globosports-blog

[globosports-blog]

Trade of the Season: McGee to Nuggs / Nenê to Wiz

So, the trade deadline has come and gone. The giant blockbuster we were all expecting to happen didn't. Dwight is not only still on the Magic, but he signed a waiver saying he must stay with them until the end of the 2012-13 season. Tough break for the Nets, but I'm honestly pretty happy about it. I don't want him to be in Brooklyn next year. I don't want the next generation of New Yorkers to grow up to be Nets fans, although that seems inevitable (especially for Brooklyn and fans of Jay-Z). Jamal Crawford has stayed in Portland (but their coach has been fired - good news for him). Surprisingly, Monta Ellis was traded for Andrew Bogut giving the Bucks, if anything, an entertaining backcourt. But it remains to be seen how well Jennings and Ellis will play together. Mike D'Antoni resigned as the coach of the New York Knicks. I am EXTREMELY happy about this. But this is not the time nor the place. I'm here to talk about the McGee/Nenê/Young mini-blockbuster. Most importantly, the McGee/Nenê part. That's not to say that adding Nick Young to the Clippers isn't a good or bad move, but we all know what Nick Young does - create black holes. That is not what I'm interested in. This is the most intriguing trade of the year because it contains the most intriguing player - JaVale McGee.

To many, McGee is a joke. He has created that name for himself by constantly getting benched for his poor attitude. He also has quite the blooper reel under his belt for this year (see video below for some examples).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgSYA3Gb7oI

He is incredibly immature and can be an off court problem as well. But he also has some serious talent, and I like him, especially when all the Nuggets had to offload was Nenê, whose numbers never really got to where they should be. He is the definition of injury prone (I credit him immensely for overcoming his battle with cancer). He is a fighter. He has heart. But from a purely basketball standpoint, I'm taking McGee every time.

McGee puts up solid numbers. Like most big men, his FT% is poor, but other than that he is a stat machine. His rebounding, scoring and blocking have all increased this year (averaging 11.9 PPG, 8.8 RPB, 2.5 BPG respectively), even under the disaster that is the Washington Bullets Wizards. Under George Karl, his numbers will continue to rise. Karl will also keep McGee in check better than whoever is coaching the Wizards (John Wall?). (Side note: I love John Wall and have nothing but respect for the kid. Article on him in the works). Regardless, JaVale will mature faster and learn more from one of the most prolific and well respected coaches of the last 20 years, than he would have if he stayed with the Wiz.

Nenê, on the other hand, is the center that never was. Every year I've watched (and hoped) for him to explode. I was banking on all-star numbers. I'd tell all my friends to 'watch out for Nenê this year.' That year never came, and doesn't seem like it will ever come. He is injured too often to ever have a serious chance at getting in a groove. While he is a beast when healthy, those times are becoming more and more uncommon. That's not to say his numbers aren't respectable (13.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 0.9 BPG), but there is no upside. This is where Nenê will settle, and if anything decline. He also has 5 years left on a 13 million dollar contract that will inevitably lead to more time on the bench than on the court.

My prediction for McGee is a terrible adjustment period, then possibly some more bench time for immaturities sake, but then a sky rocket. I'm seeing him at 15 PPG, 10 RPB, and staying relatively level at 2.8 BPG within the next year or so. Those blocks are the difference maker. All it will take is for McGee to care more and grow up, and putting him on a playoff driven, well rounded, veteran-filled, very deep team may be the solution. The bottom line is that McGee has tremendous upside, while we all know what Nenê and Young can (and can't) do. Great move for the Nuggets.

Salvatore

[globosports-blog]

An attempt at being an MLS fan.

In 1991, basketball consumed my life. Jordan was on the Bulls, I had a puppy named after Magic Johnson, and my dad put a mini-hoop in our driveway so I could practice my dunks. I was 9-years-old, living in suburban Los Angeles, and it would be years before I discovered punk-rock or read Kerouac's On the Road. I was still a little kid, and life was good.

But a year later, in a whirlwind move, my parents decided to sell our house in Torrance, CA, and move back to Chile where I had been born and visited a couple of times, but could hardly call it home. My dad would take over my grandfather's department store, and we would continue to live the good yuppie-California life, only in a different hemisphere where everyone thought my accent sounded Mexican.

The social experience only lasted about two years, and by '94 we were back in the 'burbs. Turns out my parents had just as hard of a time adjusting to Santiago as I did. But one thing I did pick up during my stint (aside from a mean Chilean accent in Spanish) was a love for Fútbol. From the start I knew following the NBA would be a hard task, so I immediately got on board:

I aligned myself with a team: La U (Universidad de Chile). My father was a lifetime Colo-Colo fan, but we managed to live under the same roof.

I found new heroes: It was a glorious time for Chilean Soccer since Ivan Zamorano was the leading striker for Real Madrid, and Marcelo Salas played for River Plate and eventually S.S. Lazio.

I began to play: Definitely a great exercise for a fat kid, I would eventually join the Israeli/Jewish country club of Santiago kids league where I sat on the bench most games.

But as soon as we got back to the US, following soccer became just too hard.

By the time the MLS had formed in '96, I was already too busy being awkward around girls and learning to play guitar to pay any attention. Opening season, my dad took me to a couple of Galaxy games for the same reason he'd take me to see Lakers that season: tickets were cheap, and they played close to home (this was the Vlade Lakers years).

But now that I'm 30, I am more of a sports dude than I've been in years. Last year, in the wake of the NBA finals and a fear of a lockout, I started paying attention to the Los Angeles Galaxy again. I was pretty taken aback by their playoff run to becoming the MLS cup champions.

So why not embrace this while I can? Why not try and find that same passion I had when I was a little kid lost in a strange country? The MLS seems to have matured into a league that people are actually starting to care about, and why not join in now while tickets are still really cheap!

I feel I will run into some pitfalls. Most people who dislike soccer argue that it's boring and nothing ever really happens. I don't know if I have a good rebuttal, yet I do know people seem to get really into it whenever the World Cup comes around (I might have worn the Chilean flag as a cape once), and maybe it's about reaching that level of excitement.

In finding a way to approach this, I'm just going to try and dive in head first. I've got a team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, and I'm going to front the $20/month for the MLS DirecTV package. I have also made a commitment to a friend to go to at least 2 Red Bulls games this season, and I will go watch the Galaxy when I visit home this summer. So let's do this! I'm pumped, I'm ready, all systems go!

So bear with me, Globo Sports fans, because I will use this blog as my running weekly journal. I will see if I can really, truly become a a soccer fan. I don't know if it will be easy, but every World Cup I tell people "If the US ever really adopts this sport, we'll be unstoppable." Well, now it's time to put my money where my mouth is.

-Gabe Abaud 

[globosports-blog]

J-Craw: Fear and Loathing In Portland

I am writing this article out of frustration and my respect for Portland guard Jamal Crawford, one of my personal favorite players to watch. This all started today when I read that the Trailblazers were in talks with the Charlotte Bobcats (first bad sign) to trade Jamal Crawford for D.J. Augustin, straight up 1-for-1, which immediately lit a fire in my heart. I instantly tweeted about it and gained an overwhelming response. Here's the tweet:

'@GloboSports: I really hope this trade rumor of augustin for @JCrossover isn't true. Crawford deserves better than that.'

Crawford himself retweeted the post, which started a whirlwind of retweets and responses where, not surprisingly, people agreed with me. I don't think they realize the weapon they have sitting on the bench. Crawford is underutilized in Portland. Don't get me started on his crossover. Maybe he doesn't belong in Rip City, be he sure as hell doesn't belong in Charlotte.

I touched on one trade possibility for Crawford in my last article on Ricky Rubio. Trading him to the Timberwolves for Luke Ridnour would instantly make them one of the most lethal offenses in the league. Trading him to the Clippers would make a deep team even deeper, that might make them into serious contenders.

Keep in mind, I am writing this article with J-Craw's best interest in mind. If it were up to me, he would still be with the Knicks. He consistently gave New York hope and made some otherwise dark times seem a little brighter. I know this isn't even a thought in Dolan's incapable mind and will probably never happen. That is why I respect him more than I do most players. Look at what he did in Atlanta. I don't need to argue the facts; his talents have been proven through his 11-year career.

One would assume that being dealt to the Bobcats is a sure fire way to knock confidence levels down. J-Craw's talents would most certainly be going to waste as it has become apparent that Michael Jordan has NO IDEA how to run a team. The Bobcats have made nothing but poor decisions in their lackluster NBA tenure.

So please, Chad Buchanan, Paul Allen, and the rest of the Trailblazers front office, don't disrespect a player that has been nothing but respectful to your organization, which has quite frankly has left him in the dust. Jamal deserves better.

Salvatore

[globosports-blog]

Ricky Rubi-Nooo: Out With Torn ACL

Ricky Rubio is out for the year with a torn ACL in his knee. This is not only devastating for Minnesota, but for the whole NBA. One of the most entertaining players to watch has now disappeared into the black hole of injuries that have occurred throughout this shortened season. It means that big changes must be made for the T-Wolves; in playing style, line-ups, and trade possibilities. This is especially terrible considering Rubio put his team into serious playoff contention in the 'wide-open' western conference. Here are a few ideas and points that come following this tragic injury.

At this point in time, with the trade deadline looming around the corner, the Wolves need to consider themselves lucky. It sounds crazy but if this injury happened a week from now they would be in a much worse position. Obviously someone with an undeniable talent to see the floor like Rubio cannot be replaced. But here is my idea of a work around: the Wolves need to pull the trigger on a trade to get Jamal Crawford from Portland. Immediately. Crawford is being misused and under appreciated in Rip City and I think even he knows it. J-Craw is lethal offensively and knows how to create his own shot with veteran experience at shooting and point guard. He has suffered coming off of the bench and the proof is in the numbers. In his stint as a starter in Portland he averaged 20.5 PPG, 4.8 APG and 3.3 treys. Off of the bench we see a dip to 14.0 PPG and 3.8 APG. So throwing him in the starting line-up in Minnesota makes perfect sense. Well see if their front office agrees with me soon enough.

The Wolves have prospered under their 2009-10 first round pick, there is no denying that. Kevin Love has been the biggest benefactor to Rubio's arrival. He is also arguably the best Power Foward in the league (I certainly think so). So without someone with the passing skills that Rubio possesses, his numbers will most certainly drop. We'll see something similar in Amar'e playing without Nash. The job of the PG is to make life easier for his supporting cast, so now Love will have to create more shots for himself. I don't think there is any guard on the market that can fill this void, at least that Minnesota can obtain. The Wolves were an incredibly exciting team to watch with Rubio. His passing and court vision are superb. We will miss him going forward in this NBA season, if anything just for the highlight reels. I see a similarity with Blake Griffin's season ending injury during the preseason of what should've been his rookie year. I just hope that Rubio will come back stronger and more determined the way Blake did. For now, let's see if the T-Wolves can hold onto their position in the West and continue to push forward into the playoffs.

Salvatore

[globosports-blog]

Pau Anything.

To say that this has been a rough year for Pau Gasol is an understatement. After a virtually absent performance at last year’s playoffs, he returned to a team that seemingly doesn't want him anymore. Can anyone blame the guy for feeling a little off? Maybe not putting 100% into his game? The gentle giant we have come to know and love is sad and lost in the purgatory that is the NBA rumor-mill.

Never mind that the man worked his ass off for his two rings, or that he was the main reason that Kobe stayed with the Lakers. At this point people are talking about him like he's some run of the mill player, not a four time all-star who's changed the perspective of Spanish players in the league. He's still an elite power-forward who can get you 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, but why would he these days? 

Admittedly, as a Lakers fan, I was quick at the beginning of this year to say "trade him" after last year’s playoff performance. I even got excited when he was almost moved for Chris Paul. I've fantasized the idea of Kyle Lowry, Derron Williams, and even Rajon Rondo. It's a gut reaction to fix what's not working with something newer and faster.

But as the season has progressed, I've thought really hard about Pau and what he means to the franchise I love so much. He's an unselfish player who was never really concerned with his "brand" and could really play his position. But the talking heads will not shut up about what the Lakers could get for him, which in most cases are just silly and unreasonable, or a straight up lowball.

So last week, during the Lakers vs. Heat game, when Pau stepped up and got in Lebron James’ face, I couldn't help but feel my heart swell a little bit. Lebron was being his usual bratty self and pushed Troy Murphy after a play. Within seconds, Pau was shoving Lebron and needing to be held back. The whole Staples Center applauded, and I hoped everyone watching understood that this guy really cares. I was three-thousand miles away watching in a friend’s apartment in New York, and as I sat back and took a sip from my beer, I felt proud to sport my purple and gold.

Sure, maybe this season I've spent a little too much time daydreaming about the rough and tough moody guy who could sweep us all off our feet, never realizing that maybe the safe guy who respects us still cares. I think Pau still wants to be part of our lives, and if we let him, he could still make us happy. 

-Gabe Abaud 

[globosports-blog]

The Prequel To Moneyball

At a conference at Villanova University recently, Oakland Athletics' General Manager Billy Beane said the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies were the inspiration behind Moneyball, Michael Lewis' much-celebrated book turn excellent, Oscar-nominated film.

I loved hearing this statement because I've said many times that a comprehensive book and/or movie should be made about the 1993 Phillies. Yes, I'll admit, I might be the ONLY person who would fork over $13 to see this in a theatre but hear me out. The Phillies were a rowdy, mullet-rocking, beer-guzzling, scrappy bunch of castaways. A gritty and dynamic club that walked a lot and scored a ton of runs (hence Beane's inspiration). A team that went from last place in '92 to first place in '93, only to fall in dramatic fashion, via a walk-off, World Series-winning home run from Joe Carter. If you want to see a grown man sob like a child, play this clip in front of me. Even with the glory of the 2008 World Series victory and the rise to dominance of the club, that one still stings. This team wasn't suppose to win but they did and they came so close to beating the defending champion Toronto Blue Jays, a far superior team.

The 1993 Phillies were not only celebrated in Philly, but across the country, with numerous articles focusing on the gruff look of the team, and eventually, a Time Magazine article. But since the end of that series, I feel like the aura of that club has grown more fascinating.

I can probably name almost every player from the team to this day.

There was team captain Darren "Dutch" Dalton. Daulton was the rock of the Phils in '93. The backbone. Like many on the team, he was never the same after '93. Dutch went on to finally win a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997.

But after retiring, Dutch dove off the deep end, with rants of how he had "travelled through time" and he started preaching that the world would end on December 24, 2012. He even wrote a book about some of his theories and out-of-body experiences.

There was John Kruk, the main representative of the infamous "macho row" who became a folk hero in Philly that year. '93 was Kruk's best in a Phillies uniform. Who can forget Kruk's at bat vs. Randy Johnson in the All-Star Game that year? Who would have thought all these years later, that Kruk would be seen as the most sane member from the club? Also, the man is a quote machine.

The infamous: "I ain't an athlete, lady, I'm a baseball player."

On being chosen an all-star starter: "It's amazing that fans want to see me play. It's kind of scary. I guess that's what's wrong with our society."

And my favorite:

"Hey, I don't know if you've been paying attention or not, but this ain't nuclear physics."

There was star pitcher Curt Schilling, who had a breakout year in 1993, winning 16 games. His complete game shutout in Game 5 of the Series has become legendary. But Schilling, according to most reports, was not a clubhouse favorite, widely criticized for his infamous, attention-grabbing move of hiding his face behind a towel when erratic closer Mitch Williams was on the mound during the Series. I can only believe there had to be several scuffles in that clubhouse because of his antics.

Schilling only got only better in the years to follow, becoming an true ace, and eventually moving on to win the Series with the Diamondbacks and Red Soxs before retiring and pissing off everyone except the Fox News crowd with his uber-conservative viewpoints.

Speaking of Mitch Williams. After an insanely nerve-wracking but overall stellar season, the real life Ricky Vaughn's season was defined by his World Series struggles. After the Carter walkoff, he received Bill Buckner-level death threats and was traded away soon after. Williams had become the main target of a city's frustration. You dare not speak his name. But he never blamed anyone else and years later was finally forgiven by the city and became a well respected analyst in Philly and then for MLB Network.

There was the under-appreciated Jim Eisenrich. Eisenrich suffered from Tourette syndrome, which forced him to voluntarily retire from baseball from 1984-1987. He overcame his struggles though, joining the Phillies in '93 and helped lead them to the postseason.

There was Danny Jackson, a pitcher who went 20 consective starts without a victory the year before, only to come alive with the Phils, winning 12 games. Also this...

Then, there was The Dude.

Perhaps the most compelling / strangest player from the club was Lenny "Nails" Dykstra. Nails was without a doubt the MVP of the team and arguably should have won the league MVP award that year (Barry Bonds won it). The years flowing his steller season, Nails was plagued by injuries, before eventually officially retiring in 1998. After leaving baseball, Dykstra pursued numerous entrepreneurial opportunities, including his disastrous Players Club Magazine and his own car wash.

Eventually, Dysktra found himself drowning in legal problems, from bankruptcy fraud, to drug problems, to most recently grand theft, which resulted in him getting three years in prison. Not to mention, Lenny admitted to steroid usage during his career, a definite black cloud when it comes to the story of the 1993 Phillies.

But all these post 1993 season stories aside, I'm really surprised by the lack of stories in regards to what the clubhouse / dugout was like. A lot has come out about these players SINCE 1993 and seeing how a handful of them have fared since then, one can only imagine what those bus / plane rides were like. Animal House-esque I'd imagine. Kruk stuffing his face with fast food before going to the plate. The Dude injecting roids. Kevin Stocker being...Kevin Stocker. Kim Batiste, where are you now?

It's a true underdog story, even more so then Moneyball in my mind. I feel like a proper treatment is due. Screw it. Maybe I'll do it. Anybody got Pete Incaviglia's number?

- Matt Pullman

[globosports-blog]

The Beast That Is (Was?) Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony has aways been without a doubt one of the most widely talked about players in the NBA. This is still the case, but this year it's for completely different reasons. People are saying that he has lost his way, that he looks slow, less aggressive, confused, and the list goes on. People talk about him sharing the court with Amar'e Stoudemire, and now Jeremy Lin, and how it won't work. Given the current confused state of the New York Knicks, these points all have some form of validity. What people forget to realize is that we are talking about Carmelo Anthony.

I've been a Knicks fan for as long as I've been alive. But I've also been a Melo fan since I watched him bring Syracuse to their first NCAA championship. In that one year with the Orangemen he averaged 22.1 PPG and 10.0 RPG - superb numbers. I watched him dominate on the world stage with Team USA. And I even became a Nuggets fan when they drafted him to continue watching him play. His career statistics are first class and his ability to finish, unprecedented. So why all the concern with his current state? I can break it down to a few things.

The first being the state of his current team. As with most New York teams, money is always their answer and seldom the right one. There was a complete lack of regard for team chemistry when the current Knicks roster was formulated. You can tell with how upset STAT is with being the number 2 option on the team, so much so that while I loved his attitude and talent his whole career, I'm now doubting his ability to hold his ground as a starter. He looks tired, slow, and depressed. I love Tyson Chandler. He has raw power/energy and I have no complaints about his offensive or defensive abilities. He is also a leader and a great team player. The Knicks got lucky with Jeremy Lin, but in his current state he is AT BEST an above average PG. He's confused, he's sloppy, and he's unable to adjust to the defensive play of high caliber teams. This comes with no disrespect to the man. Teams just started reading his scouting report. I have faith in him to make the right adjustments in time, but he is not what everyone says he is. He is not the second coming of Steve Nash (a guy that I believe to be in the top 5 PGs of all time). All that said, Melo thrives under a true point. With Denver he had Andre Miller and later Chauncey Billups (both top 50 PGs of all time). While I think Melo to be one of the best post players in the NBA, he now has to compete with STAT and Tyson for space in the paint. In Denver he had Kenyon Martin and the always injured Nenê there, but neither were as sluggish. You can see glimpses of Melo's inside game more and more since returning from his plethora of injuries. You will see more of this - I am sure. He does seem to settle for the jumper a little more often then he used to which leads me to my next point - his coach.

Mike D'Antoni is a world renowned offensive coach, known for his fast paced run-and-gun style (we all know this). Worked wonders with Nash/STAT, should've won a championship as well. It's known that he didn't want the Knicks to sign Melo because he knew it wouldn't mesh. I'd say that he was 50-50 on that statement. While it has forced Melo to look for more jumpshots (and in-turn knocked his FG% down) it has opened the floor up and taught his players offensive spacing. I think in Melo's case this is counterintuitive. Melo needs to play HIS game. The game that we've grown to love (or hate) him for. He can coexist with a point like Lin, but Lin needs to realize one very important fact - that Carmelo Anthony is THE most important and efficient scoring option on the floor. Lin needs to feed him more inside, slow down and play some half-court ball. You'll see in the playoffs that this will become more relevant as the speed of the games will slow down. I don't like that when Melo posts up and isolates, the fans at MSG start to groan. I admit, New York has some of the toughest fans to play in front of, but when push comes to shove, we care about winning games (not Linning games). Do what needs to be done to make that happen. If they can't, D'Antoni will be gone at the end of this season, and that is pure fact.

The bottom line is, Melo has proven to fans that he is a premier scorer in the NBA. He has raw and unmatched talent. This is not something that disappears over the course of one year. He is and always will be a top class player, and I hope that Lin, the Knicks, and New York realize this before they judge. Put your trust in Melo and he will not disappoint - I promise you that.

Salvatore

[globosports-blog]

Welcome to Globo Sports!

The idea for Globo sports came to me on the night that Chris Paul was (almost) traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a die hard Lakers fan since the age of 6, the night packed so much emotion that in all honesty I didn't know what to do with myself. I watched my once championship team get disbanded for the hope of promising future, and then witness that glimmer of hope get ripped from our hands and leave us in shambles. 

I immediately began a barrage of emotionally charged tweets I thought would bring attention to the fascist regime that ruled the NBA. I had spent the better part of that fall supporting and attending events of Occupy Wall Street, so the revolutionary flame had already been ignited in me.

However, during the course of that evening I managed to annoy the hell out of 95% of my friends on Twitter with my incoherent ALL CAPS rambling and death threats to David Stern. So I decided to the right thing to do was create a new Twitter account to voice the message of the fans who had been dicked around enough. Hence we have Globo Sports. 

But I couldn't do it all alone, so in enlisted the help of two of my best buds, Sal and Matt. The two dudes I could talk sports with even here in the depths of too-cool hipster Brooklyn. So together, the three of us have tweeted for the better part of the last 3 months about everything from the the Superbowl to Linsanity to MLB Spring training. 

So this tumblr is the most obvious next Chapter for Globo Sports. Here we will express all the joy, the frustration, and the laughter that goes into being a Sports Fan, and hopefully we'll make some friends along the way who are equally as passionate. This is a vehicle for the most biased of fans who make the boldest of predictions. 

We hope you enjoy it.