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NBA Mock Draft & Predictions

The 2011 NBA Draft is not predicted to be one of the strongest, but also not the weakest. Headlined by Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams, the draft takes place Thursday, June 23rd.

Trades happen every year, whether it be for draft picks, players, or even money. This year will be no different. Some teams in the trade market include: 

• Philadelphia 76er's
• Golden State Warriors
• Orlando Magic
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Phoenix Suns

Philadelphia is trying to find a new home for Andre Iguodala, Warriors are thinking of moving Monta Ellis, Orlando might be losing Dwight Howard, Timberwolves have power with the second pick, the Suns are trying to get younger, and the Lakers are looking to rebuild with a new Point Guard or Center.

2011 NBA First Round Mock Draft (without trades.)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyrie Irving G Duke
2. Minnesota Timberwolves - Derrick Williams F Arizona
3. Utah Jazz - Brandon Knight G Kentucky
4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Enes Kanter C Kentucky
5. Toronto Raptors - Jonas Valanciunas C International
6. Washington Wizards - Jan Vesely F International
7. Sacramento Kings - Kemba Walker G Connecticut 
8. Detroit Pistons - Kawhi Leonard F San Diego State
9. Charlotte Bobcats - Marcus Morris F Kansas
10. Milwaukee Bucks - Klay Thompson G Washington State
11. Golden State Warriors - Tristan Thompson F Texas
12. Utah Jazz - Alec Burks G Colorado
13. Phoenix Suns - Jimmer Fredette G BYU
14. Houston Rockets - Bismack Biyombo C International
15. Indiana Pacers - Donatas Motiejunas C International
16. Philadelphia 76er's - Chris Singleton F Florida State
17. New York Knicks - Kenneth Faried F Morehead State
18. Washington Wizards - Markieff Morris F Kansas
19. Charlotte Bobcats - Tobias Harris F Tennessee
20. Minnesota Timberwolves - Marshon Brooks G Providence 
21. Portland Trail Blazers - Jordan Hamilton F Texas
22. Denver Nuggets - Tyler Honeycutt G UCLA
23. Houston Rockets - Nikola Vucevic C USC
24. Oklahoma City Thunder - Iman Shumpert F Georgia Tech
25. Boston Celtics - Jeremy Tyler C USA
26. Dallas Mavericks - Josh Selby G Kansas
27. New Jersey Nets - Justin Harper F Richmond
28. Chicago Bulls - Kyle Singler F Duke
29. San Antonio Spurs - Davis Bertans F International
30. Chicago Bulls - Nolan Smith G Duke

Trade Rumors

• Minnesota is not sure on their second pick. They are discussing between Derrick Williams and Enes Kanter. They are also in trade talks with Phoenix, Houston, Charlotte, and even the Los Angeles Lakers.
•  San Antonio are looking to trade up to get a big man, more importantly, an International big man. Jonas Valanciunas is the guy they are targeting at the moment.
• Washington is in need of a down low scoring threat. They are sitting at the number six spot in the draft. Look for them to try and trade up to four to get Enes Kanter if Minnesota doesn't draft him.
• Celtics owner Danny Ainge says every player on Boston's roster is available for trade talks.
• Minnesota, New York, Portland, and Orlando are some of the teams pursuing Steve Nash.

 Big Names That Could Be Moved.

• Dwight Howard - Los Angeles is the top team on the list trying to get him. The proposed trade would be Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard.
• Steve Nash - Phoenix might be willing to trade Nash to Minnesota for the second pick.
• Chris Paul / Deron Williams - The Lakers need a new point guard, and one of these two would be a great addition. 

Expect the unexpected at this years NBA Draft.

San Diego Chargers Brochure

ESPN Magazine

NFL Mock Draft

Cam Newton

 QB - Auburn

Marcell Dareus

 DT - Alabama

Von Miller

 LB - Texas A&M

A.J. Green

 WR - Georgia

Blaine Gabbert

 QB - Missouri

Robert Quinn

 DE - North Carolina

Patrick Peterson

 CB - LSU

Nick Fairley

 DT - Auburn

Tyron Smith

 OL - USC

Julio Jones

 WR - Alabama

Aldon Smith

 DE - Missouri

Cameron Jordan
 DE - California

Prince Amukamara

 CB - Nebraska

Corey Liuget

 DT - Illinois

Mike Pouncey

 OL - Florida

Ryan Kerrigan

 DE - Purdue

Anthony Castonzo

 OL - Boston College

J.J. Watt

 DE - Wisconsion

Gabe Carimi

 OL - Wisconsin

Da'Quan Bowers

 DE - Clemson

Adrian Clayborn

 DL - Iowa

Nate Solder

 OL - Colorado

Danny Watkins

OL - Baylor

Derek Sherrod 

OL - Mississippi St.

Jake Locker
QB - Washington

Muhammad Wilkerson

DT - Temple

Kyle Rudolph

TE - Notre Dame

Cam Heyward

DT - Ohio St.

Akeem Ayers

LB - UCLA

Phil Taylor

DL - Baylor

Aaron Williams

DB - Texas

Bruce Carter

LB - North Carolina

This is a full first round projection of the NFL Draft regardless of trades. The NFL Draft takes place April 28-30.

NBA Playoffs 2011

The NBA playoffs are here, and have brought many questions.

• Will the Bulls win another championship after a 60+ win season, behind Derrick Rose?
• Can the Celtics bounce back from their late season collapse?
• Will the Spurs stay healthy?
• Who is the darkhorse this year?
• Can Carmelo and Amar'e coexist?
• Will Miami's Big three lead them to a Championship?
• Will the Lakers three peat?

In this article, I will be answering these questions with my input.

Will the Bulls win another Championship after a 60+ win season, behind Derrick Rose?

With the likeable MVP in Derrick Rose on their team, should the Bulls be thinking championship? Chicago has had six 60+ win seasons before, and all of those seasons ended in championships. But they did have this guy named Michael Jordan. Will this season be the same? Maybe. There is no yes or no with this team. This is arguably the best Bulls team since the Jordan era. Derrick Rose is playing out of his mind, seventh in the NBA for points per game, with 25.0, and lead his team to the best record in the league.

Answer - The Bulls charge into the playoffs with great momentum. They are the favorite in the East. A star point guard can carry you to a championship, but I don't see them getting past the Celtics, Heat, Knicks, or Magic. The Bulls are a great story, and are very fun to watch, but they won't last in a seven game series with either of those four teams. Derrick Rose's Bulls, are Lebron James' Cavaliers.


Can the Celtics bounce back from their late season collapse?

At the All Star Break, the Celtics were the best team in the league. They had the best record and were the most feared. They had everything on their side, until they made a trade. The trade sent Kendrick Perkins, and Nate Robinson to the Thunder for Jeff Green, and Nenad Kristic. In the Celtics eyes, they were getting healthy. Perkins has been injured many times in his career, and Boston was through with it. Since the trade, the Celtics are 15-12. They head into the playoffs struggling, and at the third seed facing the Knicks.

Answer - Unless Rondo starts playing the way he did before the All Star Break and they get Shaq back, healthy, I don't see them getting past the second round.

Will the Spurs stay healthy?

The Spurs came out of the regular season with the second best record in the entire NBA. They had an elite season leading the league with the best record all the way up to the final week. They led the NBA in three point percentage. But, they accomplished all of this with some consequences. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginoblii each were injured throughout the season. The injuries come with age. Duncan has been in the league fourteen years, and Parker and Ginoblii , twelve years. The Spurs are the oldest team in the NBA, and it shows. But with age, comes experience, and that's why they are a great team this year.

Answer - The Spurs head into the first round without their second leading scorer, Ginoblii. Knowing Manu, he will be back soon. But unless the role players create depth, and be proficient, I don't see them making it past the second round, maybe not even the first.

Who is the dark horse this year?

The Oklahoma City Thunder emerged as a contender in the Playoffs last year at the eighth seed. They almost shocked the Lakers the first round, taking them to Game 7, and creating the loudest arena is NBA history. They were the complete dark horse. A dark horse is a team that no one really talks about as a serious title contender, and just thinks of them as another team in the playoffs. They could also be a team that is recognized as a threat, but again, not a serious title contender. So who's the dark horse this year?

Answer - The Denver Nuggets made the biggest trade of their franchise this year. They traded none other than Carmelo Anthony, as well as Chauncy Billups, to the Knicks for a large amount of players. Everybody thought that with this trade, the Nuggets would get worse, and the Knicks better. Irony occurred, and the exact opposite happened. The Nuggets finished the season a lot better than the Knicks. Denver is a scary team, and anyone who faces them should be afraid. And what a coincidence, they play the dark horse from last year, the Thunder, in the first round. The team that wins that series could go as far as the championship this year.


Can Amar'e and Carmelo coexist?

The Knicks are probably in the worst position of all teams in the playoffs. They face the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Boston Celtics. New York's three best players were not even on the team last year. They are still trying to figure out how to play together. Any team with star power, can be a deep playoff threat; and this team has two, arguably three. Let's go back to the heat. In the final seconds of a close game, who has the ball, Lebron or Wade? Same with this team, Amar'e or Carmelo? 

Answer - Can Amar'e and Carmelo coexist? Yes. But if they wan't to beat the celtics, and have a real oppurtunity to make it to the Finals, they need production from their role players. Also, Billups needs to be the leader of this team. Whether or not Carmelo or Amar'e are the better players, Billups has the experience, and needs to be that leader.

Will Miami's Big Three lead them to a championship?

''I'm taking my talents to South Beach." Those words started it all. A day later, three of the NBA's best players came together to unveil the Miami's version of the Big Three. The Heat started the season number one in the power rankings, but failed to impress. They started the season 9-8. Overhyped, and overrated were words that were used to describe Miami. Then all of a sudden, they caught fire. They won 11 in a row, and 20 out of 21. They went from 9-8 to 29-9. Then they lost five of six, and then won eight in a row. Miami continued this the entire season. Words went from overhyped and overrated, to inconsistent. They finished the season winning fourteen of their final sixteen games. They have complete momentum heading into the playoffs, with the second seed.

Answer - Miami plays out of pure talent. If the Heat stay healthy, and get Haslem back, they can be a real serious contender for the championship. Point guard production from Bibby and Chalmers is a key. If Bosh is consistent, and Lebron and Wade turn on their seasonal playoff modes, I can't see anyone beating them.

Will the Lakers three peat?

Who did you say was the favorite to win the Finals? The Lakers? That's weird, they were the favorite that last couple years. As long as Phil Jackson keeps sitting on a sidelined chair, coaching, and Kobe keeps putting that number twenty four jersey on every game, they will be the favorite. That last couple of years, there hasn't been much competition for them, but this year is different. Every team in the west is a threat. Every team can give the Lakers a run for their money.

Answer - The Lakers are the defending champions. They have one of the greatest players of all time, in Kobe Bryant, and one of the greatest coaches, in Phil Jackson. As many three peats as Jackson has, I don't see him adding any more. Every team in the west can beat the Lakers, but the Lakers could probably beat every team in the west as well. It's all up to being healthy. If Bynum gets injured, or Kobe, the Lakers will go down. But make sure you count all fifteen other teams out before you count the Lakers out.

Prediction - NBA Finals

Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

Miami Heat in Six.

  

One Game

In sports, games are all that matter. Whether it's opening day, or the championship, every game counts. For our Monache JV Basketball Team, one game made the difference. It made the difference between 20-0 and 19-1.

We started the season 9-0. Four of those wins came in a tournament which we hosted, and won. After every game, we felt great. Coming from a year ago where we went 2-12, to 9-0. Who wouldn't be excited? Well, two of us actually weren't. Us two, Brandon Swearingen and I, were battling injuries. Brandon, with a lower back injury, missed about seven games. I, on the other hand, with an ankle injury, missed ten, half the season.

Thankfully, our team did not slow down without us. When I returned, we were 9-1, and in first place. With our sights off of a perfect season, we mainly focused on EYL.

Coming back from an injury is not very fun at all. It felt like I hadn't played in a year. I was a totally different player, and just needed to get back into my rhythm. It took me about five more games to actually do so.

With five games left in the season, we were 14-1. We were doing spectactular. Brandon and I were fully healthy and back in the rotation. But three other players, Chris Atchison, Trevor Kroutil, and Austin Kittrell, were now injured. Trevor and Chris were out for the season with broken hands. Austin had a foot injury, and missed a couple games.

Two games later, and we were facing Tulare Union, the only team that beat us, and the only team competing with us for first place at that point. The last time we played them, we had lost by three points. This game was different. We beat them by twenty points, finished 12-0 at home, and won EYL (First Place).

Our season was far from over. Two games later, we had Porterville, our inner city rival, and the biggest game of the year.

We came into this game more ready then any other game of the season. The biggest crowd, and the most anticipated game of the year. Going into halftime, we led 16-7. It was a very defensive game from both sides, and poor offensive.

We knew the game wasn't over. They were on their home court, and were ready to make a run. And that was just it. At the end of the thrid, the score was tied at twenty two.

The fans were in store for a very interesting fourth quarter.

At the end of the fourth quarter, Porterville had scored twenty eight, Monache the same.
All that was left was overtime.

At the beginning of overtime, our best player, Andy McMullen, rolled his ankle, and had to sit the rest of the game. Mason Hernandez was subbed in for him.

Our Lineup for Overtime
1- Jesus Salas
2- Alex Ramirez
3- Mason Hernandez
4- Matt Steventon
5- Sal Arredondo

With the game all tied up, I went to the free throw line. I made the first and missed the second. We were up by one, and Porterville had the ball. They came down and scored to put them up by one. There was under twenty seconds left in the game. We attacked the basket, and our big freshman Sal, scored. With five seconds left, Porterville was bringing the ball down. Mason and I poked the ball out in the final seconds, and Jesus picked it up and threw it stright in the air to end the game.

All the hardwork, all the sweat, and all the injuries finally paid off. We finished the season 19-1.

Yes, 20-0 would've been a lot better than 19-1, but 19-1 was a lot better than everyone else in our league.

Next is Summer Basketball.