The Babble Draft Awards

By Justin Cheng

After two rounds of David Stern booing, Shane Battier doing his best ratchet Doris Burke impersonation, and NBA musical chairs, The Bayless Babbles will hand the first annual Babble Draft awards for those who participated in this year's NBA Draft.


BEST HAIR -- Lucas Nogueria 

Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk, the seven-foot Justin Bieber, came in close second in this category, but Nogueria, a first-round draft pick by the Atlanta Hawks, couldn't even fit his hat on his head. It was quite impressive to see that he walked down to the podium and shook the comissioner's hand without the cap falling off. I guess these athletic gifts that these NBA players goes further than putting balls into buckets (that's what she said).







BIGGEST "NO SHIT" -- Kiwi Gardner

You might be familiar with Kiwi Gardner, the 5'10", 165 pound guard from Oakland, CA. He constantly tore it up in San Francisco's Pro-Am league, but went undrafted yesterday. This came after a year of being ruled academically ineligible in his first year at Providence. With only high school and summer league Youtube clips on his résumé, it was the biggest "No Shit" of this year.





MOST UPSETTING MOMENT -- Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, & Steven Adams

The buzz that Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel, Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore, and Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams created by flashing their in-sewn attire to theirs suit were the lowest points in this draft. Changing the landscape of fashion, these three lottery picks are pressuring to conceivably invest a sizable amount of money towards something people will almost never see. For someone who is currently unemployed, that is not a bright prospect.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT -- Doc Rivers

"I would like to call him (Bill Simmons) an idiot, but I am too classy for that"
It's been a rough week in Boston, and Bill Simmons, the editior-in-chief of Grantland and diehard Boston fan, called out the former Celtics head coach, claiming that he had "quit" on his team. I like Doc Rivers, and I think he's one of the best coaches, if not the best, in the NBA, but this was kind of a roundabout way of saying that Simmons is an idiot and the "I am too classy for that" add-in is thrown out at that point.

Bill Simmons 1, Doc Rivers 0


TWEET OF THE NIGHT -- Bill Simmons

(Via Yahoo Sports) -- In light of the war of words between Simmons and Doc Rivers, Jeremiah Rivers, son of Doc, came to his father's defense and blasted Simmons on Twitter. The seven-tweet rant made some really good points that Simmons could not have known the full picture of Doc's departure from the Celtics. Despite those valid points, Simmons retorted back in a comical manner that I couldn't help but chuckle at.

When I get home I'm signing up my 5 and a half year old son for Twitter so he can defend me against Doc Rivers' kids.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) June 28, 2013

Bill Simmons 2, Doc Rivers 0, Jeremiah Rivers 0

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

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Changing of the Times

By Justin Cheng

Via Getty Images

First of all, I would like to congratulate the LGBT community on this momentous victory on the road to legitimizing same sex couples within the United States. I am not going to pretend that I have followed this movement as closely as I should, but I have had in-depth discussions regarding the semantics of this issue. This post will not go on to compare the sides of whether marriage should remain exclusive to a man and a woman or to promote the decision that was laid by the Supreme Court -- an argument that will make no headway when sizing up biblical principles to civil rights. 

In the realm of sports, there have been many who have spoken out about this issue most notably former Ravens linebacker Bendon Ayanbadejo and Oakland Raiders punter Chris Kluwe, neither of whom have been received well by their peers or organizations. Most recently Jason Collins, an NBA journeyman, became the first active player to come out as gay. 

But what of it? Why is this such a big deal? 

Despite the amount of progress that has been made in the past years, there is still a sizable opposition against LGBT individuals and their supporters. While some have respond with hate, others will come out with Chris Culliver-like comments, which some simply label as "ignorant," but I choose to conceptualize as an underlying fear of the unforeseen.

Sports has a long history of changing landscapes -- the most classic example is Jackie Robinson -- but let's not forget those individuals who have served as pioneers in their respective fields. Last summer, many of us were introduced to Oscar Pistorious, a double-amputee Olympic track sensation, while others may closely identify with Linsanity and the ruckus he caused as a member of the New York Knicks. While these athletes were revered for their boldness and courage, they were also met with an equal mixture of hatred and disdain.

Let's used this crazed example. What if Derrick Rose was gay? Would we simply see him as a gay man and stop watching Youtube highlights of his 2011 MVP season?

While this example is farfetched, it goes to prove that one's own sexual preferences is just a small portion of an individual, as is ethnicity or handicapability. Pigeonholing an individual based on these factors will cloud us from encapsulating the larger perspective -- or should I say person -- at hand. If I were a professional athlete, I wouldn't give a damn what the sexuality of my teammates were, as long as they could help me win. 

It's time that professional athletes gave this some more thought and use their platform to voice their views. Even if their opinions are not aligned with today's decision -- whose views should be equally respected and not condemned with hate -- at least it would get the ball rolling towards fruitful discussion.

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

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Golden Waste of Time

5 Worst Golden State Warriors of All-Time

by Justin Cheng

The Golden State Warriors are not slotted to make a selection in this year's upcoming 2013 draft all thanks to a draft pick that was spent on Marcus Williams, who spent most of his time in Oakland riding the pine pony. Prior to the 2012-13 season, we had spent the better half of two decades as the bottom feeders of the Pacific Division, overshadowing the excitement and galore of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin -- affectionately known as Run TMC. Even in the dreariest of times, the Warrior faithful have seen coaches and players alike come and go, yet the support has been unwavering -- quite the opposite of those Miami Heat fans who much rather watch Ray Allen make clutch 3-pointers from outside the stadium during an NBA Finals game. While there have been bright stars that have worn the blue and gold, this is a list of the worst Warriors in the past decade that kept us entertained enough to keep coming back to Oracle Arena.



5) Charlie Bell

Really? You thought that going to your DUI court hearing drunk was a good idea? It's not that you sucked at basketball. Now we used our amnesty clause to get rid of a mid-level bench warmer instead of Biedrins who is due to make and spend $11m on hair gel.

4) Patrick O'Bryant

Arguably the worst draft pick in franchise history, POB was also the biggest waste of seven feet of human flesh to ever touch the hardwood. The Warrior brass chose to O'Bryant 9th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft after a solid showing in the NCAA tournament with Bradley. His career with the Warriors only spanned two years, appearing in 40 games. While his on-court production was limited to garbage time, his most important contribution came when his car was infamously stuffed with popcorn, foreshadowing the fate of Kent Bazemore's Audi. 




3) Mike Montgomery 

The Stanford star coach was expected to bring similar success to Oakland. Once Baron Davis was traded to the Dubs, it was World War A through Z. As the story goes, Montgomery called out Diddy for sitting out 30 games on a sprained ankle. Later, the coach tried to hash out their differences in a conversation with his star player, but Diddy was "booked for the entire summer." Later that summer, Monty was exiled from the NBA back to the Pac 10.







2) Derek Fisher

What's worse than having a Laker in a Warrior uniform? Paying to have Derek Fisher in a Warrior uniform. Getting a six-year, $37 million contract to replace Gilbert Arenas was pretty bad already, but ending the "We Believe" season with a dagger as a member of the Utah Jazz makes him one of the most hated Warriors of all-time.






1) 2007-08 Chris Webber

You were supposed to be the cornerstone of our franchise, BUT YOU LEFT AFTER ONE SEASON AFTER WE GAVE UP PENNY HARDAWAY AND THREE FIRST-ROUND PICKS! Sure, you came back at the end of your career to play nine games, but you colossally drove our team into the depths of NBA hell for two decades. I hope you dream about your timeout call every night (OFF AWARENESS IN 2K = 0). 

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

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STOP BEING A GROUPIE

By Justin Cheng

Well, isn't this a sight to see? Danny Green of the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs congratulating the MVP Lebron James after Game 7 of the NBA Finals. These two were battling for championship glory over the past two weeks with Lebron and the Miami Heat emerging as the victors. But what does this picture symbolize and why does it bother me so much?

Despite being teammates for a season in Cleveland, this type of friendship and camaraderie does not appear to be an anomaly with athletes in this era. Social media, most notably Twitter, has served as a platform for professional athletes to communicate in a fashion that had not previously existed. Pros can effectively promote themselves with their followers and connect with other athletes outside of conventional media.

But is this new connectivity between athletes a hindrance between competitors?

Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, The Detroit Pistons Bad Boys. What do these three have in common? They were all maniacally competitive, a trait that may not be the most endearing in most real life situations, but nevertheless serves as a huge mental edge, particularly in the realm of professional sports. Michael Jordan, even at age 50 and 45 pounds over his playing weight, handled Gerald Henderson and beat  Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in one-on-one games. By not conceding anything (even in losing efforts), they gained a distaste for their opponents and willed themselves and their teams to multiple championships and meaningless one-on-one games with their employees. 

I am not going to sit here on some Skip Bayless-like rant and say that Green should have locked himself in a darkened dungeon of despair, but as a competitor and person who more than likely would have been the Finals MVP, Green did himself and the Spurs a disfavor by appearing submissive. Ten years ago you would not have seen guys from different teams working out with each other or planning to build superstar-loaded teams. Just like now, you don't show that kind of weakness if your ultimate goal is to win a championship, especially when the powerhouse, that is the Miami Heat, is the biggest hindrance of that. 

Perhaps I am looking into this picture too much. After all, sportsmanship is something that is taught as a kid. However, as a fan, I wouldn't want to see my superstar players fraternizing with the enemy after a life-changing loss. Rather, I would want at least some Derrick Rose- like resiliency for him not to go to a club with your biggest career road block. It's 2013 after all, and you can be cordial and send a congratulatory text message.

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

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Fatherly Figures

By Justin Cheng

Pat Riley, John Wooden, Bill Walsh, Dean Smith, Geno Auriemma. These are all individuals in the sports world synonymous with inspiration, leadership, and motivation. These are leaders of men (and women), who help us reach our greatest aspirations, whether it involves sports or not. Fathers, brothers and paternal figures teach us valuable lessons and have significant impacts on our lives. As my co-author Brent Lee has alluded to in his personal biography, sports are a microcosm of life, and the lessons that we learn can be applied to other facets of our existence. 

We at The Bayless Babbles would like to wish everyone a Happy Father's Day to all the fathers -- the first and most important coaches of lives -- as well as the single mothers, who have had to take on the daunting task of raising grown men. This article is a tribute for my best friends' fathers -- and of course my own -- with whom I have had the pleasure of knowing since kindergarten. These men have welcomed me into their homes and have shared their knowledge by teaching me lessons that I will never forget.


BART LAU 

The things I have always respected and admired about Vincent Lau's dad is that he is a man of principle and does whatever to provide for his family. Such a strong base of values has raised two similarly family-oriented sons. Whether or not you an athlete, you can greatly appreciate the strong morals that they abide by. Hard work to succeed is not simply something that you can just talk about, rather it is the sacrifice and commitment to whatever cause that you  are striving for. You need to have a strong balance of dedication and familial support in order to succeed, and Bart Lau is the epitome of such.




BILL HWONG

Brandon Hwong's dad (pictured right) was my first basketball coach in the third and fourth grades, and I have kept the lessons that I learned from him from day 1. The enthusiasm and intensity that he had for the game was infectious. He instilled a desire to succeed and have fun, which made basketball practices a welcomed mark on my weekly calendars. Throughout grade and high school, his thunderous voice was one of unconditional encouragement, regardless of the score. The lessons of that I have learned from him are priceless and are reflected in many that he has coached.



JULIAN LEE

If there are two things that I learned during my time with Brent Lee's dad, it was discipline and defense. Julian Lee emphasized fundamentals, rather than the flash and glory of the things we saw on tv. I remember a time when I could not defend in basketball, but he took the time to explain why I should be positioning myself between an offensive player and the basket. This lesson was a crucial part of creating the #LockTeam. What did his lesson teach me? Refining skills with careful observation and practice not only applies to sports, but it can be utilized with any area in life one is pursuing.


PETER CHENG

There are endless things that my dad has taught me. Although he is not a man of many words, his support of my athletic pursuits and  his own personal interest of sports is the reason why I love the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Cal sports. He first spurred my interest, and first love, of baseball by buying my first glove, catcher's mask, and wooden bat. We spent most of my free time in front of my garage pitching a tennis ball. While I have journeyed on multiple teams in different sports, I have learned about intensity from the sidelines, quite often yelling at the referees about bad calls. (I suppose that is the root cause of all those technicals and flagrant fouls). Whether I did good or bad during the games, my dad was always there, never criticizing or validating my own self-inflicted expectations of having an extraordinary game. He has never missed any of my games throughout grade or high school and will even concede precious nap times, so that I can get to whatever game I have as early as I like. Coming from a poor background, he has taught me the value of hard work, which I have directed to place energy in writing this blog as a thank you for fueling my addiction.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY EVERYBODY!

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

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The Perfect Pickup

By Justin Cheng & Brent Lee

June 13, 2012 -- Matt Cain hurls the 22nd perfect game in MLB history -- which easily becomes one of the greatest moments of my life, as I was sitting in the bleachers watching this masterpiece unfold with my co-author Brent Lee. San Francisco has since celebrated the victory of our second World Series championship in the last three years with a triumphant parade down Market Street and a classic speech by the rambunctious Mayor Ed Lee holding the golden broom to the city.

-- Fast forward one year --

Not to sound completely ungrateful, but the euphoria of winning another World Series, emergence of the Golden State Warriors as a legitimate threat in the Western Conference and Colin Kaepernick as the 49ers quarterback of the future have been withered by the recent struggles of the entire Giants rotation, Michael Crabtree tearing his Achilles tendon, and Andris Biedrins & Richard Jefferson stalling the franchise's growth (& are due to make higher salaries than Tim Duncan and Blake Griffin respectively).  

If you are reading this blog, I have come to the following conclusions.

1) You are taking your finals this week.
2) You have taken your finals because you are from Merced but nevertheless spend nine months out of the year in social purgatory.
3) You live with your parents because you don't have a job.
4) You don't have a job because you live with your parents.
5) You sincerely enjoy reading this blog and appreciate our stellar personalities.

If any of these applies, you are sure to have a depressing life or are simply an awful judge of character. Well, enough of the unpleasantries. Below are some feel-good videos from the past year for you Bay Area fanatics to reflect back on to pull you out of your dump of a life.

1) 27 Outs of Matt Cain's Perfect Game

2) 2012 NLDS Game 5 -- San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds -- Buster Posey Grand Slam




















3) Draymond Green Game-Winner Against vs. Heat

4) Stephen Curry Gets OFF at Madison Square Garden

5) The Rise of Colin Kaepernick 

6) 2013 NFC Championship -- San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

For more about the author and the blog (Click Here)

Email: baylessbabbles@gmail.com

Follow The Bayless Babbles on Twitter (@BaylessBabbles)

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Offseason Needs: Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

by Brent Lee 

Boston Celtics 
Needs: Youth, Bench, and Size 

The Truth and KG missed a combined 62 games the past two seasons. They are by no means the competitors they once were before. The burning desire to compete is still there in their hearts and minds, but their youth has fleeted. KG’s production has steadily declined over the years, but he is still VERY capable of taking over a game with his more than solid 18 foot jumper and his interior defensive ability. Paul Pierce, Mr. Injury Faker, has continued to post great all-star numbers but take a look at this white-on-rice defense. These fellas age like fine wine; however, their time in Boston has expired. Without a doubt, these two players will be future Hall of Famers. But the fact of the matter is that this Celtics team is not the 2008 Celtics anymore. Jesus Shuttleworth has taken his talents over to South Beach; Rajon Rondo suffered a season-ending ACL injury; Jeff Green received open heart surgery just a year ago; now sophomores Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo have had injury riddled rookie campaigns; Jason Terry underwent knee surgery this off-season; the list goes on. If and ONLY if the team stays healthy, the Celtics could most definitely make another serious deep playoff run. The recent track record of this team states otherwise. 

This team is now Rondo’s team. Without Rondo the second half of the season, the Celtic offense went stagnant. Rondo’s ability to dish to the open shooter, fearlessly slash through the lanes, and pickpocket the opposing ball handler were sorely missed. It was clear that in the first round playoff series with the New York Knicks, the Celtics lacked a primary ball handler. In their losses, the Celtics averaged 14.3 AST and 16.8 TO. The assist to turnover ratio is hideous. In the regular season, Rondo averaged 11.1 AST and 3.9 TO, which comes out to approximately 3:1 ratio. Rondo single-handedly could have taken over the Celtics offense. In the two playoff victories, the Celtics averaged 21 AST and 15.5 TO. It looks like Beantown will come up empty handed again next year if they choose to stick with this injury prone lineup. 



Here’s my advice: REBUILD AROUND VOLTRON. Rondo, Green, and Sullinger make a great core, but this team still needs help. Look at the Celtics to make some moves this offseason or next season (Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett anyone?) 

Brooklyn Nets 
Needs: A starting PF and Shooters 

You gotta be Kidd-ing me. J. Kidd's back after retiring a whole whoppin' 10 days ago. This is a huge risk by the Brooklyn Nets. Now the question is "What will J. Kidd's coaching style be like?". The Nets figure Kidd will be a player's coach, taking a more hands-on approach with the players. Kidd's had the opportunity to play with many future Hall-of-Famers and play under coaches like Danny Ainge and Rick Carlisle. It is important to note that Kidd has personally played against the existing rosters of the current NBA teams, and the Nets can definitely use that to their advantage. What is key is who the upper management and Kidd will select as their assistant coaches. Well, rumors are already out there that he is fond of hiring Lawrence Frank as one of his assistant coaches. That makes great sense because Kidd posted his best numbers under Frank in New Jersey from 2001-2008. Whoever the assistant coaches are, they will control the huddles next season a lion's share of time. 

Now that the Nets are squared away with their head coach of the future, they’ll look to shore up their bench with shooters in the upcoming NBA draft. Beyond Joe Johnson and Marshon Brooks, Brooklyn’s offense was painfully predictable. The opposing defenses blitzed D-Will, JJ, and Brook Lopez and gave Gerald Wallace and Reggie Evans the open top of the key jumper. With almost $77 million in salary dedicated to five players (Johnson, Williams, Lopez, Humphries, and Wallace), the Nets have no cap space to make a splash in this summer’s free agency. What can they do then you ask? Trade. Trade. Trade. 



Who can they trade? The oh-so-sexy Mr. Kardashian. His expiring 12 million dollar contract along with Marshon Brooks’ rookie contract can be a very enticing package to a throng of teams this summer. An even better question is: Who can they trade for? Carlos Boozer. http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=a7l5umk Chicago is looking to get younger and trading the Booze Cruise will help them achieve just that. Why does this trade make sense? Mr. Bruiser will provide the Nets with an effective big man with post up skills and a killer, unorthodox 15 footer. Oh and he ain’t afraid to show you what the Rock is cooking (hard fouls and physical play). What’s better is that he’ll rejoin his old running mate, D-Will, from back in their Utah days. D-Will will finally have a buddy to play pick-n-roll and pick-n-pop with now. YAY FOR FRIENDS!



The Nets would also be utilizing the “addition by subtraction” method. Let’s face it, Kris Humphries was collecting more dust on the bench than an Oreck vacuum cleaner. The Hump is and will forever be a distraction as long as he plays in the NBA. After the acquisition of Boozer, the Nets can address their shooting woes by adding couple shooters at the veteran’s minimum (i.e. Kyle Korver, Anthony Morrow, Marco Belinelli, Reggie Williams). 

Brooklyn looks to build upon last season's success. A playoff spot is guaranteed, but they're still few pieces away from becoming an upper echelon team. 

Philadelphia 76ers
Needs: Coach, Front Court, Experience 

Good news: The 76ers have found the point guard of the future in Jrue Holiday. 
Bad news: Everything else is in shambles.

Like his former Bruin point guard teammates, Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison, Jrue Holiday has finally come into his own and made a name for himself on his team. However, the difference between him and his ex-teammates is that Jrue does not have the star power around him like the others do. Russell has Durant and Ibaka; Collison has Nowitzki and Mayo; Jrue has … well... himself. The 76ers haven’t had a guard of his caliber since The Answer (Allen Iverson). I’m not saying Jrue and A.I. belong in the same category, but Holiday, like Iverson, has the capability to individually take over a game. Unlike A.I., he actually attends practice. 

Philly needs to assemble a team that can complement Holiday. Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young are GOOD players but good players at best. Evan Turner saw a 9 minute jump in play time from ‘11-12 to ‘12-13. He earned his spot in the lineup, playing and starting in all 82 games of the season. He also posted solid numbers: 16.3 PTS, 6.3 REB, 4.3 AST, and 0.9 STL, all increases from the prior season. But don’t let the numbers fool you. His player efficiency rating (PER) was well below the league average (15.0), scoring at 12.03. His PER in ‘11-12 was 12.68, so actually his efficiency on court declined. Like Turner, Thaddeus saw approximate 7 minute increase of playing from the ‘11-12 to ‘12-13 season. He also started at PF in all the games he played this past season. And yes, he did capitalize on the increase in playing time and starter position, he logged more PTS, REB, AST, and STL. The biggest spike we saw was his rebounding, up from 5.2 to 7.5. He recorded the team’s highest PER of 18.16. As long as Thad-Yo can maintain that 7.5 REB average next season, the Sixers won’t need to shape up the PF position. The starting PF spot is his to lose.

The center position is the Sixers’ weakest position. The Sixers haven't had a good quality center since Dikembe Mutumbo in 2001-2002. It’s never really been in the culture of Philadelphia to have a dominant scoring center, but it’s time for a change. Philly took a MAJOR gamble by trading for Andrew Bynum, and they happened to shoot craps. The Man Child sat on the bench the entire season. Sam Hinkie, Sixers GM, dubbed the Andrew Bynum a complete failure. Maybe he was referring to Bynum's hairdos. 











Bynum should've focused on his rehab rather than trying out a new hairstyle every month.  When your general manager admits a mistake, you are certain that you struck out. The Sixers are forced to make a critical decision on whether or not to take another gamble on Bynum. Ultimately, the Sixers are facing the dilemma of “high risk, high reward”. Either way, the Sixers are in dire need of an elite center if they want to stay competitive with teams like Miami and Indiana. Hinkie’s in the hot seat. He’s got to shape up this lineup before the offseason is over. Can the task be done? We'll just have to see. 

New York Knicks 
Needs: Frontcourt Depth, Rebounding, Backup PG 

The New York Knicks finally won their first playoff series this past postseason after a 13 year drought. While this may seem like promising news, it isn’t. It isn’t in the eyes of all Knickerbocker diehards, Spike Lee, Chris Rock, and Jersey Shore’s finest Vinny. 

Vinny is fed up like the rest of the Knicks fans.

Just last week, Jason Kidd announced his retirement from the NBA. Though he was not the crafty J. Kidd of the past, he was still a fairly effective player and locker room leader. With his departure, the Knicks backcourt has been almost stripped bare. With free agency looming, J.R. Smith looks to opt out of his contract and test the high demand/low supply waters. The reigning sixth man of the year will definitely command a hefty sum of money; New York can only offer a maximum 4 year $20 million dollar contract. That would be a steal for a player coming off an all-star like season. Under contract, the thin Knicks backcourt comprises only of Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert. The Knicks must sign at least two quality guards to bolster their frontcourt, preferably a pass first point guard. Jose Calderon and Beno Udrih are two backup PGs the Knicks can consider. 

New York ranked a dismal 5th to last in the league in rebounding. For a team with players like Kenyon Martin, Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, and Tyson Chandler, boards should come a plenty. The problem here is age. The Knicks own one of the oldest frontcourts in the NBA and with age comes more susceptibility to injury. New York will have to evaluate the free agents on the market to determine which player can fit immediately into their system. Timofey Mozgov is a likely candidate; he would provide the Knicks with an immediate upgrade in the center position. Although he would not start for the Knicks, his size and strength alone would elevate New York’s level of frontcourt play. He is still very raw offensively, but thankfully he will not be asked to be a scorer on this heavily loaded offensive Knicks squad. 

The Knicks defense is questionable...

Despite recording the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks lost in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals to the Indiana Pacers. In the past 20 years, the Knicks and Pacers have seen each other 7 times in the playoffs. The Knicks were simply outhustled and outrebounded in the series against the Pacers. The Knicks caught a break in the first round when they faced the Rondo-less, worst rebounding team in the NBA in the Celtics. This aging Knicks team is built to win now. The timeframe gets smaller and smaller by the week. New York must get younger and bigger this offseason if they hope to win another playoff series.

Toronto Raptors 
Needs: Health, Team Ball, Consistency, Rebounding 

The Raptors finished off the season with a more than promising 5 game winning streak (Last 11 games: 7-4 record). All of Canada hopes that the streak can continue into the 2013-2014 NBA season. Toronto has not made the playoffs since the Chris Bosh era. Masai Ujiri, Toronto’s new GM, will need to address few things before entering the 2013-2014 season. They will look to develop more team chemistry this offseason. This will require Uriji to work his magic like he did in Denver to find a cohesive bonding unit. The opening night starting lineup appears to look something like this: PG Kyle Lowry, SG Demar Derozan, SF Rudy Gay, PF Andrea Bargnani, C Jonas Valanciunas. This unit has yet to see one NBA game all together, so this offseason will be crucial to the development as a starting unit. 

Health has been and will continue to be a concerning issue for this team. Lowry, Gay, Bargnani, and Valanciunas each missed significant parts of the 2012-2013 season, so they will have rely on their bench throughout the season. High flyer Terrence Ross, dirty worker Landry Fields, and do-it-all Amir Johnson will therefore be seeing a lot of minutes next season. Rebounding was a problem all season long for the Raptors. They averaged a lowly 28th in the league (40.2 REB/game) with their leading rebounder, Amir Johnson, averaging 7.5 REB/game. The rookie Valanciunas will need to be more aggressive on the boards his sophomore year if the Raptors want to stay competitive this upcoming season. He showed flashes of his potential, but his numbers were never consistent. 

On paper, the Raptors have all the right personnel to get them into the playoffs, but so did the Lakers in 2012-2013. The Lakers miserably failed in the first round of the playoffs getting swept by the Spurs. I digress. As long as the key members of this squad can stay healthy, they can be quite a formidable team. They will be able to fly under the radar right into one of the bottom playoff seeds of the Eastern Conference. Speaking of flying, Rudy Gay, Terrence Ross, AND DeMar DeRozan have all participated in the NBA dunk contest. These past participants, along with teammates Landry Fields and Mickael Pietrus (Air France) will give Kyle Lowry a field day throwing up alley-oops.  One thing's for sure, there definitely will be no shortages of dunks next season. 










ATTENTION: Air Canada flights will now include rim-rockers, tomahawks, and excuse-me-let-me-dunk-this-in-your-face dunks. 

UP NEXT: Eastern Conference Central Division

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee. 



Email: baylessbabbles@gmail.com

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Gordon Bombay: Greatest Coach Of All-Time

By Justin Cheng

In lieu of the Stanley Cup Finals, where the Chicago Blackhawks will face off against the Boston Bruins, it has come to my attention that many people around the Bay Area simply do not care about hockey. I myself do not find anything interesting outside of the San Jose Sharks and toothless, testosterone-filled douchebags bashing each other's skulls. With some reflection, however, I have come to realize that hockey has had a bigger impact on people's childhoods than ever imagined, but how is that possible?

The answer: GORDON BOMBAY. This child hockey prodigy, turned lawyer, turned peewee hockey coach, turned minor league hockey player, turned Team USA representative taught us more practical lessons than George Feeny ever did. The three editions of The Mighty Ducks series -- which I must say are the greatest three movies of all time -- was very well the cornerstone of our childhoods, and this is why.








1) Taught Ethics

Bombay wasn't always the best coach, but Charlie Conway was the epitome of a great leader. When Bombay first joined the District 5 team, he taught tricks of how to get cheap penalties by flopping and hooking. Conway called him out like a boss. It wasn't until Bombay slept with Conway's mom that he concluded that cheaters never win.




2) Promotes Equality

To my knowledge, there are no professional Asian hockey players or a WNHL, so where else would you see a Chinese kid and two girls on the same team? Adding Kenny Wu, Julie "The Cat" Gaffney and Connie Moreau taught us that we can rise above any ceiling or stereotype.













3) You Can Be A Two-Sport Athlete

Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, Tony Gonzalez, Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez/ Luis Mendoza.  Nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it. Thank Bombay for recognizing game.




4) Child Abuse Was Okay

Sometimes we want to strangle our kids to make a point, which unfortunately, is quite illegal. In The Mighty Ducks, Greg Goldberg could not protect the net for his life.  It wasn't until Bombay used an off-the-wall teaching method to get rid of Goldberg's fears of things flying at his face.




5) The Importance Of Bromances

Nothing is more important than someone having your back in tough situations. Adding Dean Portman to the squad provided Fulton Reed with an equally talented enforcer and life partner.






6) Faith To Defy Physics

Keenan Thompson aka Russ Tyler was added to Team USA and was critical in their wins against Russia and Iceland. Bombay was smart enough to add this street hockey player from Los Angeles to dazzle us with his gravity-defying knuckle puck.

7) Taught Teamwork

Quite possibly the second greatest moment in sports movie history (#1 being Domonic Toretto's cameo appearance in Tokyo Drift), the Mighty Ducks were coached to work together, a life-lesson that we could all learn to appreciate.





8) Academics Is Still Important

Finally, let's not forget an important facet of our lives: education. Bombay always seemed to do things in an unconventional manner, as seen here while on an ice cream date with Iceland's hottie trainer. He seemed to make an educational experience out of nothing and proved to us that learning can be fun too.
































Thank you Gordon for all the life-lessons.

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

For more about the author and the blog (Click Here)

Email: baylessbabbles@gmail.com

Follow The Bayless Babbles on Twitter (@BaylessBabbles)

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