2012 NBA Draft Class: Full of Talent

                    
Now that the 2011-12 NBA season is over, there is only one thing left to do. Time to gear up for the next year. The Miami Heat will still be celebrating their NBA Championship for another couple of weeks. The Oklahoma City Thunder will still be thinking what if for the next week or so. The other 28 teams are more focused on this Thursday night: The 2012 NBA Draft. There is good reason to be focused on this draft because of the depth of talent. 


 There might not be the star power of the 2003 NBA Draft, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Darko Milicic. (I just had to mention him because how the hell did he go number 2 overall, good job Detroit.) 


The 1996 NBA Draft provided the likes of Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Steve Nash, Marcus Camby, Jermaine O'Neal, Peja Stojakovic, and Moochie Norris. (I had to throw Mooch in here because he rocked the best afro the NBA has ever witnessed.)


The 1984 NBA Draft had four of the best players to ever play the game. Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. This draft also included Sam Perkins, Otis Thorpe, Kevin Willis, Jerome Kersey, and Sam Bowie. (Good job Portland for selecting Sam Bowie over the best player to ever lace them up.)


These are the three best draft classes in my eyes in NBA history. Now let's take a look at what the 2012 NBA Draft provides us with. There is definitely not the star power in this class, but when you talk about depth, this could be the best draft providing the league with a ton of talent for years to come. 


THE TOP OF THE CLASS


Anthony Davis is the best player entering the 2012 NBA Draft. The guy is a shot blocking and rebounding machine. He broke the SEC record for most blocks in a season and had more blocks than any other freshmen in NCAA D-1 history. He led Kentucky to an NCAA Championship, and finally got John Calipari his first Championship. He was named the 2012 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He was named the National Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year, and on Thursday will be the first overall pick. No one can say they accomplished all of these feats. Davis averaged 14.3 points/game, 10 rebounds/game, and nearly five blocks/game. Pretty remarkable for a 19-year old kid. The best thing that happened to Davis was his growth spurt he had between his junior and senior years. He was not heavily recruited at all after his junior season. Once he hit his growth spurt he was on everybody's radar. Davis has excellent ball handling skills for a big guy. He can knock down the open perimeter jumper. This is all because he was a guard for his high-school team before he grew nearly a foot. He is a can't miss guy in this draft. He still needs to improve on his offensive game, mainly inside the paint. He needs to add some muscle because he is a pretty lean figure. His defensive game is already NBA ready. His offensive game needs some work, but he is the type of player to impact the New Orleans Hornets franchise right away. His game is very reminiscent to Kevin Garnett. 


Thomas Robinson is an absolute monster. You have to love the energy this guy plays with. You want to talk about battling adversity, this is the guy to bring up. No one should ever have to go through what Thomas Robinson went through during his sophomore season at Kansas. During a span of three weeks Robinson lost his grandfather, grandmother, and his mother. That is something a 19-year old kid should never have to deal with. It made him stronger. It made him mature on and off the court. He had to become a man a lot sooner than he expected. He took the responsibility of taking care of his little sister because his father was not around much. Entering his junior season he had one thing on his mind: become the leader of Kansas. He did more than that. He averaged 18 and 11 last season and led the Jayhawks to the NCAA Championship game. Nobody had Kansas as a serious contender before the season. Robinson put the team on his back and left it all out on the floor last season. Expect him to be able to help out a franchise right away. He will be a top-five pick and a lot of experts see him going second overall, if the Charlotte Bobcats hold onto their selection. If you drew a line between Josh Smith and Paul Millsap's game, Thomas Robinson is what you would find. 

Bradley Beal is an absolute stud. He started off slow for the Florida Gators as a true freshmen, but once conference play started he was absolute money. Beal was named to the SEC All-Freshmen team and was a first-team All-SEC selection. The kid can ball. He has unlimited range with very good ball handling skills. He can create his own shot off the dribble and whoever selects Beal will be thrilled. His all around game is underrated. He averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.5 steals per/game last season as a true freshman. It is looking like Beal will go third overall to the Washington Wizards, if the Cleveland Cavaliers don't trade up to the number two pick to steal him from the Wiz. He reminds me of a mixture of Eric Gordon and Ray Allen. He can shoot like Allen and has the same type of body as Eric Gordon. He could end up being the best pro in this class. 


Michael Kidd-Gilchrist might have the best overall game out of all the guys in this draft. His offensive game can be inconsistent at times but he knows how to score the rock. This guy is an absolute beast on the defensive end. If you look at Kentucky's 2012 Championship team, I think he was their most important player. He did whatever John Calipari needed. If Coach Cal needed him to score 20, he'd score 20. If he needed him to lock down the opposition's best player, he locked him down. The guy is a coach's dream. He does whatever is best for the team, and can care less about his individual statistics. As a true freshmen, MKG averaged 11.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2 APG, 1 SPG, and 1 BPG. His overall game is very impressive. In my opinion, I think he is going to be the best player from the 2012 NBA Draft. Of course, I could be wrong (I usually never am... (sarcasm).) He reminds me of Ron Artest, not Metta World Peace. We are talking about the old Ron Artest here, the one who was ballin' for the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers. The only difference between the two is Kidd-Gilchrist has his head on straight and won't be changing his name anytime soon. If he reaches his full potential he could very well end up being the next Scottie Pippen. 


Harrison Barnes ranks right there with Kidd-Gilchrist as the best wing player entering this draft. Barnes is more of a pure scorer than Kidd-Gilchrist, but his overall game is not on the same level as MKG. Last year, as a true sophomore, Barnes averaged 17 and 5 for North Carolina. The issue a lot of people had with Barnes last season was he didn't improve much after his freshmen season. Furthermore, when starting point guard Kendall Marshall went down with a wrist injury in the second round of the NCAA Tournament it put more pressure on Barnes to step up. He didn't and North Carolina lost to Kansas in the Elite 8. His stock could have rose if he led Carolina without their starting point guard, but he struggled in the two games. Barnes went 8-30 from the field and scored 25 points combined in these two games. Barnes still has tremendous upside for any NBA franchise that selects him on Thursday night. The 20-year old is 6'8" and has a lengthy frame to present problems for the opposition. He has shown he can be one of the best scorers in the country, but sometimes he lacks the confidence in his shot. If he can find some more confidence and become tougher mentally the rest of the league better watch out for the kid from Aimes, Iowa. His game reminds me of Danny Granger and Rudy Gay. 



THE BEST OF THE REST


Jeremy Lamb has all the talent in the world to be a good player in this league. The issue with him is consistency. When Kemba Walker led Connecticut to the 2011 National Championship, Jeremy Lamb was a huge contributor. Last year, it was suppose to be Jeremy Lamb's team, but UConn never met their potential. Lamb averaged 17 and 5 for UConn last season, but never took charge of becoming the team leader. Head Coach Jim Calhoun missed sometime because of health issues, so in Lamb's defense, this was a main reason why UConn never met their potential. I feel this guy is one of the biggest hit or miss guys in the draft. He has all the talent in the world to be a star in this league, but he also has a chance to be the next Adam Morrison. 


Andre Drummond was one of Lamb's teammates on UConn last season. He never met his full potential as a true freshman for the Huskies. He had glimpses when he played like Patrick Ewing, but at times looked like Kwame Brown. Drummond averaged 10.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and nearly 3 BPG. A lot of NBA experts are saying Drummond will be a top-ten pick. Whoever selects Drummond will have to wait a couple of years before he matures into the player he is capable of being. He is a high-risk pick for any franchise that selects him. He could end up being like Andrew Bynum or Kwame Brown. The Lakers were smart with Bynum and allowed him to develop before giving him big time minutes. Whoever selects Drummond would be wise to do the same or else we could see another Kwame Brown or Sam Bowie. 


Austin Rivers is going to be a steal in this draft. He is going to be a top-15 pick, but he could end up being one of the top three players in the draft. His work ethic is off the charts. Yeah, you can thank his father, Doc Rivers, for that. As a true freshman at Duke, he averaged 15.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.1 SPG. Austin Rivers became the second freshmen to become the unanimous choice as the All-ACC Freshman of the Year. (Tyler Hansbrough is the other.) This guy does not play like an 18-year old kid. We all remember the shot he hit in Chapel Hill at the buzzer. In the biggest rivalry in college basketball he wanted the rock at the end and he buried a three to give Duke an 85-84 victory. The guy has all the attributes to be a great player in the NBA. 


Damian Lillard is flying up the charts on NBA draft boards. His workouts have been outstanding. The Oakland native was one of the best players in D-1 last season as a junior at Weber State. He went under the radar most of the season because he played in the Big Sky Conference. He averaged 24.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4 APG, and 1.5 SPG. He was second in the nation last season in points/game, but his all around game is what NBA executives are drooling about. He has a good knack for the game and understands how to run the point. Before his pre-draft workouts he was projected to be a mid-to-late first round selection. After his workouts he has skyrocketed to becoming a lottery pick. 


Dion Waiters is another guy to pay attention to down the road. This guy has a great all-around game. He can score the rock and his defensive game is off the charts. After a rocky freshman season, Waiters bounced back and had a stellar sophomore season. He was Syracuse's best all-around player and help lead the Orange to a number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament. He does stuff that does not get on the stat sheet. His all-around game makes him NBA ready to get a lot of playing time as a rookie heading into the 2012-13 NBA season. 


Jared Sullinger is falling down NBA draft boards fast. Reports indicated that Sullinger has back problems that will affect his NBA career. However, by judging what he did during his two-year career at Ohio State, that was not the case. Sullinger averaged nearly 18 and 10 last year for the Buckeyes as a true sophomore. Once Sullinger arrived at Ohio State they became one of the best teams in the nation. He led Ohio State to the Final Four last season. A lot of people are not sold on Sullinger's game, but I think he is going to be a good NBA player. His back problems should not be an issue for NBA executives to worry about. He was a double-double machine during his two-year career at Ohio State. He had 35 double-doubles in 74 games for the Buckeyes. If his representatives are telling the truth about his back issues not being a problem, his game could be reminiscent to Kevin Love. 


HONORABLE MENTIONS


John Henson: A monster on the defensive side of the floor. Needs to improve on his offensive game. He was a huge part of North Carolina's success over the last two seasons. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 2.9 BPG last season as a junior. 


Meyers Leonard: A 7'1" big man could become a good NBA pro down the road. He is still maturing and had a solid freshman campaign at Illinois last season. He put up 13.6 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.9 BPG last year. If he can polish his game he could be a solid pro in the NBA for quite sometime. 


Perry Jones III: This kid has the talent to become a very good player down the road. The problem with Jones is he plays passively and is not aggressive enough. If he can become a confident player he could be a steal for any team that selects him in the first round. He is a high-risk player in this draft. The 6'11" big man averaged 14 and 8 for Baylor last season as a sophomore. The problem with Jones was he would disappear in big games during his career at Baylor and we will have to wait and see if he thrives or crawls into a corner when he starts playing with the big boys. 


Terrance Jones: He has all the attributes to become a good player on the next level. His game reminds me of Lamar Odom. The 6'9" forward from Kentucky was a vital piece in Kentucky's Championship run. He averaged 12.5 PPG, 7 RPG, 1.8 BPG, and 1.3 SPG for the Wildcats last season. He has shown glimpses of being immature at times and if he can mature he could wind up being a solid NBA player. 


Kendall Marshall: If you want a guy who is NBA ready to run the point, he is your guy. Kendall Marshall is the biggest reason why North Carolina got back to level of basketball we expect from the Tar Heels. Once he was put into the starting lineup as the point guard for the Heels they became a team to wrecking with. His court vision is off the charts. He reminds me of Rajon Rondo and his offensive game is way better than when Rajon Rondo came into the league out of Kentucky. 


10 NAMES TO REMEMBER


Arnett Moultrie: 6'11" junior, Texas A&M. 15.8 PPG and 10.6 RPG last season.


Terrence Ross: 6'7" sophomore, Washington. 15.3 PPG and 6.5 RPG last season.


Royce White: 6'8" sophomore, Iowa State. 13.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1 BPG last season. He led Iowa State in all five of these categories.


Tyler Zeller: 7' senior, North Carolina. 16.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG. ACC Player of the Year last season.


Moe Harkless: 6'8" freshman, St. Johns. 15.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG, and 1.6 SPG last season.


Tony Wroten: 6'6" freshman, Washington. 16.7 PPG, 5 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.9 SPG last season.


Andrew Nicholson: 6'10" senior, St. Bonaventure. 18.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 2 BPG last season.


John Jenkins: 6'4" junior, Vanderbilt. 19.9 PPG, 3 RPG, and 44% 3-pt. shooting last season.


Will Barton: 6'6" sophomore, Memphis. 18.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 3 APG last season.


Marquis Teague: 6'2" freshman, Kentucky. 9.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 4.8 APG last season.




THE 2012 NBA DRAFT CLASS COULD RANK AMONG THE BEST

The 2012 NBA draft class is full of talent. It might not be the same as the 1984, 1996, and 2003 NBA draft class because it is lacking the big name stars that these three draft classes presented. However, the one area that this draft class presents is a ton of depth. This might be the best draft down the road presenting us with superstars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, but it could very well end up being the best draft that provides us with the most talent in one draft. NBA executives have been looking forward to this draft for years, and now it is finally almost time for them to make their selections. We won't find out for another 10-15 years if this draft class ranks among the best, but it sure looks like it will be one that gets mentioned with the 84', 96', and 03' draft classes in the future. 

The King is Finally Crowned

We truly just witnessed one of the best playoff performances any player has ever had. It ranks right there with Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and other past legends. It came from a player who had more to prove than any player in NBA history. There has never been a more scrutinized athlete than Lebron James. Whether or not you are a fan of James, you should feel privileged for watching him during the 2012 playoffs. He showed why he is the best player on the planet, and a lot of people, including myself, thought Durant was a close second. James answered that, and showed there is no one close to his level. 

Lebron James put his team on his back. Dwyane Wade was good in these playoffs, but inconsistent. Chris Bosh missed nine games. This was Lebron James' team. The Miami Heat became the first team in NBA history to win three playoff series when trailing at some point in the series. 

Trailing 2-1, against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, James had one of the best playoff games in NBA history. He put up 40 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Before this game, there were questions about Miami's future. Erik Spoelstra was on the hot seat. Many thought they were done. Bosh was out for the series. Wade was struggling. Miami was down by nine points at halftime in game four. Lebron James took over and dominated the second half and Miami never looked back in the series. 

Trailing 3-2, against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, Lebron single handily beat the Celtics. He went for 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor are the only other two players to ever have a 45 point/15 rebound game in the history of the NBA playoffs. He went 19-26 from the field shooting a remarkable 73%. Lets not forget the Miami Heat normally did not win in Boston. They had only one win in their past 16 trips to the TD Garden. This was the first time in James' NBA career that he had that look on his face. Before tip-off you just got the sense he was going to dominate. This was the best game Lebron James has ever had in my eyes. Down 3-2, on the brink of elimination, and you lead your team to a 19-point beat down against a veteran bunch with championship experience. 

Down 1-0, against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, it looked like Vegas was right having Oklahoma City as the slight favorites. Once again, James put the Heat on his back. He went for 32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and was a perfect 12-12 from the free-throw line in a 100-96 victory. 

All three of these wins occurred on the other teams home-court. James averaged 39 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per/game in these three games. He shot a remarkable 57% from the field. For everyone who said he does not have a knack for being clutch were flat out wrong. 

His 2012 playoff stat line is simply "King" status. 30.3 points/game, 9.7 rebounds/game, 5.6 assists/game, 2 steals/game, and nearly 1 block/game. He shot a remarkable 50% from the floor. This stat is stunning because James averaged 22 field goal attempts in his 23 games during the playoffs. This is one of the best stat lines any NBA great has ever had in the playoffs.

Lebron James scored 697 points during the playoffs, 16th most in NBA history during one post-season. James is the only player in NBA history to record 650+ points, 200+ rebounds, and 100+ assists in a single post-season. Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan can't say they have accomplished this feat. He became the eighth player in NBA history to have three regular-season MVP's and win an NBA championship. He is the 10th player to win a regular-season MVP, Finals MVP, and NBA Championship in one season. Just to show how great of an accomplishment this is I am going to list the other nine. Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan. Furthermore, to show how hard it is to win a regular-season MVP and a Finals MVP in the same year, you have to go back to 2003 in any of the four major sports (NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL) to find the last guy to do this. Martin St. Louis did it for the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won the Stanley Cup in the 2003-04 season. James has scored at least 25 points in 15-straight playoff games passing the previous record of 14-straight. The previous record was held by: Lebron James. In his playoff career, James has led his team in points, rebounds, and assists 25 times. Larry Bird ranks second. He did it 13 times. James became the fifth player in NBA history to record a triple-double in a closeout game on Thursday night. The other four: Magic Johnson (2x), Larry Bird, James Worthy, and Tim Duncan. 

I think it is safe to say this was one of the best playoff performances any NBA great has ever had. 

James has done this before in the post-season, but never in the NBA Finals. During his two previous trips to the Finals his teams were a combined 2-8. He never scored more than 25 points in his NBA Finals career before this year. In 2007, when his Cavaliers battled the Spurs, it was obvious why they lost. It was Lebron James vs. one of the best teams of the 2000's. He didn't have a chance. Last year, against the Dallas Mavericks he was simply trying to hard to prove a point to the world. He learned his lesson the hard way. This year, he finally matured and went back to being Lebron James. Instead of trying to prove to everyone else, he just wanted to prove it to himself. Mission accomplished. 

In the 2012 NBA Finals James averaged 28.6 points/game, 10.2 rebounds/game, 7.4 assists/game, and 1.6 steals/game. He shot 47% from the floor and 83% from the free-throw line. Lebron James finally got the monkey off his back. In game four, with the game tied 94-94, James hit the biggest shot of his career. He pulled up with one and a half legs, shot clock winding down, and drained a straight-away three to give Miami a 97-94 lead with under three minutes to go. They never looked back in the series. That shot was the biggest shot in Lebron James' nine-year NBA career. (James 3-pointer to cement legacy. Go to :54 of clip to jump to 3.)

I understand a lot of people still love to hate Lebron James because he chose to bring his talents to South Beach. "The Decision" was the right decision for James, but the way he chose to do it was wrong. It has been nearly two years since "The Decision", and it is time to move on. The dancing around party the day after "The Decision" was childish and immature. Everyone deserves a second chance and it is time to get over those two days. Kobe Bryant was accused of rape, Michael Vick served nearly two-years in prison for his dog fighting crimes, and people forgave them. It is time to move on and realize people make mistakes. Time has past and it is time to forgive him for making an immature decision. If this is the worst decision he has made he has to be doing something right. Athletes are getting DUI's left and right, getting in trouble off the field/court, and James record has been clean off the court. It is time to give credit when it is due. Lebron James is a top-10 player to ever play the game. (If Magic Johnson is saying it, I am going to agree with one of the best players to ever lace them up.) 

James still has a lot to prove. One championship will not be enough for James if he wants to be considered as a top-five player to ever play the game. He is on the right path to become one of the games best. We should all feel privileged from what we just witnessed. It was one of the best post-seasons any athlete has ever had. It was something great to be apart of. Michael Jordan and Lebron James were both 27 when they won their first ring. Only time will tell if James will be mentioned with Michael Jordan as the best to ever lace them up. (He has a long way to go to ever be mentioned with MJ, but no one thought MJ would get six rings when Chicago was getting bounced in the playoffs during Jordan's first six seasons.) I do not want to hear the argument that James had to go to another team to win it all. That should not play a role in him being considered one of the best to ever play. Michael Jordan played with two of the best players in NBA history. Magic Johnson played with a boatload of great players during his career. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal formed one of the best duo's in the games history. Larry Bird was apart of some of the best teams to ever play. Cleveland never attempted to get James help, so he had to go elsewhere to put himself in line to win a championship. You can't win a championship by yourself, it takes at least two-stars to win it all, along with good role players. James gave Cleveland seven seasons of everything he had, but the franchise didn't return the favor. He did what was best for his career. Since his decision to leave, he has led Miami to the NBA Finals in his first two-seasons, and it sure looks like they will be running the East for the near future. "The Decision" was the best decision James ever made. He just went about it the wrong way, but it is time to let bygones be bygones, and simply tip your cap to one of the NBA's best to ever play. 

- UPCOMING BLOG NEXT WEEK PREVIEWING NBA 2012 DRAFT & MOCK DRAFT

R.A. Dickey "King of the Hill"

R.A. Dickey became the first pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters since David Stieb did it 24 years ago for the Toronto Blue Jays. On Monday night, against the Baltimore Orioles, R.A. Dickey displayed one of the nastiest knuckleballs anyone has ever witnessed. His knuckleball was topping out at 80+ mph last night (35 times), which is nearly unhittable. His knuckleball dances more than Michael Jackson did in the shooting of the "Thriller" music video!

Robert Allen Dickey has been the best pitcher in the game this season. 

After Monday nights win, Dickey's record is a remarkable 11-1. His numbers are down right nasty this year. 11 wins, 2.00 ERA, 103 strikeouts, and a 0.89 WHIP (walks + hits per inning) are all tops in baseball among starting pitchers. The New York Mets are 37-32 this season, and if it wasn't for R.A. Dickey, they wouldn't be three games behind the Washington Nationals in the toughest division in the National League. 

Move over Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow, there is a new king taking over the Big Apple.

Dickey is the first pitcher in modern day baseball (since 1900) to allow one-or-fewer runs, strike out 50+ batters and walk five-or-fewer batters over five consecutive starts in a season. He has five straight starts of 0 earned runs and 8+K's. No one in America's pastime can say they have done this. He became the second pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters with 10+ K's since 1900. He has seven straight starts with 8+ strikeouts and 2 or fewer walks. Only three other pitchers can say they have done that in this history-riched game. Sandy Koufax (1965), Curt Schilling (1997), and Randy Johnson (2001). If Dickey can do this on Sunday night he will be the only pitcher in modern day baseball to accomplish this feat. To make it even juicier, Dickey is scheduled to start ESPN's Sunday Night game against the New York Yankees. What an accomplishment that would be. His current streak of 42.2/3 innings pitched without allowing an earned run is second best in the history of the Mets' franchise. Dwight Gooden pitched 49 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run in 1985. He will try and break this record on Sunday night too.

Pretty remarkable what Dickey has accomplished this season, but his story started long before this.

R.A. Dickey, second from left

He bounced around the minor leagues for 14+ seasons. After being drafted 18th overall by the Texas Rangers in 1996 he was ecstatic. After the Rangers drafted Dickey in the first round they offered him a $810,000 signing bonus, until they saw a photo on the cover of Baseball America. They noticed his arm was bent at a funny angle and they had further tests on Dickey before he inked his contract. Tests showed he had no ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm. After that, they reduced his signing bonus to $75,000. This was just the start for this journeyman pitcher. 

Before signing with the New York Mets in 2010, he appeared in 144 big league games as a pitcher. In two-plus years since signing with the Mets he has appeared in 74 games. Robert Allen Dickey can finally say he found a home.

When I saw found a home, I am talking about more than just feeling secure as a professional Major League pitcher. His path to becoming a pitcher is a road no one should ever have to go through. 

Dickey contemplated suicide just over five years ago. Not because he was unsuccessful in baseball. It was much more than that. His parents divorced when he was just a few years old. His mother was an alcoholic and dragged him into bars at age five. Dickey's family was poor growing up and he slept in abandoned warehouses as a teenager. At age eight he was sexually abused on numerous occasions by his female babysitter. During his tween years he was sexually abused, and raped, by a seventeen-year old male. R.A. Dickey lived through one of the toughest childhoods any kid could ever imagine. Just try and remember the worst thing that happened to you as a child, and picture it happening over and over again throughout your childhood. 

Dickey lived with these horrific memories in the back of his head. Not even people close to him knew about his childhood. He didn't want anyone to know. His wife didn't even know about it until eight years into their marriage. He hoped it would just go away, but it never did. He would always picture his tough childhood no matter the circumstances. He knew their was only one way for this to go away. He had to tell people close to him about this. He couldn't keep it in any longer, he had to get it off his shoulders. It takes a man to face his fears, and Dickey finally faced his after keeping it inside for 20+ years. It led him to start a book, which he started in 2005. Still, he didn't tell anyone about his childhood until 2007, but the book was a way for him to get these horrific memories out from being trapped inside. The book talks about his life path and all of the struggles he has gone through growing up. On March 29th, his book, "Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity, and the Perfect Knuckleball" hit the shelves and I would strongly recommend picking it up. It is a very good book. 

It was a slow process for Dickey to get this off of his shoulders. He told his wife, his family, and his closest friends about his childhood in 2007. This is where things finally started to turn around for R.A. Dickey. If it was not for his wife, who chose to stay with Dickey after an affair and work with him to better their marriage, he would not be the person he is today. Dickey was a lost individual and his wife, Anne Dickey, could sense it. She just didn't know why until he finally confessed his horrendous childhood. Also, he credits his therapist and his Christianity, as being two blueprints into helping him be able to beat this. 

Furthermore, there is one guy to thank for his success on the hill.

Current Baltimore Orioles manager, Buck Showalter, played a huge role in R.A. Dickeys life. During his time in Texas as the manager of the Rangers, he suggested Dickey try something different. He persuaded Dickey to start throwing a knuckleball. This was around 2006, and it still took Dickey years to finally master the pitch. If he didn't take Showalter's advice, he would have been a career minor-leaguer. In his first start throwing the knuckleball he got rocked. In April 2006, against the Detroit Tigers, he allowed six home-runs in 3.1/3 innings. He was sent down to the minors after this start, and did not appear in the big leagues until two years later with the Seattle Mariners. Despite the struggles trying to master the knuckleball, Dickey stayed with it. 

Now, six years after he started throwing the knuckleball, he can say he mastered it. Just ask Buck Showalter who was managing the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night. He saw it first hand. Dickey was brilliant on the hill against his former manager. R.A. Dickey had as many hits as the Baltimore Orioles. He pitched a complete game shutout allowing just one hit. He struck out 13 Orioles and only had two walks. It was one of the best pitching performances of the season. He has been pitching like this since the start of May. In his last six starts he is 6-0 with a 0.18 ERA. (Yes, you read that correctly.) He has only allowed one earned run in 48.2/3 IP during this stretch. He has 63 K's to only five walks and opponents are batting .131 against him. Pretty remarkable, and not many pitchers have ever had stretches like this one. It has been a great story for a guy who deserves it. Funny how the game of baseball works. The guy who talked him into throwing the pitch was their first hand to watch it make his team look like a bunch of little leaguers. Buck Showalter was smiling underneath that frown somewhere last night. You couldn't see it on him, but inside he had the smile of a kid at a candy store.

NBA Finals Preview

                                            A LEGACY BEGINS


This is the match-up everyone wants to see. Lebron James vs. Kevin Durant for the biggest prize in the game. The two best players go mano-a-mano to start cementing their legacies. The three-time MVP (James) matching up against the back-to-back-to-back scoring champion (Durant). This is the first time since 1997 (Karl Malone vs. MJ) that the regular season MVP is matching up against the scoring champ in the Finals. Also, this is the first time since 1992, (MJ vs. Clyde Drexler) that the MVP and the MVP runner-up, have a date in the NBA Finals. This is arguably the most star power we have seen in the finals since the Magic-led Lakers battled the Bird-led Celtics in the 80's. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Lebron James, and Dwyane Wade all finished in the top seven in points per/game this season. Not much has changed in the playoffs. These four rank in the top eight in scoring. This is going to be an entertaining series, with a ton of great match-ups to watch, so get your popcorn ready!


LEBRON vs. DURANT


Whoever plays better between these two will determine a lot in this series. We have seen greatness in the first three rounds of the playoffs, from both of these individuals. Lebron James arguably just had his best series in his playoff career, and one of the best series in the history of the game. It was one of the best individual performances ever.


Kevin Durant played lights out to send the best team in the NBA fishing. The Spurs were riding a 20-game winning streak, and up 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals, until Durant willed his team to four-straight wins. 


Lebron James proved he can shine when his team is backed into a corner (FINALLY). This match-up between the two best players in the game, is going to be one helluva duel. 


James became the third player in NBA history, to score at least 25 points in every game, in a seven-game series. In game six, James put the Heat on his back, and dominated Boston, in their own backyard. It was one of the top ten playoff performances in NBA history. He put up Wilt-like numbers: 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in a must win game. Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player in NBA history to put up at least 45, 15, and 5 in a playoff game. This game would not have meant much for James if his Heat did not come out and win game seven. With the game tied 73-73, entering the 4th quarter, James put the team on his back once again. James scored 11 in the 4th to lead the Heat to a 101-88 victory. He threw down a thunderous slam and hit a shot from nearly 30-feet out to seal the deal in game seven. James averaged 33.6 PPG, 11 RPG, 4 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.1 SPG, and shot 53% from the floor. He is the first player to score 30+ points in at least six games in a series, since Shaquille O'Neal did it in 2000 for the L.A. Lakers. For people that say James does not show up in big games, I think James just answered that with an exclamation point! The most important part of James' game is being aggressive and getting to the free-throw line. Since he joined Miami, they are 6-0 in the playoffs when James draws 10 or more fouls on the opposition. He is near impossible to stop when he gets to the paint.


Kevin Durant was just as great in the Western Conference Finals. Game four showed he is ready for the moment. The Thunder saw a 15-point lead dwindle to four with just over seven minutes remaining. You could see the panic in the young OKC squad, well except for one player: Kevin Durant. He put the Thunder on his back and took the game over. He scored 16 straight points in the 4th, leading to a 109-103 victory, to even up the series at two. The look in his eyes was Kobe-like. No one, and I mean NO ONE, was stopping him from scoring. Oklahoma City never looked back after this one. In game five, in San Antonio, Durant came up huge in the second half once again. Durant scored 22 of his 27 points in the final 24-minutes, to become the first team to win in San Antonio, in nearly two months. In the close out game, Durant dominated. He went for 34, 14, and 5 to send the Spurs on an early summer vacation. In the Western Conference Finals, Durant averaged 29.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.7 SPG, 53% from the field, 36% from deep, and 91% from the line. Pretty insane numbers just like his counterpart. 


This is going to be one of the best match-ups in Finals history. It has been quite some time since we have had number one vs. number two. We get a chance to watch the two best players in the game meet up for all the marbles. One of these two guys will start their legacy, while the other will have to wait at least one more year. 


D-WADE vs. WESTBROOK

This is going to be a very important match-up. Both of these guys have been inconsistent during the playoffs. Dwyane Wade has been taking the first half off recently. Against Boston, Wade only averaged five points on 28% shooting in the first half. Luckily, for Miami, he showed up in the second half to help beat Boston in seven. However, if Miami wants to beat Oklahoma City they are going to need the best D-Wade for 48-minutes. 


Russell Westbrook has shown brilliance at times, but has also shown immaturity in key moments too. In game five against the Spurs, Westbrook was taking horrible shots down the stretch, and had some unforced turnovers, that gave San Antonio a chance to steal game five. With Westbrook struggling in the final seven minutes, he still knocked down a big-time 18-footer with 1:30 left to give OKC a 103-99 lead. It proved to be a crucial bucket and the Thunder never looked back. That is Westbrook's game. He is a very confident player no matter how bad he could be playing. This is good and bad for Oklahoma City. 


Dwyane Wade is going to be a huge reason on why Miami wins or loses this series. The Heat need Wade to find his rhythm early and not wait until the second half. Oklahoma is too good of a team. Miami is taking a huge step up in competition. They were able to get by a Knicks team that has no identity, a Pacers team that is still very young, and an old Celtics team that had nothing left in the tank. Oh how things change quickly for Miami. Now they are facing a young team who is playoff battle tested, and a very hungry squad. They just knocked off the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs to get to the Finals. Those three organizations represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals the last 13 years, and had won four of the previous five championships. If Miami wants to knock off this squad, they are going to need Dwyane Wade to play close to the way he did when he won the 2006 NBA Finals MVP. It will be crucial for Wade to be very aggressive and take it to the rim. He shot over 70% against Boston inside the paint, compared to under 30% from outside of the paint. During the last five games for Wade, he shot just 40% from the floor. That is not going to get it done for Miami. They need Wade close to 50% in this series. One thing with Wade, is if he can get a couple of easy shots early, it sets the tone for his game. If you can frustrate Wade early, it affects his game tremendously. Wade needs to get to the rim and be aggressive. Getting to the free-throw line and getting Oklahoma's bigs in foul trouble, will be very important for Miami in this series. 


Russell Westbrook has certainly emerged as one of the top point guards in the game. Last year during the playoffs, Westbrook cost his team a chance at advancing to the NBA Finals. The only game the Thunder won, was when Russell Westbrook was left on the bench for the entire fourth quarter in game two. He played horrible against Dallas. He wanted to be the guy, and wanted to shine. I admit he can still be a bit erratic at times, but he has matured tremendously in one year. He now knows Kevin Durant is the guy and is fine with it. The kid is still only 23-years old and is going to keep getting better. Before the series against San Antonio, Tony Parker told the media, "I am going to take it right at him and see how he handles it." Well, Tony, sorry to inform ya', but he handled it pretty well. He, along with his teammates, sent Parker on an early fishing trip. Westbrook averaged over 7 assists/game against the Spurs and had a 2:1 assist/turnover ratio. Last year, in the Western Conference Finals, Westbrook averaged just under 5 assists/game and had a horrible 1:1 assist/turnover ratio. Westbrook is going to need to play huge for OKC against Miami. It will be significant for him to know his role. He needs to continue working on knowing when to take it and when to defer. I hate when people say he shoots too much for a point guard. The Thunder need him to score, because outside of Durant and Harden, they do not have a guy who can create his own shot. This makes it tough on Westbrook, because it is important for him to get a good feel for the game, to know when to be aggressive, and when to be patient. This is tough for a 23-year old kid who is one the verge of being one of the best point guards in the game. This series will show if Westbrook really is a top-5 point guard in the NBA. 



Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook are going to be key factors in determining who holds up the Larry O'Brien trophy. If Wade can find his rhythm early, it will be huge for Miami. If Westbrook knows when to be aggressive, and when to get others going, it will be significant for Oklahoma City.  


X-FACTOR


I think we all know who the X-factors are in this series. James Harden and Chris Bosh. We saw how important Chris Bosh was for Miami in game seven. With Wade, James, and Bosh on the floor in games six and seven, Miami was close to a +50 point differential against the Celtics. I think it is safe to say they are the big three, and the genius's who claimed Miami two-and-a-half, can now admit they were crazy for even saying that. Chris Bosh is a very important player for Miami. 


Oklahoma City has a scary big three too. The thing that makes their big three even scarier is these guys are all under 24-years old. Oh my, how the rest of the NBA is nervous after seeing how the Thunder have played during these playoffs. Especially, with the way James Harden played this year, and how amazing he has been in the playoffs, it is a scary time for the rest of the league. The beard is fearless. We all remember game five. The Thunder up 103-101, with :30 seconds left, and the shot clock winding down, Harden steps back, feet behind the line, BAM! Nothing but net. See ya later San Antonio. Who's next?!?!

Chris Bosh didn't lose a beat after sitting out nine games because of an abdominal strain. In game seven, Bosh was money. He scored 19 points, shooting 8-10 from the floor. He went 3-4 from deep, and hit a crucial three to put Miami up, 86-82, with just over seven minutes left. Bosh entered game seven with four three's made in his playoff career. He almost totaled that number in 31 minutes on the floor in game seven. The Heat never looked back after this bucket. Furthermore, he came up huge on the glass, grabbing eight boards, and was a force on the defensive end. The Heat are going to need the same Chris Bosh to show up in every game against Oklahoma City. Bosh allows Miami to open up the floor because he is capable to knock down the open perimeter jumper. This was something Miami's bigs were lacking in his absence. Especially if Miami elects to put Bosh at center, this opens up the paint for Wade and James to get to the rim. If Bosh can get Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins to roam out of the paint it could be a deciding factor for Miami. Chris Bosh brings a lot to the table for Miami because of the intangibles he brings. No one else can do what Chris Bosh does for the Heat. He is a top five power forward in the NBA for a reason. He does it all.


James Harden has been one of the Thunders' most important players in the playoffs. Harden is averaging 17, 5, and 3 during the playoffs. His shooting has been lights out. He is shooting 45% from the floor, 45% from long range, and 87% from the free-throw line. If the beard is playing at a high level, this team is very tough to beat. Just like Durant, Harden is money down the stretch. This is huge for Oklahoma City because this gives them two viable options in crunch time. Westbrook is still a capable player to knock down big buckets, but Harden and Durant have been more consistent down the stretch. Head Coach Scott Brooks depends heavily on Harden's game. He is such a versatile player. He can run the point. He can play the two. He can play the three. He can get to the bucket at ease. He can knock down the perimeter jumper consistently. He is an outstanding defender. He is never scared of the moment. The guy really does it all. If James Harden plays like he did in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder are going to be hard to beat in a seven game series. 


The production between Bosh and Harden will be a vital match-up in determining who wins this series. Both these guys are crucial. Bosh helped Miami come back from a 3-2 deficit to beat Boston. James Harden helped lead the way knocking off the hottest team in the NBA. Both of these guys are huge X-factors in this series. Whoever plays better between these two could decide on who wins and who loses.


ROLE PLAYERS


It always seems that whoever holds up the Larry O'Brien trophy, is because their role players stepped up. Last year, the Mavericks had a ton of role players step up. Miami didn't. You can trace back the history of past Champions, and almost every time, it was because the winning teams' role players, outplayed the losing teams' role players. This is going to be the biggest factor once again on who wins it all.




Miami has seen their fair share of role players step up during the playoffs. Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, and Shane Battier are averaging 27.7 points/game combined. This is huge for Miami. If James, Wade, and Bosh can average around 70 points/game combined, they will be just under the century mark. 

Mario Chalmers is having his best postseason in his four-year career. Chalmers' is averaging nearly 12 PPG, 4 RPG, 4 APG, and 1 SPG. Chalmers' is doing a good job of taking good care of the rock too. He is averaging under two-turnovers per game, which is a great number for any point guard. Miami needs Chalmers, Mike Miller, and Shane Battier to keep knocking down their long range shots. They have combined to shoot 35% from deep during the playoffs. 






Furthermore, it will be important for Miami to get good minutes from Udonis Haslem. Oklahoma City has the edge in length, so it will be crucial for Haslem to get good space inside, to help rebound. Against Boston, Haslem averaged 9.3 RPG, and they will need him to keep it up against OKC. If Miami wants to win this series, it will be huge for these four guys to make an impact. The Thunder are the deeper team, so Miami's role players need to play well. Whether it is knocking down 3's, grabbing rebounds, making the extra pass, playing stellar defense, they will need to contribute somehow, if they want to bring home the trophy to South Beach. 

The two most important role players for Oklahoma City live in the paint. Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka are two of the best defensive players in the game. Ibaka led the NBA in blocks per/game during the regular season. Nothing has changed in the playoffs.The guy roams the paint blocking shots at will. I wonder how many dinners he has bought Kendrick Perkins? Perk is the reason why Ibaka is allowed to roam the paint defensively. During the playoffs these two are averaging 15.4 PPG, 12 RPG, and nearly 5 BPG collectively. It will be critical for them to make Lebron and Wade think twice about coming into the paint. Expect a ton of hard fouls to come from Kendrick Perkins in this series. Boston sure wishes they had Perkins inside when Lebron was torching Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. 


Thabo Sefolosha, Derek Fisher, Nick Collison, Daequan Cook, and Nazr Mohammed will all be asked to play certain roles in this series. Sefolosha will be asked to defend Wade and James at times. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the game. He also showed he can score the rock too. Against San Antonio he averaged eight points/game and shot 35% from long range. Derek Fisher always seems to make a big shot in the Finals. I would not expect that to change. I could see Fisher knocking down a big three in one of these games down the stretch. Furthermore, even if Fisher does not contribute on the court, he still contributes a lot to this team, just with leadership alone. He has five-rings so the guy knows what it takes to win. Nick Collison will be asked to play good defense and grab rebounds. This guy never gets any love, but he is one of the smartest players in the game. He does everything that doesn't show up on the stat sheet. He is a coaches dream. Daequan Cook and Nazr Mohammed will be extra credit for the Thunder. If Cook can knock down some open three's that would be icing on the cake. Mohammed will be asked to come in if Perk or Ibaka get into foul trouble. Expect Mohammed to dish out some hard fouls if Miami elects to bring the ball to the cup. 



PREDICTION


I keep going back and forth on this one. Miami finally showed they can step up when they need to. That was something we didn't see from Miami in the NBA Finals last year. Oklahoma City has shown they are no longer the inexperienced group they once were. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden have matured before our eyes this postseason. This is going to be one sensational finals. Miami's big three vs. Oklahoma's big three could very well cancel each other out, so the NBA Finals could once again come down to role players. 


I give the edge to Oklahoma when it comes to role players. When you compare Ibaka, Perkins, Fisher, Collison, Sefolosha, and Cook to Chalmers, Haslem, Battier, Miller, and James Jones, the Thunder have the edge. I see the Thunders' role players being a huge factor in this series. 


However, if Lebron James plays like he did in the Eastern Conference Finals, it gives Miami a good chance to win this series. When he is playing at that level, the Heat can beat anyone, no matter where they are playing. James has struggled in the Finals in the past though. He has never scored more than 25 points in 10 career Finals games. I see this changing. Lebron James has finally seemed to just have fun out on the court without thinking so much. You could sense James put too much pressure on himself during the NBA Finals last year, and it clearly affected his game. If James just goes out and plays ball, without over-thinking, he will put up gaudy numbers, like he has during the playoffs. The question is will it be enough to overtake a Oklahoma City team that is rolling right now.


Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden have become the most dangerous trio during the playoffs. They are averaging 67.1 PPG, 18.2 RPG, 13.1 APG, and nearly 5 SPG collectively. Miami's big three has been right there too, but their numbers are a little harder to go by because Bosh missed 9 games. They are putting up 67.4 PPG, 21.5 RPG, 10 APG, and just over 3 BPG. 


The one significant difference between these trio's is how they play down the stretch in close games. Oklahoma has proven to be the best team in the playoffs during the last five minutes in tight games. Miami has still had their struggles in close games. In Miami's 12 playoff wins they have won by at least eight points in 11 of them. The only win they had in a close game was in OT against Boston in game two, with Boston's most clutch player, Paul Pierce, fouling out with :47 seconds left in regulation. Not too satisfying if you are a Heat fan. You better hope the Heat have a comfortable lead against the Thunder in the 4th. Miami lost close games down the stretch against the Knicks, Pacers, and Celtics. Once again, this was against a Knicks' squad that had no identity, a young Pacers' bunch, and a Celtics group that hit E on the gas tank.


 In eight of the 12 wins for the Thunder they dominated the last five minutes of the game. Three times against Dallas, twice against the Lakers, and three times against San Antonio. When you look at the championship credentials of these three teams, it is truly remarkable how the Thunder have dominated in crunch time. They went through Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, and San Antonio's big three. That is 16 rings combined if you're counting at home.


I see this series being very competitive and close down the stretch. This is where I give Oklahoma City the major edge. This, along with the Thunders' role players, and home court, will be the deciding factors in the series. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden will outplay Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh when it matters most. Miami will once again wonder what went wrong this summer. 


Kevin Durant's legacy starts at age 23, five years younger than the best basketball player to  ever lace them up, Michael Jordan.

                                           OKLAHOMA CITY IN 6






-BLOG UPCOMING RECAPPING THE 2011-12 NBA SEASON AFTER THE NBA FINALS