Grant Balfour is fighting for a job in the Rays’ bullpen. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
The good folks over at DRaysBay, a Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ site, have put together their first annual Season Preview Guide, and it’s quite the comprehensive tome! And free!
Can Grant Balfour carve out a niche in the Rays’ pen? Can Dioner Navarro become a legitimate fantasy catcher? When will Evan Longoria make his mark? Can Rocco Baldelli ever stay healthy?
All questions you need answers to, and can find in the report.
As evidenced by an exciting first half, rumours of the NBA’s demise in the wake of the Tim Donaghy scandal were greatly exaggerated.
BY JORDAN FRANK
As the focus of the NBA landscape shifts to the Big Easy for this weekend’s All-Star Break festivities, the break in league play gives us a chance to reflect on the big stories of the first half of the 2007-08 season - and what an amazing first half of basketball it has been.
I. The Tim Donaghy Aftermath
Remember him? When former NBA referee Tim Donaghy plead guilty to two felony charges stemming from a basketball gambling scam after last season, many prognosticators predicted the sky would fall on David Stern and the league. Remarkably, one of the biggest scandals in league history has become merely an afterthought. Stern has masterfully taken control of the situation by enforcing new measures designed to monitor and evaluate each referee in the league. Of course, it makes the commish’s job much easier when the focus of the basketball world has actually been on the court. Starting with the Celtics’ call-to-arms offseason and continuing with the unprecedented amount of talented teams in the West, this first-half has been spectacular and nearly court incident-free in terms of off-the-court exploits. As of Thursday, only 4.5 games separate the top nine teams in the Western Conference!
Donaghy’s sentencing hearing has been rescheduled to take place in April, just as the NBA playoffs will begin. It will take all of Stern’s ingenuity to keep the NBA spotlight where it belongs - on the games. Last year’s playoffs helped the league make great strides in repairing its battered image. If the playoffs this year are half as exciting, Stern should not find it difficult to deflect elsewhere the attention the Donaghy scandal will undoubtedly receive.
II. The Year of the Point Guard
The most riveting aspect of this year NBA’s season has been the emergence of several young stars and domination of old time veterans at the point guard position. The position is so deep that the All-Star game could easily include eight to 10 point guards. The following floor leaders are enjoying career seasons:
Baron Davis: Just take a look at B-Diddy’s numbers this year: 39.4 MPG, 21.7 PPG, 8.0 APG, 4.8 RPG and 2.5 SPG. Davis has always been a solid fantasy point guard, but his frequent injuries and low shooting percentages have always caused concern for owners. Since coming back from a knee injury near the end of the regular season last year, he has simply been on fire. His FG and 3-point percentages are near career highs. Davis ranks ninth in the NBA in minutes per game and Golden State is scoring the most points per game in the association. Davis is the perfect compliment to Steven Jackson, Monta Ellis and Al Harrington as he can run the floor and find his guys spotting up.
Steve Nash: How can a two-time MVP possibly top himself? Easy - Nash leads the league in assists (11.7 per game), is shooting a career-high 46.6 per cent from three-point range, and is shooting near career highs in FG percentage (50.7 per cent) and FT percentage (90.3 per cent). Only Davis has made more three pointers than Nash as a point guard but Captain Canada’s 3-point percentage is 12 points higher than Davis’. Of course, it is business as usual, as the Suns have the second best record in the West, one-half game behind the shocking New Orleans Hornets. This leads me to…
Chris Paul: Wow. What can you say about CP3 that hasn’t already been said? In only his third year in the league, Paul has led his team to the best record in a loaded Western Conference. He is averaging 20.5 PPG, 10.9 APG and a league-leading 2.5 SPG. Paul’s success can be linked to his comfort and confidence in his teammates and his ease in getting to the hole and keeping his dribble alive in a Nash-esque manner. Tyson Chandler has said numerous times that Paul “always knows what he [Chandler] is going to do.” Chandler, David West, and Peja Stojakovic have all benefited immensely from Paul’s ability to break down defenses, squeeze through traffic and find open teammates.
Deron Williams: Because of all the firepower in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz has crept up on people by winning 15 of their last 17 to put themselves right in the thick of the Western Conference. The team is led by third-year stud point guard Deron Williams, who is averaging 19 points, 9.7 dimes and three rebounds per game, while shooting an incredible 51.4 per cent from the field. As he’s matured, Williams has begun taking advantage of his size against smaller opponents, as he ranks 26th in the NBA in free throw attempts with 265 (the only point guards with more are Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and Davis) and he’s shooting 80 per cent from the line.
Jose Calderon: The biggest surprise of the year has been the incredible play of Jose Calderon. Beginning the season as a backup, Calderon seized his opportunity to play when T.J. Ford went down with a neck injury. Despite Gilbert Arenas’ recent comments, Calderon deserves to be an All-Star. In only 31 minutes per game, the Spanish Fly is averaging 12.8 PPG and 8.8 APG with fantastic percentages (47.2 from beyond the arc, 92.3 per cent from the line and 54.4 per cent from the field). In 35 starts for Toronto, Calderon has kept his turnovers low (1.8 per game) and it is easy to see how he has become the league’s most efficient point guard with his incredible shooting percentages, truly amazing considering the knock on him as a rookie was that he couldn’t shoot well, especially from outside.
If you didn’t believe me that the point guard position is completely stacked in both conferences, here is a list of other point guards having extremely productive seasons:
Everyone knows that the ante keeps rising in the West with the mega-trades that are continuing to take place. In the last month, the Lakers and Suns pulled off huge deals, while the Mavericks appeared to have made a move to get Kidd before Devean George pulled the carpet out from under Mark Cuban’s feet, at least for now.
Only a few weeks ago, the Lakers got Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown’s expiring contract, rookie Javaris Crittenton and two first round picks. If you think the rest of the West wasn’t petrified by this trade, just take a look at Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich’s comments regarding the trade. He stated that “what they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” and further said that “there should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense.”
Since that deal, Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Suns and, as mentioned, Kidd was nearly traded to the Mavericks. The most fascinating aspect of these trades is not the players involved. It is not uncommon for NBA superstars to be traded, even during the primes of their careers. Just think about Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, and even Shaq, previously. All were traded during the prime of their careers to a contending team that needed an extra piece or two to compete at the next level. What is so amazing about the latest batch of NBA superstar trades, and what sets them apart from other mega-trades in the past, is the quality of teams who are making these moves and the matching of multiple superstars on the same team.
The sentiment shared by GMs and most coaches in the post-Michael Jordan era has always been that two (or more) superstars cannot play together. Just look at Kobe Bryant and Shaq. While incredibly successful together, their egos could not keep a championship team that won three straight titles together. (Could you ever imagine Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen breaking up the 1994 Bulls because the two could not get along?) I’m also reminded of the 1999 Rockets team with Pippen, Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon. However, since the AI trade to Denver and the Celtics’ deals to bring together Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, it seems to me that GMs are less hesitant to match superstars together. This new trend has created some monstrous teams in the West and one loaded team in the East (although I’m sure Detroit believes it should be included). I will be on the edge of my seat watching how the West will pan out this season and whether any other big trades will be made before the February 22 trade deadline.
It was a question Gil Stein had put before the league. It was a question that at least temporarily caused the National Hockey League to consider what its fans wanted. Rather than to serve its own purposes in terms of image, revenue, and political correctness, the league took the fans into consideration first. It stopped suspending players and just fined them thousands, but allowed the fans to keep viewing their favorite players because after all, it is the players who ought to suffer for breaking the rules, not the paying fan.
Does anyone remember Gil Stein? The president of the NHL in 1992, he had the insight to recognize that competitive players frequently step over the line between good, hard hockey and reckless play.
Should you and I be punished from seeing our favourite players compete when we may have paid for our tickets two weeks before a player steps over the line? What if it’s a player that the NHL seems to have a very unique and different margin of error and punishment for?
Steve Downie deserves a warning over a sucker punch? A brief look through the history of the NHL will not only prove this action to be unmitigated, but practically unheard of.
I like five-on-five hockey and I like watching players who try hard and push themselves to exceed. If someone really believes that Downie is crazy and a threat to the safety of other players in the NHL, then the likes of everyone from Gordie Howe in his era to Chris Pronger and many who played the game in between should be banned from hockey forever.
That would be fine, but I wouldn’t watch any more games. I love watching Pronger play. He’s big, he’s skilled, he’s rough, and he’s competitive. What’s not to like? All that, and I truly doubt that is scared for his life when Downie suits up. The reason being is that they are both competitors who would battle hard for any loose puck near them.
Why should I be denied the right to experience such a competition just because Mr. Bettman or former Rangers’ coach, Mr. Campbell, decides so? Clearly, their actions are wrong. It’s wrong to deny me or you and wrong to levy out discipline to a rookie that exceeds by far the standards being applied to the rest of the league.
I was shocked at the lack of outcry over the disproportionate punishment from the Flyers’ organization until Senior V.P. Bob Clarke finally spoke out. That didn’t shock me; I was thinking more of you the fan of the Philadelphia Flyers or any hockey fan who believes in seeing an equal playing surface for all teams.
Perhaps notifying NHL owners and its sponsors of your displeasure via a letter or two, casually mentioning you won’t buy their products until the league has more ethical management, might get the wheels turning.
Yes, five players were suspended and many of them deservedly so. Suspending Randy Jones, however, is a bit like barring Albert Einstein from a physics lab for not shaving closely enough.
We are told they don’t want to take hitting out of the game, but how can any player in the league, let alone any Philadelphia player, help but feel they are likely to be suspended if the opposing player turns the wrong way during a hit at the last moment and unexpectedly experiences a fluke injury? They do happen. How about fining the players heavily and stop punishing the fans?
If Downie loses a few thousand dollars maybe he will play more gently, maybe he won’t. Why should it become my problem just because I want to watch him play?
I am a fan and I want to watch competitive players play. I also hate seeing games being decided by who gets more power plays. I don’t pay to see the ref decide the game for me. I want it decided by the players.
If their behaviour is such a problem, then fine them a higher amount of their high salaries and maybe you could put that money towards lowering ticket prices and lure back a few of the fans that enjoy the hitting game.
If the NHL really wants to improve the game, it should consider bringing back Gil Stein.
Is Peter Forsberg gripped by phantom powers? (Markus Sandin)
BY ROB REATH
Once again, we can all soon expect NHL superstar forward Peter Forsberg to announce which team he will choose to play for. It’s funny, but I feel as though I’ve seen this movie before. Was there this much chaos surrounding his decision when he last became a free agent? If so, it can reasoned that it was an enormous turning point in the player’s career and who among us wouldn’t be guilty of testing the waters in terms of interest and speculation, just a little?
Perhaps people ought to have been more patient when Forsberg injured his left foot last season and kept the hockey world and fans of the team on an emotional roller coaster as far as when he would play next. Surely, it wasn’t his fault when he suffered an ongoing and unpredictable injury to his ankles from years of competitive hockey played at its highest level.
A more cynical mind than mine might ask why he didn’t get surgery on both ankles at the same time which would have shortened the recovery time and minimized the unending drama surrounding his feet by months if not more than year.
Still, I do not blame Forsberg for any of these developments - developments that are easy to speculate about when one is not close to the immediacy of the situation. He is a fine example of a true professional, not to mention what an outstanding player he is.
What I fail to understand is why last week he turned down only four NHL teams for their services. It’s not like he hasn’t had time to mull this over. His wealth from other business dealings is well known, so it’s likely not a question of the old hackneyed hockey contract phrase applying here, namely: “I had to do what’s best for me and my family.”
There are two translations for that phrase by the way: “I wanted an easy ride to the Cup finals” or “I did it for the money.”
It seems as though Forsberg is not in it for the money, which is a refreshing thing to write about any professional athlete. The question is then why all this soap opera type nonsense instead of him narrowing it down to two or three teams and saying he’ll give his answer on this date at this time? A lot of people’s lives are being put on hold over this and a lot of GMs put together contracts that had no chance to be signed.
None of this selfish, drama queen-like behaviour seems fitting when one thinks of such a respectable individual as Forsberg. It almost seems as though he is being ill advised by some unseen phantom.
If that were true, my personal hope would be that it turns out to be a Philadelphia Phantom.
Tony Pena has been stellar all year, but is limping to the finish line. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
It all comes down to this weekend’s action to determine if the Diamondbacks can slither into the playoffs for the first time in five years.
The good news is that the D-Backs went 50-31 at home this season ” their best home record since the last playoff team. The bad news is the rest of the season must be spent living out of a suitcase.
Arizona clings to a one-game lead over San Diego and travels to Colorado ” just two back itself and blazing right now ” in a vital showdown. The Padres, meanwhile, host Milwaukee, also still in the race. This is going to be a fun three days.
Tony Pena took a serious beating back on the 17th, and rebounded somewhat since with three scoreless outings in his last four appearances. The problem is, that fourth outing was another shellacking. Pena’s been so strong this season, but is limping to the finish line, with a 6.55 ERA in September. In reality, however, he hasn’t been hit that hard at all this month with a .171 BAA. It’s just the walks and the homers that are skewing his results. Consider it a blip, although he must be tiring considering his workload, as the home runs allowed in the second half would suggest.
Pena’s meltdown on the 17th cost Brandon Webb a win in what was a middling start for the Snakes’ ace. Webb was a bit better his next time out, earning his third straight win, but they’ll need him to be in Cy Young form Friday. Rather than risk having him lose a start, the D-Backs wisely held Webb back a day with bad weather predicted Thursday in Pittsburgh.
The O-Dog underwent thumb surgery and is expected to make a full recovery by spring. Hudson’s power slipped a bit this year, especially after the break, but he made nice strides in his plate discipline and finally managed a double-digit steal campaign, a component of his game that has been surprisingly sparse over his career.
Also going under the knife was third baseman Chad Tracy, who finally succumbed to his season-long knee problem. He’s going to need five-to-eight months of recovery time, so Tracy is by no means a lock for the Opening Day roster in 2008.
Chris Young enjoyed a solid performance last week, but has struggled since Sunday, going just 2-for-17 with one run, no RBI and no extra-base hits. Although he still doesn’t get on base enough, you have to be thrilled with the numbers Young is putting up in his first full season.
Micah Owings took Webb’s start Thursday and hurled 6 1/3 scoreless frames, his second straight shutout performance (having tossed the first complete-game goose egg of his career in his previous outing ” an absolutely dominant outing against the Giants in which San Francisco managed to get just one runner past first base all game). Homers have been a problem for Owings this season, but the way he’s evening the score with his own stick, who cares? This dude is batting .339 with four homers and 15 RBI in 59 at-bats this season. Owings is quickly becoming the Rick Rhoden of his generation. Where possible, manager Bob Melvin would be wise to employ Owings’ bat in a pinch-hitting role to help save position player moves in the postseason.
Brandon Lyon was touched up for a run Tuesday in Pittsburgh, snapping a streak of six straight scoreless outings. Lyon had a rough August (4.91), but has bounced back brilliantly this month, recording a 1.80 ERA for 10 innings of work.
Eric Byrnes’ second-half struggles have continued. In four games this week, he’s just 3-for-17 with one run and one RBI. He hasn’t homered since September 4, and his OPS since the break has tumbled to 760 after an 859 opening half. Other than the steals ” which Byrnes has really stepped up with ” his second half has been a disappointment after an All-Star worthy first half.
Juan Cruz was touched up Sunday, but it’s the only time he’s been scored on in his last eight outings. How good has Cruz been this month? The 1-0 record and excellent 2.08 ERA are only part of the story. How about 17 Ks against four walks in 8 2/3 innings? Opponents can’t touch Cruz right now ” he’s held them to a .038 BA in September. No, that’s not a misprint.
Chris Snyder was huge on the 19th, going 3-for-3 with a walk and three RBI, including a key two-run double. But he’s disappeared since, going just 2-for-15. Still, in looking at Snyder’s second-half numbers (.301 BA, .519 SLG, 20 walks), it’s clear to me that he needs to be given a real chance to be the everyday backstop in 2008. He continues to scuffle vs. righties (.216), but a .294 mark against them last year proved he can get the job done.
Stephen Drew looks to be erasing a disappointing year by finishing strong. He’s recorded multi-hit efforts in four of his last five games to take his September BA up to .259. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s his best month of the season. If seeking a silver lining to Drew’s ugly sophomore season, check out the improvements he’s made in his batting eye. I think that bodes well for a recovery for the youngster in 2008.
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