NBA Draft Recap- I Want to be like Dirk

The 2010-2011 season is over.  The Dallas Mavericks played the role of Cinderella as they defeated the evil stepmother, LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.  Dirk Nowitzki finally got his ring and will go down as one of the all-time greats.

Great! That was last year.  And for fans of teams not from Dallas, it's time to look toward next season, starting with the draft.  The addition of young guys to build a team around or for some, just adding the missing ingredient and becoming a contender.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had the privilege of having the first overall pick in draft.  The first time since taking Lebron James in 2003.  Unfortunately for the Cavs, there was no LeBron in the draft this year.  No sure thing, no definite game changer, no king.  Nonetheless, they still had to take someone - their pick: Kyrie Irving out of Duke.

Irving might become a solid player some day, but I don't believe he is number one overall pick caliber today.

One, he was injured most of his freshman and lone year at Duke, playing in only 11 games.  He is by no means proven.  The Cavs currently have four point guards on the roster, including Irving.  For a team trying to get past the destruction left by the departure of LeBron James, I think they could have used the pick more wisely.

Say, on the second overall pick, made by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Derrick Williams out of Arizona.  Williams put his talents in the spotlight during Arizona's NCAA Tournament run.  And it was impressive.  The guy can play both ends of the floor, dunks with authority, blocks shots, and plays physical.  If I had the number one pick, I would have taken Williams.  But I don't run an NBA franchise, so what do I know.

The European Invasion - I want to be like Dirk!
Four of the next five picks would be players from overseas.  It appears as though teams are looking for the next European sensation following the epic title run and victory by the German born Dirk Nowitzki.  As Joe Dumars can remind you, it's hard to spot how talent from foreign land will translate into the NBA.  Remember when Darko Milicic was taken second overall by the Detroit Pistons, behind LeBron James and ahead of stars like Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, and Chris Bosh to name a few?  To say that Darko was a disappointment is an understatement.  He was down right disastrous.  Of course not all European players are going to be flops, but it's a gamble at the highest of stakes.  Good luck to the new wave of Euros joining the NBA ranks, you're going to need it.

Kemba and Jimmer
Kemba Walker, NCAA Tournament MVP and UCONN star was taken eighth overall by the Charlotte Bobcats.  At the seventh pick the Detroit Pistons passed on Kemba and went with another guard in Brandon Knight from Kentucky.  As a Pistons fan, this made me very sad.  Kemba is a proven leader and a winner.  He lead the UCONN Huskies to a perfect post-season record, winning the Big East Tournament followed by the "Big Dance", the NCAA Tournament.  In fact, Kemba beat Knight and the Kentucky Wildcats in the semi-finals of the tournament.  I love Joe Dumars, but his luck has run out and it's time he go.

The next pick at number nine and heading to the Sacramento Kings was Jimmer Fredette out of BYU.  Everyone knows Jimmer can shoot.  And he can also....  Well, he's a good shooter.  He's never played defense.  He can't really create shots without the ball in his hand and he's not a true point guard.  Conclusion: his game doesn't transate to the NBA.  He will be the Tim Tebow of the NBA.  Most people will be rooting for him, but he'll never have a dramatic impact on the game.  However, he's the perfect pick for the Sacramento Kings.  The Kings were trying to leave town following the 2010-2011 season because the owners wanted a new arena.  But, as of now they are staying in California's capital for at least one more year while they try and figure out a solution to the arena problem.  Jimmer will sell seats, jerseys, and popcorn.  He's a fan favorite and following the draft, the Kings season ticket sales saw an increase in revenue.  This will work for the Kings for a season, until everyone realizes Jimmer is more like Adam Morrison than Jim Morrison.

All in all, it was a fairly weak draft year that provided a few story lines and little hype.  Only time will tell exactly how good this years draft prospects are, but I wouldn't hold my breathe in anticipation.
   

Why Isn't Roger Maris in the Hall of Fame?

This question has perplexed me ever since I found out that Roger Maris wasn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I had always just assumed that Maris, rightfully so, was a Hall of Famer.  An assumption I believe is fair and shared by many sports enthusiasts, such as myself.

The obvious reason why Maris belongs in the Hall of Fame, is the fact that in 1961 he broke Babe Ruth's single season home run record by hitting his 61st home run of the year on the final day of the season, besting Ruth by one long ball.  A feat so enormous that Billy Crystal made a movie about it titled 61*. (One of my favorite movies, and I hate the Yankees.)  Maris' record would stand for 37 years, until a chemically enhanced monster known as Mark McGwire, would shatter the record by belting 70 homers in a single season.  Later, an even more drugged up Barry Bonds would hit 73 home runs, and eventually it would come out that all these guys who were hitting 500 foot home runs on the regular, were on steroids, HGH, and estrogen (a female hormone supplement).  McGwire would hit 65 bombs following his 70 homer season, before walking away from the game only a few years before Jose Canseco blew the whistle on steroids and starting naming names, including his long time teammate McGwire.  Bonds, who still holds the single season record with 73, would never hit more than 49 in a season again, even with the assistance of lots and lots steroids, HGH, and whatever else he could get his hands on.

I still consider Roger Maris the single season home run leader.  No player outside of the steroid era has matched or broke 61 home runs in a single season.  Since, Major League Baseball instituted a drug testing policy in 2006, the most home runs hit in a season were 58, hit by Ryan Howard in the same year and only 3 other men, David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, and Jose Bautista ever broke 50!

Today's athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster.  They have more access to trainers and state of the art workout regimens and equipment.  Still, Maris' mark, set in 1961, hasn't been touched (by someone not overflowing with drugs) and probably won't be anytime soon.

If the home run record isn't enough to get Roger Maris in the Hall of Fame, then maybe the fact that he won back-to-back MVP awards in 1960 and 1961 while with the New York Yankees.  Only four players have won the award in consecutive years since Maris did.  Of the 5 that accomplished this milestone prior to Maris, all of them are in the Hall of Fame.  He played in 7 World Series, winning the Championship 3 times - twice with the Yankees and once with the St. Louis Cardinals.

It is well documented that Roger Maris and the media didn't get along.  The media, particularly the Baseball Writer's of America, are the ones who vote for the Hall of Fame.  Am I saying Roger didn't get in because of personal differences?  Yes.

He may not have had the lovable personality of Micky Mantle or a modern day Shaq.  He may not have 15 years of remarkable stats and awards.  But what Roger Maris does have is arguably the greatest season ever played in 1961.  A season that consisted of 61 home runs, an MVP, and his first World Series ring.  In my mind that's enough to be called a Hall of Famer.

Maris' name no longer appears on the Hall of Fame ballot.  The only way he can get in now, is if MLB grants him an entry.  If you know anything about MLB, you know it would take hell freezing over, pigs flying, and Alex Rodriguez admitting to using steroids.  Not likely.

Roger Maris: Hall of Famer*