2002 High School Grads

Okay, a lot of this blog has been about what's going on now, and what will happen in the future... it's time to take it back, way back, back into time (remember that Blackstreet song?).

These HS rankings are according to scout.com. Let's start out with the Hoopers.


(NR means Not Rated, scout.com rated players at a position until they feel like there is a major dropoff and the rest of the players are given stars - the more the better).

Point Guards
1. Raymond Felton - UNC
2. Daniel Horton - Michigan
3. Anthony Roberson - Florida
4. Chris Rodgers - Arizona
5. Dee Brown - Illinois
6. Sean Dockery - Duke
7. Elijah Ingram - St. Johns (NY)
8. Gerry McNamara - Syracuse
9. Jarrett Jack - Georgia Tech
10. Bryan Hopkins - SMU
11. John Gilchrist - Maryland
12. Deron Williams - Illinois
13. Justin Grey - Wake Forest
14. Chris Quinn - Notre Dame
15. Dedrick Finn - Xavier
Others - 24. Donnie McGrath, Providence - NR Louis Hinnant, Boston College

Shooting Guards
1. Rashad McCants - UNC
2. J.J. Redick - Duke
3. Bracey Wright - Indiana
4. Hassan Adams - Arizona
5. Rashad Anderson - UConn
6. Brandon Roy - Washington
7. Randy Foye - Villanova
8. Marshall Strickland - Indiana
9. Jimmy McKinney - Missouri
10. Allen Ray - Villanova
11. Vincent Grier - Charlotte
12. Matt Walsh - Florida
13. Maurice Ager - Michigan State
14. Chris McCray - Maryland
15. Jeremy Hunt - Memphis
Others - 16. Robert Hite, Miami (FL) - 17. Taguan Dean, Louisville - 25. Quincy Douby, Rutgers - NR Patrick Beilein, West Virginia - NR Marcellus Kemp, Nevada

Small Forwards
1. Carmelo Anthony - Syracuse
2. Lenny Cooke - Never Made It (STORY)
3. Evan Burns - UCLA (then San Diego St.)
4. Kennedy Winston - Alabama
5. Antoine Wright - Texas A&M
JC - Qyntel Woods - Memphis
6. Andre Iguodala - Arizona
7. Denham Brown - UConn
8. Kelenna Azubuike - Kentucky
9. Curtis Sumpter - Villanova
10. J.R. Morris - Seton Hall
11. Erick Hicks - Cincinnati
12. Lester Abram - Michigan
13. Antonio Lawrence - San Jose St.
14. Marquis Kately - California
15. Francisco Garcia - Louisville
16. Derrick Byers - Virginia (then Vandy)
17. Steve Novak - Marquette
Others - 24. Nik Caner-Medley, Maryland - 25. Brandon Bowman, Georgetown - NR Trent Strickland, Wake Forest - NR Bobby Jones, Washington - NR David Noel, North Carolina - NR Rodney Carney, Memphis

Power Forwards
1. Paul Davis - Michigan State
2. Chris Bosh - Georgia Tech
3. Sheldon Williams - Duke
4. DeAngelo Collins - Never Made It (STORY, NOW)
5. Sean May - North Carolina
6. Shavlik Randolph - Duke
7. Brad Buckman - Texas
8. Sani Ibrahim - Never Made It (Draft Profile)
9. Travis Garrison - Maryland
10. Kevin Bookout - Oklahoma
11. Alexander Johnson - Florida State
12. Greg Brunner - Iowa
13. Almany Thiero - Memphis
14. James Augustine - Illinois
15. Chuck Davis - Alabama
Others - 23. Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia - NR Herbert Hill, Providence

Centers
1. Amare Stoudemire - NBA (Almost Memphis)
2. Jason Fraser - Villanova
3. Torin Francis - Notre Dame
4. Eric Williams - Wake Forest
5. Mike Thompson - Duke
6. Mario Boggan - Florida/JC/Okla St.
7. Julius Lamptey - Never Made It
8. Ike Diogu - Arizona State
9. Keith Butler - Temple
10. Matt Haryasz - Stanford
Others - NR Hilton Armstrong, UConn - NR Rafael Araujo, BYU - NR Andrew Bogut, Utah

NOW LETS TAKE IT TO THE GRIDIRON...

Quarterback
1. Vince Young - Texas
2. Trent Edwards - Stanford
3. Ben Olson - BYU (then UCLA)
4. Reggie McNeal - Texas A&M
5. Gavin Dickey - Florida
6. Marcus Vick - Virginia Tech
7. James Banks - Tennessee (WR)
8. Tyler Palko - Pittsburgh
9. Isaiah Stanback - Washington
10. Brandon Cox - Auburn
Others - 14. Justin Zwick, Ohio State - 15. Troy Smith, Ohio State - 16. Drew Olson, UCLA - 30. Steve Breaston, Michigan (WR) - 35. Will Proctor, Clemson

Runningback
1. Lorenzo Booker - Florida State
2. Ciatrick Fason - Florida
3. Michael Johnson - Virginia
4. Gerald Riggs - Tennessee
5. Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
6. DeShawn Wynn - Florida
7. Justin Vincent - LSU
8. Jason Allen - Tennessee
9. David Richard - Michigan State
10. Paul Mosley - Baylor
Others - 12. Hershal Dennis, USC - 17. Selvin Young, Texas - 26. Jerious Norwood, Miss. State - 51. Kenny Irons, South Carolina (then Auburn) - 57. Reggie Merriweather, Clemson - NR Clifton Dawson, Northwestern (then Harvard), NR DeAngelo Williams, Arkansas (then Memphis)

Wide Receiver
1. Ryan Moore - Miami (FL)
2. Dishon Platt - Florida State
3. Rhema McKnight - Notre Dame
4. Chris Davis - Florida State
5. Akieem Jolla - Miami (FL)
6. Marquis Johnson - Texas
7. Michael Jefferson - Arizona
8. Travis Wilson - Oklahoma
9. Joel Filani - Texas Tech
10. Jason Avant - Michgan
11. Ben Obomanu - Auburn
12. Maurice Stovall - Notre Dame
13. Santonio Holmes - Ohio State
14. Broderic Jones - Tulsa
15. Larry Fitzgerald - Pittsburgh
Others - 32. Wali Lundy, Virginia (RB) - 34. Troy Williamson, South Carolina - 51. Sinorice Moss, Miami (FL) - 73. Chansi Stuckey, Clemson - 75. Mike Williams, USC - 90. Dejaun Woods, Oklahoma State

Tight End
1. Marcedes Lewis - UCLA
2. Eric Winston - Miami (FL)
3. Curtis Justus - Miami (FL)
4. Leonard Pope - Georgia
5. Lonnie Davis - Florida State
6. Matt Herian - Nebraska
7. R.J. Coleman - Ohio State
8. Aaron Kirkland - Tennessee
9. Stan White - Ohio State
10 Jesse Taylor - Washington State
Others - 12. Anthony Fasano, Notre Dame - 17. Davis Thomas, Texas

Sorry OL, DL - No Love 4 Ya'll

Linebacker
1. Mike D'Andrea - Ohio State
2. A.J. Nicholson - Florida State
3. Ahmad Brooks - Virginia
4. Berkeley Hutchinson - Rutgers
5. Kai Parham - Virginia
6. Aaron Harris - Texas
7. Marvin Byrdsong - Mississippi State
8. Buster Davis - Florida State
9. Kelvin Flood - Texas A&M
10. Ricardo Hurley - South Carolina
Others - 16. Dominique Byrd, USC (TE) - 18. Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma - 22. Bobby Carpenter, Ohio State - 32. A.J. Hawk, Ohio State - 38. Brian Leonard, Rutgers (FB)

Safety
1. Pat Watkins - Florida State
2. Darnell Bing - USC
3. Darren Williams - Mississippi State
4. Kyle Brown - Michigan State
5. Brodney Pool - Oklahoma
6. Eric McNeal - UCLA
7. Mike Nixon - UCLA
8. Vincent Mays - Fresno State
9. Vickiel Vaughn - Arkansas
10. Anthony Wright - Texas A&M
Others - 20. Dallas Sartz, USC (LB) - 27. Brandon Meriweather, Miami (FL) - J.J. Billingsley, Colorado - 34. Jimmy Williams, Virginia Tech - 64. Dashon Goldson, Washington

Cornerback
1. Devin Hester - Miami (FL)
2. A.J. Davis - North Carolina State
3. Edorian McCullough - Texas
4. Mike Hawkins - Oklahoma
5. Jason Carter - Oklahoma
6. Richard Washington - North Carolina State
7. Will Blackmon - Boston College
8. Aaron Miller - Oklahoma
9. Leon Washington - Florida State (RB)
10. Nicholas Turner - Mississippi State
Others - 11. Aaron Ross, Texas - 19. Skyler Green, LSU (WR) - 31. Justin Wyatt, USC

So there you have it. The High School Grads of 2002. I am sure you know a lot of the names but there are many people on these lists who did not live up to their potential. Check back in a few days and I'll break down the 2003 class.

Team Dime Worth A Dime

I used to be a BIG Mike Bibby fan... he used to kill in college and then those years where the Kings were relevant, he was the man.

With that said... I am going to fry him right now. And not just because he was the worst tattoos in the NBA.


My God Brother lived in Sacramento so I can understand his bias, but I could not let him tell me that Mike Bibby is a good PG still.

Now I'm not a big stat guy, but I will admit stats do assist in the judgment of player's productivity. Like in the NFL, runningbacks who are considered elite runningbacks have to get 1,000 yards in a year. Elite pitchers in baseball should get at least 15 wins. There are statistical plateaus in every sport that help us identify who the premier players are at the position.

For point guards in the NBA, it's about how much offense you can produce. The formula I'm going to use is POINTS + (ASSISTS x 2.5) = POINTS PRODUCED. I multiply the assists by 2.5 because some assists lead to 3 pointers and some would-be-assists turn into points at the free throw line.

Using this formula, there is a point producing plateau of 30 points per game. The elite point guards in the NBA are producing over 30 points a game... and Mike Bibby isn't doing that. Readers Beware: If you are a Mike Bibby fan, or Mike Bibby, these numbers might scare you.


Here are the top producing PGs in the NBA:

47.6 - Steve Nash
44.3 - Allen Iverson
43.4 - Gilbert Arenas
40.4 - Baron Davis
39.5 - Deron Williams
39.5 - Chris Paul
36.0 - Jason Kidd
35.0 - Chauncy Billiups
33.8 - TJ Ford
32.9 - Andre Miller
32.6 - Mo Williams
32.4 - Tony Parker
32.1 - Kirk Hinrich
31.5 - Raymond Felton
30.4 - Ben Gordon
30.1 - Jamal Tinsley

PLATEAU

29.9 - Stephon Marbury
29.7 - Jason Terry
28.9 - MIKE BIBBY
25.6 - Brevin Knight
23.8 - Jameer Nelson (shockingly low; Orlando wants to build around this guy???)

That's pretty much the bottom of the barrel of point guards who really don't share time. Excluding Allen Iverson who is really a 2 guard., and either Hinrich OR Gordon because one of them is technically a 2 guard, that puts 14 PGs over the plateau and Bibby is coming in at 17th in the NBA. That's the bottom half of the NBA.

His 2004-2005 season he produced 36.6 points a game for his team. He doesn't have the same guys around him but that should increase the team's need for him to score, but yet's it's gone down by 2ppg. If he is a scoring point guard, he need to do way better than the 17ppg with 40% shooting from the field he put out last year. You either have to put up major points or set up teammates. He is doing neither.

I really do think he has a case of the I-Don't-Give-A-F***s... Vince Carter got them in Toronto, Randy Moss got them in Oakland. Maybe he'll be moved and with a fresh start on a contender he can give them better than average point guard play. He's is not damaged goods yet, but he is far from an elite guard in the NBA.

I didn't even talk about his defense, HA! For right now, we'll just leave it with him not being an elite guard and needing to do, or create more of these (below)... a ball going through what I think is a rims and what I think is supposed to be a net.

10 Reasons Why... Warriors Won't Make Playoffs

Some of you believed me when I said the Heat are not going to make the playoffs this year, but hopefully more of you will see the light after I explain the top 10 reasons why the Warriors will not make the playoffs this year.

10. Baron Davis is going to retire and pursue a career in fashion design because Deron Williams killed him in the playoffs last year.

9. Al Harrington is still their best post player.

8. Stephen Jackson hasn't "set it off" in Tha Town yet.

7. Everyone on the team has a shoot-first mentality.

6. Snoop's identity crisis. We don't know where his loyalties are, therefore we do not know who he will support this year. Snoop helped LA get 3 rings this decade but if he isn't backing the Warriors, ther are doomed.


5. Five teams are a lock to make the playoffs in the West, even if they have some injuries.

5A. Houston
5B. Dallas
5C. San Antonio
5D. Phoenix
5E. Utah

That leaves everyone else fighting for the last 3 spots.

4. Don Nelson's drinking problems.

3. The 3 teams who I think will get the last playoffs spots all got better.

3A. Denver - First full year of AI and Melo.
3B. Los Angeles - Derek Fisher is an improvement at PG and Andrew Bynum has developed well.
3C. New Orleans - Byfar, the most injured team last year is now a complete and healthy team.

2. Baron Davis will never play 82 games in a season and he will need to if the Warriors have a chance.

1. No Jason Richardson. Really the backbone of this franchise this decade was traded for trade bait. Anytime you lose a 20+ppg scorer it's going to hurt. You can say the development of Barnes and Ellis and pickin up Belinelli will help fill the void but you can only have 5 guys on the court at once. In the 4th quarter, they are going to have one less superstar on the court. His replacement (whichever one of the previously mentioned 3) is not as good as he is, it's actually a major drop off.

This team finished 16-5 and barely got into the playoffs last year. This year, the teams they are competing against to get into the playoffs got better and they got worse. Sorry Warriors fans, they are not making the playoffs this year.

I'll still be going to the games though. Please Uncle Steve.

10 Reasons Why... Heat Won't Make Playoffs

That's right. I do not think the Heat are going to make the playoffs. Here are my top 10 reasons why.

10. Jason Williams, Smush Parker and Chris Quinn are the point guards.

9. The Refs only cheat for D-Wade in the NBA Finals.

8. Since D-Wade in 03, they haven't had a first round pick who has panned out.

7. After being the 27th best 3 point shooting team with Kapono, they will be the worst 3 point shooting team in the league this year. That means... more people hanging all over Shaq in the paint, and more people in the key beatin' up on D-Wade when he gets into the paint. Hack-A-Shaq is back!

6. Alonzo Mourning gets significant time on the Miami Heat. If that's sentence isn't convincing enough, check this video out. Top 10 Dunks on Zo.

5. Penny Hardaway. You know you are desperate when you are taking leftovers from the New York Knicks. I think they'd be better of signing Lil' Penny. Remember him? That was about 10 years ago, he should have grown a little bit since then.

4. Shaq's divorce, age and his injuries will take it's toll on the Big Man.

3. McDavid hasn't come out with a full body bubble suit that which allows a natural shooting motion.

2. They are one of the few teams in the Eastern Conference who got worse in the off-season.

1. Antoine Walker - He is probably happy that Kapono is on the Raptors now because he thinks he is now the 3 point specialist. Also with James Posey in Boston now he'll play more minutes (which is bad). And if Shaq/D-Wade is hurt, he'll think he needs to single handedly make up for their point production. Let's just hope they are never both out at the same time, it'll be the Antoine Walker show. I don't really wanna see this fat boy shimmey anymore.

Do They Really Deserve This Much Coin?

For 07/08 season, the NBA has a gaggle of players who are paid well beyond their means. When you talk about getting bang for your buck, these guys shoot blanks. It's stupid owners and GMs, such as Mark Cuban and Isiah Thomas, who are often the reason why.Here's a list of 10 overpaid players for 07/08:

1. $18,593,750 - Michael Finley - Dallas and San Antonio write his Texas-sized check but c'mon, at this point in his career, he shouldn't even be starting on a contender.
2. $17,148,375 - Stephon Marbury - at $14.98 a pair, the league's highest paid point guard could buy 1,147,048 pairs of Starbury One's with his yearly salary and get every homeless person in NYC a few pairs of new kicks.










3. $16,440,000 - Steve Francis - Did you know that four Steve Francises on one team would put it on the brink of busting through the NBA's $67 million salary cap? There's a reason why they call him The Franchise.
4. $13,709,375 - Andrei Kirilenko - I know he does all the little things, but he doesn't even average double-digit scoring numbers (8.3 ppg). And furthermore, he gaged in the playoffs.
5. $11,532,037 - Raef LaFrentz - 11+ mil for a dude who's going to to be farting sawdust now that Oden is in town.
6. $10,500,000 - Brad Miller - Tell me how a 7-footer can get paid this much while averaging less the seven rebounds and under 10 points?
7. $9,580,000 - Bobby Simmons - Ten, it seems, is the operative number here. Almost a 10 million dollars a year for a guy who boasts a career averages of about 10 points per game. Here, let me name 10 guys at his position who are better and cheaper: Tayshaun Prince (8 mil), Caron Butler (8 mil), Josh Howard (9 mil), Luol Deng (3 mil), Mike Miller (8 mil), Andre Iguodala (3 mil), Gerald Wallace (8 mil), Ricky Davis (7 mil), Manu Ginobili (9 mil), Al Harrington (8 mil).
8. $7,525,397 - Milik Rose - We know he's a happy man, 'cause with all that coin he bought his wife a real nice wedding.
9. $7,331,250 - Kenny Thomas - I had never heard of this guy before I started looking up salaries.
10. $5,800,000 - Jerome James - Lets see... he scored 76 points all of last season. That means he was paid him over $150,000 per bucket. Just another of the many reasons why Isiah Thomas is an ignoramus.

Brandon Challenges Justin

Yo Amoah, you think you know sports... okay let's see what you got...

USA Basketball needs your help. They are tired of seeing the gold go somewhere else. Give me the 12 man roster that will bring the gold back home.

Who are the starters? What type of offense are you going to run? Who is going to get the most minutes? Let me know what roles each superstar is going to have on the team.

Justin: Now that I'm at the helm, it means Krzyzewski's fired. No more Duke family nepotism. And no more losing for Team USA.
I've built this team on two principles: outside shooting and rebounding.
On offense we won't run anything too intricate. Spacing will be more important than anything else we do. Versus man we'll run Pick-n-Roll and Motion and versus zone we'll run the UCLA Offense.










Our bigs are all mobile and should dominate guys such as Argentina's Fabricio Oberto, France's Johan Petro, Brazil's Anderson Varejao Serbia's Darko Milicic and Austrailia's Andrew Bogut. Our big men are also athletic enough to contain Spain's Pau Gasol, China's Yao Ming and Germany's Dirk Nowitzki.

Our Small Fowards each bring something different to the team. Whether it be scoring, playmaking ability, or perimeter/low post defense. They should have no problem with like international stars such as, Boris Diaw, Andres Nocioni and Mickael Pietrus.










Our guards are straight shooters and they all possess playmaking ability and they don't need to penetrate through the flop-happy Europeans and South Americans in order to do so. They should have no problems with Leandrinho Barbosa, Emanuel Ginobili, Tony Parker, BenoUdrih, José-Manuel Calderon, and Carlos Arroyo.

Starters:
C: Dwight Howard - We're not asking him to score. We just want him to be a defensive presence in the lane and to grab rebounds on the offensive and defensive glass. (20 mins per game).

F: Kevin Garnett - The team's leader and official hype man. Along with Howard, there will be no second chance opportunities for other teams. (25 mins per game).

F: LeBron James - He's going to play the team's most important role. We'll put him at point-forward, which allows us to start two shooting guards. (30 mins per game).

G: Kobe Bryant - He'll be our go to guy on offense. The offense will run through LeBron, but filtered to KB24. (25 mins per game).

G: Gilbert Arenas: - Another outside threat. We all know he has no problem scoring and with LeBron at point-forward, he doesn't have the added distribution responsibility.(15 mins per game).

Bench:

• G: Baron Davis - I've always said that when he's healthy, he's one of the top 3 point guards in the league. As long as his back is intact he'll always have a spot on my roster. (10 mins per game).

• G: Deron Williams - We'll call on him to relieve LeBron as the team's orchestrator. (10 mins per game).

• G/F: Joe Johnson - He can play three positions, but we'll use him as a shooting guard to give Kobe some rest. (5-10 mins per game).

• G/F: Richard Hamilton - Rip is going to be a crucial element of our offense by running of f screens and canning mid-range jumpers. At the international level, he'll also be effective from 3-point range.(5-10 mins per game).

• F: Carmelo Anthony - We'll play him at power forward and he'll replace Garnett in the lineup. We'll utilize his his ability to slash and attack the basket against less agile big men. (15 mins per game).

• F: Carlos Boozer - He's our best back to the basket player on the block. He plays disciplined D and will give us amble help on the defensive boards. When needed he and Williams give us a good pick and roll combo. (15 mins per game).

• F: Shawn Marion - He replaces coach K's pupil Shane Battier as our lockdown defender. He'll be relied upon to neutralize the other team's versatile stars. (20 mins per game).

Missed the Cut: Chauncey Billups (beat out by B.D.) Dwayne Wade (injured), Allen Iverson (style doesn't fit), Greg Oden and Kevin Durant (have yet to prove themselves), Elton Brand (injured), Chris Bosh (poor rebounder), Chris Paul (not better than D-Will), Michael Redd (no playmaking ability), Ben Gordon (his lack of size at the 2-guard made me opt for Rip), Tayshaun Price (beat out by Marion), Tyson Chandler (Lacks offensive polish).

David Stern Panics - NBA Lottery

Pretend that David Stern wanted to shake things up a little. Say he decided to cancel every player's contract and put every current player in a pool for the 30 teams to draft. GMs would have to think about who to select, given the player's age, health, potential, etc. Who would you want to build your franchise around? It's kinda of hard when you think about it. If you think you should build around a low post player, you might choose Tim Duncan, but building a franchise around a 31 year old whose physical condition is declining isn't a smart idea. With that said, here are our picks...

1st Pick

BM: LeBron James (22) He will be 23 in December and he is the most dominant player in the league.
JA: After this year's playoffs, LeBron's the mandatory No. 1 pick. I'm just waiting to see if he'll ever average a triple-double. He's that good.

2nd Pick
BM: Kobe Bryant (29) He will be 30 in 2008 though. But even if he has only 5-6 more years of MVPish years in him, he'll still be the best offensive player in the game for 5-6 more years. Given D-Wade's health, they probably have the same amount of years left in them, so just ask youself, who is better?
JA: Dwayne Wade (25) Unlike Kobe he doesn't need to change his number to sell jerseys. And with one ring already on his South Beach mantle, and no previous rape charges to hamper his marketability, it's only right that he's my No. 2.

3rd Pick
BM: Chris Bosh (23) He will retire as one of the best power forwards to ever play the game.
JA: Kobe Bryant (29) He will retire as the second best two guard to every play the game.

4th Pick
BM: Carmelo Anthony (23) Top 5 scorer in the league and he is learning how to do other things on the court. I rather bet on Anthony here because it's easier to teach/make someone how to pass, and rebound that it is to teach someone how to do more than just dunk.
JA: Dwight Howard (21) Already one of the best defenders and rebounders in the game and he's getting better with his back to the basket every year.

5th Pick
BM: Dwyane Wade (25) His health concerns me but he is in a league of his own when it comes to guards who can attack the basket.
JA: Amare Stoudemire (24) Could make an argument for No. 3, but it's so hard to know how good he would be without Nash and the Sun's uptempo style inflating his stats.

6th Pick

BM: Greg Oden (19) He, along with Dwight Howard will be the best centers in the game for years.
JA: Greg Oden (19) He's Hakeem Olajuwon without the low-post footwork on offense, but that will get better in time. 17 years from now, yes 17 years when he'll looks about 60, I see him breaking Olajuwon's record of 3652 blocks in a career.

7th Pick
BM: Dwight Howard (21) He is a man child now. I can't wait until he actually becomes a man. I bashed him a little earlier, but you can build a franchise on his growing shoulders.
JA: Chris Bosh (23) He can do it all on offense, but his bulk leaves something to be desired. Just like Chamberlain couldn't beat Russell, he'll never beat Howard or Oden.

8th Pick
BM: Gilbert Arenas (25) Best scoring guard in the league is learning how to create for others too. I'm taking Arenas here just in case Durant ends up more like McGrady than what everyone thinks he will become.
JA: Kevin Durant (18) Despite the NBA Live commercial, I'll take Durant at No. 9. He'll duke it out with Kobe for the scoring title every year.

9th Pick
BM: Kevin Durant (18) Whoever has more points at the end of the game wins. Why not have the best scorer on your team for a decade (when he is 22 - 32 years old).
JA: Carmelo Anthony (23) Not enough intangibles to merit being any higher.

10th Pick
BM: Yao Ming (26) Close your eyes, think of a center who averages 25-10 while shooting 86% from the line, now you see what I'm saying.
JA: Gilbert Arena (25) He's Agent Zero equipped with his own blog, what more could you ask for?

11th Pick
BM: Deron Williams (23) Averaged 19 ppg and 9 ass per game in the playoffs last year and he showed he can't play defense by stoping Baron Davis while he was on a mission. This is a Jason Kidd who can score.
JA: Yao Ming (26) There are 1,321,851,888 people in China. Marketabilty. Marketability. Market-abilty!

12th Pick
BM: Joe Johnson (26) He developed late but he is one of the top 5 offensive players in the league. he can do it all. Because of few minutes early in his career he will be able to play for a long time.
JA: Deron Williams (23) The debate whether he or Paul is the better pg will carry on. For now, Deron's on top.

13th Pick
BM: Amare Stoudemire (24) He is just a beast. Plain and simple. BUT, Amoah is right... what would he do on a team where they double teamed him everytime he touches the ball, what would he do if he didn't get 8 points handed to him by Steve Nash a game? Only reason why he slides to 13.
JA: Chris Paul (22) If this guy were 6'3 he'd be the best pure point guard to enter the league since Magic. At 6-foot he's the best since J-Kidd.

14th Pick
BM: Andre Iguodala (23) You might not have noticed but he put up 18-6-6 in his first year as being a primary option. He is a shut down defender and he actually shoots 33% from deep despite his reputation.
JA: Charlos Boozer (25) He's one of the few Duke players to become a star in the league. And if you saw this guy in the playoffs you know why he warrants a lottery selection.

Rest of the First Round
15: BM: Eddy Curry; JA: Tim Duncan
16: BM: Dirk Nowitzki; JA: Dirk Nowitzki
17: BM: Kevin Garnett; JA: Joe Johnson
18: BM: Tony Parker; JA: Elton Brand
19: BM: Carlos Boozer; JA: Zach Randolph
20: BM: Luol Deng; JA: Kevin Garnett
21: BM: Brandon Roy; JA: Steve Nash
22: BM: Ben Gordon; JA: Ben Gordon
23: BM: Mike Conley; JA: Kevin Martin
24: BM: Randy Foye; JA: Luol Deng
25: BM: Rudy Gay; JA: Al Jefferson
26: BM: Tim Duncan; JA: Andre Iguodala
27: BM: Chris Paul; JA: Vince Carter
28: BM: Al Jefferson; JA: Josh Howard
29: BM: Josh Howard; JA: Mike Conley
30: BM: Steve Nash; JA: Eddy Curry

Almost
BM: Rashard Lewis, Leandro Barbosa, Andrew Bynum, Michael Redd and Gerald Wallace, Elton Brand, Travy McGrady, Vince Carter, Tyson Chandler, Al Horford.
JA: Rashard Lewis, Tony Parker, Al Horford, Andew Bynum, T.J. Ford, Shawn Marion, Gerald Wallace, Jermaine O'Neal.

Growing Up Quick

Last year a lot of guys grew up during the season, he is my 2006-2007 All-Grow Up Team


G - Randy Foye
November: 6ppg, 42% shooting
April: 15.4ppg, 53% shooting


G - Brandon Roy
Novermber: 12ppg, 3rpg, 3ass, 37% shooting, 0% 3 point
April: 21ppg, 4rpg, 4ass, 53% shooting, 57% 3 point


F - Andre Iguodala
November: 14ppg, 7rpg, 4ass
April: 19ppg, 5rpg, 6ass


F - Matt Barnes
November: 6ppg, 3rpg
April: 13ppg, 7rpg


C - Al Jefferson
November: 9ppg, 7rpg, 56% shooting
April: 22ppg, 10rpg, 59% shooting

Coulda/Woulda/Shoulda: NY Knicks

Potential Roster:
PG: Randy Foye
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Josh Howard
PF: Zach Randolph
C: Amare Stoudamire
Bench: Daniel Gibson, Derrick Byers, Thaddeus Young, David Lee, Kurt Thomas

You are looking at the best starting lineup in NBA history. You are looking at a team that breaks the Bulls 72 wins record. You are looking at a team that doesn't lose in the playoffs.

2002
Pick Amare Stoudamire at #7 instead of Nene
Never make Marcus Camby and Nene for Antonio McDyess, Frank Williams, Maciej Lampe trade.
No McDyess: Never make McDyess and #16 pick in 2004 for Stephon Marbury and Anfernee Hardaway trade.

2003
Trade down from #9 (Michael Sweetney) and pick Josh Howard before the Mavs do.
Pick Mo Williams at #39 instead of Slavko Vranes

2004
Pick Josh Smith at #16 (Kept pick by not making McDyess for Marbury/Hardaway trade)
Still pick Ariza at #44
Still sign Jamal Crawford

2005
Pick Andrew bynum at #8 instead of Channing Frye
Can't acquire Nate Robinson and Q-Rich via trade.
Still pick David Lee at #29

2006
Trade Trevor Ariza and Mo Williams (more value that Hardaway's expiring contract) for Steve Francis
Keep #4 pick by not trading for Eddie Curry and pick Randy Foye
Can't pick Renaldo Balkman (no Camby trade)
Pick Daniel Gibson at #29 instead of Mardy Collins

2007
Keep #9 pick by not trading for Eddie Curry and pick Thaddeus Young
Can't pick Wilson Chandler (don't swop picks with the Bulls)
Keep #38 pick (not doing Curry trade, ended up in Philly's hands) and pick Derrick Byers
Trade Steve Francis and Andrew Bynum (even worth more than Frye) for Zach Randolph

THEN... Trade Josh Smith, Marcus Camby and Jamal Crawford to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant!

New Yorkers FINALLY Get That Ring!

Potential Roster:
PG: Randy Foye
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Josh Howard
PF: Zach Randolph
C: Amare Stoudamire
Bench: Daniel Gibson, Derrick Byers, Thaddeus Young, David Lee, Kurt Thomas

Rank The New East

The NBA's Eastern Conference has gone through a lot of change since the NBA Draft.

Here are the 2006-2007 standings by record:
1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Chicago
4. Toronto
5. Miami
6. New Jersey
7. Washington
8. Orlando
9. Indiana
10. Philadelphia
11. Charlotte
12. New York
13. Atlanta
14. Milwakee
15. Boston

There is going to be a lot of change this year.

Here are Brandon's 2007-2008 rankings in Gold and Justin's in Blue:

1. Detroit - Added perimeter scoring with Stucky, they'll have the best record if they keep Webber.
1. Boston - Ray and Paul are great, but I'm putting Bean town atop the class 'cause of one man: K.G. He "hates to lose." In the West he couldn't control his situation. Now he's the best big in the East. Naysayers can talk all they want about gelling, meshing, rapport, chemistry, whatever -- it don't matter. The BIG Ticket's on a mission.


2. Chicago - All those young guys get a year older, I like the Bulls.
2. Detroit - With C-Web on the fence about returning, and thinking about joining the Mavs, I can't yet say that the Pistons will be as good as they've been. If he returns, I'll have the Motor City Marauders right up there with the Celts. Until then, they fall to No. 2.

3. Boston - In the top 3 because of the big 3. Not higher because they need to develop some chemistry and their supporting cast needs to figure out their roles.
3. Chicago - The addition of Jakim Noah adds another high-energy guy to an already very good up-tempo team.

4. Cleveland - LeBron knows it's all about the playoffs. He'll work hard enough to get home court while stay healthy.
4. Cleveland - We saw in the playoffs that LaBron couldn't take down San Antonio's big three. He needs help and didn't get any in the draft. While the Cavs stayed the same, most others got better.

5. Miami - Hopefully they don't lose Posey and Smush Parker can come into his own, or they'll be lower.
5. Miami - Apparently all that padding didn't help D-Wade. Since Wade's health remains a concern and Shaq's another year older, I can't see the Heat finishing better then they did last year. If Wade's and Shaq are both healthy all season forget everything I just wrote and pencil them in at No. 3.

6. Toronto - I can't wait to watch TJ Ford and Bosh in the pick and roll with Kapono, Parker and Bargnani spotting up.
6. Toronto - Here's another young team that's adds a year of experience. They add Kapono, but fall a couple spots from 06/07 because they failed to improve in the draft.

7. Washington - They second best "Big 3" needs to be healthy. Nick Young should help right away too. He's a great 4th scorer.
7. New York - Yes. That's right. I said it! Boston is the only team that's had a better off-season. Remember, Zach Randolph averaged more points than, Garnett, Bosh and Lewis in 06/07.

8. Orlando - Rashard Lewis gives them more firepower, but they lost Darko and Grant Hill... they'll get swept in first round again.
8. Washington - A healthy nucleus makes this a very dangerous offensive team. I put them at No. 8 instead of 7 because I'd like to see an All-Star game in the first round of the playoffs against Boston. But whoever they play, Agent Zero will start full-time blogging in the second round.

9. New Jersey - Vince's contract goes down the drain. They will realize that Mikki Moore was a lot better than they thought.
9. Orlando - Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard make a fierce duo, so the Magic could easily swap positions with either New York or Washington.

10. New York - I cannot see them in the playoffs with Stephon at the point. Even with 2 studs in the post, and healthy wings in Crawford and Richardson. It's the Knicks, something will go wrong and they won't make the playoffs.
10. New Jersey - Until they get that Brooklyn swagger, and add some mo' pep in their step, they're no longer relevant.


11. Charlotte - Don't let my ranking fool you. I think they'll be a lot better than last year. Richardson will be their #1. Adding Jared Dudley who is a Pistons/Spurs type of player. Morrison, Felton, May and Okafor get a year older and don't have to try to be the best player on the team anymore. Felton will need to play well every night without Brevin Knight.
11. Atlanta - My boys Acie Law IV and Joe Johnson will have the Hawks flying high all season.

12. Atlanta - Adding Horford and Law IV will help Joe Johnson a lot. Hopefully Josh Smith will continue to develop while Marvin Williams and Sheldon Brown should try to prove why they were first round picks, I would have said top 5 picks but I don't see that happening.
12. Charlotte - I'm still not sold on Felton. And Morrison's got to prove something before Charlotte bobs any higher.

13. Indiana - It's a shame they didn't let O'Neal play with Kobe because his career is now the most affected by bad front office decisions now that KG is on the C's.
13. Indiana - Even whispers of Jermaine wanting out, makes me want no part of Indiana. But on another note, someone please explain why folks have been sleeping on Kareem Rush for so long?? He'll finally get a chance to prove his worth on a bad Pacers team.

14. Milwakee - I have a hard time saying Mo Williams in a average PG in the league but he actually is. Too bad he, Redd and Charlie don't have that much help. It doesn't look like Yi is going to help them soon either. Hopefully they can move him for an attractive asset from the west soon.
14. Milwaukee - We have our first 7-foot Chinese draft dodger in Yi Jianlian. Hey, I don't blame him for wanting to go to a real city -- I wouldn't stick around in Milwaukee either.

15. Philadelphia - Possibly the worst front office in basketball. They don't deserve more than two short sentences.
15. Philadelphia - I agree. Brandon's right.

Chuck for Gov.

Your favorite NBA analyst on TNT -- Charles Wade Barkley -- is considering making a run for Alabama's gubernatorial seat in 2010.

Personally, I think he stands a good chance. He's an Alabama native. And he's charismatic, intelligent and brutally honest, which I know isn't always a coveted quality for elected officers, but I'm sure it's something the people in the Yellowhammer State would appreciate.

What I have to wonder though is what ever happened to those words Sir. Charles said in 1993?

"I am not a role model."

Has he changed this tune the way he did when he was reported to have traded in the Whigs for the Dems? I guess so.

Despite his apparent bit of indecision, here are two reason why I like Chuck for Gov.

1. He supports Barack. (Though whether he'll vote for him is yet to be determined).
   
2. He called out Al and Jesse.

Here are two snippets from an interview the Round Mound of Rebound had with The New Rebublic reporter-researcher Isaac Chotiner:

Chotiner: In some quarters Barack has been criticized for not being black enough.

Berkley: Well, that's because black people are fucked up. One of the reasons that black people are not going to be successful is because of other black people. We tell black kids that if they make good grades, they are acting white. If they speak well, we tell them that they are acting white. We have a lot of demons in our own closet--in our own family--that we have to address. But first of all, we want black men to be intelligent and articulate and things like that. That's not acting white. That's the way it should be. ... We become our own worst enemy with random black-on-black crime, teen pregnancy, single-parent homes. You know we cannot blaming white America for our ills. Does racism exist? Of course it does. But, at some point, I have to make sure I am educated. I don't have ten kids and no job. I am not killing other black people. At some point, you have to grow up.

Chotiner: You mentioned Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson earlier. What are your opinions of them?

Barkley: I know them both, but they are race-baiters who have double standards for white racism and black racism.

You've gotta love his candidness, even if you don't agree with his politics, gambling habits, or political wavering.