Fantasy Baseball: Week #9 Waiver Wire Pickups PART TWO

Jeff Francoeur-OF-Royals- Talk about a roller-coaster ride, Francoeur has disappointed for most of the season and only recently has awakened from an early season slumber. Since May 19th he has raised his batting average from .235 to a more respectable .281. He has also hit four HR over that stretch. The former 1st round pick of the Atlanta Braves in the 2002 draft had a modest seven game hitting streak coming into Monday’s game. He’s worth an add in most leagues as he is just one year removed from 20HR- 87RBI- and a .285 BA in his first year with the Royals. Currently, Francoeur is owned in 48% of leagues.

#21 OF Jeff Francoeur is worth an add in most leagues. Photo: blogs.bettor.com

Andy Pettitte-SP-Yankees- It’s time to consider taking out a flier on the ‘ancient hurler’ who turns 40 on June 15th. He’s pitched three games since returning for an encore performance with the Yanks. Over 21 1/3 innings, Pettitte has 19 strikeouts against just 5 walks. His ERA sits at 2.53 and his WHIP at 1.08. After giving up 4 runs in his first start he has won the next two. Andy will have two starts this week; one on Tuesday against the Angels in L.A. and the next on Sunday vs the Tigers in Detroit. He is available in around 40% of most leagues and is worth an add in 12+ leagues.

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Pick of the Day - June 2nd

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 35-25-1
Week: 2-3
Month: 1-0

Los Angeles Kings (AWAY) (-110) OVER New Jersey Devils (HOME)

Prior to Game 1, there was some concern that the Devils easy path to the Finals may help them win the Cup over a Kings team that has played fantastic competition. The Devils practically had a Bye in Round 1 by drawing the Florida Panthers, faced a Flyers team in Round 2 playing with an empty net, and defeated a gutless New York Rangers squad in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Kings on the other hand defeated every division winner from the Western Conference. They outclassed the best team in the world in the Vancouver Canucks during Round 1, swept a tremendous St. Louis Blues team in Round 2, and beat a gritty Phoenix Coyotes squad in the Western Conference Finals.

Despite the fact that the Kings faced three tough opponents, while the Devils defeated two or three (depending on whether you count the Florida Panthers as an actual NHL team) less teams on their way to the Cup did not slow down Los Angeles in Game 1. They kept their undefeated road playoff streak alive moving to 9-0 away from the Staples Center. In addition, not to take anything away from Martin Brodeur who has had a great playoff run, but he has looked shaky at times. While he played a nice Game 1 and can't be blamed for the loss, I expect he will give up a bad goal or two throughout the series. Quick on the other hand continues to be solid in net for the Kings. I said the Kings would take both Game 1 and 2 in New Jersey, lose either Game 3 or 4 at the Staples Center, and finish off the Devils in Game 5 to win the Cup. So far it is holding true to form. Take the Kings to win.

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How Do You Grade The NBA Officiating?

By: Dan Jaillet

CelticsHub.com

It has been the subject of much debate for a long time now. Do NBA referees have too much control over a game? Let me rephrase that:  do NBA referees have too much control during a game in general?  Being a Boston fan, you probably think that I am using this article to complain about some questionable calls during last night’s game. Trust me I am not. I will be discussing the overall state of officiating in the NBA 

For starters, I think that the NBA needs referees that are not afraid to “make the call.” Oftentimes, officials are afraid to make calls that hurt the home team. This is largely due in part to the fact that they do not want be become “that guy who blew Game 7 at home for the Knicks because he made that foul call on Carmelo Anthony.”  Refs need to focus on making calls as they see fit, and not worry about how fans are going to react.

I also think that officials need to think a little bit before making a call. For example, in last night’s Celtics game, Ray Allen got a technical foul called on him for being a little demonstrative with his emotions after getting a foul called on him. The officials gave him a technical foul for it. Now, I am using this example because players should be able to show emotion after they receive a foul that they disagree with, as long as they keep their actions in check. In the case of Allen, he showed that he did not like the call but he did not berate the officials or get in their faces.

One thing I think officials forget is how emotional playoff games are for players. They should allow players a little bit of a longer leash because obviously they are going to be more emotional. The stakes are higher and oftentimes, the seasons of many teams are hinging on every play. Let the teams play a little bit more, instead of blowing the whistle for every ticky-tacky foul. That is what they fans want to see. They want to see the players play physical and tough. I think not blowing the whistle as often would make the game more pure and authentic and in turn, win back fans from the older generation.

In the current NBA, the refereeing is very one-sided. This can go with point number two I suppose, but it is a little more in-depth. Officials need to stop “protecting” the star teams and players. That means stop giving teams like the Celtics, Heat and Lakers the majority of the calls. If the Heat were playing the Bobcats who do you think would win? Obviously the Heat because of the overall talent level that they posses. However, Miami and other elite teams of the NBA are “helped out” by the officials. You can see it out in the open when an elite team with lots of superstars takes on a less-talented team. The “missed” travel call that Kevin Durant may get, will be a travel for Kemba Walker. I understand that a basketball game is moving at an extremely fast pace, but when it happens 10 to 15 times a game, it is no longer a missed call. So, I guess my point is to balance the officiating and focus on making the correct call rather than making the superstars happy.

I guess the point I am trying to make with this article is that the officiating needs an overall. The Miami-Celtics game last night is just the latest example in the travesty that is NBA officiating. How can it be fixed? That I am not so sure about. However, in order to get things rolling, it starts from the top (David Stern) on down. This is a reason why so many once loyal fans have become tired of the game. If they just let the players play a bit more, hordes of fans will once again become interested in the game.

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Time For Tony Parker To Be Considered Elite

By: Nick Bartlett

I figured this would be a great time to bring up the fact that Tony Parker is one of the best point guards in the NBA. Why now you might ask? The Spurs just lost their first game in the playoffs after winning 20 straight overall and Parker struggled to get anything going at all in Game 3 against the Thunder.

Well, let’s remind ourselves how much of a rarity this is. Even in this “terrible” game for Parker he still managed 16 pts on 50% shooting. However, the Spurs were finally outplayed in the postseason and a big reason it took so long has been the steady play of Tony Parker throughout the entire season.

I’ve always loved Parker’s game throughout his career (I always wondered why he was rated so low in all of the 2K games!) and always thought he was right up there with the other elite point guards in the league. After this year and his total performance in the playoffs, it’s time for him to be considered as a top PG in the NBA.

His stats might not be as eye-popping as other top point guards, but it’s his ability to command the most efficient and complete team in the league that is most impressive. I truly believe he’s been the most underrated player in the NBA for the last couple years.

Thankfully MVP voters finally gave him some love as he finished 5th in the voting and was the 2nd PG behind CP3.

He might not dunk like Westbrook or Rose, be able to put up 57 points like D-Will, or be a constant triple-double threat like Rondo, but he did lead the best team in the West in scoring and assists. That is a pretty impressive stat in its own and he deserves more credit than is being given.

His overall stats aren’t typically the most gaudy because of the Spurs’ style of play. The emphasis is much more team-focused than a specific individual-focused style. He also doesn’t get the overall minutes that most starting PGs receive because of Coach Pop’s coaching style. The fact that Parker has been able to embrace this role his entire career should really solidify his greatness on the court.

You can list every elite point guard in the league and I can give you an argument of why Tony Parker is right at their level or even better. He is an extremely consistent point guard with 3 championships. How can that not be considered elite especially after his stellar play this season?

When you think of top point guards you must include Tony Parker with Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Rajon Rando, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Steve Nash. He has been an exceptional floor leader for the clearly most consistent franchise throughout the NBA in the past decade. Oh and let’s keep in mind he has more championships than all of the rest of those PGs combined!

I’m not saying he’s absolutely the best point guard out there, but it sure is debatable. One thing is definite: It’s time for Tony Parker to get the star-respect he deserves!

All he does is win!

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Pick of the Day - June 1st

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 34-25-1
Week: 1-3
Last Month: 17-14

New York Mets (HOME) (SANTANA) (-110) OVER St. Louis Cardinals (AWAY) (WAINWRIGHT)

Johan Santana has quietly put together a nice season so far. He is 2-2 with a 2.75 ERA and coming off a complete game shutout. Wainwright, also coming back after missing last season due to elbow surgery, is 4-5 with a 4.45 ERA. While the media is focusing on Carlos Beltran returning to Citi Field, I believe the real story is on the mound. Wainwright has had some moments since coming back from surgery but Santana has truly bounced back. He has another good outing tonight and New York continues to play well at home. Take the Mets.

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Fantasy Baseball- Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Baseball Profile: Padre Yonder Alonso Is a Sleeper and a Keeper…

Yonder Alonso is a name you might not be too familiar with but in fantasy circles his name is less unknown. For the past two months, the 25 year old, former 1st round pick of the Cincinnati Reds, has been on fire! Over the past 27 games he has hit safely in 24 of them, good for a .367 clip.

    

    1B/OF Yonder Alonso scores ahead of the tag by Mets catcher Rob Thompson at Citi Field on Thursday, May 24th. Photo: (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

But, as they say on those late night informercials, “that’s not all”… He has become a fantasy writer’s delight because of some of the amazing stats he’s posted and the fact that he’s not that well known. Only owned in 30% of leagues, Alonso has enormous upside and has to be considered a must add especially in keeper leagues, while for other team managers, we would recommend him in deeper leagues of 12 or more unless or until his performance continues to accelerate or begins to ebb.
For starters, the youngster in just his third season in the bigs, has a modest eight game hitting streak going to go with his nine game hitting streak earlier this month! Besides his .300+ batting average, a key category in most 5×5 standard leagues, he has been a ‘Doubles’ machine, amassing 16 so far in the season, on pace for 50.
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Pick of the Day - May 31st

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 34-24-1
Week: 1-2
Month: 17-13

San Antonio Spurs (AWAY) (+130) OVER Oklahoma City Thunder (HOME)

When you're hot, you're hot. The Thunder are favored by 3.5 tonight but I like the Spurs to win. Take the money line and win some extra money. Only one stat needed for this game tonight. The Spurs have won 20 straight games. Eventually the streak will end but I don't think it will be tonight in Oklahoma City. I think it will be a high scoring game (OVER). Lets end the month with a winner. Take the Spurs.

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Stanley Cup Preview: New Jersey Devils Edition

By: Lauren Burg

Lord Stanley's Cup, the biggest trophy in all of hockey, is awarded to the team that's able to withstand all adversity thrown their way; whether it be injuries or anything else. The New Jersey Devils, coming off one of their worst seasons in years and with a brand new coaching staff, have withstood all that adversity and now are within four wins of adding another Stanley Cup to their trophy case. In this article, I plan to give the keys to the Devils winning the Cup, if indeed that happens.

Martin Brodeur

For all that's been made this past season and during these playoffs about how Brodeur may be past his prime he continues to prove everyone wrong.  For his entire postseason, all 18 games thus far, Brodeur is 12-5-1, with one shutout April 19th against the Florida Panthers, a 2.04 goals against average (GAA) and a .923 save percentage. However, since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers he's helped the Devils to an 8-2 record, allowing no more than three goals in each win. In contrast Brodeur, in 59 regular season games, had a 31-21-4 record with three shutouts, a 2.41 GAA and a .908 save percentage. 

An interesting statistic about Brodeur in this 2012 postseason would be that, in his first eight playoff starts, he had a 4-4 record and allowed four goals in three of the four losses. Just going to say if the Devils would like to win another Cup this season Brodeur will need to be as good, if not better, than he's been in his last 10 games. 

Veterans Leading the Way

While the rest of the hockey world talks about where Devils captain Zach Parise might end up, as he's a free agent after this season, Parise himself has been focused on leading the Devils in their quest to win another Stanley Cup. Thus far, he hasn't disappointed as he's second among Devils players with 14 points, seven of which are goals and two coming on the power play, only four points behind team leader Ilya Kovalchuk. 

Ilya Kovalchuk, after a slow start to his first extended playoff run, is also beginning to heat up. Throughout this postseason, all 17 games he played, Kovalchuk had seven goals, five on the power play, and 11 assists for a team-leading 18 points. However, he really started putting everything together during the Devils' 6-game Eastern Conference finals win over the New York Rangers. 

Travis Zajac, after missing 67 regular season games, was also ready to help out the Devils come playoff time. By all accounts, he's done his part, with 12 points, seven of those goals with two of them being game-winners, in 18 games.

If the Devils plan to win hockey's coveted prize they will need all three of these players to keep contributing, both on the power play and at even-strength.

Devils' Fourth Line Grinders

In the Stanley Cup playoffs there's always a big surprise, or story, that propels a team to greatness. In these playoffs it's hard to find a much better story than the Devils' fourth line grinders: Stephen Gionta, Ryan Carter and Steve Bernier. Heck, Gionta played all of one game for the Devils in the 2011-2012 regular season. In these playoffs, however, Gionta has been all over the scoresheet, tallying three goals, four assists, seven points and a plus-6 rating in 18 games. 

Carter and Bernier, though with more experience, have been doing quite well themselves. In 17 games thus far Carter had four goals, two of which were game-winners, along with two assists, six points and a plus-6 rating. Bernier, in 18 games to this point, had two goals, four assists, six points and a plus/minus rating of plus-4. 

Honestly, the offensive and defensive play of this line has been outstanding. They just must keep it up if the Devils plan to win it all this season.

Adam Henrique

For a rookie, Henrique has been very impressive to say the least. His regular season was great, as he finished fourth on the team with 51 points. His postseason has been even better though as he, in 18 games to this point, had three goals and seven assists for 11 points. Now, three goals may not sound like much but consider the fact that two of his three goals were game-winners, and series winners, occurring in overtime or double overtime, and what he's accomplished becomes that much more impressive. 

Defensively, Henrique has a plus-9 rating during these playoffs, good for second on the team behind Bryce Salvador's plus-10. 

Now, if the Devils plan to win it all, Henrique needs to play as well as he has been to this point during the playoffs. 

These are four key ingredients, working together no less, that I believe the New Jersey Devils must have in order to beat the Los Angeles Kings and win their first Stanley Cup since 2003. 

**All player statistics can be found here: http://devils.nhl.com/club/stats.htm?gameType=3&season=20112012.**

*Feel free to contact me, Lauren, on Twitter @TBLightning491.*

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Where Will The Kings Take The Cup This Year

By: Chad Smith

The Los Angeles Kings will take on the New Jersey Devils for the right to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Los Angeles Kings are playing in their second Stanley Cup Finals in franchise history. The last time the Kings played for the Cup it was the 92-93 season and they had Wayne Gretzky. Now the Kings have Jonathan Quick and Dustin Brown. In the end the Kings will have their names chiseled into the most storied trophy in sports and here’s why:

1 – Goaltending – Jonathan Quick has a 1.54 Goals Against Average and a .946 Save Percentage. To put these numbers in perspective last post season everyone in the hockey world agreed that Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins had one of the best post seasons ever by a goalie finishing with a 1.98 GAA and a .940 SV%. Quick has made every save he has needed to and that’s a big reason why the Kings are 12-2 so far this post season. Quick has made every team he faced earn their goals and what’s even more impressive is that after a team scores one goal on him he becomes even tougher to beat for the second goal, and that is the mark of a future Conn Smythe winner (MVP of the playoffs for you people that don’t understand the rich history of hockey).

2 – Dustin Brown – He is the Kings heart and soul, and that is why he has the C on his jersey. He can lay someone out on the blueline with a clean hit one shift and come out the next shift dangle around the defense and put one top shelf on the goalie. Dustin Brown was inconsistent this season but down the stretch and into the playoffs he has been on fire. In 14 games so far this post season he has 7 goals with 3 of them being game winners, 9 assists, and averages over 20 minutes of ice time per game. If Quick wasn’t setting the world on fire Brown would be the Conn Smythe winner.

3 – Penalty Kill – The PK of the Kings has been great this post season posting a 91.2% kill rate. They have only allowed 5 goals while killing off penalties but have also scored 5 shorthanded goals. Essentially the Kings are breaking even on the PK and are the only team to do so this postseason. Going back to the 00-01 season the only team to score more shorthanded goals then the Kings are the 01-02 and 07-08 Red Wings and in both those seasons the Red Wings won the cup. In fact looking back last year the Bruins lead the playoffs in shorties and won the cup, and the same goes for the Blackhawks in 2010. The PK is one of the most important parts of a team’s system and right now the Kings system is running like a Lamborghini.

 4 – They set the tone – The Kings have set the tone in every game they have played this post season except for 2 and both the games were their only two loses this postseason. The Kings have won an amazing 8 of 8 road games this postseason. The Kings have done this by staying within their game plan and forcing the other team to adjust. Another impressive stat is that the Kings this entire postseason have never trailed by more than two goals. When the Kings do fall behind they usually respond with a quick goal to tie the game. The Kings believe in their game plan and force it on their opponent to make adjustments.

Honorable mentions – Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and Anze Kopitar have all shown up this post season and have made this Kings offense Dangerous; Drew Doughty has been a beast on the blueline with a plus-10 rating; The Devils beat the Kings twice early in the regular season, however Darryl Sutter was not the Kings coach yet; Speaking of the Kings coach he is the third head coach for the Kings this season; The Kings are 8-0 on the road this post season. Yes that stat is so impressive it needed to be listed twice in this article.

Fun Fact of the Series – Both team Captains are American Born. Dustin Brown Ithaca NY and Zack Parise Minneapolis MN. Last team from Canada to win the cup was? The Canadiens in 93. Go America!

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Pick of the Day - May 30th

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 34-23-1
Week: 1-1
Month: 17-12

Miami Heat (HOME) (-8) OVER Boston Celtics (AWAY)

I used to say every time the Miami Heat win a game a little baby kitten gets slaughtered somewhere. Now I think every time they win a man eats off the face of another human being. This team is disgraceful, an embarrassment to humanity, and a black eye on sports and the American culture. But I do think they will cover tonight and make me some money. The Celtics simply do not play at the same level on the road. Ray Allen appears to be about finished with all of his injury problems. Without him, the Celtics are missing a spark. They were lucky to get by two weaker Hawks and 76ers teams, but the Heat play at a different level, even without Bosh. After a 14 point victory in Game 1, I expect more of the same tonight. Take the Heat.

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Is Udonis Haslem a Bigger Thug Than Todd Bertuzzi?

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Todd Bertuzzi is widely regarded as one of the biggest villains in all of sports and a terrible person. Instead of being praised as a two time All-Star, an Olympian, and one of the greatest players in Vancouver Canucks history, he is remembered for one incident. What hockey and sports fans alike forget is that in Jaunary 2004, two months prior to the incident that would change his image forever, Todd Bertuzzi was actually voted in as a starter for the Western Conference All-Star Team by the fans. He was widely popular and respected throughout the league. On March 8, 2004, that all changed.

On February 16, 2004, during a game between the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalance, Steve Moore injured Canucks team captain Markus Näslund by checking him in the head while Näslund was reaching for the puck ahead of him. Näslund, the league's leading scorer at the time, suffered a minor concussion and a bone chip in his elbow as a result of the hit, knocking him out for three games. The Canucks were enraged since a penalty wasn't even called on the play, and several members of the Canucks organization spoke out regarding the incident.

Many people forget that the Avalanche and Canucks met again prior to the Steve Moore incident. On March 3rd, the teams played with relatively no violence during a 5-5 tie. Five days later when the two teams met again in Colorado, all hell broke out. After several fights throughout the first few periods including one between Matt Cooke and Steve Moore, the referees actually received a warning from the NHL about the possibility of an escalation in physicality the remainder of the game. During the 3rd period, after failing to provoke him into a fight, Todd Bertuzzi punched Steve Moore in the back of the head as retaliation for the hit on Näslund. Steve Moore was seriously injured on the play. Bertuzzi was suspended for the final 13 games of the regular season, the 7 Canucks playoff games that year, and the entire following year during the lockout including international play. In addition, there were several legal proceedings which took place regarding the incident. Todd Bertuzzi has never been the same since.

Bertuzzi could not have been any more remorseful following the incident. Two days after, Bertuzzi scheduled a press conference in which he wept and apologized to Moore and his family, as well as to the Canucks GM, Canucks ownership, the Canucks organization, his teammates, and the fans. He added, "For the kids that watch this game, I'm truly sorry. I don't play the game that way. And I'm not a mean-spirited person."

Since that time, regardless of what team he is playing for or what arena he is visiting, Todd Bertuzzi is heckled. Shortly after the incident, Bertuzzi was shipped off to the Florida Panthers, the worst fate a hockey player can receive. In essence, at that point, his career appeared over. Luckily for Bertuzzi, his time in Florida was short. The damage was done though. Näslund, a close friend of Bertuzzi's, later expressed sympathy for him, saying in a 2008 interview, "It still bothers me what Todd has had to go through...There's no question he was standing up for me...it all went too far."

Fast forward 8 years. Todd Bertuzzi is still in the NHL playing at a relatively high level at the age of 37, showing flashes of his brilliance that he used to showcase on a nightly basis prior to the Moore incident.

Last week, Udonis Haslem hit Tyler Hansbrough with an absolutely brutal flagrant foul. Luckily for Haslem, Hansbrough is a tough guy and bounced right back up. It was extremely clear that Haslem was attempting to injure Hansbrough at the time in retaliation for what Hansbrough had done to Dwayne Wade. As a reminder, the NBA is not a true contact sport. The NHL on the other hand allows fighting and hitting. Haslem was subsequently suspended 1 game which I thought was a light punishment for what he done. Hansbrough could have been seriously injured and that was one of the most obscene acts I had seen on a basketball court in a while.

While I thought the entire incident was ridiculous regarding Haslem, I was appalled after I read this article. Haslem admits to hitting Hansbrough in retaliation, says he would do it again, and says there is nothing he wouldn't do for Wade. Following the Game 6 victory to finish out the series, "Wade got on the team flight with game ball in hand after finishing Indiana with 41 points and 10 rebounds, and he asked his rowdy teammates to please quiet down as he handed that symbolic ball over to Haslem. “For my brother,” Wade said for all to hear. “For his sacrifice. I don’t think we win this series without him.” “Way to cook their asses,” Haslem told Wade.

Is that a joke? Is that actually serious? For everyone who asks me why I hate the NBA, this is why. For everyone who asks me why I hate the Miami Heat, this is why. For everyone who asks me why the NHL is better than the NBA, this is why. What an absolute hypocrisy and a disgrace. While Todd Bertuzzi cries his heart out over what he did, the Miami Heat glorify being a bunch of thugs. While people heckle Bertuzzi everywhere he goes, people love Dwayne Wade and eat up everything he does. While the New Orleans Saints sit in disarray over a bounty scandal, the Miami Heat laugh about hurting other players.

I realize an important factor at play here. Hansbrough was not injured and Steve Moore never played again after the Beruzzi hit. Does that make what Haslem did right? Does that mean he should be bragging in an almost jovial tone about his actions? At a time when members of the New Orleans Saints organization are losing their jobs because of the bounty scandal, Udonis Haslem and Dwayne Wade speak with the media about how they protect and retaliate for each other. Who are the most guilty parties here? While Tyler Hansbrough may not have been injured, were any of the players targeted by the Saints? Did Jonathan Vilma actually injure anyone? How do we know that Dwayne Wade didn't compensate Haslem for his actions?

I know a Heat fan is going to comment on how Haslem gives back to the community, what a great guy, he teaches children how to read, he goes to church every weekend, etc. in response to me calling him a thug. Let me share a story before anyone tries to go there. Last year, while working for a NHL team, I had an opportunity to meet Todd Bertuzzi. Every sports fan in the world fears that if they ever meet their idol, he might end up being a jerk and tarnish the image they have of them. Bertuzzi had just finished playing one of those exceptional games he has every so often where he flashes his brilliance, having scored the game winner and been named first star of the game. I went up to him after the game, shook his hand, and congratulated him on a phenomenal performance. He could not have been any friendlier, humble, or gracious to me. Of all the athletes I have had the honor to meet, he may have been the nicest of them all.

Does that make what he did to Steve Moore right? Absolutely not. But does he deserve to be heckled everywhere he goes while in my eyes, guys like Udonis Haslem are glorified for identical actions? I do not believe so. I end with one final thought. Is the resulting injury truly how we determine whether to glorify or vilify an athlete on a dirty play? Or is there something bigger at play?

How many people talk about Lawrence Taylor ending Joe Theisman's career? Is it race? Is it dependent on the sport? All I know is that as the NBA Playoffs go on, people are going to continue to cheer for a player who in my opinion is an absolute thug who has no right playing, while one of the greatest hockey playoffs of our generation is being forced to live with his mistake every day. One is truly remorseful, and one speaks about it openly with the media while joking with his teammates about it. Who do you think is the bigger thug?

Read

more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/27/2819429/miami-heats-udonis-haslem-shares.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

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Pick of the Day - May 29th

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 33-23-1
Week: 0-1
Month: 16-12

San Antonio Spurs (HOME) (-4.5) OVER Oklahoma City Thunder (AWAY)

Similar to the Los Angeles Kings, the San Antonio Spurs are on a monumental run right now. The Spurs have now won 19 straight dating back to the regular season. That is almost the only stat you need to know. Similar to the streak we went on with the Kings, keep taking the Spurs until they give you a reason not to. 4.5 is a reasonable spread to play although they only won Game 1 by 3 points. I expect San Antonio to win by a larger margin tonight. Take the Spurs.

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HE’S STILL IN THE LEAGUE?

By: Carlos Edwards (@scashhomey)

Two weeks ago, I was relaxing at home and watching the Mavericks vs Thunder playoff game. I knew what the outcome of the game would be before it even started, but I decided to watch anyway for entertainment purposes. Good thing I did, because while watching that game I saw what turned out to be the inspiration of this column. Dirk Nowitzki hit a big shot, and OKC immediately called a time out. While the Mavericks made their way to the bench, the television camera caught a glimpse of a Maverick benchwarmer jumping up and rushing to the court to give his teammates some “dap”. That uber-excited benchwarmer was none other than BRIAN FREAKIN CARDINAL. Upon seeing him, I uttered five words to myself in disbelief, “He’s still in the league?!” 

That’s right, Brian Cardinal has somehow managed to steal money from NBA franchises for 12 SEASONS! I am aware of the fact that BrianCardinal is not a household name, so I will let you know why the fact that he’s still in the NBA has me completely dumbfounded. Over his 12 year career, Brian has averaged a whopping 4.6 points per game. Now I know that scoring is not the only way that a player can help his team win games. For instance, rebounding, assists, steals, and blocked shots also contribute to a team’s success on the basketball court. Along with his 4.6 points, Cardinal has also contributed 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist (notice I didn’t even have to make the word “assist” plural), 0.6 steal, and 0.2 blocked shot per game. Basically Brian has been a non-factor his entire career, yet he has still managed to hang around the league for 12 seasons. Oh, and there’s one other thing that I would like to mention about Mr. Cardinal. He has been paid approximately $39 million for his contributions to the NBA. My wife is always talking about how public education needs to be improved in this country. Just think of what a $39 million cash infusion could do for one of the many struggling school districts across the country. Instead it was given to Brian Cardinal.

I’m just getting started, there’s more….

Jerry Stackhouse picked the Miami Heat to win the NBA championship as the playoffs were starting. On the surface, that sounds fairly harmless, right? Well, there was a major problem with that statement. JERRY STACKHOUSE PLAYS FOR THE ATLANTA HAWKS! Don’t get me wrong, I live in Atlanta, and I know that the Hawks had an absolute 0% chance of winning the NBA championship this year. I can say that because I am a full-time engineer and a part-time sportswriter, not a member of the team. A Hawks player is not allowed to pick another team to win the championship while they are still alive in the playoffs. Upon hearing Stackhouse’s comments, most people in Atlanta were wondering why he would dismiss the possibility of his team winning it all. I had a better question, why is he still in the NBA? Jerry Stackhouse hasn’t been a relevant NBA player since 2007, yet he has still managed to hang around and wear an NBA issued warm-up suit to work every day.

Since Stackhouse picked the Heat to win the title, I may as well mention the player on their roster that makes you ask the question, “He’s still in the league?” That player is none other than Juwan Howard. Juwan was a member of the famed Fab 5 at Michigan, which some people reading this may be too young to even remember. Howard then entered the NBA in 1994. Let’s take a look back at the year 1994. Bill Clinton was in his first term in the White House. Three classic rap albums debuted in 1994, they were “Southernplaylisticcadillacmuzik” by Outkast, “Ready to Die” by the Notorious B.I.G, and “Illmatic” by Nas. All three of these albums are in the unofficial hip-hop hall of fame, and all three are definitely considered old school at this point. At this point in his career teams don’t expect much from Howard, but to his credit he is always ready when called up to grab a couple of rebounds and play better defense than Jamal Crawford when he is needed to give a front-court player a quick breather.

Now let’s get to my personal favorite, Brian Scalabrine. Or as I like to call him, “The Human Victory Cigar.” I have bestowed upon him this nickname for the simple fact that he never plays until either his team has put the game out of hand or their opponent has blown them out. Before I go any further, I must first apologize to Brian Cardinal for making him seem like the ultimate scrub earlier in this column. That title rightfully goes to Brian Scalabrine. Unfortunately for Cardinal, I wrote his section first, so he had to catch the brunt of my sarcasm. When compared to Scalabrine, Cardinal looks like an All-NBA performer. Over the course of his career, Scalabrine has averaged 3.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.8 assist, 0.3 steal, and 0.2 block. Althought these numbers are terrible, I can say one thing with certainty about Scalabrine. He is consistent. In his best season ever, he only averaged 6.1 points. Every other year he has stayed between 1 and 4 points per game. Scalabrine must have carried groceries for old ladies and been a crossing-guard for pre-school children in his former life, because he has definitely been smiled upon in this one. For his miniscule contributions to the game, Scalabrine has been paid over $20 million and has lasted 11 NBA seasons. Go figure!

These are not the only players that you will be shocked find out are still in the league. These are only players that have managed to steal money from playoff teams. There is also Tony Battie in Philadelphia, who played the role of designated rebounder for those Celtic teams that featured the two biggest ball hogs in NBA history (Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker). Then there’s Jamaal Tinsley. You may remember him, he was the point guard of the Pacers during the Ron Artest (before the name change) and Jermaine O’neal (before the knee surgeries) era. Tinsley was a good player, who somehow ended up out of the league last season. This season he is back as the backup point guard in Utah. Since Utah doesn’t play many nationally televised games, the casual fan may have been shocked to see him back on the court when the playoffs begun.

Although I know it is indeed a fact, and that I wrote about it above, I’m still in shock that Brian Scalabrine is still in the league. Somewhere Mateen Cleaves is shouting, “WHY NOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

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Pick of the Day - May 28th

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 33-22-1
Last Week: 5-2
Month: 16-11

Detroit Tigers (AWAY) (FISTER) (+120) OVER Boston Red Sox (HOME) (DOUBRONT)

It seems like no matter what team Doug Fister plays for, he fails to get run support. When he was on a bad Seattle team last year he did not accumulate many victories despite having a fantastic ERA. He is still in search of his first victory this year despite a 1.84 ERA. Don't be fooled by his winless record. Fister is a solid starter and the Tigers are 3-0 this year against the Red Sox. Take the Tigers to win.

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Where Do The Lakers Go From Here?

By: NIck Bartlett

The Big 3 of L.A.

Everyone knows and talks about the “Big 3″ of Miami, but what about the “Big 3″ of the Lakers? Think about it: Kobe is a top 2 SG, Pau is a top 5 PF, and Bynum is a top 2 C in the league. Put that all together and you’d think you’d have a Championship contender, right? A lethal scorer surrounded by what could be the most skilled starting front court in the league? Unfortunately for L.A. that’s not enough in the Wild West as they were taken care of quite easily by the OKC Thunder in 5 games.

Obviously, Pau and Bynum have not played like top 5 big men in playoffs the last couple years. So what now? One thing is for sure: change needs to happen.

****ing basketball reasons…

You can blame Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers front office for not making a move earlier or surrounding the team with better assets, but we all know “basketball reasons” spurned their first attempt. I’m not here to dwell on that because the Lakers need to adapt to the situation and try and fix this mess. The problem is that it’s not going to be easy at all. They’ve dug themselves into financial trouble and the value of their two big men plummeted after this year’s playoffs.

Kobe

This year proved that Kobe is still Kobe. He continues to play and score at a very high rate regardless of his age (33). He’s still got a couple more years for the Lakers to build around him, but they need to find teammates that he can trust.

Interesting stat: In the last 5 games the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, Kobe has averaged 0.8 assists a game. That’s 4 assists in those 5 games combined! Yikes! Clearly he can’t do it all by himself. He needs to be able to trust his teammates in these situations. For a guy to have the ball as much as him and average that little of assists is absurd.

That being said, he’s still the cornerstone of the franchise and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. But there’s no question he needs to be more of a facilitator. In order to do that, understandably, he needs teammates that are going to be more aggressive and effective.

Pau

Gasol has been criticized on and off for being soft his entire career. Well he sure put that debate to rest during this postseason. And I don’t mean that in a good way. He’s soft! Although he rebounded decently, he didn’t establish himself in the post at all and was physically outmatched by Serge Ibaka. It was frustrating to watch him be so unassertive.

No doubt Pau is very talented, but has he reached his peak? He is 31 years old and has been in the league for quite some time. I’d say it’s definitely time to part ways with the Lakers, but who wants that $19 million a year contract? Hopefully the Rockets still want him, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t going to give Kyle Lowry up for him (only player worth serious value to the Lakers). Otherwise, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Timberwolves tried teaming Rubio and Gasol up even though they already have Kevin Love.

The best move for the Lakers…brace yourself…might be to amnesty clause Pau. I know it’s radical, but clearly there needs to be a change and . They probably won’t even consider this, but it would clear up cap space to build around Kobe and Bynum and would allow for more flexibility with all of their luxury tax issues. If they can’t find a reasonable suitor for a trade, then setting Pau and his massive contract free could be a decent option.

Bynum

During the regular season, I was seriously beginning to think that Bynum had overtaken Dwight Howard as the best center in the league. I was very impressed with his low-post moves and how he was able to utilize his exceptional size and touch around the basket. Although he is more skilled, I realize that his was a bit overzealous and that he’s not quite as enforcing as Dwight. But, I really though he’d taken the next step to helping the Lakers get back to prominence in the Western Conference.

Then, his attitude started kicking in. I understand that he’s just 24, but he’s been in the league for 7 years now! He’s not that 17 year old kid who was the youngest player ever drafted anymore. He needs to grow up. The Lakers need to find someone to mentor him and his ego. The guy is a tremendous talent and the best center in the West. If they can get his attitude and demeanor under control, he could become a dominant force in the NBA.

The playoffs was the same story. A very inconsistent effort culminated with an embarrassing 10 pt, 4 reb. performance in Game 5 capped off Bynum’s 2012 playoffs. His attitude problems looked to be on display again when things were going poorly. I don’t think it’s something to panic about because there is no better option in the West, but it’s something that the Lakers must address thoroughly in the off-season.

It’s definitely not time to let him go unless they can somehow swap him with Dwight Howard. After this postseason, however, that isn’t going to be anything the Magic and going to be looking at very seriously. For now, the Lakers need to continue to work with Bynum to get him to reach his full potential. At just 24 years old, there still is time. But it’s running out, especially with Kobe not getting any younger.

The Point Guards

I definitely felt like picking up Ramon Sessions was a very solid move by the Lakers and thought he’d be a perfect fit with the team. But he’s never been a consistent starting point guard in the NBA and it showed once he joined the Lakers. He’s solid and provides good scoring on occasion, but he really isn’t that much of an upgrade from Derek Fisher. If anything, I figured Steve Blake would be the one to go instead of the Lakers leader in Fisher.

Clearly Sessions wasn’t the answer as Russell Westbrook continued to expose the lack of a solid point guard on the Lakers. Once again, I’m sure Kupchak and the rest of the front office are shaking their heads and cursing “basketball reasons” knowing that Chris Paul could be on their team.

As of now, the Lakers are going to have to continue to roll with Sessions at the point unless he decides to opt out and become a free agent. He’s a decent temporary fix, but he’s far from the elite point guard CP3 would have been for the Lakers or a PG that can lead them over the Thunder or Spurs in the West.

Metta/Bench

Metta World Peace is a very good defender and can be a surprisingly streaky shooter at times, but he’s really not a very efficient player overall. I don’t think I need to get into his emotional problems, too.

After that, the Lakers have arguably a worse bench than the Miami Heat (believe it or not). A total of 5 points from the bench in the elimination Game 5 against the Thunder is simply not going to cut it. There is just no depth whatsoever on this team. The Lakers have to find more productive and formidable role players that can contribute off the bench.

No Draft Picks

Just a quick reminder that the Lakers also don’t have a 1st round draft pick this year or next. This is just adding insult to injury with the financial problems they have along with lack of depth. Draft picks are a great way to either pick up solid young talent or leverage in a trade. Unfortunately neither is an option for the Lakers at this point.

Grim Future?

Well now what? As this season has drawn to a close, what is there to look forward to for the Lakers? Somehow they need to dig themselves out of the giant luxury tax hole they’ve already dug (yeah that doesn’t make a lot of sense). Free agency is out of the question until they can figure out their financial situation.

• They need to trade Pau Gasol. If they can’t find a trade partner, then amnesty him.
• Continue to develop Bynum, emotionally more than anything.
• Ask Kobe if he’ll take less money to open up flexibility 
• Somehow develop some depth/better define roles
• Pray

It’s not looking good for the Lakers is what I’ve concluded because of none other than…sigh…damn basketball reasons…

Let me know what you think the Lakers should do!

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