NBA Mock Draft 1.0 part 2

(Ed: The T'wolves already traded Mike Miller and Randy Foye for Washington's 5th picks, Etan Thomas, Songalia, and Petcherov. Are Miller and Foye really worth 3 decent forwards and a lottery pick? Anyways, this draft is messed up but read it anyways.)

This is part 2 of our NBA Mock Draft

The NBA draft is coming up on June 25th and this year's draft is one of the weakest in recent memory. Since I'm pretty much the brown Bill Simmons I'm going to go ahead and prognosticate for you. This right here is the official Kabob Evans NBA Mock Draft and it's what I think each team should do. Agree or disagree with my picks? leave a comment.

With the fifteenth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select-
B.J. Mullens- Mullens is a raw prospect but he's got good size and athleticism. The Pistons are effectively in rebuilding mode even though they'll probably make the playoffs next year because the east is so weak. Mullens will give them size and depth since they'll lose all of that when Rasheed Wallace signs somewhere else. Hey, does Detroit remind anyone else of Karachi?
What the Pistons will do- Relocate.

With the sixteenth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select-
Earl Clark- The Bulls are a really complete team that can take a big step next season. They have scorers in Ben Gordon and John Salmons, They have size and hustle in Noah and Brad Miller, they have depth with Kirk Heinrich, and they have two stars in Derrick Rose and Luol Deng. The only issue for them will be Ben Gordon's ego and Tyrus Thomas's consistent inconsistency. They have a crowded back court so they're going to pick a forward and Earl Clark is a lot like Tyrus Thomas except hopefully better.
What the Bulls will do- Not live up to expectations.

With the seventeenth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select-
Ty Lawson- The Sixers have a pretty solid team right now and could do some big things if Elton Brand stays healthy and plays like Elton Brand. They don't have much depth but adding Kapono definitely helped to some degree. Lawson is going to be able to run the offense when Andre Miller is on the bench. Lawson showed flashes of brilliance at UNC and given the talent that he's playing with in Philly he might be able to maintain some of that brilliance. Of course it's Philadelphia so they'll probably just end up sucking, what do I know?
What the 76ers will do- Pick James Johnson because he's got tremendous upside potential. It's not a terrible pick but he plays the same position as Iguadala and has been inconsistent. So really it's the same thing as drafting Lawson who gives them depth and has been inconsistent. Like I said, what do I know (do you think Ty Law is Ty Lawson's father?)

With the 18th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select- Terrence Williams- Williams could be the play maker the T'wolves need due to his ridiculous athleticism and great court vision. Most of the time a team with two first round picks trades one, so they'd probably try to trade the Steph Curry pick and they'd keep this one. Regardless if they have this pick and Williams is on the board they should take Williams, he led an overachieving Louisville team to the elite eight and he's an above average defender. Expect good things from Williams regardless of what team he's on.
What the Timberwolves will do- Schedule a party for all their draft picks on Sprewell's house boat.

With the nineteenth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks select-
James Johnson- The Hawks only have only had 3 eras according to their Wikipedia page; the first years, relocation to Atlanta, and signs of hope. Currently we're in the signs of hope era and what an era it is! A solid regular season followed by an unwatchable seven game series with the Heat and then an embarrassing sweep at the hands of Lebron James. The Hawks could use a point guard especially since Bibby is a free agent now but I don't think it's worth drafting one when Johnson is on the board. What the Hawks really need is defense and there aren't any defensive stoppers on the board so you go with the best available talent and that's Johnson. Sure he plays the same way as pretty much all the Hawks (streaky shooter, athletic, gets to the basket) but he does it well and they'll probably need to trade somebody eventually to get some veteran help.
What the Hawks will do- I'm not entirely sure, but I'm almost positive they'll draft someone, or they could trade this pick. One or the other.

With the twentieth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select-
Chase Budinger- The Jazz have a few high priority free agents in Boozer, Milsap, and Okur so who knows what next year will be like but if it's in Utah I'm guessing it'll be bland. You know who else is bland? Budinger. He's the best white player available and will fit right in in Salt Lake City. Tyler Hansbrough will be pretty disappointed.
What the Jazz will do- Tyler Hansbrough is the only player blander than Budinger. Hansbrough could be drafted here. Especially since they might need some front court depth. What ever they do, they'll almost definitely draft a white player.

With the 21st pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Hornets select-
DaJuan Summers- The Hornets need a scorer to take the pressure off Chris Paul and David West and Summers could be that guy. He has been inconsistent but he's got the tools to be a great player and could make an instant impact. On an unrelated note, Summers is from Baltimore. Other players from the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) in this and recent drafts include: Sam Young, Ty Lawson, Tyrese Rice, Dante Cunningham, Chris Johnson, Melo, Durant, Beasley, Joe Alexander, Roy Hibbert , Patrick Patterson (withdrew from this draft). The point is that none of these players have played for UMD. Gary Williams is a terrible recruiter.
What the Hornets will do- They'll draft and trade for expiring contracts. It's depressing that the NBA is faltering economically while the Yankees are still giving out giant contracts and Real Madrid can spend $200 million on two guys. Basketball is suffering because of cheap owners and frankly, I'm sick of it. Moving on!

With the 22nd pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks select-
Eric Maynor- I have no idea what the Mavs need or for that matter who the best player on the board is. They don't need scorers and they have a passable front line so let's get them a point guard for the future because with all due respect to J.J. Barea (not much respect is due to him) but he's not going to cut it. He's a good sixth man but he's no starter so they should take one of the best available point guards in the Draft with Eric Maynor from VCU. He's a pure point guard who could definitely lead a team and Kidd's only got a few years left so this isn't a bad pick. They might go with Collison too who could be a Rondo type player in the NBA.
What the Mavericks will do- Trade this pick for the same guy the Bucks drafted to take care of Nowitzki's baby mama drama.

With the 23rd pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select-
Omri Cassipi- The Kings of the late 90's a had a few dynamic international players and why not try to replicate the success through the same steps! Cassipi is the finest international player in the draft except for Rubio of course. I've never seen him play and actually he might not be a real person. He's Israeli so he's probably Jewish and while I generally like to avoid stereotypes the Jews are historically great athletes.
What the Kings will do with this pick- Save it for a rainy day.

With the 24th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Portland Trailblazers select-
Sam Young- The Trailblazers are a solid team that lack experience, Sam Young is actually 24 years old so he's got life experience? He's a good character guy and a solid basketball player both offensively and defensively.
What the Trailblazers will do- Let lil' Stevie Blake run the point instead of Brandon Roy.

With the 25th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select- Wayne Ellington- Ellington is one of the best shooters in the draft and the Thunder need a 2 guard that can score. Ellington is more of a shooter than a scorer but he might be able to stretch the floor a little bit and let Thabeet get the easy points that Dwight Howard thrives on (tip ins, dunks, alleys). I'm going to take a page out of Umair's book and call this my "pick of the day!" which means that this pick is not going to be remotely close to being right.
What the Thunder will do- Do everything they can to develop the nightlife in OKC so their big three stick around for a while.

With the 26th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select-
Tyler Hansbrough- I like Hansbrough and think he'll be a decent pro, not an all-star but he'll put together a solid 10 year career. He brings heart and he and Joakim Noah could out hustle any team in the NBA so that'll be exciting. This pick works because they can't really spread the ball to any more offensive players and that's good because Tyler Hansbrough can't score.
What the Bulls will do- Get swept in the first round of the playoffs.

With the 27th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select-
Derrick Brown- Brown is the best player available but he's not what the Grizzlies need. They should trade down so they can get a tough inside player, the best power forwards available are probably Taj Gibson and Austin Daye but they're basically younger versions of Hakim Warrick. The Grizzlies need a post presence and they can get that by trading down. Or they could just draft Thabeet with the second pick and then draft a point guard like Collison or Pattie Mills with this pick. That actually makes more sense then what I've got written but I don't feel like changing it because that changes everything. So that I don't have to change anything the Grizzlies should select Derrick Brown.
What the Grizzlies will do- The second thing I said, draft Thabeet second then take a point guard with this pick. Makes more sense than what I thought at first but I still thought it so I get credit.

With the 28th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select- Fahad Masood- Masood has flown under the radar because he attends a division 3 school. He's got a reliable shot and NBA range and he's an unquestionable leader of men and one of the finest Bihari-Pakistani-Americans to touch a basketball (also a great cricket player). The Wolves have 3 picks in the first round and if they pick Masood this could be their best one. He led his intramural team to several impressive wins (Ed: blatant lie) and could return to school for another intramural season. He played some point and had an astonishing 3-1 turnover to assist ratio which isn't that good but it could be, I haven't taken stats yet. All I'm saying is that this guy is worthy of the risk. He is a bit of a reach but at this point in the draft you can take a raw talent like Taj Gibson or you can take a proven commodity in Masood, he reminds several scouts of Hedo Turkoglu only a lot better in every way.
What they will do- If they draft anyone but me...err...Fahad Masood it's a wasted pick.

With the 29th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select-
Austin Daye- The Lakers's biggest weakness was a lack of depth and Daye is a versatile scorer who could make an instant impact off the bench. If they don't re-sign Odom or Ariza, Daye could be a serviceable replacement for Kobe and company.
What the Lakers will do- No matter what happens they'll pretend like they're friends and Kobe's just one of the guys. "Ay man, we always bust each other's chops cause we're just guys hangin' out you know!?"- Kobe Bryant on Jimmy Kimmel Live (said it about 12984803 times).

With the 30th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select- Taj Gibson- Gibson is an athletic forward who can score and that's what the Cavaliers need. They have a decent back court but their glaring weakness in the Playoffs was everyone not named Lebron. Just imagine if Hakim Warrick played on the Cavs, that's what you get with Gibson on the Cavs. I don't think you could do much better with the last pick of the first round.
What the Cavs will do- Who cares man, half these guys are gonna be out of the league in five years, the Cavs could draft me (if I'm still on the board) and still compete thanks to Lebron James. Anyone that goes here should be thankful that their career was extended and enhanced because they get to play with King James. Until 2010 at least.

NBA Mock Draft 1.0

Stick around for part 2 of the mock draft tomorrow!

The NBA draft is coming up on June 25th and this year's draft is one of the weakest in recent memory. Since I'm pretty much the brown Bill Simmons I'm going to go ahead and prognosticate for you. This right here is the official Kabob Evans NBA Mock Draft and it's what I think each team should do. Agree or disagree with my picks? leave a comment.

With the first pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers should select-
Blake Griffin...Duh...Griffin is pretty much a lock to be a great forward in this league. He's basically a smaller half white Dwight Howard who is developing an outside game according to some video I watched on ESPN (that I can't watch right now). That sounds like a phenomenal basketball player to me. Personally, if I was Mike Dunleavy I would do the right thing and let OKC draft Blake Griffin.
What the Clippers will do- Save money by drafting Taylor Griffin or they'll draft Blake but I'm hoping they eff it up.

With the second pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select-
Ricky Rubio. Ricky Rubio probably has the talent to go number 1 overall but Blake Griffin is the safer choice. The Grizzlies are quietly putting together a talented young team but what they lack is depth. Ricky Rubio could start over Mike Conley who I like but hasn't really produced thus far in the NBA and Conley would give them a good point guard off the bench. I really hope Rubio is going to be a great NBA player but at the same time I'm depressed because I just realized that all of these guys are younger than me...Oh well, there's still time for me to get on a D1 program and then get drafted...I could always go overseas.
What the Grizzlies will do- Either draft Hasheem Thabeet or send Rudy Gay and this pick to the Cavaliers for Ben Wallace's expiring contract because Chris Wallace will do anything he can to help contenders get over the hump.

With the third pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select- Hasheem Thabeet. The Thunder have a pretty solid foundation in Durant, Westbrook, and Green. Offensively they are pretty set and drafting a point guard might upset their chemistry since Westbrook has been picked to be the point guard of the future in OKC. Thabeet could be a decent center for the Thunder but I don't really like him, however it's too early to pick anyone else so I guess Thabeet it is.
What the Thunder will do- The Thunder will probably draft Thabeet, he's a good chemistry guy and they're apparently following the Portland Blazers approach of building a team if Rubio falls to them though, it'll be hard to pass.

With the fourth pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings select-
Jonny Flynn. The Kings have a pretty good group of guys in Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes, and Jason Thompson but they also have Beno Udrih. Beno Udrih is a horrible basketball player. I'm sure he's a nice guy but the man cannot run point in the NBA. The Kings need a point guard and the best one on the board is probably Jonny Flynn and that's bad news for Jonny Flynn. The Kings are hemorrhaging money and they'll probably trade all of their promising talent for expiring contracts while keeping Flynn or Martin on the roster so they can still sell a few season passes.
What the Kings will do- They'll probably draft some dude from Europe because he's cheaper and they miss Vlade Divac. To be fair, we all miss Vlade Divac.

With the fifth pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select- Jordan Hill. I'm going to be honest because I could never lie to you. I have no idea who the Wizards should pick, they're awful. I would say they need front line help but they have like 4 centers and 3 power forwards, I'm sure they'll trade some of their players for expiring contracts. Probably Jamison and Haywood or Etan Thomas. So I guess they will need front line help because I don't think you can win that many games with Petcherov and Songalia at the 4 and 5 therefore I suppose Jordan Hill would be a good pick. He's athletic and could help on the boards and defense.
What the Wizards will do- Probably something stupid. They'll draft Stephen Curry or something even though every guard they have is a scorer. They should have cut ties with Agent 0 and gotten a pure point guard so they could build around Caron Butler.

With the sixth pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select-
Stephen Curry. The Timberwolves are pretty much the only team that would trade up for Hasheem Thabeet so that could happen (I totally made that up but they do need a center). Minnesota has a sorry back court with Telfair and Randy Foye and they need some perimeter scorers which is exactly what Stephen Curry is. This is a good pick for both parties since Curry will get a lot of minutes without major expectations and Minnesota is going to get a good shooter. I really don't think Curry is going to be a great NBA player and really I don't think he's worthy of a top ten pick but this draft is garbage.
What the Timberwolves will do- The Timberwolves could really do anything and it'd be ok. As long as they don't reach for like Dajuan Blair they really can't make a bad pick here just because they have so many holes to fill (that's what she said?). I like Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, and Corey Brewer even though he looks like an African AIDS orphan (dude, you live in America how can you be 6'9 and weigh 115 lbs?) so I hope that they just trade all of those guys to the Rockets for like Von Wafer or something.

With the seventh pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select- James Harden. Look, I have no idea what the Warriors should do and I have no idea where James Harden should go so I'll say this is a good fit. The Warriors have some good pieces but have a terrible coach. I had several Warriors on my fantasy basketball team and managed to win despite all of Don Nelson's line up changes. I know that Corey Maggette is a piece of crap and Monta Ellis isn't. I know that Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow are good players who should get major minutes but they don't. They can't get rid of Stephen Jackson and they shouldn't. I guess they should probably get a center but the only one that can run with them is BJ Mullens and why would you pick BJ Mullens this early? So I guess what I'm trying to say is, no one cares who the Warriors pick because they'll find a way to screw it up.
What the Warriors will do- I don't know, trade the pick for a bottle of Jaegermeister for Coach Nelson?

With the eighth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the New York Knickerbockers select- DeMar DeRozen- I really don't think that Lebron will leave Cleveland and I'm beginning to think that the Knicks don't either. Still, the 2010 free agent class will be one of the best ever and if DeRozen is able to live up to his potential he may be one of the reasons a player like Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade would come to New York. DeRozen is an athletic freak and fits into Dantoni's seven seconds or less offense so I expect the Knicks will pick him. He's not going to make an instant impact but eventually he may get there. Who knows!?!
What the Knicks will do- Draft Erick Devendorf to be Lebron's errand boy just in case.

With the ninth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select-
Tyreke Evans. I would say that this is a toss up for the Raptors between DeRozen and Evans and they'll just pick whoever is left on the board. The Raptors need a perimeter scorer and Tyreke Evans is just that, they're pretty much set at their other positions but they need someone to take away Joey Graham's minutes and they might as well just pick Evans to do that.
What the Raptors will do- Probably pick some international like Omri Cassipi because that's just what the Raptors do.

With the tenth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select- Jeff Teague- This pick is really contingent on Ramon Sessions. If the Bucks can resign him I think they should go with Gerald Henderson as an insurance policy on Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson (who'll probably get traded before the deadline). If they can't resign him, and they won't be able to because really, who wants to live in Wisconsin? I think they should pick either Brandon Jennings or Jeff Teague, I'd give the edge to Teague because Jennings kind of seems like a jerk.
What the Bucks will do- The Bucks will draft someone to break Brett Favre's knees effectively ending his career. I just know it.

With the eleventh pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets select-
Jrue Holiday. I would say that based on talent, Gerald Henderson is the best pick here but the Nets don't need another slashing guard/forward. Holiday gives them depth since he can play the 1 or the 2. He also has a phenomenal name for an R&B singer.
What the Nets will do- Who knows? Then Nets could pretty much do anything and they'd still end up in the playoffs because they play in the East, I just hope they don't screw up Devin Harris.

With the twelfth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats select-
Dajuan Blair- I like Dajuan Blair more than most and he fits here because he gives them front court toughness. The Bobcats are surprisingly thin up front and Blair could give them some depth and probably even start for them. He's a tough rebounder and he destroyed Thabeet in their match up this year. He's tough and a good quality team guy. Henderson just doesn't fit here because he does pretty much exactly what Gerald Wallace does and they have plenty of point guard depth provided they re-sign Felton, even if Felton goes Augustin showed flashes of brilliance last year and could step up to take the starting spot.
What the Bobcats will do- I would say that they would reach for BJ Mullens. It's not a terrible pick either, Mullens would give them some size and he's a solid scorer, I just think Blair is better.

With the thirteenth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select- Gerald Henderson. You have to go with Henderson here just because he's the best value and the Pacers could use anything right now. When you look at it based on necessity I guess they could use a guy like Blair so I suppose they'd take him if he was on the board and he probably will be. However in my draft he's already taken so they get Henderson. Henderson is good but he plays like a small forward when he's only 6'4 making him undersized. He's a scorer and a good teammate which is something the Pacers value but already have in Brandon Rush. So you know, I have no idea what they should do.
What the Pacers will do- Nothing? Why would I know? It's the freakin' Pacers, they're one of those teams that has decent players but no potential so they're going to be stuck in the middle of the pack for the foreseeable future. Danny Granger should get out before the Pacers ship him out in a body bag like they did Jermaine O'Neal.

With the fourteenth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns select- Brandon Jennings- The Suns are going no where any time soon. They're aging and they don't have overwhelming talent. With that said they are a playoff team provided Amare is healthy and they decide to run. Jennings goes here because he can help them now and he's probably a top ten talent in this draft so why not take the best player on the board? I don't like Brandon Jennings because if players go oversees then that means the American games suffers. The NBA should be the home of all the best basketball players in the world. Josh Childress could play on any team in the NBA but he's over in Greece giving up his spot to a lesser player. I don't want basketball to be played like soccer with superstars bolting to new teams every few years.
What the Suns will do- Draft Taylor Griffin if he's still on the board so he and Robin Lopez could keep each other company.

Your Daily Streak for the Cash

[Ed. Note: I will be providing a daily picks list for espn.com's Streak for the Cash, which allows you to pick prop bets that have been posted on the game page found here for a chance to win $1 million. These picks are to be played on June 18, 2009 and you can only pick one matchup at a time, so you have to let the first matchup end before you can pick the next.]

Confederations Cup (Italy vs. Egypt): How many TOTAL GOALS will be SCORED?

2:30 PM	Soccer	2 Goals or Fewer
		3 Goals or More

Italy had a 3-1 victory against the United States on Monday, which I accurately predicted, while Egypt was tied with Brazil, 3-3, into the 90th minute until Kaka was awarded a penalty kick on a play that I did not see to lead the Brazilians to a 4-3 win. With those facts being stated, I think without a doubt this matchup between Italy and Egypt will feature 3 or more goals scored. I'm so certain about that pick that I'm introducing a new element into into Your Daily Streak for the Cash and that is the 'Pick of the Day' sponsored by our parent company Bob Evans. Also, look for the Azzurri to win 3-2 in a match not as close as the score would suggest.

MLB (Tigers @ Cardinals): Which PLAYER will record MORE TOTAL BASES?

8:00 PM	MLB	Miguel Cabrera (DET)
		Albert Pujols (STL)

Both of these players are great players, and they are both having monster seasons. I'm assuming that the player with the higher OBP, or on-base percentage for those of you who know nothing about baseball, will record more total bases in a game. While Miguel Cabrera does have a respectable OBP of .395, Albert Pujols has the higher of the two with a .447 OBP. Even though I don't really know what I'm talking about, take my word for it, Pujols will record more bases than Cabrera and will lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a victory. I have always thought that Pujols was a special player, and hopefully that special doesn't come from steroids. It seems that every great player nowadays is taking the juice, or is lying about his age. I suspect Pujols may be doing both.


U.S. Win Streak: 4
U.S. Overall Record: 7-4

Your Daily Streak for the Cash

[Ed. Note: I will be providing a daily picks list for espn.com's Streak for the Cash, which allows you to pick prop bets that have been posted on the game page found here for a chance to win $1 million. These picks are to be played on June 16, 2009 and you can only pick one matchup at a time, so you have to let the first matchup end before you can pick the next.]

College World Series (Omaha): Who will WIN this matchup?

7:00 PM	CBASE	(1) Texas (1-0)
		(5) Arizona State (1-0)

I guess Texas is this year's favorite at the College World Series because they are the number 1 seed. My knowledge of Major League Baseball may seem limited, but believe it or not my knowledge of college baseball is even less. So instead of providing insight into the game, I'll ask why there hasn't been a steroid scandal in college baseball yet? Every knows it's easy to get drugs in college and I would assume that college baseball players would be rampant steroid users. I wouldn't know what kind of drug testing policies they have in college baseball because I have never been a college athlete, or an athlete of any kind for that matter, but I want there to be a steroid scandal in college baseball. Anyways, look for the Texas Longhorns to win this matchup and probably the national championship.

Who will WIN this Matchup?

10:10 PM	MLB	Oakland Athletics (27-35) Braden
		@ Los Angeles Dodgers (42-22) Kershaw

I'm happy for Joe Torre and his success as the Dodgers manager, but the Steinbrenners' can die. You expect arguably the best manager in baseball to accept a one year contract offer to stay with the Yankees when he deserves so much more. Are you kidding me? Last year, he goes to the Dodgers and makes the playoffs, no doubt because of Manny Ramirez, while the Yankees sit at home and watch. This year, his team has the best record in baseball, no thanks to the cheater Manny, and Torre is looking like the best manager in baseball. Look for the Dodgers to beat the Athletics because the A's are not very good. Also, check out Torre on The Tonight Show last night, not because it's particularly funny, but because it's Joe freakin' Torre. The man is a legend and should still be the Yankees manager. And no, I'm not bitter.


U.S. Win Streak: 3
U.S. Overall Record: 6-4

Tamil Nadu's Ricky Rubio

A source of mine (Thanks to Raheel for the tip) turned me on to this prep phenom in Tamil Nadu. He's a blend between Teen Wolf and Zac Efron from High School Musical. The ball handle is sick and he literally jumps over people. However, there are some concerns. For one he's not a pure point guard and his knee worries some scouts, he's got a brace on it and that trip didn't help matters. Also his birth certificate says he's 18 but for some reason teams are doubting that. I just know he's a proven winner. I would have to say that the draft just got more interesting!

*That's totally a goal tend at the end and check out the dunk at 1:30, looks pretty legit to me.

Your Daily Streak for the Cash

[Ed. Note: I will be providing a daily picks list for espn.com's Streak for the Cash, which allows you to pick prop bets that have been posted on the game page found here for a chance to win $1 million. These picks are to be played on June 15, 2009 and you can only pick one matchup at a time, so you have to let the first matchup end before you can pick the next.]

Confederations Cup (Group B): What will be the match result?

2:30 PM	Soccer	Italy Win
		United States Win or Draw

The FIFA Confederations Cup, being played in South Africa, is a tune-up tournament for next year's World Cup, also in South Africa. The tournament features international powerhouses such as Spain, Italy, and Brazil and the United States happens to be grouped with Brazil and Italy. Spain is the prohibitive favorite for the Confederations Cup seeing as they are the number 1 team according to the FIFA world rankings. I don't think the U.S. has much chance of getting out of the group stages of this tournament, and I fully expect them to lose this match. Look for the Italians to have a 3-1 win against the United States.

Who will WIN this Matchup?

10:15 PM	MLB	Los Angeles Angels (32-29) Lackey
		@ San Francisco Giants (34-28) Zito

Has anyone ever gone from being a decent to good pitcher, as Barry Zito once was, to absolutely terrible? Oh wait, I'm a Yankees fan who has had to watch Chien-Ming Wang give up 5 runs in 2 innings every single start like it's his job. Wang would hurt me even more if I actually watched Yankees games, but I'm not paying for MLB.tv and I cannot find Yankees games online. Anyways, apparently the Giants are better than the Angels, at least record-wise, but I think Barry Zito is absolutely worthless and he ruined the Giants franchise even more than Barry Bonds. Look for Zito to give up at least 5 runs in 5 innings and for the Angels to win in San Francisco.


U.S. Win Streak: 1
U.S. Overall Record: 4-4

Dwayne Wade is Funny

Dwayne Wade went on Jimmy Kimmel's underrated late night show and played one hell of a practical joke on an unassuming fan. Give the fan credit for telling the truth. It's hard to lie to basketball players.

Your Daily Streak for the Cash

[Ed. Note: Umair thinks he's an expert and I want him to cry so I will be providing a daily picks list for espn.com's Streak for the Cash, which allows you to pick prop bets that have been posted on the game page found here for a chance to win $1 million. These picks are to be played on June 12, 2009 and you can only pick one matchup at a time, so you have to let the first matchup end before you can pick the next. We're going to track who's better and then when I win the commentariat and I will rejoice in a parade in which the confetti will be made of Umair's tears and broken pride.]The press conference is court ordered to tell his neighbors he just moved in down the street.

Who will WIN this Matchup?

7:05 PM	MLB	New York Mets (31-27) Hernandez
		@ New York Yankees (34-26) Chamberlain

I'm gonna be honest, I don't really watch baseball until after the All-Star break and even then only Yankee games. Now I might not watch until the playoffs and only then Yankee games. Steroids have seriously tainted the game for me and I don't want to find out that Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, or, God forbid, even Captain Derek Jeter were using 'roids during the late 90's. So I'm going to try to distance myself from baseball until I can be sure that none of these players used steroids. Oh, right, the picks...Chamberlain needs to get back in the bullpen, he was and still could be the heir to Mariano's closing spot when he retires. Even though the Yankees' starting pitching sucks they'll still win because the Mets are choke artists...Remember the subway series? That was a good time.

Who will WIN this Matchup? (Series tied 3-3)

8:00 PM	NHL	Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9)
		@ Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10)

The Red Wings are going to win because the home team has won every game and I see no reason why that trend shouldn't continue. Also Steve Yzerman is due for a good game, I haven't heard his name all series long but expect him to be the difference maker. I do want the Penguins to win since I've been a diehard (read: extremely casual) fan since the days of Super Mario and Jaromir Jagr but I'm almost certain they won't be able to pull this one out. What's more important is that I might be turning into a hockey fan. I mean, I'm never going to be a die hard fan but I think I can be a hockey fan on the same level that I'm a soccer fan. Which is to say all of my information is gotten by playing video games and watching the occasional game on ESPN2/Versus. I'd also like to recommend NHL '09 by EA Sports, it might be the finest sports game I've ever played and if you would like to get goals scored on your face hit me up, my PS3 tag is killafam315.

F.M. Win Streak: 0
F.M. Overall Record: 0-0

NBA Finals: Game 4 Preview

HAHAHAHA, when I get to the NBA more people will cry...classic!

Tonight is game 4 of the NBA finals on ABC presented by Geico with limited commercial interruption and it should be a good one. The Magic barely survived game 3 even with their phenomenal shooting and Kobe being a ballhog in the second half. But the reason that they only won by 4 instead of let's say 10 is because of some boneheaded plays by the inexperienced Magic and I think they will be playing a more focused game and they'll limit their turnovers. I expect the Magic to win in another close one. Stan Van Gundy is doing a good job these finals. Usually the coaches in the NBA don't adjust but Van Gundy made several adjustments last game including limiting Jameer Nelson's minutes and riding Skip To My Lou's aggressive point guard play for the entire game. He also gave Tony Battie, who I thought retired in 2002, major minutes over the Polish Hammer and he came up with a few big plays. Finally, Stan decided to sit JJ which I don't think he'll do again. I hope JJ is going to get big minutes because we all want to see Adam Morrison cry again (Batista with the CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATCH!!!!!).

Your Daily Streak for the Cash

[Ed. Note: I will be providing a daily picks list for espn.com's Streak for the Cash, which allows you to pick prop bets that have been posted on the game page found here for a chance to win $1 million. These picks are to be played on June 11, 2009 and you can only pick one matchup at a time, so you have to let the first matchup end before you can pick the next.]

PGA St. Jude (Memphis, TN): Which PLAYER will CARD a LOWER BACK NINE SCORE? (Holes 10-18)

8:27 AM	Golf	Phil Mickelson (USA)
		Padraig Harrington (IRL)

Phil Mickelson will be playing with a heavy heart at the PGA tour event this week. Mickelson had suspended his golf playing indefinately after his wife had been diagnosed with breat cancer, and this is his first tour event since May presumably since it is sponsored by St. Jude, an organization that is very active in cancer research. I doubt that he has been practicing much and he is bound to be a little bit rusty and thus his first round score will not be very good. Look for Padraig Harrington to card a lower back nine score.

Who will WIN this Matchup?

4:35 PM	MLB	Cincinnati Reds (30-27) Owings
		@ Washington Nationals (15-41) Lannan

The Washington Nationals are terrible. They just had the first pick in the MLB draft and are at risk of not being able to sign him because his price is too high. Enough said. The Cininnati Reds will win.


Who will WIN this Matchup? (Lakers Lead 2-1)

9:00 PM	NBA	Los Angeles Lakers (65-17)
		@ Orlando Magic (59-23)

After the Lakers Game 3 defeat, I believe they will be ready and able to win Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. Even though the Magic shot an astounding 62.5% from the field and Kobe Bryant only made 3 of his final 15 shots, the Magic only won by 4 points. It is highly unlikely that those two events will occur again, and I'm willing to bet that Kobe will have a better finish to the game than start. Look for the the Lakers to win what will be a closely played game throughout, but one in which Kobe will inevitably take over in the end.
U.S. Win Streak: 0
U.S. Overall Record: 3-2

Your Daily Streak for the Cash

[Ed. Note: I will be providing a daily picks list for espn.com's Streak for the Cash, which allows you to pick prop bets that have been posted on the game page found here for a chance to win $1 million. These picks are to be played on June 10, 2009 and you can only pick one matchup at a time, so you have to let the first matchup end before you can pick the next.]

World Cup Twenty 20 (Trent Bridge, Nottingham): Who will WIN this matchup?

8:00 AM	Cricket	Sri Lanka
		West Indies

It's extremely exciting that Streak for the Cash allows me to pick winners of the Twenty20. I didn't even know that this World Cup was going on, but I'm here to give you expert analysis. Looking at the standings, West Indies and Sri Lanka have both played a match against Australia and they both won, which is surprising because I thought that the Aussies were a cricket powerhouse. The winner of this match will be the top team of Group C and I think that will be Sri Lanka because West Indies captain Chris Gayle, who put up 88 runs against Australia, is doubtful for the match because of a knee. Look for the Sri Lankans to take advantage of that injury and come out victorious against the West Indies.

World Cup Qualifying - UEFA (Norway @ Netherlands): How many TOTAL GOALS will be SCORED?

2:45 PM	Soccer	2 Goals or Fewer
		3 Goals or More

Netherlands has already qualified for the 2010 World Cup and thus has nothing to play for, while Norway is not a very good team which is evidenced by their scoreless draw against Macedonia. Norway isn't going to be able to score any goals because Netherlands is just going to pack the zone defensively to not risk any of their players getting injured. Look for this to be a low scoring match, with only 2 or fewer goals being scored, possibly played to a draw.

MLB (Yankees @ Red Sox): Which COMBO will have MORE TOTAL BASES?

7:00 PM	MLB	Alex Rodriguez + Mark Teixeira (NYY)
		Kevin Youkilis + Jason Bay (BOS)

Mark Teixeira has greatly benefited from the return of Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees lineup and has been on a hot streak as of late, while Jason Bay has been cold. Teixeira and Rodriguez are a prolific 3 and 4 in the batting order, but Youkilis and Bay are going up against starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang who had an awful April and got demoted to the minor leagues before regaining his place as a starter earlier this month. Look for Wang to have a poor outing and for the Boston batters to take advantage.

Winning Streak: 1
Overall Record: 1-1

Your Daily Streak for the Cash

[Ed. Note: I will be providing a daily picks list for espn.com's Streak for the Cash, which allows you to pick prop bets that have been posted on the game page found here for a chance to win $1 million. These picks are to be played on June 9, 2009 and you can only pick one matchup at a time, so you have to let the first matchup end before you can pick the next.]

International Friendly (Cape Town, South Africa): What will be the match result?

11:15 AM	Soccer	Poland Win
		Iraq Win or Draw

The Polish national team will win this international friendly against Iraq, in what is a tune-up for the Iraqi national team for next week's Confederations Cup in South Africa. I have no idea who plays for either squad, but I'm pretty sure Poland has better footballers and also Iraq hasn't played a match in almost three months while the Polish played an international friendly on Saturday. Look for Poland to have a multiple goal victory against Iraq.

Who will WIN this Matchup? (Red Wings Lead 3-2)

8:00 PM NBC	NHL	Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10)
		@ Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9)

The Pittsburgh Penguins will bounce back with a victory to force a Game 7 after they got shutout in Game 5 by the Red Wings, 5-0. So far in these Stanley Cup Finals the home team has won every game and look for that trend to continue. Expect big games out of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, and for the Pens to have an easy victory.

Win Streak: 0
Overall Record: 0-0

Jacques Rudolph Hates Birds

The above video is of Jacques Rudolph of some English County Cricket team killing a pigeon in cold blood. Really this clip just shows another way that Cricket is inferior to American sports. In cricket when you hit a bird the bird gets concussed and lazily falls to the ground (I will however give Mr. Rudolph props for picking up the pigeon afterwards. The English commentary is classy too, "a Patriot miss-aisle"). When you hit a bird in baseball the bird effing explodes. Below is the classic Randy Johnson clip.

NBA Finals Preview

What every player dreams of.

The NBA Finals kick off this week between the Lakers of Los Angeles and Magic of Orlando. Personally I'm thrilled by the match up because after the Rockets were eliminated I really didn't have any rooting interests. Well, I hate Kobe and the Lakers but other than that I'm completely unbiased. Also, some could say I'm in love with Lebron but love is such a strong word, I prefer "like." I'm in like with Lebron.

Anyways, the finals are upon us again and after a memorable playoffs I'm excited for the finals because it could be one for the ages! or at least better than last year's, which I don't really remember. What I'm going to do here is break down the position battles and then give you an X-factor for each team then I'll give you my prediction and you will value all of this information because I'm the resident basketball expert and I've had quite a storied career myself. I carried my intramural team to some impressive (moral) victories. On to the analysis!

The Point Guard Battle-
Los Angeles has three pointguards in Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, and Shannon Brown that when put together create a passable all star reserve. Meanwhile, Orlando has Rafer "Skip To My Lou" Alston, Anthony Johnson, and perhaps Jameer Nelson if he is cleared to play by the NBA. Rafer is too quick for Derek Fisher but if Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown show up they might be able to neutralize him, also, he makes some terrible decisions but he can put the ball in the basket and throws a mean alleyoop. Really, neither team's pointguards have to run their respective teams, if Fisher can hit his shots, Brown can penetrate, and Farmar can not be a useless piece of crap then the Lakers will win. Rafer can score but makes stupid decisions, Anthony Johnson is washed up but he can still shoot, and Jameer's return won't be as important as it seems, he hasn't played since before the All-Star break but maybe that doesn't really matter since all he has to do is throw alleys to Dwight Howard.

Edge- Lakers (I have a feeling D-Fish will show up)

The Shooting Guard Battle-

Kobe Bryant vs Courtney Lee, Michael Pietrus, and J.J. Reddick....yeah, um Kobe is going to get his, especially since this may very well be his best chance at his first post-Shaq title. Courtney Lee however has been absolutely nuts this playoffs and is a very good defender. Pietrus is another really good defender and they're going to make Kobe work for his points, but Kobe will get them. Lee and Pietrus have to hit their shots to make Kobe play tight defense on him and tire him out, they also have to make Kobe drive to the basket, that could be the difference in a long series. J.J. Reddick has to stay on the bench and cheer as hard as he can for his teammates.

Edge-Lakers

The Small Forward Battle-

Hedo Turkoglu vs Trevor Ariza. This is an intriguing matchup because Ariza is slowly becoming an impressive wing player, however he's too small to defend against the smarter and bigger Michael Jordan of Turkey. The key in this matchup is Turkoglu's defense; Ariza can catch fire in a hurry and shoot the three ball. Turkoglu has to make sure that Ariza doesn't score over 18 points. When Ariza scores 20 points or more the Lakers are 14-2 in the playoffs (that's probably not true, I just made it up).

Edge-Magic

The Power Forward Battle-

Rashard Lewis vs Lamar Odom. Probably the closest position battle in this series. Both players are similar in that they can face up, are tall, athletic, and can play at the perimeter. Rashard Lewis is a better shooter and more consistent while Lamar Odom is stronger but has been hampered with a back bruise for quite some time now. When Odom's not in the game Lewis has to take over and he will play more minutes than Odom. Probably.

Edge-Magic

The Center Battle-

Dwight Howard and the Polish Hammer vs Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. This is closer than it seems. Gortat isn't very good, but he's passable and right now the same can be said of Bynum because to be honest I don't see that much in him. Pau Gasol is a good starting center but the athletic advantage he has over most centers is negated against Howard. He's also not strong enough to muscle Howard out of the paint so expect a big series from Dwight. But, I'm still not sold on Howard as the next great center. A big game from Howard doesn't guarantee a victory in the same was a big game from Duncan or Shaq does. Plus Howard has absolutely no post game other than jump as high as humanely possible and dunk it. If he had a reliable 8 footer or some ball handling he could be unstoppable, until then he's not the next Hakeem.

Edge-Magic
The X-Factor-
The referees. Easily the most important subplot throughout the entire playoffs, the refereeing in these games has been atrocious. The officials aren't letting the players play the game, instead they're trying to make the players be as passionless as possible. A hard foul is automatically a flagrant, a shoving match is automatically a technical. Let the game be played the way it should be. It's not bad enough that the refs over react but they are also inconsistent and don't call the game the same way throughout all four quarters. I really can't remember this many games being decided by so many bad calls and non-calls. I really can't predict which way the refereeing will go but I expect it'll effect the Magic more than the Lakers. If Dwight gets the calls he'll have to hit his free throws like he did against Cleveland. If he doesn't get the calls Gortat will have to play big minutes or the Magic will have to go small. Either way I see a bunch of technicals getting thrown thanks to Dwight's Mutombo-esque propensity for throwing around his elbows and complaining coaches. Perhaps a few flagrants as well which will later be downgraded to nothing.

Well, that was an exciting waste of my time and yours...Let's have a good finals shall we?

Welcome Back, America

Kabob Evans, now endorsed by President Obama.

Hello there. I know that it has been 11 months since I left the sports blogging industry, but I'm back and fully committed. It is now June 2009 and there isn't a better time to bring this blog back into fruition with the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals going on. Speaking of which, it's the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals. Insane! Everyone had basically handed the Finals trophy to the Cleveland Caveliers, but the Magic proved they are for real by taking the Cavs out in six, and now look for them to give Kobe and the gang a run for their money in the finals (more on that later). Back with me is the one and only KillaFam, who promises to bring hot hot fire multiple times per week. We have some exciting posts lined up and also daily Streak for the Cash picks which can be played on ESPN.com. Restarting this blog is going to be a good way for me to get through the summer days, and hopefully I'll be able to keep it up after that. So, please visit this site at least once a day so that you can keep up around the water cooler.