The Football Fan Spot

1. New York Yankees

The good: Offseason assisted robberies of Javier Vazquez and Curtis Granderson from the Braves and Tigers respectively add new talent to last year’s World Series team.

The bad: Every one in the league is going to be gunning for them. There’s a reason no one has repeated since the Yankees of the late 90’s and most of the players from those teams are no longer on this roster.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

The good: The entire core, with the exception of a few players, from their ’08 championship team is still in tact, as is most of the core from last season’s runner up team.

The bad: Cliff Lee is gone. I know they get Roy Halladay in exchange for him, but if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Lee was the only pitcher that they had that beat the Yankees last year in the World Series and he did it twice.

3. Boston Red Sox

The good: Possibly the best rotation in baseball with Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, a maturing Clay Buchholz and hopefully Dice-K Matsuzaka, whose 2009 was lost do to injuries.

The bad: Many of their hitters are over 30 and injury prone and Victor Martinez behind the plate has one of the worst arms in baseball.

4. St. Louis Cardinals

The good: Matt Holliday protecting Albert Pujols gives them the best 3-4 lineup punch in the bigs and the pitching is always good no matter what. Two of the top 3 in 2009 NL Cy Young voting last season should make sure that they don’t have to struggle to find good pitching either.

The bad: Besides the middle of their order, their lineup doesn’t match up with the 3 teams above them on this list and maybe even a few of the teams below them on this list.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers

The good: Their offense was so much better last season with Manny in the lineup and assuming he doesn’t try to impregnate himself again, they should have him for 150 games. Since he came to town in ’08, the Dodgers have made the CS twice.

The bad: An offseason plagued by martial disputes between Owner Frank McCourt and his ex-wife and CEO Jamie made any offseason additions tough. Losing Randy Wolf and Orlando Hudson hurts. They only really started making signings recently when they brought back Eric “Gag Me” Gagne on a minor league deal, but it could be too little too late in a competitive NL West.

6. Los Angeles Angels

The good: They win this division every single year. They always find some way to get the job done, while the teams below them in the division are known for their awful luck.

The bad: No team has been hurt more by free agency in the past 2 years than this team. After losing both Mark Teixiera and Francisco Rodriguez in 2008, they lost Chone Figgens, the energy of their lineup, Vladimir Guerrero, the former face of the franchise, and John Lackey, their ace, this offseason. It doesn’t help that the first two guys I mentioned went to division rivals while Lackey went to the one team they always seem to face in the playoffs.

7. Seattle Mariners

The good: The best 1-2 pitcher combo in the league with Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee add to a team that appeared to be on the verge of good things last season.

The bad: Every time they are on the verge of good things, they suck. King Felix has a history of injuries issues and their lineup overall lacks pop.

8. Minnesota Twins

The good: They return most of the core from their 2009 playoff team and get slugger Justin Morneau back from injury. Francisco Liriano should be better this year than last as that Tommy John surgery moves farther and farther into his past.

The bad: The team, overall, looks like a .500 team talent wise. I know that’s always the case, but you have to figure eventually once, they might not overachieve.

9. Chicago Cubs

The good: The talent is there and if they stay healthy and out of fights with each other, they have the talent to do good things. With Milton Bradley gone, they almost have the exact same core as their 2008 playoff team. Say what you want about Carlos Silva, who they got for Bradley in a trade, he isn’t going to cause any problems in the clubhouse. Just as long as they don’t let him on the field.

The bad: They haven’t won for 102 years. Why would this year be any different? Something always goes wrong.

10. New York Mets

The good: Getting David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Johan Santana back from injury helps, as does the addition of Jason Bay. After all, they can’t have worse luck than they did last season.

The bad: Or can they?

11. Tampa Bay Rays

The good: Teams who have a sophomore slump often do better things the next season. Their young bats are still the same for the most part as they were in ’08 when they made the series.

The bad: The difference between 2008 and 2009 was not necessarily a sophomore slump. Their bullpen just went from great to awful. They didn’t fix their ‘pen that much this offseason so its hard to predict better things from it.

12. Texas Rangers

The good: This is a 95 win team if you combine their 2008 offense with their 2009 pitching.

The bad: Their pitching staff overall lacks proven guys and the bullpen isn’t much better. I could see them struggling in the deep summer in Arlington when the ball is flying.

13. San Francisco Giants

The good: If Matt Cain continues what he did in 2009 and Jonathan Sanchez builds on his late season success and finally fulfills his potential, their rotation is going to be the best in the NL.

The bad: They did the best they could adding Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa to their lineup, but I don’t think it’s enough for them to improve what was a very subpar offense in 2009, at least not enough.

14. Colorado Rockies

The good: They always seem to surprise. Last season they started off awful and made it to October. A few years ago they made the World Series when no one gave them a shot.

The bad: This team has sophomore slump written all over it. Jim Tracy cannot continue to have this success. It just doesn’t make sense. Their pitching staff lacks an ace and could struggle after losing Jason Marquis to free agency.

15. Florida Marlins

The good: They have young talent up to their eyeballs once again and are always in position to make a surprise run.

The bad: They lack any veteran leadership. Very few of their players have even made the playoffs and I can’t see them stacking up well head-to-head against some of the NL’s powerhouses.

16. Chicago White Sox

The good: A full season of Jake Peavy in that rotation is a good thing for a team that almost won the division last year.

The bad: The powerhouse that won the World Series is all but gone and replaced with a lot of new faces. The talent is there, but how will it all work together?

17. Arizona Diamondbacks

The good: Brandon Webb is back from injury, to go with Dan Haren and the recently acquired Edwin Jackson in what should be a very good rotation. Their offense has its moments too.

The bad: Their offense lacks consistency and strikes out way too much. Their defense was awful last season.

18. Cincinnati Reds

The good: After finishing 6 games under .500 last season, the Reds quietly had a good offseason adding guys like Aroldis Chapman to a mix of already good young talent and appear on the verge of being above .500.

The bad: Lack of veteran leadership, plus they been on the cusp of .500 for a while talent wise and have never gotten there.

19. Detroit Lions

The good: A good young pitching staff lead by Justin Verlander who is under contract for the future after signing an extension. Plus they have a few potential bounce back guys in their lineup.

The bad: Losing Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson hurts. They didn’t even make the playoffs last year and now they are without two of their best players. That is not good.

20. Atlanta Braves

The good: A bunch of talented young prospects almost ready for the show could add some new life to this team and mix with some of the young talent they already have up in the majors.

The bad: They seem to be unnecessarily rebuilding after trading their ace Javier Vazquez to the Yankees for 35 cents on the dollar.

21. Milwaukee Brewers

The good: That addition of Randy Wolf to their pitching staff and one of the best farm systems in the majors which is full of talent almost ready to be plucked.

The bad: Most of those prospects play positions already taken care of at the major league level. Their rotation is still thin and their bullpen could have issues bridging the gap to Trevor Hoffman.

22. Cleveland Indians

The good: A lot of young talent in a lineup that could have a nice bounce back year. With the exception of a few players, their lineup is the same one that 96 games in 2007 and was a sleeper pick of mine last year (oops).

The bad: The pitching staff  lacks an ace, and for that matter a good #2 starter, and the bullpen isn’t much better so while they have upside, their downside is very clear.

23. Houston Astros

The good: Two powerful bats in the middle of their lineup in Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee and one of the most interesting ballparks in the majors.

The bad: Their pitching staff is a joke after Roy Oswalt, who had his share of issues last year. Their offense has promise but is nowhere near as formidable as it once was. Even losing Miguel Tejada will hurt.

24. Baltimore Orioles

The good: A lot of good young talent coming in from the Miguel Tejada and Eric Bedard trades a few offseasons ago, both of which they won. Plus, Tejada is back as a free agent, adding a veteran leader to their offense and fixing a shortstop position that has been struggling to produce runs since Tejada was traded. He’s not his MVP self, but he’ll help.

The bad: They're not ready yet. They have a lot of promise, but they aren’t ready yet. They’ll climb out of the cellar, but they’re still looking up at the Yanks, Sox, and Rays.

25. Oakland Athletics

The good: The addition of two veteran guys atop their rotation who weren’t there last year, Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer, adds to a young pitching staff full of talent.

The bad: I’ve never even heard of most of those guys in their lineup. Plus, neither Sheets nor Justin Duchscherer threw a pitch last year so their talent is only upside based on what they done in the past.

26. Kansas City Royals

The good: A lot of young talent led by Zach Greinke, 2009 AL Cy Young award winner, has them on the cusp of good things.

The bad: We say the same thing about them every year and they still end up in last place.

27. Toronto Blue Jays

The good: Young talent from the Roy Halladay deals adds to a core of young talent that could surprise.

The bad: But most likely they won’t surprise until 2012. Losing your ace hurts. Halladay carried that team last year and I don’t see anyone in that pitching staff who can do that. Their offense also lacks major pop, so much so that they were considering bringing back Carlos Delgado. Barring a major turn around from Vernon Wells, they will also struggle to score runs.

28. Washington Nationals

The good: Intriguing offseason additions of Chien Ming Wang and Jason Marquis help their young pitching staff while Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn add some nice pop to the middle of their lineup. Stephen Strasburg should be ready by midseason and they have the upcoming #1 pick in the draft.

The bad: Pure lack of talent in uniform. Besides the guys I named previously, they don’t have enough talented guys to do much this year, as was the case last year.

29. San Diego Padres

The good: Adrian Gonzalez

The bad: Everything else

30. Pittsburgh Pirates

The good: As far as I can tell, there are no talented players on the roster that the team can trade for pennies on the dollar at the deadline.

The bad: They did that so much last year that the team lacks any talent whatsoever. 

Allen Iverson has certainly had an interesting season. He began the year in Memphis, ready to prove to people that he could handle a limited role with a struggling team, but was cut three games into the season after leaving the team for personal reasons and being really upset with his 22.3 MPG playing time. Iverson then announced his retirement at age 34, but returned less than a month later with the Philadelphia 76ers, u9s former team, who traded him away a few years ago after a ugly breakup between the team and its star player.

Since returning to Philadelphia, Iverson has been a shell of his former self averaging just 14.3 PPG (a career low), on 43% shooting, to go with just 3 RPG, and career lows in assists per game and steals per game, with 4.3 and 0.7 respectively. However, Iverson has kept his mouth shut because the 76ers are giving him 32.5 MPG.

Recently, in an interesting twist, Allen Iverson was named to the All-Star game, voted in as a starter by the fans, convincing some “experts” around the game to question whether or not fans should have as much say as they do, a proposition backed by Celtics multi time All-Star guard Ray Allen. On the issue, ESPN NBA analyst Chris Broussard said that the fans should not get as much of a say because it is not an exhibition because many times, contract negotiations are made on the basis of number of All Star Games played/started. He also added that All Star Game appearances, especially starts, are a huge part of a players Hall of Fame credentials. I have to disagree with his thoughts.

Yes, players can make more money in negotiations and it will boost your Hall of Fame credentials, and I’m certainly not going to argue that Iverson, in terms of value and statistics is having an All Star type year. However, I will argue that players making money and boosting their Hall of Fame credentials through All Star Game appearances is not a bad thing.

Basketball, like all professional sports, is a business first, though this is often forgotten. Allen Iverson was voted into the All Star Games because fans know his name. For that reason, he will also sell more tickets and jerseys and thus making his organization more money. Despite his down year, Iverson actually ranks 14th in the league in jersey sales. Why shouldn’t he command more money in a negotiation if he’s bringing guys to the arena and selling jerseys?

A player’s Hall of Fame credentials are based on a lot of things, but one of them is how popular they are, as it should continue to be. Yes, being a Hall of Famer is about more than popularity but a player’s Hall of Fame credentials are about more than how many All-Star games they have been voted into. Why shouldn’t your popularity among the fans be a part of your Hall of Fame credentials?

Lastly, I believe the fans should still continue have all the say in voting in the starters because the fans make the league go around. Without them, there would be no league, no sports, and I would have no job. Why not give them an opportunity to see their favorite players in the All-Star game. It’s how all major professional sports do it. Do you think Brett Favre made the Pro Bowl in 2008 because he had a great year, no, it fact he led the league in interceptions that year. He made it because he’s a huge name and a huge star and I see nothing wrong with that either, and strangely enough no one else did either (explain that one to me). Fans just like him just like they like Iverson. 

I wish I were seven feet tall. Seriously, I wouldn’t even need that much talent to be a NBA center if I were seven feet tall and people would pay me millions per year just for being tall. Former Orlando center Marcin Gortat is expected to sign a 5 year 34 million dollar contract with the Dallas Mavericks, assuming Orlando does not match that offer. If you are confused to how Marcin Gortat is, you’re not alone. Gortat has been in the league 2 years, has 3 career starts, and has averaged 3.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in his career. Gortat stepped up decently in the playoffs for the Eastern Conference Champion Magic, with 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Why is he making that much money? Look at him, he’s a 7 footer.

Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, you can count them on one hand. They are the only players in the NBA taller than 6-11 who are worth what they are being paid. The rest of them are overpaid because of their height. Yes, big men are huge parts of championship teams, but that is only if they are all-star caliber ones. If they aren’t, you’re better off going small than trying to turn a mediocre player into an all-star caliber one by throwing money at him. 

Look at Jerome James, 7-1, mediocre player, had one good postseason with the Sonics, got about 27 million over 5 years from Isiah Thomas, sat his fat ass on the Knicks’ bench for 5 years. Andrea Bargnani was drafted 1st overall in 2006 because he not just a 7 footer, but he was a skilled 7 footer, and NBA GM love that shit. He could shoot and dribble the basketball. Now, he’s been a career 12 points 4 rebounds guy who is too soft because, while he is seven feet tall, he doesn’t actually have any post game. Hasheem Thabeet was drafted 2nd overall this year because he’s not just 7 feet tall. He’s 7-3 and long. He’s a gifted shotblocker, but he’s also very weak for a big man and has no offensive game whatsoever. 

Teams are better off looking at centers who actually do what centers are supposedly to do, block shots, rebound, post up, rather than just looking at height. There are a bunch of 6-8, 6-9 guys in the NBA right now that do all those things well, or at least better than Marcin Gortat, that would be much better values. Look at Jason Maxiell, one of my favorite NBA players. He’s 6-7 on a good day, but he does what centers are supposed to do. 

The Pistons have made the biggest so called splash in free agency. Yesterday, they signed Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva for a combined 90 million over the next 5 years. That doesn't seem like a big splash to me, even in this weak free agency class. 

The Pistons have had their most success this decade playing great defense, without any superstars on offense. They had their patented DEEEETROIT BASKETBALL, with Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, and Tayshaun Prince all being above average for their position on defense, along with key defensive role players off the bench like Lindsey Hunter. Now look at them. They had an opportunity, after losing in the first round as the 8 seed, winning no playoff games, to have a huge offseason. They had the 15th pick in the NBA draft, and massive amounts of cap space due to the expiring contracts of Rasheed and Allen Iverson, Iverson's expiring contract being the only good thing to come out of Joe Dumars' questionable trade of Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets earlier this season. However, with the 15th pick, they took Austin Daye, and with their cap room they have signed Gordon and Villanueva. This makes it so their top 6 players going into next season, Daye, Gordon, Villanueva, Hamilton, Stuckey, and Prince, are all offensive first players, though Prince is an above average perimeter defender. 

Furthermore, their top 6 play similar positions. Gordon, Stuckey, and Hamilton create a logjam in the backcourt. Stuckey is the only one who resembles a point guard, but even he is not a true point guard. Both Gordon and Hamilton complained at times last season about coming off the bench, but since they play the same position, with similar score first mentalities, they aren't going to be able to be on the court at the same time. And of course, none of their guards can play defense against the Dwyane Wades, Gilbert Arenas, and Paul Pierces of the Eastern Conference. 

At forward they have Daye, Prince, and Villanueva. At 6-10 192, Daye makes Tayshaun Prince, a very skinny man, look like the hulk. Villanueva, while an excellent scorer, is not a good rebounder, not good on defense, doesn't hustle and is skinny at 6-11 230. Ideally, you only want one offensive minded, skinny forward who doesn't hustle. The Pistons have three. The “D” in Detroit is going to be very small next season.

As for center, they don't have much. They had Fabricio Oberto, but released him because apparently he plays defensive too well. Walter Hermann could play center, I guess, but he looks like he belongs in a hair product commercial. Jason Maxiell provides the defensive toughness that you would require out of a center, but he's 6-7 in shoes. There isn't much out there on the free agency market. Orlando backup center Marcin Gortat is the best pure center on the open market, but he has 3 career starts. Anderson Varejao can play center, but he's now out of their price range. Their best bet, free agency wise, is Antonio McDyess, who played for them last season. 

There have been reports that they are interested in New Orleans center Tyson Chandler, though most of those reports have them sending Prince to the Hornets. Chandler would bring them the interior toughness they need, but it would be at the cost of Prince, their best perimeter defender, and if Prince were gone, that would mean Daye would be forced into the starting lineup at small forward. You don't want a 192 pound rookie who looks like a cardboard cutout at small forward. The best idea would be to move Richard Hamilton, solving the logjam in the backcourt, for Chandler. Hamilton would fit in New Orleans, but his 4 year deal at 11 million per wouldn't fit into the Hornets' frugal attitude that has them shopping Chandler in the first place. Hamilton is going to be tough to move, especially for a center, since there are very few centers on the trade block right now. 

This isn't a good position to be in when you're looking for a new coach. Avery Johnson is the best coach on the market right now, but he's a defensive minded coach who isn't going to want any part of this mess. Bill Laimbeer, former Piston, looks like the most logical candidate, although he might be more valuable to the Pistons suiting up and playing center (I'm only partially kidding). 

In other free agent news, Ron Artest is going to the Lakers, taking a pay cut to do so, only 6 million a year over 3 years. The Lakers, once worried about losing Trevor Ariza, no longer care about Ariza, who is essentially a poor man's Artest. If Artest keeps his head on straight, he makes the defending champs that much better. It'll be interesting to see if Lamar Odom resigns with the Lakers as a 6th man. They don't have a ton of need for him now, but the Lakers are clearly his best shot at winning another ring. 

As for the Rockets, this is just another blow to their once hopeful franchise. After making the 2nd round for the first time in what seems like forever last season, they have lost Yao Ming to injury for the season, and possibly his career. There is no word on whether or not Tracy McGrady will ever play for them again as he battles injury after injury and now Artest, the last remaining member of their high potential big 3, is a Laker. They have a lot of good role players on their team, especially if the reports that Ariza will replace Artest in Houston are true. They have Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola, Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier, and Kyle Lowry, and all those role players are the reason that, with their big 3, they were so promising, but now, they just have role players and lack any star power.

LA Clippers

Pick: PF/C Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)

What a surprise! (soft claps, yawns) when does this thing get interesting?

Grade: A

Memphis

Pick: C Hasheem Thabeet (Memphis)

I wish I was 7 feet tall. You don’t even have to be all that talented and you get drafted higher and paid more than more talented players who are under 7 feet. There are probably 8 or 9 players more all around talented right now than Hasheem Thabeet in this draft class and a handful more with higher upside than him. He’s an amazing shot blocker, but he’s awful offensively. Jay Bilas says he needs to refine his offensive game. No, he doesn’t have one to refine. I still think the Dikembe Mutumbo comparisons are dead on and Thabeet will change games for you on the defensive end, but do you really want to use the 2nd pick on Dikembe Mutumbo when you’re the Grizzles and need so much more. The Grizzles could have gotten so much more value out of this pick if they had drafted Jordan Hill or better yet, traded down and then taken either Thabeet or Hill, while still getting an extra first rounder or two out of it.

Grade: D

Oklahoma City

Pick: SG/SF James Harden (Arizona State)

I don’t hate this pick. Harden has a really nice game, but he can be too timid to shoot and drive or score. He’s probably one of the few players I’ve ever seen who just does not like to score. He’s underselfish and while his athleticism and all around game give him the potential to be a Brandon Roy type player, he needs to become a lot more aggressive. The Thunder already have Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green who are score second type players. They need a 2nd go to guy after Durant. Harden could mature into that, but I don’t know if he will.

Grade: B

Sacramento

Pick: G Tyreke Evans (Memphis)

The Kings need a point guard. Evans is not a point guard. He played point guard in college, but he is not a point guard. He’s way too selfish and has no idea how to run an offense efficiently. Don’t get me wrong, I like Evans as a shooting guard, but he’s not a point guard. What makes things worse is that Ricky Rubio, one of the best point guard prospects in a long time, is still on the board.

Grade: F

Minnesota

Pick: PG Ricky Rubio (Spain)

I’m loving the pick. I suggested the Wolves package some of their 4 first rounders to trade up to #2 to get Ricky Rubio ahead of the Kings, but it turns out that the Kings are still being run with incompetence. Rubio is the perfect sidekick for Al Jefferson and a great piece to a young team. They still need a few things, a shooter, a shot blocker, and a slasher, but they have 5 more picks, 3 of them in the first round, so they could do a lot.

Grade: A

Minnesota

Pick: PG Jonny Flynn (Syracuse)

I’m sorry. I thought the Timberwolves just drafted Ricky Rubio a pick ago. I must have blacked out. Wait are you serious, they took point guards two picks in a row. Waiting for a trade to be announced, waiting, waiting, waiting, nothing? Wow.

Grade: F

Golden State

Pick: G Stephen Curry

I love Curry, but he is the absolute wrong fit for this team. They need size and defense and Curry doesn’t bring either of those. Now they have a back court consisting of Curry and Ellis, neither of whom can lead an offense or play defense. They can score in bunches, but that’s not going to be enough. The only reason I’m not completely ripping this pick is because of a rumor that Stephen Curry was drafted to be packaged in a deal with Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, and Marco Belinelli to the Suns for Amar’e Stoudemire. If that happens, this was absolutely the right move. Curry is the perfect fit for Phoenix.

Grade: B

New York

Pick: PF/C Jordan Hill

Knicks fans booed when Hill’s name was called. They won’t be booing him in a few years. Hill, in my opinion, is the 3rd best prospect in this draft class after Griffin and Rubio. He is extremely athletic, but he’s not a natural athlete. He’s a self made athlete with a great work ethic. He fits D’Antoni’s system perfectly and can fill the void at center after David Lee leaves as a free agent this offseason. He’s not well known, but think Chris Bosh. I’d rather have him than Curry if I were a Knicks fan.

Grade: A

Toronto

Pick: SG DeMar DeRozan (USC)

The pitch was lobbed over the plate, all the Raptors had to do was swing. Luckily for them they did. DeRozan was the perfect fit here. The Raptors need a shooting guard and the Raptors need a face of the franchise for after Chris Bosh leaves after next season. DeRozan plays shooting guard and he has more upside than any player in this draft and that includes Griffin. He needs a lot of work, but the Raptors are going to lose their franchise big man in a year so they needed to go for the homerun here.

Grade: A

Milwaukee

Pick: PG Brandon Jennings (Italy)

I’m not buying this whole, Jennings is a better player because he played a year in Italy and struggled with adversity. I don’t like Jennings. He seems like he thinks he’s above the game. He circumvents David Stern’s draft policy by skipping college to play overseas and then he doesn’t show up to the draft because he wasn’t given a guarantee in the top 10, only to crash the party midway through after he got picked at 10. To make things worse, Jennings is going to be coached by Scott Skiles, a no nonsense coach. I don’t think they’ll get along too well and this pick is going to be a bad one when you look back at it in a few years.

Grade: D

New Jersey

Pick: SG/SF Terence Williams (Louisville)

I wanted the Nets to take a Louisville kid, just not this one. Earl Clark would have fit better for the Nets who needed a do everything small forward. Williams is a natural shooting guard and I don’t get why the Nets would take a shooting guard when you just traded away your best pick for a package of players centered on Courtney Lee, a shooting guard. Williams is not a natural small forward. He is versatile, but if the Nets were looking for versatility, why not take Clark, who can play all 5 positions, and 3 of them really well.

Grade: C

Charlotte

Pick: SG/SF Gerald Henderson (Duke)

To be honest, I thought Michael Jordan and Larry Brown, who both went to UNC, would take UNC shooting guard Wayne Ellington over Henderson, because Henderson is Dukie. I apologize. Maybe Jordan and Brown aren’t as bad of drafters as I thought. Henderson fits what the Bobcats need most, a go to scorer. He’s not an all-star type player, but he’s very athletic and should be a solid 15 point per game guy. Good pick

Grade: A

Indiana

Pick: PF Tyler Hansbourgh (UNC)

I like Hansbourgh more than most scouts, but I don’t like him in Indiana. Indiana needed an athletic, defensive minded big. DeJuan Blair would have fit perfectly and Troy Murphy could have moved to center without Indiana having to worry about getting destroyed inside. Now, if they move Murphy to center, and put Hansbourgh at power forward, they are weak defensively inside. Hansbourgh isn’t going to beat out Murphy for too many minutes, so he’s not good to play all that much. It is true that he’ll make a huge difference in Indiana’s practices and work ethics, but they said the same thing about Joe Alexander when the Bucks took him last year despite having Richard Jefferson already. He may have changed their practices, but when you get down to it, those Bucks were the same crappy Bucks with Alexander as they were without him. The Pacers are going to be the same crappy Pacers next year as they were last year. Don’t listen to Dick Vitale go on and on about Tyler Hansbourgh as if Hansbourgh were his man love. Dick Vitale has probably never watched a minute of NBA basketball. Just because a player was good in college, does not mean they will translate to the NBA. I remember Vitale going on and on about JJ Redick and Adam Morrison back in 2006. Whoops!

Grade: C

Phoenix

Pick: F Earl Clark (Louisville)

I love Earl Clark as a player and I think the Suns got a huge steal with him here. He is that versatile athletic type player that they had with Boris Diaw before they traded him and fits really well with them. However, they needed to take a point guard here. Either they think that Nash will be back in 2010 or they think that Leandro Barbosa is the point guard of the future, either way they’re making a mistake by not taking a point guard like Ty Lawson, who would have fit the offense very well. Hopefully, for their sake, they can get Stephen Curry from Golden State. On another note, does David Stern just hate Phoenix or what. He suspended their star player, Amar’e Stoudemire, in the 2005 conference finals for 2 games because he stood up off the bench and stepped on the floor in reaction to a Spurs’ role player beating the shit out of Steve Nash. The Spurs role player got a 1 game suspension. Amar’e got 2. Steve Nash got a big gash on his face and the Spurs won the series. Now, during the Suns pick, Stern stops pretty much mid sentence to announce that Brandon Jennings, the prima donna who circumvented his one and done rule, had finally arrived after being 2 hours late.

Grade: B

Detroit

Pick: F Austin Daye (Gonzaga)

The Pistons need big men with Rasheed Wallace leaving as a free agent and Amir Johnson traded to Milwaukee. Daye weighs 192 pounds. He’s essentially a very poor version of Tayshaun Prince, who they already have. Why use the 15th pick on someone who is going to be a backup when you could fill a need? Some people think they this pick means that the Pistons will try to trade Tayshaun Prince. Bad idea. Daye is going to be an awful NBA player. The only one good thing scouts seem to be able to say about him that is truly good is that he’s long. If I had a nickel for every time Jay Bilas said that a player had great length, I’d be a rich man. You aren’t an NBA prospect if you don’t have great length, unless of course you’re Tyler Hansbourgh. I don’t see anything special about Daye. He’s also rail thin and makes poor decisions on the offensive end. He could be in Europe in a few years, and have to stay there if he wants to play basketball.

Grade: D

Chicago

Pick: F James Johnson (Wake Forest)

Again, I like James Johnson as a player, but I don’t like the pick. The Bulls need a back to the basket post up big who can open things up for their guards. Johnson, as a power forward, is a face up type of guy who can shoot from about 15-17 feet. I like him better as a small forward, but the Bulls already have Luol Deng and John Salmons at that position so Johnson will probably play power forward, where he doesn’t have as much value. I would have rather seen them trade down for BJ Mullens, even though I think Mullens could end up stinking, or trade this pick to the Clippers, along with Tim Thomas, for Chris Kaman.

Grade: C

Philadelphia

Pick: G Jrue Holliday (UCLA)

Well, they drafted the right position, just the wrong guy. The Sixers have a history of taking high upside kids in the post-Allen Iverson era and Holliday is no different. So far it has worked out. However, this is not a 50 loss team preparing for the future anymore. They are a playoff team that needs playoff pieces. Andre Miller is likely gone as a free agent this offseason. The Sixers need a point guard who could potentially start next year. Jrue Holliday averaged 8 point per game at UCLA last year. He is not an NBA starter right now. Ty Lawson would have been

Grade: D

Minnesota

Pick: PG Ty Lawson (North Carolina)

Are you kidding me?!?! Three point guards?!?! I think Jay Bilas said it perfectly, “they are going to pass really well next season.” No one is going to be able to score the basketball for them. I’m convince Minnesota didn’t actually hire a replacement for evin McHale, but just put it on espn fantasy football autodraft and had it take the best available player. The Timberwolves would later trade this pick to Denver for a future first rounder, but that doesn’t fix any of their holes. They haven’t taken a shooter to replace Mike Miller or a slasher to replace Randy Foye. This is going to be an awful team next year, especially if they can’t work out Ricky Rubio’s buyout. As for Ty Lawson, I love him as a player. I think he could have been a top ten pick this year. I hate to see him have to backup Chauncey Billups in Denver. One more aside, how do you think Sebastian Telfair was feeling when these draft results were coming in. “What the hell! They drafted 3 guys at my position in 3 picks! I didn’t even do that bad of a job last year!”

Grade: F

Atlanta

Pick: PG Jeff Teague

Again, right position, wrong player. The Hawks traded away Acie Law and Speedy Claxton, their only 2 true point guards under contract for next year, for Jamal Crawford, so they need a point guard in case Mike Bibby doesn’t resign. However, Jeff Teague is not quite ready to lead an NBA offense. Darren Collison would have been. It’s not as bad as taking Jrue Holliday over Ty Lawson, but it still wasn’t the right pick for a team that hopes to make the playoffs next year.

Grade: B

Utah

Pick: PG Eric Maynor (VCU)

Congratulations Utah, you just picked a player who will play 8 minutes a game for you. Seriously, was a backup for star player Deron Williams really so high on your wish list that you had to use the 20th pick on one? Its not like they don’t have other needs. Both Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap are free agents so they need a power forward. Andrei Kirilenko is your small forward so you need help there in case he gets hurt. An actual inside defender could have helped as well.

Grade: F

New Orleans

Pick: PG Darren Collison (UCLA)

Same guy who drafted for Utah must have drafted for New Orleans. Why make a decision with the 21st that only looks smart if Chris Paul gets hurt? “You all laughed at me when I took Collison, well who’s laughing now, Chris Paul is hurt, suck it…oh, wait.”

Grade: F

Portland

Pick: F Victor Claver (Spain)

Claver has potential lottery talent and is a solid pick for a team that doesn’t have a lot of needs now. However, did they really have to trade up 2 spots to get him? I can only hope that Kevin Pritchard was looking to take someone else here when he traded with the Mavs to get this pick or that he was looking to trade up further and could and not that he just had too many 2nd round picks that he had to give some to the Mavs to get rid of them.

Grade: B

Sacramento

Pick: SF Omri Casspi (Israel)

Nice job by the Kings of taking someone who has high potential, but isn’t NBA ready. Casspi is going to be NBA ready by the time this team is ready to possibly start contending for a playoff spot, which after their mess up at #4, could be in the year 2015. Or maybe Casspi just goes unheard from forever. Anyway, I like the high upside pick by the team that has nothing to lose.

Grade: B

Oklahoma City

Pick: C BJ Mullens (Ohio State)

Good job filling a position of need, but I don’t really like Mullens all that much. Still, it was slim pickings when it came to big men this year and Mullens has nice skills and good potential (he also has great length, but as I said before, that means nothing).

Grade: B

Dallas

Pick: G Rodrigue Beaubois (France)

I’m not going to insult the pick just because I’ve never heard of him. Fran Fraschilla said he is Leandro Barbosa esque, though that needs to be taken with a grain of salt because Fran Fraschilla has never said a bad thing about a foreign prospect in his life. I just don’t think adding a foreign player when you’re a team built to win now doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially one who could be very similar to a player you already have, Jason Terry. Sam Young would have made a lot of sense.

Grade: C

Chicago

Pick: PF/C Taj Gibson (USC)

Again, right position, wrong player. Chicago needs a back to the basket post scorer. Gibson is great and in my opinion very underrated. But he’s pretty much a clone of Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas. High hustle, good rebounder, good shot blocker, no offense game. They didn’t need more of the same. Jeff Pendergraph would have been a much better selection.

Grade: C

Memphis

Pick: F DeMarre Carroll (Missouri)

Memphis is so bad they can just take the best player available. However, there just isn’t anything that screams best available about DeMarre Carroll. Of course, I guess that’s why they are as bad as they are. Oh, and Carroll has liver disease. Stuart Scott was very reassuring when he said he “probably” wouldn’t need a live transplant for a couple of decades. Have fun with that one Grizzlies fans, if they are actually any of you out there.

Grade: D

Minnesota

Pick: SG Wayne Ellington (North Carolina)

I was waiting for them to take a 4th point guard and make Sebastian Telfair jump out a window. But they didn’t actually mess this one up. Ellington is the shooter they need, the shooter they hoped that Mike Miller would give them. Ellington is guy who thrives coming off of screens and without the ball. Good thing, because the Timberwolves appear determined to use a bunch of 2 and 3 point guard sets next season.

Grade: A

New York

Pick: G Toney Douglas (Florida State)

Chris Duhon is a free agent in 2010 and since he’s played well and wants a big contract, he’ll likely be gone, so the Knicks need a replacement for him. Toney Douglas and Chris Duhon are almost the exact same player, both of them are physical, athletic guards. If it wasn’t for the fact that they traded for Darko Milicic, I’d say they had a good draft day.

Grade: A

Cleveland

Pick: SG/SF Christian Eyenga (Congo)

Sam Young was the “lob throw over the middle” pick, but the Cavs still swung and missed. This team needs to win next year, otherwise there’s a good chance that LeBron James leaves as a free agent in 2010 and all of a sudden this team is god awful. I haven’t heard of Eyenga and for all I know he could be a future star, but it doesn’t matter. He’s not going to be ready next year. Sam Young could have helped this team, like actually helped them next year. They messed up the draft last year by taking a project player, JJ Hickson, and they did the same thing this year. They better hope the addition of Shaq is enough to turn this team into an NBA Champion, because otherwise this pick will be looked at as the pick where they ruined their franchise’s future.

Grade: Super F

The Oklahoma City Thunder did not have a great season in their first season in Oklahoma City, going 23-59. They have the 3rd pick in today’s NBA draft to try to make up for that and as is always the case, we are not quite sure what they’re planning to do. One of their biggest weaknesses last season was shot blocking, as they ranked 23rd in the NBA with 4.5 blocks per game. This is likely because they used Nenad Kristic as their center. What’s interesting about this is that the Thunder had to use Kristic, a true power forward, at center last season, even though the Thunder have drafted 3 centers in the first round since 2004, when they were still called the Seattle Supersonics. Let’s take a long at what happened.

2004

With the 12th pick in the 2004 NBA draft, the Seattle Supersonics select Robert Swift, center, Bakersfield High School

Fresh out of high school, Robert Swift had tremendous potential due to his size. However, he would never come anywhere near reaching his potential due to injuries to his knees, as a result of weight strain. Swift weighs about 270 and doesn’t have particularly strong knee muscles. He barely played in his first two years before getting hurt as a result of his youth and inexperience. Swift is still with the Sonics, now called Thunder, and played in 26 games last year, averaging 13.2 minutes per. In his NBA career, Swift has never averaged more than 6.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks per game.

2005

With the 25th pick in the 2005 NBA draft, the Seattle Supersonics select Johan Petro, center, France

Even though they already had Swift, they took Petro in 2005 as insurance. Petro started 41 games in his rookie year, but never would start that many games and he proved his future in the NBA was as a role player. He’s never averaged more than 6.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and .8 blocks in a season and before this season he was traded, along with a 2nd rounder, to Denver for Chucky Atkins and a 1st rounder. He averaged 8.0 minutes per game in Denver this year, playing 27 games.

2006

With the 10th pick in the 2006 NBA draft, the Seattle Supersonics select Mouhamed Saer Sene, center, Senegal

Not pleased with either Swift or Petro, the Sonics took Saer Sene, a 7 footer with a 7-8 wingspan, to help them block shots. However, he never adapted to the NBA game coming over from Senegal. He has never averaged more than 6 minutes per game in a single season. He has spent the majority of his time in the D-League, where he has become a bit of a perennial all-star. He was waived by the Sonics, now Thunder, this past February and picked up by the Knicks who use him as a 12th man.

The Thunder could take Hasheem Thabeet today in the NBA Draft in hopes of finally filling this need. Thabeet has one thing that the previous three guys listed do not have, NCAA experience. Thabeet has played 3 years at the University of Connecticut where he has become familiar with the American style of play and learned from one of the best, coach Jim Calhoun. Thabeet is also bigger than the previous three and a better, more refined shot blocker. Though I currently have the Thunder taking shooting guard James Harden with the 3rd pick in my latest mock, just because the Sonics/Thunder always seem to surprise people with their draft picks, Thabeet is certainly an option.

In other news, Shaq is now a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Suns get Ben Wallace, who they will likely buy out so he can retire, Sasha Pavlovic and his expiring contract, and a 2nd round pick in today’s NBA draft. The Cavs hope this move with give them the final piece in their championship puzzle as they need a big man to guard Dwight Howard, who destroyed them in the conference finals. They just have to hope it doesn’t hurt their chemistry in the way in killed the Suns’. The biggest winner here is likely ESPN, who, next postseason, will not only be able to bombard us with thousands of Kobe vs. LeBron commercials, but will be able to add a large Shaq puppet to the mix. As for the biggest loser in this deal, that’s probably Shaq. The medical staff in Phoenix revived his career, not to mention the fact that Shaq has never lived in a cold city like Cleveland. And of course, he can no longer go by The Big Cactus, and The Big Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Maybe he can play on the cities lack of any success in sports in the history of the city by naming himself The Biggest Loser. 

NBA/NHL records start with the 2000-2001 season 
MLB/NFL record start with the 2000 season 
MLB records are as games completed on 6/16/09 

10. Columbus Blue Jackets 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 1 
Win-loss: 247-325 (.432) 

The good: 2 winning seasons in the last 3 years capped off with a playoff appearance in 2009, led by captain Rick Nash, a former 1st round pick of the team. 

The bad: The worst record of any NHL team in the decade, zero playoff wins in the decade, which is the entire history of the young franchise, 0 30 win seasons in the 4 years prior to the lockout 

The ugly: A brutal 22-47 season in 2001-2002, in which they earned only 57 points and only scored 164 goals, while giving up 255. 

9. Arizona Cardinals 
Playoff games won: 3 
Playoff appearances: 1 
Win-loss: 52-92 (.361) 

The good: An improbable Super Bowl run in 2008 in which they went 9-7 in the regular season, before winning 3 straight games in which they were the underdog to make the Super Bowl, where they were less than a minute away from defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 

The Bad: A 36% winning percentage for the decade, only one playoff appearance despite playing in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, 0 double digit win seasons, the bust of Matt Leinart, who was supposed to save the franchise 

The Ugly: 5 seasons in 9 years in which they lost 11+ games 

8. Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 0 
Win-loss: 668-851 (.440) 

The good: 2 winning seasons from 2002-2003, when the team was the Expos, a promising start to the franchise’s stay in Washington as the team went 81-81 in 2005, a young, talented face of the franchise, Ryan Zimmerman 

The bad: A 73-89 season in 2007, in which they failed to sign their first round choice Aaron Crow, an 102 loss season in 2008, and an awful start to the 2009 season, in which they are 16-46, 20 games out of first place in the division and 17 games out of the playoffs, despite the fact that it is mid June, a trade in which they gave up future all-star Grady Sizemore, future 30-30 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips, and future Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee for an overweight Bartolo Colon 

The ugly: A messy divorce with the city of Montreal, in which they spent parts of seasons in San Juan Puerto Rico, and ended with the team renaming and relocating to Washington, where they now play in Nationals Park, a brand new, but almost completely empty ballpark, even when the Giants’ Randy Johnson won his historic 300th game 

 
Congrats Randy Johnson on winning #300, too bad no one was there watching 

7. Los Angeles Clippers 
Playoff games won: 7 
Playoff appearances: 1 
Win-loss: 291-447 (.394) 

The good: 2 straight seasons, from 2004-2005 to 2005-2006, in which they finished with better records than the Lakers, a conference semifinals appearance in 2005 

The bad: 1 winning season in the decade, a bunch of bad contracts, a very vacant and starless house in Staples Center when they play, despite the fact that they play in Los Angeles, having to watch their cross town rivals win 4 NBA Championships in the decade 

The ugly: Overall poor management by Elgin Baylor and poor ownership by careless Donald Sterling which eventually ended in a messy divorce with former face of the franchise Elton Brand, leading to a 19-63 2008-2009 season 

6. Atlanta Hawks 
Playoff games won: 7 
Playoff appearances: 2 
Win-loss 274-464 (.371) 

The good: 2 playoff appearances in the last 2 years, including a conference semifinals appearance in 2009 

The bad: Josh Childress choosing to play in Greece rather than return to Atlanta, a stretch of time from 2000-2007 in which their season high of wins was 35, 1 winning season in the last decade, a very empty arena for a large chunk of the decade, the NBA’s worst record for the decade 

The ugly: A 13-69 season in 2004-2005, which was made worse by the team drafting Marvin Williams over Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the draft, despite their need for a point guard, Chris Paul went on to be a perennial all-star with the New Orleans Hornets, and Deron Williams a very, very solid player for the Utah Jazz 

5. Vancouver/Memphis Grizzles 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 3 
Win-loss: 286-452 (.391) 

The good: 3 straight playoff appearances from 2004-2006, a 50 win season in 2003-2004, and perennial all-star Pau Gasol who appeared to give the team to a bright future 

The bad: 6 seasons of less than 30 wins, an 0-12 playoff record which stretched across 3 seasons, being forced to move from Vancouver to Memphis due to lack of attendance 

The ugly: A trade in which the Grizzles handed face of the franchise Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kwame Brown and a sack of potatoes, a trade so bad that several NBA teams accused the Grizzles of dumping, a practice normally used in fantasy sports in which one team gives their star player to another team for very cheap, in order to rig the league 

 
This championship moment made possible by the Grizzlies' inept management 

4. Cleveland Browns 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 1 
Win-loss: 52-92 (.361) 

The good: A playoff appearance in 2002 and a 10 win season in 2007 which almost resulted in a playoff appearance 

The bad: 7 losing seasons in 9 years, an overall 36% winning percentage, 4 years of Romeo Crennel, 0 playoff wins, a consistently depressed fan base due to the team’s lack of on the field success 

The ugly: A stretch in 2008 in which they did not score an offensive touchdown for 24 quarters, despite having 4 different quarterbacks take snaps in that time period 

3. Kansas City Royals 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 0 
Win-loss: 636-884 (.418 ) 

The good: A 16-3 start to the 2003 season, a season in which they went 83-79 and has Angel Berroa win the rookie of the year, giving the franchise hope for the future 

The bad: Face of the franchise Mike Sweeney’s consistent injuries, Angel Berroa’s sophomore slump that lasted the rest of his career, 4 100 loss seasons in 5 years, 1 winning season in the decade, 0 playoff appearances in the decade, the majors’ worst record in the decade 

The ugly: A poor fan base and an ownership that pretty much refused to spend any money, only giving out any money when they signed Gil Meche to an outrageous 55 million dollar deal and when they signed Jose Guillen, a former juicer in his mid 30s, to a 33 million dollar deal 

2. Pittsburgh Pirates 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 0 
Win-loss: 649-871 (.427) 

The good: An amazing all-star game in PNC park in 2006, in which the Pirates had 2 players, including Jason Bay who started, the Pirates finished that season with a winning record for the 2nd half, Freddy Sanchez won the Gold Glove and the future finally looked bright 

The bad: 0 winning seasons, 0 playoff berths in the decade, wasting the #1 selection in 2002 on Bryan Bullington, who would pitch a whole 18 1/3 innings for the team before being cut in 2008, wasting a beautiful ballpark with no one in it 

The ugly: The ownership and front office wanting so badly not to spend money that they perennially trade away the team’s best players for cheaper young prospects who never pan out, this has gotten so bad that fans have threatened to boycott and not show up for games, which has happened in small scales, including one game in which hundreds of fans left mid game in order to make a statement 

1. Detroit Lions 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 0 
Win-loss: 40-104 (.278 ) 

The good: A 9-7 season in 2000, a 6-2 start to the 2007 season in which journeyman Jon Kitna, who predicted the team would win 10 games that season, was the starting quarterback 

The bad: The worst record of any pro sports team in the decade, 0 playoff berths, 6 straight double digit loss seasons, 0 road victories from 2001-2003, VP of football operations Matt Millen drafting Joey Harrington with the 3rd pick, Charles Rogers with the 2nd pick, and Mike Williams with the 10th pick, all three of whom are no longer in the league, Matt Millen’s successors being seemingly just as inept drafting Matt Stafford #1 overall, giving him a bigger contract than Tom Brady, but drafting 0 offensive lineman for him despite the fact that their offensive line had the most sacks allowed in the league the year before 

The ugly: 0 wins in the entire 2008 season, in season in which Dan Orlovsky started a good chunk of games and ran out the back of the end zone, giving the other team free points 

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