bulls deal that will be happening on Thursday? The Bulls have 2 first round picks which they can use to either move up, or bundle with a couple of nice young players to make a huge move. (Docksquad Sports)
DA: Well they’ve been trying, I don’t know if they’re going to be successful. I think that they would love to get a big at that position, but I’m not sure they’re going to be able to get it done. I’ve tried to check with everybody in the top 15, I haven’t gotten any sense, other than Washington, that anybody is really gung-ho about trading their pick. I don’t think that New York wants to move back, even if it involves getting two picks; I don’t get the sense that they would do that. I don’t think Minnesota wants to move back, they already have 18 and 25, so they don’t have any need to move back. I’m not sure Chicago is going to be able to get this done at this point.
- With the Suns drafting 14th there's a limited number of guys that are going to available. Which of these draft picks has the greatest potential to be an all star in 5 years? Earl Clark, James Johnson, Austin Daye, Ty Lawson or Terrence Williams. (Bright Side of the Sun)
DA: Terrence Williams won’t be there. [James] Johnson has been linked to them for a little while. I could see that or [Earl] Clark. Johnson is a very physical guy, he’s not a great athlete but he’s got some toughness about him, so I could see that as a possibility. Clark is kind of an up and down guy. He’s got a lot of talent, but he’s very inconsistent, or at least he was inconsistent at Louisville…that has some people concerned. [Ty] Lawson, I think that may be a pick or two too high for him, especially considering I think they going to resign Steve Nash to an extension of some kind, so I’d be surprised if they took a point there. The more likely scenario is that they take some sort of frontcourt guy there.
- DeJuan Blair and Tyler Hansbrough were two very dominant players in the college game, by NBA standards they may be undersized, how do you see them fitting in with potential NBA suitors? (Hugging Harold Reynolds)
DA: With [Dejaun] Blair, I believe that rebounding is one of the things that transfer from college to pros. If you can rebound in college, you’ll rebound in the pros. He obviously was a terrific rebounder at Pitt. With a wingspan at 7’2”, I think he’ll be able to rebound at the next level. Now will he be able to score at the next level? We’ll see, but I think he will be able to rebound and if you can rebound you can help a team. [Tyler] Hansbrough I give a lot of credit to, because he’s worked really hard since the end of the season to make himself a better player. He’s worked really hard on his left hand, he’s really worked on his body I give him all the credit in the world, and he’s had some excellent workouts. What I would love to see with Tyler, and it sounds counterintuitive, but I wish that Tyler would slip a little in the draft. Not because I don’t like him, but I would love to see Tyler Hansbrough go to a really good team…a team that could use his skills and his passion and his energy in a system that would work best for him. He’d be great with the Lakers for example. I think that’s the kind of team where they play a system that requires movement, thinking and all those things. He’d be great in Utah; I’d love to see that for that reason. But I think they’re both going to go high, Blair there are questions about him physically right now, but I think some teams are satisfied some may not be so he could slip a little bit but I think both of them will be taken probably before 20.
- The Bulls need a post player desperately. Which player in this draft can fill that need at the 16th and or 26th pick? (Docksquad Sports)
DA: I don’t know that there is a post player in this draft that fills that need where they are. It’s going to be difficult for them to fill that need. [B.J.] Mullens is not a post player; at least he didn’t show that at Ohio State last year. Maybe he becomes one at the next level, and he could be there at 16, but after that I’m not sure that they’re going to be able to fill that need at that position. Assuming they stay at 26, you’re talking about guys like [Josh] Heytvelt as a post player who has some potential. I don’t know that that would fill that need for them. The good thing for Chicago is that they’ve got a lot of pieces, and Kirk Hinrich is going to be very very very much in demand player this offseason, so I think they will move him at some point and they may be able to get the frontcourt piece that way.
- The Celtics have no picks this year thanks to trades - but need to get younger. Would you package Rondo for a lottery pick (as the rumors suggest)? (InGameNow)
DA: No. They only way they’ll make a trade…and I don’t think anybody is untouchable on that team other than [Paul] Pierce and [Kevin] Garnett…I think they’d trade Ray [Allen], I think they’d trade Rondo but it’s got to be for something legitimate. They won 62 games and got to the second round of the playoffs without their best player for the second half of the season and then they lost Powe in the first round. They’re a championship contending team, they’re not going to just start breaking the thing up for lottery picks. Now if New Orleans said lets talk about Chris Paul for those two, yeah I’m sure they’d listen to that, but they’re not going to just give away their starting point guard and their starting two guard unless they’re getting something really good in return.
- How much do you feel Brandon Jennings may have increased or decreased his draft stock by playing a year overseas as opposed to attending Arizona and then leaving early? (Hugging Harold Reynolds)
DA: I don’t know, I think that teams that are inclined to go overseas and do a lot of scouting probably were pleased with him. He played in a very high league in Italy, he got some very good experience there but I think there are people who would make the argument that he could have gotten just as much experience playing for Arizona last year in the Pac-10. I think that’s kind of 6 of one, half dozen of the other things. If you’re asking me my personal opinion I always believe kids should go to school, but I would never tell somebody not to make money if they could make it at 18 doing something that they love doing. So me personally I would have gone to school, but that’s me.
- How is David Kahn is being viewed by other GMs in the league? (Canis Hoopus)
DA: No I don’t think so. David’s a very smart guy that’s been around a long time. He was in Indiana under Donnie Walsh, he owned four teams in the D-League. You’re not going to put one over on him, he’s not some 22 year old kid that’s never done anything before and he’s got really smart people around him like Freddy Hoiberg. He’s going to do fine. They’re going to be very aggressive I think in terms of making a couple of big splashes between now and draft night maybe even right after the draft.
- David, in my opinion the Nets are deciding to choose between Earl Clark and Terrence Williams. Who do you think has the highest potential ceiling? Who do you think would have the biggest impact their rookie year? (Nets Are Scorching)
DA: I think they’re going to take Terrence Williams. He’s a guy that fills a couple of needs for them. I think he’s an excellent defender, I think he will become a very very good offensive player for them. I think playing for Rick [Pitino], Rick does a pretty good job of developing guys, getting them ready to be pros. Not that Earl couldn’t become a very good pro, but I think right now Terrence’s consistently level is a little higher than Earl’s
- Who are some of your sleepers in this Draft? (Docksquad Sports)
DA: Oh boy, sleeper that’s always kind of a loaded question. I’ll give an example, DaJuan Summers had what most people would say kind of an average, below average year for Georgetown, but I think he’s going to wind up being a pretty good pro. He’s has a lot of physical skills and gifts and might wind up showing you more in the pros than he did in college. If you’re talking about a guy that nobody’s heard of, that nobody knows anything about…I’ll give you a couple guys that I think might have a chance to surprise some people. One of them is DeMarre Carroll out of Missouri, just a great effort player a lot like Renaldo Balkman that was drafted by the Knicks a couple of years ago. High motor, great kid, really active and became a much better player the last couple of years at Missouri. They only question I have about DeMarre, one of the college coaches brought up that Missouri trapped a lot last year and they got a lot of production out of it. Obviously you don’t see NBA teams doing that very much, the question is can he score in this league, can he do some things in this league in kind of more regular sets. The other guy is Courtney Fells out of NC State, a guy that was kind of up and down the last couple years at NC State. He’s an incredible, freakish athlete that may be one of those guys that comes out as a free agent or a second round pick. He’s going to be one of those highlight reel guys that people are going to like seeing. Those are two guys that if they get with the right team that might be able to surprise a little bit.
- Do you think Vince Carter will be a Net at the start of the season? (Nets Are Scorching)
DA: Honestly I don’t know. I thought San Antonio was a destination, but that’s obviously changed today, so I don’t know at this point.
- Who is the best shooting guard in this Draft? (Docksquad Sports) QH
DA: Probably [James] Harden. There were a lot of questions about him around the tournament, he didn’t have a very good Pac-10 tournament and there were some questions about him, but he’s kind of answered a lot of those questions. He’s a pure scorer, he knows how to score, how to use his body to score. I would say Harden’s probably the closest thing to a sure thing at the two spot coming out of the draft right now.
- Who is the best defensive guard in this Draft? (Docksquad Sports) QH
DA: Well again, I think that Terrence Williams has a chance to be an excellent two guard defensively. I think he’s got some real lock up ability at that position. Among the points…I think Eric Maynor may have a chance to be an excellent defender in this league. He’s got great lateral quickness, he can move his feet very well. I think he has a chance among the all of the point guards that are coming out to be a really solid defensive guard because he’s got very good quickness and good size. So he should be able to guard most of the points in the league. Although DeRozan, because of his athletic ability…you know anybody who’s a great athlete can be a great defensive player. He’s very young right now, but if he ever makes a commitment to that end of the floor he could be a terrific defensive player.
Click Here to Read More..Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Interview Series - Q & A with NBA hopeful, Guard Brandon Ewing
There are going to be some of you that have no clue who Brandon Ewing is, but that's ok because Brandon Ewing is used to that. Brandon is used to people sleeping on him and then proving those same people wrong later. And in this year's NBA Draft, Brandon might just be one of the biggest sleepers out there, and he is hoping he can prove the naysayers wrong again, if he can just get a chance. Let me go back a little, and fill you in on Brandon, and why I wanted to do this interview.Being a Chicago High School Basketball fan, I've known about Brandon Ewing and his game for years now. He burst onto the scene at Julian High School, and really shined after Sean Dockery graduated. He even led his Jaguars to beat Derrick Rose's Simeon squad twice in HS, before Rose knocked out Ewing in the Public League Tournament. In his Senior Season at Julian, Ewing earned All Area, All City, and All State honors while averaging 21 pts, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds a game. The kid was putting up numbers in the hardest conference in the Chicago Public League, vs some of the best young talent to come out of Chicago in a long time, so of course I would notice him. But, despite doing all of that in HS, Ewing was always overshadowed by some of the other big named City guards like Sherron Collins, his best friend Jerel McNeal, and Suburban phenom Jon Scheyer, to name a few. After HS, Brandon had a bunch of offers, but he was pretty much set on going to DePaul University to play his College Ball. That was before Coach Dave Leitao bolted for a gig at Virginia, which threw everything off. After Coach Leitao left, Brandon had to make a tough decision on whether or not he should go play his College Ball at Wyoming University. It took Brandon a little while, but he eventually made a tough, but right decision to go play his college Ball at Wyoming. I say right, in the sense because at Wyoming, Ewing really got to showcase his skills and talent, and I really do feel things worked out for him the way they were supposed to. When it was all said and done, Brandon ended his Wyoming career being a 4 time all conference pick, 3 time MWC scoring champion, and the second leading scorer in school and conference history, finishing his career with 2,168 points. Brandon also finished as the schools all time leader in free throws made, free throw attempts, 3 pointers attempted and made, and games started, not to mention Brandon was always one of the leaders in assists in the MWC.
Not to bad for an over shadowed PG from the streets of Chicago who they said wouldn't make it right? Now with the NBA Draft literally around the corner, Brandon finds himself in a familiar situation. Most scouts and analysts say Brandon isn't a true PG, and that he is too small to be a SG in the League. Basically, Brandon has been labeled by most a "tweener", which is never good thing when talking about the Draft. But despite all of that, Brandon is optimistic he will make it through this situation and achieve his dream of playing in the NBA, because he has always made it through these types of situations throughout his life. And that is exactly the reason why I wanted to interview Brandon, and find out a little bit more about him. Check it out below...
VC: First off, tell the people out there who might not know you a little bit about yourself... How would you describe your personality on and off the court?
BE: Well to start off... I'm very quiet off the court. I'm not shy at all, it's just I tend to think a lot to myself. But on the court, I'm always talking. Some may call me a leader but the opponent may call me a motor mouth like Gary Payton. I'm very competitive in everything I do on and off the court.
VC: How did you get into Basketball growing up? Who are your role models?
BE: Many kids had father figures but surprisingly my mother and auntie put the ball in my hands, so those are the two people I look up to the most, besides my grandfather. My grandfather pretty much takes care of the whole family.
VC: Your dream is to play in the NBA, but most sites and scouts have you as a late 2nd rounder, or even going undrafted. How do you feel about that?
BE: About going in the second round, I won't be fully disappointed because it is a blessing to just be in this position. I have the respect of my peers and my peers consist of the people we all watch on TV. Also, 2nd rounders become All Stars. Look at Gilbert Arenas,Ginobli, and Carlos Boozer. I believe if you just put in the work and stay the course, it can happen. Obviously the fans want to see the big names go in the lottery and the first round. But people also want to see that steals of the Draft as well. In the end, big names are not always what's best. Ask Courtney Lee of the Magic or Aaron Brooks of the Rockets.
VC: Most people call you a combo guard, or even label you a tweener. They say you shoot too much to be a PG, and aren't big enough to be a SG. What would you tell these people? Adding to that question, how do you describe yourself basketball wise? Are you a true Pg or a Scoring Pg? Also, you played well at the Portsmouth Invitational against some really good guards that were there as well. Tell us a little about that as well...
BE: Basketball wise I'm a TRUE POINT guard and people who played with me or know basketball know I'm a Point Guard. But just like the likes of Johnny Flynn, Stephon Curry, and Derrick Rose, I was told to score for my team. If I didn't we wouldn't have won the ball games we did. I love to pass and make others better, that's what I do. I thought I showed that at the Portsmouth camp. Also, I'm bigger than a lot of people think, especially after working out with Phil (more on that late). And at 6'2", I'm taller than a lot of PG's in the League. I also got a longer wing span and jump higher than a lot of PG's in the League right now. And, I pass better and shoot better than a lot of people think. They will see all of that once they give me a shot.
VC: What teams did you have your best work outs with?
BE: My two best workouts were with the Nets and Kings with Jrue Holiday... I shot the ball really well and showed them that I was a point guard first and foremost, but that if the team needs me to score, I can.
VC: What is your daily routine right now? Who do you work out with? How has your agent Marc Fleisher, who's a pretty big agent, put you in a better position or helped you out for this Draft?
BE: I have been working out in California with great trainer Phil Handy. Phil took what I already had naturally and just enhanced it to get me ready for the next level. My agent Marc Fleischer put me in that situation and introduced me to Phil. I told Marc I wanted to work out with the best so I can be ready for everything that is about to hit me, so he set me up with Phil. I believe Phil has gotten me ready, because I'm in great shape right now.
VC: Who are some NBA players from the past you look up to?
BE: The guys I look up to and watched the most are obviously the greats like MJ and the Bulls, and all of the Hall of Famers, but my two guys are Chicago guys : Isaiah Thomas and Tim Hardaway.
VC: Name some of the Guards in the League you love to watch right now...
BE: Right now CP3, Deron, and Steve Nash are setting the bar on how to play the PG position, so I am chasing greatness just like they are.
VC: How was playing basketball at Wyoming? You moved a thousand miles after being born and raised in Chicago. That must have been a culture shock. Tell us a little bit more about your experience...
BE: Going from Chicago to Wyoming was tough my first year because in Chicago there is just so much to do and there is a lot going on. I remember on my first trip to Wyoming, all I saw was dirt roads and different animals walking around, so it was way different. But before I knew it, Wyoming became a home away from home for me. The people there love me and will always love me, so they are going to see how much I love them once I make it. I plan on giving back to the kids back there, because they were the ones who stuck with me.
VC: Were there any other schools you considered other than Wyoming?
BE: I actually committed to DePaul to play in the Big East, but with Coach leaving, I decided it wasn't for me. I took a visit to Louisville with Terrence Williams and Andre McGee and was also close to going to Marquette with my best friend Jerel McNeal, but ended up at Wyoming instead.
VC: I know you love Ball and Ball is your life, but what else do you do besides ball?
BE: I watch a lot of sports. That's another thing about me, I love Sports. In Hockey, my favorite player is Crosby. In Baseball, I love the home run hitters. I recently went to a Colorado Rockies game to check out their Shortstop Tulo in person. He is pretty good. In College Basketball my favorite player to watch this year was Johnny Flynn. In the NBA, it has to be Lebron and in Golf it's Tiger. I'm still learning Golf just so I can challenge Tiger one day. LOL.
Other than that, I also love to give back...I'm hosting a big function at the White Sox game on the 24th for the kids. I have about 50 people coming and about 30 kids to give back to. What's better than taking them to a south side Sox game?!? Sorry Cubs fans. LOL.
VC: Switching gears a little bit, what's on your Ipod right now?
BE: I listen to Jay Z, Biggie, and Pac (All legends), Lil Wayne, Drake, Lil Boosie, and Gucci Mane. Also to switch it up, some Garth Brooks and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
VC: Where are you going to be during Thursday's NBA Draft? Who will you be watching it with?
BE: All the men and women in my family will be together on that day, so I will be watching it with them. Once the name gets called, I'm going to hang out with my best friend Jerel McNeal, and celebrate.
VC: Is there anything else at all you want to tell the people out there who haven't heard about you, or are sleeping on you?
BE: In conclusion, I just want to tell everyone that I am a true point and at each level I've ever played ball at, I have excelled. I am ready for the next level and next chapter in life. Pretty much everything happens for a reason and that's how I think....I live by the words I can do all things through Christ! I have my days of being nervous but at the end of the day I know I'm a good person and very good basketball player so good things will happen to me. And, I'm very humble and thankful for everything that comes my way.
In regards to my game, I am still working to get better everyday, because if Kobe can get better, we all can. I'm not one of those guys that just want to say they are in the NBA. I want to be the best! I just want to help a team win a championship. That's all. A team just needs to trust, and take a chance, and I won't let them down!
Watching some of these players over the past year and watching them workout, I just know they can't do the things I can do on the court. My stats are up there with the "so called" best and I worked out really well, but it's out of my hands now. I just know they can't deny me forever.
VC: Thanks a ton for stopping in with us, good luck and make sure you check back with us after you are a big timer in the League playa!
Really quickly... First things first, his numbers don't lie. The kid has put up some unreal numbers, so there has to be a team out there that can use a player like him, even if it is just off the bench. I've had the opportunity to talk to Brandon a ton of times in the past few weeks, and he really is a great, charismatic, and down to earth kid. But what I like about him the most is when we talk Basketball and about his game, Brandon has this tight confidence and swagger about himself, and as we all know, you need that if you want to make it in the League. Brandon has also been working hard and overcoming obstacles his whole life, and that is why I really think he is going to make it big one day. I'm hoping the Jazz or the Spurs, who Brandon's agent has ties with, or the Nets and Kings, who he had good workouts with, will take a flyer on this kid. Good luck Brandon, do your thing player...
Check out our BetUS review if you want to read up on a top NBA betting site.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
BGEEZY AKA BEN GORDON UPDATES HIS FREE AGENT STATUS
Thanks to MPS for the video.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
INTERVIEW SERIES - Q & A with Sarah Spain
I had the privilege to interview Sarah Spain recently, and I got to say, it was an awesome experience! Even though Sarah is busy and traveling all over the place right now, she was nice enough to take some time out of her busy day to do this interview. I am also new to this whole interviewing thing, but Sarah was a great sport.
For those of you who don't know who Sarah is, or want to find out a little bit more about her, you can check out her website here. But, if you are a Chicago Sports fan, or even a blogger out there, you definitely know who Sarah Spain is. Or you should at least!
For you Chicago Sports fans, Sarah is from Mouthpiece Sports. MPS is definitely my favorite Chicago Sports Website to check out on a daily basis, so I have been a fan of Sarah's for a while now.
For you bloggers out there, Sarah was just a panelist at the Blogs with Balls event in NYC this past weekend. And from everything I read about the event, it seems like it was a success. There were a ton of big time names there, like SI's Jimmy Traina, and it would have been awesome to goto and network. I wish I could have gone, but Lumbergh and Initech would have fired me if I skipped work for the Event, so I couldn't make it.
Anyways, I will stop talking now, here is our Q & A...
VC: Being Chicago Sports fans, I'm sure most of my readers already know who you are, especially from the EBay Superbowl Tickets story , but I wanted to ask a you more about that. Tell us the truth, who came up with that idea? And if it was you, was this just a ploy to get actual tickets to the game, or to get free publicity, or both?
SS: While few people believe me, I can honestly say that I had no idea what I was setting into motion when I put the e-Bay ad up. About 5 minutes after the Bears beat the Saints, I went online and bought a flight to Miami--I figured I could get tickets, lodging, etc. with my friends who had agreed to head down to the game if the Bears made it. Unfortunately, they all bailed. I was on my own and needed to find a way to either raise the $4,000 (or more) for a ticket or win one somehow. After seeing "Screech" make a website to have fans help pay off his mortgage, I thought maybe I could make a "help me go to the Super Bowl" website and try to get people to donate a dollar each or something. Unfortunately, I didn't know html, nor did I know how to promote a site like than in the span of 3 or 4 days. So I was at work a few days later talking to my boss at Fox Sports about how much I wanted to go the game and I mentioned the website idea. He said "Why don't you just go on e-Bay instead?" I'd never used e-Bay and I thought maybe I could just tell a couple local radio stations about it and see if they'd give me a ticket through a contest or something. I put the ad up at 11pm and the next morning I had over 500 emails in my inbox. That's when I realized that I'd gotten myself into something way bigger than I thought. If you look at the wording I made it clear that I was NOT an escort--that it was just a "date" and nothing more. I told people I didn't want to be bought--so they shouldn't "bid"--I had no "buy it now" price so no one could claim to have won, and the day the auction ended was after the game. Clearly I didn't intend to actually go to the game with a stranger. While some people thought I truly wanted to be "bought" by someone or that I thought I somehow deserved to have someone PAY to take me to the game, the truth was, I was just hoping some company with a box would have an extra unclaimed ticket or, like I said, that the e-Bay stunt would just lead to a radio station giving me a ticket or something. When Axe's PR company, Edelman, called me up offering tickets for me and two girlfriends and a lucky guy to be our "date," it was so beyond any dream I could have imagined. When all the TV, newspaper, radio, etc. people started emailing me for interviews, I began to realize that I had a unique opportunity on my hands and it was something that, despite being unintentional, shouldn't be wasted.
VC: Tell us a little bit more about that experience you had there and the people you met. How was that experience, and what was your best memory from being there?
VC: Now I personally know you more from the work you do on Mouthpiece Sports. I'm a huge fan of your work there. You know you have every Sports fans dream job right? How did you get that opportunity there, and all these other opportunities in the Sports World listed on your resume? Is this something you always wanted to do, or did you just happen to run into this industry?
VC: What is some advice you would give to our readers, or even someone like myself who wants to get into the industry?
SS: Find your voice and use it. Don't try to be someone else. Network your face off. Work harder than you think is necessary and never think you're too big-time, busy or talented to do jobs, interviews or favors for free--those may be the very opportunities that get you your big break. I did a ton of free freelance work and never blow someone off if they ask me for advice or email me for tips on getting into the industry. And, as cliche as it sounds, don't step on anyone on the way up, you'll surely see them on your way down.
VC: What is the coolest event or place you have gotten to go because of your job?
VC: Any horror stories from being on the job? Any haters?
VC: Who are your role models, male or female?
VC: The Hawks and the Bulls have awesome young teams/ players. Do you see them making great strides next year and contending for titles?
SS: I tend to be a hopeful supporter (typical Cubs fan) so I'm praying the hype is warranted. Devin Hester should be a much more dangerous receiver with Cutler in the pocket, but his go routes aren't going to be enough to carry an offense. Matt Forte will have to continue to dominate on the ground and one of the under performing Bears receivers will need to make a big improvement. Haven't gotten out to an OTA because I've been so focused on the Hawks and Cubs, but I'm looking forward to getting out there soon.
VC: I know you are a huge Cubs fan. What do you think about the Cubs squad this year? As usual, is this the year?
VC: What is your everday routine?
SS: Ha. No everyday routine at all. My schedule depends on whether I have a shoot that day--be it a home Cubs game, an interview with a player, a red carpet event. If I don't have a shoot I'm likely at the office writing, pushing out content or researching for upcoming stories. When I get some free time I like to get out and try new restaurants and bars in Chicago--I was living in LA for six years so I'm just starting to re-learn the city.
VC: Lastly, to switch it up a little bit, what albums are on replay in your ipod right now?
SS: I like all kinds of music so it depends on the day. Recently it's been a lot of Counting Crows, Thomas Dybdahl, Kings of Leon, Martin Sexton, The Kin and Common.
Thank so much for your time Sarah, we hope to check back in with you soon!
Also, if you haven't already, check out a couple of Sarah's videos below....
Funny + Sports...
Sarah at last year's Super Bowl...
Hope you guys liked this interview. Please chime in with some comments! Take care... Click Here to Read More..
MARMOL'S GIANT GLOVE/ CUBS WIN
Thanks to Bleed Cubbie Blue for this picture and the writeup on the picture
This glove belongs to one of the Waveland ballhawks. Somehow it made its way into the ballpark during batting practice on Thursday. Several players tried it out, including Carlos Marmol.
Also, what an amazing game today! Me and my buddies were going nuts at work today!! The Cubs got their best and biggest victory of the year by beating the White Sox with a rowdy comeback. Props to the squad for hanging in there and not giving up, even when the fans gave up on them in this one.
Listen I know we have been pretty terrible all year long, but for as bad as we have been, we are only what, 4 games out? We have had some huge injuries to our 3,4, and 5 hitters, as well as to other key pieces, including to one of our aces on our staff, but we have battled through it, and things are finally starting to look a little brighter. I don't want to jump to conclusions here, but this game could be exactly what the Cubs need to turn things around for the rest of the season. The Fonz got a huge hit there for the game winner, so that might heat him up. We also just got Harden back, and ARam, our MVP, is coming back soon. I know the guys are battling out there, so this should be the spark they all needed. Baseball is a game of numbers, and the numbers say that the Cubs bats are going to heat up soon. That being said, they can't get any worse right? 4 games out baby, let's do this! Our run started today, and will continue tomorrow. GO CUBS GO!!!
SHAWN MARION AKA THE MATRIX AT THE CUBS/SOX GAME
I knew the Matrix was born and raised in IL, but I didn't know he was a Cubs fan. Tight, another Cubs fan baby...
Cubs and white sox game on 12seconds.tv
Thanks for the video Rama
BULLETS
Hey guys, just wanted to post real quick. Sorry I've been slacking lately, but I will be back soon with a couple of Bulls and Bears posts I'm working on, a NBA mock draft, and a couple of dope interviews. Definitely stop by soon if you get a chance to check those out. Also, I'm really excited about getting to interview Mouthpiece Sport's Sarah Spain. I'm still working on the final writeup for the interview, but it should be up by tomorrow evening. I can't wait to post that for sure.
I also wanted to take a quick second to say congrats to Kobe and the Lakers for their chip. They deserved it, and I'm definitely happy for the Mamba. The Magic played great and were fun to watch. Hopefully they can keep Hedo and keep that squad together, because after this experience, they will be dangerous next year.
Anyways, here are a couple of dope articles from today, so be sure to check them out...
- Weekly Q and A with Jerry Angelo
- How a scout in Chicago helped Kobe win his chip
- Sick article about Prez Obama and Basketball
- Phil Jackson at work
- SI NBA MOCK DRAFT
- BGeezy gone? (I'm sad) Also Bulls draft talk
- Kyle Farnsworth's a crazy dude
- Something that would definitely happen to me
- Two of my favorite bloggers out there.
- In case you missed it, Kobe Doin' Work
Some more random stuff. I just watched the Hangover, and I got to say, it's an instant classic. Even though I had to pay freaking 11 dollars for the damn ticket, it was worth it. My favorite part of the movie still has to be - not at the table Carlos!!! I think any group of guys who have ever gone to a bachelor party, especially one in Vegas, can definitely relate to this movie. Anyways, please just go see the movie if you haven't already, it's hilarious.
Cubs/ Sox - The Cubs bats struggled again today. The Sox got round 1. Haters just remember, there are still a lot of games left between us this year, so let's wait until they are all done. We're struggling right now, but I really do think we are going to bounce back soon. Hopefully the bounce back starts tomorrow.
Bettors, I'd put a little bit of cash on Tiger and the Lefty for the U.S. Open this weekend. One of those two guys are going to take this tournament. I know that's not going out on a limb or anything, but the odds aren't bad to put a little cash on them, so hit them up if you got a few bucks laying around.
My Golf update...I'm still struggling. I'm only consistent with one club right now, and that's the Pitching Wedge. Hitting the driving range again later this week, and I got 5 lessons left. Let's see how it goes.
Also, as some of you know, I'm currently catching up on the Wire. I just finished Season 3, and the last couple episodes were amazing. The scene where Avon and Stringer are on the rooftop overlooking the city has to be one of my favorite scenes of all time in a TV Series. I don't want to give it away for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but there is just so much going on in that scene right there. So many emotions and metaphors...just sick. The Wire is realer then the truth, and I'm glad I'm getting caught up on it. Season 4, here I come.
Lastly, random music note. This is definitely old news to most people, but if you haven't listened to Drizzy Drake's stuff yet, you have LYM (lost your mind). With most of music being garbage right now, it's refreshing to hear some raw jams and tight lyrics. All his jams out right now are just sick. Just goto YouTube and type in Drake and check him out.
Alright playaz, it's back to Initech to file some TPS reports tomorrow, so I got to hit the sack before Lumbergh has my as$ at the office. Peace playaz.... Click Here to Read More..
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
KOBE BRYANT ON THE CONAN O'BRIEN SHOW
Thanks to my buddy Jose at 3030 for the video.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
High School NBA Slam Dunk Contest 1996 - Kobe Bryant, Tim Thomas, Corey Benjamin, Lester Earl
Check out Kobe, Tim Thomas, Corey Benjamin, and Lester Earl in the 1996 McDonalds All American Game Slam Dunk Contest.
I actually remember watching this contest back in the day. Wow, it's been 13 years since this contest, man I am getting old. Anyways, I'm sure whoever hasn't seen this dunk contest will be surprised by the results. I was definitely rooting for Kobe...
Oh ya, I have one more thing to say about this video. Corey freaking Benjamin. Remember him Bulls fans? What a BUST!!!
Thanks to my buddy at Pippen Ain't Easy for the video.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
JORDON MONTGOMERY MIXTAPE
Man this kid is too cold. I read about him on Dime, and knew I had to post this...
From the youtube info tab...
New Jordan Mixtape.Top Ranked 2nd Grader In The Nation. Highlights from Age 6 to 8. Jordan Made Front Page of DimeMag.com website & New Article On Jordan @ Dunkboi.com. (Note to viewers: Jordan is not short he plays 2 grades up. He is 8 and they are 10 & 11.)
GARRETT WOLFE ON JAY CUTLER
Here's Garrett talking about his Qb. Hopefully Wolfe can contribute on offense this year too with an expanded role...
Thanks to Mouthpiece Sports for the video.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
LAKERS VS MAGIC - NBA FINALS PREDICTIONS
Well it is finally that time ladies and gentleman, the NBA Finals are here!!! This year's Finals feature the Magic vs the Lake Show. The Magic are playing great ball right now, making it rain 3's, and are anchored by Dwight Howard in the middle. And in case you forgot, they took out Lebron James and the Cavs in the ECF. The Lakers are led by Kobe Bryant, aka The Black Mamba, and have looked like they are on a mission this year since they lost in the NBA Finals last year. They have been one of the best teams in the league all year long, and will be disappointed if they don't win it all this year. It should be a great Finals, so let's see how it goes. Also, I'm sure Commissioner Stern and the NBA aren't very happy with this Finals matchup, especially because the League was so close to having their dream matchup of Kobe vs Lebron!
A quick comment on that. I was really hoping for a Lebron vs Kobe Finals matchup. It would have been amazing and maybe would have put an end to all these Kobe Vs Lebron fights we have via email everyday. But the Magic prevailed, so we got to give them props, especially Dwight Howard.
Anyways, going back to the Cavs losing in the ECF. This quote by Adrian W from Yahoo Sports is exactly why I'm a little happy that the Cavs and King James actually ended up losing to the Magic...
All season, the Cavaliers acted too entitled, too arrogant for a team that’s won nothing. They ran out demanding that Mo Williams(notes) be made an All-Star, when the truth bore itself out in the playoffs: Cleveland has one All-Star. Nevertheless, Williams still embarrassed the Cavs with foolish proclamations and guarantees his middling talent couldn’t deliver.
“If you believe in karma with that nonsense,” one Western Conference executive said, “then Cleveland got what was coming to them.”
All year long I had to hear from Cavs fans how great this squad was, and how they were better than my Bulls Championship teams. How Mo Williams was the second coming of Scottie Pippen. Or how King James was already better than MJ, without even winning a ring, or even winning a game in the NBA Finals. Imagine if you had to hear that 5050 times a day, everyday for a year, you would become a hater too. So yes, I'm kinda glad the Cavs lost. There you go.And about Lebron not shaking hands with the Magic after the game? To me, that was weak. Lebron James on the court is amazing. There's not much you can say about his game, but what he did after this series really made him lose some of his luster to a lot of fans out there, including myself. What's funny is when he wins, he stands out there like give me dap, give me love, taking photos, throwing chalk, and dancing, but when he loses, he has to run to the locker room? I understand he was frustrated because he did carry those busters on his back for the entire series, but sportsmanship is sportsmanship playa. And this isn't the first time he did that either? This looks to be a recurring theme with him. And if you think about it, Lebron is the face of the League now, so that's pretty inexcusable. Lebron said it was his competitive nature, and that's why he didn't shake anyone's hands, but I really doubt Lebron is more competitive than the G.O.A.T. himself, MJ. MJ you say? MJ always shook his opponents hands when he lost in the playoffs. Remember when the Pistons physically abused Jordan, and the Bulls lost to them year after year? Jordan still shook their hands. He said it gave him the motivation he needed to become great. That is why after the Bulls finally got over the hump and beat the Pistons, that Joe Dumars said he had to go and shake Jordan's hand, even though the rest of his teammates walked off the court, except for John Salley. And till this day, people have not forgotten that Zeke Thomas walk off after that series. He was a sick player, but most people remember Thomas for that walk off, and nothing else. It's sad, but true. What's crazy is that DHo and other NBA ballers also called out Lebron about what he did. Hopefully Lebron learns from this, and grows as a player and a sportsman.
Anyways, back to our featured program. When you ask people who's going to win these Finals, I bet you 9 out of 10 people will say the Lakers. And that 1 person who says the Magic, they don't really believe the Magic can win the series, they just hate Kobe Bryant. That's just the reality of this matchup because the Lakers have Kobe and are experienced, whereas the Magic are young and might just be happy to be here in the Finals. Whatever the case may be, this should definitely be a great matchup, so I'm going to try to break it down to the best of my abilities. One warning though, I'm usually wrong when it comes to these kinda things, so please take this with a grain of salt...
First we will look at the Backcourt:
The PG position has been very inconsistent for the Lakers, but maybe a combination of Farm, Fish, and Chris Breezy can get the job done. At the 2, the Lakers have the games single most deadly player, the Black Mamba himself, Kobe. Hate him or love him, Kobe's game has really changed, and it's fun to watch if you like the game of Basketball. It's pretty scary when you really think about it. He can torch you from the outside, mid range, drive, post up, and rip stick you on defense and get easy buckets that way. Even though the Magic have a nice team defense,Kobe gets the nod on this one. I also think that Kobe faced a tougher defense vs the Rockets, so he should be able to handle the French Jordan and Dwight. Rafer is just crazy and too erratic for me to put my money on, and Jameer is sick, but hasn't played a game in a long time. I'll go with the Lakers here.
Frontcourt:
This one is very, very close, but I got to give this one to the Magic. The Turkish Jordan, RLewis, and Superman have been terrific in these playoffs. Talent wise you can make a big case for the Lakers, but Lamar, Gasol, and Bynum's inconsistencies scare me too much to give them the edge. The Magic front court is going to have to come up HUGGEE if they want to have a shot at winning this series.
Bench:
This is pretty even too, but I'll go with the Lakers in this one. They will have either Bynum or Odom coming off the bench, and that right there is huge. This bench also has experience from last year, so let's see if they can use it in these Finals. The Magic are just too young and inexperienced to give the nod to in this category. Side note, hopefully the Machine doesn't cry on the bench this year.
Coaching:
We don't think this one is even close. Maybe because I'm bias towards Phil Jackson. But to me, the only person who can compare to Phil in my mind is Pop, no one else is really on that level. SVG has done an amazing job all season long, but I got to go with my guy Phil aka the Zen Master here. He is the master of motivating his players, especially his bench and role players, and as usual, he will be on point in The Finals. He is also great at going over film, and fixing weaknesses in follow up games. He will definitely out wit SVG on a few occasions in this series.
X Factors:
The X Factors have to be Odom for the Lakers, and Lewis for the Magic. Odom is Odom. One of the biggest enigmas in the NBA. He frustrates me and others so much because we all know what he is capable of. But we all also know that he'll put up doub doubs and trip doubs one game, but then score 6pts and be ineffective the next. We have to see if he is able to have a big series in these Finals. He needs to elevate his game a little bit more, to get this chip. On the Magic side, Lewis has to step up and bring his A game. He is usually a consistent shooter with one of the smoothest j's in the league, but the Lakers have a ton of length and strength in their defenders, which might give Lewis some problems in this series. We know what they will get from Dwight, but how about from Lewis?
Overall:
I see this being a great series, with some close, even buzzer beater type games, but ultimately I see the Lakers prevailing in 6 after a hard fought series. Look for Kobe to come out and set the tempo tonight in Game 1. The dude is a killer, and he knows he needs to set the tone for his team. The Magic are also young, and inexperienced, and I'm big on having experience to win the Finals. Overall, I just think that the Lakers matchup a lot better vs the Magic than the Cavs did. Their forwards have length and athleticism, and they will be able to defend Hedo, Lewis, and Howard a lot better. I see them wearing those guys out eventually, and Kobe being a killer, and that is why I'm picking the Lakers.
On a side note, I'm sure by now all of you know I am a huge, huge Kobe Bryant fan. I really am not even a Lakers fan, but the Lakers winning, and Kobe's legacy go hand in hand, so yes, I'm rooting for the Lakers to win these Finals. For a long time now, I've had to hear how Kobe Bryant has never won a chip being the number 1 dude on the squad. When the Lakers won their 3 chips, Shaq got all 3 MVP's. Kobe was unreal in those Finals, but the Big man was the number 1. So we all know, the knock on Kobe has always been he has never won a title without Shaq. Well the time has come for him to prove all the haters wrong, and for him to win this Chip with him being the 1 man on the squad. Once he does that, the haters will make excuses and still hate, but they'll know deep down inside that he'll go down as top 10 of all time. And that will be good enough for me. No more email fights, nothing. Because it will just be understood after that, and I'll be happy.
Anyways, hopefully we can watch a great NBA Finals series to top of an awesome NBA playoff year.
Take care, and let me know what you think and what your predictions are for the Finals too.
Click Here to Read More..
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