Now I'm going to get into quickly but just for a quick preview here it is. The Euro Cup is still going strong going into the final and I'm pretty excited. I've gotten over the heartbreak of Croatia being eliminated and I'm doing well with the crazy world of sports. I'm also going to talk about the NBA draft and break down each team. It may seem long but I'm not going to go overboard. It will just be a recap and I'll even give a draft grade which will be based on where the team picks. I know teams like the Knicks and Nets draft in the late 2nd round so I'm going to grade them based on that pick. It will be based on how they fill a need or possibly get a future all star. The other topic will be wrestling and based on the title, when you hear the word pipe bomb only one man comes to mind. The one year anniversary of CM Punk's shoot promo happened on Wednesday. I'm going to break down my favorite parts of the promo even though everything was great. This is another full sports edition with some entertainment, so calm down wrestling haters I made sure to include entertainment! Now don't give me s*** in public about making it seem like a sport.
Euro Cup Semifinals
The Italian prodigy finally steps up
Spain 0 (4) Portugal 0 (2)- I didn't watch the game and based on many reactions towards it, I wasn't going to tune in. Many people called it the worst game of the tournament which doesn't surprise me. Spain isn't the same team from 2008 that will overload with goals unless there playing a complete pushover like Ireland. Spain needs a healthy and in form duo of Fernando Torres and David Villa to get back to their 2 to 4 goal scoring ways. They have now gotten into the style of being very possessive but that style wouldn't work against a top defensive like Portugal. Portugal's defense has been a big surprise this tournament and they proved it once again really limiting Spain for the first 90 minutes. Pepe and Bruno Alves have been a great duo while Fabio Coentrao has been as good as advertised. It wasn't until overtime when Spain really started pressing and forcing Rui Patricio into making top saves. Iniesta had the best opportunity out of them all but it was a really top save by Patricio. Portugal seemed to be right up to par with Spain but they never really seemed to threaten Casillas. Even when Portugal would go on some nice counters, it would end with a great tackle by Ramos or Pique. Another big story was obviously Cristiano Ronaldo having a poor game for his standards. He was getting harassed like everyone expected and he never looked like scoring. Spain was the rightful winner at the end and similar to Italy, you had that feeling that Spain would pull through with Iker Casillas in the net. It was cool to see defenders taking penalties with Pique scoring and Sergio Ramos making the highlight reel with his creative penalty. Portugal will probably regret using Bruno Alves after striking the bar. I still don't like the idea of Ronaldo going 5th. If you want to use your star, I'd say use him 3rd or 4th just to make sure he's used. It was pretty poor managing and it has come back to haunt them. Its hard to pick a man of the match but I really saw a lot from Sergio Ramos. He's playing out of position at center back and he's doing an outstanding job there. He breaks up attacks and still makes runs in attack. Ever since drawing Italy, Spain hasn't missed Carlos Puyol.
Italy 2 Germany 1- This was the upset of the tournament for me. Italy has gone from a team that people were picking as a favorite to be upset in group stage and not make it through to in the European championship. This was an impressive performance by Italy with break out performances all around. The German defense was always considered a bit too young and they were exposed today. They were lucky it was only two because it could have easily been four. Italy really missed some good chance at the end and it made too close to comfort at the end. Germany seemed to be in control early on but Italy really spread out the field. That led to Andrea Pirlo who has easily been Italy's best player this tournament dictate the pace of the game. Then Daniele De Rossi would win every ball to stop Germany's attack. Italy's midfield won has been top notch all tournament and it didn't change today. Buffon was still called on to make some saves. Marco Reus and Sami Khredia really made Buffon work in testing Buffon who is still the best goalie in the world. The saves that he makes for his age are remarkable and it has given Italy a major boost in this tournament. The main story was obviously Mario Balotelli having a break out game. We have been waiting all tournament for Balotelli to really break out and be the main star of the game. He showed some quality against Croatia and England while scoring a great goal against Ireland but he hasn't really performed well in the tournament. That all changed with a perfect header off great work from Antonio Cassano. Cassano has been poor so far in the tournament and played much better looking very lively on the ball. Badstuber was having a really poor game and things got even worse when Balotelli was found again and struck it beautifully in the back of the net. It was becoming the Balotelli show and Germany's young back four looked lost. Germany began to press but it wasn't enough in the end. An obvious handball on Italy gave them a goal but Germany looked flustered most of the game and Italy did a great job defending. Even though they are mostly young, they looked very composed and never worried. Italy clearly was the better team and goes through with a great upset. Germany once again fails in a major tournament especially now since they were considered the favorites. The man of the match has to be Balotelli for his efforts although the back four deserves plenty of credit.
Finals Prediction
That's marking these days apparently
Spain 2 Italy 1 Extra Time- A risky prediction especially since Italy's back four looks rock solid and Spain is struggling to score. I think Italy will get caught on the counter at one point and it could cost them. Despite that I do think Italy is too good to be shut out so I expect Balotelli or possibly Cassano scoring. These teams are too even for this game to be finished in regular time so it will eventually go into extra time. Italy's inexperience in the back four will make a massive mistake which will lead to Spain winning their third champion in six years which is really scary to think about it. I'm rooting for Italy because I'm sick of Spain and I think most people are starting to get that feeling. Its pretty interesting that this is a Group C rematch which goes to show you what group was the true group of death. I think that can be argued especially with how good Croatia played. I'm excited for Sunday regardless even though I'm not a fan of either team. I live in an Italian neighborhood so I'm going to dread all the cars being driven around with the Italian flags. Not to mention, the Italian fan base is among the worst with most people not knowing half the players on their team. It really annoys me but that's sports for you. The bandwagon grows and grows which is the case here. I got a surprise for the game since I'm going to be with a lot of Italians. If you live in my area and if Italy wins, I'll be around for the parade but I'm going to wear something that will either make you love me more for my attitude or really hate me more.
Heat (B-) - Miami only had one mid round 2nd pick after trading down so they can't really be graded. They brought size in at least with Justin Hamilton although I haven't seen much of him from LSU. He underperformed in college but really did good in the workouts to merit a pick. If he can rebound and block shots, then he'll fit right in there with Miami.
Magic (B) - I would have liked to see them go after a shooting guard but with the likely trade of Dwight Howard, they'll probably get one back. Andrew Nicholson is a good value pick despite not coming from a big school. He is very underrated when it comes to post moves and rebounding. He'll be a nice asset to the Magic along with Kyle O'Quinn. He's another guy that is coming from a small school but made a big name for himself in that upset win against Missouri in the 1st round. He's a bit raw offensively but he takes so much space and always seems to get every rebound. They got some good players to work with but a guard would have been nice to see in the 2nd round considering Ryan Anderson will likely stay in Orlando.
Wizards (B+) - Bradley Beal is going to be a major player for the Wizards with John Wall. Beal is the prototypical top five pick that can do so many things from shoot, pass, and drive to the hoop. He's also a very underrated rebound and it will show in the pros. Wizards made the right pick here and nobody could complain about that. I'm not sure about the 2nd round pick of taking another guard with Tomas Satoransky. I've heard he's a major sleeper in the draft with his scoring ability and how he can really take over a game with his shooting but with Wall and Beal, where will he fit? I would have gone with a big man but still this was a great draft for Wizards.
Grizzles (C) - I'm not a fan of this pick despite Wroten's talent. I'm a big fan of Mike Conley and I think Memphis didn't need a point guard this early. They needed a shooter at the swingman position after the horrendous three point shooting in the first round.
Hornets (B+) - If they trade Eric Gordon then this draft will be better but right now its clustered. Anthony Davis was easily the first pick with no debates about it. He's one of the best defensive players I've seen coming out of a draft and has the skills to become a big time scorer in the league. He's the perfect guy to help New Orleans from the Chris Paul era. Austin Rivers is an interesting pick but the issue is that he's literally the same player as Eric Gordon. That leaves a huge mess in the back court and Rivers isn't the player that's known for passing. Rivers has a lot of potential but will go through serious growing pains. Darius Miller was the last pick and he's another shooting guard. Miller can shoot and is a very good defender but he's pretty undersized and it seems like they have too many guards. They got a high quality amount of players but Eric Gordon has to be traded to make this an effective draft.
Spurs (N/A) - The Spurs only had one pick and it was near the end of the draft. I'm not going to grade them since it was the 59th pick even though I like Marcus Demnon. I'm not sure what position he'll play in the pros but he plays with so much intensity from that Missouri system. You will get excellent defense from him and three point shooting. He'll probably end up being a shooting guard since he was never a good passer. This is a good pick though but he's a tweener right now.
Nuggets (C+) - This was a mysterious draft for Denver who went foreign on their picks. I'm not sure how Evan Fournier will fit into the team with Aaron Affalo being an effective two guard. He could be an energy guy off the bench but isn't that Andre Miller's role? Denver doesn't have many specific needs but that was a mysterious pick. Quincy Miller is an interesting pick if he can get healthy for the season. Miller showed lots of promise in Baylor but never fully got it together. He's not going to start as long as Danilo Gallinari is at small forward but he could be another quality guy off the bench. They rounded the draft with Izzet Turkyilmaz from Turkey who gives them size but remains mysterious. Denver didn't really make much of an impact in this draft to make me impressed either that or I'm totally clueless with international players.
Timberwolves (N/A)- Another team that can't get a grade because they only had a late 2nd round pick. They traded their first round pick for Chase Budinger which was questionable. Budinger is a good player but he'll never become an all star something that you can't say for the 18th pick of the draft. The Timberwolves ended up drafting Robbie Hummel who is considered to be a legend in Purdue. Hummel is a feel good story coming off two Torn ACL injuries and still managed to play well. He's undersized as a power forward and too slow as a small forward but he can bring instant offense from the bench with his shooting ability and offense. I never see him starting in the league but he can shoot for a guy his size.
Thunder (A-) - It may not work out but you have to give credit to the Thunder. They took a chance on a player who has so much star potential but fell through boards due to knee issues and work ethic problems. Perry Jones III never broke out in college but you saw flashes that he can be a star in the NBA. He's coming into a situation where he won't be called upon to produce that much at first but he can step up and take command. The situation is perfect for him and Thunder might have gotten themselves another great pick from a draft.
Blazers (A-) - Blazers drafted really well after a roller coaster year with the roster. They are going to rebuild and drafting Damian Lillard was the right decision. They can get a new point guard to run the offense and grow on the fly. Raymond Felton is on the decline and you might as well start fresh with a player of Lillard's caliber. Then Portland drafts a 7 foot 1 center in Meyers Leonard who will fit right next to LaMarcus Aldridge. Leonard won't have the same expectations as Greg Oden but he'll be expected to do what every center does then provide some offense. Leonard can do that and he can form a great duo in the paint with Aldridge. Portland's last pick is a scrappy guard in Will Barton who never broke out in Memphis but can bring instant offense off the bench. Portland may struggle this year but this draft was a great step in the right direction.
Jazz ( N/A)- Utah doesn't get a grade here because they only had a mid level 2nd round pick and I never really heard of Kevin Murphy. I'm not sure why Utah would take a power forward with the issues they have in the back court but I'm not sure what they'll find that late in the draft.
Warriors ( C+) - I'm not sure where Golden State's mindset was after Harrison Barnes. Barnes may never be the player that he was billed up to be, but he's going to make plays offensively and he'll always have his jump shot. He needs to improve on his passing and making better decisions but Barnes won't be called upon right away to be a star. Now my problems with the Warriors is that they trade for Andrew Bogut but then draft two centers in Festus Ezeil and Ognjen Kuzmic. I don't understand the logic in that although I could see drafting once center since Bogut is so injury prone. Golden State could have used a shooting guard in the draft and really missed out. Draymond Green is a nice pick and he'll bring plenty of toughness to a weak team but I see David Lee staying in Golden State for the long run. Golden State gets an average grade because the Barnes pick is going to really help them but I don't understand taking two centers in the end.
Clippers (N/A)- Another team that got a late round pick so they can't really be graded. Clippers got Furkan Almedir from Turkey who is a big man that could play both positions. With Kenyon Martin getting older, Reggie Evans being mostly useless, and DeAndre Jordan regressing it could be a nice pick.
Lakers (N/A)- They only had one pick and it was the last pick of the draft. They took Robert Sacre from Gonzaga who I really like but I'm not sure why the Lakers took him when they have Bynum. Its the last pick so most likely nothing can really come of it but I just found it odd.
Kings (A)- Sacramento only had one pick and they made it count taking Thomas Robinson. Robinson is a terrific player that is a traditional power forward. He has so many post moves and he never gives up on a play. The man is a pure work horse that hopefully can rub it off on DeMarcus Cousins. The only thing that Robinson needs to work on is simply staying within his limits. Sometimes he dribbles too much or takes a wild shot which is out of his element. He needs to stick to taking just a few dribbles to either take a hook or layup or take a jump shot. Robinson has an above average jump shot that makes him even more dynamic.
Suns (A) - They only had one pick but they really delivered on the pick. With the likely departure of Steve Nash, the Suns were left with a major need at point guard. They filled that need with arguably the most natural point guard in Kendall Marshall. Marshall is an outstanding passer that could fill the void that Nash left. He will need to fill big shoes but I expect Marshall to be one of the best rookies out of this draft. This is a great situation for him and you got to like this pick by Phoenix. I'm interested to see how much of a scorer he'll become though because he was filled with so much talent in UNC. Phoenix will need him to score more than what UNC asked him to but so I'm really intrigued.
NBA Draft Recap (East)
I'm not going to go by pick by pick instead I'll go by teams. I'm going to look into how each team filled a need and the quality of that player along with the pick they were at.
Celtics (A)- Boston had two first round picks and they were spot on with the picks. They realize that they should be settled in the back court for years to come with Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley back there. Paul Pierce might have a few years left in him so its clear to get big man. They get Jared Sullinger who won't be an all star due to restrictions in athleticism and offensive ability but he's going to be a hard nosed player. I really like this pick especially in the later part of round 1. Then they draft Fab Melo who is a project right now but Doc Rivers could bring the best out of him. I'm not crazy about the pick but Melo could really become a great center if his head is on right. Then they took another Syracuse player in Kris Joseph who is a good athlete. Joseph will be more of an energy guy off the bench with his freakish athleticism. He has serious hops but he doesn't have a good jump shot and fades out of games easily. Still a really good draft by Boston filling their needs with quality players for their bench and possible starters.
Knicks (C-)- I have been following the draft for about seven years now and other than a few top ten choices, the Knicks always seem to have limited draft picks. It was just one of those years again and they took a chance on a prospect. Kostas Papanikolaou was the pick here and I really have to question it. With possible concerns at guard position, you draft a player that plays the same position as Carmelo Anthony? I'm sure that Kostas could possibly play power forward but did you really need to take this pick? I'm not a fan of the pick but Knicks were in tough spot so I give them the benefit here. Still a very questionable pick for a team that had depth issues especially in back court.
Nets (C+) - The Brooklyn Nets have been re invented but were put in a tough spot with just 2nd round picks. They drafted Tayshawn Taylor who is a pretty intriguing pick but I'm not sure where he'll fit. They may be looking for a possible replacement in Deron which is smart but I'm starting to think Deron will stay. Taylor is a good pick here despite his inconsistent decision making and shooting. He's a playmaker that has the ability to do everything. Then with a late 2nd round pick, they took Ilkan Karaman from Turkey. I'm not familiar with much international players but he's 6'9 that gives them more depth up front. Nets did a decent job here but I would have liked to see them take a shooting guard or even small forward. Gerald Wallace is on his last legs so that would have worked for me but not bad from Brooklyn (really awkward saying that)
76ers (C+) - I'm a big fan of Moe Harkless coming from St.John's which is my favorite college basketball team. This isn't a good fit for him though when you look at this team. Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala are very similar players but that does bring up the question if Iguodala would be traded? Harkless is another player that can do it all but doesn't have a consistent jump shot similar to both players. I'm not sure what the 76ers were thinking here but Harkless is a gamer that will give you production. Philadelphia traded up to get Arnett Moultire in the first round who could be a game changer. He's a bit raw offensively but he brings good size and can run the floor really well. That pick could make this draft for Philadelphia. The last pick was a Euro prospect from Georgia in Tornike Shengelia who is a 6'9 tweener. I thought Lavoy Allen was a similar player to him and he's on the 76ers as well so I'm not sure. Overall this wasn't a great draft for them but they got some players to work with that have talent.
Raptors (C-) Toronto didn't address their weak core of big men whatsoever. I'm a fan of Terence Ross but do they move DeRozan to small forward now? It was a good pick talent wise but wouldn't you want to take the chance with Drummond? He has more potential to be a superstar and could change a franchise if he works harder. Then Boston takes Quincy Acy who has shown that he's hard nosed and can play but he's undersized for a power forward. I'm not sure how he'll fit in the league but he does bring toughness to a weak team. Toronto can't go a draft without taking a European prospect but they take a Croatian which brings me joy. I don't know much about Tomislav Zubcic other than he could shoot like most Europeans and is a matchup problem with his arms. I'm still not happy with Toronto not using their picks to bring more size to a team that struggles to rebound. I know they drafted a hot shot center from Lithuania who should be good from last year but they should have done more. They didn't impress me here.
Bulls (B-) - Marquis Teague was one of my favorites around the late 1st round to early 2nd round. He plays with so much fire and got to the basket whenever he wants. This will be a helpful pick for the early part of the season but what do you do with him when Rose comes back? Chicago is a pretty deep team so they don't really have any flaws but more athleticism on the wings would be nice. Teague is going to give you good minutes though so thats why Bulls get a good grade.
Cavs (F)- It may be harsh but I'm going to be critical here. Dan Gilbert had the tools to have a productive draft but instead he blows it up all trading three picks just to get Tyler Zeller? I like Zeller but I'm not convinced his body can handle the NBA. He's pretty frail and has problems defending physical players. You can just watch him against Thomas Robinson in the elite 8 last tournament and you'll see he has issues. The fact that they traded three picks for him is insulting. The Cavs had a top five pick and it sums up the draft. I know they drafted Tristan Thompson to be their big men last year so Thomas Robinson becomes ruled out. They take Dion Waiters who was a 6th man in college. Waiters showed he can score and dribble but how can this be justified? Harrison Barnes would have been a much better pick here. Cavs were a major let down this year in the draft and will be the biggest losers from this.
Pistons (B)- This is a bit friendly but I like what the Pistons did here. Andre Drummond will come along eventually although it could be after leaving the Pistons. I'm not sure if this will be a good fit with Greg Monroe since their both very similar. If they can feed off each other, then it could make the Pistons competitive again. The 2nd round picks of Khris Middleton and Kim English will help the depth. Both comes from great schools that were in Top 25 all year in Missouri and Texas A & M. They both play hard nosed defense that Detroit sorely lacks and can hit three pointers They are good value picks in the 2nd round and it was a good draft overall by the Pistons that sorely needed it.
Pacers (C)- They only had two picks but the first one was a pretty big reach. Miles Plumlee is a perennial underachiever who never fully got it right at Duke. He'll bring more depth into their big man rotation but with Hibbert, West, and Hansbrough already there. I'm not sure if they really needed to make this pick. Indiana is a well groomed team so they didn't need to really address anything but in terms of talent, they could have done much better in the 1st round. The other pick was Orlando Johnson who I never heard of but he's a guard who is mostly a shooter that could be needed coming off the bench. Indiana had some horrible spells against the Heat when they couldn't hit three pointers.
Bucks (B) - John Henson was a really good pick here. I'm not sold on Henson as a big time player but he'll be a great role player. I would like to see him gain more weight because he's going to be pushed around in the paint area but his shot blocking ability is incredible. He's also improving his offensive game from his jump shot to post moves. He's really dedicated to improving and has a great work ethic so I think he'll come around for the Bucks. I'm not sure about the Dorion Lamb pick here though although he'll bring scoring off the bench. Lamb had some great moments at Kentucky with his scoring ability but Bucks could have used more defensive help. An athletic shooting guard or small forward would have been a great pick but the Bucks did well in the draft overall.
Hawks (C+) - They have some clear needs and I don't think they addressed them very well. John Jenkins can score but he doesn't come across to me as a guy who can start. We all know he can shoot the lights out but his defending and being undersized really hurts. I don't see him as a first rounder and it could come back to haunt Atlanta. Mike Scott will bring good size and is a nice pick for the Hawks. He could have done more in college with his talent but underperformed in big games. He'll be a nice guy to bring off the bench so I don't have a problem with that pick. Jenkins hurts the grade by a decent amount to make it just an average draft for the Hawks.
His looks are the same as his drafting decisions, a pure idiot.
Celtics (A)- Boston had two first round picks and they were spot on with the picks. They realize that they should be settled in the back court for years to come with Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley back there. Paul Pierce might have a few years left in him so its clear to get big man. They get Jared Sullinger who won't be an all star due to restrictions in athleticism and offensive ability but he's going to be a hard nosed player. I really like this pick especially in the later part of round 1. Then they draft Fab Melo who is a project right now but Doc Rivers could bring the best out of him. I'm not crazy about the pick but Melo could really become a great center if his head is on right. Then they took another Syracuse player in Kris Joseph who is a good athlete. Joseph will be more of an energy guy off the bench with his freakish athleticism. He has serious hops but he doesn't have a good jump shot and fades out of games easily. Still a really good draft by Boston filling their needs with quality players for their bench and possible starters.
Knicks (C-)- I have been following the draft for about seven years now and other than a few top ten choices, the Knicks always seem to have limited draft picks. It was just one of those years again and they took a chance on a prospect. Kostas Papanikolaou was the pick here and I really have to question it. With possible concerns at guard position, you draft a player that plays the same position as Carmelo Anthony? I'm sure that Kostas could possibly play power forward but did you really need to take this pick? I'm not a fan of the pick but Knicks were in tough spot so I give them the benefit here. Still a very questionable pick for a team that had depth issues especially in back court.
Nets (C+) - The Brooklyn Nets have been re invented but were put in a tough spot with just 2nd round picks. They drafted Tayshawn Taylor who is a pretty intriguing pick but I'm not sure where he'll fit. They may be looking for a possible replacement in Deron which is smart but I'm starting to think Deron will stay. Taylor is a good pick here despite his inconsistent decision making and shooting. He's a playmaker that has the ability to do everything. Then with a late 2nd round pick, they took Ilkan Karaman from Turkey. I'm not familiar with much international players but he's 6'9 that gives them more depth up front. Nets did a decent job here but I would have liked to see them take a shooting guard or even small forward. Gerald Wallace is on his last legs so that would have worked for me but not bad from Brooklyn (really awkward saying that)
76ers (C+) - I'm a big fan of Moe Harkless coming from St.John's which is my favorite college basketball team. This isn't a good fit for him though when you look at this team. Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala are very similar players but that does bring up the question if Iguodala would be traded? Harkless is another player that can do it all but doesn't have a consistent jump shot similar to both players. I'm not sure what the 76ers were thinking here but Harkless is a gamer that will give you production. Philadelphia traded up to get Arnett Moultire in the first round who could be a game changer. He's a bit raw offensively but he brings good size and can run the floor really well. That pick could make this draft for Philadelphia. The last pick was a Euro prospect from Georgia in Tornike Shengelia who is a 6'9 tweener. I thought Lavoy Allen was a similar player to him and he's on the 76ers as well so I'm not sure. Overall this wasn't a great draft for them but they got some players to work with that have talent.
Raptors (C-) Toronto didn't address their weak core of big men whatsoever. I'm a fan of Terence Ross but do they move DeRozan to small forward now? It was a good pick talent wise but wouldn't you want to take the chance with Drummond? He has more potential to be a superstar and could change a franchise if he works harder. Then Boston takes Quincy Acy who has shown that he's hard nosed and can play but he's undersized for a power forward. I'm not sure how he'll fit in the league but he does bring toughness to a weak team. Toronto can't go a draft without taking a European prospect but they take a Croatian which brings me joy. I don't know much about Tomislav Zubcic other than he could shoot like most Europeans and is a matchup problem with his arms. I'm still not happy with Toronto not using their picks to bring more size to a team that struggles to rebound. I know they drafted a hot shot center from Lithuania who should be good from last year but they should have done more. They didn't impress me here.
Bulls (B-) - Marquis Teague was one of my favorites around the late 1st round to early 2nd round. He plays with so much fire and got to the basket whenever he wants. This will be a helpful pick for the early part of the season but what do you do with him when Rose comes back? Chicago is a pretty deep team so they don't really have any flaws but more athleticism on the wings would be nice. Teague is going to give you good minutes though so thats why Bulls get a good grade.
Cavs (F)- It may be harsh but I'm going to be critical here. Dan Gilbert had the tools to have a productive draft but instead he blows it up all trading three picks just to get Tyler Zeller? I like Zeller but I'm not convinced his body can handle the NBA. He's pretty frail and has problems defending physical players. You can just watch him against Thomas Robinson in the elite 8 last tournament and you'll see he has issues. The fact that they traded three picks for him is insulting. The Cavs had a top five pick and it sums up the draft. I know they drafted Tristan Thompson to be their big men last year so Thomas Robinson becomes ruled out. They take Dion Waiters who was a 6th man in college. Waiters showed he can score and dribble but how can this be justified? Harrison Barnes would have been a much better pick here. Cavs were a major let down this year in the draft and will be the biggest losers from this.
Pistons (B)- This is a bit friendly but I like what the Pistons did here. Andre Drummond will come along eventually although it could be after leaving the Pistons. I'm not sure if this will be a good fit with Greg Monroe since their both very similar. If they can feed off each other, then it could make the Pistons competitive again. The 2nd round picks of Khris Middleton and Kim English will help the depth. Both comes from great schools that were in Top 25 all year in Missouri and Texas A & M. They both play hard nosed defense that Detroit sorely lacks and can hit three pointers They are good value picks in the 2nd round and it was a good draft overall by the Pistons that sorely needed it.
Pacers (C)- They only had two picks but the first one was a pretty big reach. Miles Plumlee is a perennial underachiever who never fully got it right at Duke. He'll bring more depth into their big man rotation but with Hibbert, West, and Hansbrough already there. I'm not sure if they really needed to make this pick. Indiana is a well groomed team so they didn't need to really address anything but in terms of talent, they could have done much better in the 1st round. The other pick was Orlando Johnson who I never heard of but he's a guard who is mostly a shooter that could be needed coming off the bench. Indiana had some horrible spells against the Heat when they couldn't hit three pointers.
Bucks (B) - John Henson was a really good pick here. I'm not sold on Henson as a big time player but he'll be a great role player. I would like to see him gain more weight because he's going to be pushed around in the paint area but his shot blocking ability is incredible. He's also improving his offensive game from his jump shot to post moves. He's really dedicated to improving and has a great work ethic so I think he'll come around for the Bucks. I'm not sure about the Dorion Lamb pick here though although he'll bring scoring off the bench. Lamb had some great moments at Kentucky with his scoring ability but Bucks could have used more defensive help. An athletic shooting guard or small forward would have been a great pick but the Bucks did well in the draft overall.
Hawks (C+) - They have some clear needs and I don't think they addressed them very well. John Jenkins can score but he doesn't come across to me as a guy who can start. We all know he can shoot the lights out but his defending and being undersized really hurts. I don't see him as a first rounder and it could come back to haunt Atlanta. Mike Scott will bring good size and is a nice pick for the Hawks. He could have done more in college with his talent but underperformed in big games. He'll be a nice guy to bring off the bench so I don't have a problem with that pick. Jenkins hurts the grade by a decent amount to make it just an average draft for the Hawks.
Bobcats (C-) - I'm being very generous here and could easily trash Bobcats more. Thomas Robinson would have been the ideal pick for me but Michael Kidd- Gilchrist isn't that bad. The problem is he doesn't come off to me as a star player and he'll be put in a really tough position. He can drive to the hoop and really plays hard but his jump shot is average and he doesn't come off as a guy who can take over a game. You want that with the 2nd pick and he clearly doesn't do that compared to Robinson. He reminds me of a 3rd best player on a team when it comes to a playoff team so Charlotte still has a long way to go. Then they draft Jeff Taylor who plays the same position as him which makes no sense. He's very similar as well with great defense and is pretty athletic. Charlotte has so many needs and they really didn't address them to well in the draft. Michael Jordan continues to be a massive failure in Charlotte.
Heat (B-) - Miami only had one mid round 2nd pick after trading down so they can't really be graded. They brought size in at least with Justin Hamilton although I haven't seen much of him from LSU. He underperformed in college but really did good in the workouts to merit a pick. If he can rebound and block shots, then he'll fit right in there with Miami.
Magic (B) - I would have liked to see them go after a shooting guard but with the likely trade of Dwight Howard, they'll probably get one back. Andrew Nicholson is a good value pick despite not coming from a big school. He is very underrated when it comes to post moves and rebounding. He'll be a nice asset to the Magic along with Kyle O'Quinn. He's another guy that is coming from a small school but made a big name for himself in that upset win against Missouri in the 1st round. He's a bit raw offensively but he takes so much space and always seems to get every rebound. They got some good players to work with but a guard would have been nice to see in the 2nd round considering Ryan Anderson will likely stay in Orlando.
Wizards (B+) - Bradley Beal is going to be a major player for the Wizards with John Wall. Beal is the prototypical top five pick that can do so many things from shoot, pass, and drive to the hoop. He's also a very underrated rebound and it will show in the pros. Wizards made the right pick here and nobody could complain about that. I'm not sure about the 2nd round pick of taking another guard with Tomas Satoransky. I've heard he's a major sleeper in the draft with his scoring ability and how he can really take over a game with his shooting but with Wall and Beal, where will he fit? I would have gone with a big man but still this was a great draft for Wizards.
Western Conference
He's coming for you!
Mavs (B+) - Even though they didn't have a high pick, Dallas gets a high grade for making a great trade. Is Tyler Zeller that much better than Bernard James? I don't think so and James could develop into a solid center in the league. James is already 27 though since he's gone to Iraq a few times for the army but you could see how much dedication and effort he'll put into his opportunity. I think many people are rooting for him and he's a great character pick for a Dallas team that could use some positivity. Jared Cunningham was the first pick out of the trade who resembles Russell Westbrook in a way. Cunningham won't make the transition like Westbrook but he could be similar to Jason Terry with his scoring. The last pick was Jae Crowder which is questionable despite Crowder being very good in college. Crowder was a 6'5 power forward in college as crazy as it sounds. I'm not sure how he'll fit in the league but he plays so hard and makes so many plays off broken plays that he'll always play a role on a team. Dallas doesn't have any future superstars coming from this draft but they a lot of high character players that will be needed for years to come.
Rockets (B) - Houston was loaded coming into this draft with 3 first round picks. I thought they did a good job but could have done better. My problem with Houston is the worry that Lowry wants out and Goran Dragic is a free agent. I assume now that they'll re sign Dragic without taking a point guard. I'm not sure where Jeremy Lamb will fit but he has star potential and can score points in a six man role. Royce White is a tough hard nosed player that could fill a void at small forward with the loss of Chase Budinger. Terence Jones is my favorite pick out of the three because he has so much talent. It seemed like he was held back in Kentucky since their were so many stars but Jones has all the tools to be a force. His athleticism, rebounding, and inside scoring will get him far but he just needs to be more consistent with his decision making. Houston did a good job but I thought they would go for point guard or even some size.
Hornets (B+) - If they trade Eric Gordon then this draft will be better but right now its clustered. Anthony Davis was easily the first pick with no debates about it. He's one of the best defensive players I've seen coming out of a draft and has the skills to become a big time scorer in the league. He's the perfect guy to help New Orleans from the Chris Paul era. Austin Rivers is an interesting pick but the issue is that he's literally the same player as Eric Gordon. That leaves a huge mess in the back court and Rivers isn't the player that's known for passing. Rivers has a lot of potential but will go through serious growing pains. Darius Miller was the last pick and he's another shooting guard. Miller can shoot and is a very good defender but he's pretty undersized and it seems like they have too many guards. They got a high quality amount of players but Eric Gordon has to be traded to make this an effective draft.
Spurs (N/A) - The Spurs only had one pick and it was near the end of the draft. I'm not going to grade them since it was the 59th pick even though I like Marcus Demnon. I'm not sure what position he'll play in the pros but he plays with so much intensity from that Missouri system. You will get excellent defense from him and three point shooting. He'll probably end up being a shooting guard since he was never a good passer. This is a good pick though but he's a tweener right now.
Nuggets (C+) - This was a mysterious draft for Denver who went foreign on their picks. I'm not sure how Evan Fournier will fit into the team with Aaron Affalo being an effective two guard. He could be an energy guy off the bench but isn't that Andre Miller's role? Denver doesn't have many specific needs but that was a mysterious pick. Quincy Miller is an interesting pick if he can get healthy for the season. Miller showed lots of promise in Baylor but never fully got it together. He's not going to start as long as Danilo Gallinari is at small forward but he could be another quality guy off the bench. They rounded the draft with Izzet Turkyilmaz from Turkey who gives them size but remains mysterious. Denver didn't really make much of an impact in this draft to make me impressed either that or I'm totally clueless with international players.
Timberwolves (N/A)- Another team that can't get a grade because they only had a late 2nd round pick. They traded their first round pick for Chase Budinger which was questionable. Budinger is a good player but he'll never become an all star something that you can't say for the 18th pick of the draft. The Timberwolves ended up drafting Robbie Hummel who is considered to be a legend in Purdue. Hummel is a feel good story coming off two Torn ACL injuries and still managed to play well. He's undersized as a power forward and too slow as a small forward but he can bring instant offense from the bench with his shooting ability and offense. I never see him starting in the league but he can shoot for a guy his size.
Thunder (A-) - It may not work out but you have to give credit to the Thunder. They took a chance on a player who has so much star potential but fell through boards due to knee issues and work ethic problems. Perry Jones III never broke out in college but you saw flashes that he can be a star in the NBA. He's coming into a situation where he won't be called upon to produce that much at first but he can step up and take command. The situation is perfect for him and Thunder might have gotten themselves another great pick from a draft.
Blazers (A-) - Blazers drafted really well after a roller coaster year with the roster. They are going to rebuild and drafting Damian Lillard was the right decision. They can get a new point guard to run the offense and grow on the fly. Raymond Felton is on the decline and you might as well start fresh with a player of Lillard's caliber. Then Portland drafts a 7 foot 1 center in Meyers Leonard who will fit right next to LaMarcus Aldridge. Leonard won't have the same expectations as Greg Oden but he'll be expected to do what every center does then provide some offense. Leonard can do that and he can form a great duo in the paint with Aldridge. Portland's last pick is a scrappy guard in Will Barton who never broke out in Memphis but can bring instant offense off the bench. Portland may struggle this year but this draft was a great step in the right direction.
Jazz ( N/A)- Utah doesn't get a grade here because they only had a mid level 2nd round pick and I never really heard of Kevin Murphy. I'm not sure why Utah would take a power forward with the issues they have in the back court but I'm not sure what they'll find that late in the draft.
Warriors ( C+) - I'm not sure where Golden State's mindset was after Harrison Barnes. Barnes may never be the player that he was billed up to be, but he's going to make plays offensively and he'll always have his jump shot. He needs to improve on his passing and making better decisions but Barnes won't be called upon right away to be a star. Now my problems with the Warriors is that they trade for Andrew Bogut but then draft two centers in Festus Ezeil and Ognjen Kuzmic. I don't understand the logic in that although I could see drafting once center since Bogut is so injury prone. Golden State could have used a shooting guard in the draft and really missed out. Draymond Green is a nice pick and he'll bring plenty of toughness to a weak team but I see David Lee staying in Golden State for the long run. Golden State gets an average grade because the Barnes pick is going to really help them but I don't understand taking two centers in the end.
Clippers (N/A)- Another team that got a late round pick so they can't really be graded. Clippers got Furkan Almedir from Turkey who is a big man that could play both positions. With Kenyon Martin getting older, Reggie Evans being mostly useless, and DeAndre Jordan regressing it could be a nice pick.
Lakers (N/A)- They only had one pick and it was the last pick of the draft. They took Robert Sacre from Gonzaga who I really like but I'm not sure why the Lakers took him when they have Bynum. Its the last pick so most likely nothing can really come of it but I just found it odd.
Kings (A)- Sacramento only had one pick and they made it count taking Thomas Robinson. Robinson is a terrific player that is a traditional power forward. He has so many post moves and he never gives up on a play. The man is a pure work horse that hopefully can rub it off on DeMarcus Cousins. The only thing that Robinson needs to work on is simply staying within his limits. Sometimes he dribbles too much or takes a wild shot which is out of his element. He needs to stick to taking just a few dribbles to either take a hook or layup or take a jump shot. Robinson has an above average jump shot that makes him even more dynamic.
Suns (A) - They only had one pick but they really delivered on the pick. With the likely departure of Steve Nash, the Suns were left with a major need at point guard. They filled that need with arguably the most natural point guard in Kendall Marshall. Marshall is an outstanding passer that could fill the void that Nash left. He will need to fill big shoes but I expect Marshall to be one of the best rookies out of this draft. This is a great situation for him and you got to like this pick by Phoenix. I'm interested to see how much of a scorer he'll become though because he was filled with so much talent in UNC. Phoenix will need him to score more than what UNC asked him to but so I'm really intrigued.
Underutilized Star To Unsung Legend
Best promo in my 12 years as fan (1998 to 2005- 2009 to now)
You can be the judge but we can all agree on CM Punk made wrestling fun with this epic promo. It was just last year when everyone was freaking out that Punk was leaving. I got back into wrestling in 2008 thanks to Jericho-HBK feuding and I always liked Punk for his in ring skills. His face character was pretty stale though but I'm always appreciative of great wrestlers unlike some people. Eventually Punk turned heel and I really became a huge fan when he began his straight edge movement as a heel. So I've been a major Punk fan for around two years or so which may be considered a bit late since Ring Of Honor made him a major internet star. Nevertheless I really cared for the guy because he was always the highlight of shows whether it was Raw or Smackdown right next to Jericho. Jericho left in September and Edge had to retire so it left me wondering who can step up and be that guy that is must watch. When Edge and Jericho were in the ring, they were must watch. When Punk recovered from injury in December, he was becoming the main guy for me to watch on Raw regardless if he was being buried by Randy Orton or doing some kind of shenanigans with the Nexus. The only other name I can think of that could be my main guy would be Christian is but I didn't know how WWE would push him until of course they put him in main event and won the title twice (so happy for him, I love that guy). Anyway there was going to be a huge void if Punk left the company because you were talking about the best promo cutter before the shoot and one of the top three wrestlers in the company (Christian and Daniel Bryan were other guys I considered at the time). This was a major loss and I seriously wondered who could step up to be that great vocal point I could watch on Monday nights. Instead a miracle happened and the promo was delivered. CM Punk ended up staying and carrying Raw on his back just like he was earlier in the year. Now I want to get into the top five things that I enjoyed most of that promo and this is based off what he said in terms of punch lines along with major topics that he covered.
1. I still can't get over how much he owned the McMahons and Triple H. While it was all a work in the end, I still think their was animosity with Punk and Triple H. We all know how Punk didn't have that look as a huge star which always annoys him. People like Del Rio and Miz who are good performers but were nowhere near Punk's level were getting pushed over him. He also made doofus a trendy word to say for a few weeks along with really crossing the line bringing up where the company would go if Vince died. That still makes my jaw drop to this day.
2. It was funny to see him bring real life issues into it in terms of outside the ring criteria. When he went on a rant about how fans would always bother him for an autograph and how he was barley promoted, it was pure genius. Punk would get promoted here or there for a tag match with Miz against Orton and Cena but that was it. Its pretty crazy how guys like Evan Bourne and John Morrison were in the main signature before the show started over him. It was really logic and it was crazy to see how red his face was. You could see how much passion and frustration was going into the promo.
3. I'm a Paul Heyman guy and most wrestling fans are Paul Heyman guys. When he made that term, I wanted that on a t-shirt immediately. It still hasn't happened but nevertheless to bring up Heyman was great. I know most people forgot but Heyman went on a rant about one month before the shoot. Heyman said this ""I'm sure he will get heat for me saying this, but @CMPunk is STILL the most underutilized talent on the WWE roster. And my apologies to @CMPunk for the heat he'll get, but come on already. Punk is the best heel in the biz today! WAKE THE F**K UP! It's amazing to me (and not in a good way) that WWE doesn't see how @CMPunk has brought out the best in every opponent". That stuck in my mind and I wondered if Heyman was going to ever play a part in Punk's last few weeks on Raw. When Heyman was mentioned, it was an instant mark out moment to see Punk give thanks to Heyman. I was a huge ECW fan and Paul Heyman was the master mind behind that so Heyman already had my respect for that. Other than Jim Ross, their isn't any non wrestler I have more respect to in the business than Paul Heyman.
4. This isn't a part but wearing Stone Cold shirt shows lots of class. Stone Cold actually replied to Heyman's mini rant and said agreed when it came to how Punk was underutilized. Even though Punk and Austin had their backstage segment a few weeks ago, it was great to see the straight edge villain wear an Austin shirt. It goes back to how Austin worked his tail off to get to the top and had his own moment creating the "Austin 3:16" character. The fact that he wore the Austin shirt made it even more unique and can't be forgotten.
5. This could have been even higher but the fact that he brought up how great he is was important. People were thinking of outside a few victories over Rey Mysterio at a few PPVS dating back to 2010, this guy is a loser. Punk reminded everyone why he's the best in that ring, on the mic, and even on commentary. The commentary line made me yell "yes" because who could forget that one month of Punk saying random one liners and being hilarious on commentary. He also mentioned how he's the only thing thats real which is valid because of how he isn't afraid to speak his mind. It was pretty easy thing to do but it was important to remind everyone how much different you are compared to the characters you see on TV like an arrogant character like The Miz or Mexican aristocrat like Alberto Del Rio. This was becoming real and it was smart for him to mention it.
Of course there are other great things because the whole promo was great. When he mentioned Colt Cabana, that was another "oh my god" moment but it was just mentioning his name so I couldn't make it top five. I'm a huge fan of the Art Of Wrestling podcast so when he mentioned Cabana, it was wild. Then he mentioned other wrestling companies like Ring Of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling which brought even more depth to the promo. Everything seemed to be a highlight and it really sparked up two and half months are fun. I think when October started to come around that the shoot style was starting to die down. He still had some great moments in 2011 including one really intense promo on Big Johnny about how jealous he is of Punk's success. People will always be critical of how watered down Punk is now and how things aren't the same. I understand that people are bummed out and looking back on it, I am as well because it was such a fun time to be a wrestling fan. I was staying home on Monday nights for most of the summer to watch Punk. It became must watch TV with the contract signings for his own contract and Summerslam then he had the moment with Kevin Nash. It was all great memories but the product remained PG and it was going to die down especially when the "No Confidence" storyline went absolutely nowhere. When everyone came back, it was such a disappointment that I knew things were going to go back the old criteria. I'm not mad about that because Punk is on top and still being the main star on the A show besides Cena. He's still here and he's having high quality matches on PPV's. It always bugs me when people aren't a fan of Punk's title reign because I can't think of one match that was below three stars. His title reign has been one of the best of all time despite being hindered by not having the main event slot.
It has been about one year and I still can look back to enjoy everything that happened. It could be better but when you look at things now, we got CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan happening in few weeks. This is something that so many people will watch because its two of the best colliding. We haven't gotten the ice cream bars or a new WWE title or even some friends of Punk that are excellent wrestlers to join WWE (Samoa Joe anyone?). We are getting high quality wrestling matches and that's what matters before everything. Of course you'll see many large wrestlers get pushes and some people get unfairly underutilized but the main talented wrestlers on the roster are finally getting their spotlight when it comes to wrestlers like Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler. Punk's promo still remains to be a game changer and people will still talk about it for years to come. With the 1000th RAW episode coming up and people always asking me, what was your favorite Raw moment. I'll always remember some epic matches like Edge vs Matt Hardy street fight or Chris Jericho ending the Y2J character by beating up Shawn Michaels. Many moments stick out on my mind but nothing to me tops what CM Punk did. I'm thankful for him staying because I'm not sure if I would be into wrestling like I am now if it wasn't for him. He would have left then I'd be pretty down on product but still would watch. The realness, emotion, passion, intelligence and craftiness sums up the promo that was just a small five minutes of actual speaking. I'm not speaking for everyone but I'm pretty convinced that most people would agree that CM Punk was MVP in 2011 and that people were watching Raw to see what was next. Thank you Punk!
Final Word/Plugs
This was pretty long but once again things happen like this. The NBA draft is pretty big for me as a fan so I wanted to cover it. I love to talk and I think everyone gets that by now. I'll be back Monday for a full Euro Cup review. I'm going to discuss the final and give out many of the awards. The team of the tournament, five breakout players of the tournament, top five best games, and of course top five best goals. It will be mostly that along with some ideas about future going into the summer since sports are pretty limited. I hope you enjoy your weekend and who knows maybe you'll see me in a car looking around lost if Italy wins. I'll be a part of the celebration if that happens but don't expect me to be yelling like a hooligan.
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