2012 NBA Draft

The NBA Draft happened last night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ (Even though New Jersey does not have an NBA team anymore). The 100% sure thing in the 66th NBA Draft was Anthony Davis going #1 to New Orleans. It was a very good draft and there many interesting picks. Here is my opinion on some picks and a trade. Also, a unique fact.

Pick #18: Houston Rockets select Terrence Jones

Jones went back to Kentucky for a sophomore season and ended up winning the National Title. However, he went lower this year then he would have expected to go last year. The Rockets got a player who was forgotten throughout this process. Many of his numbers dropped during his 2nd season, but he wasn't used in the same way last season. He is a good defender and can play inside and out of the post. I believe he can be a solid NBA player. On this Houston Rockets team, he probably won't start, but will be a highly used back-up at both forward positions. 

Perry Jones III
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Pick #28 Oklahoma City Thunder select Perry Jones III 

Perry Jones III, like Terrence Jones and Pick #22 Jarod Sullenger, went back to college for his sophomore season. And, also like Sullenger, his stock and his selection time dropped due to an injury. Many NBA doctors apparently were warning teams about a meniscus problem in his knee. Jones III is a talent that, even with the knee problem, should have been drafted in the 18-24 range. Without the knee issue, he is definitely a lottery selection. He is that good. At the 28th pick, Jones III is at a spot where he might not get the money he would have expected, but he goes to winning team where he is going to get playing time. That is what he needs to grow and mature as a player. 

Pick #35: Golden State Warriors select Draymond Green

Draymond Green was a very successful college player, but his stock in the NBA draft didn't reflect college career.   He was a 1st Team All-American last season, 2011-12 Big Ten Player of the Year, and went to Final Fours 2 years in a row. The problem is that he is undersized for a power forward at 6'7. He will have to become a small forward in the NBA. He can shoot a jumper and dribble the ball well, so that will make for an easier transition. The worry for Green was he will have a trouble guarding the quicker small forwards and the power forwards will over power him in the post. I believe he can make the transition to guard small forwards, but with power forwards he would have a difficulty. Still, he will be a good player in the NBA. 

Will Barton
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Pick #40: Portland Trail Blazers select Will Barton

Will Barton is a player I really like. He is a guy that has talent and would be a bigger name if he went to a higher-profile school then Memphis. He improved in his 2 year at Memphis in almost all categories. He has improved on his shooting from the field and the line. His 3-point percentage went up, but that was because he took less shots from distance. He is a good shooting guard with strong potential. I thought Barton could have went much earlier in the draft, but I think he is in a great situation in Portland. The shooting guards on the Trail Blazers last year include: Jamal Crawford, who is a free agent, Wesley Matthews, who averaged almost 14 points a game,  and Elliot Williams, who didn't play much and also went to Memphis.  Even if Crawford comes back, Barton should get playing time and more importantly, time to develop into a very good scorer.

Pick #48: New York Knicks select Kostas Papanikolaou

The 1st European selected out of the 48-57 area, where 7 out of 9 picks were from Europe. He is one of the players in that area I really like because of his European history. In the Euroleague Finals against CSKA Moscow, he scored 18 points and led Olympiacos to an 19 point comeback to win 62-61. I always like European players that were successful in Europe. To me, it shows that they were successful in a highly-competitive league. If he improves his game in the next few years and then comes over, I would expect him to be a decent player, at least, in the NBA.

Trade: Cleveland gets: #17 Pick Tyler Zeller, Kelenna Azubuike (Not a Rookie)                            
             Dallas gets: Pick #24 Jared Cunningham, Pick #33 Bernard James, Pick #34 Jae Crowder

Tyler Zeller
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This was a trade that I thought was a little questionable from the Cavaliers side. I like Tyler Zeller and I think he can become a really good player in Cleveland. But, I think the Cavs should have given up 3 picks to get him, especially because of the deepness of the Draft. Jared Cunningham who is a good defender and gets to the foul line a lot. Bernard James served in the Air Force from 2002-08 and didn't play basketball in high school. Even though he's 27, he still is fresh and will get better. Jae Crowder is a good all-around player who will be productive in the pros. The more I look at the trade, the more I begin to understand it, but I still think 3 was a little too much. 

Same College, Same NBA Team

It seem like a lot of players who played on the same team in college heading to the same NBA training camp. #1 Pick Anthony Davis's Kentucky teammate Darius Miller was selected by the New Orleans Hornets at Pick #46. Syracuse teammates Fab Melo and Kris Joseph were picked by the Boston Celtics at 22 and 51 respectively.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Hot Streak

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim started the season slow, having a record of 15-21 after a 5-0 loss to Oakland on May 14th. Since then, they have gone 25-12 and gone from last place in the division to 2nd place. Everyone has been producing much better since then. There have been many factors in the turn around. Here are some of the reasons.

Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout
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Mark Trumbo was the starting 1st Baseman for the 2011 Angels. But when he came into the season, 1B was filled and so was DH. They needed to find a new spot for him. They tried 3B but the corner outfield spots were a better fit for Trumbo. But it's not just him playing very well in the outfield (1 error in 44 games), but it's his stellar hitting that's making him an MVP candidate. Trumbo's .316 puts him 6th in average in the AL, his 17 homers ties him for 8th in the AL, he is 3rd in the AL in SLG (.612) and OPS (.980), his 36 XBH places him in 8th in the AL, and he is 5th in the AL in Isolated Power with .295. He is really doing well.






Mike Trout was called up to the majors on April 27th. He played parts of the year with LA and in the minors. He had high expectations, being a top prospect for the last few years and being a possible 5-tool player. He has met expectations and beat them for his 1st season spent mostly in the majors. He a leader in the AL in many categories, including in 1st in batting average with .338, 1st in steals with 21, 3rd in OBP with .399, 8th in OPS with .931, and 3rd in Runs Created per 27 Outs with 8.71. His defense is just as good as his hitting and his speed. He has played mostly Left and Centerfield, but is now the starting CF. His range factor in CF is 2.63 and has a .988 fielding percentage.

Scott Downs
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Scott Downs has been a great set-up man for the Halos this year. He currently has 13 holds, 6 saves, and 1 win in a team-high 28 games. He only has given up 1 earned-run for a 0.36 ERA and also has a 1.36 WHIP. Ernesto Frieri came over in a trade from San Diego and has become the closer. In 22 games, he has 9 saves, 0 blown saves, 5 holds,only 4 hits, and averages 15.55 K's per 9 innings. Many other relievers have pitched and gotten multiple holds, including Jordan Walden (5), LaTroy Hawkins (3), Jason Isringhausen (3), Hisanori Takahashi (3), David Carpenter (2), and Kevin Jepson (2). 




The Angels have really had a great turn around since the middle of May. The combination of Trout and Trumbo have surprised many by performing better then Pujols, Kendyrs Morales, and Torii Hunter. The bullpen has done well since the turning point in May. I expect this team to continue improving and do well for the rest of the year. However, if they get into another slump, they are going to be in trouble.

College World Series

The College World Series has lived up to it's normal standards with another great tournament. This year, there have been upsets, surprise runs, and a great looking finals between the Arizona Wildcats and South Carolina Gamecocks. 


The 8 teams that made it to the College World Series are Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Kent State, South Carolina, Stony Brook, and UCLA. Stony Brook was in it's 1st ever appearance at the College World Series, but didn't have any luck. After beating the #1 seed  LSU in the Super Regionals, they lost the first 2 games they played. Florida were the runner-ups in last year's tournament and were looking good coming into Omaha, however they lost their first two games and they were out. UCLA and Kent State both had 1 win, but 2 loses. This was also Kent State's 1st CWS appearance. Florida State lost 10-3 to Arizona to send Arizona to the finals and Florida State packing. South Carolina beat Arkansas in the semi-final. However, it was only the Razorbacks 1st loss. Since the CWS is a double elimination tournament, they played a 2nd game to see who would make the finals. South Carolina won that game, 3-2, to make it to their Finals.

Matt Price has 5 career wins in Omaha
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This is South Carolina's 3rd straight appearance in the CWS Finals. They won the last 2 championships and are looking for a 3 peat. They are led by Junior's Christian Walker and LB Dantzler. Walker is hitting .319 with 11 HRs, 55 RBIs, 12 two-baggers, 75 hits, and a .446 OBP. Dantzler has 10 diggers, 48 ribbies, 15 doubles, and a .266 batting average. Both have experience in the last 2 championships. Senior Michael Roth is the ace of the staff with a 9-1 record and a 2.49 ERA. Junior Closer Matt Price has 13 saves and has a CWS record of 5 wins. 


Arizona is looking for College World Series title number 4 and it's 1st since 1986. Junior Kurt Heyer is the star of the staff with a 2.24 ERA, 113 K's and a 13-2 record. Konner Wade is 10-3 with a 4.17 ERA. Sophomore Johnny Field leads the team with a .373 average with 18 doubles, 7 triples, and 3 homeruns. Robert Refsynder has 7 round-trippers and 64 RBIs, both team highs, and a .357 average. Seth Mejias-Brean leads the team in two-baggers with 22, and also 60 RBIs and a .360 batting average.


I expect a great finals in the College World Series.

NBA Finals Through 3 Games

The NBA Finals through 3 games is turning out to be a good series. Miami, after losing the 1st game, has taken a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4, tomorrow at home. LeBron is playing much better then he has in the last 2 NBA Finals. Kevin Durant is playing OK, but is in foul trouble. Russell Westbrook is scoring well, but is being criticized for shot selection. Dwayne Wade is playing fine. Chris Bosh is playing like he needs to. James Harden is playing well one night, bad the next. It's looking like a great series.

Shane Battier is the series x-factor
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Shane Battier is playing like the role player the Heat have been dying for the last 2 years. He is averaging about 14 points per game in the series. In Game 1, he scored 17 points and went 6-9 from the field in 42 minutes. Game 2 was much like the same, 17 points in 42 minutes. However, Battier was more efficient from the field, going 6-8 from the field and 5-7 from distance and Miami picked up the W. The Game 3 stat line for Battier was 9 points in 35 minutes. He shot only 2 shots, 3 pointers, and made both. The other points came from a perfect night at the line. He has really played well in a spot he has never really in.


Oklahoma City has an All-Star defender in Serge Ibaka. He was 2nd in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year, the league leader in blocks in the regular season, and an 1st Team Defensive Player. he is currently averaging 3.11 blocks in the postseason. In Game 1, "Iblocka" had 0 blocks but they won. In Game 2, he had 5 rejections and in Game 3, he had 2 stuffs. Game 1 was the 1st time since March 1st he had no blocks and only the 4th time in the regular season and postseason combined. His scoring has decreased in the last 3 games. He needs to be more efficient and I believe he will.

Derek Fisher
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The Thunder's bench has been used more in the series. James Harden scored only 5 points in Game 1, played well in Game 2 with 21 points, and then dropped to 9 points in Game 3. That cannot happen for the rest of the series. They need consistency from Harden to win the series. Derek Fisher and Nick Collison played well in Game's 1 and 2, but slightly struggled in Game 3. The +/-'s for Fisher were +6 in Game 1 and +13 in Game 2. +13 and +8 were the +/- line for Collison in Game 1 and 2 respectively. Game 3 those lines dropped off to -9 for Fisher and -11 for Collison. They need to be successful when they are on the court. They better these 2 veterans play, the better off OKC will be. 



Miami has taken the lead in the series. But, it isn't like they have it in the bag. Oklahoma City will be relentless. They have scored more points in the 4th quarter in the series (78 OKC-65 MIA). The 3rd quarter isn't as bad, but it isn't one or two possessions, at 72-64. Combined that is 150-129. That averages out to be 25-21.5. The 1st half is 156-136 in favor of Miami. The average is 26-22.66 with Miami on top again. The winner of the series will need to win the half it is currently losing.

Euro 2012

The 2012 UEFA European Championship starts on July 8th. Hosted by both the Ukraine and Poland, it is the first time for both countries to host the championship. Both countries have 4 cities where games will be played

The toughest group is Group B. This is Portugal's 2nd consecutive tournament where there are 3 really good teams in their group. In the 2010 World Cup, Portugal had Brazil and Cote'd Ivory in the same group. This year, I think the group is even more difficult. In the group is Germany (2nd in FIFA World Rankings, 4th in World Football Elo Ratings), Netherlands (4th, 3rd), Portugal (5th, 12th), and Denmark (10th, 19th). All teams are very good and it will be the group to watch. All these teams could be champions. 

van Persie, Robben, and Sneijder must be leaders to win
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I really like the team from the Netherlands. They have a great forward in Robin van Perise and 2 great midfielders in Wesley Snejider and Arjen Robben. Rafeal van der Vaart is a good middie. They have a very good striker who comes of the bench, Klaas-Jan Huntelar. Sneijder has an ankle injury but it will most likely not affect him. This team has great potential. They may have a chip on their shoulder after losing the World Cup Final in Extra Time on a Andres Inesta by a  goal. It was their only loss of the tournament. I believe that this is the time for this team to prove they are the best. I expect them to in the Euros.

Group D is also very tough. England (6th, 6th), France (14th, 12th), Sweeden (17th, 10th), and Ukraine (52nd, 31st). While it is unlikely the Ukraine will make it past the group stages, the 3 other teams have good chances. France is going to look like a new team without former star Theirry Henry and it won't be like the World Cup where they fell apart. England is with stars Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole, and John Terry (despite the charges against him about being racist). Sweeden has one of the best forwards in the tournament, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will be the team leader. I believe, the teams that advance will be the teams whose defense can stop the forwards that can get the ball in the back of the net. 

Group A is not a very strong grouping. It features Russia (13th ,16th), Greece (15th, 25th), Czezh Republic (27th, 24th), and Poland (62nd, 35th). Poland has a slight chance of making the next round. The favorite is Russia.  This team has experience with success in the Euro 08 and having one of the better forward lines, led by captain Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko. Greece, the Euro 2004 champs are a team that I think could be good or bad. The Czech Republic has one of the better goalies in Petr Cech. 

Casillias, Sergio Ramos, Fernando Torres, Xavi, and
 Inesta Will Play Very Well In the Euros
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Group C is the group that interests me. Spain (1st, 1st) will make it through this round without a doubt with the great play of Andres Inesta, Xavi, Iker Casillas, and others on the star studded squad. They will do very well in the tournament. Then comes the question mark. I am not big on Italy (12th, 15th) as a team, but I think Mario Balotelli is a great striker that can lead a team. Croatia (8th, 11th) is a team that is ranked high, but didn't even play in the 2010 World Cup. Ireland (18th, 21st) will have a hard time making it, but who knows what could happen.