Re-Do: 1999 NBA Draft

The 1999 NBA Draft is considered one of the deepest drafts in in history. There are nine All-Stars from this draft and players like Lamar Odom and James Posey who were cornerstones in helping their teams win an NBA Championship. Who goes #1 if this draft was redone today? Who would pick the same players if everyone is reshuffled? Here is the 1999 NBA Draft redone if it happened today.

1. Richard Hamilton – Chicago Bulls - I think Hamilton gets the edge over the rest of the class because he is a winner and has been very productive for years. Elton Brand was originally picked here, which was a decent pick. (Hamilton was picked #8 to Washington)

2. Baron Davis – Vancouver Grizzlies – Maybe if the Grizz drafted Baron "The Beard" Davis, the team would have stayed in Vancouver instead of moving to Memphis. Steve Francis was drafted by them, but promptly traded to the Rockets. (Davis went #3 to Charlotte)

3. Manu Ginobli – Charlotte Hornets - Maybe the Spurs wouldn't have been so dominate the last 5-7 years without Ginobli. He would have been #1 or #2, but he has been a sixth man for most of his career in San Antonio. Baron Davis went here in the real 1999 NBA Draft. (Ginobli went #57 to San Antonio)

4. Ron Artest – Los Angeles Clippers – I love playing revisionist history because L.A. is really where Artest wanted to be nearly his entire career. Maybe if they pick Artest here instead of Lamar Odom, he would have stayed with the Clippers and they would have been much better of a team for the past decade. (Artest went #16 to Chicago)

5. Elton Brand – Indiana Pacers - He would have been a much better pick here than Jonathan Bender was at this pick. The Pacers have been searching for a post-man during this time, they could have had a franchise player in Brand at #5. (Brand went #1 to Chicago)

6. Lamar Odom - Minnesota Timberwolves - Odom has been lucky because he has played his entire career either in L.A. or Miami, so thinking that he would do well in Minnesota would be ridiculous, but he would have been a nice compliment to Kevin Garnett during this time. They ended up picking Wally Szczerbiak here, who was a nice player for them. (Odom was picked #4 by L.A. Clippers)

7. Shawn Marion – Washington Wizards - I'm not sure if Marion would have done well in Washington during the 1999 period. He did well in Phoenix because there weren't any real plays set up for him. He was the garbage man and Washington was better off with their actual pick of Richard Hamilton (Marion was picked #9 to Phoenix)

8. Andre Miller – Cleveland Cavaliers - This was the one of two picks in this re-do that was the actual pick by the team. Although he only spent three seasons in Cleveland, if he would have stayed there, he would have been a nice role player with Lebron James. (Miller was picked #8 to Cleveland)

9. James Posey - Phoenix Suns - No matter where James Posey plays, he is well-liked by his teammates and completely over-achieves. If he were on the Suns, maybe they would have won a Championship, but Phoenix can't complain, Shawn Marion did a great job with them with this actual pick. (Posey was picked #18 to Denver)

10. Jason Terry – Atlanta Hawks - This is the other pick during this re-do that actually happened in the 1999 NBA Draft. During Terry's stretch in Atlanta, he spent his time in and out of the doghouse. His most productive years have come as a member of the Dallas Mavericks (Terry was picked #10 by Atlanta)

11. Corey Magette – Cleveland Cavaliers - Maggette would have been a very in compliment to Lebron James and Andre Miller, if those players were still on the Cavs. Cleveland's actual pick was a swing and a miss. They took Trajan Langdon also out of Duke, but couldn't stick in the league. (Maggette was picked #13 by Seattle)

12. Andrei Kirilenko – Toronto Raptors - Kirilenko has the potential to be a triple-double machine and he plays stout defense for Utah. He would probably have seen more playing time in Toronto and would have been a better pick for them than Aleksander Radojevic, who they picked at this spot in 1999. (Kirilenko was picked #24 by Utah)

13. Wally Szczerbiak – Seattle Supersonics - No one was hotter coming off an amazing NCAA tournament in this draft than Szczerbiak. He was a scoring machine for Miami of Ohio. In his prime, he was one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, but the Sonics actually picked Maggette with this pick, but didn't stick with the Sonics. (Szczerbiak was picked #6 by Minnesota)

14. Jeff Foster – Minnesota Timberwolves - I put Foster in this slot over Steve Francis because of longevity of career, plus Foster is a very under-rated basketball players. He can play both Center and Power Forward effectively and is very durable. Minnesota could have used a guy like that and would have gave Garnett another big man in the paint. Their actual pick, William Avery, didn't last in the NBA very long. (Foster was picked #21 by Atlanta)

How To Fix The Chicago Bears

At the beginning of the year, I predicted that the Bears would win the NFC North and the Bears would finish 11-5. I was way off and many experts are left with pie on their face. What went wrong with the Bears? How could this team possibly have trouble scoring points? What happened to Matt Forte? Is Jay Cutler a turnover machine the next Jim McMahon? Does Lance Briggs love McRibs? I answer these important questions.

When the Bears traded for Jay Cutler, it was the greatest day in Chicago since Michael Jordan was wearing the number #23. You didn't hear anyone thinking that this was a mistake. You heard things like "Chicago has never had a great quarterback" and "Chicago is a lock to win the NFC North." You didn't hear things like, "Chicago still haven't had a great quarterback" and "Chicago looks just awful out there." The Bears paid a great price for Cutler and they don't have a #1 pick for the next couple years to help replenish their aging roster.

Why has Jay Cutler looked so bad this year? It's easy, he has no one to throw it to. It seemed like he was getting a groove with TE Greg Olson, but defenses made note and stopped that from happening. Cutler had to try and make things happen out there with receivers that can't get open. It's as simple as that. Cutler was so used to Brandon Marshall, who could get open in a gaggle of geese, to these receivers that couldn't get open against Verne Troyer. If the Bears can get a few veteran receivers or maybe even Brandon Marshall, Cutler will go back to his "golden boy" status.

I know it's not as simple as I'm describing it. The Bears are clealy one-dimensional right now. Cutler has to face seven dropping back in coverage because Matt Forte went from stud rookie to old sophomore in a matter of one off-season. Forte hasn't really had that one great game to help us forget how mediocre he has been this season. I don't want to blame him completely, because the offensive line hasn't given him much to run through. It's a clear collapse of the entire offense, it's a hard thing to watch.

I can't fully blame the offense, because the Bears defense have looked just as pedestrian as the offense this season. You can point to the season-ending injury of Brian Urlacher as a possbile blame for their insufficient play. There's talk that if the Bears keep Lovie Smith as the head coach, they could strip his defensive play-calling, since he has done for the past few seasons. If you had Urlacher this season, it still wouldn't helped the pass coverage much. You could see this team start to decline defensively last year, but if you need another excuse for the Bears, the offense has left them with horrible defensive field position.

Here is how you would fix the Chicago Bears. It starts with the head coach. The Bears offense had one good season under Lovie Smith, they went to the Super Bowl that year. They had a reckless quarterback, Rex Grossman, and a stout defense. They still have a reckless quarterback, but not the defense or offensive production to match. You hire a big name ex-coach like Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan to fix everything and give them full control of personnel. You have to get rid of Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator, Ron Turner, as well.

The next step, since you don't have first-round picks for the next few years, you have to trade a couple pieces to get younger and more athletic. You would have to trade a player like Brian Urlacher for a young left tackle or a high first round pick. You can fix your receiving corps by signing a veteran receiver and using a 2nd-round pick on a possession receiver. You can also get steals in the late rounds to help your secondary. These are steps that need to happen for the Bears to rebuild in a hurry. You have to build your team around Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and Lance Briggs, those are immovable pieces that you can use as building blocks.

If the Bears want to make a change, just do it. Don't go in the Washington Redskins route and start stripping the head coach of duties. You need to rip the band-aid off in one motion, don't make it slow and painful. The Bears have a good quarterback and that isn't something that Chicago fans are used to. A complete change in philosophy needs to happen and it starts with the head coach and trading Brian Urlacher and move this team in a new direction. Sometimes it's better this way, even if you know that it will hurt.

Greg Oden Out For Season

Greg Oden, the former #1 overall pick, will miss another season to injury. He collided knees with Aaron Brooks while driving to the basket. He suffered a broken kneecap on his left knee, which will end his season. Is Oden injury-prone or was this a freak injury? It's hard to say, but I try to explain in the following article.

The world was Greg Oden's just two seasons ago when he was the #1 overall pick of the Trailblazers and he was coming off a season where he lead Ohio State to the NCAA Championship game. A lot was going for him, but then he had to miss his first season in the league due to micro-fracture surgery on his right knee. If you add his wrist injury that plagued him during his only season in college, people think Oden might be fragile like Samuel L. Jackson in "Unbreakable."

I agree with the consensus for the most part, the list is very long of guys who are near 7 feet tall that play basketball. These kinds of injuries are a work-related hazard for anyone playing in the NBA, no matter the size. If a guy as speedy as Aaron Brooks slashes towards you and your kneecap is in the way, I would say that it's a 99% chance that your kneecap is going to break. Even if he didn't have the previous injuries, this was a freak accident.

The long-term prognosis for players coming back from this injury should be good. As long as the kneecap didn't shatter and do any damage to the ligaments and tendons in the knee. Oden should be back next season, but how much longer can Portland wait for all of their weapons to be on the court at the same time? Travis Outlaw is due to be out awhile with a foot injury and even their coach, Nate McMillan ruptured his Achilles tendon in practice. Portland is getting hit with freak injuries, if I am a player on the Trailblazers, I would watch my step.

Kimbo Slice Wins In UFC Debut (Kind Of)

Kimbo Slice made his official UFC debut tonight against UFC veteran, Houston Alexander. It was billed to be a knock-out, no-holds-barred brawl, but it was more like an episode of "Dancing With The Stars." See who won the fight and see how Kimbo won this less-than-impressive fight.

Mixed-martial art purists dislike Kimbo Slice and everything that he stands for. He is an internet sensation and they dislike him for not having a ground game. Kimbo has been training with guys to improve his ground attack. In the fight against Alexander, Slice looks much improved with his ground attack. At one point in the 2nd round, he nearly had a rear-naked choke, but was barely out of position and couldn't lock it in.

The match started off very slow, Alexander was circling the ring and Slice was not looking to make a mistake early. Nearly half of the first round went by and Slice didn't even throw a punch and Alexander only landed one leg kick. The crowd was booing off and on throughout the fight.

The second round started out very slow again, but a lot of action started when Alexander missed a leg kick and Slice countered with a jab. The jab knocked Alexander off-balance and Slice slammed him to the ground. This is where Slice almost got a rear-naked choke, but he got front mount and did some ground & pound.

The third round was a joke and both fighters were very tired. Alexander did land a leg kick on Slice that looked like it may have re-injured his left knee, the knee that was causing him trouble in the Ultimate Fighter house.

The fight went to decision and Slice won in unanimous decision. This is the outcome that Slice needed, but he would have liked a knockout much more. Dana White has to be drooling for Slice to come out a winner. Expect Slice to start to jump up the ranks in the heavyweight division now that Brock Lesnar is out for awhile with an abdominal condition.

This Week In Hot Stove: December 4th

Hot Stove season has started and it could be a wild off-season for many teams. The economy took a dive this year, but will salaries? Who won the trades this week? Who signed with a new team? I'm here to help talk about the significant trades and signings the week before the Winter Meetings take place in Indianapolis.

Mets sign SS Alex Cora to a one-year deal - I don't see the significance to this signing, if anything it's a weak security blanket in case Jose Reyes doesn't come back or re-injures himself.

Phillies sign C Brian Schnieder to a two-year deal - It's no secret that the Phillies are looking to upgrade this position, but Schneider could be a nice platoon option at catcher.

Cleveland trade C Kelly Shoppach to Tampa Bay Rays for player to be named later - I believe Tampa Bay won this trade hands-down. Shoppach had a rough '09 season, but if you look at his '08 totals, they were great. Cleveland has a lot of young catching talent, so he was expendable. I look for him to be a nice player for the Rays going forward.

A's re-sign RHP Joey Devine - Devin is often injured and has never reached his potential. I don't think he is going to get there with as many injuries he has suffered in his short career.

Atlanta Braves sign LHP Billy Wagner to a one-year deal - The Braves had trouble closing games out and they really didn't have one solid closer for the last couple seasons. If Wagner can stay healthy, he could have a nice season for Atlanta.

Phillies sign 2B Placido Polanco to a three-year deal - This signing is a little weird. They are wanting Polanco to play third-base, so this signing means that Pedro Feliz will be on another team next season. Polanco is a nice player, but I'm not sure what he gives you at third-base.

Oakland trades RHP Jeff Gray and two minor-leaguers for C/3B/LF Jake Fox, 2B Aaron Miles, and cash considerations - You can see my take on this trade by reading this story.

Mets sign C Chris Coste and Henry Blanco to one-year contracts - The Phillies basically trade catchers with Schneider signing with Philadelphia. This signing proves that the Mets are looking to platoon this position.

Braves sign RHP Takashi Saito to a one-year contract - I really like this signing since they have added Bill Wagner to the pen. Saito can be a nice setup guy and with their starting rotation, Atlanta is building a bullpen to match.

Red Sox sign Marco Scutaro to a two-year contract - It looks like Boston may have cured its search for an able shortstop. I like this signing, it's not flashy, but he's good defensively.

Mariners sign Chone Figgins to a three-year contract - Figgins is a nice player, but they are signing him for $9 million per year. I like him, but I'm not sure if I like him that much. I look at the Mariners roster and I don't see where the power will come from. Figgins can get on base, but who will drive him home?

Look for a lot of activity to happen next week....

Notre Dame Should Go To A Bowl Game

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish decided to forgo a bowl game this season. They finished 6-6 and would have gone to a decent bowl game, since they are Notre Dame. I don't see why they would pass up the chance to recoup some of the money that they paid Charlie Weis to get out of town. I know that the Fighting Irish don't look like they have much fight in them, but they made a big mistake by passing up their bowl game.

Remember Notre Dame's bowl game last year? They beat Hawaii 49-21, which was one of the biggest highlights of a dim season. If it wasn't for that game, many people wouldn't have been so high on the Irish this season. It looks like a few of the players are going to forgo their senior year and head to the NFL, wouldn't it be good for them to have one last showcase before the combines? I just don't get the reasoning behind this decision.

Notre Dame said that they spoke to their assistant coaches and team leaders to make their decision. I understand that the players were behind Charlie Weis and didn't want to see him go. This could be one last moment of standing up for their coach. I can understand that, but as the University, in these economic times, I don't care if you are Notre Dame, you need the money. South Bend, Indiana isn't exactly Manhattan, they are hit just as bad as any other place in the Midwest. You should have taken the money, even if it meant that you stand the chance of finishing the season under .500.

I don't see the reasoning behind this decision and I probably never will, but hey I wouldn't have been accepted to Notre Dame, even if I could afford it.

Cubs Trade Jake Fox To Oakland

The Cubs received a gift this year, their prospect Jake Fox, a converted catcher, began lighting up the minor leagues. He was hitting the cover off the ball for power and average. A few injuries happened and the Cubs brought him up, but he has no real position on the team since Alfonso Soriano plays in left field. The Cubs had to trade him this off-season, did they get value for Jake Fox?

The deal was that Oakland sent RHP Jeff Gray, minor leaguer OF Matt Spender, and minor leaguer RHP Ronny Morla to the Cubs for Jake Fox, 2B Aaron Miles and cash. If you just look at the trade, this yields nothing instantly for the Cubs. This trade is addition by subtraction. Miles was very bad last year and they can get him off the books, which saves a roster spot and cash for a possible off-season second baseman signing. A lot of people think that they might go after a guy like Orlando Hudson or maybe going after Mark DeRosa again.

Jake Fox fits into what Billy Beane is all about, he's a guy who will walk and hit for a high average. His ceiling could be Jack Cust with a better average. Jeff Gray is a player that the Cubs will use instantly, he was in 20 games last year for Oakland and had an ERA around 3.50. Morla is a very young prospect that could turn into something in a few seasons and Spencer is a nice prospect that could end up being a nice outfield prospect in a year or so, his highest minor league level is currently AA.

I think this is a nice trade, but not a trade that most Cubs fans would want. They are used to huge splashes in free agency and trades. They hated the Mark DeRosa trade last year, but the Cubs got three very good pitching prospects in the deal and time could favor the Cubs in that trade. Jake Fox was one of the trade pieces that Cubs had in a very small prospect pool. Chicago doesn't have many prospects to trade, so they are a bad trading partner for most teams. I think the Cubs needed to get rid of Miles and the only way they could was to include Fox in the deal.