Ten Things I Think
1. I think Kevin Durant is the most versatile scorer of all-time. Listed at 6’10” (although he’s probably closer to 7 foot) KD has a nimbleness and dexterity to his game that is rare for any player, let alone a player with his measurables. Because Durant is so tall he has the ability to get his shot off whenever he so desires and almost always his looks are unimpeded. The Grim Reaper can create for himself, or spot-up and attack off of the catch, and his jump shot is silky smooth. There has never been a player with a bag of tricks at his disposal like Kevin Durant.
2. I think Robinson Cano’s use of PEDs is an absolute shame. He is one of the most naturally talented second baseman that I have ever seen, and perhaps of all-time. His swing is picturesque and his patented side-armed whip from second base as he ranges to his right is breathtaking. Like A-Rod, and Bonds, and countless others, Cano didn’t need foreign substances to make him great; he had Hall of Fame talent regardless. Cano’s on the fast track to 3,000 hits and already has appeared in eight All-Star Games, but now there will forever be an asterisk next to his name and that’s a disgrace.
3. I think there are only two guards in the NBA that I would take over Klay Thompson in a playoff series. Outside of James Harden and Steph Curry, Klay Thompson is the most valuable guard in the NBA. He is a low maintenance scorer who also is a stout perimeter defender. It is understandable that Klay tends to get overshadowed given the Warriors surrounding talent and larger than life personalities, but Thompson’s skill set cannot be called into question. He is a bona fide superstar.
4. I think the Suns should take Luka Dončić with the first overall pick. It will ultimately come down to Dončić or Arizona man-child DeAndre Ayton, but to me, the Slovenian guard is a perfect fit alongside Devin Booker. With that duo, the Suns backcourt would be set for the next decade. I would also be a bit skittish of drafting a center given the current climate of the NBA. Ayton is a beast and I expect him to be phenomenal with whichever team drafts him, but for the Suns I think Dončić makes the most sense.
5. I think Bryce Harper should sign with the Angels this offseason. The Nationals right fielder is in his walk year, and boy, is he about to get paid. At 25-years-old, Harper is set to hit the market before he has even entered his prime. He is already among the top-three players in all of baseball. If Harper were to go to Los Angeles to play with the Angels, he would be joining an outfield that already is home to baseball’s marquee attraction: Mike Trout. Can you imagine a one-two punch of Trout and Harper? With Albert Pujols’s albatross of a contract set to come off the books in just a couple of years, the Angels should be willing to pull the trigger.
6. I think I wouldn’t trade Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum in an attempt to pry Kawhi Leonard from San Antonio. This might sound like lunacy to some, but I am so bullish on the potential of both Brown and Tatum that I wouldn’t do such a deal. Aside from their abilities, Kawhi is coming off of an injury that sidelined him for essentially the entire season. There is no guarantee that he returns to being the Kawhi Leonard of old. On top of that, the level of proficiency that Brown and Tatum have demonstrated this postseason has been off the charts and at 21 and 20 years of age, respectively, they both have immense room for growth. Now if the Celtics were looking to trade for Anthony Davis, well, then that’s an entirely different discussion.
7. I think the success of the Las Vegas Golden Knights this season is one of the more shocking developments in recent memory. The franchise, in its first season, finished third in the Western Conference in points and is currently one victory away from competing for the Stanley Cup. This never happens in sports. It typically takes expansion teams years and years to become relevant. The most recent expansion franchise in North American sports prior to the Golden Knights was the Charlotte Bobcats, now known as the Hornets. In their first nine seasons in the NBA, Charlotte only made the postseason one time. The Bobcats weren’t considered all that lousy, it was just understood that it took considerable time to build up a franchise from scratch. The Golden Knights have said to hell with that and in their first season they are on the brink of the sport’s greatest honor. The players and front office deserve immense praise.
8. I think the Yankees are the favorites to win the World Series. They simply do not have a weakness. Their starting rotation is loaded, their lineup is stacked and their bullpen is unhittable. After the Red Sox caught fire out of the gates in April, I wasn’t sure the Bronx Bombers would be able to overcome the 8-game deficit to catch their fierce rival. I was wrong. It’s mid-May and not only have the Yanks caught Boston, but Aaron Boone’s ball club has surpassed the BoSox and there’s still four months to go in the regular season. We seem to be in the dawn of yet another Yankees dynasty.
9. I think Donovan Mitchell will lead the NBA in scoring in the next three years. The Jazz rookie can score at all three levels: he can get to rim, pull-up on a dime, and stroke it from distance. D-Mitch put up 20 points a night this season while he was still trying find his footing in the league. Give him a couple of summers to really hone his craft and the sky is the limit for he and the Jazz.
10. I think Al Horford is the straw that stirs the Celtics drink. It might not show up in the box score, but Boston’s big man does it all. He initiates the Celtics offense from the high post with his uncanny passing ability and anchors their team defensively as he is versatile enough to guard big men such as Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love, but also deft enough to stay in front of explosive guards and wings. Some say that he is overpaid given his lack of accounting numbers, but sometimes you have to look deeper than the box score. Horford is the Celtics heart and soul.
