Thoughts on LeBron and Jordan

So, I've entirely forgotten about this blog, which is really stupid because it's not like I talk/think about sports any less these days. So I'm going to try to start posting again. Today's topic: LeBron, Jordan, skills, and supporting casts. My thesis: Jordan's supporting cast has gradually become overrated, and it didn't do much to aid the development of his skills; on the other hand, the weakness of LeBron's supporting cast in Cleveland actually made him a more efficient scorer, while in Miami, the relative strength of his team will encourage his bad habits.

Read more...I don't like LeBron. This has nothing to do with his Decision. Well, OK, it has a little bit to do with that. But anyone who knows me knows that I've disliked his game for a long time. In a nutshell, I find it incredibly aesthetically unappealing, and I think it relies on two things I don't much care for: 1) his unique combo of speed, size, and strength - basically, his raw physical assets, and 2) the fact that fouls are called very differently these days than they were in the past. In an effort to increase scoring (ignoring the fact that free throws contests are boring), the NBA has throughout the years ordered officials to call more and more ticky tack fouls - fouls for incidental contact that don't even slightly impact the offensive team. That means that when someone like LeBron goes charging down the lane, the slightest touch will result in a foul call. Of course, if he initiates the contact and the defender is his holding his ground, it should be a foul on LeBron, but refs never call him for offensive fouls. So when LeBron is driving, he scores pretty efficiently since whenever there's contact, he has the muscle to get through and finish, and he gets free throws to boot.

That's fine - I can't really hate a guy for taking advantage of what he has and finding ways to score. But I reserve the right to find it really unappealing to watch. There's not a ton of skill involved in this kind of play.

My bigger issue with LeBron, though, is his utter lack of a mid-range game, and his insistence on jacking up threes early in the shot clock. It's one thing to score efficiently but unappealingly; but it's even worse to not do that when you can do it pretty much at will. At this point, it's clear that he's just not a good shooter, and he doesn't seem to be developing any kind of mid-range skills. So why doesn't he just drive on every possession?

I've heard the argument that LeBron's output is already stellar despite his lack of a supporting cast, and that the lack of shooters around him forced him to take jumpers, but I don't buy it. If anything, his lack of a supporting cast forced him to drive more often, not to take jumpers more often. When people put the ball in your hands and expect you to do something, that encourages taking it to the hole. But despite that, he still took far too many threes per game.

Now that LeBron has taken his talents to South Beach, where he's got another great scorer on the wing in Wade and a floor spacing big in Bosh, people expect LeBron to excel. I see the opposite happening so far, and it makes sense to me. LeBron is a passive player. He has never wanted to wear the crown. He doesn't have the fire. He doesn't have the drive to be great. He'd rather sit back and let someone else do the work while he jacks up jumpers. The fact that he had to be the man in Cleveland forced him to take it to the hole more than he otherwise would have wanted to. Now that he's in Miami, where the scoring onus is more balanced, he can sit back and jack up more jumpers - and indeed, that's what he's doing. It's admittedly a small sample size, but he's taking significantly jumpers now than he ever did in Cleveland. And his shot selection is as bad as ever. He's shooting 29% from 3pt range. His eFG% on jumpers is just 41.5% (for comparison: Kobe's is 43.6%, Carmelo's is 44.0%, Durant's is 44.1%). I don't expect these numbers to get a whole lot better, despite a supporting cast that is at least solid. This actually arguably makes LeBron part of Wade's supporting cast.

I'm not sure why, after seven years in the league, LeBron hasn't realized that he's not a good shooter, and I'm not sure why he hasn't figured out a way to score from midrange. The argument has been made that Jordan's supporting cast helped him develop his offensive skills. Certainly they helped him win titles. But did they actually make him a better player? I don't buy the argument that they contributed much to his development. For one thing, Jordan shot 52% - an unheard of number for a guard - in his rookie season, and he continued shooting well above 50% for a number of years before the Bulls won their first title. And those early Bulls teams were not good. In '87, he averaged 37 PPG - 37! - and no one else on the team averaged more than 14.5. The next season, he averaged 35 while no teammate averaged more than 13. Jordan was doing this all alone, right away, from age 21. LeBron, at almost 26, still hasn't figured it out yet.

The Bulls obviously eventually became a better team, as guys like Pippen and Horace Grant matured. But even later on, how good were the Bulls? Many point to the fact that the '93-94 Bulls won 55 games without Jordan and then took the Knicks to a 7th game before losing (and may well have won the series if not for that generous foul call on Hubert Davis' 3 attempt) as evidence that his supporting cast was actually an excellent squad in its own right. But further analysis shows that that team was overrated; their Pythag expected win/loss record was only 50-32, and two rounds of playoffs are of course too small a sample to draw any real conclusion from. The team was pretty good, but mediocre at best on the offensive end; it found success by playing at a plodding pace with stout D. Simple rating system (SRS) and Pythag both place that year's Bulls team as roughly the 11th best team in the league. Obviously still quite good, but not nearly as good as is suggested by those who argue that they should have beaten the Knicks and could have beaten the Pacers and thus that they really were one of the top three or four teams in the league that year. The '94 Chicago team was certainly better than anything LeBron had in Cleveland, but even at its peak, MJ's supporting cast wasn't about to win anything on its own. It's revisionist history to suggest that the Bulls sans MJ were still excellent. And in any case, again, Jordan developed and excelled well before the likes of Pippen and Grant were any good. Those late 80s Bulls teams WERE pretty close to the standard of the Cavs of the LeBron era. That didn't stop Jordan from taking over the league.

Anyway, this is a long and rambly post, but my points are: 1) Jordan put up seasons with an invisible starting cast that LeBron has yet to dream of, 2) Jordan developed unbeatable skills before he had a decent team around him, 3) the weakness of LeBron's supporting cast in Cleveland actually encouraged better habits from him, 4) LeBron failed to learn much of anything over his first 7 years in the league and seems to be taking steps backwards in terms of efficiency this season, and 5) LeBron might be the most amazing physical specimen the league has ever seen, but his raw talents should make him by far the best in the league, and he's not, because he's both lazy/unmotivated and not a smart player.

Just say no

We're past the halfway point of the season and the final third is well underway. We're 6 1/2 out of the division lead but in second place with a number of games against the Phillies left on the slate. We're only 3 1/2 back in the Wild Card. The Braves have championship caliber pitching. In fact, staff "ace" Derek Lowe is probably the worst of the bunch. Our offense is starting to come around now that Frenchy is gone, Anderson is finally healthy and hitting, McClouth has replaced Schafer and Prado has emerged to provide the production everyone thought Kelly Johnson was capable of providing. It certainly seems like a deal similar to the deal for Teixeira would be the prudent move right now. Add that big bat to complete the lineup and finally pair a first-class offense with our first class pitching and, bam! Playoffs!

Luckily, it looks like Frank Wren and Bobby Cox are content with the team at hand. Yes, it is possible that a big bat could put the Braves over the top, but the playoffs would still seem unlikely. The Phillies have a big lead and there are a lot of teams to leapfrog for the Wild Card. Meanwhile, the Braves don't want to disrupt a suddenly formidible lineup by moving too many pieces in a trade. McClouth and Escobar are the most attractive pieces to other teams, but there's no way McClouth leaves with the contract he has. And, despite the fact that Escobar has some attitude problems, there aren't many young, cheap shortstops out there who can do all the things Escobar can do. The market is small for line-drive hitting first basemen like Kotchman and the Braves would have to get a first baseman in return. The rumor mill had Vazquez as a possible trading piece with Tim Hudson on the way, but the Braves have no clue how Hudson will fare after his surgery and Vazquez value will likely still be high at the end of the season when the Braves have a chance to see if it's worth picking up Hudson's option for the following season. Then they could choose to move either Hudson or Vazquez to fill other positions or even possibly keep them both, depending on how the rest of the rotation shakes out.

Also, the list of big bats available is headlined by Holiday who will be a Boras represented free agent after next year and oh so clearly benefited from the Coors Field Factor as his numbers in an A's uniform prove. Holiday is not a difference maker. In fact, I'd take Prado over Holiday any day of the week.

Why not just sit tight? Instead of paying an inflated price for a name-brand, why not just sit tight and hope the next wave of Baby Braves prove to have a few more successes than their predecessors. Frenchy, McCann, LaRoche, and Johnson were supposed to be cornerstones. Instead, only McCann has met expectations. Tommy Hanson has been just as advertised so far, but Freddy Freeman and Jason Heyward are only a year or two away. A Yankees scout said he would trade anyone in his organization to land the long-ball hitting Heyward. While that's probably an exaggeration, it shows how much talent Heyward has. To put things in perspective, Heyward is more highly regarded than Francoeur in 2005 by far. And Freeman is not too far behind. And don't forget about Schafer, who was probably rushed to the majors too soon and suffered a setback with his wrist after being demoted. An outfield with McClouth, Schafer, and Heyward with Freeman at first base may not be too far around the corner. As long as those players live up to their potential, the big bats the Braves want will be arriving soon enough . . . from within the organization.

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State of the Braves

Well, we're getting closer to the halfway point in the season, so it's time to take a look at where the Braves stand. Before the season started, I made a list of questions that the Braves needed to answer in order to be successful. Not surprisingly, it seems like about half of those questions have been answered for the better and the other half . . . well, not so good.

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First, the good news. The starting pitching staff has come together and is arguably the best in the NL East. Actually, I think it is definitely the best in the NL East, especially now that Kawakami has settled down. The numbers are a little skewed due to the 3 starts awarded to Jo-Jo Reyes, who's value as a prospect has plummeted, but now that Tommy Hanson (who is projected to become a number one starter) is filling the 5th spot in the rotation, the Braves can trot out a rotation whose 5th option may have the most talent of all. Javy Vazquez has enjoyed his return to the NL and is pitching to his talent level. Lowe has been a rock. Jurrjens has taken his pitching to the next level. Kawakami started slow, but has a sub 3.50 ERA over his last 7 starts. And even though Hanson's debut didn't go as planned, he showed during the first three perfect innings exactly what he is capable of. The starters have been good and, as Hanson adjusts to the majors, they have more upside than any starting staff the Braves have assembled in a long, long time.

Now the bad. The offense . . . and by the offense I mean Francoeur. McCann has been his usual self after he got that vision thing cleared up. Chipper has come alive, even if he misses a few games here and there. Escobar has been solid. Kelly Johnson hasn't improved like I had hoped, but the Braves were never counting on him. Francoeur, however, hasn't provided any power and his deplorable slugging and on-base percentages are making an offense that was already lacking for power truly horrible. The McClouth trade is a step in the right direction as it gives the Braves a true leadoff hitter, a true stolen base threat, and allows Johnson to hit lower in the order where he's more comfortable (more about this trade later). However, unless Garrett Anderson suddenly sheds five years, the Braves have far too little power to afford to have an automatic out machine like Francoeur in the lineup. The Braves' brass has given Francoeur plenty of time to show he can adjust. It's clear now that he will never be the player the Braves (and everyone else, for that matter) thought he would be. It's time to trade him while he still has a shred of value and look for other ways to fill the void in outfield production.

As for the McClouth trade, it was a masterstroke by Frank Wren. Yes, a masterstroke. The only prospect with any real potential that the Braves gave up was Gorkys Hernandez, a super-speedster who has the potential to hit for average and steel bases. Charlie Morton and Locke are fifth/fourth starters at best. The Braves already have guys who can fill those roles if need be in Jeff Bennett, Jorge Campillo (when he comes off the DL) and now, rookie and future number 3 starter Kris Medlen. Hernandez might be good one day, but his absolute ceiling would be a Jose Reyes type player with less power. Yeah, that'd be great, but it's unlikely he ever becomes that good and I'd rather take a proven commidity like McClouth who hits for a little power, is an excellent base stealer and will be under contract for a reasonable amount for four full years. Now Schafer can take his time to develop. When he comes up, he or McClouth can move to one of the corner outfield slots, giving the Braves extremely good defense in the outfield, and the Braves will have two speedsters with power potential. If you recall, Hernandez came over with Jurrjens from the Tigers in the Edgar Renteria trade. That means that Wren has turned Edgar Renteria, a SS who is quickly fading, into a potential All-Star pitcher in Jurrjens and an All-Star centerfielder in McClouth who both will be with the Braves for relatively cheap for at least the next three years. Oh yeah, and it allowed Escobar, who is in so many ways a Renteria clone, at least at the plate, to blossom. So yeah, I'd say the Renteria deal has been a resounding success for the Braves so far.

Great Start for Los Bravos

It's been a great start to the season for the Braves, so far. Does quantity equal quality in terms of the starting pitching? The answer so far has been a resounding yes as Braves' starters lead the majors in ERA through the first week. Obviously, the staff won't sustain this level of success for the whole season, but at the very least it looks like Jurrjens, Lowe, Vasquez and Kawakami are all capable of eating up some innings and notching many quality starts along the way. Can the offense generate enough runs? So far, so good. Kelly Johnson has been on fire, Escobar has been on fire, Chipper's always on fire, McCann is playing like he wants to win an MVP, the bottom of the order is producing (Jordan Schafer, welcome to the bigs!). The two remaining question marks right now are the bullpen, which seems to be in limbo, and Frenchy. Read on after the jump . . .

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What to make of the bullpen?

The bullpen has either been brilliant or horrible, depending on which game you look at. The Braves should easily be 6-0 right now if it weren't for an epic 7th inning bullpen meltdown in which the pen allowed 7 runs in one inning to the Phillies (four runs the restult of bases-loaded walks or hit-batsmen), to open the door for a miraculous comback. On the other hand, the bullpen has looked great in other stretches (such as the game prior to the 7th inning meltdown when the pen combined for 4 scoreless innings). In my mind, the pen is simply in limbo. Two years ago, Soriano, with the exception of a horrible three week stretch when he couldn't keep the ball in the park, clearly emerged as the Braves closer of the near future by shutting down opposing offenses first as the setup man to Bob Wickman and then as the closer after Wickman was traded. He started '08 as the Braves' 9th inning man but spent almost the entire year on the DL with a series of odd ailments. During this time, Gonzo came back from tommy john surgery and took the closing job by default with mixed results. Some nights he was awesome, some nights he couldn't get anyone out. However, with Soriano's continued arm issues, Gonzo has started '09 as the closer. However, i'm not so sure that Soriano shouldn't be the man with the ball in his hands in the 9th inning when he's healthy. He's got the most talent between the two, especially since Gonzo has lost so much velocity post-surgery. He looked stellar in the Sunday's sweep of the Nationals by notching a perfect ninth. Until the closer's role is locked down by either Soriano or Gonzo, the pen will have a difficult time adjusting to new roles. It's also important that the Braves determine if Moylan needs more rehab. He was absolutely unhittably in 2007, but lost 2008 due to surgery. If he can come back strong, the Braves will really be able to shorten games. However, his first three outings this year have mostly been disasters. It's imperative that Moylan rediscover his old form if the pen is to be a strength this season.

As for Frenchy, I still don't know what to make of the former golden boy. In spring training he waled more than he struck out and hit .367 with a new batting stance and plate approach. Pretty awesome for a dude who got a standing ovation the first time he walked in a major league game . . . over 100 at bats after his first major league appearance. The problem is, the season started and it's same old Frenchy. Only one walk this season, so far. His average is hovering around .220 or so. On the other hand, he's taken the ball to the opposite field on a number of occasions, most notably yesterday when he got a triple by taking a hanging breaking ball on the outside half down the right field line. Old Frenchy would have tried to pull it and hit a lazy pop off the end of the bat. This was clearly a step in the right direction. He also has produced in the clutch much better than he did last season, making his few hits very productive hits. Hopefully the average will creep up as long as he continues to stick to his commitment of hitting to all fields. Johnson, Escobar, Chipper, and McCann are going to be on base a lot in front of Francoeur and the Braves absolutely need him to drive them in. Hopefully yesterday's two triple performance is a sign of things to come.

The biggest story so far, however, has been the emergence of Jordan Schafer. Obviously his offense has been very good, especially for a hitter in the 8th spot. I think Schafer will start the '10 season as the leadoff hitter, but I like that he is hitting 8th right now. No reason to rush the kid. However, if he keeps slugging the way he has, Bobby Cox may have no choice but to move him up, especially since he is the Braves' only legitimate stolen base threat (unless McCann, the current team leader in stolen bases, keeps up his current, torrid pace . . . . . . . . that was a joke, guys). What impresses me most, however, is his defense. He's fast, but speed isn't everything when it comes to playing center field. He gets excellent jumps on balls, reads the ball well off the bat, and has absolutely no fear running down balls in the outfield. His defense won the game for the Braves yesterday against the Nats when he made two excellent catches that won't make ESPN's top 10 simply because he made them look to easy. The first was a great read on a sinking liner off the bat of one of the Nats (i forget who) with the go ahead run on second base and two outs that ended the inning. The ball was either knuckling or had some really strange spin and, when it was first hit, I thought for sure it would be a single. Instead, Schafer came out of no where, tracked the ball into his glove, and made the catch without even diving. The second catch was even more impressive. Soriano gave up a blast to center field in the 9th that looked like it might have a chance to get out of the park and certainly looked to be over Schafer's head. Instead, Schafer tracked the ball down while keeping track of where the wall was to make an extremely difficult catch look smooth and effortless. A key cog to the Braves' success in the 90's and the earlier portions of this decade was the stellar play of our centerfielders, defensively. Nixon, Grissom, Jones, and even brief cameos from Roberto Kelly and Lofton provided Braves pitchers with excellent cover in the outfield. This has been lacking recently as Andruw Jones' mobility decreased as he gained weight and then last year, when CF was a mess and four different people got a chance to make a go of it due to injurie, trades and poor performance. Last year, Kotsay would most likely not have gotten to either one of those balls and the Braves would have lost that game. I think that Schafer's defense alone will add at least three or four more W's to the win column for the Braves this year. As long as Schafer performs decently on offense (say hits .260 or higher with 10-15 homers and maybe a few stolen bases sprinkled in) his defense will be worth it's weight in gold. That would be great, but I wouldn't be too surprised if Schafer ended up with the ROY award.

Rotation and lineup taking shape

Well, the Braves traded Josh Anderson to the Tigers today for a minor league pitching prospect. This all but guarantees that Jordan Schafer, the hot shot prospect, will get the nod as the opening day center fielder. The projected Braves lineup now looks like this:

Kelly Johnson (2B)
Yunel Escobar (SS)
Chipper Jones (3B)
Brian McCann (C)
Jeff Francoeur (RF)
Garrett Anderson/Matt Diaz (LF)
Casey Kotchman (1B)
Jordan Schafer (CF)

The Anderson/Diaz platoon could easily bat in the seventh spot if Kotchman gets hot. Similarly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Schafer move up in the order as the year goes along, especially if he continues hitting as he has this spring. Obviously, the difference between the Braves being a good offensive team or a bad offensive team will hinge on whether Francoeur can bounce back in a big way from a truly terrible season last year. More on the Braves later.

Who are these guys and what have they done with my Braves?

For the first time since I can remember . . . seriously . . . since way back in 1986 when I was 2 years old . . . wait, I hadn't even turned 2 yet, John Smoltz is not in the Braves organization. However, while many Braves fans are annoyed that the front office didn't sign John for one last season, there's just no way the Braves should have plunked $5 million guaranteed plus $5-$6 million more in incentives on a guy who won't even be able to pitch until June. That money is better spent filling our many other needs, including finding pitchers to actually fill out a rotation that has been decimated by injuries the past two seasons. Frank Wren and company brought in a whole bunch of new faces to replace Smoltz and, quite frankly, the 2009 edition of the Braves is going to look far, far, far different from any Braves team in recent history.

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So who are the new Braves? Any Braves fan who has followed the team knows that starting pitching, once the key to the success of the 1991-2005 teams (wow, that was a long run of success, eh?) has become our Achilles Heel the past three seasons. The quality has been there, it's just been sitting on the sidelines for long portions of the season in the form of Mike Hampton. Last year, Hampton, Glavine, Smoltz AND Hudson (the baseball gods were cruel, last year) missed most of the season. Young guns Charlie Morton, Chuck James, and Jo-Jo Reyes have been unable to handle the load. While the Edgar Renteria for Jair Jurrjens trade was a coup and Jorge Campillo provided some stabiility to the back-end of the rotation last year, the Braves clearly lacked the arms (well, we lacked healthy arms, anyway) to compete. Barring yet another season of catastrophic injuries, that should not be a problem this year. The Braves signed free agent Derek Lowe, won the bidding war for Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, and capatilized on catching prospect Tyler Flower's excellent season in the minors by trading for Javier Vasquez. For those you hoping for Jake Peavy, you might be disappointed. Indeed, I am to an extent. Peavy may have put the Braves over the top. However, for the first time in a long time, the Braves won't be relying on an older Glavine, Smoltz, or chronically injured Hampton to complete the rotation. In fact, Jurrjens who finished the season as the number 1 starter will probably begin this season as the number 3 or 4 starter. There are certainly question marks for these guys. When will Derek Lowe start to show his age (he's 36)? Will Jurrjens suffer a sophomore slump or build on his success as a rookie? How will Kawakami adjust to the MLB's after years in Japan? Will Javier Vasquez finally break his habit of underperforming now that he's back in the NL? Will Glavine be able to provide quality starts in the five spot of the rotation or will Campillo or even number 1 prospect Tommy Hanson replace Glavine in the rotation? But, the entire staff with the exception of the five spot has been healthy for pretty much their entire careers. If Hudson were healthy, this would be one of the more formiddible formations. With Hudson out until August, I hope that these guys can eat enough innings and provide as many quality starts as possible so that our bullpen isn't pitched to death and so that we can actually develop our young pitchers delicately instead of throwing them into the fray and having their confidence shot.

I'll be honest, I'm not convinced that the Braves have enough to make the post-season right now, as their are too many question marks. But I am happy to see many healthy, veteran pitchers wearing the uniform going into this season. There are still too many "if's" attached to any prediction of success for this squad for my liking, but the phrase "IF Braves pitchers stay healthy" isn't one of them, at this point. (Come on, baseball gods, show a little mercy!)

So, word on the street is that Griffey really, really, really, really wants to be a Brave this season. I'm going to ignore everything this means for the Braves' chances of winning next year and just say this is super exciting simply because Griffey has always been one of my absolute favorite players. In his heyday, he combined offensive and defensive skill like only a few players in history could even dream of. It's a shame that injuries have prevented us calling him the HR king as there is perhaps no other more worthy candidate to supplant Aaron (wait, this just in . . . apparently some guy that I've never heard of named Bonds is the home run king? When did that happen?). Anyway, in light of the steroid scandals, it's fun just to remember how exciting Griffey was as a player back in the day.

Don't Let Curry Bring You Down . . . The NFL Ain't that Bad

Ok, so Curry is justifiably bitter about how the season ended for the Jets. And he's also right that the NFL certainly contains a lot of suckiness thanks to the ridiculous media machine that feeds us nothing but NFL for five months plus a whole month's worth of draft coverage. But, this is the first year in a long time that I've been very excited about the NFL. I mean, this season the Football Gods were particularly gracious. Righteousness has been restored to the sport.


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It started last year when the Giants somehow defeated the evil empire that was the 2007-2008 Patriots. This year, the Belicheat-led Pats were left out of the postseason despite an 11-5 record (yeah, I'm laughing). The mockery that has been the Brett Favre Show won't be polluting our TV's for at least the next six weeks (sorry, Curry). The Cowboys, who declared themselves the champions before the season began while putting a chokehold on all the bad-boy NFL talent, were drubbed by 40 on the final game of the season to fall short of the postseason. The playoffs are about as wide open as they've ever been. I mean, the 8-8 Chargers could easily go on a roll and win the Super Bowl.

Fan bases that have endured unrelenting suffering over the past few seasons have been given truly magical seasons. I mean, Miami not only made it to the playoffs after going 1-15 the season before, but they did so by beating the Favre in the last game of the season with the quarterback that was cast off when Favre decided to un-retire. The Falcons (yeah!) finally look like a legitimate NFL franchise. Even when Mike Vick was leading the team to the NFC Championship game in 2004 I was never convinced that the Falcons were really that good. I think our point differential was only +3 despite an 11-5 record. Well, this season Arthur Blank's money was put to good use as new GM Thomas Dimitroff, rookie coach Mike Smith, free agent running back Michael Turner, and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, 23 year-old quarter back Matt Ryan have come together to turn a team expected to win no more than 4 games by most pundits into a legit contender in the NFC. Needless to say, that makes us Falcons fans very happy.

And even the top teams aren't quite as unsavory as they usually are. Having recently relocated to Nashville, it has been fun to watch the Titans bruise their way to the AFC's top seed. I'm not a Steelers fan, but it's hard to hate their old-school style. The NFC is about as wide open as it gets. Even the Giants seemed to have some rather large chinks in their armor during the last few weeks.

So don't dispair. Yeah, the NFL has it's problems, but this might actually be one of the most exciting postseasons in years. Besides, I get to watch the Falcons and the Titans for (hopefully) a few more weeks, which will keep my mind off of the Braves' disasterous start to the offseason, which I may or may not feel like discussing at some point.

Hate to say I told you so

So, this blog has been dormant for far too long. I thought I would bring it back for that amazing Federer-Nadal Wimbledon final, which was the best tennis match I've ever seen. Then I thought I'd surely bring it back for the Olympics (for the Chinese gymnastics sham if for nothing else), but that didn't happen either. Then I figured I'd finally have to bring it back for the Red Bulls run to the MLS Cup Final, but that came and went while law school finals happened. Ironic, then, that I'm bringing it back for a post on the NFL, which is probably my least favorite sports league of the ones I follow. But there are a few Jets-related things on my mind that I have to get out there:

Before the season, I said that swapping Pennington for Favre was a mistake. I said Pennington would have a better season than Favre. I said that Favre would not throw more touchdowns than interceptions. Sadly, I was proven correct on all of those things.

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Sure, the grass is always greener on the other side, but the clamoring for "arm strength" by Jets fans was always idiotic (and that kind of mass fan stupidity is the kind of thing that makes me not want to bother with discussing the NFL anyone). With seven seconds to go in today's game with the Jets down by just one score, where was Favre with his vaunted arm strength? On the sidelines, with Eric Mangini preferring to put his faith in Brad Smith and some cockamamie 80 lateral design. Fat lot of good that arm strength did the Jets in the end. Pennington, meanwhile, did what he does, which is be extremely efficient, complete passes, keep the chains moving, and LEAD. The contrast between Favre's dumpy body language (see above) and Pennington's leadership throughout the season couldn't have been more stark.

And speaking of Mangini, I said the day that he was hired that he didn't have what it takes to be an NFL head coach, and he's proved me right time and time again. He makes mind boggling in-game decisions, like choosing to kick a field goal on the opening drive last week, apparently placing his faith in the Jets having a boatload of opportunities in that swirling snowstorm in Seattle. I don't think he has the slightest idea as to how to strategize. How do you entirely abandon the run in today's crucial game and instead let Favre and his useless arm throw at will, especially when you have the league's leading rusher? He just does not have the mind or demeanor to be an NFL head coach. It's as simple as that.

Will Mangini be fired? Probably not. That would be admitting a mistake in signing him, and it would feel like a defeat to the Patriots. Besides, the Jets did still go 9-7 this year, and it's difficult to fire a coach coming off of a winning season. This is conventional thinking, and it's the likely result, but that doesn't mean it's the right one. To go 1-4 down the stretch falls squarely on the coach's shoulders. The Jets might have had a winning record for the season, but they didn't when it counted. Between his overall game strategy and in-game decision making, it's not at all a stretch to argue that Mangini cost the Jets games this year, and you simply cannot keep a coach who does that.

What's next for the Jets? Who cares. The NFL sucks. I doubt I'll pay close attention to the playoffs, and I won't pay much attention to the Jets until next September, most likely. What about Favre and his yearly offseason drama? I'd like to say I want him gone, but he's better than the current alternative, which is pretty sad. Whatever. I don't care. Unless the Jets sack Mangini and do something about that defense, it won't matter who's at QB.

This is quite a lull in my sports life. We're too far away from the playoffs for me to be paying too much attention to the Devils, and this season and the next are of course already lost for the Knicks. Unfortunately Spurs don't look likely to break my sports doldrum in the near future, though hope springs eternal in the transfer window, I suppose. I'll be following with great interest the January USMNT camp, looking to see what fringe/new players get the call. This is an uncertain time for the national team. Players like Dempsey and Jozy are making strides while guys like Beasley and Adu seem to be regressing. We're going to have to start figuring out how to fire on all cylinders by the time the Confed Cup and our crazy draw in it roll around next summer. Also, there's plenty of hot stove Mets action. I think we'll do well in the remainder of free agency, as there aren't a whole lot of teams left willing to give multiyear deals to some of the remaining free agents, so it's a good market to buy. Lots of good options out there: Lowe, Perez, Garland; Orlando Hudson, Manny, Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn. Lots of good names out there. The Mets are on the edge of being a contender right now - if they add a couple of those names, I'd make them the favorites in the NL East. But that's enough for now, I suppose. I'm going to go not care about the NFL. See you guys later.

The 3,000

Respect is due.

3,000 K's baby!

Quick Braves Update

It took a four game winning streak, but the Braves are back to .500 sitting 3rd in the NL East. While there has been a little bit of doom and gloom around Atlanta at the disappointing start to the season, I for one am pretty optimistic for the rest of the season. The Braves have already completed their longest road trip of the season. That trip was a total nightmare. Soriano, Moylan, and Glavine, three of our most important pitchers, all went to the DL. Chipper did his annual "tweaking" of a muscle somewhere on his body, and we lost 7 out of the 9 games we played. Yet most of those losses were by a single run, games in which luck plays a huge factor. On top of that, the four game winning streak has featured wins by our 3,4, and 5 starters, headlined by Jurrjen's masterful performance against Los Dodgers last night. At this point, the Braves are a top 6 team both in hitting (going by OPS) and pitching (going by ERA) in all of baseball. We sport a run differential of +30, better than the Mets by a bit and far superior to the Phillies. Teixeira's bat is heating up. Gonzalez will soon return to fill Moylan's void. And Glavine will be back soon. Escobar has validated the faith the coaching staff put in him when they traded Renteria. The Braves offense is primed to score runs and, for once, we have the pitching depth (Bennett, James, Carlyle, and Reyes) to overcome the temporary loss of Glavine and the continued and indefinite absence of Hampton. Yes, a .500 winning percentage with a run differential of +30 over 18 games is frustrating because of all the games that slipped away. However, over the course of the season if we can remain on that trajectory, luck will give way to probability and the Braves will be just fine.

It's Been a While . . .

And so much has happened since I last had a chance to post. Kansas made my brackets happy and won the tournament in a game where the basketball gods clearly intervened in order to enforce their decree that no team that shoots below 60% from the line can ever win a championship. That being said, I think Derrick Rose was extremely impressive all tournament long. He's got the size and strength of a Jason Kidd and, although his passing isn't yet up to Kidd's level, he's got much better quickness and scoring ability. Beasley will probably go number one, but let me just say that if my team got "stuck" with the number two pick, I would not care one bit.

I watched some Champions League action as well. Fenerbache couldn't recapture the magic yesterday at Old Trafford and exit the Champions League leaving no particularly intriguing underdog stories to follow. On the other hand, at least the scum lost to Liverpool. Of all the "Big Four" teams in the Premiership, Liverpool annoys me the least. And as for the Gooners? Well, they've got a boatload of cash and young talent, a good combination for success. However, as the oh-so-wise Ives Galarcep has predicted, Spurs' combination of Juande Ramos and a large chunk of change to put toward summer signings could put them through into the top four next year. I certainly hope he's right. I'd love to knock the Gooners out of a Champions League spot, but I'd certainly settle on knocking out Pool or possibly even the Blues, especially if there's a fire sale this summer at Stamford Bridge. However, I don't think anything would make me happier than stealing the Premiership title from ManU and watching Cronaldo cry . . . hey, we can dream, can't we?

The Hawks have somehow managed to find their way into the eighth playoff spot. Of course, getting blown out by Indy the other night certainly didn't help, but they still are looking pretty good. However, leave it to Woodsen to find some way to encourage the Hawks to mail it in these last three games and fall short of the playoffs once again. I don't care if we make the playoffs this year or not. Another year of a sub-.500 record and little to no improvement means it is time for Woody to go.

The Braves, on the other hand, have not exactly had a dream start to the season. No, I can't complain too much because it is extremely early and, hey, at least we're not the Detroit Tigers (who have looked a lot more like the Tiggers on offense). But 3-6 is not fun, especially when 5 of those losses could easily have been wins with a little more timely hitting or just slightly better hitting. Oh well, I'm not concerned as our starting pitching, with the exception of Chuck "Homer" James looks pretty solid (Seriously, his propensity to give up homers is unbelievable. He's got moderate stuff, but good hitters can sit back and wait for him to hang something and smash it 430 feet). The only thing that concerns me is Soriano's elbow, which has bothered him enough to land him on the 15-day DL. For a bullpen with lots of talent but little experience, it's important to have stability, especially after some of the guys got off to a rocky start. I have faith in everyone in the pen, but it will definitely make things more difficult if Soriano is sidelined for a while. At least getting Mike Gonzalez back in June will be a big boost and give us a proven option at closer.

Ok, well, my lunch time is done so I guess that's all for now. A friend and (hopefully) future contributer to Curry and Rice and I are going to be watching MLS primetime tonight. Perhaps I'll get around to doing some MLS stuff later in the day.

Confessions of a sports addict

These are the moments that make me think I might have a bit of a problem. I am simultaneously watching Mets-Phillies on TV, DC-Pachuca on an internet stream, and Devils-Rangers on another internet feed. Baseball, soccer, and hockey. And this is with me still low on sleep thanks to March Madness (and needing to finish my taxes) . . .

The Mets are winning 7-1 in the 4th, and the Devils and DC are both in more meaningful games (Eastern Conference playoffs and CONCACAF Champions Cup respectively), so I'll be turning my attention more to the computer as I eat dinner and then calculate sums from this shoebox full of receipts. Moments like these make me worried about myself, but they also make me utterly grateful for the internet. Because seriously, there's really no other way to make these tabulations tolerable . . .

Oh, I forgot the main reason I wanted to write this post: Joe Morgan. He seems like a nice guy, he really does. But when he's working games for ESPN sometimes I'll look down at my arm and wonder whether sawing it off would feel better than listening to Morgan's commentary does. He's just... dumb. His observations make absolutely no sense, like the time he said that he has always thought that starting pitching is the most important part of the rotation. A little while ago he was talking about how this Phillies pitcher was getting lit up because all of his fastballs were straight down the middle... when replays showed them all clearly on the outside or inside edge. He tried to argue that wins are a better metric for judging a pitcher than ERA is (HA!). He just said something about black people being more excitable than other races - not the first time he's made me cringe with his comments on race. He's always going off on tangents on his own career, and he never seems to come back from them. And half the time when he's talking about his (admittedly storied) career he's just making things up. I just can't stand listening to him. ESPN wised up and replaced Dave O'Brien with JP Dellacamera for its MLS broadcasts; will it eventually wake up and gently let Morgan go?

March Madness: One Shining Moment

Mario Chalmers FTW!



An incredibly exciting tournament comes to a close as Kansas beats Memphis in the championship game. It was really a very good, back and forth game. Both teams played at such a high level for most of the game that it was difficult to pinpoint exactly why one team or the other was ahead at any particular stage. For much of the game, the story was the Kansas D. But the quiet story was Kansas's intense focus on getting inside on every possession. This is generally a good strategy, and only faltered in the second half when they started taking bad contested shots inside. But without Dorsey in OT, Memphis lost one of the major obstacles to the Jayhawk big guys, and Kansas was able to re-establish its dominance in the paint.

Memphis could have still pulled it out, but they didn't get the performances they needed from Rose and and Douglas-Roberts. As good as those two are, they aren't quite "great". I never had the sense during the game that either one was capable of lifting his game in a big spot like Dwyane Wade or Carmelo Anthony. On the other hand, Kansas didn't have a dominant star either. But their team balance meant that they didn't really need one. When they did need a shotmaker, Chalmers, a 47% shooter from downtown, got the job done.

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I guess that's the one thing that really stands about about this final. Despite all the big names in this tournament - Beasley, Hansborough, Love, Curry - this was a game that wasn't about huge personalities. It was about a true team playing good, smart basketball. There wasn't a whole lot of razzle-dazzle, though good passing leads to some nice alley-oops. There wasn't a whole lot of reckless long range bombing or individual one-on-one play. None of these Kansas players are great, individually. But they came together to form something greater than the sum of its parts, and it was good enough to win. It was an excellent ending to a wonderful tournament. I'm not going to lie - I got some chills watching this edition of "One Shining Moment". And when it ended and the screen faded to black... ah, well, when you live for sports, when it serves as an escape from the pressures of real life, you can't help but feel at least a little bit sad when it's over.

A few other thoughts from tonight . . .

John Calipari:
I really dislike him. He's disingenuous and he doesn't graduate his players and he's complaining about the refs after losing. Loser.

Billy Packer:



I HATE him. Absolutely hate him. He makes incredibly idiotic comments and is more interested in hearing himself talk than saying anything insightful. I mean, sometimes he just makes sweeping generalizations off of premises that are just dead wrong. I'm talking factually incorrect. Oh, and he's also a major conference elitist, homophobic, racist, sexist, and an all-around jerk. CBS, get this guy the hell off the air. While you're at it, Nantz isn't bad, but Gus Johnson needs to be doing the big games. He's the best college play-by-play guy out there.

Marketing:



Look, I understand the need for advertising. I understand that without it, we don't get anything out of the tube except PBS. But you know what? Announcing an official LADDER of the NCAA Basketball Championships, and interrupting the net-cutting to do so, is going too far. Thanks for adulterating such a special moment, CBS and NCAA. I mean seriously, NCAA. You essentially get slave labor from these players who entertain us all and make you a killing but don't get a dime, and you need MORE cash?

March Madness: The Final Countdown

So, here we are. A little over an hour until tipoff, and a massive battle awaits. Kansas and Memphis. Two powerhouses. And one great game ahead.

This has been a pretty incredible tournament - certainly one of the most memorable in recent history. Somehow, simultaneously, we got a combination of unpredictable upsets (to a historic tune in that insane day in Tampa), legitimate Cinderella stories (Stephen Curry is now a part of all-time March Madness lore), and powerhouses rolling. I said at the outset of the tournament that I thought there was a wide gap between the #1 seeds and the #2 seeds, and that turned out to be true. At the end of the day, the four #1 seeds all crashed the Final Four.

We were treated to quite a display in the national semifinals. Memphis came out and just kept control of their game against UCLA all game long. It was ironic that the explosive Tigers quietly dominated the Bruins. Despite the fact that the game was close for a long stretch, UCLA never really looked like winning. The tempo was set by Memphis, and they casually tightened the noose all game long until the experienced, talented UCLA squad found themselves lifeless.

The other semifinal was a back and forth battle. The difference in body language in the first half and the second half was telling for UNC. The Tar Heels looked like a hapless high school (or Ivy League) team playing against a national powerhouse. Roy Williams failed to settle down his team and help them establish some sort of offensive rhythm. Possession after possession, UNC would bring the ball downcourt, fail to create a good shot, and toss something up in desperation as the shot clock expired. Kansas would then grab the rebound, fast break down the floor, and get an easy basket while UNC still stood at the other end shellshocked. You had to feel for Hansborough - he looked more flustered than he ever has in his stellar college career. The second half, however, saw the return of Psycho T. With a fire in his eyes, Hansborough helped power UNC back into the game. They were just too far behind to make it all the way back. A 28 point deficit is almost impossible to overcome in college. Kansas regained control late and booked their spot in the finals.

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So here we are. Kansas - one of the best passing college teams I've seen. Fantastic defense. Fantastic offensive balance. Memphis - bruising backcourt power. Explosiveness. This has all the makings of a true classic. A fitting end to a tournament that I'll remember for years to come.

FIRST HALF UPDATE:
At the break it's Kansas 33, Memphis 28. So far, Kansas has looked like the better team. Their offensive sets have been more precise. Their spacing is exquisite. This has led to a slew of easy baskets in the paint. They are getting, as usual, balanced contributions from their top seven. They have had some sloppiness in passing around the perimeter, which has led to turnovers.

Memphis hasn't looked quite as sharp, largely because Kansas is shutting down Derrick Rose. He's getting cut off every time he drives and being forced to toss it back outside in desperation. He's turned it over a few times. His inability to penetrate has made it tough for anyone else on Memphis to get going. Anyone else, that is, except the incredible Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is making things happen all by his lonesome. He's got 13 - almost half of his team's 28. But he can only carry them so far. Rose has to get going and make it possible for guys like Dozier and Dorsey to get more easy baskets. Speaking of the double D's, they're going to have to watch their fouls, because there's not much on the bench for Memphis.

It will be interesting to see what adjustments Memphis makes at halftime. They have to find a way to get the halfcourt offense going. Stepping up the defense will be difficult against a Kansas team as balanced and as good at passing as this one is. But if Rose can get going, then this will be a different game altogether.

UPDATE AT 8 MINUTES TO GO:
The Tigers have pulled ahead. Both teams are playing at an exceptionally high level right now. Rose isn't quite untracked yet, but he's had more success penetrating and has hit a deep three to help add some juice into the Memphis attack. The team is cutting better now and the passing out of the middle has been better.

Meanwhile, Kansas has slowed down a little bit. They're taking a couple of bad shots inside. Also, because they were getting so many easy buckets inside early, they had almost nothing going outside - and they still have had almost no outside shooting. They're going to need to take advantage of their ability to get it inside and their great floor spacing to open up some outside shots. Rush and Chalmers can definitely hit those shots.

3:49 TO GO:
The Memphis resurgence is in full effect. Kansas can't get a bucket, and Rose just used his exceptional upper body strength to muscle in the first 2 points of a three-point play.

Oh, and what an incredible off-balance shot from Rose! With the shot clock running down, he tossed up a prayer and banks it in. That's the stuff of destiny. Hard to see Memphis losing now. They're up 8. However, I'm almost sure that one of his feet was inside the line when he went up for that shot. They gave him a three. It looked to me like a two.

And, it looks like I was right. Shot is changed to a two. Memphis by 7 it is.

44 SECONDS TO GO:
Woo-boy, what a finish this will be! Kansas with a furious comeback. The big play was a steal and a three off a Memphis inbounds. CDR just missed the first end of a one-and-one - will free throw shooting do in Memphis after all? Memphis by 2 with the ball!

Kansas misses a golden opportunity as Memphis misses the shot and Kansas pushes the ball down the floor on a fast break. Unfortunately it's not fast enough as a gang of Tigers swats the layup attempt away. CDR is fouled and misses both, but Dozier gets a HUGE offensive rebound - big mistake by Kansas there. They should have the ball now, but instead it's Rose on the line for 2.

Misses the first!

Makes the second!

Kansas rushes downcourt, almost loses it, time running out, Chalmers with a long three...

IT'S GOOD! WHAT A SHOT! PURE! NOTHING BUT NET! MARIO CHALMERS!

Dozier misses the desperation shot and we're going to overtime!

WHAT A FINISH!

Dorsey has fouled out. Memphis has missed 4 of it's last 5 at the line - so much for "they'll make them when it matters", eh Coach Cal? Kansas quickly scores the first two of overtime on a steal and a Rush layup - fasten your seatbelts!

2:29 TO GO IN OT:
Kansas has all the momentum. The precision halfcourt offense is back, and with no Dorsey guarding the rim, the Kansas big guys are getting better looks once the Jayhawks break down the Memphis defense.

Kansas is on an 18-3 run. Memphis down by 6, but certainly still with a shot. Have to stem the tide with a score here.

57 SECONDS TO GO IN OT:
Memphis is blowing it mentally - nonexistent transition D leaves Rush with an open layup - and then when he misses, there aren't even any Tigers around to contest the rebound, so Rush easily puts it in on the second try. As an impartial observer, that had more the look of tragedy than of comedy, but in any other situation, it'd have been the latter. And yet despite the wheels coming off, CDR nails a three and pulls his team to within 3. Kansas with the ball. This game is not over yet.

FINAL SCORE: Kansas 75, Memphis 68
Kansas hits its free throws and the Tigers doesn't have a miracle in them. Incredible comeback by Kansas. After the Rose three, it really seemed like this night belonged to Memphis, but they were upstaged by Kansas and Chalmers, who was named MOP. Arthur was quietly consistent all game long and was really better, but you can't not give the award to the guy who hit the shot that saved Kansas.

What a fantastic final. That was, as I had hoped it would be, one for the ages. Only one thing left now... and down come the nets. Here's to One Shining Moment for the Kansas Jayhawks, 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions.

March Madness: The Beginning of the End

We have got a great couple of games tonight. I'm watching UCLA-Memphis right now and it has been very entertaining. Before the game ends though, I wanted to post the best bracket I've seen from anyone I know: that of my own brother, Nayir.

This bracket is in the 99th percentile on Yahoo:



Not bad, eh?

Pain

Yesterday, April 2, I happened to be back in Jersey for a night, and was able to catch a Knicks game on TV for the first time in over 3 months. I turned to MSG and saw there were about 5 seconds left in the first half. The Knicks were losing 73-60, and the Grizzlies had the ball. Mike Miller dribbled up the court, took a three... and got fouled. With less than a second left on the clock.

I immediately wished that it was April 1. I wished that play was just an April Fools joke. Instead, it's a microcosm of the Knicks' reality of a season. Absolutely inept on the defensive end, running around like headless chickens on offense, and happy to mail in the first half of every game just to show "guts" and "determination" by making a furious second half comeback that always falls juuust short in the end, these Knicks cause me such pain that I didn’t even bother watching the second half.

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It hurts a bit to think that we've had this blog for a few months, and yet it's just now that I'm first writing about the team that has been most important to me for most of my life – and the NBA has been in season the whole time. In fact, we've each written multiple NBA posts, but I haven't had the will to write about the train wreck that is the New York Knicks. Is there a more hopeless team in professional sports? There are other teams that lately have perennially been bad, sure, but is any team in such a condition that there is absolutely NO way, even with a ton of luck, of their competing for a championship in the next three years?

The salary cap is a mess, and has for years been the main source of my depression as a Knicks fan. It seems that the Knick front office plan has been to make the Knicks the team that will be the sole buyer for marginally useful players with terrible contracts, as if this were some sort of competitive advantage. Trade for Penny Hardaway, Shandon Anderson, Stephon Marbury, sign Jerome James and Allan Houston to contracts 25% over their respective market values... This "strategy" (quite obviously and stupidly) ignores the fact that it's a philosophy centered on acquiring players who are not that good, are undesired by ANY other team, and are incapable of forming a core of a team that can actually win basketball games. It's not a bad strategy if your owner has deep pockets AND you already have a core that's capable of advancing at least into the second round of the playoffs, and you just need a little extra help to get over the hump. It IS a bad strategy if your team has nothing, no core, no direction, no leadership.

If the front office has had some kind of (misguided) philosophy when it comes to payroll matters, it has had absolutely none in terms of actually building a cohesive team. The years since the Ewing-Sprewell-Houston days have lacked any sort of commitment to a plan for more than a year. Some would blame the high pressure of the NY market, but no other NY franchise yields so submissively to changes in the wind. A number of decisions illustrate this. The most recent is the demise of Eddy Curry, who ended up becoming a bit player after Isiah's claims that he would be the centerpiece of the Knicks' offense for years to come. The one-and-done Larry Brown year is another. This is a guy who once coached the Spurs to a 21-win season. The next season they won the division. Sure, in his one year with the Knicks he juggled the starting lineup enough to set records. So what?? It's not as if he had anything to work with! What would you do besides try every possible combination?

These poor decisions have been sequentially blamed on Ernie Grunfeld (in the late Ewing years, though his period is now respected), then Scott Layden, and now Isiah Thomas, but the common link has been owner James Dolan. What sort of inept fool is this man? Clearly the only reason that he is an executive of a major company is that he inherited the position from daddy. What sort of businessman is he? Last year, the Knicks pulled into 8th place in the Eastern Conference late in the season. Dolan immediately gave Isiah a 5 year contract extension. This still blows my mind. FIVE YEARS? The Knicks went on to lose 19 of their last 22 games to miss the playoffs by a mile, and are heading to another finish in which they will come nowhere close to 30 wins. What to do now, James? Clearly your faith has been misplaced and the situation has spun embarrassingly out of control, but you've left yourself without an option thanks to your inexplicable loyalty to a man whose peak has been to achieve mediocrity (as opposed to utter failure) for one day.

Of course, in the calculus of Dolan, there is still a way to rectify matters, which he seems to think was to hire Donnie Walsh from the Pacers to be the Knicks new president of basketball operations. In one sense, this is a sound move. Walsh is a salary cap guru, and perhaps he can work some magic to get the team under the cap in two years, even if it's still completely uncompetitive. That will be progress. The curious thing is the idea that Walsh can take over these duties while Isiah continues to coach the team. Their relationship isn't without precedent – Walsh gave Isiah his first head coaching job with the Pacers. But how tenable is the current situation? Isiah cedes personnel control to the new guy, but continues coaching the team? How will the players respect Isiah? Can Isiah make impartial decisions with regards to playing time when his options are split between his acquisitions and Walsh's?

Aside from the question of whether it's wise to give a new guy one of Isiah's two current roles, there is the question of whether or not he is actually a good coach. Common opinion seems to be that he is not a bad coach. Really? What successful adjustments has he made in his time as Knicks coach? Has he taught them how to play defense in all this time? Clearly not, as evidenced by 130 points they gave up to the Grizzlies last night (ugh!). Has he resolved the problem of having talented players playing below their potential? No. In Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, and Stephon Marbury, he has arguably four capable scorers. Stephon has been such a disaster that he's no longer playing (and what's more, they no longer miss him), and Curry became a non-factor before his season-ending injury (in my opinion, he never had the skills to be one anyway). Randolph continues to futilely put up at least 18 and 9 every night (he is a true talent), while Crawford is given free reign to jack up terrible jumpers and shoot 40% from the field every night. Isiah doesn't have a clue in the way of getting the team to play cohesive offense or defense. There is talent on this team – aside from those four, you have a very capable outside shooter and defender in Quentin Richardson, an incredible rebounder in David Lee, and instant backcourt offense off the bench in the form of Nate Robinson. Are you telling me that this team doesn't have the talent to make the playoffs in this putrid Eastern Conference? For the final nail in the coffin, just take a look at Isiah's body language and comments at every halftime where the Knicks are losing by double digits and every postgame press conference after the Knicks lose by 20. He says the same things, shows no hint of innovation with X's and O's, no ability to inspire. He just always sounds defeated, and then smiles and says they just need to make shots, that the shots are there. No, Isiah, they're not. The team is not taking high percentage shots, but they sure are giving up a lot of them. And this has been the case for ages now. I submit, once and for all: ISIAH THOMAS IS NOT A GOOD COACH. He was once a great point guard. He is not good at anything else related to basketball.

(I'm not even going to go into depth describing the shame surrounding the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment lawsuit, in which everyone at the Garden came off looking like goons - not to mention Stephon Marbury, who had the gall to casually talk about his tryst with a Knick intern in the back of an SUV parked outside a strip club. This from a married father.)

The Knicks are not going to be any good for a long time. They won't get under the cap for another three seasons, and even then they'll have to sign more players to fill out the roster, bringing the payroll back up. The next two years at least are completely hopeless. I can't tell you how depressing and painful this is. This storied franchise, one that was a factor year after year after year... it's now a joke to everyone else, but not to us. Not to me. I'm angry. But it's hopeless. All I can do is turn my attention to the Mets, Tottenham, the Red Bulls, the Devils, until the day the Knicks have put all this behind them and are relevant once again.

YAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!!!!!1

HUGO SANCHEZ FIRED AS MEXICO COACH

Goodbye you JOKE. Thank you for being an inept nincompoop of a coach and helping the US continue its domination of your country's pathetic national team. I hope you get pelted by rotten vegetables on your way out. Ives is right. You'll be remembered for whining. For making all the wrong decisions. For failing to get your players' heads in the right places. For failing to beat the US, ever.

In the end, this is actually bad news for the rest of CONCACAF. With a competent coach, Mexico definitely has the talent to challenge the US for regional supremacy again. But we'll worry about that later. For now, I'm going to relish in this signal of Mexico's failures.

Those dadgum logos

As the NCAA tournament is set to resume tonight with the first four matchups of the Sweet 16, word comes that those obnoxiously large NCAA logos that Rice referred to are being removed, and won't be back for the rest of the tournament.

The decision came at the urging of UNC coach Roy Williams, who made a point to speak out about the logos after a number of players slipped on them in the tournament's first weekend. Turns out the logos were just big decals, which begs the question: what idiot thought it was a good idea to slap stickers all over the court? What is this, a kindergarteners convention? For the record, Rice and I were just annoyed by how large they were, as if people didn't realize that the tournament was run by the NCAA. Every time a point guard walked the ball up the court it looked like he was wading into a pool. Anyway, luckily that ridiculousness is over with and we can just enjoy the basketball. The Louisville-Tennessee matchup should be a great one. Let's go Big East!

FANTASY BASEBALL

Who wants to join our fantasy baseball league? Owners who check their teams are preferable. Get in touch or leave a comment if you're interested.