Shot of the Day - 4/29

Channing Frye Splits the Double Team

Shot of the Day - 4/28

Marlon Byrd Recovers After Losing Ball In The Sun

Shot of the Day - 4/27

Dirk Nowitzki v. Spurs

Shot of the Day - 4/26

Ryan Braun Makes Diving Catch

End of Season Thoughts Part IIII: Reviewing the Draft

I'll be the first to say you can't really judge a draft pick until 3-5 years have passed. Some guys start hot and never live up to their early success, some take longer to adjust but once they do, they excel for a long time. With that said, however, draft day success is a major factor in long term results. A look at the 2009 Draft and which teams helped or hurt their themselves the most.

(Pick number-selection-original draft position-original pick)

1. Tyreke Evans (4); Blake Griffin
2. Stephen Curry (7); Hasheem Thabeet
3. Brandon Jennings (10); James Harden
4. Darren Collison (21); Evans
5. DeJuan Blair (37); Ricky Rubio
6. Taj Gibson (26); Jonny Flynn
7. Marcus Thornton (43); Curry
8. James Harden (3); Jordan Hill
9. Terrence Williams (11); Demar DeRozan
10. Wes Matthews (undrafted); Brandon Jennings
11. Ty Lawson (18); Williams
12. Jonny Flynn (6); Gerald Henderson
13. Rodrique Beaubois (25); Tyler Hansbrough
14. Jonas Jerebko (39); Earl Clark
15. Omri Casspi (23); Austin Daye
16. Eric Maynor (21); James Johnson
17. DeMar DeRozan (9); Jrue Holiday
18. Sam Young (38); Lawson
19. Chase Budinger (44); Jeff Teague

20. Hasheem Thabeet (2); Maynor
21. Toney Douglas (29); Collison
22. AJ Price (52); Victor Craver
23. Wayne Ellington (28); Casspi
24. Jrue Holiday (17); BJ Mullens
25. Jordan Hill (8); Beaubois
26. Tyler Hansbrough (13); Gibson
27. Jodie Meeks (41); DeMarre Carroll

28. Gerald Henderson (12); Ellington

29. Austin Daye (15); Toney Douglas

30. Dante Cunningham (33); Christian Eyenga

INCOMPLETES
- Blake Griffin (injured all season)
- Ricky Rubio, Victor Craver (played in Europe)

- Christian Eyenga (will never play in NBA)

BIGGEST STEALS:

- DeJuan Blair fell to the Spurs in the second round because of concerns about his knees. He became a solid contributor on a contending team and is making his mark.

- Darren Collison was looked at as not having much potential which is why he slipped to 21. With Chris Paul out, Collison excelled and may give New Orleans the option to move Paul, as crazy as that sounds.

- Marcus Thornton is an undersized shooting guard, causing him to drop. In the second half of the season he was the third best scorer in this class.

- Wes Matthews, similar to Thornton, went undrafted because he didn't have a true position. In the second half of the season he has started for the contending Jazz and continues to make big plays on both ends of the court.

BIGGEST BUSTS:

- Coming into this draft I could have told you Earl Clark had the biggest potential of being a major bust. He has great athleticism but lacks a defined NBA skill set and the work ethic necessary to put it together.

- James Johnson has looked completely and totally lost all season. He doesn't have any of the fundamental abilities you want from a high draft pick and doesn't look like he has the attitude to change that.

- Hasheem Thabeet really didn't stand a chance. There was no reason for him to be taken as high as he was. He showed signs of being a solid contributor on defense in the future but being a decent defensive center isn't what you want from the number 2 pick.

LOOKING AHEAD

- Griffin and Rubio were, for my money, without question the top two talents in this draft. When they get into the league, they could change the entire look of this draft.

- Rodrique Beaubois is a special player who could very well end up in the top five players of this class when it's all said and done. He is one of three players (with Jennings and Curry) in this draft to have put up 40 points in a game. Special.

- Once again we see that long time college players (Sam Young, Blair, Dante Cunningham, AJ Price) exceed expectations and often jump ahead of the younger, more "potential-laden" players. One of these days NBA teams need to figure this trend out.

One year in this looks like a very talented group of contributors. While there isn't a ton of star quality, a lot of these guys look like they can be players in this league for 8 to 10 years, which is more than you can say for the average draft.

Shot of the Day - 4/25

Mo Williams v. Chicago

Shot of the Day - 4/24

Eric Maynor flips Luke Walton

Mavs Face Uphill Battle Tonight

I picked the Mavs to win their current series with the Spurs in 6 games and I'll stand by that. But tonight may not be their night for one simple reason: head official Dan Crawford. Crawford is the most inconsistent member of the NBA's legion of officials. He doesn't bring an ego to the floor like many of the worst refs in the league (like Game 2 official Ken Mauer). And he isn't too old to keep up with the changes of the game (like fellow Game 3 ref Dick Bavetta). By all accounts he's a heck of a nice guy. He's just not good at his job. Watching a Crawford officiated game can be torture because you never know what you're getting with him. For a while he will call EVERYTHING, to the point that there's a call on every play, and then suddenly he'll swallow his whistle and no calls will be made.

The one thing he does do consistently, however, is kill the Mavericks. A couple of stats:

- Dallas is 1-15 in playoff games officiated by Dan Crawford. Ouch.

- By comparison, during the Dirk Era in games not officiated by Crawford, the Mavs are 53-35. That's a .602 winning percentage without Crawford on the court, .062 when he's present.

- The last Mavs playoff game officiated by Crawford was Game 1 of the Denver series last year when Denver shot 36 free throws compared to Dallas' 13.

- Most painful, Crawford refed Games 3 and 6 during the Mavs 2006 Finals series with Miami. In those games, Dwyane Wade attempted 39 total free throws.

I'm not saying Crawford has something against the Mavs but those are some telling stats as to what to expect tonight. The Mavs are going to have to be at their absolute best tonight if they want to come home with a win.

Shot fo the Day - 4/22

Amare Stoudemire v. Andre Miller

Shot of the Day - 4/21

Richard Jefferson v. Dallas

Shot of the Day - 4/20

Josh Smith Blocks Carlos Delfino

Shot of the Day - 4/19

Lebron v. James Johnson

Mark Jackson Wants to Coach

Though it's been rumored for a couple of years, today was the first actual article I've seen in a while concerning Mark Jackson's desire to be an NBA coach. The NBA's third all time assist leader interviewed for the Knicks position two years ago but hasn't really been a strong candidate for anyone else since. Since he retired a few years back he's been in the broadcast booth, working color for ABC.

I always kind of liked Jackson in his playing days and there is no question in my mind that he'll make a good coach...someday. My problem with this is the way he's going about it, which is the same way so many ex-athletes try to transition into the next phase of life. If you really want to be an NBA head coach, go get on a bench somewhere and actually get some coaching experience. You could argue that Jackson was a coach on the floor his entire career so he'll take to it naturally and I think there's a measure of merit to that. But there's a big difference between being a team leader and being the decision maker. You need some experience learning how to make the right calls night in and night out. Sure it would be a lot more fun to just step into the head coaching role than to pay your dues as an assistant but it doesn't work that way. Look what Adrian Dantley, AJ English, Patrick Ewing, and a host of other ex-players who want to be head coaches. They're all serving time as assistants or coaching in the D-league to not only pave the way for bigger jobs but to prepare themselves for the big time. A smart team isn't hiring a guy who has no coaching experience and do you really want to go to a team that isn't smart?

Shot of the Day - 4/18

Caron Butler v. San Antonio

Shot of the Day - 4/17

Scoreboard After Jimenez's Nohitter

Shot of the Night - 4/16

Two Hockey Dudes Fight

End of Season Thoughts Part III: Awards

Were I given a vote in the awards the NBA gives out each year, this is how I would vote. I'm sure I can expect David Stern to come calling any time now.

MVP:
1. Lebron James
2. Dirk Nowitzki
3. Kevin Durant
4. Steve Nash
5. Kobe Bryant
Winner: Lebron

It appears Lebron is going to be a near unanimous choice here, followed by Duran, Dwight Howard, Kobe, and Dwyane Wade. It's absolutely a shame that Dirk won't be recognized in this group because, as biased as I might be, this has been perhaps his best season. He has been absolutely brilliantly and has quietly solidified himself as the best closer in the game. Just have a look at these deep stats if you need further proof. No question Lebron should win this, but Dwight Howard doesn't belong in this conversation until he can either make free throws down the stretch or pass out of double teams effectively.

Rookie of the Year
1. Tyreke Evans
2. Stephen Curry
3. Brandon Jennings
Winner: Evans

This should be a tight race. Curry has been the most highlight worthy while Jennings has been the starting point guard for a playoff team. Evans, however, is only the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. I think that'll do it for him.

Coach
1. Jerry Sloan
2. Scott Brooks
3. Nate McMillan
Winner: Brooks

Brooks is the trendy pick and I couldn't argue against it. All I will say is, while the Thunder have definitely overachieved and his players love him, Brooks led his team to an 8th place finish. Sloan on the other hand was within a game of finishing second in the West and he's never won this award which is ridiculous. Maybe I'm being suckered into a lifetime achievement award but I think he deserves it.

Sixth Man
1. Jamal Crawford
2. Jason Terry
3. JR Smith
Winner: Crawford

Not really much of a race, actually. Crawford has been absolutely incredible this season, hitting crunch time shots and playing all of the important minutes. Terry, meanwhile, has had an inconsistent season and Smith hasn't had the impact he's had in past seasons.

Most Improved
1. Aaron Brooks
2. Andrew Bogut
3. George Hill
Winner: Brooks

Another tight race, this one because it's such a subjective award. Kevin Durant is going to get some votes here but my contention is he was a near All Star last year and this award is usually awarded for breakout players or guys who have been labeled a bust in the past. Brooks has been the only consistent offensive option for a Houston team that seriously overachieved. I think Bogut might have shown the greatest improvement but it's harder to vote for a former number 1 pick who had disappointed to this point than it is a scrappy 6 footer who's lead a winning team all year.

Defensive Player
1. Dwight Howard
2. Gerald Wallace
3. Josh Smith
Winner: Howard

Howard may win this award for the next 5 or 8 years. There's no question he is the most dominating defensive player in the game, especially in an era that doesn't throw out a lot of great defensive players.


All NBA:

First Team
Lebron James
Dirk Nowitzki
Dwight Howard
Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant

Second Team
Carmelo Anthony
Kevin Durant
Amare Stoudemire
Brandon Roy
Dwyane Wade

Third Team
Chris Bosh
Gerald Wallace
Andrew Bogut
Deron Williams
Joe Johnson

I think Durant probably skips Dirk into the 1st team but he shouldn't. No disrespect to Durant, he's been great. But again, I feel team success should have some bearing in these awards and Dirk led his team to a number 2 seed while Durant's Thunder are stuck at 8. Also, as noted before, Dirk is the best closer in the game while Durant actually plays worse in the clutch than he does the rest of the game. Eventually Durant is going to pass Dirk, but it shouldn't be this year.


All Rookie:
First Team
Tyreke Evans
Stephen Curry
Brandon Jennings
Darren Collison
Taj Gibson

Second Team:
DeJuan Blair
Ty Lawson
James Harden
Marcus Thornton
Omri Casspi

This year's rookie class was very strong. Picking 10 is really tough. Thornton was great down the stretch but Gibson was solid all year long as a starter on a (marginal) playoff team. The other four on the First team are pretty well etched in stone.

All Defense

First Team:
Lebron James
Gerald Wallace
Dwight Howard
Rajon Rondo
Thabo Sefalosha

Second Team
Josh Smith
Shawn Marion
Anderson Varejao
Kobe Bryant
Dwyane Wade

We are in a down period for backcourt defenders. I'm not sure Wade or Bryant really deserve this honor but there aren't a lot of options that stand out and they have the pedigree. Shawn Marion deserves to be on this team without any question. All of the superstar swingmen in the league (Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Durant, etc.) average less and shoot a poorer percentage against the Mavs than they do the rest of the league and that's do in great part to Marion. He won't get this honor but he definitely deserves it.

Tomorrow: Repicking the Draft

End of Season Thoughts Part 2: Playoff Predictions

Let me start off by saying I suck at predictions when it comes to who will win what. It's a lifelong curse. So take that into consideration before gambling away your child's college fund.

EAST - ROUND 1

(1) Cleveland v. (8) Chicago - Cleveland in 5
(2) Orlando v. (7) Charlotte - Orlando in 6
(3) Atlanta v. (6) Milwaukee - Atlanta in 5
(4) Boston v. (5) Miami - Boston in 6

Cleveland and Orlando could definitely pull the sweep but I'm not sure either has the killer instinct this early in the game. Boston is so much better than Miami it's not even funny but they get easily distracted and they'll struggle to guard Wade. Next year is it for this group of Celtics. It's really a shame that the Bucks lost center Andrew Bogut to a broken arm. They were primed to make a run but they don't stand a chance without him.

WEST - ROUND 1

(1) LA Lakers v. (8) Oklahoma City - LA in 6
(2) Dallas v. (7) San Antonio - Dallas in 6
(3) Phoenix v. (6) Portland - Phoenix in 7
(4) Denver v. (5) Utah - Utah in 7

After one of the most competitive regular seasons in recent memory, I wouldn't be totally shocked if any of these teams made a Finals run. OKC is a scary team that everyone is writing off as too inexperienced. That may be true, but they play fearless basketball and the Lakers have looked bad down the stretch. I think the Lakers take care of business but wouldn't be shocked to see 7 games. Dallas and San Antonio are both playing well coming in but for once San Antonio doesn't have the talent to match up in a series. I think Portland takes Phoenix if not for Brandon Roy's injury. They are the Suns' biggest matchup problem but without Roy, I don't think they can pull it off.  Denver and Utah is a dead heat. Both teams are great at home, both teams are awful on the road. Depsite that, I think Denver is a bit dysfunctional without George Karl and I don't think they can be trusted.

EAST - SEMIFINALS

(1) Cleveland v. (4) Boston - Cleveland in 6
(2) Orlando v. (3) Atlanta - Orlando in 7

Coming into the year I really though Boston was going to be the team to beat. But Garnett has not been right all season and they seem to have caught Dysfunction Cancer from Rasheed Wallace. I think they have the horses to take the Cavs out but they haven't displayed the consistency to do so all season. Orlando-Atlanta should be a fun series to watch and it will all come down to how well Dwight Howard plays.

WEST - SEMIFINALS

(1) LA v. (5) Utah - LA in 6
(2) Dallas v. (3) Phoenix - Dallas in 6

I'm not in love with this Laker team, obviously, but Utah does not match up well. Laker fans should be hoping Utah beats Denver in Round 1. Dallas and Phoenix were the hottest teams in the league after the All Star break. Dallas, however, can win games in multiple ways: they can outscore you or out defend you, cruise on through or grind it out. If Phoenix isn't making shots, they don't win.

EAST - CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) Cleveland v. (2) Orlando - Cleveland in 6

A rematch of last year's tremendous conference finals but with two big differences: a.) no Hedo Turkoglu for Orlando, and b.) Shaq playing for Cleveland. Hedo was the main factor in the Magic win last year. He defended Lebron well and forced Lebron to play defense. His absence is huge. Shaq was brought to Cleveland for the sole purpose of beating up on Howard. The Cavs are a better team without Shaq EXCEPT in this series. Howard will win the matchup but if he has to struggle to do it, the Cavs win.

WEST_ CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) LA v. (2) Dallas - Dallas in 7

I watch the Mavs on a daily basis so I may be biased. But their ability to win in a variety of ways makes them extremely tough to play against. The Mav swingmen make opposing superstars work better than any team in the league and the leadership of Kidd and Dirk has been a huge factor down the stretch. I think Kidd smells the blood in the water. LA, meanwhile, has struggled lately and it's looked less and less like a team that has nothing to worry about, but instead a team that doesn't quite have it. Dallas has the best road record in the league and isn't afraid to play in LA. I like the Mavs.

FINALS

(1) Cleveland v. (2) Dallas - Cleveland in 7

I think Dallas is a better team than Cleveland, but the Cavs have the best player in the league. When that team gets this close to the title, I think Lebron steps up his game. Plus I've seen Dallas play Dwyane Wade in the Finals and watched the refs parade him to the free throw line. I can't help but think it'll be the same thing this time around. Dallas is good enough to win it in Cleveland but if Lebron is the player he is supposed to be, he wins a title this year.

MVP: Lebron James

Tomorrow: End of Season Awards

Shot of the Day - 4/15

Jason Heyward on Jackie Robinson Day

End of Season Thoughts Part I: Coaches

The NBA regular season came to a close today and there are many items to discuss as we move into the playoffs and the upcoming feeding frenzy that will be this off season. We'll have a look at the end of season notes in four parts:

1. The coaches
2. Playoff predictions
3. End of season awards
4. The 2009 Draft in retrospect.

THE COACHES

The beginning of the off season is a trying time for coaches of teams who haven't met expectations. One coach (Eddie Jordan) has already been let go. Heck, Avery Johnson was fired by the Mavs a couple of years ago on the plane home from the last game. Head coaches have a tough job in a league that expects immediate success. With that in mind, a look at all 30 head coaches, including those who have nothing to fear and those who may be out by the time I finish this column.

DEFINITELY GONE

1. Eddie Jordan, 76ers - Obviously this has already happened but he would have been number one anyway.
2. Kiki Vandeweighe, Nets - Had no business being named the coach in the first place.
3. Jeff Bower, Hornets - See above.
4. Kim Hughes, Clippers - Didn't really stand a chance in the first place.
5. Jay Triano, Raptors - Toronto falling out of the playoffs officially sealed his fate.

MIGHT GET ANOTHER SHOT
6. Flip Saunders, Wizards - I think Saunders is a fine coach who was put in a terrible situation and didn't click with his players. Not sure he wouldn't prefer to take the ax and start over somewhere else.
7. Jim O'brien, Pacers - For some reason he's gotten the vote of confidence from his front office. O'brien is, in my mind, the unquestionable worst coach in the NBA.
8. John Kuester, Pistons - Like O'brien, he's been given the vote despite limited success.
9. Vinny Del Negro, Bulls - If O'brien is the worst coach in the league, Del Negro is the second worst. The confrontation with GM Jim Paxson likely spells the end for one of them, but the players seem to like Vinny and he got them into the playoffs. If they make a little noise, it would be hard to fire him.

MID-SEASON TARGETS

10. Erik Spolestra, Heat - The Heat are rolling into the playoffs but after they lose in the first round, there will be pressure to win next year. With or without Wade, Spolestra will be on the block next year.
11. Paul Westphal, Kings - One of the least talented teams in the league with little fan support, the dysfunction will get to Westphal eventually.
12. Kurt Rambis, Wolves - If the Wolves mesh early, he's golden. If they struggle, he's gone.
13. Don Nelson, Warriors - It's not a question of, "will this end ugly" but, "when will it end ugly?"

14. Mik D'antoni, Knicks - The wildcard. If the Knicks can't land a legit free agent or two this off season, D'antoni and his broken system are gone by January.

PROBABLY SAFE FOR NOW

15. Alvin Gentry, Suns - The Amare Stoudemire situation will have serious impact on Gentry's status next year. He's not a good coach, but he's well liked and he employs a good system.

16. Stan Van Gundy, Magic - Eventually, either he'll wear himself out or he'll wear out his players. If the Magic gets bounced early in the playoffs, Van Gundy will take a lot of heat.

17. Doc Rivers, Celtics - The whole Celtic infrastructure is shaky. I think they've got one good run in them but that could collapse quickly.

SAFE THROUGH NEXT SEASON, BARRING A HUGE COLLAPSE

18. Rick Carlisle, Mavericks - The Butler/Haywood trade may have done more for Carlisle than anyone else.

19. Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies - Everyone loves him there but the expectations were exceedingly low.

20. Mike Woodson, Hawks - It still shocks me that he's made it as long as he has but he's done a great job.
21. Mike Brown, Cavs - This all depends on Lebron. If he goes elsewhere this off season, Brown might not see 2011. If he does come back, though, Brown is safe until Lebron is done with him.
22. Rick Adelman, Rockets - Coached the heck out of a less than talented team without his best player.
23. Scott Skiles, Bucks - Doesn't quite hit the untouchable category because he's hard to play for longterm and the expectations this year were very low. Fans will grumble next year if the Bucks don't come out hot.
24. Nate McMillan, Blazers - I think this is his last year of getting a pass. Last year it was youth, this year injuries. If the Blazers aren't a Top-3-in-the-West team next year, he might be on the hot seat.

UNTOUCHABLE

25. Larry Brown, Bobcats - He'll stay in Charlotte as long as he wants to. Meaning he may already be gone.

26. George Karl, Nuggets - I've never thought Karl was that good of a coach but the Nuggets have fallen apart without him on the bench. If he's healthy enough to coach, he's earned himself another year or two.
27. Scott Brooks, Thunder - Likely the Coach of the Year and his players would kill for him.
28. Gregg Popovich, Spurs - Even in a down year, Pops has done more for the Spur franchise than anyone else, ever, except Tim Duncan. At some point, when the Spurs go into rebuilding, his welcome will wear out but he'll step down before then.
29. Jerry Sloan, Jazz - Will be allowed to stay as long as he wants.
30. Phil Jackson, Lakers - Like Pops and Sloan, Jackson will be allowed to stay as long as he wants to.

Tomorrow: Playoff Predictions

Shot of the Day - 4/14

Sam Young v. the entire Thunder frontline

Shot of the Day - 4/13

Matsui Returns to New York

Epic Fail: Middle School Girl Tries to Dunk

I don't say "epic fail" very often but there's really no other term that works here.

Shot of the Day - 4/12

Shawn Marion After Off the Glass Pass from Jason Kidd

Shot of the Day - 4/11

Texas Stadium Implosion

A Fan's Look at a Championship

When I was 9 years old I caught glimpse of Christian Laettner hitting The Shot that sent Duke past Kentucky and into the Final Four. The moment literally changed my life. I’ve been an unabashed, diehard, and at times annoying Duke fan ever since. I have a Duke hat that I joke is older than my 17 year old sister. It started out as white but now slightly resembles the color of old urine and yet I continue to wear (and refuse to wash) it because it some ways it represents the meaning Duke basketball has had in my life over that time period. I estimate that I cried only three times between 1997 and 2003 (legitimate injuries not withstanding). One was when Paco, the family dog, died. The others were Duke’s loss to UCONN in the 1999 Title Game and Duke’s championship win over Arizona in 2001. When I’m bored I run over Duke recruiting classes of the past decade in my head and think of possibilities in which the Blue Devils win seven titles in the last 20 years instead of just three. It’s almost a lifestyle choice at this point, especially between Midnight Madness and the end of March Madness.

I’ve had a good feeling about the 2009-2010 Blue Devils since the very beginning. I don’t know why, honestly, because all things considered, this is one of the least talented Duke teams in recent memory. They lack legitimate star power and more importantly, they lost three of their top seven players from a disappointing Sweet 16 team the year before and added no substantial talent. But there was something about the way they played that had me dreaming about another title. This year’s Duke team controlled the ball, took good shots, and completely dominated on defense. They played defense like a Mid-major school but with the athletes to keep the intensity up for 40 minutes against major programs. The players all seemed to understand their abilities and limitations and played accordingly, which is a seriously underrated and rare gift these days. And most importantly, the one constant in all the years of Duke greatness, they have the best coach in the land.

Mike Krzyzewski is everything that is right with college sports. In a world that is literally dominated by cheating, lies, and manipulation, Coach K and the Duke program are a shining example of how things should be. He recruits the best players who can excel on the court and in the classroom. He talks consistently about his love for his players both past and present. And he wins. A lot. At times the program comes across as elitist, snobby, and annoyingly perfect and I understand why it rubs some people the wrong way. But no one, not even the most cynical sports fan or hardened Tar Heel, can deny Coach K’s greatness. He genuinely cares about the players and understands the importance of the student body, the fans, in a way that almost nobody in the country can compare with. Coach K makes even a fan in Texas who has never set foot on the Duke campus feel as if he is his coach. He exemplifies class in everything that he does and if that weren’t enough, he is perhaps the best teacher of the game of the last 30 years.

After the Blue Devils clinched their spot in the Championship Game last Saturday with a win over West Virginia, I started to get the symptoms of Big Game Itis. I hadn’t allowed myself to get too excited until this point, knowing that at any moment that excitement could bite me in the butt. But as Sunday wore on into Monday morning and the hour of the game grew closer, the symptoms were plentiful. I was nervous for 48 hours straight. I could not sit or stand still. No matter what I was doing my brain was running scenarios of what was likely to happen on Monday night. I bit my finger nails down to the nub. I waged an internal conflict between excitement and dread, half wanting the game to start already, half wishing it was already over so I could know how to feel. It had been nine years since Duke had played for a title and, as my body wasn’t used to this anymore, this was the worst case of Big Game Itis I think I’d ever had.

As the game progressed, I kept waiting for the moment when my stress would die down. At some point, I thought, one team will pull ahead of the other by a decent margin and I’d have to either let myself feel good about the outcome or start preparing myself for the sure loss. This was not to be the case, however, in a game in which neither team ever got ahead by more than six points. This turned out to be, without question, the best NCAA Championship Game EVER. Basketball is a game of runs but both teams were so locked in defensively that neither were ever able to get on an extended hot streak. Duke would go up five then down one then back up five. There was no patented 15-4 run to seal the game or parade to the free throw line that Duke weaponizes so well. Instead, the game was a constant back-and-forth pressure cooker for two and half hours, never allowing me to get comfortable in any way.

In the final five seconds, I paced the floor as Butler missed a shot, Duke went one-for-two from the line, and Butler’s star Gordon Hayward missed a championship winning half court shot by approximately one inch. Even in that moment, as elated as I was, I could not quite yet let go of the stress and tension I’d accumulated over the last 48 hours. When you are this invested, winning the actual game is kind of like taking that first dose of medication when you’ve been sick for a while: the symptoms of the duress your body has gone through doesn’t go away immediately. You feel a little better, sure, but you’ve still got that nasty cough. The nasty cough in this case would be a heart rate that would rival that of a “Biggest Loser” contestant after a half marathon, combined with an inability to sleep that night. (And that’s after a win! I’m going to die young, I’m afraid.) When it’s all said and done, I’m as Sports Happy as I’ve ever been. Being back on top of the College Hoop World feels magnificent. The coach (my coach) takes his rightful place on the list of greatest coaches in college basketball (or sports in general) history. And this under-talented, underappreciated Duke team has become perhaps my favorite group of all time. Call it an obsession, call it a lifestyle, call it whatever you want. But as my Sports Tears trickled out and my ulcer began to shrink, I was yet again reminded of why I love this fickle game and the teams that best represent it for me. Go Duke, go.

Cue “One Shining Moment,”

Brian

Shot of the Day - 4/10

Chone Figgins and Julio Borbon

Shot of the Day 4/9

Zach Randolph Goes Cobra Kai on Tim Duncan

Shot of the Day - 4/8

Eric Gordon vs. Jason Thompson

Stevens Signs Extension with Butler

Brad Stevens, fresh off leading Butler to within an inch (literally) of a National Championship, just signed a contract extension with the school. The extension is for a whopping 12 years and financial terms were not disclosed. It is believed that the deal is for somewhere around $1 to 1.5 million dollars per year.

I am stoked for Butler and glad to see them put together a solid enough compensation package to keep this guy around. Stevens is, without question in my opinion, the best young coach in college basketball and keeping him at a small program like Butler is a major coup. On the flip side, however, I kind of feel a little bad for Stevens himself. There's a chance that he can be the Coach K of Butler, meaning he could take a small private school and turn it into a basketball powerhouse. If he does that, there is literally no better place for a coach to be than a program he has built. And if nothing else, this Final Four run has earned him at least 5 years of people loving him, no matter how successful or unsuccessful he is. But, I think there's a very strong chance that this guy will never be able to replicate this magical run at Butler and he may spend of the rest of his career chasing this moment.

In truth, he probably picked a bad year to make a run like this because there aren't a lot of better jobs available in college basketball right now. Butler is right in the middle of the pack in terms of prestige and pedigree. As such, it would be a lateral move (or a downgrade) to go to a place like Oregon, Clemson, or any of the other programs who would be interested in his services right now. With no openings at the Elite Schools (Kentucky, UCLA, Duke, UNC, Indiana, etc. etc.), Stevens' choices would have been limited. As a result, he may be stuck chasing a moment that can never be repeated for half the money he potentially could have had at a bigger program. Of course, only time will tell and if anyone can turn a mid-major into a powerhouse, I think Stevens is the guy. Here's hoping this extension works out for both him and the school.
 
-BG

Shot of the Day 4/7

Caron Butler over Thabeet

Reviewing the Draft - 1994

Let's all just admit it: the 1994 Draft was one of the least talented drafts in recent history. At the time it was considered extremely top heavy but injuries and the typical disappointments really crippled the impact of even the top picks. The stats are very telling.

All Stars: 5 (Kidd, Robinson, Howard, Jones, Hill)
Perennial All Stars: 2 (Kidd, Hill)

MVPs: None

Future Hall of Famers: 1 (Kidd)

1. Milwaukee Bucks - Jason Kidd (Originally selected 2): Without question the best player in this draft. Won co-Rookie of the Year along with Grant Hill and will go down as one of the 5 or 10 best point guards to ever play the game. His stats have dropped but at 37 years old, he is still dominating games and is perhaps the smartest player in the game. (Original pick: Glenn Robinson)

2. Dallas Mavericks - Jalen Rose (13): Rose carved out a very nice career for himself and contributed on good teams for a long time. He struggled early but found his groove in Indiana where he was a perennial 20 point per game scorer for several years. Rose had a well rounded game and was almost always a bit underrated. (Kidd)

3. Detroit Pistons - Glenn Robinson (1): The typical "talented-but-apathetic" type of player that has plagued the NBA for so long. Robinson had all the tools to be a Hall of Famer but never seemed to care enough to do much more than score. He was a two time All Star and somehow made the 1996 Olympic Team, but never won anything in his career until the very end (as a bench player for the 05 Spurs). (Grant Hill)

4. Minnesota Timberwolves - Juwan Howard (5): Tough call between Robinson and Howard. Howard was also a bit disappointing, making one All Star team in 1995 and never getting anywhere near that level again. He is, however, still playing (and contributing) in the league and has proven a valuable player to a lot of teams over the years. (Donyell Marshall)

5. Washington Bullets - Eddie Jones (10): Never flashy nor fully appreciated, Jones had a long, successful career. Not great at anything, he did a little of everything and was capable of filling up a stat sheet. Made a couple of All Star appearances and was one of the best on the ball defenders in the league for several years. (Howard)

6. Philadelphia 76ers - Grant Hill (3): Were it not for injuries, Grant Hill would have taken the NBA by storm. An absolute beast in every single facet of the game, there's a very real chance that Hill would have been the small forward that changed the face of the game the way Lebron James has over the last few years. Dominant early in his career, he's now recovered from nearly losing his leg to become a prime role player for the Suns at age 38. (Sharone Wright)

7. LA Clippers - Brian Grant (8): Grant was incredibly athletic and mobile early in his career and transitioned to a bulky banger for some really good Portland and Miami teams later on. His Parkinson's diagnosis probably cut his career short. (Lamond Murray)

8. Sacramento - Aaron McKie (17): McKie looked like a bust early on but turned himself into a very solid if unspectacular point guard who controlled the game and used his size to attack more athletic opponents. Played a major role on Allen Iverson's 76er teams. (Grant)

9. Boston Celtics - Donyell Marshall (4): An incredible scorer in college, Marshall didn't really carry that over to the NBA. He scored a bit but usually on bad teams. He did, however, rebound well and later in his career he added a consistent 3 point shot that kept him on rosters a long time after his career should have ended. (Eric Montross)

10. LA Lakers - Lamond Murray (7): A sign of how bad this draft really was. Murray wouldn't crack the top 20 in a lot of drafts but here he'd still be a lottery pick. Murray could do one thing: shoot in volume. He filled that third scoring role for some terrible Clipper teams and managed to dip out a very long International career for himself after his NBA years were over. (Jones)

11. Golden State Warriors - Charlie Ward (26)/Howard Eisley (30): Ward and Eisley were essentially the same player. Both were less talented than those around them but worked hard enough to carve out long NBA careers. Both were very smart, competent point guards who couldn't shoot worth a lick but figured out ways to stay on the court. (Carlos Rogers)

Biggest bust: A lot of people would say Grant Hill, but Hill's issues weren't his fault. Eric Montross is another popular choice but I would contend that everyone should have known Montross was going to spare himself out of the league early on. So I'm going with Robinson. There was legitimate talk about Robinson dominating the league when he came in. He had incredible size, good athleticism, and a shooting touch that big guys weren't supposed to have at this time. Yet he spent his entire career on bad teams and seemed entirely content to take his paycheck and go home. Sure, his career numbers look great but a guy of his ability should have been in the Hall of Fame.