Sayin' Goodbye to Slammin' Sammy Sosa

Well, it was only a matter of time...before the only player in Major League Baseball history...to hit 60 homers in 3 different seasons. Too bad Sammy Sosa will be remembered by most for forgetting how to speak english when on Capitol Hill and wilting away like a balloon who has lost its inflation.

It was a great ride for Sammy Sosa, who formally announced his retirement from baseball on June 4.

Steroids or HGH...we may never know, but what we do know is that he hit the ball harder, farther, and over more fences than anyone for a long period of time. Possibly the greatest portrayl of the steroid era is seen through the rise an demise of Slammin' Sammy Sosa.

Report: Sosa is on '03 MLB positive drug test list

-Aaron

WORLD HOCKEY UPDATE

WORLD HOCKEY UPDATE (game 4 of stanley cup finals was tonight) Penguins 4, Red Wings 2...Stanley Cup Finals tied 2-2

-Aaron

Maybe next game...

What a battle! The Magic really went to their best player the entire game! Howard was really a force! You live and die by the 3-pointer, and tonight was murder.

KOBE BRYANT.

Los Angeles didn't even play that well. Quickness was the key, and poor decision making was the undoing. Then, factor in the greatest player of this era who was right on point.

Just total domiation by the Lake Show.

- Aaron

2009 NBA Finals Preview

Orlando Magic v. Los Angeles Lakers

Position by Position look at the 2009 NBA Finals.

Point Guard: Derek Fisher v. Rafer Alston

Fisher has the Finals experience but Alston is the type of player that can change the complexion of at least one game.

            ADVANTAGE MAGIC

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant v. Courtney Lee

No comment necessary. Look for Kobe to attract the defense and get his teammates involved early and often.

ADVANTAGE LAKERS

Small Forward: Rashard Lewis v. Trevor Ariza

My favorite matchup of the Finals has the chance to be a real turning point for whomever shows up to play. I like Ariza’s game a lot, especially his defense, and Rashard’s stroke is smooth like butter when his shot is on.

            ADVANTAGE LAKERS

Power Forward: Pau Gasol v. Hedo Turkoglu

Hard to look at this one straight up. Hedo is not a PF, but the Magic style of play can cause major problems for the Lakers. Hedo is the primary ball handler in the 4^th Quarter so it will be interesting to see how the Lakers play it. Gasol can dominate this series so long as Dwight is not guarding him. I think the Lakers will start the game trying to get Gasol going on the low block.

            ADVANTAGE LAKERS

Center: Dwight Howard v. Andrew Bynum

This can be a huge boost for the Lakers if Bynum can even play somewhat mediocre. Howard will elevate his game to a new level in the Finals, so Bynum will be using up all 6 fouls. I can’t wait to see Dwight’s averages when it is over; I say at least 15 boards and 4 blocks per game.

            ADVANTAGE MAGIC

Now for the intangibles...I will take the Lakers bench because Luke Walton will play a HUGE part in the series' outcome. Jameer Nelson is a possible addition after being injured since before the All-Star break, and he could be a game changer. How can you take Van Gundy over 9 Championships in 11 Finals appearances? The Magic crowd should be rowdy in their home games, and the Lakers fans will be chaotic as always.

---I FORGOT COMPLETELY about Lamar Odom when this blog orginally posted. Let's hope Lamar Odom doesn't forget to show up, as he has in the recent past.

So...

I will take the Lakers in 7, BUT if the Magic steal one of the first 2 in L.A. that could change.

-Aaron

What's the Difference?

As the end of this season draws near I would like to talk a little about TEAM. It means many things on a broad-scope, but in basketball it speaks a state of play.

This came to mind when thinking about LeBron and the loss aftermath. For 66 wins the Cavs played as a team (case in point, regular season means little). The playoffs in the NBA expose you like none other. Every deficiency gets magnified ten-fold (LeBron’s supporting cast). BUT, with the right coach those deficiencies become beneficial to your team, see VIDEO.

The point I am trying to make is that no matter how great any one single player is, the worst part of a teammate’s skill set will get hung out to dry. LeBron can’t make up for everyone else, but what he can do is get them into a better spot to succeed. I liken back to everyone’s favorite comparison (Michael Jordan). The best player he ever stepped on a court with was probably Scottie Pippen, not a premiere, centerpiece, superstar-type player by any standards. He was a very-good, all-star caliber player that excelled in team play. In the season after Jordan’s initial retirement, Pippen led that Bulls team to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, losing in 7 to the Knicks, who lost in the 94 Finals to the Rockets in a memorable 7 games.

What I am trying to portray with that example is how playing well as a unit, and not 1 guy surrounded by 4 bystanders, will elevate each individuals play to a new level. It is a thing of beauty to see the frantic scrambling of defenses trying to make their rotations out to the perimeter. That is of course if you even understand what a defensive rotation entails in the game of basketball. It is a game where one player can make all the difference or be the beginning of a 48 minute struggle (see Dwyane Wade).

Overall it comes down to individual matchups predicated on team play. That is where the Magic came to dominate the Cavs. Cleveland does need better players around LeBron, but where did there #1 ranked defense go? The Magic scored nearly 104 ppg in the 6 game series, after only allowing 91.4 during the regular season, and 78 ppg in the FIRST TWO ROUNDS COMBINED. Cleveland’s loss was just as much about Orlando’s ability to expose Lebron’s supporting cast as it was their lack of defensive commitment.

I guess it comes down to the dominant big man theory.

NBA Finals Preview to follow.

-Aaron