Saturday, March 29, 2008

Off to Italy...

Hey guys. I have the opportunity to visit Florence, Italy tomorrow, as I'll be heading out there soon. I will not be updating my blog over the next week. When I come back, I will be blogging more and more. Thanks for the continued support.

Monday, March 24, 2008

The Sun is Rising

Just after the Suns fell to 3-6 since Shaq began to play, many critics and so-called experts asserted that the loss of Shawn Marion was devastating as their defensive ace and that Phoenix may not find themselves in the playoffs after sinking to the sixth seed in the Western Conference. The Suns couldn't help but hear all the doubters. They responded by winning seven straight games.

They got it off to a nice start with a home win against San Antonio in which Shaquille O'Neal expressed his desire for winning by diving into second-row seats. They rode that wave of momentum to win their next six games, with a chance to extend the winning streak to eight tonight against Detroit. The winning streak has been highlighted by wins against Golden State and Houston.

Phoenix has held their opponents to under 100 points on three occasions. Shawn Marion was able to guard multiple positions and there was a void when he left. It didn't help when Raja Bell could not play against Tracy McGrady and the surging Rockets. But Leandro Barbosa and Grant Hill have stepped up on defense. Last Saturday against the Rockets, Tracy McGrady scored 30 points, but did it on 11-of-31 shooting. Against Seattle, rookie sensation Kevin Durant shot an uneven six-of-13 from the field while holding his own on offense, scoring 20 points on a perfect six-of-six from downtown.

When Shaquille O'Neal fist arrived, Mike D'Antoni first took The Big Cactus out of his game. Shaquille O'Neal's name is not setting screens 20 feet away from the basket. When that happens, Shaq will get the ball 15 feet away from the hoop and not know what to do. This usually results in a turnover or an ill-advised shot. However, D'Antoni has been able to tailor Phoenix's game to the style of Shaq, which has been noticeably easier.

Against Houston, O'Neal was able to put up 10 shots that night and made an additional nine trips to the free-throw line, sinking seven of them. He frequently got deep post position, which resulted in an easy layup or dunk. O'Neal has also been positioned closer to the basket even when Phoenix does not go to him. This makes it easier for The Diesel to grab offensive rebounds. A few weeks ago, O'Neal would be out of the paint when a shot went up.

Amare Stoudemire has been able to continue tearing up the League since The Daddy has arrived. Stoudemire has been averaging nearly 29 points per game during this recent string of games Phoenix has managed to emerge victorious. Why? Because Shaq has been setting up down low. Stoudemire is playing his more natural power forward spot. His agility is showcased more, as he is able to operate from anywhere between the low block and 17 feet out, as he has perfected his jump-shot. Shaq has consistently been double-teamed, even at 36, and STAT has been reaping the benefits.

To be fair, the real test will come this week, when the Suns will go to the East and play Detroit and Boston this week on the road. Phoenix has gone from six to three during their wave winning. Holding their own in the East may indicate the Suns are the team to beat in the West... not just be their play, but by their standing.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Is Obama the Dems' Nominee?

" If there is a road to victory for Mrs. Clinton, it is a fairly narrow one."

That's according to today's issue of the New York Times.

If you have been following up on the political news, you would probably agree with that. Although the statements made by Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor, probably did leave a less favorable view on his supporters than prior to Wright's comments circulated YouTube, Obama's speech on racism in America was more talked-about than the callous remarks made by his former pastor. For days pundits have pondered whether Sen. Obama could weather the controversy over Rev. Wright's racially polarizing comments. They found out that Obama rose to the occasion.

Hillary Clinton faces an uphill battle to the nomination. Obama has won 30 of the states thus far with 10 more contests to go. He holds a nearly insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and the popular vote. Sen. Clinton has a plethora of objectives on her plate to make a case to the superdelegates that she deserves the nomination.

First, she needs to win the Pennsylvania primary handedly to support her argument that she can deliver in big states. Second, she needs a lead in popular vote by the end of June. Finally, Clinton has to provide her case to superdelegates, because neither of the two will get to the 2,024 delegates needed the clinch the nomination.

Since his victory in Mississippi, Obama has campaigned heavily in Pennsylvania, while still looking ahead to other states, visiting Indiana, North Carolina, and most recently, West Virginia. Since his "A More Perfect Union" speech in Philadelphia, Obama has gained a more favorable view among voters nationwide and in Pennsylvania.

There's another problem for Clinton. Clinton faces the nearly impossible task of gaining the popular vote. What makes it even more improbable for the Senator from New York is that a re-vote in Michigan and Florida, something Clinton has championed heavily for, looks doubtful in either state. A compromise could be made, but Michigan and Florida aren't the real issue right now.

The reality is that John McCain has wrapped up the Republican nominee. He is free to attack against the Democrats while they are fighting with themselves. Yes, he is confusing Al-Qaeda with Iran, but every passing day is closer to a McCain Presidency. Contrary to what some believe, it is not certain that a Democrat will be in office in January '09. Polls between both McCain and Obama and McCain and Clinton are relatively close, especially considering the poll's margin of error. If Obama and Clinton fight to the bitter end, there may not be enough time for the Democratic nominee to criss-cross the country for support or for him/her to respond to criticism.

Clinton is using up time and money that could be better used in a general election. If she truly wants a Democrat elected in November, she would know what to do. She'd step aside.

The question is, "Will she?" Unfortunately, I see it highly unlikely that Clinton will step aside anytime soon. If Obama is able to pull an upset in Pennsylvania, maybe the fact that she lost the most delegate-rich state of those left coupled with the unlikely prospect of a re-vote may be enough for "The Fighter" to do what is best for the DNC. If Obama wins North Carolina, the second most delegate-rich state left, it may be enough for her to drop out and emphatically put her support behind the Senator from Illinois.

Nonetheless, the question remains, "Will she?"

Saturday, March 15, 2008

The Best Core

Recently, Pat Riley has spoken for the first time about who he expects to invest in for next season. Riley included Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem, Dorell Wright, and Daequan Cook. Regarding his lottery pick, Pat Riley has said that all options, including a trade, are on the table. Riley doesn't expect a lot of trades, but expects to use the mid-level exception, worth roughly $6 million, and the bi-annual exception, worth roughly $2 million.

There are multiple things wrong with Riley's projected core group of guys. First of all, there is no way in hell those five players and a couple of cheap free agents are going to be back in contention. Even if you add Michael Beasley. Over the last few summers, Pat Riley has spent his money on the likes of Smush Parker and a myriad of undrafted and D-League players, only a handful whom actually make the team.

Obviously, I would keep Wade and Marion. Persuading the Matrix to forgo his opt-out clause on his contract should be a top offseason priority. If this team wants Dwyane Wade to stay in Miami, they need to return to contention, and quick. The lineup that Pat Riley identified doesn't even come close.

Udonis Haslem is a good player. I love his hustle and rebounding. However, I feel it's time for Miami to upgrade at that position. Haslem is undersized and does not have a lot of offensive weapons in his repertoire. Elton Brand could help Miami improve vastly. He may be 6'8", but that doesn't keep him from being one of the best rebounders in the game. He has a low post game and has developed into a great defensive player. Although he has said he would like to stay in Los Angeles, I would try my best to get Brand in a Heat jersey.

If you can't get Brand, I would try to work out something with the Draft. No, I'm not talking about Michael Beasley. He'd get eaten up by the bigger power forwards of the League. Getting two first-round picks can be crucial for Miami. Trading for players such as Kevin Love or DJ White would be a step in the right direction.

Second of all, I would kick Dorell Wrong to the curb in a heartbeat. Dorell has not developed into "the next T-Mac" as analysts once proclaimed. He has gone through periods of starting and then being glued to the bench. As long as he is in a Heat jersey, Dorell won't reach his potential. Moving on would be the best thing to do.

Shawn Marion is already penciled in as the starting small forward for Miami, so Dorell doesn't have a remote shot at getting the starting spot. One wise decision Riley has made is sign Bobby Jones. He is a player who has gained a reputation for being a strong defensive player who can shoot threes (sound familiar?). He received quality minutes last night under Ron Rothstein, playing 14 minutes while shooting a perfect three-for-three from downtown. Pat Riley has already made a mistake by letting Bruce Bowen slip through the cracks, and Miami may have a diamond in the rough in Jones.

Picking Daequan Cook was a shrewd selection by Pat Riley. Last night against Orlando, Cook had 15 points on six-of-12 shooting. He has proven to be an effective shooter with great confidence. Unfortunately, I don't see much of a future of Cook in a Heat uniform unless they plan to have him at the point. Maybe that is what Riles was alluding to, as he did not mentioned impending free agent Jason Williams or Marcus Banks. If, however, Cook is to play as a two, he will always be a backup to Dwyane Wade. Cook has the potential to be a starter in this League down the road. If Cook continues to surge in the last few months of the regular season, Cook's trade value will go up. He could prove to be a valuable trade chip.

I don't know what Miami's roster will look like, but this team needs more talent. In my opinion, they need one more All-Star, which is why I would like to get Brand. However, they still need a center. Although there is only one dominant center in the East (Dwight Howard), there are a plethora of dominant centers in the West. Don't discount on the Draft providing that answer.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Clinton-Obama Ticket?

In the midst of the "3 AM phone call" ad, Samantha Power calling Hillary Clinton a monster, and Saturday Night Live continuing their support of Sen. Clinton, HRC let something slip out of her mouth. She implied that it may be possible for Clinton to choose Sen. Obama as her vice president. President Bill Clinton made reference to those possibilities again, suggesting a Clinton-Obama ticket would be unstoppable.

Barack Obama shut down these rumors and I couldn't agree more with Sen. Obama. I personally find it ludicrous and risible that Clinton is suggesting this. If Barack Obama is not ready to answer the phone at 3 AM, then why is she touting him as a great vice presidential candidate? Theoretically, a vice president should be able to step right in if the President, for whatever reason, cannot perform to the abilities of himself or herself. Bill Clinton said that in 1992, in addressing running mate Al Gore. Hillary Clinton is essentially saying that Barack Obama will be ready on Day 1 if she wants to be his vice president.

What she is saying makes no sense, first of all. Obama maintains a substantial lead in pledged delegates and it is nearly insurmountable for her to trump that department. Hillary Clinton needs the superdelegates to stay in the race, and her lead in that division is shrinking. Why do you think Hillary has been pushing so hard to do a re-do in the primaries in Florida and Michigan? Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has made clear he does not want a brokered convention.

John McCain is free to start slinging mud at Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, while the two are preoccupied with each other. Eventually, one of them will have to step aside for the good of the party. Both candidates propose a legitimate argument. Obama has won more states, more delegates, and that lead doesn't figure to evaporate anytime soon. Clinton can argue that she was won the bigger states that are needed to win in a general election.

Clinton's argument is far more porous than Obama's. States such as New York or California are virtually certain to vote Democratic, no matter who is the nominee. In addition, Obama has also won his share of big states. Illinois, his home state, Georgia, Minnesota, Alaska, and technically Texas have all gone Obama's way. I say technically for Obama because Clinton won the primaries by a narrow margin. However, Obama won the caucuses, which accounts for one-third of the delegates, and therefore will receive three more delegates from Texas than Clinton.

After Mississippi's primary tomorrow, the race shifts to Pennsylvania, which is six weeks away. Keep in mind that the Pennsylvania primary is a week after to April 15, the date Clinton said she would return her tax returns. On paper, this sounds like a good state for Hillary. However, six weeks is plenty of time to catch up. Expect an adjustment in rhetoric and campaign strategies from both candidates as Obama could blow another fatal blow towards Hillary's shot at the Presidency.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Has Obama's Momentum Ended?


In a must-win situation last night, Hillary Clinton was able to pull out victories in delegate-rich states Texas and Ohio, and also won Rhode Island. Barack Obama's lone victory was in Vermont. Clearly, Clinton looks to be the clear winner, and to have stopped Obama's momentum. However, things may not look as they seem.

In Texas, two-thirds of the delegates are awarded in the primaries. Sen. Clinton was able to come up with a narrow victory in the Texas primary. However, the other one-third of the delegates are awarded according to the caucus in Texas, an area in which Obama has historically done better in. Although counting is not done in Texas, Obama retains a slim lead over Clinton in the caucus as of this moment. It is conceivable that Obama could come up with the majority of delegates in Texas rather than Clinton. Another thing to consider is that delegates are awarded according to districts. For example, if Obama won Cleveland in Ohio, a heavily-populated state, he could win a lot of delegates there. In New Hampshire, Clinton won the vote. Ironically, Obama was awarded one more delegate.

Delegates are not awarded until four or five days until after the primaries and/or caucuses are held, so it is feasible that Clinton could come out with a two-delegate difference, or vice versa. Nonetheless, it is certain that Obama will hold on to his substantial lead he had coming into the race.

The key question here is where has Obama's momentum gone. Hillary Clinton has stopped Obama's momentum. Even if it ends up Hillary shortening Obama's delegate lead of 100 or so to around 98, the headlines across this nation read "Clinton Wins Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island" with a subtitle saying "Obama Takes Vermont." And people buy newspapers for the headline, not the subtitle.

The next big Democratic primary is seven weeks away. The race shifts to Pennsylvania, where 158 delegates are up for grabs. Prior to the Pennsylvania primary, there are primaries held in Wyoming and Mississippi, but both do not hold as many delegates. Pennsylvania is a good state for Clinton on paper. However, seven weeks is plenty of time to catch up, and both campaigns have their Pennsylvania teams working tirelessly.

It will be interesting to see if the superdelegates will continue to peel away from the Clinton campaign. Numerous superdelegates have switched from Clinton to Obama, but Clinton still retains an advantage in the number of superdelegates. Now that Obama's 12-state winning streak has been snapped, the remaining superdelegates for Clinton could find themselves at a crossroads.

With Sen. John McCain the presumptive Republican nominee and having already shaken hands with Dubya, some people are skeptical whether this will hurt or harm the Democratic nominee, whether it be Obama or Clinton. In my opinion, it will make the Democratic nominee stronger going against a tough opponent in the general election. Democrats will also have a chance to make clear the differences that they and the Republicans have on a variety of issues. With Bush saying "no change" during his endorsement of McCain, the contrasts couldn't seemingly be more stark.

It will be absorbing to see how this unravels. Obama's work is cut out for him in Pennsylvania, but he will be heavily courting this area. After Obama's loss in New Hampshire, his campaign was able to get the right message and eventually go on a 12-state winning streak. It remains to be seen if Obama's camp can rebound from another relatively disappointing night.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Wade Propells Heat to Victory

On Leap Day of 2008, the Heat were able to get their second win in the month of February. It came against another one of the lowly teams of the NBA, in a 103-93 win over Seattle. However, over the last three games, Miami has won two, with Sacramento coming up next on the schedule.

Hours before Pat Riley said he was considering shutting star guard Dwyane Wade down for the rest of the season due to lingering knee and shoulder problems, the Heat guard was at his best. In 40 minutes, Flash scored a game-high 31 points on 13-of-25 shooting to go along with five assists and three steals. On the defensive end, Wade took on the challenge of guarding rookie Kevin Durant, who is five inches taller than Wade. Although KD finished with 24 points, Wade made Durant earn every point he got.

After the game, Wade voiced his disapprobation with being sit out partly due to the fact that the Miami Heat are headed for the lottery. Wade also added that Head Coach and President Pat Riley has not addressed him personally about a possible shift to the inactive list.

"Right now," Wade said, "my job is to come out here every day and lead my team."

After playing in two consecutive games, Udonis Haslem was held out due to his nagging left ankle sprain. Instead of shifting Shawn Marion over to the four and have Dorell Wright start, Riles kept The Matrix at the small forward position and brought D-League star Alexander Johnson into the starting five, who finished with eight points.

Staying at his more natural three spot, Marion finished with a double-double, registering 14 points and 13 boards for Miami. Marion also dished out five assists and collected three steals. However, Marion has made clear his doubts of his team's desire, especially after a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

"We've got a national TV game. You're telling me you can't get pumped up and come out with fire? That's frustrating. We've got dig deeper," said Marion, who was acquired just over three weeks ago. "It's hard, man. "I'm used to being a leader on the floor, but it's got to be everybody. When everybody starts to feel pain, to feel that pain, and get [upset] on the floor ... then this will end. Until that happens, it's never going to end."

Marion has made clear his frustration, speaking about the same subject after a 112-100 loss to Houston and a 101-96 loss to Philadelphia in which the Sixers ran off 10 straight points in overtime.

I am happy that someone finally called this team out. This has been long overdue. Pat Riley may have made headlines by saying that he might as well suit up and play, but in all honesty, I haven't been impressed with Pat Riley and how he has let this team sink so far. Unfortunately for Marion, it appears to be a classic case of too little, too late. With less than 30 games to go and just 11 wins under their belt, the only thing Miami fans are looking forward to is some luck come lottery time.


This is exactly why Pat Riley speaking of shutting Wade down makes plenty of sense. The Heat are going to the lottery. Wade is still not 100%. And since the 2006 Finals MVP refuses to miss the Olympics coming up, this time looks great for Wade to rest and not further risk re-aggravating his injury. But Wade said that Pat Riley is yet to even speak with Wade about the possibility, even after proclaiming it to the media. Quite frankly, Riles and Wade must get on the same page before either of them announce where Wade stands for the rest of the season.