Cavs Not Sold on Irving

While Kyrie Irving is expected to be the first pick in the NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, it is not a done deal. Derrick Williams, who led his Arizona squad past Irving's Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA tourney, is still in contention for the spot.

The Cavs have not informed Irving that he will be picked, and have given no indication of which of the two players they are leaning toward. Most people connected with the league believe Cleveland will, in fact, go with Irving.

A possible scenario is that the Cavs pick Irving first overall and then use the fourth pick on center Enes Kanter, who played in Turkey before entering the draft. Kanter was a student at Kentucky last season, but was ruled ineligible to play by the NCAA.

Cleveland could also take Williams and Kanter, which would leave Baron Davis as the likely starting point guard. As he is aging, this would put pressure on them to sign another field general.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have said they will take either Irving or Williams, depending on the Cavs pick. Irving would join impending arrival Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn as point guards in Minnesota, and Flynn would likely be placed on the trading block.

The Utah Jazz have the third pick, and with Irving and Williams gone, will decide between Kentucky guard Brandon Knight and Kanter.

Ridirkulous Mavs Seal the Deal

Let's take the spotlight off of the Heat for a second. Instead, it should be placed on the veteran Dallas Mavericks, the true definition of a complete team. A team that needed all of its aging legs last night to close the deal, and return home happy.

Leading the charge for the Mavs was none other than Dirk Nowitzki, who took home the Finals MVP award. Averaging 26 and 10 on the series, he brought himself into the discussion of NBA all-time greats. He shot a dreadful 1-12 in the first half last night, but was picked up by teammates such as Jason Terry, whom the Mavs would not have won the series without.

Terry, or Jet as he's called, was on the 2006 Mavericks team along with Dirk that fell to Dwyane Wade's Heat in the Finals. He remembers going up 2-0, then losing four straight in a bitter series loss. Priding himself in clutch 4th quarter play, Terry made sure his team did not have the same fate this year. The Mavs' sixth man led all scorers with 27 points last night.

Sixteen years into his career Jason Kidd finally earned what he has dreamed for. Now primarily a facilitator and much less a scorer, J-Kidd was the engine that made the Mavs go. He stuck with LeBron James on D and kept the Mavs offense controlled while making minimal mistakes. Never being able to win a ring with New Jersey after taking them to the finals, Jason Kidd, the future Hall of Famer, can now call himself an NBA champion.

Hats off also to Shawn Marion, DeShawn Stevenson, Jose Juan Barea, Tyson Chandler and the rest of the Mavs for achieving the unexpected and going all the way. Every one of them earned their ring, and most of the basketball world is grateful that they did.

For LeBron, D-Wade and the ego-checked Heat, 2011 was not their year. "Not five, not six, not seven," rings in the heads of many rooting for their failure, who can remain happy for another year. LeBron's play was far from his best, and the Heat did play far worse with him on the court last night (-24 +/- rating), but everyone knows far too well he will be back sometime soon.

The Heat criticism will go on for days, but it should by no means take away from what the Mavs have accomplished. An old-school bunch, the Mavs relied on defense, fluid ball movement, and all-around team play. And they got a shiny gold trophy as a reward.

Phillies Report

There has never been so much concern over a first-place team. The Phillies don't just own first place in the NL East, but they have the best record in baseball as well, at 37-25. But the offense has people worrying.

The Phillies have the second-best team ERA in the league at 3.17; only division rival Atlanta's is better. Roy Halladay has been his usual self and Cole Hamels has been spectacular. Roy Oswalt hasn't been dominant but solid enough, and Cliff Lee has been inconsistent even though he leads baseball with 100 strikeouts. All four have ERAs under four, with Lee's being the highest at 3.63.

The bullpen, particularly the back end, has been stellar. Ryan Madson is 14/14 on save opportunities and looks like he has the tools to be the closer for the years to come. Jose Contreras has picked up where he left off last season, and while he's been injured a good part of the year, his ERA is at a sparkling 0.77. 25-year-old Antonio Bastardo has really come into his own this year, and has allowed just three runs and eleven hits in 23 innings on the year. Charlie Manuel has shown faith in the young southpaw, inserting him in late-game pressure situations, and Bastardo has come through for him repeatedly.

But the pitching isn't the problem. Not at all. The offense is 17th in baseball in runs scored. The Houston Astros have put up more runs so far than the once potent Phillies offense. Fans and manager alike are becoming antsy over the lack of run production.

I attended last night's game against the Dodgers when the Phillies offense was bailed out by Cole Hamels in a 2-0 win. The stud lefty threw eight scoreless. That has been Phils baseball this season. It is not nearly as flashy as the high scoring games of a few years ago, but I see no problem with it. If the Fightins remain atop the standings winning 3-2 games, what does it matter? It is still possible to win a World Series that way.

The injuries have plagued the offense to a large extent. It seems like every one of the starters has had a DL stint already. Jimmy Rollins was gone awhile, Chase Utley just came back, and Dom Brown as well.

Injuries are by no means an excuse, however. The guys in the lineup simply are not hitting like they should be. Yes, opposing teams have finally discovered throwing more breaking balls against the Phils is the correct approach, but a team average of .247 is just not acceptable for a team of this caliber. Placido Polanco has been the only consistent bat throughout the season. Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez have been hovering in the .240 range. While Howard is third in the NL with 48 RBIs already, he is on pace to strike out over 200 times for the first time in his career (though he has struck out 199 times twice).

While the offensive stats do not look pretty on paper, the worry seems a bit exaggerated. When everyone comes back to protect each other in the order is when this offense should start to be evaluated. In the meantime, I am perfectly happy with letting the pitching carry the Phillies.

Plax Out of Jail

 

Donning a throwback Phillies cap, Plaxico Burress came out of jail for the first time in two years, and exclaimed "It's a beautiful day."

The 34-year-old receiver was sentenced for illegal gun possession after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh with a concealed weapon in a New York City nightclub. He had reached stardom in the NFL and was in the prime of his career. Unlike Michael Vick, he was charged on a pretty forgivable crime, that didn't cause harm to anyone but himself. It was just a boneheaded decision.

He will be immediately forgiven by fans around the country, and especially by whatever city's team signs him. The Phillies cap may prove significant, as the Eagles are a rumored team of interest. Agent Drew Rosenhaus, who is also DeSean Jackson's agent, has not ruled out any team, including Plax's former team, the New York Giants. Brandon Jacobs, Burress' best friend on the team, did say however he thought he would want a fresh start somewhere else.

Age is a factor for Burress' return to the NFL. Michael Vick was 29 when released. Burress is 34, relatively old for an NFL wide receiver. He stayed in the best shape he could while in prison, though, and didn't face the wear and tear of an NFL season.

The lockout is certainly a pro for Burress in terms of a personal standpoint; he gets time with his family whom he hasn't seen for two years. But where he should be soon is at a training camp, and learning an NFL offense. He is set to begin working out with other NFL players very soon, but it isn't the same setting.

When the free agent market is allowed by the NFL, many teams are expected to show interest. Rosenhaus thinks Burress will make an immediate impact on the NFL, and play at almost the same level that made him a household name.