By Todd Grasley, High School Playbook
NBA
The NBA season might be over but after some blockbuster trades in the NBA draft in the past few days, fans are eagerly anticipating the 2009-2010 season.
Let’s start with the action that happened before the party in NYC.
Cleveland gave Lebron James a partner in crime when they traded with Phoenix for the “Big Shaqtus.” All the Cavs had to give up was Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, and some cash, not a bad deal for the big man who is determined to get another ring.
O’Neal will have played with some of the best players in the modern era, D-Wade, Kobe, and now Lebron. Not too shabby. A good trade for the Cavs, they don’t give up much and get a solid big man who can take the pressure off king James.
Orlando took notice of the Cavs big splash and made one of their own. Mainland alum Vince Carter joined the Blue and White after being traded in a deal that sent Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Carter and forward Ryan Anderson.
Carter gives Orlando another perimeter scorer, someone who can step up in the absence of Hedo Turkoglu, who is not likely to be a member of the Magic in the weeks to come.
Can “Vinsanity“ live up to the NBA all-star Vince Carter? If the answer is yes, it is a good deal for the Magic. If not, it could be a long road to the playoffs next year.
LA was the team to beat in the west last year, but San Antonio is always in the running with talent like Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan.
The Spurs dealt with the Milwaukee Bucks to get Richard Jefferson who adds another sharp shooter to an already dynamic lineup. It will still be a tight race with the Lakers, but the rich just got richer.
Thursday night marked a dream come true for many young players in the NBA Draft.
A couple question marks though:
Why did the Timberwolves take five guards?
Now, they have at point guard Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, and Sebastian Telfair. Rumor is that they will try to trade Rubio, and if they don’t he could be headed back to Spain. Does Fran Vasquez’s name ring a bell, Magic fans?
The Clippers might have been one of the biggest winners in this year’s draft. After having the worst record last year they had a beast in Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin. Probably not the ideal team a star player would like to be drafted to, but Griffin seemed to be optimistic about the future.
- Hey Blake, you can’t finish any worse than last.
NCAA
College football players are stepping foot on campus and the start of '7 on 7' drills and conditioning has already begun.
The start of the season is just around the corner and teams are figuring out depth charts and where they stand.
This is the time when players step up, holes are filled and boys become men. It’s too early to predict who will be near the top.
As always expect the SEC to be strong. LSU, Bama, Georgia, and Florida, make up four of the top six recruiting classes according to ESPN. LSU brings in one of the top quarterbacks in the 2009 class in freshman Russell Shepard, while Florida’s impressive recruiting class includes Seminole standout Andre Debose, who is expected to be the next Percy Harvin.
All of this should make for an interesting season.
The Fantasy
You know football is also in the air when the fantasy football updates flood your inbox more than letters from family and friends.
The top five fantasy players according to fftoolbox.com, all running backs, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones Drew, Stephen Jackson, Michael Turner, and Matt Forte.
Is it going to be a year of the running backs or are we going to see big play receivers like Anquan Boldin and Brandon Marshall find new homes and put up astronomical numbers?
The Bucs have some new faces on their roster. Gone are veterans Derrick Brooks and Joey Galloway and coach Jon Gruden, and in our names like Josh Freeman, Kellen Winslow, and coach Raheem Morris.
Will they be the Bucs of 2004 or will it be a rebuilding year in Tampa?
I am sure the rumor mill will be turning with trades and surprises in the mean time. With the first pick my fantasy draft, I think I’ll go with Peterson. No Brett Favre yet in Minnesota, so until then the running game reigns supreme.
As always, never stop swinging for the fences.
Last Week's Take
