If you caught the Celtics last night, and saw their final offensive possession with Delonte West shooting the potential game-tying 3, did you find yourself screaming at the television too? I know I was. How is it that with the best 3-point shooter of ALL-TIME (sorry, Reggie) on our team, that Delonte freakin' West gets to take a shot in that situation? Not to mention Paul Pierce, who knows a thing or ten about knocking down clutch shots. I know its simply an early regular season game, but Durant didn't even play last night for the Zombie Sonics. Safe to say, I think we've seen the last of Delonte West on the floor in crunch time. And if you don't know who I'm referring to as the best three point shooter of all-time, well, this isn't the blog site for you.
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| I mean, he beat Denzel one-on-one. |
Speaking of Durant, troubling news out of Portland. 2007 no. 1 overall pick Greg Oden is out for the season--again--and will undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee. This will be the second time Oden has missed an entire season due to a knee injury; he missed his entire rookie campaign as well, resulting in microfracture surgery on his right knee. You've really gotta feel for Oden. He seems like a genuinely good guy, he obviously possesses an amazing skill set, and yet he'll have played in just 82 out of a possible 328 career games by the end of this season. What does this have to do with Durant? You might recall that the Blazers had a choice of whom to select with that no. 1 pick back in 2007, considered one of the deepest draft classes of the decade, and went with the Buckeye Oden over the Longhorn Durant. It just seems like the Blazers have been through this before......
Sam Bowie through 3 seasons: 10.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg
Michael Jordan through 3 seasons: 31.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3 all-star appearances, 1984-85 Rookie of the Year, 2 scoring titles
Greg Oden through 3 seasons: 9.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg
Kevin Durant through 3 seasons: 25.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1 all-star appearance, 2007-08 Rookie of the Year, 1 scoring title
For those who weren't aware, Portland had the no. 2 overall pick in the 1984 draft. Hakeem Olajuwon went no. 1 to Houston, and then the Blazers were left to decide between center Sam Bowie or swingman Michael Jordan. Oden plays center, Durant's also on the wing. Draw your own conclusions. Is Portland just Cleveland West? Does God hate Rip City? It could be worse, Portland fans. You guys own the entire Pacific Northwest since the Sonics were hijacked to Oklahoma.
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| Would it make Sonics fans feel any better had Oden become Oklahoma City's problem? |
So there's lots of talk coming out right now about Justin Upton being on the trade market. I can't help but ask.....why? He's 23 years old, really one of the only bright spots on the dreadful Diamondbacks over the past couple of years, has averaged 19 stolen bases over the past two years, already has 60 career home runs, and a very respectable .824 OPS that should only go up as he improves his plate discipline. Theoretically, he doesn't hit his prime for a few years even. The 2009 all-star has numbers that compare favorably with Andruw Jones, Jack Clark, and Juan Gonzalez through their first 3 seasons. All 3 of them wound up with multiple all-star appearances, and Gonzalez was a two-time AL MVP. So the question becomes: if the Diamondbacks are serious about trading him, what parts can the Red Sox give them in return? 2009 1st Round draft choice Casey Kelly would almost certainly have to be included in any deal, as would young reliever Daniel Bard. Jacoby Ellsbury would likely have to be dealt as well. Bottom line? As long as the Diamondbacks don't ask for anyone named "Lester" or "Buchholz", I do this deal in a heartbeat without even thinking about it.
Not that it matters, but Upton is VERY affordable, being signed through the 2015 season under a 6 year/$50 million contract. Which just adds to the head scratching of his availability.
If Ellsbury was to be included in any package, I'm in favor of signing Carl Crawford to replace him in the outfield. But we'll touch on this in a later blog.
Pats-Colts tomorrow. As I mentioned earlier, it's the teams' first meeting since The 4th and 2 Game. The premier rivalry in the NFL, Tom Brady is 7-4 against Peyton Manning since 2001. However, since 2005, the Colts are 5-1 against the Pats (with an additional win coming against Matt Cassel in 2008), the Patriots lone victory being the 18-0 season. It's time for the Pats to regain that swag they possessed earlier this millennium and knock Indy down consistently again. Prediction: Patriots 27, Colts 21.
If LeBron feels all high and mighty over his recent "Time Person of the Year" nomination, he should probably look at some of his competition before he gets too excited. Sarah Palin and Lady Gaga are also among the finalists. So what exactly are the qualifications for this award again?
Jake some great insight , Love the finalist for the Time mag person of the year(lol). I was always a big Pat Burns fan ,strong behind the bench. I think Pats are taking it to the hurtin Colts even tho they got a couple of big guns back .
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