The 2012 NBA has came and went. 18 out of 30 picks in the 1st round were front court positionsmostly at power forward) It will be interesting to see how how guys like Anthony Davis, Thomas Robinson, Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones III, etc. develop because soon a few of these guys are going to give Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Love a run for their money.
My biggest winner of the night was the Celtics. They needed a youth movement for their aging front court bad and getting Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo are just what Doc needed.
Perry Jones III falling to the Thunder at 28 cost him $$$ but man did he luck out. Sam Presti continues to do a super job in OKC.
As for Nets... I actually like their pick in Tyshawn Taylor. A local product from Hoboken, who played at St. Anthony's in Jersey City, and helped Kansas make it to the championship game this year – He's certainly got the pedigree that Avery Johnson likes in his point guards. The fact the Nets traded for him tells me that Avery expects him to contribute sooner rather than later. I'm also impressed with the Nets GM Billy King's ability to make draft day trades with Marshon Brooks last year and Taylor this year. If D-Will walks they have pretty good foundation for the future with Brooks and Taylor as back court. However that doesn't change the fact that this the deepest power forward draft class in years and the Nets were in desperate need of some front court help. That asinine trade for Gerald Wallace might be the death of them especially with Kris Humphries not expected to return (Kayne wrote lyrics in a song about having J cutting him from the team because of Kim Kardashian).
Switching gears...
Former NBA player, executive, and current ESPN analyst Steve Kerr wrote a thought provoking article (click here) on why the NBA should increase the draft age to 20. I agree with him. The NBA, out of all sports has the smallest window of opportunity for incoming players to succeed. If players doesn't develop in 2 to 3 years their NBA career is as good as done causing teams to waste millions of dollars every year on players who aren't quite ready for the pros. For every LeBron James theres a Gerald Green. For every Kevin Durant there's a Greg Oden. Players like Tyshawn Taylor shouldn't be penalized for staying 4 years in school and developing their skills to get better. Not to mention taking advantage of the education that they got for free with athletic scholarships. With cost of college rising every year and people getting more in debt because of loans, it's not fair to that some players take advantage of school just because they have to wait a year to play. Isn't this what the NBADL is for?
Friday, June 29, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Diary of an Angry (ex)Nets Fan: My Final Words
It was the end of a era(or error depending on how you look at it). After 35 years (36 if you count their first year in the ABA as the NJ Americans) in the New Jersey the Nets played their final home game at the Prudential Center in Newark with all the glory and fanfare that they so richly deserved, but yet the results were still the same– another lost.
Since April 30,2012 I've un-followed and un-liked just about everything having to do with the Nets franchise within my social networks – But I've struggled the last few months to put into words my final thoughts as ex-Nets fan.
It has been a on heck of a ride over the last 30 years. The Nets were the first sports team I became a fan of. I went to my first Nets game when I was around 4 years old. It was against the Lakers at the Brendan Byrne Arena. I can't remember much outside of the fact that I was told I feel asleep during the 2nd quarter, but I was hooked. I've seen great Net's teams, horrible ones,Hall of Famers, Has beens, and never was's.
But what continues to frustrate me is the outright lie the that predicated the move. It was obvious to just about everyone that it was land grab from then majority owner Brice Ratner to get his Atlantic Yards project built. For 7 years I've watched his dream ruin my hopes as fan as he dismantled what to took 25 years and 3 owners to build.
Proponents say that move is great for the franchise, that they'll make make more money, have a bigger market, and a wider audience, blah, blah, blah, but that's just lip service. The the grim reality is that the Nets are one of the most mismanaged teams in all of the NBA.
Since April 30,2012 I've un-followed and un-liked just about everything having to do with the Nets franchise within my social networks – But I've struggled the last few months to put into words my final thoughts as ex-Nets fan.It has been a on heck of a ride over the last 30 years. The Nets were the first sports team I became a fan of. I went to my first Nets game when I was around 4 years old. It was against the Lakers at the Brendan Byrne Arena. I can't remember much outside of the fact that I was told I feel asleep during the 2nd quarter, but I was hooked. I've seen great Net's teams, horrible ones,Hall of Famers, Has beens, and never was's.
But what continues to frustrate me is the outright lie the that predicated the move. It was obvious to just about everyone that it was land grab from then majority owner Brice Ratner to get his Atlantic Yards project built. For 7 years I've watched his dream ruin my hopes as fan as he dismantled what to took 25 years and 3 owners to build.
Proponents say that move is great for the franchise, that they'll make make more money, have a bigger market, and a wider audience, blah, blah, blah, but that's just lip service. The the grim reality is that the Nets are one of the most mismanaged teams in all of the NBA.
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