Kevin F*kin Durant

Just letting you guys know. my new favorite player is the next GOAT. After he dropped 47 yesterday with a nice clutch 3 only to have the game stolen by Chris Paul, I KNOW we’re experiencing something special. He strokes it well from 3 (that’s how he won HORSE) and he can dominate whenever he feels like it. Even when he’s having an off game he’s pretty much amazing. KD is currently 4th in the L in scoring (yes, you read that correctly), ahead of studs Dirk, Granger, and anyone not named Kobe, LeBron, or Dwyane.

January: 27.8 PPG on 49.4% FG, 39.6% 3PT, 88.5% FT, 3.7 AST, 8.8 REB, 1.4 ST
February: 33.1 PPG on 52.9% FG, 56% 3PT, 85.2% FT, 3.6 AST, 6.1 REB, 1.3 ST

YEAARARARARARAAAAAAAAAARGGH!!!

I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist.

RIP Seattle Supersonics

You will be sorely missed.

Grades on the 2008 NBA Draft

Atlanta Hawks
Picks: None.
Grade: None

Boston Celtics
Picks: J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker, Semih Erden
Grade: C
Walker isn’t necessarily a bad pick at his spot (47), in fact, that deep in the draft, you draft for upside and possible breakout players. J.R. Giddens at 30, on the other hand, means the Celtics passed up Chalmers (youth behind Rondo, even though they have House) and CDR, better prospects than Giddens. Erden won’t pan out.

Charlotte Bobcats
Picks: D.J. Augustin, Alexis Ajinca, Kyle Weaver
Grade: B
D.J. Augustin is a risky pick at 9, but the Bobcats need to get lucky, and quick. Augustin is one of a very few players that has the chance of becoming even better in the NBA than they were in college, despite his small size. He’s listed at 5′11″ and will have trouble against the bigger guards, but he has a shot at being Mr. Chris Paul Lite. Ajinca, in my opinion, will be terrible. He put up horrible numbers overseas (5 PPG in the French league). This pick could have been used way better. Kyle Weaver might end up taking their starting PG position if he plays solid ball – you don’t see 6′6 combo guards who can play point every day. He had a really nice A/TO ratio in his senior year and shot decent PCTs.

Chicago Bulls
Picks: Derrick Rose, Omer Asik
Grade: A-
Decent picks. Everyone knows about Rose (even though I think Beasley and Love both turn out better), and Asik has a chance actually play in the NBA. Pretty good for a 2nd rounder.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Picks: J.J. Hickson, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun
Grade: B-
Hickson has a slight chance of making the rotation (since everyone not named LeBron on this team is pretty much mediocre). I think LeBron’s still leaving for big money out East in 2010, unless they make some big moves.

Dallas Mavericks
Picks: Shan Foster
Grade: B
For their remaining pick (first rounder was traded for JKidd), not a bad selection that deep. Every team can use another white guy who can spot up in the corner and knock down threes.

Denver Nuggets
Picks: Sonny Weems
Grade: C
Could have drafted a better player here (CDR), or picked up an international player like Ante Tomic as trade bait for future picks or players since they’re already over the cap. I don’t see Weems being higher than 12th man.

Detroit Pistons
Picks: Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington
Grade: C-
These are all late picks. Sharpe put up good numbers but is turnover-prone, Plaisted is a 6′10 white center (not going to work), and there’s no way Washington makes the roster.

Golden State Warriors
Picks: Anthony Randolph, Richard Hendrix
Grade:  B+
Another tall long guy in Randolph. He’s probably better than Wright though. Richard Hendrix is a really good prospect for that deep in the draft. Now that Boom Dizzle is off the roster though, maybe they should have drafted a PG. Noone expected it though, so pretty solid job based on what they knew.

Houston Rockets
Picks: Donte Greene, Joey Dorsey, Maarty Leunen
Grade: A
Yes, I’m biased. But this grade is perfectly logical. If you guys were paying attention to Daryl Morey, he drafted Nicolas Batum at 25 (to cockblock the Spurs at 26), traded it down for picks 27 and 33 (Darrell Arthur and Joey Dorsey), and then traded 27 Darrell Arthur for 28 Donte Greene and a 2009 2nd rounder (probably high, since its from Memphis). So from one #25 pick, the Rockets GM changed it into pick 28, 33, and a high 2009 2nd rounder. Greene is very tall for a SF (6′10) but he has very poor shot selection and probably can’t play a lick of defense. He’s a pretty large project, when we need help now. Dorsey, on the other hand, was the backcourt anchor of the solid defensive Memphis team. He can contribute immediately. Maarty Leunen of Oregon is yet another white boy who can shoot, a role already filled by Steve Novak. Impressive maneuvering by Morey, but could have drafted better. Hopefully the rookies prove me wrong.

Indiana Pacers
Picks: Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert
Grade: A
By all accounts, Brandon Rush was one of the most polished all around players in the draft. A Roy-esque player who plays both sides of the ball well, shoots decent percentages. A great draft-day trade by Larry Legend. Hibbert used to be highly touted, but his stock has fallen as of late due to people feeling like he has already reached a ceiling of sorts.

LA Clippers
Picks: Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Mike Taylor
Grade: A-
After the Davis trade, the Clippers don’t look quite so stupid for passing on Bayless after all. Letting Maggette get away to possibly keep Brand and Davis could be one of the best moves the franchise has made in a long time. Gordon will provide solid offense at the two spot. Jordan was also another player who saw his stock fall as of late, so he could end up a solid contributor. Taylor will not.

LA Lakers
Picks: Joe Crawford
Grade: C
Who? A late pick at #58 rarely pans out. Shoulda went with Demarcus.

Memphis Grizzlies
Picks: O.J. Mayo, Darrell Arthur
Grade: A
Mayo has a shot at being one of the few true superstars in the league, so I understand their trade entirely. Its too good of a deal to pass up. Certainly a gamble, but he rarely shot poorly in college. Most of his bad rap is from the USC bribe scandal and all that, but he’s a solid player to build around. They lost Mike Miller though, and took on a bad contract. Arthur was the story of the night when he was in the Green Room and didn’t get picked until 27. I felt bad for him man. He’s a solid prospect who shouldn’t have dropped as far as he did. Good pick ups.

Miami Heat
Picks: Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers
Grade: A+
Amazing. Miami goes from the worst team in the L to a very solid, young core.
Chalmers/Wade/Marion?/Beasley/Blount? Mourning? Who the hell starts at C for the Heat? I have no idea, since I don’t watch bad teams. Anyways, their starting lineup next season is Beastley.

Milwaukee Bucks
Picks: Joe Alexander, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
Grade: C-
Alexander is a good athlete from Taiwan who can speak Mandarin. He likes to dunk. A lot. I liked this pick before the RJ trade, but now Alexander is playing behind RJ, and even with Redd and Jefferson, the Bucks are still going nowhere, even in the East. Maybe I’m wrong and Ramon Sessions will bring them to the promised land. But Mbah a Moute is also a SF so they’re clogged at the 3 spot. Unless they make some trades, drafting for talent isn’t the smartest of ideas when you make a win-now splash like Jefferson.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Picks: Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic
Grade: A+
Freed some cap space while trading for Miller and Love. Amazing deal. Love will probably end up as a 16/8 type of player and Miller is already a bomber so can’t be noted as a bad trade unless Mayo averages 25+ PPG.

New Jersey Nets
Picks: Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts
Grade: A+
They traded for cap relief by picking up Yi and now they can make a move for LeBron down the line. All of their picks were pretty solid. B Lopez can play D, Anderson might be the “who?” sleeper of the draft, and Chris Douglas-Roberts might have a vendetta against the 29 other teams that passed him up. A steal at 40. Maybe it’ll all pan out and they’ll have a good young team.

New Orleans Hornets
Picks: None
Grade: None

New York Knicks
Picks: Danilo Gallinari
Grade: C+
Seems like a project even though he’s one of the best Euro youngins. A really high draft pick here, could have traded down two spots or so and picked up some assets. This seems like one of those players that a few years down the line you’re like “whoa! this guy was a #6 pick? what were they thinking?”. Unless, of course, he turns into some sort of Dirk-esque eurosauce.

Orlando Magic
Picks: Courtney Lee
Grade: A+
Very good pick for 22. I had done some scouting of my own (on Youtube) and was personally hoping that Lee would fall to the Rockets at 25. Sad. A good SG scorer.

Philadelphia 76ers
Picks: Marreese Speights
Grade: B
The 76ers get another tall athletic black guy. He shot decent percentages in college and didn’t turn over the ball much. Might end up being a very solid pick down the line.

Phoenix Suns
Picks: Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic
Grade B-
I don’t think Lopez would have slipped much farther than Phoenix, so all in all the pick ended up pretty good. I think the Suns might have to shut it down though. They should go into rebuilding mode by trading everyone away because they are far too old and with no team identity. Plus, everyone knows how to hack-a-Shaq by now.

Portland Trail Blazers
Picks: Jerryd Bayless, Nicolas Batum
Grade A+
Some clever maneuvering gets the Blazers Bayless. Bayless is more of a tweener, but playing next to Roy who can handle the ball the majority of the time will benefit both of them. Batum is a project but has a chance to be very good. Especially if the Spurs liked him. God, this team is going to be scary 2-3 years down the line.

Sacramento Kings
Picks: Jason Thompson, Sean Singletary, Patrick Ewing Jr.
Grade: C+
Man I have no idea what the Kings are doing. Thompson at 12?? Seems like he had a good workout, or something.

San Antonio Spurs
Picks: George Hill, Malik Hairston, James Gist
Grade: C+
Hill is from IUPUI. What the hell. anyways the Spurs know what they’re doing so its hard to question them.

Seattle Supersonics
Picks: Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, D.J. White, DeVon Hardin
Grade: B-
Westbrook? Seriously? I think the Sonics could have grabbed Love at 4 to solidify their frontcourt. They had so many draft picks though, one of them is probably a gem.

Toronto Raptors
Picks: Nathan Jawai
Grade: B
Might be a good backup. Probably not.

Utah Jazz
Picks: Kosta Koufos, Ante Tomic, Tadija Dragicevic
Grade B+
Koufos is a good backup C. The others are tradebait.

Washington Wizards
Picks: JaVale McGee
Grade: C-
I don’t think he’ll pan out.

Tayshaun Prince is a monster

In case you haven’t seen it, this is the game-clinching block on Hedo:

This guy is sick. He definitely should have been on the first all-defensive team.

The epitome of a classless fan

Houston Rockets 07-08 Season Wrapup and Other Equally Depressing News

So T-Mac and the Rockets’ first round woes continue into 2008. Luck wasn’t on our side, as almost all of the Rockets starters (four out of five) were injured to the point of needing surgery:

Battier had a procedure to remove bone spurs from his left ankle, while Alston had ligament and tendon damage repaired in his right ankle. Dr. Tom Clanton, the team physician, told the Houston Chronicle that no structural damage was found in the ligament or cartilage of McGrady’s knee. Loose particles were removed from both the knee and the shoulder. And of course, Yao continued to be plagued by foot injuries for the last three seasons (after an initial 3 full injury-free seasons). He was out for the last two months of the season with a stress fracture in his foot, fixed by putting a screw in the broken bone.

Anyways this year the Rockets saw significant improvement in the PF position, switching from a super-old Juwan Howard and Chuck Hayes to a prime-age, Euro-superstar flopper-machine Luis Scola and a young gap-toothed spring-stepped Carl Landry, with Chuck Hayes backing up Mutumbo at center after Yao went out. Aaron Brooks showed some flashes of promise, hopefully next season he can be a reliable backup point guard who burns people on the offensive end. Its going to be really hard to improve his defense though, since he can’t really work on his height or size. Novak went through some significant development, ending up with really solid shooting numbers while still remaining trashy on defense. I’d really hate to see him get traded to a team that doesn’t play defense because I can really see him dropping 20 ppg on a trash team.

Midseason and midstreak we saw Mike James and Bonzi traded for Bobby Jackson. I really liked the trade salary wise, since MJ’s contract was huge and he is hugely washed up now. I really hated to see Bonzi leave even though he has lots of haters who say he’s a locker room cancer. Bonzi was a far superior backup 2guard for TMac because he altered the look of the offense by providing offensive rebounding (which we sorely missed against the Jazz) and mismatches by posting up smaller guards. BJax also shouldn’t be getting major minutes. One of the reasons we got badly burned the first two playoff games: BJax is too old to play consistently or to run the offense.

Anyways off season and next season to do list for the Houston Rockets:
1. Add a third scorer, even if it means trading Battier or going over the salary cap.
2. Get a reliable backup two-guard instead of Luther Head
3. Stay healthy.
4. Stay healthy.
5. Stay healthy.
6. Keep Yao’s minutes low, so he can stay healthy.
7. Get a backup PG if BJax and AB aren’t cutting it.
8. Increase size in lineup.
9. Convince Deke to stay another year.
10. Stay healthy.

In other news, top prospect out of China (the best since Yao), Xu Yong, a 6-8 200 lb athletic (actually athletic, not like Yi or Yao) swingman was recently diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening form of bone cancer, so he is likely not going to make the jump to the NBA anymore. He’s also probably going to stop playing basketball. That really sucks.

Some Youtube videos:

Charles Barkley has a fat ass, and the changing of the coaches

Hey guys, first post. Been busy so haven’t had much time to drop some lines.

Also, if you haven’t seen this already take a look. Charles describes how he was so successful in the NBA, his fat ass:

So D’Antoni to the Knicks is a done deal today, and Carlisle to the Mavs was locked up and confirmed by Cuban a while ago. I know these all seem like improvements for the teams but I don’t really see the Mavs noticeably improving under Carlisle. Everyone thinks that the Mavs had their one shot against DWade and the Big Cactus and I’m not one to disagree. Their window of opportunity is pretty much closed. After two more seasons it will probably become painfully clear that Avery was doing a really good job of shoring up whatever holes that ship had.

D’Antoni has a far more favorable position in New York: even if Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry can’t run and gun like he likes, he still gets paid big bucks. Also, he’s lucky because the Knicks have been so bad that it’s really hard seeing them get any worse. Hopefully the team is improved to get some more balance between the conferences. I’d also like to see Avery end up in Chicago, just to see if he can turn that team around.

I’m wondering who the Suns are going to pick up to replace D’Antoni. Steve Nash will have a hard time playing a half court game and his defensive flaws will be really exposed under a slower, more methodical coach. The man may be a machine, but he’s a really old creaky one too.