4 Games Under and Falling Fast

For the few people that do read this blog, they have asked why I haven’t been keeping up with my post. Truth is I don’t have much to say about my Mets. After tonight’s lose, they are 4 games under .500, their last RBI came from Pitcher Frenando Neive 2 nights ago and David Wright is batting .86 seven days into July. Is their light in the end of the tunnel?

It’s still pre-all star game.

Roy Halladay is on the market.

People have come off the DL before…

But is this enough for to propel the Mets to the playoffs? In June and July they seem to have forgotten how to hit the baseball, batting .228 in their past 14 games. They score only 3 runs in 4 games in Philadelphia this weekend and are now losing the season series against them.

It’s hard to be positive when you see the team you root for look like they don’t care anymore. Most of the starting lineup are better than average AAA players.

And then you know you have a problem when you’re relying on Oliver Perez to come off the DL (making his first start tomorrow since going on).

NBA Free Agency Predictions

Preliminary negotiations started today with the first day of signing coming July 8th when the NBA announces the salary cap for next season. As of now, here are my predictions:

Hedo Turkoglu lands in Toronto.

Ben Gordon heads to Detroit.

Anderson Varejao resigns with the Cavs.

Charlie Villanueva also heads to Cleveland or Detroit.

Jason Kidd packs stays put.

Both Trevor Ariza stay put in LA.

Lamar Odom lands in Miami.

Rasheed Wallace heads to Boston.

Big Baby resigns with the Celts.

Andre Miller resigns with the Sixers or goes to the Knicks.

The likes of Allen Iverson? Get back to me on that...Charlotte? Clippers? Memphis?

2 Days Until Draft (So Jump on the Bandwagon)

The Bulls must trade up in this draft. I have fallen in love with one prospect and one prospect only. I like Johnny Flynn, Tyler Hansbrough, Dejuan Blair...I like all these guys. But I don't want any of them. The Bulls must package the 16th pick and 26th pick and try to trade with Indiana for the 13th. For who?

Eric Maynor.

Eric Maynor is the second best point guard in this draft. Easily. Ricky Rubio is the best but Eric Maynor isn't far behind as far as point guard ability. Behind Rubio, he's the most natural and effective point guard in this draft.

If the Bulls truly want to play Derrick Rose off the ball more then Eric Maynor is definately the answer. For some reason, his stock isn't hot but it isn't cold either. In my opinion, I think he has the best point guard game across the board. No true weakness which also means no true strength. But that's just it. His strength is he has no weakness to play effective minutes at the point guard position in the NBA.

If the Bulls are serious, then they must go after this man. I think it'd be smart with some of our guards on the move. We'll just have to wait 45 hours to see.

RJ in SA

Today the Spurs made a blockbuster trade. The Spurs added the off the ball player that was needed so much in competing with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. They give up good defensive presence in Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas down low but Richard Jefferson is the real deal. A player that has averaged 17 points and over 5 rebounds a game in his carrier. His athleticism is hard to come by and his poise is one of very few. The cool way RJ plays make's him such a great presence to an old grumpy Spurs team that got disappointed this year. His playoff experience help the Spurs who look to win now.

As a kid growing not to far from New Jersey I've seen my fair share of Nets games. I do remember a time going to my cousins house and proceeding to go to the old Continental Airlines Arena and i remember a coast to coast where Richard Jefferson corralled a missed jumper crossed over a motionless defender and and took it in for a non contested finger roll that went right into the basket.

What Richard Jefferson will do for the Spurs is both offensively substantial as well as defensively helpful. He puts another able bodied shooter the opposing defense must pay attention to. This will in effect leave other Spurs open and take pressure off them to score. Defensively he's a 6-7 large smooth runner that can run with the best of them and sink or swim down low with a smaller power forward. He doesn't foul much and can hit the free throw in the clutch. With Manu coming back and George Hill stepping into a new role as well as Tony Parker a 3 time all star will give the Spurs the best front court in the Western Conference.

My prophecy for this trade is that RJ will hit a 3 at the buzzer to beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals only to go on to be the Finals Co-MVP with Tim Duncan. But that's just me. The average NBA fan will see that as a illusion. However I mind you that when the Spurs win another NBA tittle no one will be second guessing any one in the San Antonio Organization about being too old or too boring.

Top 5 Current NBA Point Gaurds

1. Tony Parker - his combination of mid range jump shooting and breaking defenders down makes him the most solid offencive point gaurd in the NBA.
2. Chris Paul - his dynamite scoring and pin point passing him make him the best passer in the game.
3. Steve Nash - this proven vetran can make a pass from anywhere on the court also has unlimited range
4. Deron Williams - the most effective off the pick and roll with amazing shooting touch.
5. Rajon Rondo - This up and coming PG is finding his range and become a more effective scorer, when he plays well there is no way to stop the C's

Another Dagger, But We Continue to Fight

On the day the Mets see All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran go on the DL, they find a way to win vs. the NL Central Leading Cardinals. With injuries to slugger Carlos Delgado, Shortstop Jose Reyes & Pitchers John Maine, Oliver Perez & JJ Putz, the Mets are only 1.5 games back of the Phillies in the NL east. They have proved to the rest of the league that they will not give up because they lost their star players.

This has been possible because players have stepped up in a big way to help this team out. A good example is tonight’s starting pitcher Tim Redding. He came to the Mets from the Nationals with the plan of him being the #5 starter. Since Maine went on the DL, he has been great, not letting up more than 4 earned runs and has 12 strikeouts to 5 walks. A big surprise is Starter Fernando Nieve, who in 2 starts vs. the Yankees and Rays has 2 wins and has only given up 3 earned runs in 12.2 IP. Manager Jerry Manuel has been so pleased with Nieve, who was cut earlier in the year by the Astros, that he has guaranteed him a spot to pitch again even when his regular starters come back from the DL.

Two other contributors to the Mets success is the combination of Alex Cora and Luis Castillo. Cora, who has been a back up for most of his career, has made the most filling in for Jose Reyes. Batter 2nd most games, he leads the team in productive outs with an 83%. Even though it’s an out, 83 out of 100 times it will be productive. With the injuries to the heavy hitters, it’s good to know that somebody like Cora can move the runners up a spot on base so that batters like David Wright and his NL leading .349 BA can drive them in.

Besides dropping the ball at Yankee Stadium, Castillo has found his second wind for his career. Last offseason people were calling for him to be traded or to sign other 2nd baseman’s, but Castillo didn’t let that get to him. He came to spring training in the best shape we’ve seen from him and has played better than most thought he would do. He has stayed healthy and raised his BA and OBP from last year. And not to be left out, he has held down 2nd base like a castle guard, nothing gets through him.

You would think that this team will lay down and die, but Jerry Manuel’s Mets have lived to see the NL East lead right on their finger tips. And they cannot give up because the Phillies won’t give them the crown, we need to go in and take it, then once we get it we need to run away with it like the world is out to get us.

Its A Bird, It's A Plane, No It's... Terrelle Pryor

The Ohio State Buckeyes have always been known to have a powerful football team leading the nation in multiple years. In the past couple of years OSU and the Big Ten Division have been looked down upon due mainly to Ohio States losses in the BSC bowls against Florida, and LSU. Now many people say that Ohio State stands no chance because they just lost 7 of their top players to the NFL. Though people have doubts their is one man who everyone including OSU is putting their faith in...Terrelle Pryor. Terrlle Pryor played high school Football and Basketball for the Jeannette Jayhawks in Pennsylvania. Weighing in at 240 Lbs and standing at 6'6" Terrelle soon became the unanimous #1 football prospect of the 2008 recruiting class, and the most impressive feat, he was the 13th Basketball prospect in the nation. Running a whopping 4.2 forty yard dash, every college knew that he was the pride and glory of the class and of the future. In his first year at Ohio State he did not get a chance to start until the 4th week. He started out running the ball alot and not always looking out for the open man, as weeks past college football annalists began to point out his ability to make drastic changes to his game play in little time, within 3 weeks he began to pass more, and use pump fakes, and run less. What stunned many people was the fact that he lead OSU to a BCS game, the Fiesta Bowl against Texas. Although they lost, he played extremely well, he also got a receiving touchdown. In an article earlier this year the coach of the Buckeyes, Jim Tressell, said that this year they will begin to utilize more of Pryor's athletic and physical ability, sending him on more routes for receptions. Although some skeptics stand in the way between Terrelle Pryor and a BSC match up, his raw athletic ability and talent are sure to convince the naysayers.