Wednesday was wacky and wild and any other W word you can think of to describe chaos.
The NBA Draft happened..in November.
Klay Thompson injured himself..probably pretty badly.
And, Robinson Cano got busted for PEDs..AGAIN!!
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NBA Free Agency is officially under way.
And some teams didn’t waste any time making moves.
Watch today’s episode to find out where Chris Paul is now, and why Jrue Holiday may be the reason his new team wins the 2021 NBA Title….
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Draft night, in any sport, is a special time….
Everyone becomes an expert for a day. Thursday night’s NBA Draft was no different.
Before these prospects ever step foot on an NBA court, “experts” think they know (definitively) who will be a bust,or a superstar.
They don’t know. I don’t either, but I’m going to give you my best (educated) guess.
To see the entire draft results, click here.
#1
Deandre Ayton was selected with the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Considering Ayton was an Arizona Wildcat, this should be a seamless transition. Ayton can be summed up in two words; physical specimen.
At 7’0″, 261 pounds, Ayton should contribute at the NBA level immediately. While I like Ayton’s game, I believe the Sacramento Kings were gifted the best player in the draft.
#2
Marvin Bagley III. What experts call unpolished, I call raw talent. Bagley’s game fits the NBA perfectly. He is a skilled scorer and rebounder with a high motor. His energy level, and ability to outwork opposing big men, will lead to a long, successful career in the NBA. The Phoenix Suns may regret passing on Bagley.
#3
The Dallas Mavericks must love them some Luka Doncic. They traded the rights to Trae Young, and their 2019 protected (top-five) 1st round pick, for Doncic. I don’t care who you are, international players are a complete mystery. The track record of players from other countries is less than stellar, and all of the tape in the world can’t paint the whole picture. The NBA and international games differ so greatly, international stars either excel right away, or crash and burn.
There’s no in between.
By the way, Trae Young will be the biggest BUST in this draft!!
The New York Knickerbockers
Por fin, I am NOT mad about a Knicks’ 1st round pick; Kevin Knox. While I believe Collin Sexton is a star in the making, the Knicks couldn’t pick a player who wasn’t available (Sexton went 8th to the Cleveland Cavaliers). The Knicks’ only other option was to choose Mr. injury-in-waiting, Michael Porter Jr. The Knicks, as well as 12 other teams, felt Porter Jr.’s injury was too risky to gamble on, as he fell to the 14th pick (Denver Nuggets).
The question is: Will Michael Porter Jr. be the next Joel Embiid, or Greg Oden??
You know where the comment section is. USE IT!!!!
You can find me on the Radio as well. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’m on live, every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. Each show is also broadcast on Facebook Live via: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports.
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Would anyone care for a Gatorade bath??
NO?!
I bet Giancarlo Stanton would disagree with you on that one.
Walk-Off In Pinstripes!!
The New York Yankees took their 2nd consecutive game off of the Seattle Mariners in as many days. Tuesday night was an easy 7-2 victory. Wednesday, however, came in the form of an epic comeback:
(Watch the entire video)
Wednesday’s game was a tale of two halves. Heading into the bottom of the 5th inning, the Yankees trailed 5-0. It was all pinstripes from there on in:
An Aaron Judge 2-r.b.i. single in the 5th. A Didi Gregorius sacrifice fly in the 7th. A monstrous Gary Sanchez 2-run home run in the 8th. And an absolute rocket walk-off home run by Giancarlo Stanton in the 9th.
7-5.
Go watch Stanton’s home run again. Check out the pure elation exuded immediately following the stratospheric blast!! AWESOME. And of course, an otherwise odd occurrence, the infamous Gatorade bath. Because nothing says job well done like getting drenched in an ant farm’s dream vacation.
Maybe this “Yankee Moment” will finally get spoiled Yankee fans off Stanton’s back. I’m the biggest Yankee fan I know, but sometimes I want to gently place my fist between certain Yankee fans’ eyeballs.
He’s on pace for 41 home runs this season….
Pack Your Bags Sir
Dwight Howard is on the move — again.
Wednesday morning, the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets agreed to a trade:
Hornets Receive:
Timofey Mozgov and two 2nd round picks in tonight’s NBA Draft (40th and 45th picks)
Nets Receive:
Dwight Howard
On the surface this trade seems wildly lopsided. Despite Howard’s poo-poo attitude, he’s still a walking double-double who adds nearly two blocks every night. However, Howard rubs EVERYONE the wrong way, EVERYWHERE he plays. There’s a reason a potential (relax, I said potential) Hall of Fame talent will soon play on his 6th team in 15 seasons.
On the other hand, the Hornets cleared salary cap space for the upcoming season. Howard was due to make nearly $24 million in 2018 opposed to Mozgov’s $16 million.
I still can’t believe someone (the Lakers) signed Timofey freakin’ Mozgov to a 4-year, $64 million contract.
And the Nets will clear salary cap space beyond this year, as Howard’s astronomical contract comes off the books at the end of this season. Slowly, the Nets are becoming the most attractive place to play — in New York.
Are you dumb enough to think A WALK-OFF HOME RUN MAKES Giancarlo Stanton a “Yankee”?!
You can find me on the Radio as well. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’m on live, every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. Each show is also broadcast on Facebook Live via: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports.
Since you LOVE my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! NOW GO TELL ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!
Remember when Michael Beasley told us he’s on the same talent level as Kevin Durant and Lebron James?? Oh no, that happened….
“[It’s] mostly perception. As far as talent-wise, I match up with Kevin [Durant], LeBron, I match up with the best guys in the world.”
Those are Beasley’s ACTUAL words from an October interview with Bleacher Report. There was a time when that was plausible, however, Beasley squandered a golden opportunity. Beasley was the #2 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft out of Kansas State. At 6’9″, Beasley possessed a unique skillset that figured to translate to the NBA. A short stay in China, and 6 NBA teams later (including 2 stints with the Miami Heat), Beasley is trying to find his way with the New York Knicks.
Over his last 3 games, the 28-year old is starting to resemble an NBA player, as he’s averaging 28.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game on 56.8% shooting. He’s also 5 for 7 from 3-point range during this 3 game stretch. The question is, can he sustain this level of production??
The Knicks took down the Boston Celtics Thursday night, 102-93, behind Beasley’s season-high, 32-points. If I had told you Kristaps Porzingis would go Patrick Ewing on us, scoring just 1 point, you would have told me the Knicks got blown out. There’s just something about the Garden that brings out the best in the Knicks. They’re now 17-14 on the season (15-5 at home). The moral of the story is the Knicks should never leave the confines of Madison Square Garden — ever.
*Remember that nasty stretch of road games I told you was comin’…. (click here for the Knicks’ upcoming schedule).
Despite Kyrie Irving’s best superman impersonation (he dropped 32-points of his own), the Celtics lost their 2nd straight game. The Celtics have now lost 5 of their last 9. Anyone who didn’t think regression was in the Celtics’ future, after a 16-2 start, is delusional. You can’t lose your 2nd best (or best) player and remain the best team in the NBA. Unless you’re the Warriors. The Celtics will look to right the ship when they take on the Chicago Bulls, in Boston, Saturday @ 7:30 P.M. EST. While that matchup sounds pretty, the Bulls are winners of 7 of their last 8.
Can Michael Beasley maintain a high level of production?? Are the Celtics the best team in the Eastern Conference?? Tell me everything you know in the comment section below.
You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .
Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!
After weeks of deliberation, Carmelo Anthony has finally decided to return to the New York Knicks. Anthony made the announcement Saturday (even though he had probably made up his mind by Friday) that he would be re-signing with the Knickerbockers. The deal will be worth $122 million over the next 5 years. Who said Melo wasn’t a team player?? This guy just made the ultimate sacrifice by taking a whopping $7 million less than the max deal over 5 years. He just saved the franchise $1.4 million per year over the next 5 years. What a guy! Now the Knicks have the cap space to sign Kurt Thomas. Can you say game changer?!?! In all seriousness, the Knicks did what they had to do and so did Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks, as much as they didn’t want to, had to throw the whole bag of cash at him, because if they missed out on Melo, where would they be? And Melo actually wanted to leave for a better, more championship ready situation. The only problem was that option didn’t exist in this years free agency. The Chicago Bulls were only a better option if Derrick Rose is healthy, and at this point I’d say that is an enormous if. I don’t believe the Lakers were ever a real option seeing as they don’t have a coach, and they actually have a worse roster than the Knicks. And as good as the Houston Rockets would have become with the addition of Melo, who wants to live in Houston??
As for the Knicks, in the horrid eastern Conference, they shouldn’t fare too badly this upcoming season. They are no championship contender, don’t get me wrong, but don’t be surprised if they creep up to the 4 or 5 seed. Yes, Derek Fisher is a wild card in this equation, but I have the utmost confidence that Phil Jackson will steer him in the right direction. Now, I need to say something to all of the Carmelo Anthony haters of the world. Y’all are out of your damn minds!! As much as critics and fans alike enjoy picking Anthony’s game apart, he is undoubtedly one of the best players in the NBA. He may not be the best defender in the NBA, but does defense really exist in the NBA?? And the notion that a team can not win with Carmelo Anthony on its roster; is ludicrous. Carmelo Anthony is what he is. He is one of the best pure scorers the game has ever seen who also happens to grab 8 -10 rebounds a night. Everyone is trying to turn him in to a player that he simply will never be. You know what Melo’s biggest mistake is? That he isn’t Lebron James. Ever since high school, the two have been linked. Their head-to-head matchups in high school were televised, they came out of the same NBA draft class, and most recently they shared the same free agency spot light. Melo is not the passer Lebron is, he’s not the defender Lebron is, and he simply is not the all around player Lebron is. And you know what? That’s okay. That doesn’t mean that you can’t win a championship with Carmelo Anthony on your roster. Phil Jackson will put a roster in place that highlights the strengths of everyone on it, and most importantly, Carmelo Anthony will be utilized correctly for the first time in his career. Just watch for Anthony’s 4th quarter contributions under Phil Jackson opposed to the tired, wobbly legged Anthony we’ve grown accustom to seeing under the likes of Mike and Mike (no not that Mike and Mike); Woodson and D’Antoni. Anthony has always been asked to do too much. With a real point guard and a proper system in place, don’t be surprised to see Anthony thrive as a member of the new look Knicks.
If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!
Well it was business as usual for the New York Knicks on Sunday night. What do I mean? Oh I’ll tell you have no fear. Despite the Knicks “success” last season, the Knicks usually rival the New York Jets and Mets for head scratching managerial moves. Sunday night, the Knicks continued on their path to who knows what. The early reports indicate that the Knicks will trade Steve Novak, Marcus Camby, their 1st round draft pick in 2016, AND (yes there’s an and) 2 future 2nd round draft picks for Andrea Bargnani. The Knicks will also have to sign and trade a player to make the trade work, but that would be a nobody so let’s not stress over that part of this atrocity. Now, some of you are probably saying to yourselves, “but Bargnani is better than Novak and Camby, so why are you ripping this deal a new one”? Yes, Marcus Camby is older than dirt and Steve Novak is useless unless he’s WIDE open, but if I’ve taught you nothing else I’ve taught you that everything is about money (and in this case it’s about their dim future as well). Obviously if I could get Bargnani for just Novak and Camby, I’d be doing backflips right now, unfortunately the world doesn’t make that much sense. Bargnani is set to make 22.25 million dollars over the next 2 seasons compared to Novak and Camby’s combined 8.7 million salary. For a team that has little to no money to spend, it is mind boggling why they would decide to shell out this much money for Bargnani. Before I get into the draft picks, let me give you a little history lesson on Bargnani. Andrea Bargnani was the 1st overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Originally from Italy, Bargnani has called Toronto home for the past 7 seasons. Unfortunately due to injuries, he hasn’t played more than 31 games over the past 2 seasons. Amar’e junior?? All joking aside that’s pretty much what he is. Bargnani plays next to no defense (that’s Amar’e). For someone who is 7’0″ tall, he should be embarrassed that he’s averaged 4.8 rebounds per game for his career (that one’s really Chris Bosh but that’s also Amar’e). Kevin Durant gets 8 rebounds a game by accident (I’m just saying). The Knicks rebound the ball really well and play amazing defense at the power forward position, so they should trade for someone who does none of that. For those of you who didn’t catch on there, that’s what they call sarcasm. Now follow me down here as I delve into the numerous draft picks that the Knicks gave up for absolutely no reason.
This trade is bad on so many levels, but the fact that they continue to trade their future away as if they have a present is the worst part. Knicks ownership is convinced that they can win now. The only problem is with Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani in your front court, you can’t win ever (forget now). I’m ecstatic that ownership wants to come out of pocket to try to win a championship, but if you’re going do that you should fill some needs rather than repeat your mistakes. As mentioned earlier, the Knicks will be shipping off 3 future draft picks (a 1st rounder and 2 2nd rounders). Really? REALLY?!?!?! Why do you think the Knicks only had 1 draft pick in last weeks NBA Draft? Ownership must think that if you can’t see it it doesn’t really exist (kind of like the wind). Anyway, the Knicks are instantly better on paper because they gave up a pile of scrap metal for Bargnani. However, it is the financials and future draft picks that will cripple the Knicks for years to come. What do you think of the trade? Tell me in the comment section below.
If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!
Hello, and welcome to another edition of One Liner Friday’s. This is my 2nd post of the day so make sure you scroll down to read my review of Thursday night’s NBA Draft.
So if the Yankees can score some runs that would be cool.
You know those silly movies like Home Alone where they put down 5 marbles and the bad guys all slip and fall?
Yeah, that’s Wimbledon.
Aaron Hernandez took a lottery ticket and used it as Charmin Ultra Soft.
As I predicted last Friday, Hernandez was charged with murder, and I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison regretting his miserable existence.
In all seriousness though I feel really bad for his baby girl.
Not so seriously though, how can the best basketball player that ever lived be such a bad judge of talent?
Michael Jordan is a worse NBA Executive than he was a baseball player.
Doc Rivers is goin goin back back to Cali.
In other NBA news, the Brooklyn Nets actually believe it is 2005 with the finalization of a trade for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Most of these guys are way past their prime.
Some of them never had a prime.
This guys dead!
Major League, great movie.
I guess Tim Tebow really is going to be the Patriots tight end.
Doesn’t that make you sick to your stomach?
Hey Yasiel Puig, there’s a wall there someone should, uh move it.
Matt Harvey is really good at baseball.
The Mets should pray that Zach Wheeler is even half as good, maybe then they’ll come close to .500.
Not likely though, I mean they are the Mets.
Brian Cashman dropping F bombs!!
Personally I love it, A-Rod needs to shut his trap.
Enjoy your weekend everyone!
If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!
I just love surprises don’t you? Nerlens Noel was considered by most to be the best player in this years NBA Draft, and was projected to be the #1 overall pick. Boy was everybody wrong. Noel fell all the way to the 6th pick as his flat top surely shrunk as he waited to hear his name called. Upon his selection to the New Orleans Pelicans, he immediately got shipped off to Philadelphia. The 76ers did what everybody does and made a trade based on money and money alone. No one in their right mind can tell me that Nerlens Noel (a virtual unknown coming off major surgery) is worth up and coming superstar Jrue Holliday AND a future 1st round pick. The only positive for the 76ers here is that they cleared $41 million in cap space for the future, but in the process they lose one of the best young talents in the NBA. Yeah that decision shouldn’t haunt you for the rest of your life. Now, back to the task at hand: Who was the first overall pick in the draft you ask? The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Anthony Bennett of UNLV to play alongside the über talented Kyrie Irving. Cleveland management clearly wants to win now as Bennett is regarded as the most NBA ready player of anyone in this years draft (I have to respectfully disagree with that). From there the shocks and surprises kept on coming. I believe there were two picks in the top 10 that stood out. Cody Zeller going 4th overall is egregious. I’m starting to figure out why Michael Jordan is not a good executive and should never be allowed to make decisions for his team ever again. If you think Cody Zeller is going to live up to his draft position, then you must be sipping on the same stuff MJ is. On the other hand, the best value pick has to be Ben McClemore as the 7th overall pick. McClemore is probably the most talented player in the entire draft, and I think between he and Victor Oladipo, they will be duking it out for Rookie of the Year honors next season. Overall it was a very active day in the NBA, and I will break down all the important moves right here.
Thursday’s NBA Draft represented David Stern’s 30th and final draft. Over those 30 years he has stood on that stage with some of the NBA’s greatest players of all-time. As most of you know, Stern will be stepping down as commissioner in February making way for a new era in the NBA. This years draft, while not as deep in terms of obvious talent, certainly did not disappoint. It was a wild night as 11 of the first 30 picks were traded, and the host site of the draft made the biggest splash of all. The Brooklyn Nets have brought new meaning to the term win now as they traded away 5 players and 3 future draft picks to the Boston Celtics. Here is how the trade breaks down:
The Nets get:
Paul Pierce
Kevin Garnett
and Jason Terry
The Celtics get:
Gerald Wallace
Reggie Evans
Kris Humphries
Keith Bogans
Tornike Shengelia
and 1st round picks in 2014, 2016, and 2018
The Nets starting lineup instantly gets better, and this makes them a top 3 team in the NBA on paper. However, as we all know, a bunch of names thrown together doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to work (especially with a rookie head coach in Jason Kidd). The way I see it, the Nets have to win the championship this year, or this will be considered a failure. Forget who they traded, they traded away 3 1st round picks. If this doesn’t work out then they’ll be in the proverbial hurt locker for some time now. What I see happening is they will finish with a solid record (probably 50 wins), but come playoff time they will meet their match against the Heat. As for the Boston Celtics, this is simply the final move to having a clean slate to rebuild on. It’ll be years before Boston competes again in the East, so get comfy. If you take a quick glance at the Eastern Conference, it is strong. For the Knicks to be the 5th best team in the Conference, you know the East is ready to dominate the NBA yet again. Speaking of the Knicks, I did like their draft pick from last night. They chose Tim Hardaway Jr. with the 24th overall pick. If your team likes to shoot then draft a shooter.
All in all it was a crazy night in the NBA. We saw a shocker at #1, we saw a blockbuster trade, and we saw a staple in the NBA conduct his final draft as commissioner. Now all that’s left to do is find out where Dwight Howard will suit up next year, and we’ll be ready for another action packed NBA season. What team do you think had the best draft? Who had the worst draft? Leave me your answers and comments below.
If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!
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