Mother Nature is Killing Me

Well it looks like today's game will be postponed since www.weather.com says there's a 100% chance it rains, and it is suppose to lightning at 6. This make up stuff is getting pretty annoying.

Weekly Matchups: Saturday the Super Villain Squad vs. Cougar Bait

Cougar Bait (2-0)
4 Key Factors

• Dave Martin's ability to get open and score in bunches
• Ability to limit paint points by Lex Luther, Chad Earls, Jared Lang, and Kurt O'Sullivan
• Key offensive contributions by at least two others (most likely Mike Maloney, Matt Hooper, or Dave Glassman)
• Limit turnovers and fast break opportunites

Super Villain Squad (1-1)

4 Key Factors

• Ability to play in your face man to man defense
• Earn second chance points off of offensive rebounds
• Get shooters hot early Death Stroke and Mr. Freeze
• Ability to penetrate Cougar Bait's zone off the dribble and skip passing

Weekly Matchups: Wednesday Thumbs Up vs. No ID No Idea

No ID No Idea (2-0)
4 Key Factors:

• Malik Little's scoring capability
• Joey Wilkes ability to push the ball in transition
• Defensive presence by Hannon Brothers
• Key contribution from at least one man on sideline crew (Keegan Schleicher, Tom Munger, or Mike Twitchell)

Thumbs Up (1-1)

4 Key factors:

• Doug Schlehuber's ability to finish around the hoop
• Steve Burrill's ability to take more control of offense
• Control amount of turnovers in transition
• Team Defense combined with defensive rebounding

This team must be getting laid...

Forfeit Win! Defending Champs won 40 to 0 on Saturday Morning after Dump Em' Out never showed. With the win, Cougar Bait is 3 and 0 on the season and have outscored opponents 120 to 32. HA!

The Commish's week 4 Gunslinger Games

This Week there are two great match ups occurring Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday No ID No Idea plays Thumbs Up. This should be a great match up  both teams are mirror images of each other. Both teams enjoy the three game and an uptempo fast break offense. The other game will be The Super Villain Squad against Cougar Bait. This game will be interesting when the preseason favorites play the defending champs. This also a rematch of lat year's championship game. This game will see if Cougar Bait is the real deal or not.

Later on tonight and during the week. I'll go over every match up this week with pregame analysis. Put me in the booth baby!

NBA Draft: Yahoo Sports Sleepers

If you want to win, don't pick me

Yahoo Sports did an article on their sleepers for the draft. They mention two of the three players who were on The Commish's Steals of the Draft List (Josh Selby and Jeremy Tyler). They mention Klay Thompson as a sleeper, but I really disagree. Klay is a top 15 lock in my opinion, and the only reason he is is because this class is awful and lacks scorers. Klay shoots pretty well but that's about it. I just don't think he's special in any way. If I had the option to draft him at number ten this year or take whoever is slated at twelve next year, I'd go next year all the way. Being a scorer is the worst indicator from college to pros (ask Adam Morrison or )

College Hoops Coaches Are Animals, and I Love It

Memphis Coach Josh Pastner is one of the best recruiters out there.
While his wife gave birth, he was talking to a recruit on the phone.

So college coaches could start contacting recruits Wednesday morning at 12:01. Let's just say that most coaches don't wait until 7 in the morning when prospects are getting ready to start their day. The Dagger had a post about recruit Brannen Greene:
"At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning, the barrage of calls began when new Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory dialed Greene's cell phone. Soon afterward calls, tweets and Facebook messages poured in from coaches at Florida, Florida State, Xavier and Wake Forest. By the time an exhausted yet excited Greene turned off his phone, shut down his computer and crawled into bed at 2:30 a.m., he had already fielded calls from 24 different coaches."

I love Brian Gregory. If you're not first you're last. Just classic stuff. I hope he brings in a Calipari like recruit class soon. Number one grinder right there. You wanna know the difference between Coach K, Calipari, and Roy Williams compared to the other coaches. They call them a week later and usually move ahead of all the other teams.

The Norton Middle School is Not a Dump

Hey I'm sick of the trash being left at the courts after our games. I know some trash is already there, but we're definitely leaving water bottles out on the courts. It's ridiculous because the trash is a ten second walk. Clean up your trash.

P.S. Sorry on the lack of posts today. I was getting certified to save lives. No Biggie.

NBA Draft: The Commish's First Round Mock Draft

First of all I have to give credit to ESPN. I love their mock draft machine thing. Here's some looks from me with some reasoning behind what I did.

• A lot of people are gonna be surprised by the dip I have in Derrick Williams. Yeah he's explosive and people say he can play either Power or Small Forward, but I think he won't be great at either. Also the TWolves have Kevin Love secure at the Power (he's no Center), and I think Beasley can blossom into a very good player. Utah has way too much in both forward spots so that's why I have him sliding to number four with the Cavs.
• I think the best addition for the T Wolves is at the Center or Shooting Guard spot, and just look at the draft. There's no prime time shooting guard. Enes Kanter can be an All Star Center.
• My biggest decision was with the Raptors pick. It comes up to do they like Bayless or not? I'm just siding with I'm not a fan of Kemba Walker. Jan Vesely is a great inside out player that is most noted for his non stop motor. If they take Kemba then either Kawhi Leonard or Vesely will go to the Kings. 
• If what I put happens that means the Kings are gonna have to reach because they need a scorer. It would be between Thompson, Burks, and Jimmer.
• Utah is going to get a shooter or Point Guard because they are swamped with their bigs. Alec Burks and Jimmer are all the rave there.
• Either way, analysts say there's no way Jimmer gets past the Pacers.
• Bismack Biyombo is a great run the floor Center and will give the Suns some defense they definitely need.
• The 76ers need a Center since they're loaded with tweeners and no depth at Center.
• I will never think twice about D'Antoni going foreign with his Italian ties.
• Singler is a great safe pick for the Thunder givina lack g them looks at Power and Small Forward.
• I think Selby could be a great replacement for kid when he puts away the kicks. I love Barea but don't see him as a everyday starter in this league. He's more of an energy booster off the bench. A much better version of Eddie House when he was  with the Celtics.
• I think Honeycutt is steal this late and would be a nice fit with the nets since he can play the Small Forward or Shooting Guard.
• The Bulls can stock up with an foreign guy who has good potential and a great combo guard in Nolan Smith to pick up Rose and Bogans. I could see Smith breaking into the starting line up in three years.
• With the success of Manu how can the Spurs resist Bertans.

The Commish's Power Rankings: Week 2

These Rankings are a little late because most games were delayed.

1. No ID No Idea (2-0)- They cruised to their second victory and will have a big test with a make up game with Thumbs Up next week. Joey Wilkes, Malik Little, and the Hannon Brothers will continue to anchor this team.

2. The Super Villain Squad (1-1)- Their victory tonight against Thumbs Up bumps to number 2. They match up great on defense with their hieght and Chad Earls anchoring them. Lex Luthor was a strong surprise wince he missed game one. Timmy Laconte and Death Stroke play as great guards, and bigs Jared Lang and Kurt Sullivan are do it all players.

3. Cougar Bait (2-0)- The defending champs move up a spot but still have yet to be tested. This week will be interesting with them playing the Super Villain Squad and will prove if their really top tier material.

4. Thumbs Up(1-)- With an atrocious performance in game 2, they drop two spots. Their match up with No ID No Idea should be interesting. Doug Schlehuber and Steve Burrill need to lead the way in scoring to get them back on track with DAn Nagle orchestrating the offense.

5. The Tune Squad (0-1)- This team still hasn't played a game, but with the height they have, I don't see them losing many when they get on the court.

6. Dump Em Out(1-0)- They haven't played yet either but this roster will be interesting with the losses of Beatrice and Weygand. Saturday against Cougar Bait could get interesting.

7. The Dirty Burg (0-2)- If this team had their full squad they could do some damage. Chris Brooks has just checked in for scoliosis from carrying this team for the past two games.

8. Kung Fu Panda (0-2)- When looking at their schedule, it's tough to figure out where they could scrap a W. They should pray Chris Pinheiro can show up for a few.

League Rules Refresher

I just wanna refresh some people on some of the League Rules that have been debated.

1. At the start of the second half, ball does not go by possession. It goes to the team that did not score to end the half (the losing team). It is as if the game never stopped and play continues.

2. It does not need to be a dead ball to sub, but you cannot sub to interrupt a fast break.

3. A team has two timeouts that can be used one each half or both in one half. It doesn't matter which way.

No ID No Idea Walks Runs Through the Dirty Burg

Looked up dump in the dictionary. Said "See Fitchburg"

Usually used as a sideline cheerleader, Keegan Schleicher had himself a day.He led the game with 13 points with Joey Wilkes and Eddie Hannon followed up with about 8 a piece. Phil Rizzo kept the sold out crowd entertained with a dunk, and the absence of Pat Hannon didn't matter as No ID No Idea beat the Dirty Burg 40-19. The Dirty Burg was carried by the typical few. Chris Books carried the offense with Travis Jolly and Jeff Hupe helping out. The win for No ID No Idea will keep them atop the Power Rankings.

UPDATE: Ed Hannon had at least 5 threes

Thumbs Up Gives Thumbs Down Performance, Super Villain Squad Prevails

The Super Villain Squad outplayed Thumbs Up by far in their 40-34 victory. Bret AKA Lex Luthor played a phenomenal game in the paint and crushed the boards. Deathstroke hit a few 3's and had a couple nice drives, while Chad Earls did his usual of a solid 7 points and redirecting everything on defense. Tim Laconte out hustled everyone on the court leading to steals and fast breaks. Kurt O'Sullivan worked his inside out game, while his partner in crime Mr. Freeze drained some 3's. The only bright spot for Thumbs Up was sharp shooter Steve Burril. The rest of team did not play their usual game with Dan Nagle and Doug Schlehuber showing glimpses of great plays but nothing compared to Game 1. The Commish rocked out a double double with 15 boards and 15 turnovers absolutely destroying fast breaks. Matt and Mike Donovan hit some key shots, but were not there usual selves. This will shake up the Power Rankings that will be posted later tonight.

Week 3 Game of the Week

Tonight is the best match up for the week. Thumbs Up is playing the Super Villain Squad. Which is a 2 vs. 3 in the Commish's Week 1 Power Rankings. Depending on the outcome, multiple things could happen in this weeks rankings. Word is the game is gonna be sold out, but they will be scalpers near the tennis courts for those who are looking to catch a glimpse of some magic.



Commish's Prediction- Thumbs UP 40 Super Villain Squad 33

Celtics Could Be Losing Top Assistant Coach

According to ESPN, Lawrence Frank met with the Pistons for the head coach vacancy. Frank is also one of the final two for the Raptors job too. word is former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson is the favorite for the Pistons job, but I think Frank will do a good job at either place. Neither job is a "dream job" by any means, but both teams have the capability to be a playoff team next year. Doc Rivers always speaks highly of Frank, and I'm sure he'd do well at either place. Last year's head assistant for the Celtics, Tom Thibodeau did pretty well this yer with the Bulls.

Detroit Names Court After Most Exciting Man in College Basketball

according to ESPN, when St. Johnns comes to Detroit this year, they'll be in for something special. On December 5th, Detroit is holding a ceremony to name its court after Dick Vitale. The  Hall of Famer was a coach and athletic director at Detroit. I like the move by Detroit. so he only coached there for five years. The guy obviously puts his heart and soul in everything he does, and you know he'll greatly appreciate it. It also gives Detroit basketball, which is not a nationally known product, some headlines now and obviously on the day of the game. Vitale has been a figure in college basketball for over thirty years. You gotta love him.

NBA Draft: The Commish's Risky Reward Players

Bismack Biyombo

This list is guys that have the potential to be great, but also wouldn't surprise some guys if they epically failed.

Bismack Biyombo- I love the way this guy can dunk and swat balls on defense, but he struggled greatly during his Euro Camp workout. The reason was he can't really shoot well. Some say he missed around 80% of his mid range jumpers. That might not matter since he's been getting tabbed as a the next Ben Wallace, but if he's not as good as publicized on defense and rebounding, he could be a big bust.

Donatas Motiejunas- Here's another foreigner that did not a have an impressive workout at the Euro Camp. Compared by some as a more atheltic Andrea Brgnani, the 7 footer couldn't hit the ocean from the beach. That wasn't the part that worried me though because some shooters have a tough day. I just could never pick a guy that looks like he doesn't wanna be there. He just looked like he had no heart. This guy is suppose to be a lock in the top ten but scares me big time. Best case scenario is a taller version of a player I really like, Danilo Gallinari.

Klay Thompson- This guy is shooting up draft boards because he can shoot. This is more of a sign of a weak draft class than this guy being a great scorer. He's 6'7 sniper, and some guy's have him getting into the top ten. I guess with his size, he has the assets to be a go to scorer, but I think it's a long shot. ESPN's Chad Ford stated a Knicks representative said he could be the next Allen Houston. The only problem is if he's not, he's just a shorter version of Mike Dunleavy.

Tomorrow will be the Commish's Mock Draft of the First Round

Bruins Get the Hardware; Canucks Are Heartless

The Canucks had no heart tonight and deserved to get smacked. We were still out hustling them in the third period when we were short handed beating out every close to icing puck. Marchand beasted did what he always does. Guy's a grinder. Luongo might have had the worst Stanley Cuo performance by an All Star Goalie ever. Just absolutely shredded in four of the games. All we needed was Bobby Orr diving across the ice after we won just to remember how it felt.



P.S. I don't think Tim Thomas knew what galvanizing meant. "Well.....Kinda."

P.S.P.S. Having the fan Kenny whatever from Milton was classic. If only I went to the game. Could have been on the ice after the B's won the Stanley Cup. Instead I'm blogging about it.

ESPN Boston Must Be Reading the Blog!

So I'm reading ESPN Boston today and check the Celtics blog by Chris Forsberg. So his two posts from today are about Celtics looking at Jeremy Tyler and how they can't but wish they could trade for Chris Kaman. I blogged about Tyler and Kaman a couple days ago. Then read Chris Ford's Analysis in his Mock Draft. Basically quotes me word for word.

 Hey ESPN if you're reading my stuff so much why don't you just shoot me an email or give me a call. If you don't have either just comment. Nobody other than Nick usually does anyways so I'd know it's you even if you made it anonymous. Just put me in the booth or hook me up in a cubicle. I'll make the Magic happen!

No One Parties Harder Than a Maverick

Deshawn rocking the three goggles

Deshawn Stevenson was arrested  for public intoxication Tuesday at 10:30 PM. The best part is you know Stevenson was on almost a 48 hour binge. Guy has no idea where he is when the cops arrive and why should he. Guys an NBA Champ. The best is when the article is titles "Deshawn Stevenson arrested for acting like Deshawn Stevenson". That just gives him baller status. I don't care if you didn't even score a point. The guy just goes hard, in everything. Guarantee his plus minus was like +30 for the series. This is why the Mavericks won. Every guy on their squad is an absolute animal.

P.S. I wonder if he was wearing them 3 goggles when the cops showed up.

NBA Draft: The Commish's Favorites

Kyrie Irving looks to be the #1 Pick

All of these players my not be superstars, but these are the guys I like in the draft:

1. Kyrie Irving- Irving is almost a lock at the #1 spot in he draft. The Dukie is a pure Point Guard by all means. He's a great passer, runs the transition game perfect, can score in almost every way, is extremely quick, and plays great defense. It looks like he will be a Cavalier along with a big guy like Enes Kanter. He will be a bright spot for the Cavs future.

2. Enes Kanter- Even though many people haven't seen this guy play, Enes moves extremely well for a 6'11 guy. At Hoop Summit last year, he outplayed Jared Sullinger, and Sullinger would probably have been a top 5 pick this year. I don't think he's as much of a risk as the average Joe at the bar may say he is.

3. Bismack Biyombo- A lot of services have him right around the top ten. I wouldn't take him there. I see him as a high teen pick. His explosiveness is off the charts. I can see teams that need a high flying big man reach for him in the top ten and understand it, but he is still a little bit raw. His mid to long range game needs some work, but he can swat anything in sight and goes strong to the rim. I think he willl do exceptionally well running the floor.

4. Tyler Honeycutt- For some reason I really like this guy. he's a great match up at Small Forward standing at 6'9. He's smooth and is constantly moving on offense. Known as a streaky shooter in college, I think he can really step up and be a big time player. He plays with a high basketball IQ and has a good mid range pull up. I would not be upset if the Celtics snagged him in the first (they just better find some big men through trades, other draft pick, or free agency).

Tomorrow will be the highest Risk Reward Players

BRUINS!!!

Let's Go BRUINS!!! Prediction: Hard fought all the way through. Hits Galore! Thomas makes save after save, Luongo matches him... however, Lucic scores late in the third period to win the game 2 to 1 and the Bruins capture the cup for the first time since 72'

Mark Cuban is a Straight Up G

Cuban only bought one item for the Dallas Mavericks party. Just a bottle of champagne. The nice guy he is, he even tipped 22%. The champagne bottle cost 90K and the tip was 20K. You wonder why Dirk looked tipsy in all those pictures posted.? Kid was sipping by the thousands.

Dirk vs Bird: I'll put this to rest!

Ok, before I even start I'm not saying Dirk Daddy is better than Larry Legend... they played in two different eras of basketball, so it is tough to compare, however I'm going to state my case of why I would take the 7 foot German over Bird if we threw all the NBA greats into a draft today and started them out rookie year to their careers finished... I break them into 6 categories of basketball, SCORING, PASSING, DEFENSE, REBOUNDING, INTANGIBLES, DURABILITY

1. SCORING: For their careers, Bird 24.3 points per game, Dirk 23.0. Dirk however has already scored more points in his career, and you know he has another few great years left barring injury, which hurt Larry. *Also remember* In the 1980's the number of possessions per game was much quicker back then, which gave Bird the better opportunity to score.. ADVANTAGE: EVEN

2. PASSING: Bird hands down. Not even a question. However being a SF and having Hall of Famers McHale, Parrish, and DJ never hurt Bird while dishing the ball. Who has Dirk had for a true hall of famer.. Nash (before he was great), Kidd(after he was great)... Never had them all at once. ADVANTAGE: BIRD

3. DEFENSE: Bird is only 6'9" while Dirk is 7'0". Bird got the luxury of playing SF and being the "floater" on defense because Parrish and McHale were both great defenders. Bird usually played a slower, weaker player on defense which allowed him to roam around. Bird was not a good on ball defender by any means. Dirk usually gets stuck on a PF or sometimes the Center in which again he isn't a great defender, but he can defend both well. ADVANTAGE: DIRK

4. REBOUNDING: It's basically a wash. Bird being smaller makes me want to take him, however generally players were smaller when Bird played. ADVANTAGE: EVEN 5. INTANGIBLES: (i.e. mvp, playoffs, championship, etc): This is the most interesting category, Larry finished his brilliant career with 3 MVPs, 12 All Star Appearances, 3 Titles, 2 finals MVP. Dirk so far has 1 MVP, 10 All Star Appearances, 1 Title, 1 finals MVP. ADVANTAGE: BIRD (at the moment)

Now: Contrary to common belief, Dirk actually becomes a BETTER player when it counts as he scores almost 3 PPG more in the playoffs than his career regular season average, grabs about 2.5 rebounds more than normal and shoots FT even better when the game is on the line. Larry Legend is still good, but not materially different from the regular season. In terms of raising your game during the playoffs….ADVANTAGE: DIRK

6. DURABILITY: What separates great players from really great players is the ability to be a superstar for a really long time. When it's all said and done Dirk will probably reach the 30,000 point plateau. Boston Writer Bill Simmons explains here. Who else is on that list, KAJ, Malone, Jordan, Wilt, Kobe, Shaq. By that time Larry Bird will probably be outside the top 30 scorers of all time. ADVANTAGE: DIRK

Results: IF, big IF, Dirk Daddy remains healthy for a few more seasons, he will surpass Larry Bird as one of the best basketball players. The guy does not get enough credit at all... I'm not sure if it's because he is foreign or if its people are just so amped about the dunks and flash of the current NBA. (aka LeBron, Wade, Durant, Kobe)

"Cougar Bait" Steam Rolls "Dirty Burg"

Last Friday night, The defending champions "Cougar Bait" improved to 2 and 0 on the early season with a 40 to 18 win over "Dirty Burg" who now drops to 0 and 2. Playing without "center" (we say that word very loosely) Matt Hooper "Cougar Bait" called up Tim Burke from the NBA D League and he didn't disappoint with great on ball defense and stellar offensive numbers throughout the game. Captain Schleicher has named Burkey to the team for the remainder of the season. Dave Martin again shot the lights out from down town and continue his lock down defense on either Chris Brooks or Tommy McDermott, "Dirty Burg" two best offensive players. Brian Hill provided defensive energy all over the court, making big plays on both sides of the ball, while Dave Glassmen continued to lead the league in rebounds. ( I honestly believe he had 25, no lie) Mike "The Plumber" Maloney continued his offensive onslaught burying threes and moving constantly without the ball (LeBron takes notes, you don't need the ball in your hands to make plays) "Dirty Burg" was stopped all night by the veteran squad who played excellent man to man defense all night. Chris Brooks lead the way, even with a cold shooting night. McDermott used his mid range game very well connecting on jumpers all over the court, while Travis Jolly had a solid game in the post. "Dirty Burg" has the potential to be in the mix of things if they can get their season turned around in a hurry. They have the talent and a good set of role player, they just need to gel a bit more as a team. "Cougar Bait" continues to roll on all cylinders going forward, with the added extra motivation of falling in the Commissioners Week 1 Power Ranking to 4th, after winning the title and dismantling their week one opponent. Just out of respect... The defending champions of any league should not lose their number 1 power ranking until they lose... Cougar Bait doesn't plan on doing so.

Things may not get any easier for "Dirty Burg" as they square up against "No ID No Idea" on Thursday nights, while "Cougar Bait" takes on "Dump Em Out."

Pierce Just Killin' It at the World Series of Poker

This year is the first time Paul Pierce has participated in the World Series of Poker. The face of the Celtics looked smooth as ever rocking his shades and a hoodie. This is what I love about the Celtics. They just love life. They don't need to be the center of attention everywhere they go, Pierce is just chilling at the poker table trying to win some money he doesn't need. The season is over, but he's just starving for some competition. I hope he crushes that goon Chris Moneymaker.

The Commish's NCAA Hoop Extremely Early Team Rankings

Kentucky brings in the #1 Recruit Class

Here's my rankings for the top 10 in college basketball next year:

1. Kentucky- Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb is what puts this class at number one. In the incoming freshmen class they have is absolutely monstrous and I'll go as far as saying there's a good chance it's better than the John Wall class. Anthony Davis is the best big man coming in, and one can argue the top overall recruit. He can literally do everything on the court. Michael Gilchrist has the best motor I've seen from a high school kid. He is tenacious on the boards and on defense. They bring in top point guard prospect Marquis Teague who is extremely explosive and will be great in the dribble drive. They also bring in another big man, McDonald's All American Kyle Wiltjer. I think this will be the best defensive team in the nation, and an elite team on offense. It may take a couple games to figure some things out, but they will be unbelievable.

2. North Carolina- The decisions of Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Tyler Zeller changed UNC from a transition year to a title favorite. Barnes is All American talent with Player of the Year capabilities, while Henson and Zeller will make the most experienced back court in the nation. they are also bringing in top flight big man James McAdoo who will do great things around the rim.


3.Ohio State- With Jared Sullinger returning, I just don't see him accepting anything other than a Final Four appearance and chance for the championship. Sullinger dominated the paint as a freshmen and will only improve this year. With Aaron Craft and William Buford back also this team has plenty of veteran leadership. for young blood they are bringing in a solid five man class class that includes 4 guys in the top 80.

4. Duke- My Dukies lost Kyrie Irving, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith, but bring in the top prospect Austin Rivers. Accompanying him is Singler clone in Alex Murphy. They bring in swing man Michael Genjie, Oak Hill Point Guard Quinn Cook, and the third Plumlee brother 7 footer Marshall. Duke still has two returing Plumlee's Miles and Mason, role player Ryan Kelley, and skill guys Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins. duke will have the best front court in the nation.

5. UConn- the defending champs lose Kemba Walker, but bring in the number nine Point Guard Ryan Boartright, and got the commitment of the most dragged out recruitment in DeAndre Daniels. with Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriakhi, and Shabazz Napier returning UConn will be an elite team once again.

6. Syracuse-Hopefully 7 footer Fab Melo can become strong down low. Last year he lacked conditioning and minutes which is sad for the former hyped big man. They add sharp shooter
Michael Carter Williams and big man Rakeem Christmas, who will both be instant impact players. they also return Kris Joseph and my favorite Big East player Scoop Jardine. Both are strong players that will carry this Syrause team.

7. Louisville- This team will be loaded with veteran experience, which is one of the most underrated things in college basketball. All they lose is Preston Knowles from this team, and as long as their players improve under talented coach Rick Pitino, they will be a monstrous team.

8. Vanderbilt- This team has always choked in the tourney but should be a great team next year. With Jeffrey Taylor and John Jenkins back, they should have some of the best wings in the nation. Add Festus Ezeli progressing the way he should, and this team will be in the top tier of the SEC.

9. Florida- The Gators lose Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyus, but have the most explosive back court in the natino returning. With fiery Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker returning the quick 3 point shooters will keep the Gators afloat. Plus the addition of possibly the best scoring freshmen, Brad Beal will be an instant  success in Bill Donovan's offense. This year I expect Patrick Young to come out of his shell and be a strong contributor from down low. This team is going to be fun to watch.

10. Memphis- I love Memphis coach Josh Pastner. He's a great guy overall and can recruit with the best for them. They already have play makers Will Barton and Wesley Witherspoon and Joe Jackson should go from contributor to All Conference caliber. The addition of high flying freshmen Adonis Thomas will push this team into the top ten. Memphis should be extremely athletic and well coached.

NBA Draft: Prospects That Are Steals In Their Draft Slot

Jeremy Tyler

These players I believe are steals in this year's NBA Draft at their current slot. I'm not saying these guys will be superstars, but you're going to get your moneys worth with these guys.

Josh Selby- Selby was Rivals #1 prospect in  high school in his class. Because of receiving improper benefits, Selby was suspended for like 9 games or something. This gave him a slow start at Kansas. With Kansas' ultra balanced offense and depth from upperclassmen, he wasn't really given the opportunity to stand out and display his talents. I think Selby is a phenomenal defender and can be a play maker when the ball is in his hands. Most drafts don't even have him going in the first round, but I think Selby has star potential and will at worst be a great role player. Selby is projected as early to mid second round, but I think his talent and potential should put him near the 25 spot.

Kyle Singler- Singler is projected as late first early second round guy. I think he's a great quality player for that range. guys in those slots last year weer Daniel Orton, Lazar Hayward, Tibor Pleiss, Dexter Pittman, and Hassan Whiteside. Not too much production there. I see singler as a great Bench guy that is versatile on offense with his inside out game and defense with his height and long arms.

Jeremy Tyler- Tyler will forever be known as the kid that left high school early to play overseas. well that was a epic failure with his immaturity of not even being 18 showing. because of this a lot of teams are scared to take him, however I would love for the Celtics to grab this kid. Tyler has perennial NBA All Star potential. Tyler is 6'11 and had the longest wing span at the draft combine. With the right coaching and veteran leadership (KG lets no one slouch) I think he would be the biggest steal of the draft. Tyler is slotted as a middle second round guy, and if he did the usual route, he would have most likely been a top ten pick.

Tomorrow I will do The Commish's Favorites for the Draft

We Finally Got Another Writer!

The Commish is proud to introduce the third writer to the blog. Defending champ Nick Schleicher is the Cougar Bait captain and will be writing for the blog. He's basically just like LED except he is literate, will post more than once a year, and can write better than a fourth grader. Nick will be a great addition because he can cover his team's games which I obviously don't attend unless we play them. It's about time he got on the staff since he is by far the biggest commenter on the blog. We're going world wide!

NBA Draft: Prospects I don't Trust in Their Projected Slot

Two of these three make the list

With the NBA Draft this month, I'm going to cover it a lot. This article is prospectsthat I'm not sold on as players in the NBA:

1. Kemba Walker- It seems he will be a lock in the top ten and maybe a top five pick. I just don't see him being great. I compare him to a poor man's version of Ben Gordon. He should be able to score a decent amount (a best around 15 points a game during his peak), but I don't see him doing much as a defender in the NBA. Don't get me wrong, he's an incredible college player, but you think he will be able to separate himself from  a 6'6 guy compared to Butler's little minions.

2. Jimmer Freddette- Jimmer was probably my favorite non Duke player this year but him in the lottery I don't see as a good choice. Word as there's no way he gets by the Pacers at 15. This draft does suck and severely lacks scorers, so I guess that's why he will go that early. I see him as a JJ Reddick, a quality shooter off the bench that can give good spurts. He will struggle defensively and will run some point, but a top 15 pick? Not so much.

3. Chris Singleton- A lot of mocks have him right around the number ten pick. This really is a sign of the weakness in this draft. He's got great height 6'10 and has an inside out game, but he wasn't outstanding in any aspect in college. He played on a sub par team and was suppose to be be the go to guy but only averaged a mediocre 13 points and 6.8 rebounds. That's not a guy who I see being an instant impact (not necessarily starting right away but playing) on a team.

Tomorrow I will do a segment on guys who I think are a steal at their draft spot.

Yahoo Sports Straight Killin' Lebron

Yahoo has a column about the city of Cleveland laughing at Lebron James. there's a couple things I love about this article. One is the Lebron joke. “I asked LeBron for a dollar, he gave me 75 cents back. He doesn’t have a fourth quarter.” Just classic. I hope Cleveland wins every major sport this year if Boston/ Patriots don't. The next thing is Lebron's inability just say he lost, didn't bring his A game, and to not try to belittle the public because he was embarrassed in the NBA Finals. “At the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail – at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today,” James said. “They have the same personal problems they had today."

 Hey Lebron you wanna know why you'll never be Michael Jordan? It's because not only did the people love Jordan, but Jordan loved the people. It was a two way relationship. Also in the video Jordan talks about a teammate that wasn't there before himself. Would you ever see Lebron do that? No. Lebron just wants the fame and glory without anyone critiquing him. Jordan wanted people to critique him so he could prove them all wrong. Yeah he was cocky and sometimes arrogant, but it was in a completely different way from than Lebron.

Do You Really Think Dirk is a Top 20 Player Ever

At the end of the game the announcer (pretty sure it was Mark Breen) said Dirk is a Top 20 Player Ever. Now don't get me wrong he's a surefire Hall of Famer, but no way near Top 20. I think the reason he isn't is because he's an average defender and a very very good scorer. In no way is he an elite scorer (speaking in terms of all time). Here's a list of guys better than him off the top of my head.
1. Michael Jordan
2. Bill Russell
3.Larry Bird
4. Magic Johnson
5. Kareem Abdul Jabbarr
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Jerry West
8. Wilt Chamberlain
9. Kobe Bryant
10. Shaquille O'Neal
11. Karl Malone'
12. Tim Duncan
13. Scottie Pippen
14. Isiah Thomas
15. Elgin Baylor
16. Bob Cousy
17. George Mikan
18. John Stockton
19. Julius Erving (UMASS holler at your boy)
20. Oscar Robertson
21. Hakeem Olajuwon
22. Moses Malone

Now those 22 I think without a doubt are better than Dirk. Other guys that a believe are better, but some could debate would include: Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, Reggie Miller, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, John Havlicek, Clyde Drexler, and George Gervin.

There's also young guys that I think will most likely become better than dirk including: Lebron, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, and Derrick Rose.

Notes from Game 6 and Reason for the Downfall of the Heat

The Heat no longer know how to use Lebron James.

JJ Barea is silky smooth- He just finds open space so well and hits everything mid range and in.

The Mavericks offense sets up deep- They are handling the ball 35 feet away from the hoop, and I'm not talking about the last four minutes.

Dirk has a beautiful jumper.

If the Heat spent more time practicing free throws instead of speaking in microphones this game would have been very different.

How were the Heat struggling to score when Kidd was on Wade and Barea was on Lebron?

The NBA continuation rule is pathetic Chalmers took another step and then put up a lay up after the whistle in the fourth.

Bosh was the only Heat player with any sense of urgency on defense in the last minute and a half

I Don't Understand the Hype of Ryan Harrow Transferring to Kentucky

Yahoo Sports is making this big deal about former North Carolina St. Point Guard Ryan Harrow transferring to Kentucky. Harrow mentions that he contacted Derrick Rose and John Wall and this is what he said about it: “Their games are kind of like mine,” There's only one difference Ryan. They were each the best point guard in their class, and you were not even in the top five for your position.

Harrow started most of the year for the Wolfpack but didn't even average ten points a game. He said, "Calipari let me know he wanted me to be here, but he said I’ll have to work hard for everything I receive. Things aren’t just going to be handed to me. He didn’t promise me anything, but he said as long as I work hard and do what I’m capable of doing then I’ll be fine here.”

This is how I see it. there's a reason he didn't promise you anything. In the past four years, he's brought in the best point guard twice and the number two twice. I find it hard to believe that Cal doesn't bring in the best point guard for the 2013 season (Harrow has to sit out a year for transferring. So they way I see it, Harrow is giving up his starting job on a team on the rise to sit out a year and then be a back up to a top 5 at worst ten pick in that year's NBA Draft. I would love to be in this guy's head right now.

Lebron Should Spend More Time Practicing Jump Shots Instead of Being Wade's Side Kick

Lebron is just a joke now. Wade sounds like an idiot, no doubt about it, but at least he's playing good basketball. I guess it's karma for him though, making fun of Dirk being sick and gets injured himself. But Lebron, what are you doing? Snickering in the background like a eighth grade girl. Then he tells the reporters its about time he steps up. Bro it's the NBA Finals! You shouldn't be able to step your game up anymore. Do you only get ready after game 4? He's a clown, should probably hire a life coach ASAP.

Put Me in the Studio with Magic and Barry!

Last night I talked about what the Mavs must do to win, and I basically hit it right on the spot of what actually happened. I'll go through step by step what I said last night:

1. Tyson Chandler needs to own the boards while making noticeable but not huge contributions on offense.

This is the only must that is iffy. Chandler was definitely a presence in the paint even if his rebound stat line didn't show it. On offense he put up 13, which is a solid contribution for him.

2. Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, or Peja Stojakovic need to have a big shooting night, or all three need to do well.

Well I said only one of them had to have a big shooting night, but both Terry and Kidd shot extremely well from the trey zone as both shot 3-5.

3. Dirk needs to keep getting to the line for freebies (at least 8 ft attempts)
Again last night Dirk went 10-10 from the charity stripe. I believe this is essential because the line is his comfort zone and it helps him get in a groove.

4. J.J. Barea does not need to be dominant or tantalizing, but he needs to be effective at times.

Well we'll just say Barea was more than effective with his 17 points and 4-5 from three point range. Barea has been a pest the past two games and also dropped five dimes.

5. Lebron can score 20 points but needs to be limited to pull ups and cannot be effective around the rim.
 This was the biggest factor. Lebron settled for plenty of jumpers and I don't even know if he hit any of his shots that were outside of 10 feet. he was 8-19 shooting and 0-4 from the three point line. The most imporant stat is 1-2 from the free throw line. The Mavs obviously didn't let him bring it to the rack much because he barley got to the line.

I just absolutely crushed predicting this game. I'm expecting a call from Magic himself saying, "Jeff been reading the blog. Big Fan. Especially the Power Rankings, good job putting Cougar Bait where they belong. I see you're team is loaded at point but if you ever need an older guy to give you some minutes let me know. To get on track here, great job with the Mavericks evaluation of you ever wanna give this analyst gig a shot and be in the booth with me and Jon I can hook you up. I know a couple people in this business."

If anyone else tries to call me today get ready for my voice mail.

NBA Finals: Winner Takes It All Game

Tonight is game five of the series that is tied 2-2. I firmly believe tonight's winner is gonna have that trophy in the end. People can argue that the Celtics won a game five then lost both on the road to the Lakers last year, but they lost their starting center for Game 7 which they almost won anyways. Here's what the Mavs need to do to win.

1. Tyson Chandler needs to own the boards while making noticeable but not huge contributions on offense.
2. Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, or Peja Stojakovic need to have a big shooting night, or all three need to do well.
3. Dirk needs to keep getting to the line for freebies (at least 8 ft attempts)
4. J.J. Barea does not need to be dominant or tantalizing, but he needs to be effective at times.
5. Lebron can score 20 points but needs to be limited to pull ups and cannot be effective around the rim.

If all ] of these things happen then there is no way the Mavs lose tonight.

Mother Nature Ruins a Monster Game

Due to the beautiful thunderstorm throughout Norton, the match up between the Super Villain Squad and the Tune Squad has been postponed. This was a match up between the two tallest teams in the league. The Super Villain squad has an average height of about 6'2 (closer to 6'4 if you take out Derek Dufresne) while the Tune Squad averages a monstrous 6'4. Word is this game and Nos. 1&2 of the Power Rankings of Thumbs Up and No ID No Idea will be played Wednesday.

Charles Barkley and I See Eye to Eye

While I was reading Ball Don't Lie today, I stumbled upon an article about Barkley not being able to root for the Heat. Barkley has never been shy about his feelings toward the Heat and proves it once again. The post is solid, and Barkley is not only the voice of all Bostonians but the voice of every person that doesn't live in Miami. From the "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" special to calling themselves the Heatles, you just have to hate these arrogant millionaires. I give Wade some credit because he didn't leave his own team and has been accomplished before they got there by having his own ring.

When Barkley was asked about the Heat these are some of the things he said:

"It's something about that team that annoys me.
"They just a whiny bunch and I can't root for them."

The best part in my opinion was when he called out the city of Miami and basically said their fans suck, have no spirit, and are basically just bandwagon fans who give golf claps for windmill dunks.

"Yeah, they have the worst fans. No question. It's not even loud in there. You're at the game and you are like, 'Man this place isn't even loud.' At least when you go to Chicago, it's loud in there, it's crazy down in Dallas but it's not even loud in Miami."

Now the Celtics Really Need a Center

Lucas Nogueira

According to the twitter of Hoops Hype: Got confirmation that Russian reports are true and Nenad Krstic is indeed joining CSKA Moscow.

With Krstic leaving the Celtics, they are in dire need of some big guy presence. Now we need to add at least two big men this off season. Now I think 7 footer Lucas Nogueira from Brazil is added to our big men list of foreigners that I mentioned Tuesday. Nogueira is a lesser rated big man and there is a good chance he would be available for us in our current slot in the draft. I compare him to a slightly better Semih Erden, and he's only 18 year's old. Maybe we should try to make a move for Kaman if the Clippers are looking to ship him.

Sixers Looking to Move Iguodala

ESPN has an interesting article talking about how the Sixers have had discussions in shopping play-maker Andre Iguodala. the first trade mentinoed is a Chris Kaman for Iguodala deal. I find that the Sixers must be asking for something else in the that trade because I don't see anywhere neat to equal value even if Kaman is healthy. If this happens I think the Clippers will be a team on the rise next year wit Eric Gordan, Iguodala, and dunk machine Blake Griffin. The other deal it mentioned was a Monta Ellis for Iguodala trade. I think that deal is very intriguing, and almost exactly equal in value.

Four Minutes of Why Lebron Will NEVER Be Michael Jordan

There will never be another Michael Jordan. Everyone remember that. To the kids that will only see him as a partial owner, I feel bad for you.

You wanna rock the baby on your break away dunk? Sure. You wanna do a put back dunk off of Pippen's foul shot? Sure. You wanna make Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing the poster boy for the next decade? Sure. You wanna stay in the air for four seconds while doing an up and under? Sure. You wanna get double teamed on an inbound play with three seconds left and still find a way to get open and hit the game winner? Sure. You wanna have the ball in your hands when the game's on the line and there's only enough time for one person to touch the ball? Sure. You wanna participate in the slam dunk contest because you actually enjoy competition? Sure. Do you wanna take your talents to South Beach? Hell No!

Gilbert Arenas is One Funny Dude

So Gilbert Arenas has been fined by the NBA for one of his twitter posts. I can't find it anywhere (rumored to be his offensive jokes about women), but this is what he says afterward:
"yes the nba has fined me....for being to awesome..so i can give you the shoes for FREE but gotta charge you for the jokes... i cant believe i got fined..how do i explain this to the lady at the bank...this is gonna take another 40mins... or i could just write a check and if theres a lockout just cancel the check it and maybe they will forget.....i think that will work.." then later goes on to say, "its okay it all evens it self out..i get fined from the nba........im stealing cable from my neighbors..so bam bam jackpot...hahaha". To top it off he later asks for someone to message him the NBA Twitter rules.

Agent Zero has just become one of my favorite basketball players! You'd think he'd have faster hands for all the posting he does on twitter. Nothing better than laughing in the face of Stern after he fines you and saying you're gonna cancel the check if its a lockout. The only athlete that rocks a better Twitter than this guy is former Florida safety Will Hill.

P.S. I wonder if this was the gun he brought into the locker room?

Stern Says Players and Owners "Very Far Apart"

This could be the worst year in sports history if no football or basketball is played due to lockouts. Rumor is the owners want the NBA to have a hard cap which is ridiculous. This means whatever the salary cap is, a team cannot go over it no exceptions. In the NBA now, teams can go over the cap as much as they want when resigning their own players. That's why many teams do sign and trades because the teams can't afford to sign guys when they're over the cap while players' original teams can. There are other exceptions also, but I don't really feel like going in depth right now because I gotta leave for work in two minutes. In both sports this is just billionaires fighting with millionaires and its pissing off all the blue collar people. From what it looks like the owners are not losing money right now, so why are they being such penny pinchers when they know there is no chance some of their demands will happen. The only owner demand I agree with is the NFL rookie contract structure because the rookie deals now for the first ten to twenty picks are ridiculous. In no way should Sam Bradford be making more money than 90% of the league before he even takes a snap in the NFL. With Stern saying that owners and players are "very far apart", it just makes every fan cringe.

Do I Just Not Watch TV Or Is This Commercial Brand New

I know I'm not the biggest tv buff and usually I'm just stuck on Law and Order SVU, Criminal Minds, or NCIS, but I was checking something out on YouTube and I stumbled across this Adidas shoe commercial with Derrick Rose. Now I'm not a big Adidas guy whatsoever especially hoops shoes. The only reason I have a couple pairs is because I got them for free when I worked for the UMASS football team. With that said, this commercial sort of makes my wanna get these. The shoes look pretty fresh, and I'm a total sucker for light shoes. For some reason I have this innate sense of mind that some day I'm gonna dunk. I'm close, but will probably never get there. I think the commercial is one of teh best basketball ones I've seen lately, but the real question is how does it compare with McDonalds Bird and Jordan Horse commercial?

Kobe Keeps Quiet After Brown Hiring

For one of the most talked about basketball players of his era, Bryant has not spoke about his opinion on the hiring of Mike Brown. Kobe went public that he wanted Lakers Assistant Coach Brian Shaw to be the descendant of Phil Jackson. From the looks of it, Kobe is frustrated by the organization and is just brushing it off for a later time. I don't think the Lakers should cater to everything Bryant says, but in a sport that has teams focused on such few players on a team and Bryant being the face of franchise, you would think the Lakers would at least keep Bryant somewhat involved in the process. It was evident that he was kept out in the dark during the whole process which just boggles my mind. I don't think every star player on a team should be in a coaching changes, but there are exceptions. I believe Bryant is one of them and probably the only one in the league right now. Other players of that stature would be Jordan, Bird, Magic, and others.

Lebron Chokes, Mavs Win

While everyone thought that Lebron was gaining that big game status through the playoffs, once the Finals started he took the back seat and deferred everything to Dwayne Wade. Lebron was a Ron Artest-esque 3-13 from the field including 0-3 from three. Wade kept being the leader he's been all series rifling 32 points while shooting 65% from the field. Dirk didn't have jaw dropping stats, but what people don't realize is he always finds a way to get around the double digits in freebies from the charity stripe. Last night he was 9-10 and he's basically Ray Allen at the stripe. Tyson Chandler is doing great on the boards with 16 last night for a 13 and 16 double double. His presence is what took the Mavs from a playoff team to a championship team. Jason Terry gave a solid 17 which is what he needs to do to keep them contending, but the better part was that the 6'2 guard shut down the 6'8 ultra explosive Lebron in the fourth quarter. That's just unacceptable for the so called "king". I hope the Mavs pull it out, and if Lebron can't find some Showtime in him I think Dirk and his crew will take the ship.

Ray Allen Exercises Option, Another Year of Trey City

Everyone new this was going to happen but at least it's official now. The Celtics have Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen for another year while Pierce is still locked up for three. All they need now is some big man presence through the draft or free agency. I'm all for trying to trade into the teens in the draft and attempting to get one of the foreigner big men that drop(Donatas Motiejunas or Bismack Biyombo). We also need some more depth on the bench. If we don't trade up, possibly picks I could see would be Dukies Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, Tyler Honeycutt, or Marshon Brooks.

College Coaches in Trouble

Yahoo Sports had an interesting column on Coaches on the Hot Seat. I thought the column was pretty interesting and wanted to voice my opinion on some of them:

Tom Crean- Anyone that is calling for him to be gone at Indiana is crazy. The guy was basically dealt a seven two off suit in Hold'Em which is why he's struggled. But the incoming freshmen class and next years class are gonna do some damage and get them back to the dance. If he struggles for the next to years, yeah give him the axe, but truthfully I don't think there's much to worry about here.

Rick Stansbury- The Mississippi State coach is frowned upon some by keeping Renardo Sidney on the team, but who really knows what went on beyond closed doors. With Sidney and incoming five star Rodney hood, Miss State should be an upper tier team in the SEC behind Kentucky and Florida. I think they will get in the dance with ease and Stansbury should be comfortable.

Derek Kellogg- The last coach I'm going to mention represents the stomping grounds of the Commish. Personally I love Coach Kellogg. I've played pick up with him numerous times in the Rec Center and overall, he's just a great guy. He's also tried an unbelievable amount to get the students involved, but the best way to get the students in the seats is to play some big teams and win some games. The sad part is UMASS has struggled since Kellogg has arrived. Two years ago he brought in one of the bests recruit classes in the Atlantic 10 but hasn't gotten much out of it. With that coup now Juniors, this is a make or break year for Kellogg. The biggest question marks are will Terrell Vinson ever live up to his high school hype, and will now eligible transfer Chaz Williams finally give UMASS the Point Guard presence it desperately needs? I hope UMASS goes undefeated and Kellogg gets an extension, but if it doesn't work out for Kellogg I say bring in Bruce Pearl. UMASS has become non existent since Calipari left and Bruce has the capability to get the media and future recruits' attention.