Stories Since the Lockout: NBA Players Highlight Summer Pro-Am Leagues

This summer's basketball Pro-Amateur leagues have erupted with NBA talent due to the lockout. There has been a myriad of young players trying to prove themselves (Greivis Vasquez, Josh Selby, Nick Young, and Donte Greene), league veterans (Steve Blake, Ron Artest, Shannon Brown, and Joe Smith), guys with super star potential (Brandon Jennings, Demarcus Cousins, James Hardin, DeMar DeRozan, and John Wall), and some super stars themselves like Kobe, Lebron, and Kevin Durant. The summer season has had several highlights like Durant scoring 66 in a game, Kobe scoring 43 and hitting a game winner buzzer beating, and Durant and Harden who are teammates jawing off at each other in the championship game. With the lockout happening, maybe they should make their own winter league. This summer basketball stuff just shows which guys truly love playing basketball. Look at the facilities. This isn't Madison Square Garden. It's Rucker Park, some crappy indoor facility, and all some other courts that suck. Just pure love of the game.

Stories Since the Lockout- Another Reason Lebron Could Never Even Be Kobe

Due to the lockout, the Lakers have laid off over 20 employees already and don't plan to rehire any of them until after the lockout. Because of this, Kobe Bryant has given his playoff bonus to the two video coordinators for the Lakers that have been laid off. It's a total of $65,000. I know what people are thinking. 65 grand is nothing for a guy like Kobe. Yes that is correct, but how many other guys have you heard of doing this? On another good note, Luke Walton has reportedly given a sum of money to the training staff that has been laid off also. Lebron probably has the laid off Heat staff working as his butlers for minimum wage.

Stories Since the Lockout: Calipari Welcomes Kentucky Alumni Back

John Calipari is one of the smartest coaches and recruiters in all sports. With the lockout in place, Calipari has welcomed all former Kentucky players to use the Lexington facilities during the lockout. Some of these players have even decided to take some classes to get closer to their degree. These players include John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Rajon Rondo. Now just think about recruits coming in to visit Kentucky. Calipari gives them a tour of the school and ends it at teh practice facility and says, "have you met John Wall or Rajon Rodon? They'll be here as long as the lock out lasts, and if it lasts over a season, they could be practicing against you." Talk about being star struck on a recruiting visit.

Just this year alone players like Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Michael Gilchrist, and Anthony DAvis will be practicing against NBA first round picks and All Stars if the lockout continues. The guys they'll be practicing against will be better than the guys the play in games. That's how you improve a team.

He also had an alumni game at Rupp Arena against the National Dominican Republic team that he is coaching. Players included young gunners John Wall and Demarcus Cousins, former NBA All Stars Rajon Rondo and Tayshaun Prince, and NBA role players such as Ketih Bogans and Nazr Mohammed. All past Wildcats loved playing in the game and hope they can do it again sometime soon.

Stories Since the Lockout: NBA Players Trying Out New Professions

Since some have predicted the NBA Lockout to last longer than next year's entire season, some players have already taken their talents somewhere else.

Brandon Jennings is working as an intern at Under Armour. With Under Armour Jennings has been working with the sports marketing department focusing on shoes. It's a pretty sweet gig for him since Kevin Plank, Under Armour CEO and founder, got Jennings a condo in Baltimore, lets him use his jeep, and gives Jennings access to their beautiful 10,000 square foot workout facility. To top it off, his position title is "Curator of Cool".

On the other side of the spectrum Delonte West is looking for more of a blue collared job. Due to a court order, Delonte can't leave the country to play basketball overseas. Because of this, he's applied to take his talents to Home Depot. Delonte has been diagnosed with a serious case of being  bipolar and that could play a part in him helping you carry your new shrubs to your car. I guess it would gice that particular Home Depot an increase in customers just to see Delonte there also. He's no Ray Allen or Kobe but people would still think it's cool to see him at Home Depot. Maybe Lebron's mom will now be  a frequent customer there.

Ron Artest has been doing some stand up comedy since the lockout. He actually had good reviews from his show at Caroline's in New York City and also had another showing at the Brea Improv Comedy Club in California. The LA Times had some videos here's one below. You're a therapist? I love therapists.

Ten Basketball Stories Since the Lockout

In honor of billionaires fights with millionaires, I'm going to do ten interesting basketball stories since the lockout has started. I'll do one a day for the next ten days with some days having multiple stories about a specific topic.

NSHL MVP

This award also came down to the final vote. This kid is the ultimate scorer and catapulted No ID No Idea to an undefeated regular season. Malik Little is virtually unstoppable when he gets on fire. He has a stroke from any range, shows a step back that can't be stopped, works the transition game extremely well, and gets some cookies when nobody is paying attention. He single handedly took down Super Villain Squad in the regular season with over twenty points in a single game. The runner up was league Champion and smooth shooter Dan Hopewell.

NSHL Offensive Player of the Year

This kid has been an iconic piece to Thumbs Up and there is no one the Commish would rather go to war with. Doug Schlehuber did not have quite the year he hoped for, but still was a force on offense. When he gets in the lane he's almost impossible to control, and to top it off his vision while driving is pin point. Doug also has top tier trey range and is just non stop on the offensive. Doug was last year's Conference Player of the Year and has a good shot to keep the awards rolling for years on.

NSHL Defensive Player of the Year

The awards have been late to go up becaues the Commish has had some important business matters to take care of, but today all of the awards will be announced. The Defensive Player of the Year Award came down to the very last vote. I'm proud to announce that the award goes to No ID No Idea's Joey Wilkes. Joey's a versatile athletic defender that can match up with basically anyone. Joey is a ball hawk on defense misdirecting balls constantly. He's a cookies machine picking pockets and throwing down.

Anyone Interested in Getting All Star Tank Tops

Guys I'd like to make some All Star Tanks, but due to the league having no money each person would have to buy their own. The cost would be $16 a tank. It's not that bad of a price for a tank that I think looks pretty ill. This is what they'd look like. Let me know what you think. Hopefully in years to come we can make some more custom apparel and have people wearing our stuff around town. The only catch is I need at least ten people to be in. The site I'm using lowers the price depending on how many shirts.

   

NSHL All Star Was a Good Time

The season had some bumps in the road with weather and some teams lack of flexibility for make up games, but the All Star Game was a nice way to cap it off. Seven guys from each side were able to attend. for the East side there was Joey Wilkes, Malik Little, Eddie Hannon, Phil Rizzo, Dan Nagle, Royal Healy, and the Commish. The West side was Jordan Weygand, Chad Earls, Tim Laconte, Charlie Beatrice, Dylan Carter, Kurt O'Sullivan and Chris Brooks. It was a good relaxed setting with actually a great game to go along with it. The score was 20-19 at half and ended with the East winning 40-37. I wanna say thanks to Mehdi Ahmadi for manning the grill and helping with the cooler. In years to come I hope the league can evolve more with the All Star Game having some more events like maybe a thee point contest, horse competition, and/or a dunk contest. I took a couple videos and made a Youtube Channel for the league. There's a link to the channel on the right side bar. Here's two of them right below.

Western Side All Stars

The All Star Game was great last night, but I'll post about that latter. Here's the Western side from the All Star Game:

Chad Earls- Chad is one of the top defensive players in the league. He's redirecting shots every game, and has a great inside out game on offense.
Charlie Beatrice- Charlie controls the blocks on offense with strong put backs and is always all over teh boards.
Chris Brooks- Brooks for two years in a row, has put the Dirty Burg on is back. If they don't recruit some better players, they could be saying good bye to him.
Dan Hopewell- The Silent Assassin this year AKA Death Stroke was Dan Hopewell. Dan is one of if not the best shooter in the league. He hit dagger after dagger in the championship game Thursday.
Dave Glassman- The big bodied rebounder is the perfect addition to any team. He understands what needs to be done and uses his talents to perfectly match that.
Dave Martin- Dave is Mr. Do it All. He moves without the ball, finds anyone who's open, plays great defense, and can shoot from anywhere.
Dylan Carter- Dylan has a great long range game to go along with a strong transition game.
Jared Lang- The big enforcer is a mismatch nightmare. He's a raging bull with the ball and no one wants to get in his way.
Jordan Weygand- The hometown hero has missed a beat since he's been back. Jordan had no rust in yesterday's game.
Kurt O'Sullivan- The heart of the NSHL Kurt just brings a smile to everyone in the league. The general on the court, Kurt makes everyone better on the court. He is the best shooter who never shoots.
Matt Hooper- The lengthy shooter is a key component to Cougar Bait. He also can cover anyone at defense with his size and semi athleticism.
Tim Laconte- Tim sets the pace for Super Villain Squad's offense and has been a lockdown perimeter defender.

The Super Villain Squad Takes Home the Ship

Last night was an epic battle between thunder and lightning. it was a seesaw match the entire second half as the Super Villain Squad pounded the rock inside while Thumbs Up would bounce back on fast breaks and with three pointers. Thumbs Up had the lead at 37-36 but couldn't score again losing 40-37. The Super Villain Squad had some big threes by Dan Hopewell along with Tim Laconte, but there was just no answer for Jared Lang and Lex Luthor. That was the type of basketball that this league's  all about. Just pure basketball at its finest. We look forward to a revamped year 3 with some new teams.

Eastern Side All Stars

The league has been split to two sides for the All Star Game that takes place tomorrow at 6. Here's the ten warriors who were voted in:

Dan Nagle- Dan was the facilitator for Thumbs Up. He ran the point and was a shar shooter from beyond the arc.
Doug Schlehuber- Dougie Fresh is one of the most complete players on offense. He can literally do it all. Dougie is a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year.
Eddie Hannon- Eddie was a great match up for No ID No IDea. He has a great inside out game on offense and can match up with anyone on defense.
Jeff Moore- The Commish is just honored to be playing amongst the people. Most of the 15 readers we have probably think I rigged the voting. Maybe I did, Maybe I didn't.
Joey Wilkes- Joey is a premier defender in the NSHL. He also is one of the best transition players in the league.
Malik Little- Malik is an offensive animal. His deep three game and step back are amongst the best in the league.
Pat Hannon- It's great to see the brother dynamic in the All Star game. Pat the elder enforcer is just a monster in the paint. You can't move. He gets boards by the dozens.
Phil Rizzo- Phil is a big presence for No ID No Iea. The 6'4 swing man is great in transition and swats shots all day
Royal Healy- The 6'4 behemoth was the only bright spot for Kung Fu Panda. Royal lead them to victory in their only win this year against the Dirty Burg.
Steve Burrill- Steve is probably the best pure shooter in the league. He can just stroke it from anywhere.

The West team will be unveiled tonight after the championship game

1st Annual All Star Game is Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be the first annual Norton Summer Hoops League All Star Game. The league has been split into two sides and will play each other while a cookout is going on at the same time. It's for a relaxed atmosphere and a celebration of the second season in the NSHL. Later today the teams will be announced along with individual awards.

The Time Has Come: Championship Thursday

Tonight is the same match up from Week 2 when the Super Villain Squad took control in the second half. Tonight should be an intense game with clashing styles of play on each side. The super Villain Squad uses its monstrous height to pound the rock inside and play tough man to man defense, while Thumbs Up is a fast break driven team that uses the three ball to generate their offense. Either way at the end of the night, only one team comes out the victor.

No ID No Idea Gets Carded on a Tuesday Night

Tuesday was a world class upset as Thumbs Up took down No ID No Idea 40-35 in the Semi Finals game. Dan Nagle, Steve Burill, and Doug Schlehuber just drilled trifecta after trifecta to give Thumbs Up a hefty lead early. No ID No Idea had star player Joey Wilkes arrive late, but it was a little too late. This eliminates the undefeated top dogs who seemed destined for the title. tonight Thumbs Up will play the Super Villain Squad for the league title.

Only Two Speed Bumps Left for First Perfect Season

No ID No Idea is on pace to have a historical season for the NSHL. After completing the regular season undefeated, they are only two games away from perfection. With All Star Selections on their way, No ID No Idea should have plenty of names on the list. They've been led by juggernaut Malik Little on offense, lock down defender Joey Wilkes on defense, and quality play on both sides of the ball by the Hannon Brothers Pat and Eddie. The next block in the road is standing in front of them with their Thumbs Up.

Semi Finals Week!

This week commences the Semi Finals of the NSHL. We have to great match ups with tomorrow's game of undefeated No ID No Idea versus the Commish's very own Thumbs up. This should be an interesting match since last time Thumbs Up went to war with only four guys. The other Semi Final game will be a reoccurrence of last year's match up with the Super Villain Squad against Dump Em  Out.

NSHL Welcomes Back Jordan Weygand

There is no offseason

Jordan has just recently finished his tour of Afghanistan and will be having his season debut in the playoffs today. The former First Team All Star has been sorely missed not just by his team Dump Em Out but by the entire community. Everyone is happy to have him back and safe and appreciates his dedication to this country.

Playoff Time

Due to site maintenance, the blog has not been updated in quite some time. To summarize in short a lot of teams never made up some of their make up games so they were seen as forfeits. We started the playoffs Thursday night where Thumbs Up defeated Kung Fu Panda 40-22. Today is an intriguing match up of reigning champion Cougar Bait against Dump Em Out. Hometown Hero Jordan Weygand returns from his tour of Afghanistan and will be the X factor in this game.

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.