Ten Things I Think
1. I think Kawhi Leonard is the best player in the Eastern Conference. The Greek Freak is the most valuable, but at Kawhi’s peak there is no one outside of LeBron, and maybe KD, who I would rather have in the entire NBA. He is the best perimeter defender in the NBA, that’s not even debatable, while also carrying the offensive load for Toronto to the tune of 25 points per game. He takes his share of games off to rest so that hurts his case in terms of the MVP, but when Kawhi laces them up he is on a level that few have the ability to reach.
2. I think this will be Urban Meyer’s final season at Ohio State. I feel that whole Zach Smith situation at the beginning of this season really took a toll on him and zapped some of his enthusiasm for the job. It seems as though every time he is shown on the sideline of a Buckeyes game he is distressed and distraught. Urban left Florida when the Gators were on the mountain top so if he were to resign at season’s end, as I suspect, it wouldn’t be unprecedented.
3. I think the Le’Veon Bell situation is complex. Yes, he gave up $15 million by sitting out this season, but by doing so he also guaranteed a clean bill of health heading into contract negotiations this offseason. While Bell could have, and many have argued should have, suited up for the franchise tag this season, there was no guarantee that he would have left 2018 unscathed. So yes, Le’Veon did lose out on $15 million this season, but if he signs for $45 million guaranteed this offseason, who really cares? People are overlooking the fact that he could have torn an ACL or worse – see Alex Smith- and then no one would have offered him a dime for his services. $15 million is life-changing money, no doubt, but there is more to it than that. I’m not saying that I would’ve acted as Bell did, but I see his logic. (I would have played out the season on the tag, but purchased a substantial insurance policy to protect myself against serious injury.)
4. I think Markelle Fultz is on his way to becoming the largest bust in the history of the NBA. The kid has totally lost it; he’s gone off the rails. Greg Oden can at least say that his body betrayed him and Jimmer Fredette can say that he was drafted into the abyss that is Sacramento. Fultz has no such excuse. He has had no significant body ailments to speak of and, in Philadelphia, he is in an environment that is so conducive for a player with his theoretical skill set to thrive in. To say Fultz has the yips would be putting the yips on a pedestal. It is beyond that; he doesn’t even look like a junior varsity player let alone a former number one overall pick. To think the 76ers not only took him, but moved up to take him, while passing on the likes of Jayson Tatum and De’Aaron Fox seems unfathomable.
5. I think Matt Patricia’s days in Detroit are numbered. That seems outlandish to say about a first-year head coach, but I would be surprised if he was back in 2019. He thinks because he is a Belichick disciple that he can act in the same manner as The Hoodie and that just isn’t so. Patricia has been condescending with the media and his game management has been downright horrid. Some people just aren’t head coaching material and Patricia is one of them.
6. I think Draymond Green will be a Hall of Famer. There has been quite a bit of talk about the Warriors outspoken enigma since his recent spat with Kevin Durant. His candidacy in Springfield has been of much debate, but to me it isn’t much of a debate at all. While his counting numbers aren’t all that impressive, it is his ferocity, defensive fortitude, and basketball IQ that set him apart. He is the heart and soul of, perhaps, the most dominant team in the history of the sport. If Mo Cheeks can make the Hall of Fame, Draymond Green should make it too.
7. I think its Alabama’s world and we’re just living in it. I would be shocked if Alabama plays in a game that is decided by less than two touchdowns this season, and that includes the College Football Playoff. Tua is a quarterback talent that Saban has never had and the Tide’s defense is as dominant as it’s ever been, led by Quinnen Williams.
8. I think it is a shame that Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been paired with an offensive guru. Imagine the most talented quarterback of this generation, and maybe ever, paired with a mind like Sean McVay or Andy Reid. Instead, Rodgers has been with Mike McCarthy for the entirety of his career. I don’t want to say that Rodgers career has been a waste of talent – he won a Super Bowl- but he could have been so much more.
9. I think the 2013 NFL Draft was a total disaster. To say it was bereft of talent would be quite an understatement. In my eyes, the only player taken in the first round that is worthy of that selection, in retrospect, was DeAndre Hopkins, and he came off of the board with the 27th pick. Some drafts are abnormally good, others are not. The 2013 NFL Draft will be remembered as, well, it just shouldn’t be remembered.
10. I think Kemba Walker is the most underrated player in the NBA. The man fights wars on a nightly basis, many of which seem to be one on five. Last week, he dropped 60 on the 76ers while being guarded by Jimmy Butler down the stretch, then followed that up with a 43-point showing. Kemba is the Hornets franchise. His crossover, step back combination is unguardable and a sight to behold. Khris Middleton and Gary Harris also deserve some mention as being overlooked within the league, but neither is as slept on as Kemba Walker is.
