Last week, I read an interesting blurb on Page 21 of the July 28, 2008 Sports Illustrated.  This blurb,  titled “Sign of the Apocalypse,” was about a 32-year-old man who was arrested for disrupting a baseball game in Massachusetts.  This man rode a stolen motorbike around the bases because “no one ever told him he couldn’t.”  My first response was, ‘For real?!!’  And then I started thinking, what if more people thought this way?  For example, (just think about this, using that man’s logic), what if a basketball player who really wanted to dunk, but could never do it, used a ladder to help him/her dunk at a basketball game?  People in the stands would either be in shock or just cracking up with laughter, right?  But, the player would be absolutely serious because he/she would say they were never told they couldn’t do it.  At this point, does this act qualify as a lack of knowledge or is it a lack of common sense?  Just for giggle’s sake, can anyone tell me if there a written rule that says a basketball player cannot use a ladder to help them dunk?

This blurb peeked my interest in all sorts of ways and got me thinking — if we all followed this man’s logic, how different would the world be?  I mean, just stop for a second and think about this, If you were not informed of what you could NOT do, what WOULD you do?  Would you push the limits and do something that you know is wrong, but then use the excuse that you were never told not do it even though you know deep down inside it is wrong?  You know what’s kind of scary to me?  What if this man’s way of thinking is more common than not? To me, that would mean that common sense as well as a sense of morality is becoming a rarity in today’s society and that is not good.  Not good at all.

I anxiously await your responses as I know you will keep it interesting and thought-provoking.  BUT, please remember that this site monitors all comments and has the right to remove any derogatory and/or offensive comments.

Just when you think the Los Angeles Clippers are going to get out of their “misfortune”, they find a way to bring more “misfortune” to the franchise.  At the beginning of the free agency period, the Clippers made a huge splash in signing Baron Davis away from the Golden State Warriors.  Many thought that it was the move of the offseason…until the Clippers became the Clippers again.  After Davis’ signing, everyone switched their focus to the re-signing of both Elton Brand and Corey Meggette.  After the usual negotiations, Brand left the Clippers to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers and Meggette left to sign with the Golden State Warriors on the same day.  When it comes to the Clippers, the question is not how, but why.

You can make an argument that no team has lost more talent in the last 20 years than the Los Angeles Clippers.  At one time, the Clippers had Ron Harper, Mark Jackson, Danny Manning, Charles Smith, and their coach was Larry Brown.  That is a ton of talent, especially when you consider that Harper became a 5-time world champion, Jackson became one of the greatest passers the game has ever known, and Brown is known as one of the great coaches the NBA has had.  That Clipper team never went past the first round of the playoffs and thus, most of the team split up after their second season together.  Thus, lies the answer to the Clippers’ “misfortune.”

Clipper owner Donald Sterling gets much of the blame for the problems of the Clipper organization and with good reason.  The problem with the Clippers has not been that they have never had very good talent in the Clipper uniform because they have.  Along with those players mentioned earlier, the Clippers have also had players such as Dominique Wilkins, Sam Cassell, and Brand.  The problem has been Sterling’s refusal to properly compensate his players and consistently lose them to free agency.  Thus, the Clippers will get good players, be it in the draft or free agency, only to lose these same players in a trade or free agency because Sterling does not keep his players happy financially.

What is odd about the current Clipper “misfortune” is that Sterling got in this situation by actually paying to keep Brand once before.  In the summer of 2003, Brand signed with the Miami Heat and begged Sterling not to match the offer since he was a restricted free agent.  Sterling decided to match the offer and sign Brand.  Since Sterling matched Brand’s offer, the Heat then signed Lamar Odom with the same contract and of course, Sterling did not match that offer.

What is particular galling about this move was that Odom was part of the Shaquille O’Neal trade that got O’Neal out of the Los Angeles Laker franchise that crippled the Laker franchise for a while.  This was the move the Clippers had been waiting for since the Lakers had been so successful, thus making the Lakers the most popular team in the league.  This made the Clippers continually tagged as the “other” team in Los Angeles because the Lakers made the Clippers the second-most popular in the city.  During this time, the Clippers had their best run through the playoffs in decades in the 2006 season where they were one game from the Western Conference playoffs.  Since then, the Clippers again went back to their former ways and Odom and the Lakers just got through playing in the NBA finals.  Perhaps Brand left Los Angeles because he wanted his own run to the finals.  Either way, it is back to the drawing board again for the Clippers.

It is funny to listen to baseball purists talk about how the National League is the “real” baseball in the major leagues. They talk about how managers have more of an effect on a game with double switches or pinch-hitting for the pitcher or how players have to play in the field. They say the designated hitter in the American League ruins the complexity of the game and adds a hitter who does nothing but hit. All of this may indeed be true to the fans of just the National League who say that they are not able to watch the American League game, but there is no doubt that the best league for a while now has been the American League.

The American League has pretty much dominated the National League on basically every category. The American League has dominated the National League in the All-Star Game, winning 16 of the last 19 games and that includes the tied game in Milwaukee. The National League has been unable to win back-to-back World Series since 1982 and the only National League team that has won more than one World Series since 1982 are the Florida Marlins (1997, 2003) and they were not even a franchise until 1993. The American League has had multiple World Series champions since 1982 such as the Minnesota Twins (1987, 1991), Toronto Blue Jays (1992, 1993), the Boston Red Sox (2004, 2007), and the New York Yankees (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000). Whether it is head to head in the all-star game or World Series, the American League has had the upper hand for a while now.

Today, the American League looks as strong as they ever have. First, by far the two most popular franchises in major league baseball are the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. It does not hurt that they are two of the winningest teams as well with recognizable superstars such as Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz. Despite having the designated hitter in the American League, the pitching in the American League (4.08) has a better earning run average than the National League (4.24) as well. There is also the myth going around that the National League has better young pitching than the American League, but the American League has young pitchers such as Felix Hernandez, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, Jon Lester, and Andy Sonnanstine. It does not help the National League when the National League West only has one team with a record over .500, especially when that team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, is 42-41.

The National League and their fans can deny it all they want, but the best baseball in the major leagues is in the American League. They have the best teams, the best pitching, the best hitting, the most recognizable players, and they are flat-out a much better product. While the National League has all of the baseball purists that still love the National League, the “real” baseball is indeed played in the American League and has been for a while now.

Last year was either super or horrible for the New England Patriots and what was even more spectacular was that there was never any in between. No team in the history of the league had gone 18-0 in one season before. No team in the history of the league had scored as many points as the Patriots had scored. No team had thoroughly dominated the first half of a season like the Patriots had. Even with all of that, the Patriots were not given any credit because they were caught illegally “spying” on the New York Jets at the beginning of the season. The thought was that their success was based on their “spying” instead of their preparation and skill. The only way to get their just due, in the Patriots’ mind, was to win the Super Bowl.

The Patriots’ offense last year was the best the NFL has ever seen. They did not score under 34 points until November and their lowest point total all season long was 20. Tom Brady threw a NFL record 50 touchdowns last year while newcomer Randy Moss caught a NFL record 23 touchdowns. Wes Welker set a team record 112 catches and the offensive line featured 3 Pro Bowls in Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins, and Matt Light. Patriot running back Lawrence Maroney, who was forgotten by most in the first half of the season, rushed for over 100 yards in four of the last six games, including the playoffs. The offense was so awesome that people forgot about the cornerstone of the franchise since they became a championship team under Bill Belichick.

When Belichick became the coach of the Patriots, his defenses again confused and dominated opponents. Nothing changed, even with the offense scoring dizzying amounts of points. The defense still excelled as they always have and the defense quietly gave up the fewest amount of points until the last game of the season. Mike Vrabel led the team in sacks with 12.5 and was third in tackles. Asante Samuel led the team in interceptions with 6 and Tedy Bruschi led the team in tackles with 92. It was business as normal for the Patriots defensively, which as always, meant bad news to the rest of the league.

The Patriot defense, being as good as normal, combined with the offense – playing at a record-breaking level – led to an 18-0 record and made them huge favorites in Super Bowl XLII. The only problem was the Giants played as though they were the favorites and pulled off the tremendous upset, beating the Patriots 17-14 in a thrilling victory. Not only did the Patriots lose the Super Bowl, but core players, like Asante Samuel (Philadelphia) and Eugene Wilson (Tampa Bay), on their defense left New England to play elsewhere. The Patriots will still be the favorites to go back to the Super Bowl this season, but one has to wonder how much of an effect last year’s loss in the Super Bowl (which ruined their “perfect” season) will have on the Patriots this season.

Very interesting draft.  Not too surprising, but interesting.

Atlanta: none        

Boston: J.R. Giddens (30)                       

            Bill Walker (trade_47)

            Semih Erden (60)

Ainge continued his very good work on draft nights.  Giddens is a player and may even be able to be productive this season.  Getting Walker in a trade could be a big-time move because Walker already has the athleticism to excel.  Erden is a project and don’t expect to be on the team for a long time if ever.

Charlotte: D.J. Augustin (9)

                Alexis Ajinca (20)

                Kyle Weaver (38)

I don’t understand the Augustin pick when the Bobcats have had so much difficulties with the frontcourt, even though most of the difficulties are because of injuries.  The good thing is that heat will be put on Raymond Felton.  Ajinca was a Brown favorite and defensively, he will scare the living daylights out of teams, especially if he is able to team with Emeka Okafor.  Weaver will bring surprising versatility and if he can find his niche, he could be a decent player.

Chicago: Derrick Rose (1)

              Omer Asik (trade_36)

Although I disagree with the notion of drafting Rose instead of Beasley, Rose does bring a ton of excitement and expectation to the Windy City.  Give him some time and he may be a big-time PG.  Asik is another surprising defensive player, but he may be in Turkey for 3 or 4 more years.

Cleveland: J.J. Hickson (19)

                Darnell Jackson (trade_52)

                Sasha Kaun (trade_56)

Hickson could ended up being the sleeper of the draft.  Give him two years and he will be starting, regardless of what the rest of the team looks like.  I don’t think either Jackson or Kaun will make the team.                   

Dallas: Shan Foster (51)

Although Foster was THE MAN in the SEC, there’s something about Foster can says that he just will not be that good in the NBA, unless he can just be a spot-up shooter and even then, that would need improvement.

Denver: none

Detroit: Walter Sharpe (trade_32)         

             Trent Plaisted (trade_46)

I was very surprised that the Pistons traded D.J. White as I thought he would fit their future needs.  That being said, Sharpe was an underrated prospect and even though he could easily start in the D-League, Sharpe could eventually be a player.  Plaisted is one of the most athletic players in the draft, but he does not like contract and rarely goes strong to the basket, despite his ability to jump over most.

Golden State: Anthony Randolph (14)

                      Richard Hendrix (49)

I am very confused with the Randolph selection, especially when the Warriors already has Brendan Wright.  To me, they are almost identical in style of game, except that Wright is bigger.  Do not like that pickup.  Hendrix is a bruiser and while his offensive game needs work, he has absolutely no problem in getting rebounds.              

Houston: Joey Dorsey (trade_33)

              Donte Greene (trade_28)

              Maarty Leunen (54)

I was perplexed with the Rockets’ early moves, but trading for Dorsey made perfect sense.  Talk about a PF and a physical presence for Yao.  No more cheap shots at Yao because of Dorsey.  Greene is one who could develop into the small forward or wing opposite McGrady that the Rockets have been looking for, but he’ll need some time.  Leunen is one who has surprising rebounding skill, but he is a perimeter big man.  He would fit well with Dorsey as well. 

Indiana: T.J. Ford (trade)

             Rasho Nesterovic (trade)

             Jarrett Jack (trade)

             Josh McRoberts (trade)

             Brandon Rush (trade_13)

             Roy Hibbert (trade_17)

The Pacers totally remade their team and Pacer fans should be excited.  Ford is a substantial upgrade at the PG position and is one of the really good young PGs in the league, despite him being traded.  Nesterovic had two productive seasons in Toronto and could do some good things in Indiana.  Jack will challenge for the starting PG spot, but I think he will backup.  The only question is how many will he have to backup?  McRoberts never had much of an opportunity in Portland, but he should do much better now that he is back in his hometown.  Rush was one of the really underrated talents in the draft and may get to play with his brother Kareem.  Hibbert will bring the Pacers some size they haven’t had in quite a while now.         

LA Clippers: Eric Gordon (7) 

                   DeAndre Jordan (35)

                   Mike Taylor (trade_55) 

The Clippers took a gamble in Gordon because he is a small 2-guard.  There is no questioning his ability, but there may be questioning his ability to guard.  Jordan fell rapidly once his poor offensive game was there to show everyone.  He still has a ton of defensive ability and size though.  Taylor was impressive in the D-League and at the pre-draft camp.  Taylor will be on someone’s roster next season.

LA Lakers: Joe Crawford (58)                  

I like this pick.  The Lakers know that they need some tough player and Crawford is about as tough as they come.  He showed that in the last two months when he led a very weak Kentucky team to the NCAAs.  If he can find a niche, he could very well stay in the league.

Memphis: O.J. Mayo (trade_3)

               Antoine Walker (trade)

               Marko Jaric (trade)

               Greg Buckner (trade)

               Darrell Arthur (trade_27)

I have continually thought that the best overall guard in the draft was O.J. Mayo and somehow the Grizzlies got him with the 5th pick.  Walker has showed his age last year and Jaric has not shown anyone his potential since early on in his career while Buckner is a hustle guy who can stay in the league by doing the little things and glamourless assignments.  Arthur could be a big-time sleeper as he as this past season at Kansas.  He is not flashy, but he is good.         

Miami: Michael Beasley (2)

           Mario Chalmers (trade_34)

Beasley quite simply is the best plater in the draft and is my early favorite for this upcoming Rookie of the Year award.  Chalmers was one of the best clutch players in all of college basketball season last year.  Both of them could play early and often and while Beasley is a certainity, Chalmers could as well. 

Milwaukee: Richard Jefferson (trade)

                  Joe Alexander (8)           

How in the world did the Bucks get Jefferson?  An absolute steal for Jianlian and Simmons.  He and Michael Redd could do major damage.  Alexander is a combo forward with deceptive range and deceptive quickness, but most of all, he plays to win.

Minnesota: Kevin Love (trade_5)

                 Mike Miller (trade)

                 Brian Cardinal (trade)

                 Jason Collins (trade)

                 Nikola Pekovic (31) 

Love was the best low-post presence in the nation last year and Minnesota needs somebody on both ends of the floor.  Miller is one of the best shooters in the league and still has other ways of putting the ball in the basket as well.  Cardinal has been totally lost since he left Memphis and maybe Minnesota could be the place you for him to find his game.  Collins is strictly a defensive player with a very little offense in his game.

New Jersey: Yi Jianlian (trade)

                   Bobby Simmons (trade)

                   Brook Lopez (10)

                   Ryan Anderson (21)

                   Chris Douglas-Roberts (40)

The Nets may have had the best trade of the night.  Jianlian showed a ton of potential last year and will be better barring injury.  Simmons is a tough guy who can play either forward and can big-time basketball.  Lopez is the better low post scorer in the draft and that makes him a solid pick here, especially since they haven’t had a solid low post scorer since Buck Williams.  Anderson can score and rebounder in bunches, but he isn’t the most physical player, but he can play.  Douglas-Roberts at 40?  Well, let’s just say that the Nets look a lot better already.        

New Orleans: none                                   

New York: Danilo Galliani (6)

Galliani heard the boos, but he should have cheers waiting for him because he can play.  The thing is that he had better play very hard, very long in order to win the fans.  The good part is that it should not be that difficult to way the Knicks have played basketball for almost all of the decade.

Orlando: Courtney Lee (22)

Lee is one of those players who will probably be a better pro than he was in college and he was really good in college.  The only curious thing is to see how much playing time he gets because of the logjam with Turkoglu and Lewis both playing the wing.

Philadelphia: Murresse Speights (16)

The 76ers make a good pickup of a big man that should be able to compliment Samuel Dalembert, both offensively and defensively.  Speights will challenge shots and when motivated, will go strong to the boards.  On the defensive end, he consistently challenges the shot and can block a few of them as well.

Phoenix: Robin Lopez (15)

              Goran Dragic (trade_45)

Everyone seems to love Robin Lopez instead of his brother Brook in terms of potential.  They point to Robin’s defense and how his offensive game is just starting to come around.  Lopez should fit perfectly with Phoenix’s new philosophy.  Dragic is not necessarily sure where he will be, but he has very good size and can shoot the rock.

Portland: Jerryd Bayless (trade_11)

               Ike Diogu (trade) 

               Nicholas Batum (trade_25)                  

               Sonny Weems (trade_39)

Bayless is an explosive combo guard with big-time scoring ability and a knack for getting to the basket, a dangerous combination when Oden starts to play.  Diogu snatches everything he is near off of the glass and has an underrated post game.  Batum has a lot of ability, but it appears that he does not go all-out at times and is not aggressive when going to the basket.  Weems is a player that will need to bring up his defensive ability in order to stay in the league.          

Sacramento: Jason Thompson (12)

                    Sean Singletary (42)

                    Patrick Ewing Jr. (43)

Most people do not know of Thompson, but the Kings took a good one.  He can really rebound and while his offensive game needs some work, he will not hurt anyone with his offense.  I think Singletary will be one of those 2nd rounders who surprise next season.  He does most everything a PG should do, but he is short, one of his few negatives that he has.  Ewing Jr. will go all-out, especially on the defensive end.  If he makes the team, he will be respected early.

San Antonio: George Hill (26)

                    Malik Hairston (trade_48)

                    James Gist (57)

Another mostly unknown player is Hill, even though he was clearly one of the best players in the college basketball last year.  He can really score, but sometimes decision-making can be questioned.  Hairston is one player whose growth never exceeded where people saw him.  Good player, but he could have been and probably should have been better.

Seattle: Russell Westbrook (4)

             Serge Ibaka (24)

             D.J. White (trade_29)

             DeVon Hardin (50)

             Sasha Kaun (56)

I don’t understand the fascination with Westbrook, especially at #4.  Good player, but not at #4.  Ibaka is definitely raw, but give him 3 years and he should be ready to contribute a low.  Meanwhile, White could be ready to play next year, especially if he can continue to stay away from the injury bug.  Hardin has the ability to contribute, but will he?  Sometimes he just disappears from the game, which could make him disappear from this roster.  Kaun will not make the team.

Toronto: Jermaine O’Neal (trade)

         Nathan Jawal (trade_41)                 

The Raptors took a big gamble in bringing O’Neal.  If his injuries are not behind him, then they look very foolish.  Jawal is an underrated big man who can really play defense and could surprise many offensively.

Utah: Kosta Koufos (23) 

         Ante Tomic (44)

         Tadija Dragicevic (53) 

I am definitely not a fan of Koufos, even though he really played well at the end of last season.  He does not do anything great, but he is adequate at a lot of things.  I don’t expect Tomic or Dragicevic to play in the NBA for a while, even though I believe Dragicevic will be a good player in the NBA one day.

Washington: JaVale McGee (18)

The Wizard fans probably had another heart attack because McGee is a project, even though he has great athleticism.  His low-post skills leave a long to be desired.  He will have to make an impact on the defensive end in order to play.

Shaquille O’Neal has always taken the opportunity to disrespect Kobe Bryant, especially after the Los Angeles Lakers traded him to Miami in the summer of 2004, so him freesyling about how “Kobe Ain’t Nothing Without {Me},” was nothing new to basketball fans, but this was not just about Kobe.  The rap sounded like a bitter old man, which is unlike Shaq, who usually comical at every opportunity.  He did not just disrespect Kobe, but also Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Patrick Ewing and gave an unusual look into Shaq’s personal life, something Shaq very rarely goes into publicly.  Was this Shaq being Shaq or something entirely different?

Shaq started his rap by disrespecting Kobe at the beginning and people went wild.  This is not surprising because it can be argued that the best rivalry this decade has not been Yankees versus Red Sox or Colts versus Patriots, but Shaq versus Kobe.  While the beginning of the “feud” started before this decade, it really did not get wildly popular until after the two teammates started winning NBA titles together as Lakers.  The 2000-01 season was where their “disagreements” became common stories, not just in Los Angeles, but for the entire country.  They almost had a daily story about just them and what they said about each other.

Throughout this time, the Lakers kept winning titles and when they would win titles, they would “be nice” to each other.  It came up again at the beginning of the 2003-04 season when Kobe was charged with a rape allegation and the two took turns blasting each other publicly.  After a disappointing loss to the Pistons in the NBA finals, the Lakers traded Shaq to Miami and Shaq publicly blamed the loss and later, the fall of the Lakers on Kobe.  Eventually, they again appeared to “make up” until this past weekend.

The first surprise with Shaq’s rap was his “shots” at Jabbar and Ewing.  Shaq is universally known of one of the greatest centers in the history of the NBA.  While this is the case, one of the centers considered greater than Shaq would be Jabbar, who won 6 NBA titles and 6 MVPs in his 20 seasons, mostly as a Laker.  That seem to come from nowhere since Kareem has never been anything but complimentary of Shaq.  Now Shaq and Patrick Ewing were contemporaries and their early battles were commonplace on national television, so this was not that surprising except that Ewing has been retired in 2001.  Shaq has always thought of himself as one of the best centers ever and has never hid this fact.

What was new was Shaq letting people know about his personal life.  People knew that Shaq was getting a divorce this year and knew how Kobe “broke the code” and ratted on Shaq when he faced his own difficulties in 2004.  What people probably did not know was that Shaq has had a vasectomy.  The question is why would he bring this up freestyling in New York?

To me, this is about it being Shaq’s last chance for the limelight and everyone, including Shaq, knows that he gets instant limelight whenever he goes out of his way to disrespect Kobe.  The problem is that Kobe and the Lakers may be about to go a title run, so Shaq had to say his “view” now because once Kobe wins another title, Shaq will not be able to rant against Kobe anymore.  My questions are the “shots” he took at Jabbar and a certain extent Ewing and his public declarations about his divorce.  Was he just freestyling or was it the ranting of a bitter man?

This is something I do.  This not what I think will happen, but rather how I would draft if I were the GMs.  This is subject to change because of trades.

1. Chicago-Michael Beasley (Kansas St) 6’8 239lbs.  Most talented player in college basketball this past season.  Has all of the tools to be a big-time player in the NBA.  People that think Derrick Rose should be the pick had better remember that the Bulls were thought to be the best team in the East during the preseason, but with Rose, they would definitely have to wait.

2. Miami-OJ Mayo (USC) 6’3 200.  I’ve said over and over again, that Mayo was the best frosh guard in the country, over Rose and over Eric Gordon.  He has quite a package and can play either guard spot well while playing some inquired defense.

3. Minnesota-Derrick Rose (Memphis) 6’2 196.  OUCH!!  What a present, especially when they would have probably taken Rose beforehand.  The Timberwolves need a PG and Rose would fit pretty well, although I’m sure that it’s not exactly the nicest place.

4. Seattle-Eric Gordon (Indiana) 6’2 222.  Adding another big-time collegiate scorer to the Sonic roster.  Gordon is very explosive and plays surprisingly good defense.  He and Durant teammed together could drive teams nuts for years to come.

5. Memphis-Kevin Love (UCLA) 6’8 255.  This would be a gift.  The Grizzlies need a replacement for Pau Gasol and while Love isn’t as athletic, he has skill that most big dudes don’t have anymore, especially rebounding and throwing the outlet pass, which could have the Grizzlies doing more running this season.

6. New York-Jerryd Bayless (Arizona) 6’2 204.  If it were me, this would be the beginning of the Stephon Marbury phase-out program.  Bayless is very underrated because he was in the Pac-10 and wasn’t seen much, but he has big-game scoring while having playmaking skills as well.

7. LA Clippers-Anthony Randolph (LSU) 6’9 197.  Typical Clipper pick.  Randolph has a ton of potential.  While his offense needs a lot of work, his defense is good, especially his shot-blocking ability.  If he ever gets a consistent mid-range J, watch out!!

8. Milwaukee-Joe Alexander (West Virginia) 6’7 220.  Another pick that could be risky.  Alexander had a breakout junior season after being mostly non-existent in his first 2 seasons at West Virginia.  While he has 3-man skills, he has 4-man size.  If the Bucks can gets those skills consistently used, they have themselves a player.

9. Charlotte-Brook Lopez (Stanford) 6’11 256.  The Bobcats can only hope they be so lucky.  Lopez is the best offensive low-post scorer in the entire draft and since I believe their goal will to take easier shots next year.  Also, with Okafor, they could make life difficult for opponents in the paint as well.

10. New Jersey-Danilo Galliari (Italy) 6’9 212.  I think this is even more the pick now that Richard Jefferson’s name has seriously come up in trade rumors.  Galliari should become one of the better shooters in the league, but people are going to be surprised with his versatility.

11. Indiana-D.J. Augustin (Texas) 5’10 172.  The only question I would have is will he be able to guard anyone in the NBA??  Augustin has a lot of offensive skills, but he has a weakness that isn’t talked about as well.  He rarely shoots well on a jump shot, but is very good when he can shoot his set shot.  At 5’11, this would have to change, but the Pacers need a PG now.

12. Sacramento-DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M) 6’10 250.  The Kings seriously need a center and they need better defensive players and in Jordan, they get both.  Jordan needs a ton of work on his offensive game, but defensively, he’ll challenge anyone, even though he’ll need to do some serious lifting too.

13. Portland-Marresse Speights (Florida) 6’10 245.  Speights was the only remaining member of Florida’s back to back titles who emerged last season.  Speights will be the second center for Portland, who will be looking at getting Greg Oden, but will also be gaining Speights as well.

14. Golden State-Russell Westbrook (UCLA) 6’2 192.  Don’t think that Westbrook being another UCLA PG, like Baron Davis, is a coincidence.  Many have Westbrook a lot higher, but outside of his athletic ability, I don’t even see Westbrook as a lottery talent.  The Warriors, however, want an athletic PG and Westbrook could be their guy.

15. Phoenix (from Atlanta)-JaVale McGee (Nevada) 6’11 241.  He could be the ideal guy to be beside Amare Stoudamire when Shaq leaves.  People are going to be he is too thin, but he hasn’t fulled out yet either.  The question is, how much will the Suns change with Terry Porter??

16. Philadelphia-Darrell Arthur (Kansas) 6’10 225.  I think Arthur is one of the really underrated players in the draft.  I think he is very good from 12 feet and in.  Arthur is also an underrated defensive player as well.  He isn’t flashy, but Arthur should be a solid player.

17. Indiana (from Toronto)-Nicolas Batum (France) 6’8 210.  Don’t know what to really make out for Batum.  He has long arms and a ton of skills, but he doesn’t go hard to the basket at all.  Has too much of Boris Diaw’s (his French teammate) attitude and doesn’t bring it.  If he ever does, he WILL be the steal of the draft.

18. Washington-Roy Hibbert (Georgetown) 7’2 272.  If Hibbert drops down here, the Wizards would have to take him.  They have struggled for years because they simply will not address the low post presence on both ends of the floor.  They will know what they get from Hibbert, even I think he will be better than most think.

19. Cleveland-Brandon Rush (Kansas) 6’7 205.  I believe the Cavaliers are facing a HUGE summer and getting Rush could get it off to a good start.  This would also give the Cavaliers a wing that can put the ball in the basket and create off of the dribble, something they don’t have outside of Lebron.  Would be a solid pick.

20. Charlotte (from Denver)-Mario Chalmers (Kansas) 6’2 186.  I don’t understand why people don’t have this guy.  Didn’t make the biggest shot in the biggest game of the season??  Well, I think the Bobcats will be very wise to take him because other than Ray Felton, they have no other PGs currently on the team.

21. New Jersey (from Dallas)-Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky) 6’5 200.  Another very underrated player.  An efficient scorer for a team that just can’t shoot very well.  Plays defense and will challenge his opponent defensively.  Since the Nets only have Vince Carter, Lee would find time immediately.

22. Orlando-Alexis Ajinca (France) 7’1 227.  Let’s face it, after Dwight Howard, who do the Magic have inside??  Exactly, no one.  Ajinca has ridiculously long arms and can definitely block shots.  His offense is very raw, but Orlando don’t exactly need offense.  He may also be able to play with Howard, a frightening thought for anyone trying to score in the paint.

23. Utah-Donte Greene (Syracuse) 6’8 221 .  This may be low for Greene, but I’m not a huge Greene fan.  However, there’s no doubting his productivity.  I know the Jazz are looking to become more athletic at the wing position and Greene definitely brings that.

24. Seattle (from Phoenix)-Jason Thompson (Rider) 6’11 250 .  I believe that the Sonics would love to get Thompson right here, particularly since Thompson can play both the 4 and the 5.  While everyone knows that Mike Beasley led the country in the rebounding last year, few know that Thompson was right behind him.  This would be a coup for the Sonics.

25. Houston-Robin Lopez (Stanford) 7’1 252.  Many people believe Robin has a bigger upside than his brother Brook, mainly because Robin’s offense is a work in progress.  His defense, however, is among the best in the draft and since the Rockets need another backup center, one who could learn from Dikembe Mutombo.

26. San Antonio-Ryan Anderson (California) 6’10 225 .  One who have to wonder why the Pac-10′s leader in scoring and rebounding would be around this late in the draft.  The Spurs were beat down on the interior throughout the playoffs and it has been a long time since they have had another offensive threat in the interior and Anderson could be a surprise.

27. Portland (from New Orleans)-Joey Dorsey (Memphis) 6’7 265.  Since they have a ton of picks and trades in the works, the Blazers had better do one thing and that’s have a protector for Oden.  Dorsey is the definition of an enforcer and could do just that.  People also forget how good of a defensive player the last two years in college.

28. Memphis (from Lakers)-J.J. Hickson (N.C. State) 6’9 240.  This would be one heck of a start for a trade that was thought to be a steal for the Lakers.  Hickson was the most underrated freshman in the country last year and would be a steal at this pick.  In a couple of years, he could be Gasol’s replacement.  A no-brainer pick.

29. Detroit-D.J. White (Indiana) 6’9 236.  No one has endured has much in the last 4 years than White.  After all of the injuries and struggles, White has dropped despite his perseverance, but he could be ideal for the Pistons, especially since Rasheed Wallace has been in multiple trade rumors.

30. Boston-Gary Forbes (UMass) 6’5 221.  The Celtics don’t need to look far for their player.  Forbes was the best player in the Portsmouth Invitational and one of the best at the pre-draft camp.  Forbes has underrated versatility, but he also has a ton of game.

   Before 1993, baseball in Florida only meant one thing, it was spring training and the baseball season was on the way.  All over Florida, major league teams would come and get ready for the regular season by training in Florida.  Teams even became known from what place they trained.  Legions of fans would take off down to Florida and watch their teams get ready for the season and hope filled the air.  Baseball in Florida meant optimism and how the new season brought a fresh start to everyone in the league.

    In 1993, baseball expanded into Florida, bringing the Florida Marlins to the Miami area.  After four seasons, they incredibly built a team that had won the World Series.  After they won the World Series, they went on a “fire sale” because owner Wayne Huizenga claimed massive losses financially, so they traded off of the most of the team’s best players.  The next five seasons, the Marlins had a losing record, but in 2003, the Marlins did it again and won the World Series, becoming the only National League team that has won multiple World Series titles since the Marlins came into existence.

    In 1998, baseball expanded into Florida again, this time going to the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now just called Rays).  This organization has not been nearly as fortunate as the Marlins as they have been in last place every season they have been in existence, for the exception of 2004, where they were next to last.  This current season has been their most successful ever as they are currently 44-30, a half game behind the Boston Red Sox for 1^st place in the American East, known as the most difficult division in baseball since the Red Sox and the New Yankees play there.  This is an organization whose best season has been 70-91 before this season.

    The problem with baseball in Florida is that they have been so poorly supported.  The Marlins had over three million fans come out to see them in their first season, but despite winning two World Series they have only gotten two million fans one time since.  The consistent obstacle for the Marlins have been trying to get a stadium built and since they have been unsuccessful, the Marlins have been looking to relocate for years now.  The Rays have the same issues.  Tropicana Field is known as one of the worst places to see a baseball game and when you add the fact that the team has been poor since they started as a franchise, there is no wonder why fan support has been poor for the Rays as well.

    The problem is that Florida is a baseball state.  For years, spring training baseball has brought legions of fans from the north to Florida to watch some baseball.  In fact, St. Petersburg is hosts spring training for 9 major league teams, including the Chicago Cubs who have had spring training there since 1913 and has had more spring training games than any other city in the United States.  Yet, the major league teams in Florida are unable to get support for their teams and are always complaining about the facilities.  The problem is not the fans, but major league baseball.  They need to leave Florida to host spring training and go elsewhere to host major league teams.