A Look Forward to A Hot Summer

This could be the most power packed free agency in the history of the NBA. Any team except the Knicks has a chance to go deep in the playoffs next year if they draft well and make big moves in free agency. Due to the surplus of talent available this summer, I see a lot of teams trading away older/highly paid players to free cap room to be in the race for certain superstars this off season. I see some key teams out there who could potentially have a huge summer. I think the two biggest winners this off season will be the Miami Heat and the Portland Trailblazers. Both teams have some cash to spend and nice building blocks from their 07-08 rosters. The Blazers played competitively in the hardest Western Conference in history and didn't even have their franchise player, Greg Oden. They also have some money to bring in a key guy to run the point. Look for their general manager, Kevin Pritchard, to make a big run and Baron Davis or Gilbert Arenas. While Jarret Jack is a good point guard, he is not a floor general and doesn't score like an all-star. An addition of a big name point guard would give them a potent big 3 with Brandon Roy and Greg Oden. Let's just hope Oden comes back in playing shape after missing his entire 2008 rookie campaign. The Trailblazers also have yet another Lottery Pick, this year being one of the best drafts since well, last year? The Miami Heat should not have been this bad last year, but they were, they were the worst team in the league. This could not have been a fluke, this was the best year to not make the playoffs if you didn't have a great shot at the chip (Jazz, Lakers, Spurs, Hornets, Celtics, Pistons) all other teams should have taken a dive at the chance of getting the next Shawn Marion, Michael Beasely, or the future all-star guard, Derrick Rose. The Heat were very injured and somehow lured in the real "Matrix," Shawn Marion in exchange for Shaq. The key to this is they got rid of Shaq, his two bad knees, his bad back, his attitude, his age and his 400 lbs. (I think). The guy should've been traded to the WWE, not the Phoenix Suns. Just having perennial all-stars Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion is a good enough start to build on in a thin Eastern Conference. They also have a good, young PF, Udonis Haslem who was a key part in their championship run of 2006. I think Miami will throw some big money out there for one more key guy, probably a center and plenty of help on the bench. Don't be surprised to see the Miami Heat trade for the upset, Orlando Magic, marksman, JJ Reddick. The Heat also have a decent second round pick where they can possibly get the overlooked, JR Giddens. The Miami Heat and the other NBA teams have a large pool of players to throw money at this off season.

Teddy's Top 20 Free Agents

1. Josh Smith SG,SF,PF (Restricted)

2. Elton Brand PF (un-Restricted)

3. Monta Ellis PG,SG (Restricted)

4. Baron Davis PG (un-Restricted)

5. Gilbert Arenas PG (un-Restricted)

6. Andre Iguodala SG,SF (Restricted)

7. Corey Maggette SG,SF (un-Restricted)

8. Allen Iverson PG,SG (un-Restricted)

9. Antawn Jamison SF,PF (un-Restricted)

10. Ron Artest SF (un-Restricted)

11. Emeka Okafor PF,C (Restricted)

12. Luol Deng SG,SF (Restricted)

13. Ben Gordon PG,SG (Restricted)

14. Jermaine O'Neal PF, C (un-Restricted)

15. JR Smith PG,SG (un-Restricted)

16. Michael Pietrus SG,SF (un-Restricted)

17. Carl Landry PF (Restricted)

18. Juan Carlos Navarro PG (Restricted)

19. Paul Milsap SF,PF (Restricted)

20. Josh Childress SF (Restricted)

Teddy's Projected 2008 NBA Mock Draft (Lottery)

1. Mia...Derrick Rose PG, Memphis

2. Sea...Michael Beasely PF, Kansas St.

3. LAC...OJ Mayo PG, SG, USC

4. Mem...Brook Lopez C, Stanford

5. Min...Eric Gordon SG, Indiana

6. NYK...Jerryd Bayless PG, Arizona

7. Mil...Kevin Love C, UCLA

8. Cha...DeAndre Jordan C, Texas Tech

9. Chi... Danilo Gallinari SF, Italy

10. NJN...Darrel Aurthur SF, PF, Kansas

11. Ind...DJ Augustine PG, Texas

12. Por...Russel Westbrook PG, SG, UCLA

13. Sac...Nicolas Batum SG, France

14. GSW...Anthony Randolph SF, LSU

This will be a monster off season and we will keep you posted whenever a team decides to make a big move. Stay tuned for more draft analysis and future rookie breakdowns.

The Dominance of Brandon Webb

Thursday, Brandon Webb, became the first player since 1985 (Andy Hawkins, SD) to win his first 9 starts. This feat has him on pace to win almost 40 games. He had 8 K's tonight against the reigning National League champions, the Colorado Rockies. Webb, along with Jake Peavy(SD), Brad Penny (LA) and Tim Lincecum (SF) make the NL West the most competitive pitching division in baseball. Despite this, Webb, has dominated the competition. He looks like a man possessed and he just turned 29. It's safe to say that this guy will be fire-balling his way to victories for years to come.

Defense has to end with a rebound. Is a lineup tweak in order?

The so-called experts on TNT as well as the four letter network have consistently talked about the fact that if the Lakers just played better defense they would be able to easily make it to the finals. However, in my humble opinion the defense is fine, the problem is securing the defensive rebound. For example, for all the heroics The Spaniard had at the end of game 5 with the offensive rebound and putback, the 7 footer managed to play 44 minutes without grabbing A SINGLE DEFENSIVE BOARD. To put this in perspective even Sasha Vujacic had 2 defensive rebounds. Its hard to manage that you can play a whole game without one ball bouncing in your direction, Pau, you gotta step it up. Boozer has clearly been boxing you out and out toughing you, but if you want to win the series you need to do better. Pau, here is something maybe you can understand: “Tienes suerte que tiene Lamar Odom” (you are lucky you have LO) Because Lamar has been hustling and boarding like a maniac.

The Lakers got a few breaks and were able to pull out game 5, but the games have been too close for comfort, and maybe lineup changes are in order. I know its hard to argue with his 9 championship rings, but I don’t understand why Phil Jackson hasn’t even tried to put Ronny Turiaf in with Pau and move Lamar over to the small forward spot, especially when Radmanovic has been largely ineffective. Ronny battles inside, rebounds and blocks shots, exactly what the Lakers have been missing with Andrew Bynum out of the linup. This move would also stop Kirilenko from being able to guard Kobe on a cross match, because it would force Korver to have to contend with Lamar, which I can tell you right now, wouldn’t work. I’m not saying I know it all, but Phil, maybe you should give it a shot, especially on the road in Salt Lake where the Jazz are allowed to play even more physically.

WE ARE UTAH

SportsToilet fans, take a minute and let these pictures sink in. Who thought a Utah Jazz after party would get so crazy? Let's break down Andrei "AK 47" Kirilenko's situation. The word on the street that is known as unofficial/official to the public, states that AK has a deal with his beloved wife that he gets one freebie a year. And im not talking about the free toys you get in cereal boxes. The Ivan Drago look-alike gets to enjoy the company of one new young lady every year. Was this signed at the marriage? Is this part of his contract deal with the Jazz? How much of a cut did his agent make on this? These are all good questions that need to be answered, but AK and his wife are the only two who know the details. All we can do here is take it for whats its worth because AK definately got it right and made a great deal with the wifey. Hopefully he was prepared for that devil in the picture and made sure to use his "get out of jail free" card later in the evening.




Hot off the press and breaking News on AK 47. Apparently Andrei missed practiced today with VISA problems. Check out this NBC newspaper article talking about the Russian spy being caught. Will this impact game 6? More to follow on the story...

Vegas baby Vegas

It is not anything new to us here at the SportsToilet that we know Charles Barkley is a degenerate gambler. The guy just loves action. When he is sitting with Ernie J and Kenny "the jet" on the set of Inside the NBA the noise that you sometimes here in the background is Chuck cheering whoever he has a bet on( Chuck says the only thing he doesn't bet on is NBA, so I will leave it to your discretion to make the call.) But something I always notice about Charles, having placed a few sports wagers in my day, is how he always talks in a gamblers way of mentality. The important shot of the game or the call that Charles talks about usually ends up affecting the point spread and all the nervous bettors. I think that is why many of us including myself love the blunt terms Charles uses and how he just gets to the point.

In news today, the 4 letter network reported that Charles Barkley owes the glamourous Wynn Hotel a cool 400K. Barkley even said this quote to show people he gambles and doesn't care what people think. "Do I have a gambling problem? Yeah, I do have a gambling problem," Barkley said. "But I don't consider it a problem because I can afford to gamble." Spoken like a true action junkie. Let's hope Charles gets hot and wins it back, becuase that is how gamblers think. Now if Charles disappears from the set of Inside the NBA we might know why.

Watching the Lakers in Tampa

It's always interesting trying to watch professional sports in a city that does not have a professional team in that sport. Nobody seems to care but you. Anybody who has ever tried watching baseball in Canada knows what I'm talking aboot. Eh?

Last night, The Jar was in Tampa trying to watch the NBA playoffs--most importantly, the Lakers -Jazz game 5--at a local watering hole. Only one problem: I am the only one in this city who seems to care about the NBA. The first spot I went to had all TV's focused on the Rays-Yankees game even though Boston-Cleveland was in the 4th quarter. I know the Rays are the team of the week and this is Tampa...but a bar with every single TV tuned into a midseason baseball game instead of Game 5 on the NBA playoffs...please. Needless to say, The Jar did not get to see Lebron cry after the game.

The Jar can handle missing the shitfest that has become the Boston-Cleveland series, but there is no way that I would miss Game 5 of the Lakers-Jazz. So we went to some shady bar called "The Sports Bar" (I wish I was kidding) to catch the first half of the game. Lots of wife beaters. Lots of crew cuts/backwards hats. And everybody smoking cigs. I even saw a couple of Hooter's girls grabbing a drink after work (for those of you who don't know, Hooters was founded in Clearwater--a suburb of Tampa). But let's just say that these girls weren't up to the standard that one would expect from a typical Hooter's girl...especially from the city were the restaurant chain was founded! At least they were a friends with a girl from Wing House (a local Hooter's knockers...I mean knock off) who definitely had much more appealing assets.

The place still had arcades, darts and there was even a karaoke machine with some degenerates signing songs like "Sweet Home Alabama." There were about 20 TV's in there...most of them on the Speed channel or showing highlights of the Rays (these are the types of places that make NASCAR the juggernaut that it has become). Luckily, they showed the Lakers game on one of the TV's. Nobody was watching except for my associate and I. Real pumped. Great game and great victory for the Lakers. Too bad nobody else in there seemed to care. Orlando is only 80 miles away from Tampa. I wonder if the people here seemed indifferent about the NBA because they are Orlando Magic fans and are bitter that they already got taken out of the Playoffs by the Pistons Or maybe they just don't like all that loud hip hop in the NBA. I'm not sure...

On another note, the Jar will be attending the Tampa Rays-NY Yankees game tonight. Look out for a post on that later...