24 Hours till the Draft, What's the Buzz?

We are just about what could be one of the best NBA Drafts in history. Maybe not right now but I feel in a couple years we will talk about this draft like we do 1986 and 2003.

So what's the buzz...

1. The Sacramento Kings have decided they will draft Kentucky center, DeMarcus Cousins. If everything falls into place he will be there at 5 and will be the center of the future for a rebuilding Sacramento team that is being built around Tyreke Evans.

2. The New Jersey Nets last night traded Chris Douglas Roberts to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a 2012 2nd round pick. It is a move that is regarded strictly to make cap space but it is a trade I disagree with. As new coach Avery Johnson comes in, and another year is under the belt of CDR, I thought his game would improve and he could become a great contributor. Instead this opens the flood gates in New Jersey for free agents AND to draft Syracuse guard Wesley Johnson.

3. The Golden State Warriors will draft Georgetown's big man Greg Monroe with the sixth pick. This will finally give them some size in the paint and allow the rebuilding in Oakland continue. A duo of Stephen Curry and Monroe might be fun to watch.

4. Sources say the Detroit Pistons have settled on North Carolina’s lanky forward Ed Davis with the seventh choice. Word is the Pistons really covet Greg Monroe, and at one point were even considering Cole Aldrich.

5. The Dallas Mavericks don’t have a pick in the first round, but they do hold a valuable $3 million trade exception. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told Y! Sports that Dallas is “taking bids” on it “in exchange for a pick and cash to help teams free up cap room and get under the tax.”

6. Like I mentioned yesterday in the NBA Draft: Busts post Kentucky back up center Daniel Orton, is seeing his stock falling quickly and heavily. Reports are saying he is close to falling out of the 1st round.

7. The Miami Heat have agreed in principle to trade Daequan Cook and the 18th overall pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 32 selection in the draft.


The NBA Draft is tomorrow at 7pm...stay here for all the up to date news.

2010 NBA Draft - The Surprising Stars

Everyone knows about John Wall, Evan Turner and DeMarcus Cousins.

It's time to shed some light on the players you might not have heard so much about, but will certainly know in the not too distance future.

#1. James Anderson - guard from Oklahoma St. - Anderson became a star this year with a breakout year and I believe cementing himself as the best 2 guard in the country. His ability to take over a game with his dribble drive and his mid range jumper will make his a force in the NBA. He will start out coming off the bench but will become a star, mark my words.

#2. Jordan Crawford - guard from Xavier - Before this college basketball year all Crawford was known for was "kinda" dunking on LeBron James at the NIKE camp. By seasons end, Crawford was a star in the NCAA tournament and dazzled fans everywhere. His explosiveness and ability to finish around the rim make him a prime candidate for a star in the NBA. He has impressed tons of scouts at the NBA Combine and his stock is rising.

#3. Quincy Pondexter - forward from Washinton - Another player that was one to watch all season as he and Isiah Thomas lead the Huskies deep into the NCAA Tournament. Pondexter has size and knows how to create a mismatch with his speed. Pondexter is projected as a top to mid 2nd rounder and could be in line for steal of the draft a la DeJuan Blair of 2009.

#4. Andy Rautins - guard from Syracuse - He probably wont be drafted but a team will pick him up. I watched him closely all year and he became one of my favorite players. His skill set is through the roof but for some reason he wont be a top 60 player in the draft. A team will take a chance on him and will be rewarded tremendously, leaving a ton of GM's bashing their heads on a table. Rautins is a great passer and can shoot better than anyone in this draft. A couple days after the draft you will hear a team pick him up, I'll bet on that.

The NBA Draft is on Thursday, stay tuned for more news.

NBA Draft - The Busts

As the 2010 NBA Draft is about 48 hours away, many names are circulating to fill out the lottery.

This year college basketball was exciting and many players left their mark, others skated by with their name, and some regressed tremendously.

There are names in this year's draft that I am almost certain will fail in the NBA, for reasons that they simply are not ready, their game does not translate to the next level or they simply are not NBA material.

I have said numerous times that I believe the biggest bust in this year's draft will be North Carolina Tar Heels forward Ed Davis.

Aside from missing time with an injured wrist, he is young, frail, and has beyond a limited offensive game. His defensive prowess is what is carrying him in this draft and I feel that NBA GM's are blinded by his elusive potential.

Daniel Orton, forward from Kentucky has been touted as going anywhere from pick 10-25. Watching him play all season makes me scratch my head as to what is desired by NBA GM's. Maybe they think he can flourish with a kick in the butt but his offense and defense left me baffled when I heard he was entering the draft. Now he is being listed as a 1st rounder, his game I can not see do well in the NBA.

West Virginia combo guard Devin EBanks is listed as a mid tier 1st round pick, but his skill set is not NBA material. His inconsistency is very apparent, but it is not just on one game off the other, his stretched lasted long periods of time where he would be bad. His length is a major plus but the rest of his abilities make him a bust in the NBA.

Cincinnati Bearcats stud one and done guard Lance Stephenson is next on my list. A player who I thought needed to go back to college for another year, will now be thrown into the NBA. His game was exposed in college, he couldn't take over a game and his shooting was sub par. He will have to rely on his athleticism but I feel it will be a long time before he becomes a good role player.

The NBA Draft is on Thursday at 7pm, which team will take the next step to a championship, and which one will write the next chapter in the Sam Bowie bust book.

Replay in Baseball, It's Time To Revise The Rules

With the recent actions of Jim Joyce blowing the perfect game of Armando Galarraga in the 9th inning with 2 outs, talks have erupted for instant replay in baseball.

Now we already have instant replay but only when it comes to homeruns to decide if they really are homers or if they are fair or foul.

But with the slew of terrible calls this year from umpires it is time to broaden the horizons for MLB and instant replay.

Bud Selig has said he will review the last play of yesterdays Tigers vs Indians game, and we might see a once in a lifetime call change.

Although Joyce has admitted that he was wrong, the fact is a historic day was ruined by an umpire, when he was blatantly wrong. Things like this need to amended but not after the game, during!

Baseball is a three hours or more type of a game, a 2 - 5 minute replay will not hurt the game, baseball purists need to take a seat.

It is all about getting the call right, the human element can still be present but it can not continue to ruin the game.

That is why I propose that instant replay be instituted for

- fair or foul balls down the line
- Base running: whether or not the runner is safe or out
- Plays at 1st base In key situations: 7th inning or later in a game where the score is within 4 runs

Balls and strikes can not be reviewed that is where this "human element" must remain.

Baseball is a game of inches where every play could effect the game. Change needs to be made to better this game, for the sake of the fans, results and the players who play this game.

Just Short of Perfection

Armando Galarraga, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers was one out away from throwing the third perfect game this year. Instead he threw a complete game shutout, striking out three and throwing only 88 pitches.

The story though was the last out of the game. Jason Donald was the 27th man to step to the plate, he was the last hope for the Indians to not be on the wrong side of history.

Donald hit a grounder in between 1st and 2nd, Miguel Cabrera ran for the ball, gloved it and flipped to Galarraga who had the ball in his mit and foot on the bag before Donald touched the base, umpire Jim Joyce called Donald SAFE.

The entire sports world was in outrage, Donald was clearly out, Joyce blew the call, ending the perfect game, no hitter and opening up a can of worms of epic proportions.

When Galarraga squeezed the final out he had a huge smile on his face, was ready to jump in the air, and turned around to see Joyce call him safe, and he just laughed.

"It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the S**t out of it," Joyce said, looking and sounding distraught as he paced in the umpires' locker room. "I just cost that kid a perfect game."

An issue with the play was the ball seemed to be hit closer to Carlos Guillen, the 2nd baseman and if Cabrera did not range so far to his right the play could have been easier. But regardless the out was made, the call was just wrong.

"I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay," said Joyce.

Bud Selig, MLB Commissioner, has said he will review the last play of the game. Who knows if this means he will over turn the call, or new instant replay rules will be instituted.

In my opinion the kid threw a perfect game, but I don't think you can over turn the call, it would put into questions the integrity of the game along with every other wrong call in baseball. The right thing to do is to make the instant replay rules more broad and allow close plays to be reviewed, not just home runs!

In my eyes Armando Galarraga threw a perfect game yesterday afternoon, too bad the record books will show a measly complete game shut out.

Roy Oswalt, The Effect He May Have

The 10 year veteran pitcher Roy Oswalt has been a top tier pitcher for the better part of the last decade.

News broke yesterday that Oswalt, who has played his entire career with the Houston Astros, has asked for a trade.

During the last two off-season's Oswalt's name has been thrown around with many teams but no deal has ever been done.

After Oswalt delivered his comments, the Washington Nationals said they have "major" interest in the three time all-star.

Then again Oswalt has said he wants to go to a team that can win right now, and the Nationals are a team "on the rise."

But lets look at this situation for a second. Oswalt is 33 years-old and still has some good years left in him. With the Astros as of late he has not been given the proper run support. The Nationals have tons of offensive support and are missing that #1 starter, because lets face it Livan Hernandez just doesn't cut it.

With Stephen Strasburg set to make his MLB debut in 2 weeks, Oswalt and Strasburg would be a formidable 1-2 punch.

If Oswalt does hold true to his request of going to a contender right away look for teams such as the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers to be some of the teams fighting for his services.

Roy Oswalt who is 139-76 in his career, averaging 17 wins a year would certainly be a great piece to add for any team looking to win now.

Subway Series; Who Will Run the Town?

On Friday the New York Yankees and the New York Mets renew a seasonal rivalry with a 3-game set in Citi Field. Normally there is hype over the Subway Series, fans jawing back and forth but this year is certainly not the case.

There are many factors that have led to this mainly the play of the Mets this season. They have been dreadful and no one really expects much out of them in this series. Then again the Yankees are fielding a team of 2nd class citizens with Jorge Posada and Nick Johnson on the DL. Curtis Granderson begins a rehab assignment on Saturday, Alfredo Aceves is out and Nick Swisher is still being bothered by his bicep although he will give it a go tonight.

Maybe it is because the Yankees will have a lineup sporting including Marcus Thames, Kevin Russo, Randy Winn and Francisco Cervelli throughout the series. The buzz is simply not there.

Many are speculating that if this series goes wrong for the Mets, Jerry Manuel could be out of a job come Monday. Omar Minaya might not be too far behind.

But really who cares about this Subway Series besides New Yorkers, I'll tell you...nobody.

Every year there seems to be a little something extra coming into this series but this year is different.

The last Subway Series saw the shocking pop up drop by Luis Castillo that lost the Mets the game, and then to close out the series at Yankee Stadium the Yankees scored 14 runs, most of them on Johan Santana.

The simple facts are these, the real Subway Series happened in 2000 when the two clubs met for the World Series.

These other games are just inter-league play.