Drafties

BISdom: So, this is exactly why we should have waited to the very last minute to do our fantasy football draft (also this – I mean who doesn't want to draft this kid now).

Obviously, the Sidney Rice injury is making me rethink having him as my #1 receiver, since he's possibly out over half the year. But, it doesn't necessarily make me rethink drafting him. I think I just overpaid.

There is some legitimate strategy behind drafting players who will be sidelined for the opening weeks. Since you took one of the most notorious (Big Ben Roethlisberger), I thought you might be willing to share your reasoning. I mean, I don't think anybody's going to steal him from you now.

Benis: Well the Sidney Rice injury really legitimizes Stephania Bell's place on ESPN now doesn't it? Too bad she didn't break that news to you the day before our draft, say before 8:15 pm EST (our start time). Oh well, I doubt one injury will crush your fantasy football season considering you drafted seven wide receivers (Rice, Mike Wallace, Hakeem Nicks (I hear he's crib), Kenny Britt, Malcolm Floyd, Mohamed Massaquoi, and Chaz Schilens), half of who's names sound made up, McLovin style. And to hate on having a draft time/date in which every member of the league (which has members from all corners of the country) was able to attend is just wrong...though I can see why you're upset. But I digress, since you actually posed an interesting question: Why did I draft the "notorious" Big Ben Roethlisberger?

For me it was a no-brainer. Any guy who hangs out in college bars with his buddies hitting on co-eds, drinking beer and grasping onto his youth as long he can has a place on my fantasy football team any day (and yes this means our buddy J would be a first-round pick). Seriously though, the guy is most likely a douche who may or may not have crossed a line or two at some point. BUT he was a top-10-rated QB last year. I got him in the 14^th round (the last position player that should be taken before you select a defense and a kicker) to play one week, Peyton Manning's bye week, which occurs after he is back from suspension, even if he serves the full 6 games (which he won't). On top of that he's insurance against the Colts destroying everyone again this year and resting Peyton in the final weeks of the season...which as any somewhat intelligent fantasy football player knows, is the playoffs/championship in their league. On top of that, he's injured reserve-list eligible, meaning he doesn't even take up a roster spot during his suspension. Like I said, no-brainer.

Obviously you can tell I'm stoked about that pick, and honestly I feel pretty decent about my team, but excluding ourselves (because we would obviously just bitch back and forth about the true value of Ryan Matthews and our individual draft strategies), who do you think had the best draft? And if you say the Saratoga Land Mines, I'm quitting this blog, because no one who drafts a kicker in the 10^th round could possibly have had the best draft.

BISdom: So, I can't pick you?

Then I think I'll have to go with the Port City Raging Canadien. There are a lot of quality-looking starting rosters in our league, but the Raging Canadien have (possibly) the best bench player in Michael Crabtree. They also got Brett Favre in the 9^th round, even though he could be a top-8 QB. Joe Flacco, who was worth 28.5% fewer F-points last season, was drafted six rounds earlier (obviously too high). Obviously, I gifted Chris Johnson to the Raging Canadien, which helps, and they also got your favorite D, the Saints.

I'm not huge on Knowshon Moreno or Matt Forte, but they are both feature backs, which is obviously becoming rarer. I think they overpaid for Brandon Marshall (round 2) and Kevin Kolb (round 10 – immediately after the Brett Favre pick), but I don't think either is a bad player.

As for the loser (I still can't pick you?), I'd go with JIMMY in the HEINEY, solely based on draft strategy, not overall +/- for the draft experience. Shonn Greene and Brandon Jacobs are both single-purpose backs with some significant competition from more versatile backups (LT and Joe McKnight for Greene, Ahmad Bradshaw for Jacobs). Hines Ward is 34, and Vincent Jackson has to sit three games for violating the league's substance abuse policy, if he plays at all.

Obviously, MJD (round 1) and Philip Rivers (round 3) are solid picks, but their next best pick may have been Leon Washington in round 12.

Who are your team winners and losers?

Benis: So I reviewed every team (except ours because our draft strategies were flawless of course) in search of my winners and losers. And since I put in all of that work, I'm going to give you the quick break down from worst to best drafts, in my humble opinion of course…

The Worst: Team Manley. No shocker here. Team Manley has been providing yearly evidence that girls shouldn't play fantasy sports. And though I did love the fact that she got Ray Rice, I am not a fan of pairing him with Joe Flacco (who you've already hated on), and the Ravens D. The Ravens' bye week going is to be one hell of a down week for Team Manley; that's for sure. But honestly Team Manley gets my vote for worst draft due to the drafting of two defenses and two kickers. That's ¼ of her total picks. Just piss poor.

Runner Up to Sucking the Worst: Swimcap Condoms. When two of your top three running backs are CJ Spiller and Arian Foster, you had a shitty draft. To compliment the Condoms, I do like the Jermichael Finley pick at TE, and for where they got Steven Jackson, he's a high-value pick. Of course that was followed up by the drafting of Tony Romo…and as you know, I hate Tony Romo as a fantasy QB. And a little as a person, but that's because I'm jealous he plowed Carrie Underwood.

The Taint Region of Sucking the Worst: Dirty SilverSpringers. Drafted Aaron Rodgers and Roddy White, two great picks. Followed that up with RBs Mendenhall, French Thomas, and Forsett (who honestly, without Matthew Berry, I wouldn't know who he was). On top of the shit sandwich of RBs the Silverspringers have a weak bench AND drafted two defenses, which, as you can tell, I'm not a fan of.

Still in the Bottom Half of the League in Sucking: My Bojangles. My Bojangles had almost as bad of a draft as the Dirty Silverspringers and employed a similar strategy: draft a good QB (Schaub) and WR (Andre Johnson) and then crap the bed with RBs (Jamal Charles, Beanie Wells, Thomas Jones). Aren't Jones and Charles even on the same team? (The answer: yes.) My Bojangles avoided drafting two defenses, but he might as well have because he wasted a pick on Matt Leinart. Obviously My Bojangles' ownership has not been watching pre-season football.

Just to Piss Him Off: Saratoga Land Mines. Picked Drew Brees first, then went with last year's studs/surprises, Miles at WR and Grant and Benson at RB. If everyone has the year they did last year (not that history suggests they will), this is actually a pretty decent draft. If they don't, it's a disaster. Plus there's no way I can put the Land Mines any higher seeing as how they took Nate Kaeding in the 10^th round…one round after Brett Farve came off the board…just dumb.

Turning the Corner: JIMMY in the HEINEY. So it's pretty obvious I like HEINEY's draft a bit more than you, either that or I hate everyone else's more. Either way, Solid Picks with Rivers and MJD. Dallas Clark might as well be a WR, and the Jets Defense (as soon as Revis signs, and Revis if you're reading this MAKE IT SOON; I'm tired of all the ESPN coverage) is actually a very valuable fantasy piece. Vincent Jackson is a wild card, and I don't hate the RB's on this team as much as you do…though the more I look at it, the more I'm upset I ranked JIMMY in the HEINEY this high. Ok moving on before I change my mind.

On the Cusp: Port City Raging Canadien. Top four position players: Chris Johnson (gift from you), Brett Farve (steal in 9^th round), Brandon Marshall (beast), and Steve Smith (of the Carolina persuasion). That is about as solid as you get. The down side, the Raging Canadien may have assembled one of the craziest fantasy teams of all time. So it should be a fun season. Lost the top spot because you already put him there and because he drafted two defenses.

And the Best Draft Goes To: Fog Raw. Top three RBs: Frank Gore, DeAngelo Williams, and Felix Jones. Fog Raw also picked up Greg Jennings (multiple Lambeau Leaps in his future) and Wes Welker (much later than I thought he should've gone…it's still a homer pick though). With Anquan Boldin as the 2^nd/3^rd WR option, that's a solid starting lineup at all of the skill positions except QB (Vernon Davis at TE isn't terrible either). At QB, Fog Raw went with the Jay Cutler/Donovan McNabb platoon, which, in my mind, is the only big question mark in the starting roster for week one.

So a congrats to our former guest blogger Matty J and his team Fog Raw for a solid draft.

Any negative or positive (unlikely) reactions?

BISdom: Really? That's your follow-up question? "Thoughts"?

What am I paying you for?

Since you're not giving me much to work with, I'll end this blog on this final note. Analysis after a draft is a lot like projections before a draft: neither has much value until this inane preseason wraps up and the games are played. I think this blog will add some drama to our already awesome league as we can now track our rankings through the season to prove if we're right or wrong.

In other words, if I don't win the championship, I hope the Raging Canadiens do.

Restricted agency

BISdom: Obviously a gazillion people have written, talked, podcast, intimated, etc. about the new Miami Heat. But I feel like we need a new free agency blog. So, let's discuss anything free agency that's not Miami Heat. Why don't you start with your thoughts on the most compelling story that doesn't involve LeBron James? In other words, what's the most important move that nobody is talking about?

Benis: Man where to begin? Possibly with a thank you from our 1-2 readers that they weren't subjected to me bashing LeBron for 3,000 words and then admitting if I were him I would've done the same thing. Seriously though that dude sucks, and I am glad America finally sees it. Moving on because that is what I was prompted to do.

First since free agency isn't over I'm not sure the biggest move that no one is talking about will still be the same by the start of the 2010-11 season. But here's some thoughts on things I thought deserved more press than they received:

1) Kobe and Durant signing extensions with their current teams, not calling one hour specials, and just quietly taking care of their business. Arguably the two best players in the league (or 2 of the best 4) went about it the way the two of them go about their NBA business: Kobe in a business-like fashion and Durant like an unassuming kid, who's just thankful for what he's got. Now as an open and avid Kobe and Durant fan it's not surprising that this is number one on my list, but seriously this is BIG news. LA and OKC fans can breathe easier knowing they won't be publicly crushed by their team's Superduper Stars and that their team's future is secure.

2) Joe Johnson getting the biggest pay day of $119 million. Did anyone expect Joe "I shit the bed in the playoffs last year" (as I wrote about previously) Johnson to make more money this free agency period than LeBron, Wade, Bosh, and Amar'e? I find it hilarious. Hawks fans should be scared shitless...this contract will become so atrocious in 3 years that he may be victim of the Alan Houston Rule.

3) No one is discussing what is actually driving so many free agent deals...the almost guaranteed NBA lockout in 2011. It's so likely to happen the NBA Players Association sent letters to players' agents instructing them to pay their clients in a 24-month installment for this year's paycheck, instead of a 12-month as per usual. First of all, I had no idea that's how players got paid, and secondly, what a brilliant idea by the NBAPA. Seriously, with so many former NBA players in financial trouble (see Antoine Walker), this is a great move. Of course the real point is a lockout is happening, and that sucks.

4) Carlos Boozer to Chicago. He makes that team SO much better. Honestly I think the Bulls would win a 7 game series versus the Heat right now. Chicago needed a legit scoring option at the 4 and now they have it. Plus with rumors they are going to sign JJ Redick, I can't wait to make fun of a team with so many Duke players...if only they weren't going to be so good (because JJ would fit in perfectly there, with Booz, Rose, Noah and Deng). Dammit.

5) Tony Allen signing with the Grizzlies. This makes me sad personally because he was so fun to watch for me because for the entire time he was on the floor I knew our boy (and former guest blogger) Matty J was on the edge of his seat and swearing at the TV. I wish Boston had resigned him. I truly do.

That's 5 off the top of my head though I'm sure I'm missing something...your thoughts?

BISdom: If this were Around the Horn or PTI, this would be the point when Tony "Jheri curl" Reali would blast you for not following the rules or answering the question. I asked you to identify one story/move that is under the radar and important, not list every move that doesn't involve LeBron.

So, I suppose I'll have to steal one of your picks, since I don't really care about the Knicks.

I think Joe Johnson's return is a pretty compelling story. To your point about the salary, for some reason that I don't care to understand, free agents can make more money returning than leaving. Also, the Heat players took reduced salaries to play together.

Beyond that, Johnson – unlike Bosh, Wade, or LeBron – would have been leaving a team with a considerably stable and useful roster. With their retention of Johnson, the Hawks are maintaining a good (fairly young) nucleus of players: Mike "Old Man" Bibby (age 32), Johnson (29), Marvin Williams (24), Josh Smith (24), Al Horford (24), Zaza "Doesn't Need a Last Name" Pachulia (26), Jamal Crawford (30), and I'll throw in Jeff Teague (22) for Charles' sake.

The Hawks have made the Playoffs the past three years with roughly the same key players. There is really only one other NBA team that can say that (San Antonio). Admittedly the Hawks haven't killed it in the Playoffs (only winning two of their five series and never getting past round two), but if this is the year that they finally figure the Playoffs out, they could be a very dangerous (admittedly Eastern Conference) team.

I'm not calling the Hawks a championship contender, but I do think they've got a good core of young players, especially with the re-signing of Johnson. With most of the talk revolving around free agents bailing on their former teams, teams that stick together are usually ignored.

Now, to further avoid, or at least limit, Heat talk, which team (singular!) do you think is the biggest loser so far?

Benis: Well first of all I did answer the question..."First since free agency isn't over I'm not sure the biggest move that no one is talking about will still be the same by the start of the 2010-11 season"...and got bashed. I guess I'll try to answer your next question as directly as possible...of course after I rant about something else first:

You picked Joe Johnson resigning as being the "most important move that nobody is talking about"? Really? The East is LOADED next year with Miami, Orlando, Chicago, and the Celtics all being better than the Hawks. At least in my mind. That puts them at best a 5 seed. Then you look at an improved New York team thanks to Amar'e, and the Hawks could be looking at a 6 seed. In a much improved division, all the Hawks did was maintain (which may have been their only option honestly). And if their team wasn't good enough to make the Eastern Conference Finals last year, they damn sure won't make it next year.

If you were going to force me to pick one, I'd pick the pending lock out...but since I'm guessing we'll have plenty of chances to discuss that a year from now I'll move on to your 2nd question:

I think the team that is biggest loser so far is: (see I restated the question in my answer so I don't get chastised)...

LeBron's Camp for the way they handled "The Decision"...just kidding, no LeBron talk...

The Charlotte B-B-B-B-Bobcats. In a league where everyone is getting better, they appear to be getting worse. Here's a list of reasons why:

1) The departure of Raymond Felton (to the NY Knicks, where he will put up gaudy numbers in Mike D'Antoni's system). This hurts on multiple levels but most importantly...the 'Cats have no real contingency plan at point guard. And don't try to convince me that D.J. Augustine (the only PG on the roster [until they signed Shaun Livingston after Benis wrote this]) is their contingency plan. Plus it's my understanding that Larry Brown is not a D.J. fan. (Can I be the first to revamp the Iverson to Charlotte rumor?)

2) Larry Brown himself. He is either the #1 reason this team succeeds next year or he is one of the reasons they fail. But the 'Cats are losers this year because we're reaching that point in the Larry Brown experiment where he traditionally gives up on a team and either starts trading players away (which he'll have the power to do with MJ in the front office) or he starts throwing them under the bus and alienating them. (Warning to Charlottonians, do not hang out with Steven Jackson at a strip club after LB throws him under the bus...actually I personally kinda want to be there. It'll be like swimming with sharks.)

3) The 'Cats didn't get better. I just bitched at Atlanta for maintaining only, but the 'Cats aren't even doing that. First of all, they had no draft picks in this year's draft. This is from years of shitty trades. There are honestly too many to count or go through, plus I've already written more about the Bobcats than ANYONE cares to ready (even 'Cats fans) so let's move on. Secondly they made this trade. Let's just call it the latest dip on the Matt Carroll rollercoaster. (The high points: his surprise play two years ago and trading away his horrific contract. The low points: signing him to the horrific contract and trading for his horrific contract. Hopefully for Charlotte the ride ends pleasantly.) Outside of Carroll the 'Cats get Erik Dampier's contract (the main piece received in return for Chandler) and Najera…who, even though I did a project in my collegiate Spanish class on him, I have little admiration for.

4) They play in the South Eastern Division. I just listed above the teams that are better than the Hawks in the Eastern Conference. Well add the Hawks to that list and those are at least 7 teams better than the 'Cats as they currently stand. Oh and to make matters worse, Miami, Orlando, and Atlanta are all in the same division as the 'Cats. (Not to mention #1 overall draft pick John Wall's Wizards…I'm guessing he averages about 20-12-8 against D.J. Augustine this year.) If you're a season ticket holder you're in for quite a show with multiple games against some of the NBA's – let alone the Eastern Conference's – best teams. Just don't expect many wins.

5) Bad Timing. The 'Cats made their (brief) debut in the Playoffs last year, and honestly, there was a small "buzz" in Charlotte again about the NBA, something that died years ago thanks to George Shinn. (Get it, "buzz" because Charlotte used to be home of the Hornets?) To take a step back this year with another losing team will crush any momentum the franchise has in terms of popularity.

Add losing on the court to losing fans as a franchise and the 'Cats (notice how I refuse to refer to them as the Bobcats since that pompous asshole Bob Johnson named the team after himself and then sold them after realizing he didn't know how to own a sports team) are by far positioning themselves as the team that appears to be the biggest loser thus far.

BISdom: So, we agree that you didn't answer the first question. Good.

One final note on the Hawks, a comparison: the Hawks are getting older and more experienced; the Celtics are getting older and slower. Yes, Atlanta maintained, but they maintained an improving team.

As for the loser, this is almost breaking the rules, but I'm going to pick the Cavs. Yes they lost LeBron, but I think they're really the losers this year because their owner, the Quicken Loans guy, proved himself to be an insufferable douchebag and a big whiny baby, with no sense of tact.

Certainly he had a right to be upset, and I am in no way defending "The Decision," but Gilbert's response seemed petty and, frankly, stupid. Just like you never promise crazy a baby, you don't promise championships to Cleveland fans, especially when your best player is a point guard who didn't even lead his team in assists last season (or anything, really).

Gilbert promised the Cavs would win a championship before LeBron does, but I'd argue that the Indians are more likely to win a championship before the Cavs.

The only thing Cleveland gained this offseason is sympathy, which means the fans and the media will be more forgiving of their mediocrity, which means the current team members will stick around longer, which means the inevitable implosion and rebuilding will only be delayed.

Benis: Chastise me for breaking the rules then YOU cop out and do it? Totally uncool. Though I agree, the Cavs are definitely losers this year. At least Cleveland should be used to it.

Finally, a guest blogger

Benis: For this topic I felt it only fair to bypass my lovable (or hate-able) BISdom co-host and reach out to our long-time friend and Celtic die-hard Matty J. So, without further ado, some not-so-brief thoughts on Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Matty J: Well that sucked....a few things before I force myself to think about the draft...

• We had it. And we couldn't close. Sucks but that is the truth. We did everything we could have asked on the defensive end – well except box out. I told myself midway through the 3rd that if we win it, it is because Kobe shot his team out of the game. And that still happened. And it wasn't enough.
  
• Fucking Ron Artest. Well I am glad he brought something to the table this series, and he played well when it mattered most, in games 6 and 7. Hat tip to him. Fucker.
  
• Missed Perk, but primarily just as a big body. Can't say we missed him anywhere else except for his rebounding.
  
• Good game by 'Sheed. Read everywhere already that his body has officially broken down, he was being subbed in and out due to cramps and strains, and he is retiring. If so, thanks for showing up in the playoffs; we will forget about the reg. season due to helping us down when it mattered most.
  
• Frustrating offensive game. We go up because we went to our two clear advantages: 'Sheed on the block because Gasol couldn't do shit against that and Rondo pushing the ball hard. Neither happened in half 2. At all. Rondo with a very quiet almost trip-dub with 12, 10 and 8.
  
• Kobe carried that team for the first 6 games. Shat the bed in Game 7. You better be loving some Ron Ron and Pau right now. And he better be loving them also. Have to admit he was killing you guys for a long time.
  
• Fuck fuck fuck.
  

Benis: It came to the point where I was yelling at the TV: "No Kobe...pass the fucking ball"...that means yes he was trying to do too much. With that said...15 rebounds. Add to that some lock-tight defense on everyone he guarded (I'm guessing if we go back to the tape rondo scored his 12 against fisher and on the fast break...actually thinking hazily back I'm pretty sure that is the case). Did he deserve the finals MVP? Hell yes for games 1-6. Did he give us the Jordan "I'm not losing this game" moment...no...well maybe. But not in the way we expected. Regardless 5 rings.

So a few other thoughts: I feel ya'll got screwed on multiple calls. And that SUCKS. I appreciate you not bitching about it, but I think it's the truth. Second. God bless Derek Fisher. He has moved into the Robert Horry arena. He's not Robert Horry yet, but if he hits another huge three in the playoffs next year (or three like last night), he might be there.

And finally...Ron Artest. We all know how I feel about what he did to my Pacers. And for that I don't know if I can ever forgive him. BUT he did all he could last night. He played probably the best game of his entire Lakers career last night (all 100 games). And afterwards, he gave the BEST post game interview(s) of all time:

Motherfucker thanked his psychiatrist. He proclaimed that in his head before he drilled that final three he heard Phil saying "No Ron. No. Don't shoot that three." He brought his entire entourage into the postgame interview room. He thanked "everyone in his hood, his rap label, and his wife and kids" in that order. Just amazing. BISdom summed it up best with this BBM: "Anything is possible (thanks to Ron Artest's psychiatrist)." Amen.

Matty J: Well I missed the Ron Artest thing, because I was throwing shit in my bedroom. With that said, totally agree; he was great last night. He has been a force on Pierce the entire series, which we both thought would be the case heading in, but in game 6 and 7 he was a force on both ends.

The officiating was horrendous all series; I didn't expect anything different heading into Game 7. Gasol with waayy too many over the backs that don't get called and some phantom calls going against the Celtics killed us. But when you go to the basket, you get calls, not when you shoot 18 footers with 12 sec. left on the shot clock. So, kudos to the Lakers there.

As for Kobe, I am sure it is a bit bittersweet in his head, as they won, but he didn't get to put a definitive stamp on the series. He had his moments, but I think, in the end, that this will be remembered as his first team series win, which is great for the Lakers, not so much Kobe. No doubt he is stewing on that fact and will be for quite some time.

As for D Fish, he was great for you guys all series, and the Rondo/Fish matchup wasn't nearly as one-sided as it should have been. Part of that was because Fish was chasing Ray Allen all series – and doing a great job, but the other side is Rondo never really got into a rhythm.

As for my boys...the window is officially closed. Sad. Really sad. I am not off the bandwagon, but a lot depends on what happens over the next two months. Rondo is here for five more. Ray is a FA, who is going to get paid somewhere, and if not, he has to be relegated to a little less playing time...Ray killed us for stretches last night – I was telling my wife, when we first got him I thought about what a great basketball mind he has, but man, other than shooting, he is an idiot at some parts of the game. If he isn't spotting up, he is HORRIBLE on the break. Absolutely horrible. As for Perk, he won't be healthy until December, but it always takes a full season to gain confidence. So that is a full year without our starting center. Rasheed is apparently going to retire. KG is wearing down – although he had a very strong series after a slow start. Pierce is still better than most, but he certainly is on the wrong side of his career. We need some youth infused, and we need to hit a HR with our #19 pick. If we do that, and swing a trade for another body up front, we may be able to make another run at it, but it would require some help. Again, BIG TIME hat tip to my boys, I did not think that they had it in them this year.

(Though Benis and BISdom did.)

Benis: First I thought JA Adande summed the game up perfectly:

"Somebody will come across the box score and think this was one of the more hideous championship games ever decided. The numbers won't convey the tension felt by everyone who watched, regardless of their rooting interest or even impartiality."

Honestly what a noble response (by you). And I know I said it before but you HAVE to watch Ron Artest's interviews. He lost it...in a great way...unless it comes out later that in celebration he threw a box full of kittens out of a car going 70 mph Fowl dog style. I have to admit you're probably much more gracious than I would be...but then again I'm guessing the fact that I'm coming to Boston in 10 hours probably has something to do with it. No worries: I left the Kobe jersey at home.

I'll be the first to admit Kobe didn't do what I had hoped...but that's why it's a team game. And maybe that was Phil's toughest lesson to teach him. Which scares me because Phil might step away...and I don't know who else can corral Kobe...oh and Artest...but you get the point. The positive about Kobe's craptastic game is that next year he'll want it just as bad. Not only is #6 on the line, but the quest to be "the man" again is still unfinished. As an open Kobe affectionist (JVG style), I would ask the question what the fuck else do you want from this man? I'll admit it. He's not Jordan. Could he get there? I don't know. But I know one thing (LeBron hater alert) he's the baddest mother fucker since MJ. So let's give the man his due and quit damning him for his (public) flaws.

Lastly (before I'm guessing we have to move on to the NBA draft or you'll hang yourself), I give the C's so much credit. It's baffling how hard they played. I hope sheed doesn't retire because he's fun to have out there...and to hate (even as a Carolina fan). I hope your window isn't closed (though seats in the garden may be cheaper). The NBA needs the Lakers/Celtics...how do I know this? Because I live deep in college basketball country (a.k.a. no one gives a flying fuck about the NBA) and work in an office with predominantly women...and I came into work today (mildly hung over) and was greeted by "I don't know if every NBA game is like that one but man was it good." Didn't really get any of that with Lakers/Magic...or even Cavs/C's...the NBA needs ya'll to be good. As do I...a Lakers fan. So, once again, I hope the window isn't closed.

Matty J: Agree and disagree:

I agree with the fact that it was wonderful to have basketball matter on a national scale again – that is normally reserved for March Madness, but to say that in random places that had nothing invested in the game – such as a small bank branch run by women – to have them interested is all Stern could ask for? The biggest sway in fandom from when the NBA mattered (the Jordan era) to the present has been the loss of the casual fan. Random soccer moms can say that they watched Jordan, and that can't be said about the LBJ/D-Wade era. But, you bring the two most historically significant franchises in the game's history – who just happen to have a heated (although one-sided) rivalry, in two of the top five TV markets in the league, and people jump on board. Now I am sure that the games were less than what was anticipated in terms of execution and the art of basketball, but damn, they were intense. Each game started with such nervous energy that during Game 2, my wife began to ask me why I wasn't pacing or sitting in a catcher's stance two feet from the TV. You give the fans drama, and we will get behind it.

Here is my disagree: no way Kobe learned anything. Zero. If anything, he may have learned to dislike Phil a little more. After the Lakers won Game 7 in spite of Kobe, and with the surprising assistance of Ron Artest, he said all the right things that you say in post game interviews, and everyone was loving the team-orientated Kobe....and then he dropped the line about Shaq. Literally less than 60 minutes after his team carried him to an NBA title, he went back to himself and his place in history. If Wilbon would have said it or even if crazy eyes would have said it, fine, but it was Kobe Bryant talking about himself and his standing amongst the NBA elite. And that is what makes Kobe, well, Kobe. If he isn't that player, the Lakers and himself lose a lot of that swagger. For all of his atrocious shots he took (my favorite was the fade-away three from the corner, while being doubled, with 8 sec. left on the shot clock while a wide open Vujacic was feet away from him on the arc – to be fair, I wouldn't have passed it to Sasha either), if he doesn't shoot those, he's not Kobe Bryant. The same Kobe who killed his team at times was the same Kobe who went on the 19 point barrage in quarter 3 of Game 5, the same Kobe who wants the ball in his hands for every big shot, the same Kobe who probably had more to do with Ray Allen's dead legs and off shooting than anything else. Throw in the fact that all of those offensive rebounds: (a.) had to come off miss shots (b.) become a lot easier to get when you have two Celtics 25 feet away from the basket contesting a jumper.

And to be clear, this is not praise; this is fact. The Lakers are a better team, with that self-absorbed/obsessed egomaniac shooting bad shots and being himself. And this is why the Lakers will challenge for a 3-peat, and it will be difficult to deny them. That is, unless, Ron Ron gets tired of that cold stare and goes Last Boy Scout on him, which we all know is at about even money.

As for my boys, well, pride is beaming right now. The most common theme on messageboards and in the Globe/Herald has been the amount of pride the city and its fans have shown in the team's attitude and work ethic. It wasn't pretty – and at times it was ugly: when the Grizz killed us midseason I sat close to the court and wondered when we turned into the Generals – but the team that finished this season took all its lumps and still showed up every game. They had to play the four best players/teams in the league in D-Wade, LBJ, Dwight, and Kobe, and they almost went through them all. Throw in the fact that we may be witnessing the last gasp of four of the best players of our generation of NBAers in KG, Ray, 'Sheed, and Pierce, and it was a little somber. At the same time, you were proud of how they dug in each day and said "you may beat us, but it is sure as hell ain't going to be easy." Add the emergence of Rondo and the annoying but entertaining Nate and Baby, and this team became the opposite of the 2008 team. Instead of being over-talking, overpaid assholes who were winning for the first time (and weren't handling themselves that well while doing it), they turned into the underdog that, by the end of it all, you respected more than anything else. And if that is their goodbye to NBA glory and they float back to the middle, or age continues to internally decompose KGs knees, Ray's legs, and 'Sheed's gut, then I think, they may be fine with that.

Your 2010 All-Stars

BISdom: I feel like since we're more than a full day into June, we should write a new blog and it should be about baseball.

Since All-Star voting began this week, I'm wondering who our All-Star selections would be. What I'm thinking is that we both pick the players who we think should be All-Stars or, really, who we would vote for. Let's do a starting 10 for each league and then a few bench players. I'll let you start since it was my idea, and let's start with the Senior Circuit, since we're both likely to have some repeats there.

Benis: Probably a good idea. I'd hate to lose our one reader. First though, I tried not to pick COMPLETELY on who I'd want to make the All-Star team. Obviously, we're both Cardinals guys, so the bias probably runs a little stronger there – a.k.a. why not just put everyone on the Cardinals but Jose Lopez on the All-Star team? The answer is because they don't deserve it. So as much as it pains me to leave off my boy Colby Rasmus, his numbers at this point, (.279 batting average, 8 home runs, 23 RBIs and 34 runs scored) force me to keep him off my roster. If you're reading this Colby, please don't hate me...

Moving on…I also occasionally went with guys who were proven, not those just having a fluke first half of a season (sorry Ty Wiggington's of the world). Still, with all of that said, I had a hard time filling out my roster completely…though here is what I came up with for the National League, aka Senior Circuit:

• Catcher: Yadier Molina. Yes, a homer pick, but he is a proven guy who's defense makes up for his offense (.258, 2, 28, 9). On paper, a guy like Rod Barajas from the NY Mets would make more sense (.268, 11, 30, 22). But there's no catcher in the NL who makes the ladies swoon (a.k.a. the Joe Mauer effect), so Yadi's my guy. Homer Pick # 1 alert.
  
• Pitcher: Ubaldo Jiminez. Possibly the biggest no brainer on either roster. (At this point I'm not sure I've spelled one name right, so my apologies to the Jiminezes.) First in Wins (10), first in ERA (0.78). Not even my man crush on Adam Wainwright (ha spelled that right) or a perfect game by Doc Holladay could keep Jiminez from the SP nod.
  
• First base: Albert Pujols. I'd claim homer pick #2, but tell me he doesn't deserve it. Give me a real case that Pujols doesn't deserve this spot. Can't be done. I don't even need his numbers. Moving On.
  
• Second base: Dan Uggla. This was my first truly debatable spot on the team. Uggla gets the nod because chicks dig the long ball and his numbers (.268, 11, 32, 36) are slightly better than Martin Prado (.321, 4, 27, 27) and Chase Utley (.276, 10, 24, 36). At least in my mind.
  
• Third base: Scott Rolen. Surprisingly easy pick for me. First I love Scott Rolen and miss him in St. Louis (though honestly a bit less with David Freese doing his best Rolen impression thus far this season: .320, 4, 32, 23). Secondly he's got arguably the best numbers for NL third basemen (.290, 13, 36, 31). Lastly he's playing on a REALLY good Reds team that honestly is scaring the crap out of me right now in the Central Division. So congrats Rolen; you're having a heck of a comeback year and you made my All-Star team.
  
• Shortstop: Troy Tulowitski. The next truly debatable spot on my team. Tulo's numbers (.307, 6, 26, 39) look eerily similar to Hanley Ramirez's (.296, 8, 27, 30), but Hanley dogged it on the field, then was an ass hole about it. So Tulo gets the nod. Plus I just saw him on SportsCenter's Top 10 this morning…shades of a young Cal Ripken Jr. Nice.
  
• Outfield: Jason Heyward, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp. Okay so maybe Heyward shouldn't start, but the kid is fun to watch. Anyone who reminds me of Ken Griffey, Jr. is okay with me. Plus his numbers (.287, 10, 38, 29) are pretty good and compare favorably to the other OF possibilities. Ethier (.376, 11, 38, 25) and Kemp (.283, 11, 31, 43) have been downright nasty so far. Two last things to consider: the NL outfield pool this year was actually kinda weak in my mind. Secondly I fucking hate Ryan Braun so there's no way he's making my team. Especially when he doesn't deserve to. Fuck that guy.
  
• Designated hitter: Joey Votto. Okay so there was an actual argument to be made against Pujols. That argument is Joey Votto. So far he was the only one I even thought about putting over Albert…and I didn't think long. Votto (.326, 11, 34, 32), Pujols (.318, 12, 39, 32)…only Pujols has been doing this for 10 years. Time to switch positions Joey or you'll be relinquished to All-Star bench spots the rest of your career.
  

BISdom: I was also planning on making some of my picks based on who I think will win the popularity contest that is All-Star voting, which I suppose is a bit different than picking based on merit or man-crushes. So, some of my picks will go that way.

• Catcher: Yadier Molina. You spelled your first name right. Congrats. So I suppose I can't edit your writing if you're going to point out your spelling errors, typos, etc. So, you're bad.
  I think Yadi is hands down the best catcher in the National League. You listed the tangible numbers, which aren't that impressive, but the intangibles – at least based on modern stat-tracking – are all off the imaginary charts.
  The catcher spot is actually one of the hardest to determine because most catchers are just there; for the most part, they aren't stars or household names. I'd guess most people who are voting for All-Stars can probably name less than a half dozen catchers from all of MLB. But Yadi does have some name recognition because people always talk about him, he has two Gold Gloves, and is one of the three Molina brothers from that ESPN3 commercial that points out that all three brothers have a World Series ring. So, yes, this is a homer pick and was even more so last season with the game in St. Louis, but it's also a smart pick.
  
• Pitcher: Ubaldo Jimenez. Considering the pitcher spot isn't voted on by fans, Ubaldo is a pretty safe bet (unless he pitches on the Sunday beforehand, a new wrinkle that could severely water down the pitching quality). You listed most of his important numbers. He also has a 0.90 WHIP, which means he's allowing fewer runners than he's pitching innings, and 70 Ks to only 26 BBs.
  
• First base: Sir Albert. Even though Pujols isn't really having a Pujolsian year (he only broached double-digit HRs and .300 BA on May 30^th with a 3-HR-for-3-ABs game that brought his HR total to 12 (against the Cubs, by the way)), he's still the best 1B in the NL, numbers-wise. There is a chance that Ryan Howard wins the voting, even though he's not super hot this year (.280, 9 HRs, 35 RBI), but I'm picking Pujols based on my own voting tendencies.
  
• Second base: Chase Utley. This is Utley's spot to lose. His numbers are down a bit (only hitting .276 and on pace for about 75 RBI), but he does have 10 HRs already – only a couple behind NL leaders Uggla and Kelly Johnson. The Phillies picked a bad time to slump in terms of All-Star voting, but they have a lot of idiot fans who would vote for them anyway. I do think Martin Prado deserves a spot and may very well earn one.
  
• Third base: Ryan Zimmerman. This is actually a very tough pick this year. There are arguably four players who might get this spot: Zimmerman (.306, 11 HRs, 31 RBI), David Wright (.269, 9 HRs, 36 RBI), Scott Rolen (.290, 13 HRs, 36 RBI), and Casey McGehee (.299, 9 HRs, 41 RBI). I'm guessing Wright wins, though his numbers are probably the worst, especially considering he's struck out more than twice as often as the next guy. Rolen has pretty good numbers, but a lot of his production has come in the past couple weeks, so I'm guessing he slows down. McGehee will get a lot of votes from Milwaukee, a city that always votes in droves, but I think Zimmerman wins on the Strasburg effect: the Natinals have a lot of nati(o)nal buzz right now and are playing up to the part.
  
• Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez. Tulowitzki and Ramirez do have very similar numbers at this point. You bring up an interesting point about Ramirez's PR problems of late, but he did eventually man up. And there's a saying in the PR fields, though: there's no such thing as bad publicity. For better or worse, people know Hanley's name. Tulowitzki plays in Denver. The most TV time he's gotten lately is when he ran in behind Ublado to check on the runner on second that one time this year that Ubaldo had a runner on second.
  
• Outfield: Andre Ethier, Ryan Braun, Jason Heyward. Ethier is pretty much a no-brainer, even though he took a couple of weeks off. He's got 50 hits in only 133 ABs for a .376 average, which is 50 points above the eligible leader, Joey Votto.
  Braun will be there. Sorry. You should really start hating Rolen and Votto more – two of your picks – since the Reds are the competition this year.
  But really, how much fun will it be to have a legitimate rookie start in the All-Star game for the first time since Sandy Alomar, Jr. started behind the plate 20 years ago. (Hideki Matsui (2003), Ichiro (2001), and Hideo Nomo (1995) all started in their MLB rookie seasons but played professionally in Japan before that.) Plus, Heyward deserves it.
  
• DH: Ryan Howard. This is another position selected by the managers, and for the NL, it has to be a first-baseman, since they're likely to have four or more on the roster (Pujols, Howard, Votto, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder?). Howard is my pick because he'll probably have the most votes for a non-starter and because his manager is making this selection.
  

Who you got in the AL?

Benis: You picked that bastard Ryan Braun? What in the hell man? That guy's a bigger douche than LeBron, and you know how I feel about LeBron.

But I digress…First off, feel free to edit some of my blabber, but for the most part I'm grammatically incorrect on purpose. Wow that makes me sound ig'nant.

I found the American League picks even more difficult to decipher than the NL. It's not because I don't watch AL baseball (ESPN, TBS, and FOX make sure of that), but because there are multiple deserving guys at a number of positions. As before I'll start off with…

• Catcher: Joe Mauer. As you may have been able to tell earlier I'm all about making sure baseball is fun for the women out there, so Joe you get my vote, which I'm not sure he'll need because my friend Holly will probably vote for him a thousand times, but I digress. He's probably not the most deserving at this point in the year, but screw it, it's my ballot.
  
• Pitcher: Andy Pettitte. Not quite as dominant as our boy Ubaldo (or even Halladay), but the long-time Yankee great is having another good year. Currently he's first in wins (7) and second in ERA (barely) at 2.48. Plus he's been around a long time, and HGH or no HGH, he deserves the start.
  
• First base: Justin Morneau. BY FAR the toughest spot to pick on either team. My top two picks for this spot are Morneau (1a) and Miguel Cabrera (1b). Both deserve to start, and probably would if Vlad Guerrero didn't find new life in Texas (spoiler alert he's my DH). Check out their numbers; .374, 12, 37, 36 for Morneau and .347, 14, 48, 34 for Cabrera. I guess I picked Morneau for his defense and the fact that hitting .374 is just bad ass.
  
• Second base: Robinson Cano. Possibly the easiest pick to make. .366, 11, 40, 37…as Grandpa LeBron would say, "'Dem Numbers." Considering Cano plays 2^nd, 'dem really impressive numbers.
  
• Third base: Evan Longoria. Back to another tough-as-nails spot to pick. Alex Rodriguez is having a pretty damn good year (.293, 7, 41, 30) and will probably get better, but Longoria is having a better one (.318, 10, 42, 36)…so far at least. Plus, in my mind, I'm really voting for Eva Longoria.
  
• Shortstop: Derek Jeter. So both the NL guys deserve it more than anyone in the AL I think, but since I had to pick someone, I went with tradition. Not that Jeter is having a bad year (.307, 5, 31, 33), but it's not great either…Honorable mention to Alex Gonzalez (.264, 11, 32, 31), but I couldn't vote him in. It'd just be embarrassing.
  
• Outfield: Vernon Wells, Carl Crawford, Ken Griffey Jr. Yeah I know, Griffey is having a terrible year, but it's most likely his last. And, in my mind, we should honor one of the greatest players of my generation by giving him an All-Star game farewell. Injuries took years of Junior's highlights from us, and he never complained (well rarely complained). The Kid just loves to play baseball. And isn't that what the game is all about? So Griffey's on my team. Wells (.307, 13, 37, 34) and Crawford (.314, 4, 25, 40) get the last two OF spots over Alex Rios (.315, 11, 27, 32) and Jose Bautista (.247, 16, 41, 37) though both deserve to make the squad, as well, as bench guys.
  
• Designated hitter: Vladimir Guerrero. Vlad has revitalized his career in Texas and is one of the few guys left in the league who bats without any batting gloves. I have to have a guy like that on my squad as well. I just hope he's not using the Moises Aluo hand crème.
  

Wow, so apparently I voted with my heart much more with my AL team than with my NL team. Interesting. And yes I know Griffey isn't eligible for an OF spot but I don't give a crap. It's my roster. And in my mind the Kid will always roam the outfield smiling and crashing into walls…though not always at the same time.

BISdom:

• Catcher: Joe Mauer. It has to be Mauer because, well, we went to Cabo together. Jorge Posada is a good dark horse candidate, though, for three reasons: (1) he's not having a terrible year, considering he's only played about half of it, (2) any Yankee can win at any position in any year, and (3) he's close to the end of his career, but nobody really knows how close, so we could have a Shaq situation on our hands where a non-deserving guy starts 3 or 4 straight All-Star games just in case.
  
• Pitcher: Jered Weaver. This is, again, tough because of the new rule. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more hometown guys starting games because they'll feel more, excuse the expression, at home and will be exciting for the fans as well. Weaver has a good 3.03 ERA and is 4-2 with 74 Ks in 68.2 innings, so his résumé looks fine. If he can win 3 of his next 5 or 4 of his next 6 decisions, I'd almost lock him in here. I just think so many managers will break their backs to ensure their aces start on that Sunday, so the options will be limited. I suppose we can feel (un)comfortable in the fact that the Cardinals have two aces in Carpenter and Wainwright.
  
• First base: Miguel Cabrera. Morneau's .374 average is impressive, but Cabrera is no slouch at .347. He also has 9 fewer Ks and 11 more RBI on a worse team. Either pick is a winner, but I like Cabrera's chances.
  
• Second base: Robinson Cano. D-Pads isn't that far behind Cano, but Cano obviously deserves the start.
  Fantasy.
  
• Third base: Alex Rodriguez. You're right: this is another particularly close call, especially considering the positive PR Longoria has gotten lately from his stupid hat commercial and his "best player under 25 but is still getting less than $1 million this year" moniker and the negative PR that seems to follow A-Rod (maybe because of his bad decisions and closed-off personality). I think/hope (for fantasy purposes) that A-Rod will have better numbers than Longoria by the end of the voting, which will add enough peripheral votes to the already enormous voting base that follows all Yankees.
  
• Shortstop: Derek Jeter. There is almost no way that Jeter doesn't get voted in. He's also not having a bad year and has hit .429 (9/21) over his ten All-Star performances, including an MVP performance in 2000. Maybe someone like Jason Bartlett will unseat Jeter in the future, but for now, he's an All-Star necessity. He should just compete in a HR derby for fun. He'd have to do better than Brandon Inge did last year.
  
• Outfield: Ichiro Suzuki, Carl Crawford, Vernon Wells. Ichiro has started every All-Star game since he's joined MLB; there's no reason to think that'll stop now. The guy is just hugely popular. He's also having another very Ichiro year with a .346 BA and a .395 OBP. He's second in the AL in hits (73) behind only Cano (75). He only has 25 runs and 11 RBI, but the whole team has only scored 190 runs this season, so he's involved in about 20% of them.
  Considering their blazing hot start, the Rays need an All-Star starter. This is probably the only spot where they'll beat out the Yankees, however. David Price could also start at pitcher, though he's not looked great in his past two starts. By the way, when you show Carl Crawford's stat line, you need to include his SBs (17 in 21 attempts).
  You already showed Vernon Wells numbers, which are the best in the AL for outfielders this year.
  
• DH: Ken Griffey, Jr. I also wanted to put Griffey in the outfield, but he isn't eligible. Fortunately, unlike in the NL, the fans do get to vote for the AL DH, where Griffey is eligible. I hope they make the right decision. The only way he can start in the outfield is if he's written in. Just to be safe, I'm doing both.

Conferencing

BISdom: Since the Celtics continued their dominance over the Cavs last night (even though the Cavs convinced LeBron to show up and play), I thought we might discuss one or both of the biggest questions to arise from the ashes of this somewhat disappointing series (excitement-wise).

My first question, then, is simply: which story do you find more compelling? Are you more interested in the upcoming Conference Championships, which determine who wins the NBA Championship for this current season and has already gotten David Stern's vote? Or are you more interested in the upcoming 2010 LeBron-agency, which should potentially determine who wins the NBA Championships for roughly the next decade?

Benis: First of all, I disagree that "LeBron-agency," as you put it, will determine the Larry O'Brien winner for the next 10 years. The Cavs team as currently constructed (and coached) is not poised to make a title run any time soon. So assuming he leaves (which I believe he will), his choices of teams are not much more enticing, with the best option being Chicago. The Knicks roster is a dumpster fire, even if they lure in two max-contract guys (say Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson, because there's no way in HELL that D. Wade plays Robin to LeBron's Batman. No one wants to be Robin, not even Robin.) That leaves the Clippers, who on paper have a good team, but you know they're the fucking Clippers and no one wants to play for Donald "I invented biggotism" Sterling. The problem with Chicago is I think Rose will be hurt by LeBron and not helped. Rose needs the ball to be effective. So does LeBron (at this stage of his career), but on paper that gives him the best chance. Oh and Jordan will hire Charles Oakley to break LeBron's knee Nancy Kerrigan style if he comes anywhere close to being better than him...especially in a Bulls Jersey. Now that's a competitor.  
 
Besides that, the influx in talent in the league is at an all-time high (minus maybe the Hakeem, Jordan, Barkley, Stockton draft). Wade, Melo, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams are all young and talented just to name a few. Not to mention KD. Kevin Durant in my mind has a shot to dominate this league, and his team is already better (and younger) than any team LeBron can sign with. True I have a self-described man-crush on Kevin Durant, but so should everyone else. He's an uber-talented kid who's unassuming and an actually a nice guy. You know basically the anti-LeBron who is a straight up dick. Wait for it America. It's coming. But that's a topic for another day.
 
So truly I never answered your question, even though I kind of did. It's apparently "LeBron-agency" because of its far stretching impact on the NBA. And that hurts considering I could not be more excited about watching Kobe beat the shit out of the Celtics for his 5th ring, getting his revenge and making Bill Simmons rewrite where Kobe falls on his list of all-time greats (while drinking dark liquor and smoking Marlboros reds in a dark room). Oh and making Jackling buy me a bottle of Jack.
 
BISdom: I love your blind love of Kobe Bean Bryant. It's not only hilariously irrational; it's also clearly the seed of your blind LeBron hatred, since LeBron is a threat to Kobe's well-deserved biggest-douche-bag-and-best-player-in-the-league crown.

But, in the interests of love not war, let's talk about the playoffs.

(By the way, I meant the whole of the 2010 free agency, not just LeBron's.)

And let's begin, like the sun, in the East. So far, Rajon Rondo has made me (and the Jackling clan) look like a genius with his game-four performance, but the Magic are an entirely different animal than I had originally imagined. They look and literally have been unstoppable with their 8-0 record. Admittedly, this was done against fairly weak competition (an overachieving Mikecats team and a bunch of Atlanta players who couldn't work together).

The question with Orlando, at least from my perspective, is not what to do with Dwight Howard. The Mikecats showed very clearly what to do with Dwight Howard: throw a bunch of guys and a bunch of fouls at him until he gets frustrated and tweets his way into a Stern fine. So far in these playoffs, Doc Rivers' bench has been fairly short, but he does have plenty of bodies to throw at Howard (Big Baby, Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace, even brontosaurus Shelden Williams or KG if the need arises).

The question with the Magic is really how do you deal with their 3-point shooting? In the playoffs, Orlando is second only to Phoenix (who we'll get to) in three-pointers made (89 through 8 games) and three-point FG% (38.4%). In the regular season, they shot 37.5%, so this isn't about just getting hot at the right time. The Cavs were actually ahead of Orlando in regular season percentage (38.1%), but shot a disappointing 27.6% against Boston. In the regular season, Boston was tied for 4^th in three-point FG defense. The C's play good team D and should give Orlando's offense some problems.

On top of that, as they showed in the previous series, Boston can get scoring from just about anywhere, so I'm sticking with my pick from before the playoffs started – the same pick Charles and Matthew scoffed at – and taking Boston in six to advance to the Rasheed Wallace-named 'Ship.

Benis: I never said Kobe wasn't a douche, I just think LeBron is a mega-douche and rivals John Edward for The Biggest Douche in the Universe, South Park style. And, seeing as how you seem to get ticked off every time I bad mouth him, I tend to think you may be showing some favoritism towards the LeBron camp. Though admittedly that gives you a better chance to meet Jay-Z so that is a benefit I guess. There I said something nice about LeBron so let's move forward. 
 
I obviously already showed my hand on who I want to win the Eastern Conference Finals, so I guess I should discuss who will win. Luckily this will be easy for me because you already pointed out the main issues at hand. First being Orlando has played NO ONE. It honestly hurts me to say that for I am becoming a huge fan of the MikeCats (To the point where Byron and I are looking into season tickets...yes I live 4 hours from Charlotte), but they were by far the worst team in the playoffs. Gerald Wallace shooting sleeves and Larry Brown be damned. Orlando's next opponent, Atlanta, was self destructing faster than Mike Brown's coaching career, and didn't even put up a fight. Future-max-salary-player-who-doesn't-deserve-it Joe Johnson put up such a craptastic stat line that series I feel like I will receive death threats from his agent just for showing it: FG%: .298, 3PTFG%: .176, good for 12.8 points/game.
 
Add in 2.5 turnovers a game and there you go. This coming from their best player. Congrats Orlando, here's a gift-wrapped Eastern Conference Finals appearance and two weeks of NBA analysts jumping on your nuts.
 
On the other hand, the Celtics had to play a tough-as-nails, extremely crappily coached Bulls team followed by LeBron and an extremely crappily coached Cavs team. You'd think that the C's were lucky to face back to back crappy coaches, but they aren't exactly being lead by Red Auerbach. Doc Rivers' main coaching tip: "Play as a team." Wow. I'll give him credit for getting a bunch of pot heads...err hot heads to do it, but I don't think he's a great coach. My point is the Celtics are playing better than the Magic right now, and have the hottest player in the playoffs on their team in Rondo (the 2^nd main point which you already made).
 
Lastly you did point out THE one hope Orlando has in beating the Celtics: three-point shooting. Orlando kills people when they're hot from behind the arc. And Rashard Lewis will murder them, chainsaw-massacre style, if he gets hot. They have no one to guard him and he could single handedly (unless you count JJ Reddick...just kidding) swing the series if he gets it going Man on Fire style (Denzel reference). Luckily my pick to advance to the Western Conference Finals has two guys who can handle 'Shard. Any guesses on who I'm referring to? Here's a hint, they're both batshit crazy...and Stephen Jackson is already out of the playoffs.

BISdom: I actually like the Suns to come out of the West, again another pre-playoff "pick" for me (they were my 1A behind perennial disappointment Dallas).

Like Boston, they can score from anywhere. Of the teams remaining, Phoenix has by far the best production off the bench in the playoffs (Phoenix 37.8 points per game, Orlando 27.7, Boston 28.2, LA 29.4). They're shooting a ridiculous 41.7% from beyond the arc, which is only slightly elevated from their 41.2% in the regular season during which they lead the league in scoring.

Nash and Co. can obviously put up the points, but the Lakers can too. With an eyeball test, it seems like the Lakers would have a better defensive team, with the size and length of Gasol and Bynum and the tenacity of Artest and Bryant (who I hope you were referring to earlier), but the Suns are actually giving up fewer points in the playoffs (95.9 to 97.1) and ostensibly playing better competition, at least in the second round when they faced an experienced and balanced Spurs team, while the Lakers faced an ailing Jazz lineup. Nash won't really have to play any defense on Fisher, so he can focus on his impressive offensive game.

So, I like the Suns to face the Celtics in Finals.

As I've already noted, the Celtics play good three-point defense, but with Phoenix, they'll also have to play up-tempo, which I'm not sure the Celtics are cut out for (other than Rondo and Tony Allen). It seems like – with some exceptions – the East has become the defensive league while the West has become the offensive, run-and-gun league. In this case, I think offense wins championships and the Suns run all over the aging Celtics to win Phoenix' first title and cement Nash's place as one of the best point guards ever.

It would sure be fun to watch Nash and Rondo compete for the best in-traffic pass of the NBA Finals.

Benis: I'm not sure if you're picking the Suns so you can openly root against my boys the next week or because they seem to be the only team in NBA Live you can beat me with, but either way you, sir, are wrong. Don't get me wrong: if by some miracle they get past LA, I am officially pulling for them in the Finals. Nash deserves a ring. But it's not going to happen. You quote the playoff numbers etc, but here's some numbers that truly matter:

3-1: Lakers won the regular season series, and by an average margin of 11.67 points a game. I'm guessing this series goes 6.

4-3: The opening round series record in 2006 when Kobe pulled his famous F-you game to his teammates. That series loss is still something Kobe hasn't forgotten. Just ask my boy J.A. Adande.

1: Only 1 player did not play with the Lakers last year in their title run, that being Ron Artest. Over 90% of this current Lakers team has Western Conference Finals experience, let alone FINALS experience. A much lower number for the Suns (the number is 0 for finals experience).

24: The Black Mamba (dumbest nickname ever, sorry Kobe it is). Who is going to guard him? I'm honestly scared for Grant Hill's ankles. Have you seen the new Nike Zoom Kobe IV?

Point being: in big games, experience matters. And the Lakers have experience beating the Suns' ass. Phoenix's only hope is that Kobe has another F-you game and sabotages his team again. I don't see it happening. Not when Kobe is close to ring number 5. Not when LeBron is already out (his only real threat to win the title). Not when a chance to beat the crap out of the Celtics in the Finals is on the line (a second straight revenge series). Kobe knows his window to win so called 'Ships is closing, he won't screw this up.

Lakers over Suns in six. Then Lakers over Celtics in a legendary seven-game series. I celebrate with a bottle of Jack mixed with Celtic tears.

Let the Bs begin

BISdom: I just posted a short and not very good blog, which makes me think you should look at that NY Times thing I sent you.

Benis: I already read your blog. And the Opinionator is a pretty decent thought. I'm not sure how interesting we'd be though. Let's try it. Think of something to "opinionate on" and we'll give it a shot.

BISdom: Why don't we start here? We can just discuss the general idea of "The Conversation" (not the Opinionator), and see where it leads us.

So the basic concept is we'd take a topic, like the Cavs/Celtics series or the All-Star game in Arizona or the recent Boondocks episodes, and just chat about it.

The key, though, which might be trickier on your end, is that it should be a well-informed conversation (and we might refer to it as "discussion" to avoid any confusion with "The Conversation"). That means that we should do our research and not simply spout ideas from the hip, awesome though our hips may be.

I was thinking this morning that it could be a different blog, separate from my existing one, so it wouldn't necessarily be subject to the same "rules" that I draconically impose upon myself. Maybe we try to do one per week. Or maybe not. I think it should be relaxed though, again, well-informed. But that could be as simple as watching a single game and maybe doing some follow-up reading about it.

You did say you were looking for things to fill your time now that you're not in school.

Benis: Okay I'll read it. And I think sports would have to be the topic if we're going to research and shit on it. I feel swearing will happen on my end though...it's just in my preferred style of literary ranting.

BISdom: I was thinking this email chain could be our first post. That's why I wrote so much last time; it was my way of stealthily trying to get you to do the same and get into the spirit, so to speak. I was being considerably less stealthy when I said, "Why don't we start here?"

I thought you knew that I obviously don't mind the foul language. In fact, I'd assumed I'd edit our email chains before posting, but I have no intentions of censoring either you or myself. Censorship is lame.

Speaking of which, I think we should definitely sign it with your nicknames: Benis and BISdom. It has a nice ring to it. In fact, I think that's the title: Benis and BISdom.

At any rate – and maybe you're already doing this – but try pretending like this might be one of our "discussions" and see if it works for you. I'd suggest you not put that much thought into it, but just start writing and see where it takes you. If it's nowhere interesting, this won't be our first post (or maybe it will be our only post and we'll just stop here).

Benis: Agreed. Discussions that would bite my proverbial ass would not be things I'd personally like. But then again I don't know who the fuck is going to read rants from two dudes who are nicknamed Benis and BISdom. Is B and B not more reasonable? Though the nicknames are definitely more eye-catching than B and B. Plus we probably don't want to confuse people with the title. Bed and Breakfast enthusiasts might be upset. Or B and B Bowling in Fayetteville...which is the first thing that came up when I googled it. I'm scared to google "Benis" at work, so I'm not sure what will come up there. So is there a length specification we should go by or just do constant counterpoints and questions?

BISdom: At this point, I'm going to deny pretty much all rules. I'd say the goal would be to ask each other questions and answer them, of course starting with a particular question of relevance. And then we'll just stop when we want to. So, for example, I want to stop this one now, so I probably won't ask you any questions in this response.

I think Benis and BISdom is a fine title to start with. It's accurate. We can change it if we need to.

As for who is going to read it, I don't know and I don't really care. I know Grandpa and Matthew will. Obviously, we'll have one fewer reader since you're switching sides.

But I think that's exactly the point: you and I are the readers. The moment when I stopped worrying about who is reading my blog was the moment when I started worrying more about who is writing my blog. In many ways, I do still feel like that blog is a burden and a responsibility, but I prefer and more often consider it a good place to work on my writing and think about ideas that I might not otherwise consider. I think that should be our goal for this new blog: to have conversations that we might not otherwise have (even though we still live together). I like to think that my goal as a writing instructor is to make better people, not better writers. I'm sure I fail largely, but it is possible. I think we should tackle this project with a similar goal: to become better people, whether because we're more informed, because we're better writers/arguers, or simply because we like each other less (which is an admirable quality). And if we pick up any readers along the way, then so be it.

Benis: Fair enough. You refusing to censor me got me excited and nervous. Which makes me think I might inadvertently censor myself from saying some of my more ridiculous views. But then again, who gives a crap? I say this forum might work. It's very similar to what Jackling and I spend all day doing anyway, though I don't know if it has made us better people. Just less productive employees. So I guess, in conclusion, let's give it a shot. Worst case scenario we just created another way for Matthew to make fun of me for looking like a mild re-tard in an open and public forum. I'm pretty interested to see how our first true topic comes to light.