ItsTheBlog™

Through the First Round of the playoffs, no one picked the Spurs or the Hawks to move on, and no one thought the Lakers would win in more than 5. No one had the Celtics sweeping, and Jeff's error was picking both the Nuggets and the Blazers to advance. We'll see if anyone fares better in round 2.


Karan – 9 points
Michael – 8 points
Cody – 8 points
Matt – 8 points
Kevin – 8 points
Trent – 6 points
Jeff – 5 points

Several of us made our playoff picks before it all started, just took me a week to post them.

We're doing a points-system, and I'll post standings after the completion of each round.

First Round
1 point for winning team picked correctly
1 point for # of games (only awarded if team picked is correct)

Second Round
2 points for winning team picked correctly
1 point for # of games picked correctly (only awarded if team picked is correct)

Conference Finals
4 points for winning team picked correctly
1 point for # of games picked correctly (only awarded if team picked is correct)

NBA Finals
8 points for winning team picked correctly
2 points for # of games picked correctly (only awarded if team picked is correct)

Here are the picks:

Michael Boyd:

Eastern Conference
First Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers: Bulls in 5
(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks: Magic in 6
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks: Celtics in 6
(2) Miami Heat) vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers: Heat in 4

Second Round
Bulls vs. Magic: Bulls in 6
Celtics vs. Heat: Heat in 7

Eastern Conference Finals
Bulls vs. Heat: Heat in 6

Western Conference
First Round
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies: Spurs in 6
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets: Thunder in 6
(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers: Mavericks in 6
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets: Lakers in 4

Second Round
Spurs vs. Thunder: Thunder in 7
Mavs. vs. Lakers: Lakers in 6

Western Conference Finals
Thunder v. Lakers: Lakers in 7

NBA Finals
Heat vs. Lakers: Heat in 7

Cody Schumacher

Eastern Conference
First Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers -- Bulls in 5
(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks -- Magic in 6
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks -- Celtics in 5
(2) Miami Heat) vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers -- Heat in 4

Second Round
Bulls over Magic -- 5 games
Heat over Celtics -- 7 games

Eastern Conference Finals
Heat over Bulls -- 6 games

Western Conference
First Round
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies -- Spurs in 5
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets -- Thunder in 7
(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers -- Mavs in 6
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets -- Lakers in 4

Second Round
Thunder over Spurs -- 6 games
Lakers over Mavs -- 5 games

Western Conference Finals
Thunder over Lakers -- 6 games

NBA Finals
Thunder over Heat 6 games

Matt Reyes

Eastern Conference
First Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers - Chicago Bulls in 5 games
(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks - Orlando Magic in 6 games
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks - Boston Celtics in 7 games
(2) Miami Heat) vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers - Miami Heat in 5 games

Second Round
Chicago Bulls vs Orlando Magic - Chicago Bulls in 7 games.
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat - Boston Celtics in 6 games.

Eastern Conference Finals
Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics - Chicago Bulls in 7 games.

Western Conference
First Round
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies - San Antonio Spurs in 6 games
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets - Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games
(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers - Portland Trail Blazers in 7 games
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets - Los Angeles Lakers in 4 games

Second Round
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - Oklahoma City Thunder in 6 games.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers - Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games.

Western Conference Finals
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games.

NBA Finals
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls - Chicago Bulls in 6 games.

Karan Lodha

Eastern Conference
First Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers -- Bulls in 5
(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks -- Magic in 6
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks -- Celtics in 6
(2) Miami Heat) vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers -- Heat in 5

Second Round
Bulls over Magic, 6 games
Heat over Celtics, 5 games

Eastern Conference Finals
Heat over Bulls, 6 games

Western Conference
First Round
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies -- Spurs in 6
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets -- Thunder in 5
(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers -- Mavs in 7
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets -- Lakers in 5

Second Round
Thunder over Spurs, 7 games
Lakers over Mavs, 6 games

Western Conference Finals
Thunder over Lakers, 7 games

NBA Finals
Heat over Thunder, 7 games

Trent Knapp

Eastern Conference
First Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers - Bulls, 4-1
(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks - Magic, 4-3
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks - Celtics, 4-2
(2) Miami Heat) vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers - Heat, 4-0

Second Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (4) Orlando Magic - Bulls, 4-2
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Miami Heat - Heat, 4-2

Eastern Conference Finals
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (2) Miami Heat - Bulls, 4-3

Western Conference
First Round
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies - Spurs, 4-1
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets - Thunder, 4-3
(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers - Trail Blazers, 4-2
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets - Lakers, 4-1

Second Round
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (4) Oklahoma City Thunder - Spurs, 4-3
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers - Lakers, 4-2

Western Conference Finals
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers - Lakers, 4-2

NBA Finals
Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers - Lakers, 4-3

Kevin Reyes

Eastern Conference
First Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers - Bulls in 4
(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks - Magic in 6
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks - Celtics in 6
(2) Miami Heat) vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers - Heat in 5

Second Round
Bulls vs. Magic - Bulls in 6
Celtics vs. Heat - Heat in 7

Eastern Conference Finals
Bulls vs. Heat - Heat in 6

Western Conference
First Round
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies - Spurs in 5
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets - Thunder in 7
(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers - Mavericks in 6
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets - Lakers in 5

Second Round
Spurs vs. Thunder - Thunder in 6
Lakers vs. Mavericks - Lakers in 5

Western Conference Finals
Lakers vs. Thunder - Lakers in 6

NBA Finals
Lakers vs. Heat - Lakers in 6

Jeff Boyd

Eastern Conference
First Round
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers - Bulls in 4
(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks - Magic in 6
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks - Celtics in 6
(2) Miami Heat) vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers - Heat in 5

Second Round
Bulls vs. Magic - Bulls in 6
Celtics vs. Heat - Heat in 7

Eastern Conference Finals
Bulls vs. Heat - Bulls in 6

Western Conference
First Round
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies - Spurs in 7
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets - Nuggets in 6
(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers - Blazers in 7
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets - Lakers in 5

Second Round
Spurs vs. Nuggets - Nuggets in 7
Lakers vs. Blazers - Lakers in 5

Western Conference Finals
Lakers vs. Nuggets - Lakers in 5

NBA Finals
Lakers vs. Bulls - Bulls in 6

You think? How is this breaking news? How would he do it differently? He wouldn't have taken out an hour long show to screw over Cleveland. He would have gone quietly or done it with a simple press release.

No one blames him for wanting to be with his friends or win championships. It's how everything went down for why he is being vilified leaving the Miami Heat as the New YYork Yankees or Dallas Cowboys of basketball.

A day after beating LeBron James and the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics fell to the LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers. Huh?

How do the Celtics look like the Eastern conference champions they are in Game 1, but struggle mightily against a team that will fight to win 30 games this year?

Age.

Look at the Celtics starting five: Shaq (38, 19th season), Garnett (34, 16th season), Allen (35, 15th season), Pierce (34, 14th season) Rondo (young). The first four guys have 60 years of NBA experience and 141 years of age -- and that's fantastic. But it means that on back-to-back nights, it's completely conceivable that they might struggle. To compound this, the Cavs had something to prove last night in their first game without the King.

As Hayden at RhymesWithHondo put it, "[c]oming off an intense game the night before, in Cleveland against a Cavaliers team eager to prove itself without LeBron James, it stands to reason that the Celtics might have a little bit of a letdown."

So, while the irony may be there, and it may feel a bit like 2009-2010 rather than 2010-2011, this shouldn't come as a huge shock. The Celtics are built for the playoffs--when it really counts--to compete with LeBron and Miami, Dwight and Orlando, and Kobe and L.A. These regular season games are important, but they really can't be seen as too important.

Labels: basketball, Boston Celtics, etball, Garnett, Lakers, Lebron James, NBA

What is up with this commercial? Lebron looks just like Tiger in that awkward commercial that Nike did after the whole Tigergate thing with all the girls he slept with.

In the commercial Lebron poses a series of rhetorical questions to the audience. Should I take on my role as the villain? Should I not listen to my friends? (But they're my friends?) Should I clear the deck and start over? Should I remove my tatoo, act, etc.? He also states, "I am not your role model."

Lebron's publicist clearly was asleep at the wheel when Lebron agreed to run with this commercial. Lebron comes across as ever other sell out athlete (think back to Johnny Damon going from the Sox to the Yankees).

In today's day and age of 24 hour news cycles, even shorter pop culture cycles, people (especially people in Cleveland) were hoping that Lebron was different. That he had some loyalty to his home town. That he'd bring the championship there. Instead, this commercial stands as a testament to those who misread the Decision--I'm here to make as much money as possible. I for one was hoping he was a page out of a long lost era when players were role models.

Labels: Lebron James, Nike

Well if everybody would have looked at the Heat Celtics game logically,(and who in the sports world really thinks this way?) then what happened opening night would not have a surprise at all. The defending east champs beat what right now can only be described as the US national team. If the national team really had time to gel and become a team, do you think they would have a problem beating Spain in the olympics? Probably not. Well the Celtics are like spain... With talent and athleticism. So yes of course the celtics were going to beat the Heat on opening night. Even Lebron having a run late in the game wasn't enough, because, would you look at that! Paul Pierce and Ray Allen aren't dead yet and some big shots from them were enough to put out that fire.

With all that being said, when Wade and Bosh get comfortable playing with Lebron they will easily be able to make runs of their own, and if James and Wade get hot at different times in a game then the Heat will be unbeatable. Doesn't matter what teammates they have on the floor with them, these players can carry their teams. The only difference this year is that they can take turns doing so.

-SR

Labels: basketball, Boston Celtics, LeBron, miami heat, NBA

Playoffs are a sports fan’s heaven. It’s the time of the season where players push their injuries, excitement and intensity of the sport build to a climax, and fans pay up the nose to catch a glimpse of the action. So more of a GOOD thing must be a GREAT thing, right? Wrong.

Major league baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires after next season. With the expiration approaching, there’s talk and support, even amongst the players’ association, for expansion of the MLB playoffs. Currently, 8 teams out of 30 qualify for the playoffs every year. The discussed proposal would call for additional teams to qualify as well as expanding the initial Division Series to a best of 7 games (it is 5 games currently).

Bud Selig, the so called innocent baseball commissioner that was completely unaware of the rampant use of steroids in the 90’s and early 2000’s, is heading the movement, "I'm intrigued by that and we'll talk about it," Selig said on ESPN Radio. "We only have eight teams, the least of any sport, so even if we went to 10 teams, we wouldn't be abusing anything."

Abuse? How did we get to talking about abuse? Shouldn’t Selig be pushing and selling this to fans as a grand, innovative tweak instead of a defensive front? In business language, Selig was saying this, “There’s more juice left in this orange. It’s not as pure as the rest of the juice, but since it’s not unethical, given today’s business practices, we’re going to squeeze it some more and sell it.”

Without a doubt, baseball is a for profit business. And yes this will lead to additional revenue. But is it the smartest move baseball can make even from a financial standpoint? I believe it is not.

The change doesn’t lend itself to meshing well with the average sports fan.

More isn’t always better. Ever been to a Super Bowl party? Of course. Ever been to a World Series party? Probably not. Why? You might say well Football and Baseball are different sports, you can’t compare the two and Football is more popular. But why is Football more popular? And if it is, shouldn’t Baseball try as much as possible to imitate Football?

Fantasy Football is the most popular fantasy sport. Why? Because it’s only once a week and that day is on a weekend. As I once heard someone say before, “it takes away the aftertaste of church.” The point being here, in this age of technology, people have poor attention spans. Look at me, I’m writing this while in class. Baseball gets complaints about being too slow of a game. The fact that the World Series will extend into November this year is ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong. More baseball, I’ll watch. But if baseball is going to grow it has to attract a larger fan base. There are diehards with every sport but catering only to them is a bad business decision for the sport overall.

A salary cap is the next step Baseball needs to make. Having the Yankees in the World Series every year may not be BAD for TV ratings but it’s BAD for the growth of the sport which should be the ultimate goal.

- MB

Labels: Baseball, expansion, MLB, playoffs, wild card, Yankees

The Lakers got their championship rings last night, and the ceremony was quite different than I expected. Each member of the 2009-2010 squad got a chance to be on the microphone, in front of a sold-out Staples Center, to say "Thanks" and to introduce the next teammate. My first thought? Is this a contest of how literate each Laker can be?

I came away oddly surprised at how professional and intelligent most of the Lakers came across. (Read: Most NBA players don't do so well in front of people.) More importantly, however, was the "family" atmosphere that came across as each player took turns introducing the next. From Lamar's "proud papa" attitude when introducing first-time champion Ron Artest to Fisher's "Kobe is the Man" speech, this Laker fan was proud.

Although, I did find it mildly amusing that the two adjectives Phil Jackson used to describe the championship ring were "terrific" and "unwearable." True to form, Jackson let none other than Justin Bieber, who was sitting courtside, wear his ring during the game last night. Gotta love LA...

Labels: Artest, champions, championship ring, Fisher, Kobe, Lakers, NBA, Odom

The folks at ItsTheLeague.com take their stab at answering the following questions about the 2010-2011 NBA Season, which kicks off tomorrow:

1. What will be the 2010-2011 Miami Heat regular season record?

Michael Boyd (MB): 63-19
Karan Lodha (KL): 63-19
Matt Reyes (MR): 56-26
Steven Rojas (SR): 58-24
Kevin Reyes (KR): 61-21
Hayden Alfano (HA): 58-24
Cody Schumacher (CS): 63-19
Jayson Moss (JM): 65-17


2. What will be the 2010-2011 Los Angeles Lakers regular season record?

MB: 64-18
KL: 65-17
MR: 59-23
SR: 53-29
KR: 59-23
HA: 55-27
CS: 58-24
JM: 63-19

3. Who will be the 2010-2011 NBA Champion/the runner-up?

MB: Celtics/Lakers
KL: Lakers/Magic
MR: Lakers/Heat
SR: Heat/Thunder
KR: Lakers/Celtics
HA: Celtics/Lakers
CS: Celtics/Thunder
JM: Lakers/Heat


4. Who will be the 2010-2011 MVP?

MB: Kevin Durant
KL: Kevin Durant
MR: Kevin Durant
SR: Kevin Durant
KR: Kevin Durant
HA: LeBron James
CS: Kevin Durant
JM: LeBron James

5. In terms of points, rebounds, and assists, what will be LeBron James' 2010-2011 stat line?

MB: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 8.5 assists
KL: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists
MR: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists
SR: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 9.5 assists
KR: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 8.5 assists
HA: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists
CS: 25 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists
JM: 27 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists

6. Who will be the 2010-2011 Rookie of the Year?

MB: Blake Griffin
KL: Jeremy Lin
MR: Blake Griffin
SR: Blake Griffin
KR: John Wall
HA: Blake Griffin
CS: Blake Griffin
JM: John Wall

7. Predict seeds 1-8 in the 2010-2011 Western Conference playoffs. In particular, who will be the Lakers' biggest threat, and why?

MB: 1. Lakers
2. Mavericks
3. Thunder (Biggest threat because they are young and athletic, took Lakers to 7 games last year. )
4. Spurs
5. Utah
6. Portland
7. Denver
8. Houston

KL: 1. Lakers
2. Thunder
3. Dallas
4. Memphis
5. San Antonio
6. Portland
7. Denver
8. Phoenix

MR: 1. Lakers
2. Thunder (OKC will be the Lakers biggest threat with Durant having an MVP season but they will fall short of the Lakers and get the number 2 seed.)
3. Mavericks
4. Utah
5. Spurs
6. Blazers
7. Rockets
8. Nuggets

SR: 1. Lakers
2. Nuggets
3. Thunder (The Thunder will be Lakers biggest threat, and I think they will beat them. I think Kobe has an off year, I'm not saying he is done, but I think he will be playing at 60% energy all season and try to turn it on during the playoffs, and it won't work.)
4. Blazers
5. Suns
6. Mavs
7. Spurs
8. Grizzlies

KR: 1. Lakers
2. Thunder
3. Mavs
4. Jazz
5. Spurs
6. Trail Blazers
7. Nuggets
8. Rockets

HA: 1. Los Angeles Lakers (In terms of the regular season, I think all of the top five or six seeds could step up and challenge LA for the league's best record. Nagging injuries to the Lakers really could cause them to win fewer games during the regular season, especially at the start.)
2. Utah
3. Oklahoma City
4. Dallas
5. Denver
6. San Antonio
7. Portland
8. Houston

CS:1. OKC (OKC's youth and raw talent will lead them to take out the Lakers as defending champions)
2. Dallas
3. LAL
4. Utah
5. Denver
6. SA
7. Portland
8. Houston

JM:1. Lakers
2. Jazz (The Jazz have a new center and will mesh well with D. Williams dishing the ball)
3. Thunder
4. Hornets
5. Mavs
6. Nuggets
7. Trail Blazers
8. Spurs

8. Predict seeds 1-8 in the 2010-2011 Eastern Conference playoffs. In particular, who will be the biggest threat to the Magic, Celtics, and Heat, and why?

MB: 1. Celtics
2. Heat
3. Orlando
4. Atlanta
5. Chicago
6. Bucks
7. 76'ers
8. New York

KL: 1. Heat
2. Magic
3. Bulls
4. Bucks
5. Hawks
6. Celtics
7. Bobcats
8. Knicks

MR: 1. Celtics
2. Magic
3. Heat
4. Bulls (Chicago will be the next biggest threat finishing 4th in the East and will also make it to the conference finals but lose. The Boozer and Korver pieces will give them more depth at positions they lacked last season.)
5. Bucks
6. Hawks
7. Knicks
8. Wizards

SR: 1. Heat
2. Magic
3. Celtics
4. Bulls
5. Hawks
6. Bucks
7. Knicks
8. Cavs

KR: 1. Heat
2. Magic
3. Celtics
4. Bulls
5.Hawks
6. Bucks
7. Bobcats
8. Knicks

HA: 1. Boston
2. Orlando
3. Miami
4. Chicago (Chicago is the biggest threat by default, because any team seeded 5-8 will have to beat all three of the Celtics, Magic, and Heat without homecourt advantage. That's just ridiculous. Equally ridiculous, however, is the idea that Chicago could win two such series'. This is a three-horse race from the getgo.)
5. Milwaukee
6. Atlanta
7. New York
8. Philadelphia? I don't even know. I can't think of a single East team deserving of the eighth seed.

CS: 1. Miami
2. Orlando
3. Boston
4. Chicago (I dont see anyone really being a threat to the big 3 teams, but if i were to say one it would have to be Chicago, the combo of Rose/Boozer (when healthy)/Noah should be pretty tough to deal with.)
5. Atlanta
6. Milwaukee
7. New York
8. Philly

JM:
1. Heat
2. Magic
3. Hawks (Hawks want it and need it; also the Bulls, with a new team new attitude)
4. Celtics
5. Bulls
6. Knicks
7. Bucks
8. Wizards

9. Will Carmelo Anthony be traded during the season? To whom?

MB: New Jersey
KL: Knicks
MR: No trade
SR: He will not be traded, the Nuggets will have a good team and try to win with him for one more year.
KR: I think Carmelo stays put. If the Nuggets are really struggling at the deadline, they'll make a big effort to move him, but otherwise, I would guess he ends the season a Nugget.
HA: No
CS: No, I dont think he will be traded, but if he is it will be to NY
JM: Yes. Knicks

10. Will there be an NBA lockout next season? If so, what does that mean for the NBA?

MB: Better not be. Though I think there will be. If so, NBA takes huge hit. Will contract 2-4 teams.
KL: Probably... sad.
MR: Yes, they will need to cut the number of teams in the league in order to cut expenses.
SR: If there is a lockout it will kill all of the momentum this LeBron James saga has created for the NBA. More people will watch because of the Heat, and a lockout will kill those casual fans and even some hardcore ones.
KR: I sure hope not, but it's sounding more and more like a lockout is not only possible, but likely. All we can hope for is that it doesn't delay--or, worse, completely cancel--the 2011-2012 season.
HA: Yes. I don't want to talk about it.
CS: No, the league can't afford to take a hit like that, and things should get worked out in time.
JM: Hope not!

11. Who will be the NBA's leading scorer, and how many points will that person average? (Matt's version of this question: how many points will Kevin Durant average?)

MB: Durant, 30 ppg
KL: KDeez Nuts, 29.7 ppg
MR: Durant, 28.6 ppg
SR: Durant, he will average pretty much the same as last year, as I said before Kobe will cruise most of the season and lebron's heat won't have enough scoring to go around.
KR: Durant, 31.2 ppg
HA: Durant, 33 ppg
CS: Durant, 30.4 ppg
JM: LeBron, 30.8 ppg

Labels: basketball, Boston Celtics, Bulls, Lakers, NBA, predictions

Matt and Trent give ItsTheNews a new spin this year: podcasted. It's all audio from Matt & Trent this year, but I added some video to complete the draft order experience.

Without further ado, the 2010-2011 ItsTheLeague.com Fantasy Basketball Draft Order, courtesy of ItsTheNews.



Scroll to the last 2 minutes of the video to see the total draft order in full. Otherwise, click on comments, and it'll be the first comment posted.

I know, it's been well over a year since we've last touched this, but, I figure I should give my playoff predictions. This year, I'm again going head-to-head with Celtics fan/blogger and USC Law Student Hayden. We'll both make our picks, then compare in June: 1 point for picking the winning team in the first round, 2 points for picking the winning team in the second round, 3 for the third, and 4 in the finals, then a bonus point for picking the number of games the series goes (only if you pick the winning team of the series). Check Hayden's picks, and we'll see who's the winner in June.

Western Conference

First Round

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Oklahoma City Thunder
Both teams have limped into the playoffs, though fortunately, the Lakers had a big enough lead at the beginning to wrap up the #1 seed early. The Thunder threatened as high as #6, but losing 4 of 5 down the stretch forced them into the 8th seed and a match with the Lakers. Durant's first playoff experience will be entertaining, but I see this as a good chance for the Lakers to get energized and prepared for later rounds. Kobe doesn't back down in the playoffs. Durant will win game 3, but that's all.
Lakers in 5

#4 Denver Nuggets vs. #5 Utah Jazz
I feel like all the experts are picking Utah, but I'm going the other way. Boozer's missed time, Kirilenko has missed time, and a lack of homecourt advantage by way of losing to Phoenix on the season's last night will all work against the Jazz. On the other hand, Kenyon Martin seems to have gotten over having his car filled with buttered popcorn on April Fool's, and played in the team's final few games, albeit not fantastically. Billups and Carmelo will lead this team to an early lead, and Utah won't be able to recover.
Nuggets in 6

#3 Phoenix Suns vs. #6 Portland Trail Blazers
No Brandon Roy, no Greg Oden, and Portland isn't too much of a threat. Andre Miller, Martell Webster, and Marcus Camby just aren't that intimidating as a trio. Nash has had a re-energized season, Amare looks like he actually likes being in Phoenix, and guys like Jason Richardson, Channing Frye, and Robin Lopez are all fitting their roles nicely. If Barbosa can regain his form from a few years ago, this team could be scary in the playoffs.
Suns in 4

#2 Dallas Mavericks vs. #7 San Antonio Spurs
This is probably going to be the most interesting series of the first round. Seed numbers don't really matter, in my book. San Antonio is finally healthy, and overcame a tough first half of the season to finish 20-11 after the All Star Break. Dallas wasn't so bad itself, after acquiring Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, finishing 23-7 (though, as John Hollinger notes, they did have the second easiest schedule over that stretch). This may be the Spurs' final run with this core, with Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, etc. all over/approaching the top of the hill, and I don't think they'll fall easily. I'm going to pick the upset here.
Spurs in 7.

Second Round

#1 Lakers vs. #4Nuggets
In a rematch of last year's Western Conference finals, the Nuggets will certainly have something to play for. The Nuggets scared Laker nation and almost knocked off the eventual champs. Despite the Lakers struggles of late, I like the first round to energize them, and I see a repeat appearance in the WCF.
Lakers in 6

#3 Suns vs. #7 Spurs
These teams have a fun history (even have their own Wikipedia page about the "rivalry"), so I'd enjoy the battle. Both teams would have a legitimate shot, but seeing the Suns win would be more fun for me.
Suns in 7

Western Conference Finals

#1 Lakers vs. #3 Suns
A throwback to the 2006 & 2007 battles between these teams, I'd really enjoy seeing this series, but what kind of Laker fan would I be if I picked Phoenix?
Lakers in 6

Eastern Conference

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #8 Chicago Bulls
LeBron.
Cavs in 4

#4 Boston Celtics vs. #5 Miami Heat
The Big Three won't let the Celtics lose this series and relish a match-up with LeBron in Round 2. The Celtics won the season series 3-0, and, though D-Wade will battle, I don't see this series being nearly as dramatic as last year's Celtics-Bulls.
Celtics in 6

#3 Atlanta Hawks vs. #6 Milwaukee Bucks
Tough break for the Bucks losing Andrew Bogut, after a heck of a run since acquiring John Salmons. Also too bad for them that the Hawks are coming into the playoffs healthy and happy, and shot some of the Bucks confidence with a win last weekend in a matchup between the two squads.
Hawks in 5

#2 Orlando Magic vs. #7 Charlotte Bobcats
Congratulations to the Bobcats on a heck of a season, but like the Thunder, the team's got no playoff experience, and gets the privilege of playing last year's conference champion in round 1. That typically doesn't bode well for a squad like Charlotte. I don't expect too shocking of a result here.
Magic in 5

Second Round

#1 Cavs vs. #4 Celtics
After walking through round 1, the Cavs will be healthy and rested, while the Celtics will have likely had a little more trouble moving on to see the LeBrons. Celtics fans know the eventual champion has to go through LeBron, but, I just don't see it happening.
Cavs in 6

#2 Magic vs. #3 Hawks
Atlanta's good, but Orlando's just got so many weapons, that I don't think the Hawks can stand it. For every weapon the Hawks have, Orlando is either just as good or better. Dwight Howard should beat up on Al Horford down low, Vince should go toe-to-toe with Joe Johnson, Jameer against Bibby, Lewis over Smith, etc.
Magic in 5

Eastern Conference Finals

#1 Cavs vs. #2 Magic
The rematch of last year's ECF, I don't know if LeBron will stand losing this time. That said, Orlando's in Cleveland's head, knows it can win, and will make this a fantastic series.
Cavs in 7

NBA Finals

#1 Cavs vs. #1 Lakers
Too many story lines here: Shaq vs. Kobe, Kobe vs. LeBron, Pau vs. Shaq, Will LeBron leave Cleveland if he wins? if he loses? Can Phil pass Red for his 11th ring? Will Phil stick around if he wins? if he loses? This is the matchup everyone wanted last season, when the LeBron-Kobe puppet commercials came out, and you've got to think the networks were all pretty disappointed when it didn't happen. The Cavs got the best of the Lakers during the regular season, but Kobe's experience and energy will win here.
Lakers in 7 (Yes, on Cleveland's home court)

I'm 1-1 in the last two years when picking the Lakers to win the championship, so we'll call this the "rubber match." In any event, this ought to be a great playoffs.

These Things make me happy. I guess it took New York media and ESPN's full blown coverage and over celebration of K-Rod's "dominance" and "historic season" for America to finally realize what a major league prick that Francisco Rodriguez actually is. The article goes on and on about how dominant K-Rod is and that him and Putz will close the door at the end of games... blah blah and more mumbo jumbo proving ESPN and their employees know nothing about baseball and that saves still rule the world.

But whoever takes the mound for the Mets will eventually hand the ball to J.J. Putz in the eighth inning, followed by K-Rod in the ninth.
Love him or loathe him, Rodriguez has made this much clear: He refuses to be ignored. The world (and the Phillies) will be watching.

Yup. Because I'm sure everyone in NY is more worried about a couple jerk-off 8-9th inning guys that play for the not-so-miracle Mets of 2009 as opposed to the $250M plus that was just spent and the front end rotation repair of the Pinstripes and the bagillion dollar Yankee Stadium that's set to open in April. All eyes on the Mets though, sure thing guys. Give it a month of K-Rod's antics and a couple blown saves and every ESPN writer will be critiquing the Mets for signing him. Good work, guys in Bristol.

Sidebar:

It's been a long time since a "True Yankee" reference, but let's see if Sabathia and Burnett fit the mold that Jeter once created (that A-Rod clearly does not fit for some odd reason) and bring the Yanks back to the playoffs. If Sabathia goes 25-0 with 490 K's this year but starts Game 1 of the ALCS and goes 6 innings and loses 3-1, with Jeter hitting the only solo homerun of the game, expect all hell to break loose in Yankee-town.

Labels: K-Rod, Mets, Yankees

Hey ya'll, here's the most recent episode of ItsTheNews. It's also available by searching www.youtube.com "ItsTheNews." This is episode #5. These guys are a couple of regular crack-ups, so you should all check them out.



That's all I've got time for at the moment, and quite frankly, should entertain you enough for the next 10 minutes.

Labels: ItsTheNews, Justin Timberlake, Sexyback

I can't keep up with our stellar IT guys.

The www.itstheleague.com/itstheblog link is good now, obviously.

Fantastic.

The following is an actual post from MYSELF, back on July 28th, 2007.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

"D-Rays

Kevin Kennedy and Jeannie Zelasko just ripped the D-Rays a new one because they suck in nearly every aspect of the game.

Jeannie: Stop using the division you play in as an excuse for failure.

Are you serious? If I was the D-Rays, I would use that excuse until the END of time. They are NEVER going to win in the NL East. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.NEVER. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER going to compete with the Yanks, Sox, or even Blue Jays.

For so many reasons it's ridiculous. They have no money. They are in Tampa Bay, probably one of the smallest baseball markets in the country. They draft pretty badly. Oh, wait did I mention they're never going to compete in the AL East? Here's why: Red Sox. Yankees. Blue Jays. NEVER NEVER NEVER. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!Guys, get off the D-Rays case. "

I've been pulling my foot out of my mouth since about the All-Star break of last season and it just came out far enough so I could speak (type). Apparently, they draft very well. They definitely competed in the AL East. And they definitely did it all without any money. Woops.

Oh, and I this definitely does not mean that I think Kevin Kennedy and Jeannie Zelasko are qualfied to have their jobs; not in any way, shape or form. I also heard they cancelled Jeannie Zelasko's pregame show for Fox Saturday Baseball this year. Damn, I was looking forward to that.

Labels: AL East, Devil Rays, Jeannie Zelasko, Kevin Kennedy