Driftwood

Another Draft

2008-09-30T15:07:57Z

The draft for the UBC expert league is taking place right now and I thought I'd give an update of where we stand. This is a great league that holds a special place in my heart. Matt Berry got me in back in 2004 as he was leaving Rotoworld and John Hollinger was in the league for a few years. I just missed out on winning it last season, losing in the championship game.

]]> It's a points league, meaning fantasy players get a certain amount of points for each category they contribute in. For instance, each block is worth .25 points, while a field goal attempt will cost you -.08 and an assist will get you .17 points. Complicated, but fun. That means you really don't have to have a team focused in each category. You just need guys who will rack up fantasy scoring points.

Here is the draft order thus far. This league drafts about one round per day, so it can be excruciatingly painful if you're not ready for the snail's pace.

Round 1

1. LeBron James
2. Chris Paul
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Amare Stoudemire
5. Kevin Garnett
6. Dwyane Wade
7. Deron Williams
8. Allen Iverson
9. Dwight Howard
10. Yao Ming
11. Dirk Nowitzki (me)
12. Elton Brand

Round 2 Incomplete

13. Al Jefferson
14. Josh Smith (me - finally got my man, but almost took Melo instead.)
15. Carlos Boozer
16. Kevin Durant
17. Carmelo Anthony
18. Tim Duncan
19. Chris Bosh
20. Baron Davis

I think Baron and Melo are potential steals here, and Durant should be great in this format. Obviously you can't screw up your draft this early, and this league is won in the trenches. There are 17 rounds and you play two centers, four guards, four forwards and a two flex players. Making the right picks in the 12th round or so is key to having a great team in this league.

Iverson and Artest

2008-09-27T22:08:19Z

I've gotten a couple email questions about Allen Iverson and Ron Artest...Here are some quick thoughts.

]]> Artest was taken at No. 31 and 54 in the mock drafts I've done. Thirty one is too early, while the 50s are too late. I'm thinking he should be targeted around the mid-40s and have him ranked around No. 50. He's a big question mark, as usual, but even moreso than normal because he'll be fighting T-Mac, Yao, Scola and Rafer for shots. Plus, as you know, he's always a head case.

I've got Iverson ranked around No. 20, despite the fact he finished last season with Top 10 value. I sense an implosion coming in Denver this season and Iverson may run out of motivation. He's also running on old legs and it's going to have to catch up to him at some point. If you disagree with me, I certainly see the argument being made to use a Top 12 pick on him. I'd just rather invest in a younger player that early. The unresolved contract and a lack of D in Denver is going to be interesting to watch. If Iverson was ever primed for a dropoff, it's this season. We'll see.

Rucker Park

2008-08-18T21:08:02Z

I spent Monday at Rucker Park in Harlem, which is not only where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, George Gervin and Dr. J played before they were professionals, but is also right across the street from what used to be the Polo Grounds.

]]> I was the "celebrity" scorekeeper for the Nothing But Nets charity game being hosted by Tom and Maureen Cavanaugh. Tom is best known for his role on the NBC TV show "Ed," in which he played the character of...Ed. His wife is an SI photographer of the highest degree and it was really fun hanging out with them today. Also in attendance was Michael Ian Black, that funny guy who always does those best of 80s/90s shows on VH1, as well as the show "Stella."
Stephen Pasquale, who is one of the stars of the show "Rescue Me," was also ballin' for charity today.

Great day, and a pretty sweet cause. Cavanaugh grew up in Africa and actually contracted Malaria when he was a kid, so it's pretty close to his heart. Nothing But Nets provides netting to people in Africa that helps stop the spread of Malaria.

I also covered that fabulous USA vs Germany men's game this morning and have all the women's action covered tonight at 2:30 (China vs. Belarus) and (Australia vs. Czech) 4:30 AM. Woo Hoo! It's going to be fun. The USA women play South Korea at 8 am and Mike McCollow (who was a celebrity coach at today's game) will be bringing that one to you. Eventually I will be back to my old gig of hooking you up with fantasy information.

Oh, and on a sidenote...When I met Maureen today, she said "I'm a huge fan of your work on Rotoworld" which was then followed up an hour later with television's Ed telling me that "You're a legend in our house." Not sure what to say to that one, but it's pretty cool. However, I'm pretty sure that Michael Ian Black had no clue who I was, nor did he care to find out.

Another Report from Stamford

2008-08-17T17:20:31Z

I attended a Yankees game on Friday and it turned out to be quite an adventure.

]]> I was on the 4 subway heading to the Bronx and secretly following a couple dudes who were wearing Yankees jerseys, as the assumption was they knew where they were going. But something went wrong and I knew we were off track. I bailed out of the subway and so did the jersey guys. One was wearing a Thurman Munson model, so I knew he was hard core. I ended up hooking up with them and we decided to walk the remaining 13 blocks to Yankee Stadium after we realized we were on the wrong train.

George and Ali are corporate lawyers and were very cool. We trudged through a thunderstorm and eventually made our way to the Stadium. There was a two-hour delay so we ended up having some beers at a bar across the street. It was a nice place to dry off.

Had a great time with my new friends and then scalped a rafter seat for 30 bucks and went to the game, which started around 9 pm. Got my Yankee Stadium experience outta the way and then went back to the apartment where Mike McCollow is staying in Manhattan. He's the other guy doing Olymipcs hoops coverage with me. We watched Michael Phelps win that race by a finger nail and then I stayed in Manhattan.

Spent much of Saturday roaming around Central Park, eating at Artie's Deli and then headed back to Stamford for some work Saturday night.

Covered the women's USA game on Sunday, which was a complete blowout. It allowed me to also maneuver my way through a football draft simultaneously.

The US and Australians will probably meet in the gold-medal game, which should be fun. Another thing to look at is a possible Team USA vs. Russia matchup in the semis. Team USA will have Becky Hammon's number, as she's playing for the Russians, despite being born in the USA.

I've got the Team USA men vs. Germany commentary on NBCOlympics.com on Monday at 8am. Looking forward to seeing what Dwight Howard has in store for Chris Kaman, who is playing for Germany.

And on Monday, McCollow is a celebrity coach for a charity game in famous Rucker Park. Here are the details. Actor Tom Cavanagh and his wife Maureen are hosting a celebrity basketball game at world famous Rucker Park to raise funds and awareness for a tremendous cause, the Nothing but Nets foundation. Nothing but Nets is an organization that purchases insecticide treated nets that are sent to Africa to save people from the deadly affects of Malaria. Here is the web address to the information for tomorrow’s event: For details, you can go here.

I've got more draft guide work to do and then I'm off to Shea Stadium with the boys from Dirty on Purpose on Tuesday. Talk to you soon.

My Big, Fat, Greek Whooping

2008-08-14T21:47:41Z

Team USA got off to a slow start against Greece today, but took over in the second quarter and throttled their arch rival by a score of 92-69.

]]> That was a real test for the Americans and they handled it just as they should have. The so called "Redeem Team" is not going to look past anyone in the next 10 days and the biggest test they have remaining comes next, as they'll face Rudy Fernandez, Jose Calderon and the Gasol brothers in what figures to be their toughest test. If they were able to roll over Greece that easily, I doubt that the results of the Spain game will be much different. Spain will offer a challenge, but plays a different game than the Greeks. I don't see a much different result coming in that one, and the U.S. should then roll over Germany to finish 5-0 in the preliminary round.

Go ahead and give LeBron, Kobe and D-Wade the gold medal. They are not going to be stopped.

I Have a Dream

2008-08-14T12:14:21Z

I had a dream last night that Team USA crushed Greece in today's matchup.

]]> After writing about some gloom and doom yesterday, I do have the sense that Team USA is going to make Greece pay for the can of whoop-you-know-what they laid on us at the FIBA Championship in 2006.

The U.S. team should come out with fire in their eyes today and a sense of urgency, as Greece may be the toughest matchup they have in the entire Olympics (although Spain has been very tough thus far). Greece will be throwing around some swarming defense and make things tough on LeBron and Co., but it sounds like Coach K's boys are not going to let anything the Greek team does stop them from playing their game. Hopefully, they have a choice in the matter.

If the revenge factor weren't in play here, Greece would probably have a better chance of winning today's qualifying game. But don't be surprised if these teams meet again in the medal round. Enjoy the game today at 8 A.M. eastern time.

All Greek To Me

2008-08-12T19:04:52Z

Ok, so Angola gets rocked by Germany, who then gets rolled (and I mean rolled) by Greece, while Team USA ho-hums its way to a win over Angola.

]]> Greece is next in line for Team USA and I can't say I feel great about it. Do I think LeBron and company will win? Yes. But this is the same Greek team that beat the U.S. in the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, and I thought we were going to win that game as well.

Greece completely dominated Germany this morning with a nice combination of a swarming team defense, a boatload of big men who can rebound as well at hit threes, and a scrappy point guard who wasn't good enough to play for the Rockets, but appears to be ready to set the Olympics on fire. In addition, the Greek team seems to move the ball as well as any team in existence.

The Greek's D in '06 took the US out of its rhythm and stunned them with a 101-95 upset win. Greece was led by a 22-point effort from guard Vasillis Spanoulis, who will be back in action against the Americans on Thursday. Spanoulis is a sore subject for team USA, and is coming off a very strong line against Dirk and Kaman - 23 points, five assists and four threes on 9-of-13 shooting.

You have to think the US has spent the last two years preparing for this game. And even if they were to lose, it's not the end of the world. But it would show the world that they are vulnerable and the squeaky-clean image of the "Redeem Team" would take a pretty major hit. I am not sure Greece has been given enough respect thus far, and there is probably a good chance the game will be closer than most of us expect.

Team USA will have to count on having excellent ball movement and to find the open man in the right place, at the right time. They weren't ready for the all-out blitz and buzzsaw they ran into in '06, but they should know what's in store this time around. I fully expect the Americans to win, but I would not be shocked if they lose, either.

Anyway you slice it, Thursday's game should be a fun one to watch.

New York, New York, big city of dreams

2008-08-12T04:36:36Z

I spent all day on Sunday in Brooklyn with my boys from Dirty on Purpose. Went to see the band Deertick in an abandoned public swimming pool, big free show in a park in Brooklyn, but they had flight complications and didn't make it. Saw some other band instead, and it was "OK."

]]> Then hung out at the "maybe someday to be famous" Death By Audio compound, which houses members from Dirty on Purpose and A Place to Bury Strangers. Strangers has hit it big ever since they got a stellar review from Pitchfork and will be opening six shows for Nine Inch Nails soon. We then did the DoP soundcheck for their concert and went to get some dinner at a little pub in Brooklyn. Buy a Guinness and get a free pizza! I was in heaven. Followed that up with the show, which DoP opened up for Indiana's own Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, who seem to be gaining some hype and momentum. They were good and DoP sounded as good as they ever have. Looking forward to the new record.

I then maneuvered my way through the subway system, where I actually saw a famous New York rat eating some garbage, and then took the train back to CT with a boatload of girls and moms who were coming from the Jonas Brothers concert, I'm guessing at the Garden...Yee ha.

I've got the Greece - Germany men's game tonight at 2:30 am on NBCOlympics.com and then will have some time off on Tuesday. That means Draft Guide work and some schduling of a couple expert mock hoops drafts. Hopefully I'll have some resutls to share with you on that in the near future. With the Olympics going on, there's not much hoops news out there right now, which is OK with me.

I'm putting the finishing touches on a 135 page Word document that houses about 350 player outlooks for the Guide. Every time I wrap up the outlooks, as well as the Guide, I'm amazed that I pulled it off. Especially considering that a 5-page paper back in the day in college would damn near kill me.

DoP and me are going to see the Mets on Wednesday, I'm going to fly solo to a Yankees game on Saturday and have another music deal set up for a week from Saturday. I also have plenty more Olympic hoops games to cover and still have to find a couple "New York snow globes" for my 7 and 10 year old daughters. Eventually, I'm going to post a new hoops column - I promise. In fact, tomorrow might be a good day for me to get that done.

Hope your offseason is treating you right, and that you've got your NFL cheat sheets in order. Get McGahee and Engram down, Favre and Ricky Williams up and then try to figure out if Aaron Rogers is going to be worth a draft pick. Talk to you soon.

Hello from beautiful Stamford

2008-08-09T19:27:54Z

Hey everyone...I'm in Stamford, CT, home of NBCSports.com and where I'm doing some live blogging/commentary on the streaming video of Olympic basketball games that you can watch (quietly, while you're at work) at NBCOlympics.com.

]]> I've got three games under my belt, all women's, which has been interesting. I will say that I've never watched the ladies so intently, and some of them are pretty hot. Oh, and the action hasn't been too bad either. USA routed CZE this morning and then I did the Latvia - Russia game, which was actually very fun to watch. This Jansone for Latvia was money...Inside, outside, threes, boards, throwing bodies around. I was diggin' it. I'd like to see the Hawks sign her...She looked better than Childress ever did.

I'm doing the men's Germany - Angola game tonight, which should be interesting as we'll see Dirk and Shaggy Kaman playing against an Angolan team featuring Carlos Almeida, making his third Olympic appearance at age 35, and Joaquim Gomes, who attended Valpo (in my original home state of Indiana) at one point. If you have nothing better to do on a Saturday night at 11:15 (yeah, right), I'll see you at NBCOlympics.com.

Oh, and we're blogging the live feeds for every sport...Experts from every one of them are on board and we've got an Olympian Hall of Famer, a former coach and team member, and many other "big time" bloggers on board. Mike McCollow is the other hoops guy, and he was once an assistant coach for the Raptors and currently does television for Fox, covering the Bucks and T-Wolves. Great guy.

Speaking of Josh Childress and the Hawks, order has been restored and Josh Smith is FINALLY signed. Much thanks to the Grizzlies for signing him to an offer and forcing the Hawks into action. I would be lying if I didn't tell you I was really nervous there for a bit.

And I know many of you are wondering about "Eurofest," as the talk of guys like LeBron, Kobe and Boozer going over there for a cool $50-100 million for a year or two is just getting started. Let's say you have a job that pays you $100,000 a year. You can re-up with that company for $200,000, or go do the same job (with less hours and an easier schedule) for $500,000. In addition, you get to see all of Europe and will only be committed for one year in order to pick up a cool, extra $300K. What would you do?

I don't know if it's realistic to think any of the superstars are going to head to Europe, but I do know that there is certainly a possibility that someone is going to shock the world and give it a try. Brandon Jennings broke some ground by skipping college and going to Europe this summer, Childress is arguably the biggest name to ever bolt overseas and now the big boys are all talking about it. The most an NBA team can give LeBron is $20 million for a season, and that's probably a stretch. If he can get $50 million for one year, I'm not sure why he wouldn't do that.

You can bet David Stern and his cronies are working some overtime right now trying to figure out a way to stop it from happening. But if they're not going to get rid of the cap, or raise it significantly (and I don't think they will), anything is possible. Any way you slice it, things are going to get very interesting.

I'm making my first venture into NYC ever on Sunday, going to see my boys from Dirty on Purpose and then seeing them play a show with a band called Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos (I think). My buddy Dish has been telling me about them for some time, so it's a bit ironic they're playing with DoP. Should be a good time, as long as I get in and out of Brooklyn in one piece and with all my stuff intact.

Later in the week, along with working feverishly on the Draft Guide and blogging Olympic games, I'm going to try to hit Shea and Yankee Stadium before they succumb to the wrecking ball. In addition, football and baseball gurus Gregg Rosenthal and Matthew Pouliot and I will all be having dinner together somewhere in the city at some point in the near future. That should be a great time.

In addition, I need to post a new hoops column at some point, just as soon as I find the time. Hope your summer is going well and that you're enjoying the offseason. And if you own Shaggy or Dirk in a keeper league, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you tonight.

Kings of the Position Battle

2008-08-05T08:04:13Z

Hey everyone...Look at who is still alive. I'm traveling to Stamford CT on Thursday to do some live blogging for men's and women's Olympic basketball games, but am taking a brief pit stop in Georgia after traveling home from Indiana on Sunday. Here's a quick look at the Sacramento Kings and their position battles, which will make for some very interesting draft-day scenarios in fantasy leagues.

]]> Point Guard - The Kings will rely on Beno Udrih, who will be a top fantasy sleeper this season after he broke out last year while filling in for Mike Bibby, who was sent to the Hawks. Udrih averaged just 13 points and four dimes last season, but finished up the year in a flurry, averaging nearly 16 points and 5.6 assists per game in the month of March. I've got him around 14 points and six dimes on the season, and he could emerge to hit one three per game as well. Grab him in the middle rounds (fifth?), but let someone else go big on him early in the draft. Bobby Jackson, Bobby Brown and Sean Singletary will back him up. Injuries are always a concern with Udrih, so make sure you have a couple other options on your roster if you decide to go for it.

Shooting Guard - Kevin Martin is the man here, and he'll be backed up by Bobby Jackson, who is coming over from the Rockets in the Ron Artest deal. Martin had third-round value last season (according to Basketballmonster.com) and I'm not going to argue with them. He'll shoot and hit more free throws than anyone in the league not named Dwyane, and should be ready to fully explode without Artest around. That is, if he can stay out of Reggie Theus' doghouse. I think he will. Martin could end up being worth a first-round pick, but you'll hopefully be able to pick him up in the third or fourth. And I'll certainly be giving him a hard look if I draft late in the second round of my drafts. Jackson also deserves a mention here, as he will see some solid minutes backing up both guard positions. But unless Udrih or Martin suffers an injury, Bobby will struggle to provide every-day fantasy value.

Small Forward - Here's where things get interesting. With Artest out of the picture, Francisco Garcia and John Salmons figure to vie for the job. As you know, Salmons is a fantasy beast waiting to happen if he gets the minutes. I'm not sure which way Theus will go here, but both are going to be worth owning. As of early August, Salmons is the guy I like best, and he could end up being worth a fourth-round pick if he starts. Hopefully he'll be available in the sixth or seventh round of most drafts, making him a serious value candidate. But don't sleep on Garcia, either. He'll get plenty of run whether starting or coming off the bench. This is a battle you'll have to watch closely in training camp. I know I will be tuned in to what Theus is thinking come September.

Power Forward - Mikki Moore appears to be locked and loaded for the starting gig this year, with a challenge by rookie Jason Thompson and veterans Kenny Thomas, Shelden Williams and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. SAR's career is nearly over due to knee injuries/surgeries, Thomas has been a big disappointment and Williams is nothing more than a career backup. Don't be surprised to see Thompson get some decent minutes, but in my book, only Moore is worth drafting for your fantasy hoops team. And given Moore's terrible free throw shooting and lack of blocks, don't blow a good draft pick on him. Instead, target him after the ninth or 10th round.

Center - Brad Miller is suspended for the first five games of the season due to another failed drug test. Spencer Hawes should be a fine start at center over the first week or so of the season, and then should be groomed to be the center of the future for the Kings. Miller was a solid fourth-round producer next year, but I would lay off him until the fifth or sixth round due to the emergence of Hawes. As for Spencer, target him in the later rounds and consider handcuffing him to Miller if you draft him.

Reggie Theus is somewhat of a loose cannon when it comes to fantasy coaches, but he's going to have to lean heavily on guys like Udrih, Martin, Salmons, Garcia, Moore, Miller and Hawes this season. Go ahead and put Salmons near the top of your list of fantasy sleepers and keep a close eye on the entire team in the preseason and training camp.

Camby and a Waffle House Wedding

2008-07-16T19:22:58Z

Marcus Camby is a member of the Clippers, who traded, um, nothing to get him. Mike Dunleavy says he'll start at power forward giving them a front line of Camby, Chris Kaman and Al Thornton, with a backcourt of Baron Davis and a timeshare of Cuttino Mobley and Eric Gordon. This is a pretty big coup for the Clips, who suddenly don't look so bad. Especially if Camby can really play the 4. The question now is can both of the new L.A. superstars stay healthy?

]]> On a sidenote, check out this insane story from my home state of Georgia. Sure makes me proud. And to get the full effect, make sure you watch the video attached to the piece. "Priceless" is not too strong a word for what you are about to witness. Waffle House Wedding

Hoops is lacking in info

2008-07-15T07:28:08Z

I guess I picked the right time to drop all of my draft guide responsibities and head to Chicago for the Pitchfork Music Festival. While James Posey, Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Emeka Okafor and countless others will be determining their fate, I'll be diving into places unknown in Chicago to see my favorite band, Sebadoh, perform Bubble and Scrape live from start to finish.

]]> I will probably miss Public Ememy, instead hanging out with Lou B and Kath, Jake and Eric in the green room after the show - not that I'm complaining. Once I return from this weekend's getaway, the focus on the Draft Guide and the season in earnest, shall begin. And for those of you who think I'm so anti TO leagues, I'm making it a point to participate in mock drafts that include TOs this year. And, as usual, that category will be covered extensively in the Guide. On Saturday, I hope to see Fleet Foxes and The Hold Steady before heading home. If you want a recap, just ask. I'll be more than pleased to share my thoughts and backstage experiences here when I get home on Sunday morning.

In the meantime, check out my latest columns, breaking down each team as we prepare for fantasy hoops, 2008-09. And for those of you concerned about my lack of respect for Martell Webster in Portland, I think Travis Outlaw is about ready to steal his job.

Peace.

Still Here

2008-07-06T06:11:58Z

I'm still here. I'm in Indy now, and haven't posted a new column in a while, but they're coming. The Sonics are in Oklahoma City, Clippers Corey Maggette and Elton Brand still don't have a home, and Gilbert Arenas is staying in Washington.

]]> I should be back after the holiday weekend with some fantasy related columns, as some hardcore work begins on the draft guide. Until then, here's what's going on.

The Sonics are officially done in Seattle. We all knew it was coming, although it was just a matter of when. Honestly, if they had to go, it's probably best it happened sooner than later. It would have been very tough for the team to do much in Seattle if they knew they were on a short leash. That goes all the way from Kevin Durant, through P.J. Carlesimo and down to the dude selling tickets. It's a sad day in Seattle, no doubt. The good news for the city is that Sub Pop is still kicking it with great new music from Band of Horses, Grand Archives, Fleet Foxes and the Shins. There is a nice three-part story about the current Seattle music scene on YouTube, which you can check out by clicking on the link. I really hope basketball returns to Seattle sooner than later. Those folks have had a tough sports life, and things aren't exactly looking up for the Mariners or Seahawks, either.

Elton Brand is pondering an offer from the Warriors, but I still think he's going to stick with the Clippers so he can play with his newest potential teammate, Baron Davis. Davis shocked the league by bailing to the Clips, his relationship with Don Nelson and Chris Mullin obviously shot. Corey Maggette is not going to play for the Clippers next year, and is currently pondering an offer from the Celtics. I would not be surprised to see him in Boston next year, looking for that elusive championship.

Gilbert Arenas is going back to the Wizards, along with Antawn Jamison, but I'm not sure they can ever win the East with all their eggs in that basket.

I saw Filter in Indy on Wednesday and Tom Petty on Thursday. Filter was surprisingly good, after disappointing me the last time I saw them, while Petty was classic Petty. Good times all the way around. My mini vacation is about over and it's time to start throwing out the fantasy goodies for the upcoming season. They're coming soon.

Doc

New Meaning to the Term 'Butt-muncher'

2008-06-24T01:08:45Z

Shaq was trying to channel Biggie Smalls in his recent rap attack on Kobe, but he probably ended up being closer to what Beavis and Butthead might have said.

]]> In case you somehow missed (although it hasn't fully blown up yet), you can see Shaq's rap here. I'm probably not the best judge of freestyling, seeing how the last rap disc I bought was probably from DMX or possibly a posthumous purchase of some Wu Tang Clan to see what I had missed. But I'll give Shaq's freestyle skills a C, assuming he came up with all that on the spot. And I think he did a real nice job of ripping Mamba for failing to win a title and for causing Shaq's divorce, although, hasn't he already covered this? If you remember, Kobe had this to say around the time of his Colorado rape trial. "Should have done what Shaq does ...Shaq would pay his women not to say anything." Yep, that was enough to start the big feud in 2003, but the two had recently made up.

But the most interesting part of Shaq's rap is when he asks repeatedly "Kobe, tell me how my my ass tastes?" Funny? check. Gets his point across? check. Kinda creepy and a little weird to visualize? check.

Anyway...Shaq told Stephen A. Smith on Monday night that he didn't mean any harm by it and it's just something that MC's do. "I was freestyling, the Diesel said. "That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever. That is what MCs do. They freestyle when called upon. I'm totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all."

Somehow, and this is just a guess, I don't think Kobe's going to think it's all that funny. And I'm also guessing that half of the people who watch the video won't think it's funny. Kobe's coming off an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Celtics (at least from a personal standpoint) and has already had his manhood and legacy questioned by nearly every member of the media in the world.

And had Shaq stopped short of blaming the breakup of his marriage on Kobe, and then shut it down before going on the "Ass Taste" riff, maybe Kobe would have gotten a good laugh at it. But regardless of what he ends up saying publicly, there's little doubt that Kobe wasn't laughing when he watched the video.

Celtics Win 17th Championship in Blowout

2008-06-18T06:09:46Z

I feel like I need to write something about the Celtics easy romp over the Lakers for the franchise's 17th World Championship, and first since 1985-86, so here goes.

]]> Kevin Garnett led the way with 26 points and 14 rebounds, and along with Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, played fantastic defense.

Rajon Rondo bounced back from a terrible game with a great one, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals.

Paul Pierce struggled with his shot, but scored 17 points on 4-of-13 shooting, and added 10 rebounds on his way to winning the Finals MVP Award. Pierce's defense on Kobe Bryant cannot be ignored, and the Celtics will be the favorites to win the title again next year.

The 39-point margin of victory was: The biggest playoff loss of Phil Jackson's career. The biggest Finals margin of victory in any of the 17 Celtics titles. The biggest margin of victory in a deciding Finals game.

KG's post game comments were nearly inaudible, and may not have even been spoken in english. There was a shout out to Chicago and a bunch of other stuff, but I still haven't even digested what I saw him saying.

Pierce dumped Gatorade on Doc Rivers before the game was over, showering the court with the beverage. Obviously, you have to have a pretty damn big lead for that to happen. In addition, the C's bench was full of family before the game ended. I don't recall ever seeing anything like it.

David Stern presented the trophies, but you have to wonder if this will be the last time it happens. There is plenty of chatter out there saying that Stern needs to resign in order for the league and its officiating to regain credibility.

Doc Rivers clearly outcoached Phil Jackson. I was wrong, the national media was wrong and you were probably wrong about that one. Congratulations, Doc.

Kobe Bryant hit just 7-of-22 shots for 22 points, and was just 3-of-18 after draining his first four shots. For now, his legacy has taken a huge hit.

Ray Allen hit seven treys to tie a Finals record, finishing with 26 points. Not bad for a guy who didn't get to Boston until this morning, and had his routine thrown off due to the illness suffered by his son. Allen is a creature of habit, so the travel delay and the fact he warmed up an hour later than usual could have ended up being a big deal. Obviously it wasn't.

Oh...And as for my prediction of the Lakers in 6? It might have happened if the crazy collapse in Game 4 wouldn't have happened...Oh well. Can't win 'em all. Congrats to the Celtics...Long time coming.

My fantasy playoff rankings column turned out to be pretty decent, although I had Chauncey Billups and Chris Bosh way to high. Here's how the Top 20 looked. I'm not going that far down the list, but I did have Rajon Rondo at No. 49. Looking back at this list, I was shocked I had KG and Pierce 1 and 2. I also remember getting ripped for not having Chris Paul higher, but I think he was about right...Games played certainly mattered for this list, so I was glad to see Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili as high as I had them. Odom at 7 doesn't look great, but given the number of games he played, I'm fine with it.

Playoff Fantasy Rankings

1. Kevin Garnett F, Bos
2. Paul Pierce G/F, Bos
3. Kobe Bryant G, LAL
4. Chauncey Billups G, Det
5. LeBron James F, Cle
6. Pau Gasol F/C, LAL
7. Lamar Odom F, LAL
8. Tim Duncan F/C, San
9. Tony Parker G, San
10. Manu Ginobili G, San
11. Chris Paul G, NO
12. Ray Allen G, Bos
13. Deron Williams, G, Uta
14. Dirk Nowitzki F, Dal
15. Amare Stoudemire F/C, Phx
16. Chris Bosh F/C, Tor
17. David West F, NO
18. Mehmet Okur F/C, Uta
19. Carlos Boozer F, Uta
20. Rasheed Wallace F/C, Det