Can Spieth have the impact of Tiger?

I am a 40 year old (in a few months) Black American who grew up “Asbury Park Middle Class”. Asbury Park Middle Class is different than being middle class in Asbury Park. It’s similar to when you hear someone say they are “Hood Rich”.  We can debate what exactly makes you “Rich” in America but let’s assume it is $10 million net worth.  Hood Rich requires just a little less…basically if you have an apartment, a car, and a job (no matter the pay) that provides benefits then you are “Hood Rich”.  Likewise, Asbury Park Middle Class meant I wasn’t eating at a soup kitchen, yet our family income was less than the requirement to pay for school lunch…Asbury Park Middle Class. Middle Class in America might be $50K - $100K based on family size.  Asbury Park Middle Class is income from $18K - $40K.

All this is relevant as it relates to sports because it dictated the sports we played growing up.  Golf was not one of the popular sports in Asbury Park.  I was the first in my family to attend college and though I could have attended Princeton, Cornell, or others Ivy League schools, they were “too White” for me.  As a few of us finally made it to actual Middle Class and the new millennium approached, the sports world lost its biggest icon Michael Jordan.  The void was filled with a young brash, dominant figure from a sport we never paid attention too.  Tiger Woods, or Tiger Wu as he became known to my friends and me, dominated his sport like no other before him.  Never before had golf been a mainstream sport, but Tiger Wu was so dominant that he captured not only the attention of a few wealthy golfers, but also the inner city 30 somethings retired basketball players were now trading in Jordan’s for Tiger Wu golf shoes.  Not only did I purchase golf clubs, but I purchased a country club memberships.

We would go play early Sunday mornings so that we get home in the afternoon to see Tiger Wu capture another trophy.  I, an all-star basketball player in high school and college a football player, who never purchased a single sports Jersey was now wearing red golf polo shirts as I played my round on Sunday morning.  When Tiger was playing, golf became appointment viewing.  Like many, I was a Tiger fan more than a golf fan.  I am not the moral police so I cared very little about the now infamous Thanksgiving Day incident.  All I cared about was when would Tiger be back on the course and how soon would he catch Jack. 

I was never going to be Tiger, but I enjoyed going to the course and trying to emulate his shots and that beautiful swing.  Jack talked about how when he get older, married, and had children that his priorities change.  With the divorce and Tiger’s in ability to see his children every day, much of the time Tiger spent practicing was now spent playing with his children.   I can’t blame him. I have two toddlers and I canceled my country club membership also.  Before was playing at least 36 holes a week, I haven’t played twice in a week in at least three years. 

As Tiger returned and it became clear that he was no longer the same player, not only did I stop watching golf, but even playing became less enjoyable.  For me over the past two years, golf had become an afterthought.  I’ve barely watched and golf on TV and I’ve played maybe five times over the past two years.  That is until this year with  Jordan Spieth.  I haven’t been this excited about a golfer since Tiger in his early days.  Even though Spieth didn’t win the Open, he has been completely dominant in golf this year.  Though he doesn’t have the appeal of Tiger, he may become just as dominate. If it’s one thing us Americans can get behind is a dominate sports figure.  There are a lot of good young guns, but Spieth has the most potential.  I hope the old Tiger makes a return, but weather he does or not, I am finally back into golf and that thanks to young Mr. Spieth.  Spieth may not become as dominate as Tiger Wu in the early 2000’s and no one will have the impact Tiger had growing the game, but just maybe Spieth can bring some of us Tiger Woods fans back to golf…and I can use it if only to get a rest from chasing my two boys. 

Kobe, Please Don’t Change a Thing

As a five year old kid in 1980, my older brother introduced me to the NBA.  There is only so much a five year old kid can retain, so the NBA became three players and three teams: Julius “Dr. J” Erving and the Sixers, Larry Bird and the Celtics, and Erving “Magic” Johnson and the Lakers.  Magic and Bird were great, but no one was as exciting to five year old me than Dr. J.  When the Doctor finally got past the Celtics only to lose in the finals to the Lakers, I cried like…well, like an eight year old kid.  As great as Dr. J was, he never won a championship until Moses Malone joined the Sixers. 

The Celtics and Larry Bird had arguably the best frontcourt in NBA history.  If Magic as a 6’9” PG wasn’t enough, the Lakers also featured the NBA’s all-time leading scorer at Center in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  The Lakers won 5 Championships, Celtics won 3, and Dr. J finally got his with Moses Malone.  Of the ten championships in the decade, nine were won with a combination of an all-time great perimeter player and a Hall of Fame post player.  Of the 36 championship teams since 1980, 23 have won with that combination.  Eight of the remaining 13 championships were won by arguably the top two perimeter players in the history of the NBA in Michael Jordan and LeBron James.  In simpler terms, since 1980 86% of NBA Championships were won by a transcendent player or the perimeter/HOF combination.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have won five championships in the new millennium, with Kobe as the perimeter player and Shaq then Gasol as the future HOF post player.  If you listen to sports radio or any ESPN show, the Lakers are done as a relevant team and Kobe the cause of their demise.  As Kobe approaches his 20^th season, the Lakers are looking for the next Hall of Famer to lead them back to glory.  The Lakers put the full court press on Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, and LaMarcus Aldridge over the past three season and they lost out on all three.  The story is that after 19 seasons Kobe isn’t capable of being the best player on a championship team, but he expects free agents to take a backseat him.  As long as Kobe is a Laker, he expects to play the Batman role.  In Kobe’s defense, he is a five time champion and the Lakers have won 16 overall.  Howard, Anthony, and Aldridge are good players but neither have a championship.  With the skyrocketing salary cap, money has to be spent and quite a few players are receiving max contracts. Though they are getting max money, very few players are capable of being the alpha dog on a championship team.  Aldridge, Carmelo, neither Howard fit that bill so they need someone to either teach them or another player to be the first option.  You see Howard found that in James Harden in Houston.     

Making matters worse Kobe and the Lakers, three of the past four championship teams were led by pass happy stars (LeBron & Stephen Curry) who are great “teammates” and neither team had great post players.  So in the new NBA, Kobe and the Lakers are dinosaurs who need to change or become extant.  After hearing this for the past two years, it seemed as if the Lakers had finally given in.  It was widely assumed the Lakers would draft Okafor to be the Center of their next championship run, but surprising everyone at the draft, they took D’Angelo Russell.  Most of the analyst were happy because the Lakers finally moved into the future.  Then free agency started and they Lakers were back to their old ways.  Not only did they miss out on Aldridge, but he was insulted by their presentation.  For three straight off-season, the Lakers would not only miss out on their top targets, but no free agent of relevance would join them.  Even second tier free agents like Greg Monroe chose the Bucks (of Milwaukee that is) over the sunshine and star-studded city of Los Angeles.

In four years (the max length of a contract for free agents), we will look back and see that Kobe saved the Lakers from themselves.  It seems that Kobe has higher standards from the Lakers than does the current management team.  Dwight, Melo, and Aldridge are all good players, all-star players, even all-NBA players, but neither has the complete game or the ability to dominance at a level which is required to be the primary option on a championship team.  And that is only considering on court skillsets.  We’ve all heard that a team needs to struggle and “learn” to be champions.  I am sure someone will say what about the Warriors who won with no player who had NBA Finals experience.  They are champions and I am not diminishing it in any way, but most every agrees their path was made easier when they did not have to face the battle tested San Antonio Spurs.  You only need to look to LeBron James to understand the importance of winning experience.  He fled to go to Miami, not only for more skilled players, but for players (mainly D Wade) and a management team that knew how to win.  Even with an experienced Heat team, and a healthy Dwayne Wade, LeBron’s lack of championship experience costs the Heat the series against the Dallas Mavs.  After the letdown against the Mavs, you saw a different player against the Thunder the following year. 

You can’t knock Aldridge for choosing the Spurs, but if the rumors are true and free agents are not choosing the Lakers because they don’t want to play with Kobe for even a year, then Jean Buss is right and they don’t belong in the Purple & Gold.  If you are not willing to sacrifice a few shots for a year so that you can learn from one of the top 15 players all-time, then I don’t want you on my team.  Missing out on the “Dwight Howard” type free agents may cause the Lakers to miss the playoffs another year or two, but when they do find that right player (and many believe it is Russell) then they will be championship contenders, not just contenders for the 7^th or 8^th seed.  I have two sons, ages 2 & 3, and I am a season ticket holder to the lowly Sixers.  Maybe Russell and Okafor will lead the Lakers & Sixers back to NBA Finals.  I saw it for the first time when I was eight years old. That means that they have five to six years for me to give my boys the same experience. Maybe this time the Sixers will win so my boys don’t have to cry like I did.

Talk2Me

The Gap Man   

2015 NBA Draft Takeaways

The 2015 NBA draft is history, so it is now time to for the unqualified, unpaid GMs to tell the HIGHLY compensated GMs how incompetent they all are.  This year there was consensus around the top pick, so GM/Coach Flip Saunders gets a pass until next year.  While others are phrasing Kupchak and Baby Buss, they get no such treatment from me.  The draft got interesting with the Lakers’ pick, number 2 overall, and that decision impacted all the picks until Pat Riley got lucky at number 10.  There are always one or two players who fall out of the lottery who become starters if not All-Stars.  This year I think there is a sleeper in the late first round and early second. Read on to discover those and other interesting stories on the 2015 NBA Draft. 

Timberwolves - Towns is a solid pick that fits a need, so they had to make that pick.  Not only does Towns have as much upside as anyone in the draft, but he checks the box in every area of need for the Wolves.

Lakers - I don't like it.  The Lakers (and many other NBA teams) let Warriors “trick” them into drafting for the new NBA, but Steph Curry is the best shooter in the history of the NBA and Thompson will end up in the top 10. That backcourt won't happen again. You can't play like the Warriors without a player like Steph Curry. 

76ers - I hated the pick initially, but the more I thought about it the more it grew on me.  Don’t get me wrong, I would have still taken Mudiay.  In fact, I would have taken Mudiay over Russell.  As risky as drafting Okafor seems on the surface with the redundancy in the frontcourt, it is actually Hinkie’s first safe pick.  Of all the players in this year’s draft, Okafor is the one known commodity.  The questions we heard were around his love for the game and conditioning, not his skills.  Keep in mind that while Okafor “lacked conditioning” as a freshman at Duke, he was College Basketball’s best offensive weapon on the low block since Tim Duncan two decades earlier.  The 76ers drafted the starting Center for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and we are not talking about waiting for Okafor to reach his full potential in five years.  The only way Okafor isn’t an All-Star in 2016 is if they select players based on front and back court vs individual positions.  Once Okafor puts on the 76ers uniform, he’s the best Center in the Eastern Conference.  

Okafor’s defense needs work, but who is he concerned about guarding…Roy Hibbert?  His weak pick and roll defense isn’t as big an issue in the East because the Conferences’ Centers are not an offensive threat. Additionally, Okafor is teamed with the human obstacle course.  An obstacle course presents different challenges for a competitor to win.  That is Norlens Noel on defense for the 76ers.  He can guard every position aside from MAYBE point guard.  Noel’s hands are as quick as his feet, as he was the only player to be ranked in the top ten in both block and steals per game in 2015.  I expect Noel to contend for defensive player of the year as early as 2016.  If Okafor leads the 76ers to more team wins, Noel may have a real shot to win the DPOY Award.  

The downside of the Okafor pick is related to the foot of a player who hasn’t stepped on the court in over a year.  Joel Embiid, Center, was the highest ranked player leading up to the 2014 NBA Draft, yes even higher than Roy Wiggins.  Right now, the 76ers don’t know if he will have to sit out another year.  A known lower back injury and an unknown foot injury give the 76ers the opportunity to draft Embiid with the third pick.  It was expected the Embiid would lead the 76ers into the 2015-2016 season.  A recent medical report has put a cloud over when Embiid will actually see live action.  If Embiid can make it back early in the 2015 season, then the 76ers may potentially have a chemistry issue.  Two of the 76ers top three players would play the same position.  You could argue that all three players play the same position. If there is a chemistry issue, then that means Embiid is healthy and playing well.  That would be the type of problem the 76ers would finally like to have.  

Knicks - They should just fire Jackson now.  The argument that Zinger shoots and dribbles better than anyone 7' tall is stupid and irrelevant.  Even if Zinger gains 20lbs he still can't play PF or Center.  So the fact that he dribbles and shots better than 7 footers is pointless in the NBA.  His skill and athleticism is great for a center but terrible for a SF and that is what he will have to play in the NBA. Otherwise, he is just an extra tall Channing Frye or Spencer Hawes. That's terrible get for the 4th pick in the draft. 

Magic - I would have taken Winslow, but I could live with the pick of (let’s just call him) Mario H. I am not against all Euros, just Euro bigs who look like lollipop sticks. 

Nuggets - I think Mudiay will be a star. Trade Lawson now and give Mudiay the rock.  I am not concerned that his jump shot needs work.  All athletic guards coming into the league are inconsistent jump shooters. I think his upside is Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose and I think his floor is Eric Bledsoe.  Even if he doesn’t work at PG, his size and skill would allow him to be an effective SG.  Currently SG is likely the only position weaker than Center in the league.  In two years, Mudiay would likely be a top 5 SG already. 

Charlotte - If it is true that the Celtics offered four first round picks and two second picks to move up from 16 to 9 and Rich Cho and Michael Jordan didn't make that trade then I am submitting my resume to the Hornets because Cho won’t be there long.  Next year when all these predictions are shown to be true, MJ will let Cho go and bring me on.  I promise you Charlotte fans, I will not let a trade like that ever get passed up again.  Especially for a role players like Frank “the tank”.

Heat - I loved the Winslow pick just like everyone else.  I think Winslow will be a top 5 player in this draft and the Heat sat by and watched him fall into their lap at the 10^th pick. 

Celtics - Like Celtics 2nd pick. I think RJ Hunter will be a major contributor. I really do think he's the next Reggie Miller and teams will regret letting him slip to 28. Celtics need perimeter shooting bad and he does that well. He will struggle with defense so until Celtics get a rim protect, his minutes may be limited. 

Rockets - In the second round, I think Harrell can be Dennis Rodman. The NBA likes potential but you know what you have with him and he can be a beast on the glass and defense if he got the right team. Unfortunately, Houston isn't the right team. They don't play defense and he doesn't fit their 3 point attack and they already have Howard to drive the lane on pick and roles. Get Harrell to a team with a good pick and role PG and defensive coach and he will add value…not Barkley but can be part of the 8 man

Talk2Me

The Gap Man

76ers Draft 2015

Everyone knows that you need a Batman & Robin duet to win a NBA Championship. What most don’t realize is that you need six other Super-Friends to complete the team. Not even Superman can win it alone, though LeBron pushed that theory to its limit in the 2015 Finals. Simply put, to win a NBA championship you need an eight man core.

 With the salary cap about to skyrocket, you may ask why not more than eight. Teams with greater depth are valued during the marathon regular season, but rotations shortens during the playoffs. You fill the back half of your 12-15 man roster with best talent you can afford, but the championship is won with your core eight. I am writing this article (if this can even be called that) because my wife has allowed me to purchase season tickets to the 76ers for the third year. The Sixers unusual rebuilding strategy has given them (I guess should say “us”) the opportunity to build the eight from the ground up. I can’t say that I agree with all of Sam Hinkie moves, specifically drafting two players in the lottery when neither would play for the team in the year they were drafted. I admit paying for season tickets to watch nine undrafted players on a nightly basis influences my feelings. That said, the past is the past and this is where we are now. Hinkie is obviously looking to build a championship team and not just a playoff team in the weak Eastern Conference. Best case scenario, the Sixers have four players who have the potential to be part of core eight. Of those four, Norlens Noel is the only sure bet. If Embiid can get and stay healthy, he will be the best Center in the Eastern Conference by the end of his rookie contract. Aside from Youtube clips, I don’t have much info on Saric. But Hinkie drafted a player in the lottery that he knew wouldn’t play for 76ers for three years, so I have to assume he has the skills to be a real player. Who is the fourth player you ask. At 6-9 with a nice 3-point shot, Robert Covington could be part of the core eight with his 3D potential. The rest of the 76ers players are just holding spots until Hinkie can build the “right” team.

All this leads me to the 2015 NBA draft, which is to be held on Thursday June 25th. The Sixers have the third pick and making the right decision could go a long way with Hinkie’s goal of building a championship team. Noel and Embiid are the Sixers best players and Saric could come over as soon as the 2016-2017 season. That means the Sixers best three players will all play in the front court. So please tell me Hinkie isn’t seriously considering drafting Kristaps Porzingis. Tell me this is a smoke screen to get the Magic to trade up and offer next year’s first round pick. Even is Porzingis has more potential than Noel, he duplicates the skillset of Saric. If the 76ers draft Porzingis, their top four players will all play either PF or Center. In a pinch, maybe you can play Saric at SF but I don’t think you want a full diet of him playing against Lebron or Durant or Melo.

Towns will be the top pick so either Russell or Mudiay or both will be available to the Sixers at the third pick. Because Golden State won the Championship shooting 3’s, Mudiay has been falling as we get closer to the draft. Aside from Towns, Mudiay is the player whose game most closely matches the way the NBA is played today. He is an athletic PG who has the ability to score. All I hear is that his jump shot isn’t consistent, but how many athletic wings have a consistent jump shot as they enter the NBA.

Mudiay’s shot isn’t broken like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, so he should improve his shooting as he grows in the NBA. I think there is limited bust potential with Mudiay. If he doesn’t correct the turnovers which have been a problem, then he is long and athletic enough to move over to SG. I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but SG is a really weak position in the league today. Russell is the hot name now, but I would draft Mudiay if I were Hinkie. I seem to be on an island with this opinion, but Russell’s lack of athleticism scares me. He is a good jump shooter, but he isn’t Curry or Thompson or even Bradley Beal.

Everyone sees Russell’s NBA comp as James Harden and not just because of the left hand. To me that is his only comp. Aside from Harden, there aren’t many successful NBA players in the mold of Russell. In today’s NBA, I can give you several NBA comps for Mudiay. His ceiling is Westbrook and I recognize that no one is as physically gifted as Westbrook. I can give you Derrick Rose before the injuries. If we take a step down we have Eric Bledsoe. If PG doesn’t work, then his ceiling at SG is Wade. Wade is an all-time great so how about Victor Oladipo? You get my point? Russell could be the next great player, but he could be the bust at the third pick. If Mudiay doesn’t turn into Westbrook or Rose, at worse he is Bledsoe or Oladipo. With the third pick in the draft, the 76ers need that back court players to continue to build their eight. With Mudiay, they are virtually guaranteed the next puzzle piece. On the selfish said, Mudiay will make the games more exciting and after three years the Sixers owe me at least that much!

Talk2Me

The Gap Man