Stephen A. Smith quite frankly cracks me up. His bashing on Portland cracked me up. They obviously don't know what they're doin' he says. It's easy to pick on the lousiest team in basketball and say they don't know what they're doing, they look lost, they don't have a plan. But I think that sort of speculating came back to bite him as the little weakling that is Portland drank the milk, bulked up and that's why Stephen A. Smith couldn't and didn't want to talk about Portland anymore. He was speechless and he said it was a waste of his time to talk about them. That's because they fought back and he saw what they were up to.
I won't even even talk about LaMarcus being an asset to the team because I'm very biased. Let's just say defense has improved immensely for Portland. They don't need the Vanilla ####. Where was he last year anyway? Where was anybody in Portland? Where the hec was Zach Randolph?
If I had to pick the most NBA ready person it would be Brandon Roy. Seeing him play in the tournament last year, I was watching someone who appeared a few dozen steps ahead of everyone else. Even in the game against UCONN where they lost he was brilliant. This guy is READY in the way CPaul was ready. They come in full steam. If he plays like he's been playing he's my early pick for ROY.
Spanish Chocolate? That is funny! Hopefully he takes a better pic than JWill. JWill sits on the waiver wire every year in my fantasy league because of that horrible pic that Yahoo has of him. He's the bane of every fantasy team. But hey, at least he's a world champ now.
I'm going to root for Portland. I like what they're doin' despite Stephen A. Smith's rumblings. I used to root for Portland back in the Drexler days so it won't be anything new.
SOME PICKS I LIKE:
1. SHELDON WILLIAMS -- ATLANTA -- They need a lot. I see them trying to trade Harrington for a guard or something. You never know what you're gonna get from Duke as far as how the players translate into the NBA. But this guy has the same sort of work ethic and dig deep attitude that Elton Brand has. He'll be a star early on.
2. RONNIE BREWER -- UTAH -- Defense, defense, defense and heart, heart, heart. I think he fits the mold of Sloan's type of player. Deron Williams is spectacular and will definitely start there for a while but I think sometimes Sloan loses gray hairs over this drive the lane every time shoot first type point guard. I'd love to see Sloan coach the Knicks.
3. JORDAN FARMAR -- LOS ANGELES -- I love this pick. I think Kareem had some say in this I'm sure. I'm feelin' it. He may not even be that good in the NBA but this is good karma for the Lakers. Looking out for the hometown kid.
4. PJ TUCKER -- TORONTO -- I have to give props to this guy as he was this season's Big 12 player of the year. I think he's underrated and I think Toronto's a big winner here. But like LaMarcus don't listen to me on this one because I'm biased. Just watch.
5. SAER SENE -- SEATTLE -- This guy fascinates me. Raw and super tall. I think once he gets the hang of the NBA we're going to see something a little different. I mean he's not going to shoot threes like Uncle Cliffy but I think we're going to see that big man swatting everything in sight that the Sonics have been missing for the past few years.
GUYS I HATE:
1. DANIEL GIBSON -- CLEVELAND -- I really hope he proves me wrong because he's a Longhorn but the guy is NOT ready for the NBA. That being said, he may be a good fit with Lerbron who likes to dish it off to an open sharpshooter. I personally was nervous every time Gibson had the ball at UT. Gimme some confidence in you.
2. JORDAN FARMAR -- LOS ANGELES LAKERS -- What? C'mon you love the pick or you hate the pick. Which is it? I'm not a fan of the player. Something about him bugs me. I just think it's a statement for the Lakers feeling it, giving something back to the home crowd. He's got a lot of heart and he's extremely competitive. So there, I can't make up my mind. Hate it and love it.
3. RODNEY CARNEY -- PHILLY -- I'm not sold on him or anyone from that Memphis team. Think he's super-uber-athletic. But I'm not there yet on whether this guy will be a major factor in the NBA. He'll have to learn how to handle the ball a hec of a lot better.
4. THABO SEFOLOSHA -- CHICAGO -- I had to pick on some European and this is the one. From Switzerland, c'mon! He'll have the best working watch on the team, he'll have the best knife, hot chocolate, cheese and ski moves on the team. But can he play basketball? It just feels like a fad.
5. SHANE BATTIER -- HOUSTON -- C'mon H-town, have some patience and take the time to develop a good college player. Houston hates developing guys but they have to do something since the TMac and Yao thing is wearing thin. I thought Rudy #### was an excellent pick. Somebody needs to be a third scorer for this team and it's not going to be Battier.
"Get down, Mav, go 'head get down. Get down, Mav, go 'head get down."
"With yo bad self."
"Say it loud, uh, uh, Ah'm a go-rilla and Ah'm proud."
"Yeow!"
"Ah got soul. da na na na nanuh. Ah'm super bad!"
Great post by the way. Glad to see you watched the draft, and with interest. As for Stephen A., never take him too seriosuly. Besides, what did he ever play, other than coy?
I'm mixed on the Farmar pick as well, but there really wasn't anyone left for the Lakers to pick. At least with the guy staying in L.A., he might play better. Then again, the home crowd can be brutal, especially after watching Shaq win another title.
Last edited by MeanDovine on June 29th at 3:50 PM.
Mean do what up! I like the #### dance a lot! I'm getting down and the guy behind me is listening to the Loose Cannons show with Vic the Brick -- see it's all about workin' here at the cubicle -- yeah I love the draft -- there were a bunch of us at work in the work kitchen watching it and then I realized it was the entire fantasy NBA league at work and one girl in a corner table reading madame bovary oblivious of the entire scene --
hope all's well with you mean -- are you 100% with the ankle?
Welcome back from The Land of The Lost. Look out for those Sleezestacks, however the heck it's spelled. When I saw that picture of Chaka as your avatar it brought me WAY back.
Good luck rooting for Portland. I'm hoping the Knicks top pick is better than what his response was, cause I know squat about S. Carolina hoops.
I hear you on Stephen A. I think he thinks all of that yelling somehow gives him added credibility (i.e., he's really upset about this, he must be onto something!).
I hope someone's draft works out for them. The Warriors entered the thing needing solid players who could help them right away. And what do they do? Pick two "projects" who don't a have a prayer of doing anything for them next season.
Yeah, I think a lot of people were talking OBryant around tournement time so he came out of nowhere -- he does look like a project but at least the warriors didn't draft as bad as the Knicks
-- who would you have picked if you were given the opportunity?
That Stephen A. Smith...I know it's all show, but he tries to make it sound like he is the number one authority on everything...which is ridiculous, given the fact that he wrong more often than not.
I made fun of the Ronnie Brewer pick for Utah, mainly because as a fan of the Jazz...I'm allowed. He isn't a shooter...and will always have an awkward motion. Funny to draft a shooting guard that can't shoot. But the guy should actually be a good fit. His defense and heart are just what the team needs, although they need more of it. And he has found ways to score, even though his shooting isn't perfect. I figure he will improve his shooting enough, and will be a very good SG in the NBA.
No question. I would have picked Renaldo Balkman...kidding.
The one guy who would have fit perfectly for the Warriors was long gone by the time #9 rolled around. Sheldon Williams would have given them the NBA-ready low post prescence they need so badly. I am assuming they tried to trade up, but if they didn't they should have to try to get a player like Williams.
Barring that, I know you're not a Rodney Carney fan, but thinking about him running the floor with Baron and J-Rich is enough to convince me that would be worth putting up with whatever shortcomings he's got in his game right now.
Also, I think I would have liked Cedric Simmons better than O'Bryant, even though he (Simmons) might wind up being Adonal Foyle with a mean streak at the NBA-level. I guess I like the ACC pedigree better than O'Bryant's three-game NCAA tourney run.
In any event, I hope Mullin does something else this off-season to help the team, because as it stands now, they don't look a whole lot different than the team that went 34-48 last season.
Carney actually would be a good fit for GS -- I'm just not sold on his shot creating ability and getting to the hoop but when you have someone like Baron running things it might've worked in his benefit because, besides some real off games, the guy can flat out shoot. But he's got to learn that dribble thing to be good in the NBA...
Shoot,
You know Stephen Smith nearly recanted last night on his show about Portland -- the GM was on there and defended his pick and all Stephen Smith was saying was okay, okay but what about this...and then he went off on how he respected GM's that came on his show after he ripped their teams...very funny...I actually enjoy his style but don't buy into everything he says--
-- you're right if Ronnie's playing SG it's ironic he's got the weird shot -- but yeah I think the guy'll make do...I thought the rockets were going to take him but they did the wacky Battier thing -- I'll have to see how that works because I don't like it at all -- but these things have a way of clearing up and making more sense I guess as time goes on...
Mav - If you rearrange the initials in Stephen A. Smith's name you get exactly what he is.
Hopefully the Blazers will get right. Looking back on their battle against Utah in the playoffs a few years ago (or maybe more) it was great to see the thugs make some noise, the rebels.
Yeah what a SAS he is -- LOL! The SAShole had the Portland GM on last night -- kind of funny it's like I'm gonna give you respect now that I belittled your team and you had the bravery to come on my show -- yeah we'll see -- your a Warrior fan right? or Sac?
Blazers! With Aldridge and Roy, they look way better than last season already. Stephen A. Smith is a lousy NBA analyst. One day ESPN will realize this.
you all should see mavpilla ball. he's kinda tough to guard with all that hair but he flys all over the place like teen wolf. and he's like the second coming of the windex man michael cage the way he cleans the class..
jroo! I was fortunate enough to end up on the same team as you which made it more fun 'cause your hustle, boards, put backs and passes are what won it for us -- until next time!
I was abandoned as a baby by an oil rig worker named Ramses who set me off in a little raft to die at sea. I was eventually found on a Gulf Coast shore by a one-clawed crustacean who raised me until I was old enough to cook and eat him.
In all seriousness, I'm originally from Houston, Texas. I graduated with an English degree from University of Texas. After graduating, I moved to Los Angeles and have been working in the entertainment industry ever since. Between jobs, I moved to Paris, France for a year and wrote for various magazines over there. I moved back to Los Angeles and am currently working in the music industry for Warner Bros.
I've followed and played sports all my life, mostly BBF (Basketball, Baseball, Football). If I had a sports program I'd call it "The BBF".
