Sports Report

Observations from the last week or so in sports:

-Startling number of guys returning to the NCAA instead of entering the NBA draft. Perry Jones, Jared Sullinger, John Henson, and Tyler Zeller have all recently announced their intentions to stay in school for another year. These four could and probably would have been drafted inside the first 15 picks, with Jones and Sullinger going in the top 5. This tells me one thing, NBA agents are catching word that the labor situation in the NBA could lead to a lockout. Another tough break for American sports.

-ESPN's Year of the Quarterback should be another fantastic production in the growing line of ESPN films. Last night's "The Brady 6" was a great piece. Six quarterback's, only one of which has experienced success in the NFL (Marc Bulger), were drafted before Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft. What this shows me: Drafting is a crapshoot. Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay, and the rest of the bunch project these guys on measureables, game tape, and schemes for NFL teams, but no one knows what can happen. Being a Mizzou fan, I hope Blaine Gabbert turns out more Tom Brady then Gio Carmazzi, Spurgeon Wynn, Tee Martin, and Chris Redman.

-The Cardinals record is a little troubling to this point; 4-7 through 11 games in series against the Padres, Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Giants. The Giants are obviously a good team, coming off a World Series win, but the others are not playoff teams, and in the case of the Diamondbacks and Pirates, they could be the worst two teams in the NL at the end of the season. The offense is finally starting to come around, with Lance Berkman, Colby Rasmus, and David Freese catching fire as of late, and that is something I'm not concerned with. Albert Pujols is going to hit; Yadi Molina will drive in some runs. But, is their middle infield good enough to get the job done? Ryan Theriot was brought in to play solid defense and provide an offensive threat at the top of the lineup. He has shown flashes of success at the plate, but his defense leaves much to be desired. He and Skip Schumaker have to be the worst defensive middle infield in baseball. Let's face it: The Skip Schumaker second baseman experiment has not worked. It was a valiant effort to get his bat in the lineup, but Skip is no more than a utility OF. Rookie Bryan Augenstein and newcomer Brian Tallet went down last night in a 13-8 defeat, causing more problems for a bullpen that has been under much scrutiny already this year. If Tallet goes on the DL (Augenstein already is) the most likely call-ups will be Fernando Salas and Eduardo Sanchez, two pitchers with great promise. Mark it down now, Eduardo Sanchez will be the Cardinals closer within the next two years, he has electric stuff. Finally, free Tyler Greene, dude needs to play.

-The NBA playoffs are right around the corner, and I for one, am excited. So many story lines are prevalent this year: Are the Spurs too old? Do the Bulls have a sidekick for Derrick Rose? How do the "Big 3" play in the playoffs? What's up with the Lakers? Are the Thunder ready to be legitimate title contenders? Can the Celtics hold off the Knicks? All will be intriguing. Many of my friends claim that the NBA is boring to watch because no one plays defense; I whole-heartedly disagree with that statement, and encourage anyone who feels the same way to watch these playoffs and enjoy the best teams with the best players in the world.

-If the NBA draft was today, and the lottery went as scheduled, the draft order would be: Minnesota, Cleveland, Toronto, Washington, New Jersey, Sacramento (tie here). Here are my picks, considering that Harrison Barnes enters the draft.

1. Minnesota: Harrison Barnes, G/F, University of North Carolina.
This makes sense for the awful drafting Timberwolves. If a top-flight center was available for this pick, the Wolves would have to take it, but I think that Barnes is the best value for a Timberwolves team that needs scorers and tough-minded players. Backup: Enes Kanter. If this guy impresses after not playing this entire year, he could be a sleeper for this pick.
2. Cleveland: Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke University.
All reports are that Cleveland is ready to rebuild with Irving as their PG. They luck out in this scenario because the Wolves drafted Johnny Flynn and Ricky Rubio just two years ago. Irving brings youth an a strong on-ball presence to a team that just needs playmakers. Backup: Harrison Barnes. Proven scorer who can immediately impact the Cavs.
3. Toronto: Derrick Williams, F, University of Arizona.
Not following "Canada's team" very much hurts my knowledge here, but I know some about the make-up of their roster. Demar DeRozan, Leondro Barboza, and Jerryd Bayless provide a solid backcourt for the Raptors, with Ed Davis an up-and-comer at the 4 slot. Andrea Bargnani needs to be shifted to the 3, but I think unless Kanter impresses, Williams provides a great value. Backup: Enes Kanter.
4. Washington: Jan Vesely, PF, Czech Republic.
I don't take the time to read everything about international players as I probably should, but Vesely has a perimeter game that the Wizards could highly desire. The Wizards have a team full of potential, and Vesely would be another "potential pick", but they need something to go with John Wall. Backup: Trade down, draft Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State University.
T-5. New Jersey: Enes Kanter, F/C, Kentucky.
Brook Lopez is the future for New Jersey as their center, but Kanter could be the missing piece at the PF position for the rebuilding Nets. Kris Humphries had a nice year, but his best accomplishment is dating Kim Kardashian, not being a starter in the NBA. Kanter would be an upgrade offensively, and give them another young player to build around for the future. Backup: Terrence Jones, SF, Kentucky. High volume game if he can realize his potential, would be an immediate threat at the 3 for the Nets.
T-5. Sacramento: Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky.
For some, this pick may not make sense. Sacramento's best player is Tyreke Evans, right? Absolutely, but from everything I have seen out of Tyreke, he needs to play off the ball. He may never be a great shooter, but he needs to have the ball taken out of his hands and put into someone's that can give him a chance to score easily. Knight could accomplish that, and he has the second highest upside of any PG in this draft. For a young team, take Knight over Kemba Walker, just based on potential. You can afford to work him along slowly because the Kings are not going to be relevant in the West for a while anyway. Backup: Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania. The 18-year old PF could grow with Demarcus Cousins inside.