Bosco's 2013 NBA Season Predictions

Division Standings
* Playoff Position ( )
  Atlantic
1. New York Knicks (4)
2. Brooklyn Nets (5)
3. Toronto Raptors
4. Boston Celtics
5. Philadelphia 76ers
  Central
1. Chicago Bulls (1)
2. Indiana Pacers (3)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (6)
4. Detroit Pistons (8)
5. Milwaukee Bucks
  Southeast
1. Miami Heat (2)
2. Washington Wizards (7)
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Charlotte Bobcats
5. Orlando Magic
  Pacific
1. Los Angeles Clippers (1)
2. Golden State Warriors (5)
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Sacramento Kings
5. Phoenix Suns
  Northwest
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
2. Minnesota Timberwolves (7)
3. Denver Nuggets (8)
4. Portland Trailblazers
5. Utah Jazz
  Southwest
1. San Antonio Spurs (3)
2. Houston Rockets (4)
3. Memphis Grizzlies (6)
4. New Orleans Pelicans
5. Dallas Mavericks
  Playoff Predictions
Bulls over Heat in ECF
Clippers over Thunder in WCF
NBA Finals- Bulls over Clippers in 7
  Awards 

MVP - Derrick Rose 

ROY - Victor Oladipo 

Coach - Doc Rivers 

6th Man - Jarrett Jack 

DPY - Roy Hibbert
  Ten Bosco-isms 

1. No way Brooklyn has a better year than the NYK 

2. Wade's age/injuries will catch up to him this season 

3. DRose will be unstoppable 

4. Kyrie Irving will finish top 3 in MVP (if he stays healthy) 

5. John Wall & the Wizards will be fun to watch 

6. The Clippers are too deep and too good for the west 

7. The Warriors are a year away from WCF 

8. Dwight Howard will return to form in Houston 

9. Denver can finish 4th or 10th. #unpredictable 

10. The bad teams will be AWFUL in hopes to land the #1 pick in what will be the deepest and best draft in over a.decade

Bosco's Top 30 Players of the '12 NBA Draft

Ive done rankings like this in years past but have never recorded them down for proof. This year will mark year 1 and I will continue to do it every draft from here on out. This top 30 ranking is what I think these guys will turn out to be during their career, not just by the end of season 1. I'm talking 10 years from now I will be able to look back at this and see how right or wrong I was.

Note: No international players since I do not watch them play or follow them as closely as college players.

Key
$$$- Future Hall of Famer
***- Perennial All Star
###- Long Career as STARTER

1. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - $$$
2. Anthony Davis - $$$
3. Bradley Beal - ***
4. Dion Waiters - ***
5. Jeremy Lamb - ***
6. Thomas Robinson - ###
7. Marquis Teague - ###
8. Royce White - ###
9. Perry Jones - ###
10. Harrison Barnes- ###
11. Damian Lillard- ###
12. Draymond Green- ###
13. Moe Harkless- ###
14. John Henson- ###
15. Will Barton- ###
16. Terrence Jones
17. Terrence Ross
18. Jared Sullinger
19. Andre Drummond
20. Fab Melo
21. Quincy Miller
22. Doron Lamb
23. Festus Ezeli
24. Andrew Nicholson
25. Kendall Marshall
26. Hollis Thompson
27. Jeff Taylor
28. Darius Johnson-Odom
29. John Jenkins
30. William Buford

BUSTS
Meyers Leonard
Austin Rivers
Tyler Zeller

Bosco's 2012 NBA Mock Draft

Bosco's 2012 NBA Mock Draft

1. New Orleans Hornets- Anthony Davis- (Absolute clear cut number 1. Will dominate the paint for a long time)

2. Charlotte Bobcats- *TRADE* (If Not- Harrison Barnes- Michael Jordan isn't the greatest at drafting, just balling. And if he goes Barnes over highly projected Robinson, we can argue it is a UNC homer pick in more than one way)

3. Washington Wizards- Bradley Beal- (Pure BEAST of a scorer & will make John Wall a great PG)

4. Cleveland Cavaliers- "MKG" Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- (Being selfish here- since he is my favorite college player coming out I would love to see him paired with Kyrie Irving)

5. Sacramento Kings- *Thomas Robinson* (Probably won't last this long, but my prediction is that he is picked at the 2 spot IF Charlotte trades out of the spot)

6. Portland Trailblazers- Andre Drummond (Blazers need a Center of the future since Greg Oden was an obvious FAIL, Drummond will be the next project)

7. Golden State Warriors- Damian Lillard (This kid is a scoring PG, might even be a better Brandon Jennings, would replace Monta Ellis and fit right in with Steph Curry)

8. Toronto Raptors- Austin Rivers (Dion Waiters is the trendy pick here, but I dont think the Raptors take a slashing scorer when they have Demar DeRozan. Rivers will be the choice)

9. Detroit Pistons- Dion Waiters (The Ben Gordon trade forces me to think they go guard here, and Waiters who will be a top tier guard in this league fits that mold)

10. New Orleans Hornets- Kendall Marshall (New Orleans will look to pair Anthony Davis up with a pass first PG, Marshall is that guy)

11. Portland Trail Blazers- Tyler Zeller (I'm going out on a limb that the Blazers take 2 big men, but also hedging my bet if they take Damian Lillard early on)

12. Milwaukee Bucks- Meyers Leonard (The Bucks going big man here to replace the traded Bogut. Leonard has drawn big time attention from scouts, Bucks will scoop him up if he's available)

13. Phoenix Suns- Jeremy Lamb (Will be hard for the Suns to pass up on his talent if he falls down them. I believe Lamb will be a top 5 player from this draft when its all set and done)

14. Houston Rockets- John Henson (Houston filling a need here with UNC big man, who can rebound and does have a high upside)

15. Philadelphia 76ers- Terrence Ross (The Sixers may lose Lou Williams to free agency, if so this pick will lessen the blow)

16. Houston Rockets- Moe Harkless (The Rockets will fill two big needs with the picks of Henson & Harkless who is a slashing 6'8" SF)

17. Dallas Mavericks- Terrence Jones (Probably tied for the best do-it-all player in the draft with Draymond Green. Dallas can use this type of guy)

18. Houston Rockets- Marquis Teague (After the Rockets traded into this spot, I initally thought 3 mid 1st round picks could mean big time blockbuster, if that doesn't happen look for them to finish out their picks with a PG of the future)

19. Orlando Magic- Jared Sullinger (With the chances of the inevitable Dwight Howard trade being through the roof on draft night, why not go big man here. And not just any big man, remember as recent as 7 months ago this guy was a projected top 5 pick)

20. Denver Nuggets- Arnett Moultrie (An above average offensive PF. That is normally hard to find this late in a draft)

21. Boston Celtics- Perry Jones (See Below)

22. Boston Celtics- Royce White (A pair of forwards with major upside can be the youth needed to keep the Celtics title hopes alive for another year, as long as they bring back KG of course.

23. Atlanta Hawks- Andrew Nicholson- (A big man that lacks real athleticism but can score from anywhere on the floor)

24. Cleveland Cavaliers- Fab Melo (After adding either MKG or Barnes earlier they can really start to build a complete team with the addition of 7 footer)

25. Memphis Grizzlies- Jeff Taylor (If a PG falls to them here, they will grab him. But in my mock that doesn't happen, which forces the Grizzlies to make this pick, a 6'7" SF that does a little of everything, including being a big time defender)

26. Indiana Pacers- Draymond Green (This guy is a winner, who does a everything a basketball player can do. I think he will be a glue guy in the NBA for a long time. Would be a great pickup for the Pacers this late in the first round. Plus they should keep him of Miami's roster if they ever want to contend with them)

27. Miami Heat- Festus Ezeli (We have heard Greg Oden might want to take his injuries to South Beach, if that is in the Heat plans then Ezeli probably won't be the pick here. But I'll say Miami takes the flyer on Ezeli being the healthier of the two and their need for bigs)

28. Oklahoma City Thunder- Doron Lamb (The one glaring thing we saw in the Finals was that the role players for Miami just stepped up and knocked down shots. While OKC's just did not at all, therefore I think going with a winning college player who can knock down the three might be a key addition for them)

29. Chicago Bulls- Will Barton (A SG has been the biggest NEED for the Bulls since D-Rose has come along. Well its time they try and fix that. Barton can shoot, create his own shot and is big time in transition. Once Rose gets a glimpse of him, he will be dying to get back on the court ASAP)

30. Golden State Warriors- Quincy Miller (An extremely athletic 6'10" SF with a 7'3" wingspan. He will immediately make an impact in the Warriors rotation, while still having a great amount of room to improve over the years)

...Tomorrow I will release my Top 30 players of the 2012 NBA Draft in order from 1-30 on where I feel they will rank throughout the careers.

Why I Support the NFL Owners and the Negative Impact the Lockout will have on the Game

With June rapidly approaching, most NFL fans are simply disgusted with the ongoing labor dispute between the NFL owners and the former NFL Player's Association (NFLPA). The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments from both sides in the first week of June, but is not likely to make a formal ruling into July. The Court's first action was to grant a permanent stay of the NFL owner's lockout a few weeks ago. This ruling signaled that the Court favored the NFL and was accompanied with a strongly worded rebuttal of the Federal district court's decision that sided with the NFLPA. If the 8th Circuit rules with the NFL, the lockout will remain in effect and will force both parties back to the negotiating table. It is appearing more and more likely that the NFL will miss preseason and possibly even regular season games.

Strictly on principles alone, I favor the NFL owners in this dispute. My rationale is what have you done for me lately. The NFL owners can give back to the fans if they earn additional revenue. In the last few years, the NFL has started their own television network, launched a revolutionary TV program called NFL Redzone which allows viewers to watch highlights of every game, and built new stadiums. When Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, earned additional revenue, he turned it into sport's greatest stadium; maximizing seating, introduced the world's largest jumbotron, and vastly increased the NFL fan's gameday experience. The San Francisco 49ers are in desperate need of a new stadium and can build one with additional revenue. If the NFL players receive an extra slice of the financial pie, what will they do for the fans? They are likely to spend their money on bigger mansions, faster cars, or maybe even throw their money in the air at a gentlemen's club (i.e. Pacman Jones). Sure, there are some players that spend wisely and donate heavily to charities. The majority blow their money on jewelery, cars, boats, etc. How else can you explain players like Mark Brunell ,who has earned over $50 million in his career, filing for bankruptcy? Or Charlie Batch having to sell his Super Bowl ring to cover expenses?

The NFL has given in to all the players extracurricular demands such as health benefits for life for retired players, a guarantted payout of up to $1 million dollars for the players in a contract year after a major injury, an $82 million dollar pool for retired players' benefits, reducing the physical demands of the offseason by shortening the OTAs and other events, and delaying a decision on an 18-game season, But, lets be honest here, the NFLPA was only ever interested in the money. These demands were only laid on the table as bargaining chips, to give the public the perception that they were willing to bend on supposedly key issues to get a deal done. My favoritism towards the NFL owners only becomes easier as star players such as Adrian Peterson and Rashard Mendenhall compare the player's lives to modern day slavery. Or when a Chiefs player suggested establishing an emergency fund for players struggling with finances. To my knowledge, the minimum salary for the NFL benchwarmer is over $350,000 per year. That is 4-5 times what I have earn on an annual basis! If the players are struggling financially they have only themselves to blame and are too inept to keep their financial house in order. The NFLPA also didn't earn any points when they demanded the NFL owner's open their financial books for review. Down here in the normal world, if an employee asks their boss to open up the finance books, it would be followed by a laugh and/or a pink slip. Even the NFL owner's do not have access to other team's income statements and balance sheets.

As if this offseason isn't enough to sour your opinion of the NFL, I have three negative predictions for the upcoming season: 1) The quality of football will be the worst in recent memory. The teams with new coaching staffs or quarterbacks will be downright awful without the time to learn/install a new offensive and defensive schemes, develop chemistry between skilled players, and condition their bodies for the rigors of a season. 2) A devastating increase in major injuries. Despire the players working out on their own, they are not getting assistance from medical trainers and professionals as they are accustomed to. Without a full offseason to get their bodies ready for the season, major injuries will be on the rise, which will ultimately hurt the quality of the game as star players watch from the sidelines. 3) The greatest disparity between good and bad teams in the history of the game. Unless the lockout is resolved soon, the average teams will be bad next year, and the bad teams will be even worse. Teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers, and Minnesota Vikings that have had significant turnover in the offseason will be at a huge disadvantage. Teams with relatively no changes, like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers will not be affected that much by the lockout. This will lead to more blowouts and laughers than ever before.

Regardless of your position on the lockout, prepare yourself for a forgettable season, if there is one to begin with.

Bosco's Final 68 - March Madness 2011

1. Ohio St
1. Kansas
1. Pittsburgh
1. Duke

2. Notre Dame
2. San Diego St
2. Kentucky
2. Uconn

3. UNC
3. Texas
3. Florida
3. Louisville

4. Purdue
4. Syracuse
4. BYU
4. Wisconsin

5. St. Johns
5. Arizona
5. West Virginia
5. Vanderbilt

6. Cincinnati
6. Texas A&M
6. UNLV
6. Kansas St

7. Xavier
7. Georgetown
7. Washington
7. Old Dominion

8. Temple
8. George Mason
8. Utah St.
8. Tennessee

9. UCLA
9. Marquette
9. Villanova
9. Richmond

10. Missouri
10. Gonzaga
10. Florida St
10. Butler

11. Michigan
11. Michigan St
11. Illinois
11. Colorado

12. Memphis
12. Penn St
12 (First Four) Virginia Tech vs. St. Mary's
12 (First Four) USC vs. Clemson

13. Princeton
13. Belmont
13. Indiana St.
13. Oakland

14. Morehead St
14. Long Island
14. Bucknell
14. Wofford

15. Akron
15. Northern Colorado
15. St. Peter's
15. Hampton

16. Boston U
16. UC Santa Barbara
16 (First Four) UNC Asheville vs. Alabama St
16 (First Four) Texas San Antonio vs Arkansas Little Rock

Bosco's Top 10 (NCAA Road 2 The Final Four) Edition 2

Hello everyone, welcome back to the best unknown sports blog on the web!

Today I have an edition of Bosco's Top 10. This top 10 will run weekly through selection Sunday and be posted on Monday or Tuesday afternoons. This Edition of Top 10 will be who I believe has the BEST shot to get to Final Four weekend and win the NCAA Tournament. I will rank the teams 1-10 with a little note about each one and their previous rank. (This is different from years past where I have posted my own Top 25 weekly rankings.) The other big difference is this will be based upon rankings, records, RPI, and the good old "eye test", since I do watch A LOT of college ball.

1. Texas Longhorns (2)- This team just keeps getting better and better! They are currently on a ten game winning streak beating teams by an average of 17.2 points per game. Jordan Hamilton continues to make his case for Nat'l Player of the year. As of right now he's definitely a first team All-American and Big 12 player of the year.
2. Ohio St. Buckeyes (1)- I'm going to be honest here. Yes, they lost his weekend, but anyone will lose in that atmosphere. And as much as coaches won't admit it, this loss will help Ohio St more than it will hurt them. They only dropped two spots in the Coaches Poll and 1 spot in the AP poll, so their chances of a #1 seed are just as good as they were last week. Plus Jared Sullinger keeps getting better, maturing in front of our eyes. They also have talented experience with Diebler, Buford and Lighty.
3. Kansas Jayhawks (3)- Two weeks ago, I had Kansas at #3 and I plan on keeping them in that same spot. They haven't lost since that Texas game, riding a six game win streak, by beating their opponents by an average of 21.6 points per game. They are a very good team, and can make a deep run so the #3 spot is not a bad thing!
4. Duke Blue Devils (4)- I've seen a lot of people writing and talking about Duke's chances of repeating getting worse and worse. Why, I ask? Yes, the ACC is down. Yes, they haven't been blowing teams out? But neither did the Duke team of last year. In the past two weeks since I made the statement... "I don't think Duke can repeat without Kyrie Irving returning", I have actually changed my tune a little bit. I think they have just as good of a chance as the three teams above them. The reasons why are, the bigs inside have actually stepped up of late, the Irving backups have gained much confidence especially Seth Curry and most importantly Nolan Smith has been unstoppable. He to me is right behind Jordan Hamilton (ahead of Jimmer Fredette) as Nat'l Player of the year and a definite first team All-American. The prototype for having a team ride his back all the way to the Final Four!
5. Pittsburgh Panthers (5)- It pains me to have them not move up from two weeks ago. This team just keeps winning, but I guess it goes to show you that there are a bunch of teams that can win it all. I feel just as strongly with Pitt going to the Final Four as I do with Texas. This team has two losses and only one in the Big East, which to me is most impressive. That conference is insane and to have gone this late into the year with one loss is a telling sign. A sign that this team maybe Jamie Dixon's best and maybe the most capable of making that Final Four run. I'm still in shock that they were able to win two awfully tough road games at West Virginia (HUGE RIVAL) and Villanova (Hadn't lost at the Pavillion since 2007) without their best player Ashton Gibbs.
6. San Diego St Aztecs(6)- The Aztecs are on a five game winning streak since their loss at BYU. That means they still only have one loss overall. As I've said before, they are this year's Butler. One hundred percent capable of making a Final Four run, and then would have a twenty five percent chance to win it from there. Kawhi Leonard is averaging almost 15 points and 11 rebounds per game. He's the type of player that will get the dirty jobs done on the road to the Final Four while still putting up big numbers. While D.J Gay, Billy White and Malcolm Thomas are all big time seniors who can blow up on any given night!
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10)- The Irish are 21-4 overall and 10-3 in the toughest conference in college basketball. Two weeks ago, I thought that they had an outside shot to make it to the Final Four, but now after winning 7 in a row I'm ready to say they have a great shot. Mike Brey has his best team, stacked with experienced seniors, lead by Tyler Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis. They both can put the ball in the hole, while Hansbrough has shown toughness that I've only seen from a few players this year. He is the leading candidate for Big East player of the year.
8. BYU Cougars (9)- Jimmer Fredette continues to dazzle but now the team is learning how to win when he doesn't have top notch shooting performances. That's a huge step in allowing this team to grow and be confident enough to make that Final Four run. Noah Hartsock and Jackson Emery are 2 key players that continue to make this team better. I'm ready to say Final Four shot is increasing every time I see them play.
9. Georgetown Hoyas (NR)- Here is the first of two teams to make their debut on my Top 10. G'Town continues to show me how good they are. They are riding an eight game win streak in the Big East, changing their record from 1-4 to 9-4. Austin Freeman, Chris Wright & Julian Vaughn are all seniors with tournament experience, and Jason Clark is a junior. They are four players that could use their experience and leadership to make that Final Four run. This is the year that I can see two Big East teams getting back to the Final Four, they have the deepest conference and some really talented experienced teams.
10. Wisconsin Badgers (NR)- Okay, as of Saturday at 2pm I did not think I would have the Badgers in my Top 10. But after watching that game I learned two things. One being the obvious, they can play at home which doesn't translate during the NCAA tournament. The other being the key to them being in my rankings. That's the play of Jordan Taylor. Wow, was I impressed with the ability to take the entire team on his back and dig them out of a 15 point second half deficit, and lead them to victory. I already knew that Jon Leuer was a big time senior with the ability to lead the team deep into the tourney. But I thought they lacked a big time perimeter player, boy was I wrong. To take a line from the great Dickie V, Taylor should switch his first and last names, because he had a Jordan-esque performance Saturday, and if he can repeat that, they can beat any team in the country on a neutral site.

Teams who have fallen out of the Rankings- Villanova Wildcats & Uconn Huskies.

Bosco's Top 10 (NCAA Road 2 March Madness) Edition 1

Hello everyone, welcome back to the best unknown sports blog on the web!

Today I have an edition of Bosco's Top 10. This top 10 will run weekly through selection Sunday and be posted on Monday afternoons from today on. This Edition of Top 10 will be who I believe has the BEST shot to get to Final Four weekend and win the NCAA Tournament. I will rank the teams 1-10 with a little note about each one and their previous rank. (This is different from years past where I have posted my own Top 25 weekly rankings, which normally didn't differ much from the coaches or AP polls.) The other big difference will be that I won't be using rankings to make my decisions, it will be based upon records, rpi, and the good old "eye test", since I do watch A LOT of college ball.

1. Ohio St Buckeyes
- The only undefeated team remaining in the country, and with "Super-Frosh" Jared Sullinger getting better by the game, they are scary good. The Buckeyes have as good of a shot as anyone to win it all, and not having a loss puts them ahead of the rest.
2. Texas Longhorns
- The Longhorns are arguably the hottest team in the country. But the key is can they maintain this play all the way through March? As of right now, you have to say yes and think they have a legit shot to get to the Final Four and win it all. That is because of the play of Jordan Hamilton and Tristan Thompson. Both youngsters, as Hamilton is a sophomore and Thompson a freshman, but both are playing like they are ready to be helping NBA teams out next year. And they might be,  but I'm sure they would like to win a NCAA title first.
3. Kansas Jayhawks
- Another Big 12 school? Yes, and one of the best teams in the country. Yes, I realize that they had their 69 game winning streak at home snapped last week. But that loss was to Texas! This team can jump on the backs of the Morris twins and ride to the Final Four. They will need freshman Josh Selby to continue to grow to win it all though due to the lack of depth at the guard position.
4. Duke Blue Devils- As a huge Duke fan, I will be the first to tell you that I don't think they can repeat without Kyrie Irving making his way back into the lineup. But I also can tell you that I wouldn't doubt them being able to get back to the Final Four. They will have to rely on seniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to step their games up like they did last year even if Kyrie Irving were to make a miraculous return. The Plumlee brothers will also need to toughen up as Brian Zoubek did last year from right around this point in the season, and carry it through the "Big Dance".
5. Pittsburgh Panthers- Pitt is having another great defensive season, which will keep them in most games. The problem is if Ashton Gibbs has a really off game they might struggle to keep up with some of the potent offenses they will see come tourney time. I do think that they can battle with any team on the glass which could be huge as well.
6. San Diego St Aztecs- SD St is having an amazing season so far. Lead by former "Fab 5" coach Steve Fisher and double double phenom Kawhi Leonard, this team can make a run from national obscurity to everyone's Cinderella story. I understand that they will most likely be a 2 or 3 seed for the Tournament but Butler was considered a Cinderella story last year, so can SD St.
7. Uconn Huskies- Uconn is having a surprising season so far based on preseason predictions by most of the analysts. Kemba Walker has been the best player in the country and has been able to lead his team to huge wins all year. And anytime you have a coach as experienced as Jim Calhoun combined with a National Player of the Year candidate like Walker, the results could be dangerous.
8. Villanova Wildcats
- Nova has been a consistent squad for years now. And I think most would say that is because Jay Wright is one heck of a recruiter. Especially at the guard position, I like to call them "Guard U". They have the two senior Corey's (Fisher and Stokes) who average 15 points a game, who both have 3 prior tournaments of experience to rely on. Since Nova isn't high on everyone's radar, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the year they make it back to the Final Four.
9. BYU Cougars
- Jimmer Fredette is all I have to say. If you don't know who this guy is, you sure will come March. He can score with the best of them, and I mean the BEST of them. Even the best scorer in the NBA, Kevin Durant tweeted last week that Fredette was the best scorer in the world! He is averaging a cool 27 points per game, but also has a lot of help, from the rest of his talented team including Jackson Emery who can also score! They have a classic March Madness game against the Kansas St. Wildcats last year to look back on, and try to make a deep run to the second weekend and beyond.
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Yes, Notre Dame is now as much of a basketball school as a football school. Especially lately, including this season. They are currently ranked in the top 10, while playing in the best conference in the nation (Big East). I just have a funny feeling that they will ride the coat tails of Ben Hansbrough, just as UNC did two years ago with his brother Tyler. Ben seems to have that same "IT" factor as a player, and wants the ball when the games on the line. He proved that last week in Pittsburgh when he hit every big basket he could to end the Panthers extended home winnings streak.