After posting on the NBA lottery below, I went home last night and started to think of who I would want the Knicks to draft. I still don't know. But it led me to start thinking of the draft over all. The conclusion of my interrupted thoughts (interrupted by back-to-back-to-back homers by Swisherlicious, Cano and the Melk Man delayed rational ideas about the draft) was that there is a high probability that the Paper Clips will screw up the #1 pick. I had thought that there was no way a team could pass on a talent such as Blake's, but after pondering, and important detail came to light that I should have recognized earlier. The LA Clippers ownership and front office are just...friggin....terrible. How else do you explain trading for Z-Bo? My feelings on why they should draft Griffin (see below) will stay the same. However, the percentage of the Clips drafting Blake has dropped, while the percentage of the botching this pick has skyrocketed. More on the NBA Draft down the road.
****UPDATE****
Well it seems that I should look at the internet more. Accorning to SI.com the Clippers new they would suck back in 2008 and are intending on drafting Oklahoma stud Blake Griffin. Smoke screen? Only time will tell.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/05/20/griffin.clippers.ap/index.html
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wake and Blake
The NBA Lottery has come and gone, and the NY Knickerbockers are unlucky again. Shocker! I will get into the Knicks shortly, but let’s take a look at the landscape of the lovable lotto losers.
With the first pick in the 2009 draft, the L.A. Clippers will ruin the career of, er, I mean select: Blake Griffin, from the University of Oklahoma (side note, OU is rapidly becoming my favorite team to cheer for in all sports beside the teams I love. Don’t ask me why….because I am not going to tell you). OK, there are two ways to look at this pick. One is that Griffin will thrive in L.A. with the likes of Barron Davis, Marcus Camby, and Z-Bo on the team. He would slot right in as a starter in the front court with Camby and Z-Bo. Catch lobs from Davis while the announcers simply say, “dunk.” And be an important piece to vaunting the Clippers back into the playoffs. That way of looking at things though is very optimistic, and most likely wrong. I like Griffin. I think he is a beast on the court and an extremely hard worker. I think his defense will get better as will his shot. He is also freakishly athletic. However, the Clips are the Clips….which basically means they are a poorly run team that no matter how much talent they acquire, it’s the wrong talent. Think the West Coast Isaiah Thomas. I fear that Blake will develop poor habits from being around such selfish players like Z-Bo. And no Clipper fans, no one is going to trade for Z-Bo. Florida Atlantic is a University, so don’t think Isaiah is coming to the rescue. The Clips won’t trade the pick either. No matter how many bodies you have at a certain position, if you’re a lottery team in the NBA you can’t draft off need (you probably need a lot if you’re praying to ping pong balls each year). If there is a sure fire future all-star available, then you have to draft him. It’s that simple. And other than Ricky Rubio, Blake Griffin is that type of talent and player. So my advice to you Blake is this: work hard, develop your skills, and as soon as your contract is up get the F out of dodge.
As the NBA draft moves closer I will have more useless information on all of the projected picks along with my Mock Draft (which is basically done to pass the time and will have no real “inside” information) and more detailed thoughtful notes on the NBA. In the meantime, let me make a few statements on the NY Knicks.
1) Unless the Knicks can move up into the top 2 then stay put at 8. There is a big fall off after Griffin and Rubio. The draft is filled with “potential” guys. So unless you unload a contract then stand pat. Plenty of talent will be there at 8.
2) If the Knicks stay at 8, I think they should draft Stephen Curry. And here is why: Curry can play the point. He is a smart basketball player. Passes well. Defends well. Can flat our shoot the rock. And the kid has major onions. Anyone who watched him two years ago saw him single handily dismantled 4 major programs. And this past season, when everyone knew who he was, and knew that they had to stop him to beat Davidson; Curry still dropped something like 26ppg. He was made for “7 seconds or less.”
3) He is boys with LeBron James. Nuff said.
Again, it hasn’t been 24 hours since the lottery ended, so there is more to come. In any event, it should be a very busy off season for Donnie Walsh and all of the other GMs in the NBA.
With the first pick in the 2009 draft, the L.A. Clippers will ruin the career of, er, I mean select: Blake Griffin, from the University of Oklahoma (side note, OU is rapidly becoming my favorite team to cheer for in all sports beside the teams I love. Don’t ask me why….because I am not going to tell you). OK, there are two ways to look at this pick. One is that Griffin will thrive in L.A. with the likes of Barron Davis, Marcus Camby, and Z-Bo on the team. He would slot right in as a starter in the front court with Camby and Z-Bo. Catch lobs from Davis while the announcers simply say, “dunk.” And be an important piece to vaunting the Clippers back into the playoffs. That way of looking at things though is very optimistic, and most likely wrong. I like Griffin. I think he is a beast on the court and an extremely hard worker. I think his defense will get better as will his shot. He is also freakishly athletic. However, the Clips are the Clips….which basically means they are a poorly run team that no matter how much talent they acquire, it’s the wrong talent. Think the West Coast Isaiah Thomas. I fear that Blake will develop poor habits from being around such selfish players like Z-Bo. And no Clipper fans, no one is going to trade for Z-Bo. Florida Atlantic is a University, so don’t think Isaiah is coming to the rescue. The Clips won’t trade the pick either. No matter how many bodies you have at a certain position, if you’re a lottery team in the NBA you can’t draft off need (you probably need a lot if you’re praying to ping pong balls each year). If there is a sure fire future all-star available, then you have to draft him. It’s that simple. And other than Ricky Rubio, Blake Griffin is that type of talent and player. So my advice to you Blake is this: work hard, develop your skills, and as soon as your contract is up get the F out of dodge.
As the NBA draft moves closer I will have more useless information on all of the projected picks along with my Mock Draft (which is basically done to pass the time and will have no real “inside” information) and more detailed thoughtful notes on the NBA. In the meantime, let me make a few statements on the NY Knicks.
1) Unless the Knicks can move up into the top 2 then stay put at 8. There is a big fall off after Griffin and Rubio. The draft is filled with “potential” guys. So unless you unload a contract then stand pat. Plenty of talent will be there at 8.
2) If the Knicks stay at 8, I think they should draft Stephen Curry. And here is why: Curry can play the point. He is a smart basketball player. Passes well. Defends well. Can flat our shoot the rock. And the kid has major onions. Anyone who watched him two years ago saw him single handily dismantled 4 major programs. And this past season, when everyone knew who he was, and knew that they had to stop him to beat Davidson; Curry still dropped something like 26ppg. He was made for “7 seconds or less.”
3) He is boys with LeBron James. Nuff said.
Again, it hasn’t been 24 hours since the lottery ended, so there is more to come. In any event, it should be a very busy off season for Donnie Walsh and all of the other GMs in the NBA.
It's Alive!!!!!!!
Lost, forgotten, put on the back burner, misunderstood, over and done with…until today. Back by unpopular demand….I didn’t really say everything I said!
So where have I been? Traveling? Not so much. Working out? Psht…yeah, right. Confronting my inner demons? Well, maybe, but that’s another story. However, what really happened is that monkey has gone ape! There is so little to talk about and so much time…wait, reverse that. I have found a new lease on life, new take on crazy, a new direction to move in. And I couldn’t be happier. It’s amazing how individuals can affect a person’s life. How the smallest push can thrust you into talking giant challenges. I had always though those in your life, the ones you see every day, are the ones that have the most impact on an individual. I was wrong. Finding someone you can totally confide in with your inner most fears and your most outlandish wants is the true meaning of life.
I have been re-energized, reinvented, reinvigorated. From a far off distance came the support the push and the confidence builder. Now, my only hope that it will evolve close to home…and sooner rather than later…like saaaaaaaay….before college football starts.
Until that time, you are stuck with my rants and thoughts. And you will either love me or hate me and for all of you out there but one, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
So where have I been? Traveling? Not so much. Working out? Psht…yeah, right. Confronting my inner demons? Well, maybe, but that’s another story. However, what really happened is that monkey has gone ape! There is so little to talk about and so much time…wait, reverse that. I have found a new lease on life, new take on crazy, a new direction to move in. And I couldn’t be happier. It’s amazing how individuals can affect a person’s life. How the smallest push can thrust you into talking giant challenges. I had always though those in your life, the ones you see every day, are the ones that have the most impact on an individual. I was wrong. Finding someone you can totally confide in with your inner most fears and your most outlandish wants is the true meaning of life.
I have been re-energized, reinvented, reinvigorated. From a far off distance came the support the push and the confidence builder. Now, my only hope that it will evolve close to home…and sooner rather than later…like saaaaaaaay….before college football starts.
Until that time, you are stuck with my rants and thoughts. And you will either love me or hate me and for all of you out there but one, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
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