Blinded by the Blue: NBA Draft Recap

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. John Calipari (pictured above) once again stole the show at the NBA Draft last evening.

By Josh Kramer

Is anybody else seeing blue?  Eight first round picks came from Kentucky and North Carolina.  Plus, six players out of Lexington were selected on the night (a record). That is a whole lot of blue.  For the first time in NBA Draft history, the top two picks happened to come from the same University.   In addition, the top three picks were not only all freshman, but they were all players out of the SEC East. Go figure.  I thought the SEC was a football conference?  These days, John Calipari is becoming more of a mainstay at the NBA Draft than David Stern.  The following are ten observations from the night in no particular order.

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Pay for Play?

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Ray Allen (left) and Dwyane Wade (right) feel that Team USA players should get paid for their services in the upcoming Olympic Games. Both future Hall-of-Famers are way out of line.

By Josh Kramer

Through the majority of the 20th century, only amateur athletes were allowed to compete in the Olympics.  Then the Dream Team arrived in 1992.  American superiority in basketball was demonstrated to the fullest.  Eventually, European countries began to catch up.  Now winning the Olympics is somewhat of a challenge for the United State every four years.

Dwyane Wade currently is making over 15.5 million dollars this season.  Ray Allen is currently raking in a meager 10.5 million this year. Yesterday, both said that they feel Team USA basketball players should get paid for their services in London this summer.  Is representing your country not enough?  A chance to play basketball in front of thousands of Europeans fans and millions watching on television in London not enough?  Is likely adding a gold medal to your collection not enough?  Is being a part of Olympic history not enough?  I have always been a fan of both Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen.  Wade’s very hard-nosed style of play since his Marquette days has always been admirable, while Ray Allen’s amazing three-point stroke dating back to his days at UConn has always been a thing of beauty.  Both are way out of line here.

Most wonderful time of the year?

Photo courtesy of thefastertimes.com. Amar'e Stoudemire (pictured above) and the New York Knicks will be a team looking to prove something come Christmas Day when they take on the team that knocked them out of last year's playoffs, the Boston Celtics.

By Josh Kramer

So we are not sure at this point if the NBA will have a season next year.  But we do know that the games scheduled for Christmas Day should be outstanding as usual.  It would be a dire shame if these games were not played and put a real dent in my Christmas Day plans.

Honestly though, my appetite would be left unquenched if there were no NBA games on Christmas.

Here is a closer look at the probable triple-header:

Boston Celtics versus New Yorks:  We all know that the Knicks will bust out their traditional festive green jerseys.  And this matchup should be a great one.  Boston is an aging squad that I feel has worn out its welcome as a contender in the East, while the Knicks are a rising squad, that is looking to become a contender.  Any time you get guys who can score like Amar’e, Carmelo, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen all on the floor together, you already know that there is going to be some fireworks.

“Weekly Nickel”

Barry Melrose (pictured above) is the face of Hockey at ESPN these days. Expect the playoff excitement to continue with some great Conference Semi-Final matchups.

It is another top of the week in the wide world of sports.  Last week was absolutely ludicrous from start to the dramatic finish in New York with the always entertaining NFL Draft.  How couldn’t you enjoy the constant back and forth of Mel Kiper and Jon Gruden?  It was pure entertainment.

Lets take a look at the top 5 for this upcoming week.

“Food for Thought 4-12-11”

Even though Boston has slid into the 3 seed in the East, I think in the last year of the "Big 3" in Beantown, they still will win the Eastern Conference.

After the crazy week that was in sports, there is so much to talk about.  So much going on.  And the fun is just beginning.  Both the NBA and NHL playoffs are right around the corner, while the MLB is already starting to heat up.

Here is a look into some of the main headlines that have caught my attention.

“Stars Aligning: Is this Good for the NBA?”

 

With the major move of Carmelo to New York and Deron Williams to New Jersey, could Chris Paul (pictured above) be next? Our very own Wesley Kaminsky touches on the current state of the NBA.

Wesley is a sports expert and journalist out of Philadelphia that writes for Bleacher Report.  You can check out all of his work at  http://bleacherreport.com/users/88810-wesley-kaminsky or follow his twitter @Wesley_Kaminsky

 

Remember back in the old NBA days where stars wanted to compete against one another and not join forces for the sole purpose to win a ring? I am talking about back in the days of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. These guys did not want to play together and dominate the NBA for years to come, they wanted to battle it out and compete against each other. No, I was not around during the days of Bird and Magic, and was a baby while Jordan was in his prime, but I do know one thing, that the NBA has completely changed since then.

“The Hype is Real: How Derrick Rose Can Win MVP”

 

Can Chicago Bull's star point guard Derrick Rose (pictured above) bring home the MVP? Our very own Wesley Kaminsky thinks so.

Wesley is a sports expert and journalist out of Philadelphia that writes for Bleacher Report.  You can check out all of his work at  http://bleacherreport.com/users/88810-wesley-kaminsky or follow his twitter @Wesley_Kaminsky

When Derrick Rose posed the question “Why can’t I be MVP?” on day one of Chicago Bulls media day, not many people took him seriously. Rose, the young, humble superstar doesn’t talk much in the press, and when he says something you should believe him.