Ten Things I Think
1. I think Cristiano Ronaldo is, by far, the best soccer player in the world. I am not an avid soccer fan, but have tuned in for the World Cup and there has been no player in the same stratosphere as the forward from Portugal. Ronaldo is the LeBron James of soccer: he can take any collection of teammates and lead them to seemingly unreachable heights; and carrying a team on the pitch is exponentially more challenging than doing so on the hardwood. There is no question that Messi and Neymar are all-timers, but Ronaldo is in a world of his own.
2. I think that clearing the Timofey Mozgov contract gives the Nets hope that their rebuild is coming to an end. Brooklyn did acquire Dwight Howard from Charlotte in the process (only to later reach a buyout), but that was not their focus is consummating the trade. Rather Sean Marks and company wanted to clear Mozgov’s $16 million from their books for the 2019-2020 season. By doing so the Nets now have two max-salary spots for next summer when players such as Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler are all free-agents. It has been a long, burdensome road for the Nets since getting fleeced by the Celtics in the KG, Paul Pierce trade, but it appears that Brooklyn will be contenders sooner rather than later.
3. I think if I were the Celtics I would be reluctant to trade Jaylen Brown for Kawhi Leonard. Brown is on a cost-controlled contract for the next few years and there is a real possibility that he will soon be providing Brad Stevens with, say, 90% of the value that Kawhi Leonard would in the event of a trade. Retaining Brown also gives the Celtics a player to pair with Jayson Tatum moving forward as the Celtics try to strike a balance between competing in the present as well as contending in the future. The cherry on top is that Boston would be gambling that Kawhi would re-sign after the season which is far from a guarantee. Having Leonard, who we aren’t even sure is at full-health, for one season at the expense of jettisoning a future All-NBA player makes little sense to me.
4. I think the Mavericks had the most productive draft of any team this year. They traded up for the most talented and proven player, Luka Dončić. Surely that is the pick that will garner all of the headlines, and rightfully so, but their two second-round selections have the potential to be game changers as well. With the 33rd pick, Mark Cuban’s team selected Jalen Brunson a point guard from Villanova who is the reigning AP Player of the Year and a two-time national champion. Brunson is so cerebral and crafty that he cannot fail at the professional level; he’s as safe as they come. Then, with the 60th and final pick of the second round, Dallas chose Kostas Antetokounmpo. If it’s not obvious, Kostas is the brother of Giannis. Now, I do not think Kostas is a serviceable NBA player, but this was a strategic selection by the Mavs front office with The Greek Freak set to become a free-agent in a couple of years. The selection of Kostas punched a ticket for Dallas to at least getting a meeting with Giannis.
5. I think the Kentucky Wildcats will be a juggernaut next season. Well, aren’t they just about every year? Yeah, but Big Blue Nation just landed a graduate transfer from Stanford, in Reid Travis, who, at 6’8” and 240 pounds, averaged 20 points and 9 rebounds in the Pac-12. The Wildcats always have freshman talent, but often lack veteran experience and production. With the addition of Travis in conjunction with another recruiting class filled with blue-chippers, John Calipari’s squad should have its sights set on the Final Four.
6. I think Mike Trout is vastly underrated. A man who is universally recognized as the best player in baseball being underrated seems laughable, but it is true. At 26 years old, he is a six-time All-Star (soon to be seven) and has already smacked 224 home runs while playing Gold Glove caliber defense. This season, Trout’s on base percentage is a preposterous .459 and his OPS is an unprecedented 1.110. I feel that the future Hall of Famer’s greatness is being taken for granted a bit and it shouldn’t be.
7. I think if LeBron leaves, the Cavaliers need to trade Kevin Love. Even if the King stays, I would consider moving K-Love, but in the event of a LeBron James departure, Kevin Love must go as well. ESPN recently reported that regardless of what LeBron does, Cleveland will retain Kevin Love. To me, that makes little sense. The Cavaliers will be in the lottery without LeBron. Having Love remain in the fold would only hinder a team in a complete rebuild. A team like the Suns or the Blazers have several young players and draft assets that they would be willing to exchange for Kevin Love, who is still a walking double-double. The smart play would be to ship him out of town and tank hard.
8. I think the Braves are the most surprising team in baseball this season. After winning just 72 games a season ago, Atlanta, led by Freddie Freeman and his 15 home runs and 54 RBIs, is currently 45-33 and in first place in the NL East. The Brewers and Mariners certainly belong in the conversation, but the Braves are the most pleasant surprise in baseball in 2018.
9. I think the best basketball fit for Paul George as a free-agent is with the Pacers. Now, it would never happen because of the way in which he demanded a trade from Indiana a year ago, but if we were to look objectively across the league, I cannot think of a team and a player that in unison make more sense. The Pacers are desperately in need of perimeter help. They have Myles Turner to man the paint and Victor Oladipo to handle the playmaking, but they could really use PG’s infusion of perimeter defense and three-point shooting. In all likelihood, the Pacers will pursue a Jabari Parker or an Aaron Gordon type to fill their small-forward void, but if somehow Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers General Manager, and Paul George could rekindle their past partnership, the Pacers would suddenly be contenders in the Eastern Conference.
10. I think the Orioles need to trade Manny Machado ASAP. Baltimore is the worst team in baseball and their shortstop will be a free agent this winter. The chances that Baltimore wins a bidding war for Machado’s services are zero. Therefore, the Orioles front office should deal him pronto. Manny is absolutely racking, batting .301 with 19 home runs and 55 RBIs. A team like the Dodgers or Cubs would break the bank for the generational talent. The time is now, Baltimore.
