USA Basketball - Getting Set For London

UPDATE:
Chris Sheridan is reporting that 19 players will be selected for the preliminary roster.  I almost nailed it.  They included Chauncey Billups instead of Amare Stoudemire.  I assume Amare pulled his name from contention.  LaMarcus Aldridge is the 19th player selected.  I would've chosen Rudy Gay as #19.
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USA basketball was quickly back in the headlines this week, as Director Jerry Collangelo has started contacting players to gauge their interest in playing in the upcoming Olympics.  Unlike previous Olympics and FIBA World Championships post-Dream Team, Collangelo and Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski have the cream of the crop to choose from.  This is lining up to be the best group of talent since the world-famous squad in 1992.

So, with that in mind, I wanted to take a dive in the current roster to see how the top 18 will shake out. USA Basketball plans to announce the 18 players who will be candidates for the Olympic team by the middle of this month, Colangelo said Friday.  I started going through the names in my head, and I quickly realized that cutting to 18 already includes some very difficult cuts.

Four players from the 2008 Olympic team have been ruled out of consideration for the 18 2012 finalists. Those four are Chicago's Carlos Boozer, Detroit's Tayshaun Prince, Phoenix's Michael Redd and Dallas' Jason Kidd, so that makes it a little easier.  But, there are some GOOD players that won't even make training camp!  A good problem to have, I guess.  Let's take a look:

Point Guards
Locks to make the cut: Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose
Probably in the 18: 
Russell Westbrook - can play the 2 with that crazy athleticism.
On the outside looking in:  Stephen Curry - his great outside shot is a good fit as a zone buster. Weak defensively.
Won't make it: 
Rajon Rondo - he's probably not even including his name as a candidate, but even if he did, he's still probably out.  Not a good fit for international ball.

Swingmen
Locks to make the cut: Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Kevin Durant
Probably in the 18: 
Andre Iguodala - His versatility defensively gives him a leg up over the other small forwards on the roster.
Eric Gordon - Played well in Greece and is their best fit as a zone buster, but still plays defense (unlike Curry).
On the outside looking in: 
Rudy Gay - similar to Iguodala, will be a fun competition to watch between the two.
Danny Granger - seems like a great fit for this style, but didn't play well in Greece and barely saw the floor.
Won't make it: 
Tyreke Evans - much better NBA player than international style against mostly 2-3 zones.
OJ Mayo - won't outplay Gordon or Curry with this roster.
Jeff Green - scheduled for heart surgery soon

Bigs
Locks to make the cut: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Dwight Howard
Probably in the 18: 
Blake Griffin - hasn't played with USA basketball yet, but the rumor he is the only new addition to the roster.  Need to find a spot for that talent.
Kevin Love - good fit as a big defender and outside shooter.  Pretty good token white guy :).
Tyson Chandler - the only other "true" center on the roster and a favorite of Coach K.
On the outside looking in: 
LaMarcus Aldridge - doesn't have much experience with these coaches and really, look at that list above.
Al Jefferson - an interesting choice, with the paint moving the NBA size in these Olympics.  The best post-scorer on the roster, but too much competition.
Lamar Odom - was a vital part of the FIBA champs in Greece and has a lot of USA hoops experience.  Coach K will struggle to not include him.
Won't make it: 
David Lee - not enough defense
Brook Lopez - not enough FIBA experience
Robin Lopez - doesn't belong on this list

The Final 18
So, after thinking long and hard about this list, here is the 18 players I think Collangelo and Coach K need to bring to camp to get ready for the London Olympics

Point Guards: Paul, Williams, Rose, Westbrook
Shooting Guards: Bryant, Wade, Gordon
Small Forwards: James, Durant, Iguodala
Power Forwards: Anthony, Bosh, Stoudemire, Griffin, Love, Odom
Centers: Howard, Chandler

Now THAT is a great list of ballers to choose from.  A great group of talent with versatility, athleticism, shooters, defensive, and international experience.  While we're at it, here's my top 12 to suit up for Team USA in London in a perfect world:

PG: Paul, Williams, Rose
SG: Bryant, Wade
SF: James, Durant
PF: Bosh, Stoudemire, Griffin
C: Howard, Chandler

Good luck with that team, world.

USA Basketball, will this roster fit the bill in Turkey?

With the FIBA World Championships approaching quickly, I've oddly spend a lot of time thinking about who should play for Team USA in Turkey next month. After watching the first few practices on NBATV, and re-watching how Coack K and his staff handled his squad in the Gold Medal game two years ago, I've decided to take my best shot at figuring out the best 12 players the red, white, and blue can take to the Worlds. Nothing wrong with some elite-level basketball in the summer, right?

Point guards

Chauncey Billups – A natural leader and truly the only veteran presence this roster has. He's not an ideal fit for this team in that he's not a push-the-ball PG, but he brings value with a solid outside shot and physical defense against bigger guards. Team USA needs Chauncey to be a calming presence in close games. I picture Billups playing more off the ball the way Deron Williams was used in the Olympics against pack-it-in zone defenses.

Rajon Rondo – Obviously I'm a little biased here, but Rondo fits the mold of what Jason Kidd has brought to USA Basketball throughout his undefeated FIBA career. I know, I know. He can't shoot. But Rondo brings a lot more to the table than he takes off. The biggest advantage we have over other countries is our athleticism, so we need a point guard that will push the ball every possession and try to get as many easy buckets as possible. With the right shooters around him, Rondo has a knack for finding guys open and in rhythm. He's also the best on the ball defender on the roster and will pressure the hell out of opposing point guards, causing turnovers and getting more of those easy baskets we need. The less we are in a half court set, the better.

Shooting guards

Andre Iguodala – One thing that Coach K has stressed over and over is that he wants position flexibility with his roster and Iggy brings just that. His ability to guard both smaller quick guards and bigger forwards provides Team USA options for the right kind of lineup to handle different styles. While he's obviously not at the same level, I can see Coach K using Iguodala in a similar way he used Lebron in China. Run the floor on the break, while hitting open shots on offense; guard some of the bigger forwards on defense. His athleticism will cause mismatches when slower forwards have to keep up with our aggressive, uptempo style.

Stephen Curry – The best shooter on the roster outside of Kevin Durant, plus his ability to play the point or off the ball gives him an advantage to make this team. He may a bit of a liability defensively, but he seems to have the type of court sense to be in the right place at the right time. He seems like a guy you would love to play with, and I predict that Curry will find himself playing big minutes and even crunch time minutes.

OJ Mayo – Much like Curry, Mayo can handle the ball but will add more value off the ball as a shooter. He also is good at getting in passing lanes to start fast break opportunities. While I don't see Mayo providing anything that Iguodala and Curry already bring, Mayo seems like the right fit as an emergency guard that will only play in mop up duty against weaker opponents. Not bad for a borderline all-star caliber player.

Small Forwards

Kevin Durant – the only no doubt, superstar on this Team USA roster. The biggest adjustment that Coach K and his staff will need to make in Turkey is to truly revolve an offense around one scorer. I'm not saying that KD needs to jack 25 shots a game, but it would be wise to make sure Durant gets in a rhythm early and they continue to ride his offense. We've seen how the expanded offensive repertoire of Carmelo Anthony has dominated recent FIBA competition. Well, Durant has that game and more. It will be fun to see how much he can carry us offensively.

Danny Granger – one of the least recognized all-star caliber players in basketball today. The way I think Iguodala can play the 2 on offense and the 3 spot on defense, I think Granger can be a sniper on offense, but guard power forwards with his 6'8” 230-lbs. frame. People keep talking about the lack of shooters on this roster, but I think the right lineups can expose zone defenses very effectively.

Rudy Gay – the type of elite athlete that not many other countries can showcase. He's exactly the type of player you want to see on the wing filling the lane on every fast break. I worry about his defensive indifference at times, but he should be able to get some run against countries that are more turnover-prone against our pressure.

Power Forwards

Gerald Wallace – the biggest flaw that this roster has is a serious lack of rebounding. Good thing that we have one elite rebounder with Wallace. Another elite athlete, “Crash” will attack the boards and run the floor for plenty of dunk attempts. The problem with Wallace is his lack of any offensive moves that will translate to the FIBA game. Coach K will need to surround Wallace with plenty of shooting, so he can spend his time doing the dirty work. I don't see a lot of other options.

Lamar Odom – the last time Odom donned the red, white, a blue, Team USA left Athens with a very disappointing bronze medal. I'm hoping that Lamar learned a lot from that experience and comes to this training camp with a better knowledge of how to utilize his wide array of skills. Coming off three straight trips to the NBA Finals, Odom now has a lot of big game experience. Hopefully that will come in handy in Turkey. We will need his length on the boards and his shooting touch when guarded by less mobile big guys.

Centers

Brook Lopez – the only true center that has the skills to make a big impact in the World Championships. He has the size to guard a player like Marc Gasol, and still has to touch to step out from the trapezoid and knock down shots. Lopez better have his conditioning down, because we will need a lot of minutes out of this budding star.

Kevin Love - Love has the kind of game that's a perfect fit for FIBA. He doesn't have amazing size or athleticism, but has a great knack for rebounding. What I really love is what he does when he grabs those rebounds. Our point guards will love the Wes Unseld-like outlet passes that will help us push the ball for bunnies. Love may not be a true center, but he is our best option to back up Lopez for this run in Turkey.

Toughest Omissions

The obvious guy left out is Derrick Rose, who is becoming an elite NBA star. I just don't see how Rondo and Rose can make this team and be useful together. I can definitely see Rose making the team and Rondo being left off, but I give Rondo the edge because of his pressure defense and superior passing ability. With Steph Curry filling in as a 3^rd point guard if needed, I don't see a need for Rose. It reminds me of the U.S. roster for the 2002 World Championships, when we had Andre Miller and Baron Davis. Both young point guards trying to become elite players and butting heads throughout the whole process as we stumbled to a 6-3 record without a medal. It will be tough to leave a guy like Rose or Rondo off the roster, but I think it's the right thing for this coaching staff to do.

I would have picked both Amare Stoudemire and David Lee to make this team, but Amare's lack of contract insurance forced him to stay away and Lee destroyed his finger in their very first practice. The injury will keep him out of action.

Tyreke Evans is of a similar mold as Rose, with a great NBA game. But, the versatility of our other guards leaves him out.

Russell Westbrook is left out because of too many point guard options and not enough spots.

Tyson Chandler could get a possible roster spot because of our lack of size, but Wallace and Love should be good enough rebounders to leave Chandler's limited offensive game home.

Starting Lineups & Second Unit

After watching how Coach K handled his roster in China, I can see a similar outline for his rotations with this squad.

My predictions for the starters:

PG Rondo

SG Iguodala

SF Durant

PF Wallace

C Lopez

Similar to the way Jason Kidd was used to start games and get guys running and comfortable early, Rondo can be used in the same fashion. We want to speed up the game as much as possible, and Rondo is the perfect guy to force turnovers and fly up the court looking for open scorers. The length of Iguodala, Durant, and Wallace will give opposing offenses plenty of trouble, while Lopez works with Wallace to clean up the boards. We may have a lack of size, but all five starters here are excellent rebounders.

My second unit:

PG Curry

SG Billups

SF Granger

PF Odom

C Love

This unit can come in and provide more of a half-court offense if the opposition slows the game down. Chauncey will still be effective off the ball as a spot up shooter and can guard bigger guards so Curry isn't a defensive liability. All five guys can stretch the floor with their outside shot with Steph providing the offensive creativity and Granger getting his offense going with his size advantage.

My crunch time lineup:

PG Curry

SG Billups

SF Durant

PF Granger

C Lopez

This group has four excellent free throw shooters down the stretch and can play a variety of styles. Curry can push the ball with Durant and Granger filling the lanes, or the shooting range of our guards and forwards can bust a zone. Lopez provides the size needed for post defense. Coach K liked to use Lebron as his power forward down the stretch in the Olympics, and I can see Granger filling this same role.

Overall, this team will have its share of weaknesses and can be exposed against teams that slow the game down and use the pick and role as their primary offense. Lucky for us, Team USA is not the only team without major stars. Dirk, Pau Gasol, Ginobili, Parker, Kirilenko, and Mehmet Okur will all miss the World Championships with an assortment of injuries or other reasons. It should still be an exciting tournament for die hard basketball fans like me. We'll see if any of my predictions for our roster and lineups come true. We're far from having a Dream Team, but I think we have enough talent to win it all if we play the right way. I'm looking forward to watching some basketball without hearing about Lebron's decision or worrying about KG's knees.

Go USA.

My 2009 Sports Wish List

Much like my 2008 Sports Wish List, I feel the need to write a list for this year based on two huge items that really happened:

• Paul Pierce wins the Finals MVP
  
  and you know what that means...
  
  
• Banner number 17 goes up for the Boston Celtics

When something that big happens in my life, I don't take it for granted. Also, My list in 2007 had the trade for Garnett on the list, so I think it's definitely worth my time to come up with a new group of bullets for what I would love to happen for my teams in '09. In somewhat of a particular order, here we go:

• We can sit down and watch one Michigan football game without highlights of Appalachian State or Toledo...ugh
• The Lions head honchos (Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew) hire a set of coaches with winning experience and aren't behind the curve with some fancy "system" that stopped working two years ago (Mariucci with the West Coast offense, Marinelli with his Tampa Two, Marz with his Fastest Team on Turf, etc.)
  
• The Tigers get back to their 2006 ways with solid starting pitching and top notch defense.
  
• Danny Ainge is able to pull off one last move for a veteran big man before the playoffs starts for the Celtics.
  
• Rich Rodriguez uses his snake oil and wizardry to lock up a 2nd QB and some surprise talent on signing day without losing any more of their verbal commits. We've already had way too many.
• Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith stay healthy and make their first Pro Bowl together.
• Gary Sheffield makes a shocking comeback and hits well all year as the DH in Detroit.
• Rajon Rondo makes the trip to Phoenix in February to play his first of many All-Star games for the Celtic point guard.
• KG, Pierce, and Ray Ray all join him.
• Mayhew and the Lions draft at least five solid starters for next year's squad. It can't be that hard to find five starters for that crappy roster, right?
• Michigan basketball finishes above .500 during the Big Ten season and makes the NCAA Tournament.
• Manny Harris wins Big Ten Player of the Year along with the Tourney bid.
• Tate Forcier immediately locks up the starting QB gig with the Wolverines and we never, ever, ever, ever see another snap taken by Nick Sheridan in Ann Arbor.
• Tigers newcomers C Gerald Laird, SS Jason Everett, and SP Edwin Jackson quietly add a spark to the roster at Comerica and push Detroit back into playoff contention.
  
  and for the Big Ones:
  
  
  
• Michigan basketball makes an exciting run to the Sweet Sixteen behind a turnover-creating 1-3-1 trapping zone and great three-point shooting from Harris, Deshawn Sims, Laval Lucas-Perry, Stu Douglass, and Zack Novak.
• The Lions get back to mediocrity behind a nice group of youngsters and quiet the critics about behind the worst franchise in sports.
• Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez battle for MVP votes as the Tigers are winning Playoff games.
  
• With Forcier at the helm, the Wolverine offense starts to click, the linebackers and safeties improve and Michigan has a chance down the stretch to get into a New Year's Day bowl game again.
• Everything falls back into place, the defense continues to dominate, and the Celtics win championship number 18 with another Finals win over the Lakers.
• And this time, Kevin Garnett wins Finals MVP
  

NBA 2008 Eastern Conference Preview

Since every single football team I root for is either completely rotten or just mediocre, including my stupid fantasy teams, I'm jacked that the Celtics first preseason game is tonight. With that excitement comes my 2nd annual Eastern Conference preview for the 2008-09 NBA season. A certain team that I enjoy from Boston did pretty well last year; I think this gives me a little more drive to write. My opinions may have been biased last year, but they sure ended up being pretty accurate, weren't they? Let's get it going:

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics – 59-23

This is the same record that I predicted for last year, but the C's shot right past my win total for a league-best 66-16 record. I'm obviously still high on my ballclub this year, but I think there are a few reasons for expecting them to just miss the 60 win total. First, losing James Posey to New Orleans is a big loss. "Pose" not only was a clutch three-point shooter, his defensive prowess allowed Boston to play small ball when Kendrick Perkins needed a rest or was in foul trouble. I'm not sure the combo of Tony Allen/Darius Miles/Bill Walker/JR Giddens can make up for the loss of the new Big Game James. The second reason for a worse record is just the fact that the Celtics will get every team's best game each night with a big target on their back. The Big Three are a year older and I think Doc will truly try to limit their minutes this year. Winning in April is a lot more important than blowing teams away in December. I'm still loving this team, though.

Toronto Raptors – 45-37

While the big news in the Atlantic this offseason has been the addition of Elton Brand in Philly, those rabid fans up in Canada are screaming, "What about us?!?!" Not only do the Raptors return their starting lineup from a year ago, they've added Jermaine O'Neal to bolster their interior defense. On paper, the rotation of Jose Calderon, Anthony Parker, Jason Kapono, Jamario Moon, Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargani, and O'Neal looks pretty impressive. If the trio of Calderon, Bosh, and O'Neal can stay healthy, they could really make a run at Boston. That's just not an "if" I would count on. They're still a low-seed playoff team at worst.

Philadelphia 76ers - 44-38

Maybe I'm way off on this, but the 76ers sure feel like the overhyped team that will really just be an average team in the East. Sure, Brand is definitely a nice addition to a playoff team. But, that playoff team was 40-42 last year. This team could definitely be scary in a playoff series, because they are so scrappy. I just don't see them as a season long dominant team. I'm giving them a 6 seed or so. However, this could be the year that Philly finishes the first round upset. You paying attention Pistons fans?

New Jersey Nets – 30-52

Can you really trust Vince Carter to carry a team for 82 games anymore? I say no. With a young group of guys, including Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, Brook Lopez, and Josh Boone, being "led" by Vince, I can see frustration and tanking-thoughts come April. It's not a contract year for Carter. Meanwhile, Jay Z will continue to talk to Lebron every single day.

New York Knicks – 28-54

Well...they have a new coach. Mike D'Antoni takes over a Knicks team that isn't really built to run. This should be interesting. Stephon Marbury is still hanging around, but Chris Duhon is supposed to start at the point. Yup, Chris Duhon. I think Jamal Crawford could put up some big numbers, but how can you push the ball when Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry are your big guys? Square peg, round hole.

Central Division

Cleveland Cavs - 61-21

Man, this team scares me. When you have a superduperstar, how do you want to build around him? An array of good shooters? Check. A group of big men that make an impact without needing the ball? Check. Hard-nosed defenders? Yup. Lebron has been asking for a better supporting cast for years, and I think he finally has it. Mo Williams is the type of point guard that can take a bit of the scoring load off James, and they now have the right mix. I see the Cavs getting home court throughout the Eastern Playoffs this year. And I don't like it.

Detroit Pistons – 52-30

We heard about all the changes that were going to happen to the Pistons roster this offseason, and all they got was Kwame Brown? I agree with Joe Dumars that they couldn't make a deal just for the sake of making one, but a little bit of a shakeup might have been needed here. The only interesting bit I've found on Detroit this preseason is that Amir Johnson may be starting at power forward over Antonio McDyess. We'll see how long that lasts. Jason Maxiell is their best 4-man anyway. Maybe they can snap out of their lull and be dominant again, but I see them taking a few steps back this year.

Indiana Pacers – 38-44

Larry Legend is starting to finally look like he knows what he's doing as a GM. Jim O'Brien's system is basically to chuck up as many threes as they can and play solid enough defense to win. This team is capable of doing just that. Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy are their shooters, Danny Granger is their go-to guy and their three centers should be scrappy and physical. The addition of TJ Ford and Jarrett Jack is an upgrade over Jamaal Tinsley, too. I think Indiana can get in as the 8-seed this year.

Chicago Bulls – 36-46

The Bulls completely falling off the map really came out of nowhere last year for me. I predicted they would be in the Eastern Conference Finals! It turns out the early Kobe distractions made an impact and shots just wouldn't fall anymore. Number one overall pick Derrick Rose should take over at point guard early and bring a new energy to this team that really needs a spring in their step. Then again, they still don't have a post scorer. So when their shots are falling they will look like world beaters. The next night they will get killed. Another lottery might be needed in the Windy City.

Milwaukee Bucks – 29-53

If there's a team that could come out of nowhere and be much better than expected, it's the Bucks. I actually like their starting lineup. It's just that I think they currently have the worst bench in the league. I don't see one impact player on their roster off the bench for this season. Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson can score, but I don't see enough here to get them out of the Central cellar unless their starting five stays healthy all year and a solid sixth man emerges.

Southeast Division

Orlando Magic – 52-30

There really isn't a big reason to believe that Orlando will be any better or worse than last year. Michael Pietrus is a bit of an upgrade at the 2 over Keith Bogans and Jameer Nelson should continue to improve. But I don't expect Hedo Turkoglu to play as well as he did last year and Dwight Howard is coming off a long summer winning Gold with Team USA. So I'm keeping them at 52-30 like last year.

Atlanta Hawks – 44-38

The Hawks have definitely put together an intriguing group of athletes. Joe Johnson emerged as an elite scorer in the NBA and the Josh Smith/Al Horford duo provides a crazy combo of athleticism and strength inside. If Mike Bibby plays well, this team is as intimidating as any in the East this year. Atlanta fans are probably sick of hearing it, but I think they are still a year away from being real contenders.

Washington Wizards – 37-45

Not only is Gilbert's knee a huge question mark going into the season, Antawn Jamison went down last night with a knee injury of his own. Is just doesn't seem to be in the cards that the Arenas/Butler/Jamison Wiz will ever climb the mountain. They'll have a chance to get hot and make a run at the Playoffs, but really, what does it matter?

Miami Heat – 35-47

I can't figure out Shawn Marion. He wasn't happy playing with the best point guard in the NBA and now he still seems dissatisfied playing in Miami. Why wouldn't you want to run with D-Wade and Michael Beasley? There point guard situation is beyond shaky, but that's quite the talented trio to build around. We'll see how this Matrix drama unfolds, but for now I'm keeping them out of the Playoffs. Still a great improvement on last year's tank job.

Charlotte Bobcats – 20-62

Imagine if the Bobcats drafted Brandon Roy instead of Adam Morrison in 2006. We could be talking about Charlotte hosting Playoff games. Instead I think they are the worst team in the East, if not the League. Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace will be exciting enough to keep some butts in the seats, but they won't win many games.

Playoff Teams: Cleveland, Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Toronto, Philly, Atlanta, Indiana

Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland over Boston in seven

NBA Finals: Lakers over Cleveland in six

What Went Wrong For Michigan?

It's an exciting, frustrating, energizing, and curiously confusing time to be a fan of Michigan football in 2008. After being accustomed to slugfest Big Ten football for generations, Rich Rodriguez was brought in to throw this program for a loop. And that he did.

As much as we either loved or hated Lloyd Carr, there was always the comfort of knowing that our athletes and style of play was superior to the majority of our opponents and three or four tough games a year would be the difference between a Big Ten title or a fan base grumbling about an 8-4 "down year."

Not exactly the case anymore. With a slew of talent either leaving for the NFL, transferring, or quitting altogether, Rodriguez is now forced to put a square peg in a round hole to get a few "W"s on the board in '08. So what went wrong against Utah and why will we struggle this year? Here's a few things I've noticed, some of them pretty obvious:

1. Nick Sheridan was even worse than I expected. Steven Threet was only a little bit better.

Anyone that watched a minute of this game or read any team previews before the season knew that the QB position was going to be a weakness for the Wolverines. But Sheridan was lost. It was thought that his hint of speed would be an advantage in our offense over Threet, but Sheridan's feet were not effective in any way; although he did have a chance at one first down on an option keeper. Of course he stumbled and fell over before the 1st down marker. At least Threet throws a good deep ball that can keep safeties out of the box to open up swing passes, bubble screens, and short crossing routes from our buzzing slot guys. Sheridan decided that chucking the ball up into triple coverage when he was forced into trouble was a good idea. He also missed plenty of reads that should've moved the ball. Threet will take a sack and make the correct check down reads. It's the difference between a four-star talent and a walk-on. Just sayin'. The longer we stick with Sheridan, the harder it will be for the rest of the offense to improve. Thank God that Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver will be in Ann Arbor next year.

2. This is the worst offensive line Michigan has had in my lifetime.

Normally this would sound like an exaggerated statement. But it's true, and there's good reason for it. Jake Long and Adam Kraus headed to the pros. Seniors Jeremy Ciulla and Alex Mitchell didn't like the new running program and quit. Our highest rated returning lineman, Justin Boren is a dirty Benedict Arnold and transferred to that state down South filled with tramps and idiots. Add the knee injury to presumed starter Cory Zirbel and you have a mess of backups and freshman as your new starting line in a new system. It's a horrible combination of erratic recruiting and bad timing. But there's no getting around it, this offensive line will make it very hard for our offense to be successful against good teams.

3. The defense under achieved in the first half, but they'll be ok.

I had very high hopes for this defense going into the Utah game, and towards the end of the 2nd quarter I thought I was watching last year's Oregon game again. Terrence Taylor looked slow, our linebackers couldn't cover, and we were getting no pressure on a QB who was obviously faster than the men in winged helmets chasing him. But in the 2nd half things changed. Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer made adjustments (seriously, halftime adjustments!) and pulled back the zone blitzing and three deep coverage that obviously wasn't working and went to a cover 2 mixed with some man-to-man that helped our linebackers in coverage and relied on pressure from the defensive ends. For once in the past 20 years, our defense was in better shape than their opponents and things started clicking. I like our chances to be solid this year, and we'll need every stop we can get to win ballgames.

4. Our backs and receivers are talented, but looked nervous and a little a slow in the first game.

I'm definitely not saying our backs and receivers are slow (OK, Greg Mathews is a little bit slow), it's just that with a new offense sometimes the players are out there thinking about what to do instead of letting their talent take over and make plays. I think this was the case against the Utes. Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw seemed to stumble a lot, Daryl Stonum and Martavious Odoms were not very sharp on their routes, and all of these little things add up to be the difference between a successful play and an incomplete pass or a stop for no gain. I'm confident this group will look faster and sharper this weekend. Getting Kevin Grady back this week may give them a boost with a power runner as well.

So that's my thoughts on the first week of Michigan football under a new regime. It was ugly, as we all probably thought it would be. It's just too bad that the defense couldn't keep us close enough in the first half to come back and win the game. As far as I'm concerned, I will enjoy this season as long as we improve in small steps from week to week. It's cliche to say, "Be careful what you wish for," but in this case we definitely got what we asked for. It's that "being patient" part that we're not so fond of.

My 2008 Sports Wish List

The other day I decided to read through the Wish List that I created in January last year and it turned out that almost every bullet point on the list didn't end up happening this year. The key word here is almost.

At the time, the craziest wish that I added to my list turned out to be one of the only wishes that actually came true for me:

• The Celtics make a huge trade and Paul Pierce suddenly has a new teammate.......
  Kevin Garnett

You can check out last year's wish list here.

Because that one huge sports wish came true for me, I'm compelled to write a 2008 version. If anything on this list can make me as happy as the Garnett trade has, then this blog will be an overwhelming success.

So here is my 2008 Sports Wish list (in somewhat of a particular order again):

• We can watch one Michigan game in 2008 without seeing highlights of Appalachian State
• The LA Clippers buyout Sam Cassell's contract and he comes to Boston in time for some clutch Playoff shooting
  
• Miguel Cabrera reports for spring training in the best shape of his life
• The Lions find a way to trade up and build their offensive line around a rookie named Jake Long
• Mike Hart finds the right roster and is a starting running back in the NFL
• Dontrelle Willis finds his electric 2005 form
  
• Mike Martz stays in Detroit and figures out a way to move the ball consistently with passing AND running plays
• Antonio Bass comes back healthy to give another spark to the Wolverine offense
• Jeremy Bonderman finds a shrink that can hypnotize him during 1st innings
• Kevin Jones and Roy Williams play one full healthy season together in Detroit
• Sam McGuffie becomes a freshman sensation juking and hurdling Big Ten defenders all year long
• Jim Leyland ages yet ANOTHER year without lung cancer
  
• Super Mario Manningham decides that he wants to spend one more year in Ann Arbor
• Ernie Sims makes the Pro Bowl that he deserved this year
  
• Shaun Rogers joins Sims in Honolulu not because of his big name, but because he stopped being lazy and earned it
• Justin Verlander pitches another no-hitter, this time in the Playoffs
• Scout.com's top-ranked QB, Terrelle Pryor, follows his cousin Tony Clemons to Ann Arbor and is running the spread offense for Coach Rod next year
• Ryan Mallett decides to stick with the Wolverines to form a dominant 1-2 QB Combo with Pryor a la Chris Leak and Tim Tebow at Florida
• Joel Zumaya comes back from his dirt bike accident, ahem, I mean box falling accident and still has his 100 mph heater
  
• Calvin Johnson starts to prove that he really is the best player from the 2007 NFL Draft
• The starters stay healthy, the bullpen holds up, and the best offense in baseball lives up to their billing on its way to a Big October
• Lions players JUST SHUT UP and make the Playoffs without any damn predictions
• Rich Rodriguez seamlessly fits his spread offense and 3-3-5 stack defense into the Wolverine's current group of talent and finally figures out a way to beat Mr. Sweater Vest in Columbus
  
• Kevin Garnett brings home the hardware as regular season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year
  
  BUT
  
  
• Paul Pierce wins the Finals MVP
  
  and you know what that means...
  
  
• Banner number 17 goes up for the Boston Celtics
  

My Biased Eastern Conference Predictions

I haven’t been this excited for an NBA season since I was dunking Nerf balls through a plastic Dr. J court in my bedroom. If you know me, you know why. The Boston Celtics are contenders again. Not Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker, make it to the Eastern Conference Finals contenders, but real NBA Championship trophy contenders. The C’s are on National TV right now, it’s only the preseason, and I can’t wipe this smile off my face.

Almost every year I pick up the NBA video game for whatever system I have. This year I’ll be picking up NBA Live for the Nintendo Wii. The only difference this year is that I won’t have to make the trade in my Celtics Franchise that I make every year. That’s because every year I trade for Kevin Garnett. I never thought that KG would actually don the green and white.

Soooooo, there’s a pretty good chance I’ll be watching a lot of NBA games this season. I always have my own ideas of what teams will succeed and who will fail and I’ve never been shy about expressing my opinions. This seems like the best tool I have for letting you all know what they are. Division by division, here’s my Eastern Conference shakedown for the upcoming NBA year. I’ll make sure that I let everyone know about any of these predictions I have correct when The Truth hoists that beautiful golden trophy over his head in June. That’s right, you heard me.

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics – 59-23

Let’s start this thing off with a bang. You all know about the Big Three, or the C-Notes, or the P.G.A. Tour, or whatever nickname ends up sticking with them. My sky-high expectations also exist because I really like the players they have around them. Rajon Rondo defends, can handle the ball and take it the hole. He may be inexperienced, but he won’t have to completely run the offense like Nash or Kidd. Kendrick Perkins is a banger, works hard on the boards, and doesn’t need the ball to make a positive impact. James Posey also defends, can hit the three, and does the little things that help teams win close games. Eddie House is a fantastic outside shooter and can be a Microwave-like player off the bench. Tony Allen’s athleticism gives Pierce or Ray a nice break every night. There’s a lot to like. I’m sure there will be a transition period, and they may struggle when the frontcourt gets in foul trouble, but when it comes down to it, KG’s intensity and superior talent can push them over the top.

New Jersey – 51-31

This is another team with a “big three,” but they have failed to get their entire unit to click in the past few seasons. Every year I’ve looked at Kidd, Vince, and Jefferson and thought, “Man, they should kill this crappy division.” It just hasn’t happened, and now the division is WAY better. The magic of Jason Kidd will still get this team into the playoffs, and getting Nenad Krstic back is a big help, but until I see Vince stop settling for jump shots and start taking the ball to the rack in key situations they will just be another team.

Toronto – 45-37

The Raptors had a very nice regular season last year, with Chris Bosh taking his game to a new level and things falling into place for coach Sam Mitchell. Now, I look at their roster and I just don’t see the same type of success happening again. TJ Ford and Jose Calderon is a nice point guard combo and Andrea Bargnani has some nice potential. Is that it? I really believe that having three teams in the Atlantic with 35 wins or less lifted them in the standings to where they were mentioned with the top teams. Then in the Playoffs they were exposed as an average squad. With rumors swirling that Bosh isn’t completely healthy further leads me to the conclusion that Toronto will struggle to get a final spot in the East and my guess is that they won’t get in.

New York – 42-40

This may be the toughest team to predict in the League this year. Is there talent here? No doubt. Would you bet your bank account on this group of guys meshing to form a consistent team? I know I wouldn’t. Between the distracting offseason with Isiah’s sexual harassment lawsuit and their best two players earning their money with the exact same type of game, it seems unlikely to me that this is going to work. Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford are both gunners, Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry are both black holes, and David Lee is stuck on the bench. If Phil Jackson or Greg Popovich coached this team, I would be worried about the Knicks. With Zeke? Not so much.

Philly - 35-47

One thing about Philly is that you know they will play hard every night. Sixers fans should be proud of the guys they have on their roster. But they just don’t have enough firepower to contend. Andre Miller is a very underrated point guard and Andre Iguodala is a stud, but where will the scoring come from? Kyle Korver better start launching as many shots as Iverson used to, because they will need 20 plus a night from him to hang in this division. That doesn’t mean they won’t give teams fits every night, though. Losing a superstar is never easy; it will take a few years for Philly to get back to normal.

Central Division

Detroit – 61-21

Their starting five may be getting old, but with the improvement of Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson I think the Pistons have the right formula for a very successful regular season. Chris Webber is gone, but Antonio McDyess can step into the starting five seamlessly. They’ll still execute, they’ll still defend, and they will continue to keep on clicking their way to one of the top spots in the East. The problem with Detroit is that I think they will wear down come Playoff time when young legs will have a nice shot of ousting them again. That team may very well be…

Chicago – 58-24

Another year of this group together has Bulls fans almost as optimistic as the fans in Boston. Hinrich, Gordon, and Deng are tough as nails and Tyrus Thomas should be improved with a year under his belt. Throw in the hustle and defense of Joakim Noah and the leadership of Ben Wallace and you have yourself a team built for the long run. The downfall of this roster still seems to be the lack of a post scorer, and relying on the jump shot to score enough each game can get difficult. I think they should’ve pulled the trigger on the Pau Gasol trade. They still have enough to be a lock for the Playoffs and will push Detroit to their limit for the top spot in the Central and even the top record in the East.

Cleveland - 49-33

I think that Lebron James is completely capable of averaging 30 points and 10 assists for an entire season. But until the Cavs add some players that can finish open shots that James sets up, it won’t happen. Lebron has had one busy offseason, trying to become the “global icon.” After watching him on Team USA I kept saying, “He is going to be even more unstoppable this year,” after he kept hitting jumper after jumper. Yet, without help, the Cavs don’t have enough talent around James to get through the improved East this year. Cleveland’s franchise better be careful or Lebron will be wearing that N.Y. hat and playing there too.

Milwaukee – 39-43

The Bucks roster is a lot like the crowd when you watch a game in Milwaukee, blah. Michael Redd is tough and they have a nice young frontcourt with Andrew Bogut, Desmond Mason, and Charlie Villanueva, but I’m definitely not sold on them making any real noise this year. Chinese rookie Yi Jianlian will at least keep the media interested in the Bucks for a little while. The Cheeseheads shouldn’t get their hopes up here.

Indiana – 36-47

Jermaine O’Neal is already beat up and sulking, not a good sign for fans in the Hoosier State. I expect a break out year for Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy is a nice role player, but they lack a game-changing point guard or any depth in the post. Larry Legend needs to start wheeling and dealing soon, because this team is going nowhere fast.

Southeast Division

Washington – 58-24

Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison are all back and healthy, so I really like how this team is built for the regular season. They’re kind of like a poor mans version of the Phoenix Suns. Their lack of post scoring will make life very tough for them once the Playoffs roll around, but Hibatchi is good enough to dominate this division with their run-and-gun fun. The Wizards still a healthy Brendan Haywood for the whole year, because they don’t have much depth behind him at the center spot. Still, they’re my pick to win the Southeast.

Orlando – 50-32

Dwight Howard looks ready to finally become the dominant force we’ve been waiting for and the addition of Rashard Lewis gives them the type of outside scoring they need, even though the contract Lewis received is ridiculous. The biggest weakness I see with the Magic is that they don’t really have a guy that can create his own shot on a consistent basis. Lewis always had Ray Allen making plays for him and Howard can’t pass it to himself. Jameer Nelson and Trevor Ariza really need to pick up their game for Orlando to become a legit contender in the East. I still like them to earn a Playoff spot.

Atlanta – 46-36

I really like what the Hawks did in the draft this year, picking up the most NBA ready talent outside of Durant and Oden with Al Horford, and finally getting the point guard they need in Acie Law. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are legit NBA talents; there’s no doubt that there’s plenty of talent here. I just think that Speedy Claxton isn’t the answer at point guard and Earl isn’t ready to take over right away. They’ve got a shot to get that final spot in the East if Toronto falters like I think they will.

Miami – 41-41

Speaking of the Heat, my main man Ricky Buckets just got sent to some much nicer weather getting sent from Minnesota with Mark Blount for Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien and a first round pick. Ricky Davis provides the type of scorer the Heat need while Dwyane Wade is out for the first month. Does that mean they’ll win without Wade? No. Shaq will still dominate in spurts, but why should I believe he’ll play for more than 50 games? And with Flash’s aggressive style, can he stay healthy when he does come back? I’m not so sure. I think the Heat’s lifespan has passed and they’ll miss the Playoffs altogether this year.

Charlotte – 32-50

Sean May: out for the year. Adam Morrison: out for the year. Things are starting out horribly for the Bobcats this year. Sure, Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace will be fun to watch and Emeka Okafor is a great defensive talent, but that’s it. No consistent go-to scorer, no bench, and a rookie coach with no NBA experience whatsoever tells me that they’ll really struggle to find their way. They’re a year away from earning their stripes and becoming a real NBA franchise.

Playoff Teams: Detroit, Boston, Chicago, Washington, Orlando, Cleveland, New Jersey, Atlanta

Eastern Conference Finals: Boston over Chicago in six

NBA Finals: Boston over San Antonio in seven

There you have it, my rundown of the East; an improved conference with a lot of big-time storylines. Of course I’m biased towards Boston and may be finding extra faults on other teams because of it, but hey, this is my blog and I’ll be biased if I want to. That 25-point beatdown of last year’s Eastern Conference champions and KG’s triple-double sure didn’t help that bias. I’ll check back on these predictions come Playoff time and let you all know how well I did. And if I’m way off, maybe I’ll forget to bring it up again ;).

Go Celtics!!!