Draft

The Celts had a great NBA draft. Gerald Green falling to pick 18 is even sweeter then when Pierce fell to 10. Simply amazing. And when Gomes slipped to pick 50, when the team was considering him at pick 18, well that's either good fortune, there's a lot of people who have differing opinions from ainge and co., or theyre's a lot of morons in draft war rooms.

So here's the roster, made up of 13 players plus Antoine and Payton:

1
Delonte West
Marcus Banks
Orien Greene

2/3
Paul Pierce
Ricky Davis
Tony Allen
Justin Reed
Gerald Green
Ryan Gomes

4/5
Al Jefferson
Raef LaFrentz
Kendrick Perkins
Mark Blount

So assuming that Payton and Walker are gone, which seems a safe assumption at this point, then your starters are West, Pierce, Davis/Allen, Jefferson, LaFrentz. The roster will shape out a lot more during the Shaw's Summer League, but at this point Banks and either Allen or Davis, whomever doesn't start, figure to get the most minutes off the bench.

Then of course there is the issue of trading Pierce. Without Pierce, the roster would be wide open, but we likely would get a player with a huge salary back, due to NBA trade rules. However, since there isn't a solid rumor regarding Pierce yet, I'm going to refrain from speculating as to what the roster would like without him. Either way, the team has young players who figure to play for a long time at each position on the court. The point guard position has the least depth, but that is likely true of most teams.

I'm excited for some NBA basketball. Let the summer leagues begin!

Holy Hiatus Batman

It's been almost a whole month since I've made a post to this blog. That is a long time. I have had my reasons, I assure you. Not only have I been super busy working three jobs and traveling a lot, but I have a wedding to plan. In eleven short days I will be wed, and then off on my honeymoon, so time has been short lately. Some thoughts on the sports world:

1) The Rockies have a better won-lost record this month than they had in April and May individually. While this is due mostly to the fact that the Rockies have spent most of the month at home, it should be viewed as progress nonetheless.

2) The Red Sox, despite tonight's poor showing, are on the verge of taking over the AL for good. The only team that poses a legitimate threat at this point are the White Sox, and I don't think they match up well with the Red Sox. They play extraordinary defense, but I think the Red Sox have the ability to batter their pitching staff to the point where it will not matter.

3) I am praying that Hakim Warrick slips to #18 in the NBA Draft tomorrow night. After reading today's writeups on ESPN and SI, that seems highly unlikely. He has been rumored to go to Golden State at #9. That would be a shame. I'm just hoping that Danny can avoid a foreigner or high schooler. I know the argument that the C's can afford to stash another young guy and continue to develop the current roster, but I'm not buying it.

4) So glad that the NBA avoided a lockout. And it couldn't have worked out better. Now if only the NBA can fix their TV problems, and make sure that the NBA Finals take less than 3 weeks to finish, it'll be all to the good. Most of the country, including me for the most part, just missed an exilirating NBA Finals.

5) Went to the US Women's Open yesterday. Highlights:

- School buses carting around spectators and volunteers from the parking lots to the course. Classy.
- The weak attempts to make everyone surrender their cell phones and cameras at the gates. Cause that happened.
- The Denver Post listing the tee times as Eastern time. Fu^&*ng morons.
- My good friend Meg leaving me free tickets. Good lookin'.
- Watching some exciting, if not underwhelming golf. The women had a tough time with the uphill holes, which were the 9th and 18th. My friend Murr and I got to see Michelle Wie, Birdie Kim, the Pressels girl, and Stupples tee off from both the first and fifth holes. In between, we saw Annika tee off on 11. Annika was awful overall, but the drive we saw her hit she nailed perfectly. Maybe we should have followed her around all day.
- From the fifth tee we walked up to the 18th green, and parked there for the rest of the day. The best part there was standing around talking with some older fellow, gauging the hotness of the golfers. Winners were the Gulbis girl, Pressel, Paula Creamer, and Wie.
- When Birdie Kim knocked in for birdie from the bunker on 18, my friend Murr was able to grab the ball when she threw it into the crowd. AND got her to sign it. Simply amazing.
- Getting back to our car as it was starting to pour.

In the past month, as I mentioned, I got to do some travelling as well. I went home to do some wedding planning. During the trip I was home in Shrewsbury and Worcester, went to Boston to see my sister, went to Wright's Chicken Farm in RI for an eatoff, which I lost miserably, then drove to New York for what turned into my surprise Bachelor Party. I couldn't have possibly had more fun in a 24 hour span than I had that night. It was tremendous, and my friends went to seemingly incredible lengths to pull it off. I'm pretty lucky like that.

I also went to San Diego this past Friday. Got to see a great city, a great movie (Batman Begins - kick ass x 10), a great ballpark, and was able to meet a lot of members of the Padres front office, including CEO Sandy Alderson and GM Kevin Towers. Good times.

I probably won't be back with another post before I travel back to Shrewsbury for the wedding this weekend. I am going to see, perhaps for the last time, Roger Clemens pitch tomorrow night at Coors Field. Friday I am having my Denver Bachelor Party, and I fear/hope that I will end up face down in the gutter afterwards. How lucky am I to get 2 bachelor parties? Saturday night we head home.

Lastly, a pre-emptive congratulations to both my cousins Danny & Elsa, who are expecting their first child tomorrow, as well as my collegaue, client, and friend, Steven Goldman, whose wife will be delivering their second child through C-section tomorrow.